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My Life as a Diamond

By (author) Jenny Manzer
Categories: Children’s / Teenage fiction: General fiction, Children’s / Teenage fiction and true stories, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: LGBTQ+, Children’s / Teenage: Personal and social topics, Relating to LGBTQ+ people, Relating to specific groups and cultures or social and cultural interests, Interest qualifiers, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Sporting stories, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Ball games and sports: Baseball and Softball, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Ball games and sports, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Sports and outdoor recreation, Children’s / Teenage: General interest
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Paperback : 9781459818316, 176 pages, September 2018
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Caspar just wants to play ball.

Description

Talented baseball player Caspar “Caz” Cadman has a great arm and a big secret. No one knows that Caz used to live life as a girl named Cassandra. And it’s nobody’s business. Caz will tell his new friends when he’s ready. But when a player on a rival team starts snooping around, Caz’s past is revealed. Will Caz’s teammates rally behind their star pitcher? Or will Caz be betrayed once more? To learn more about this publisher, click here: http://bit. ly/1CdKhB5

Awards

  • Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selection 2019
  • Short-listed, Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award 2021
  • Commended, Bank Street College of Education Children's Book Committee Best Children's Books of the Year 2018
  • Commended, TD Summer Reading Club Recommended Reads 2020
  • Commended, Children’s Book Council & National Council for Social Studies Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2019
  • Short-listed, City of Victoria Children’s Book Prize 2019
  • Short-listed, Chocolate Lily Book Awards - Novels 2019
  • Nominated, Forest of Reading Silver Birch Fiction Award 2020
  • Nominated, Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Awards - Diamond Willow 2019

Reviews

"A great novel for elementary grades to learn more about gender, identity, and transgender issues…Filled with lots of baseball lingo and references, this is the perfect book for a die-hard baseball fan. "

- Resource Links

"[Caz's] teammates lend authenticity and humor to the book. Family dynamics are portrayed honestly…Competition between teams is fierce, as is camaraderie within the team. "

- Booklist

"An engaging sports story. "

- Kirkus Reviews

&quotProvides young readers with an opportunity to see a community that is accepting of Caz and who he is—not who they think he should be. &quot

- Quill & Quire

"The plot and characters strike an ideal balance that will have wide appeal, introducing readers to themes of gender identity that avoids didacticism and sensationalism. My Life as a Diamond will appeal to readers interested in baseball, team-sports, and realistic fiction. Highly Recommended. "

- CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"The author put a lot of research into this…and was successful in having an elementary and middle grade appropriate transgender story. The inclusion of lots of baseball is a big plus, and will encourage readers to pick up the book. "

- Ms. Yingling Reads blog

“Deals with heavy subject matter around identity and agency, but the fast pace of the book and the warmth and humour author Jenny Manzer imbues it with make this an accessible middle-grade read.”

- Books & Ideas, Vancouver Writers Fest

"Baseball fans will enjoy the play-by-play, but more than that, readers will like the character of Caz. Acceptance of others is a good message for everyone."

- School Library Connection