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4.0 

Winnie Nash Is Not Your Sunshine

By Nicole Melleby
Winnie Nash Is Not Your Sunshine by Nicole Melleby digital book - Fable

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Publisher Description

In this powerful novel by an award-winning author, 12-year-old Winnie Nash is forced to live with her grandma for the summer and finds herself torn between her family’s secrets and the joy of celebrating Pride.

Winnie Nash never used to have so many secrets.

But then she agreed to stay with her grandma for the summer so her mom can take care of her health during her latest pregnancy. Now Winnie plays card games with Grandma’s friends (boring), joins the senior citizen book club (fine, even if no one thinks she’ll read the books), and absolutely does not talk about her mom’s sad days (she never used to be so sad…).

The biggest secret is that her parents asked Winnie not to mention she’s gay to Grandma. And there’s a really cute girl who also hangs out with the senior citizens. What happens if Grandma notices just how much Winnie likes Pippa? The longer Winnie hides the truth, the more she longs to be surrounded by her LGBTQ+ community and the more she feels like the only place she can be herself is at New York City’s Pride celebration. Winnie decides she’ll get to Pride, one way or another. But is this just one more secret she has to keep?

24 Reviews

4.0
“Whew. This book hit like a gut punch. As someone who a) has an (almost) 12-year-old, b) has spent the last year-ish coming to terms with my own queer identity, c) has dealt with miscarriages, d) has continually struggled with depression and is constantly hyper-aware of how that might affect my kids, and e), even has a daughter named Wynnie, it genuinely felt like this book was written to be a big waving flag for me to take more steps to seek out the help I need to make sure my children don’t feel forgotten like Winnie did (my 9 year old brought me a mental health brochure from a trunk or treat event, and said “I got this for you,” and my 11 year old has very bluntly stated “you probably need therapy” in the midst of a deep conversation, so I do at least know they have a grasp of knowledge of what my struggles mean). I want them to feel held by me. When Winnie asked her mom why they kept trying for a baby after everything, it reminds me of all the times I ask myself “why did I have so many children? If I was just going to feel like I’m failing them all?” (though unlike Winnie, my kids are the ones saying they wouldn’t mind more”

About Nicole Melleby

Nicole Melleby, a New Jersey native, is the author of highly praised middle-grade books, including the Lambda Literary finalist Hurricane Season, ALA Notable book How to Become a Planet, Camp QUILTBAG (co-written with A. J. Sass), and The House on Sunrise Lagoon series. She lives with her wife and their cats, whose need for attention oddly aligns with Nicole’s writing schedule. Visit her online at nicolemelleby.com.

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