Rainbow Fair

Seventh grader Sophie and her best friend Katie do almost everything together, including running the Chinese heritage booth at their middle school’s Rainbow Fair, an annual cultural event. But the two start drifting apart when Katie, who’s recently come out as bisexual, successfully petitions the school to include an LGBTQ+ booth at the annual event and starts spending time with new friends. Soon after, Sophie, who has inadvertently kept her Muslim identity private, is tasked with running the fair’s Islamic cultural booth and researching a religion she doesn’t practice: “Other than not eating pork, what does it mean that I’m Muslim?” The arrival of Anna, another Muslim student, further complicates things between the friends, potentially leading to a disastrous Rainbow Fair for all. As Anna’s excitement for their booth and openness about her beliefs offer Sophie space to explore her identity, emotionally resonant conversations and organic character growth anchor the nuanced narrative. Ma (The Unbeatable Lily Hong) thoughtfully considers attempts at honoring multiple facets of identity as well as navigating feelings that can arise when old friends form new social bonds. The protagonists are Chinese; secondary characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 8–12. Agent: Christa Heschke and Daniele Hunter, McIntosh and Otis. (Apr.)