Call Me Max (Max and Friends #1)

In this first installment of a new series, Max, who is confidently transgender (“When I look in the mirror, I see a boy”) runs up against a decidedly binary gender culture on his first day of school. Neither the boys nor the girls want him in their respective bathrooms, and he decides that the only course is to “hold it all day.” Writing in an empathetic, conversational style, Lukoff (When Aidan Became a Brother) offers an upbeat portrait of what’s possible: Max is able to ask for and receive the support he needs from the school and his parents (“the boys got used to having me in their bathroom,” he adds). Equally important, though, are eye-opening moments for Max: his new friend Teresa rejects his assertion that girls don’t like to climb trees and look for “gross bugs”; his friend Stephen firmly informs Max that, while he wears dresses, he identifies as a boy. Gender identity, Max realizes, is about everyone having the opportunity to be who they know they are. Lozano (Diana Dances) amplifies the reassuring tone with appealing cartoon-style illustrations. Ages 7–up. (Oct.)