The Art of Being Normal

On the first day at his new school, Leo Denton has one goal: to be invisible. Attracting the attention of the most beautiful girl in his class is definitely not part of that plan--especially because Leo is a trans guy and isn't out at his new school.

Then Leo stands up for a classmate in a fight and they become friends. With Leo's help and support, the classmate, who is a trans girl, prepares to come out and transition--to find a new name, Kate, and live a truth that has been kept secret for too long. Kate and Leo are surrounded by bigots, but they have each other, and they have hope in their future.

The Art of Being Normal: A Novel by Lisa Williamson is an uplifting story about two teenagers set in the modern day in the United Kingdom. The author was inspired to write this novel after working in England's national health service, in a department dedicated to helping teens who are questioning their gender identity.

This novel, which won awards in the UK, is a first-person narrative about two transgender students, and is ideal for cisgender (cis) readers—people who identify with the gender assigned to them at birth—to learn more about gender identity and what it means to be transgender.