Shelley M Pearson

Book Smarts and Tender Hearts Shelley M Pearson

FInalist for the 2019 Oregon Book Award

Hannah is sixteen and doesn't feel like she fits in anywhere. Brainy, fat, and secretly in love with her best friend Liz, she's always found solace in her sweet and loving grandma. In the spring of 1996, as Gran moves into an Alzheimer's care center and Liz falls for yet another boy, Hannah branches out to find community on her own. She discovers zines, works up the confidence to attend a local LGBTQ youth group, and makes some new friends who help her begin to figure out how to balance her book smarts with her tender heart.