Answers in the Pages focuses on the story of two boys – Donovan, a kid whose mom is challenging a book he’s reading in class, and Gideon, who is experiencing strange feelings for the new student in his class. These two stories intersect at the end of the book and complement each other in a way that is sweet, endearing, and empowering for middle grade readers.

The book is structured in chapters that are divided into thirds – one third is devoted to Donovan, another third to Gideon, and the last is a brief glimpse into the book that Donovan’s mom wants to ban. I think this works well for the story rather than having three times the number of chapters; it feels like Donovan and Gideon are growing right alongside each other.

Much of the book focuses on the process of having a book challenged at a school and the relationship between a parent and child on opposite sides of the issue. Considering that this is a position many kids will unfortunately find themselves in, this book will likely become an important read for many. Levithan does a good job of showing how these things happen without overburdening kids with just how awful the world can be, and because the book ends on a high note, it really does a fantastic job of leaving the reader feeling empowered and ready to take on the world (including parents at school board meetings).

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.