Along with her, I have to thank all the incredible people at Kathy Dawson Books/Penguin Young Readers—especially Rosie Ahmed and Regina Castillo—who have poured hours and hours of love and work into this book. I’m so thankful to be a part of this publishing family.
And before there was Penguin, there was Susan Hawk!—my agent, my unwavering cheerleader and the voice of kindness, wisdom, and practicality. Thank you for taking a chance on me and this book. Her early enthusiasm provided the steam to truly put myself out there and her professional savvy made this book into an actual career.
I owe a great debt to early readers of my writing, including Laura Irmer, Paula Turk, Theresa Alvarado, Cate Nuanez, James Nuanez, and Marieke Nijkamp. Additionally, I must thank my incredible and weird family. The ridiculous amount of support that I have received from them—siblings, parents, grandparents, in-laws, aunts, uncles, close friends—and especially those who help wrangle my toddler—is lovely, overwhelming, and something I will value forever.
I have huge appreciation for my dear grammy, for the love, shelter, electricity, water, and internet she’s given me and my family. These are the real-life things that make novel-writing possible.
As you may have seen, this book is dedicated to my parents—Mom, Brad, Dad, and Theresa. They show me what a loving, unconventional family can look like. Their unwavering support for all the wacky things I’ve wanted to accomplish has helped turn my dreams into reality.
Super thanks to my cats, Linux and Computer, premium lap and back warmers, loud meowers, and the best reasons to get up from the desk to stretch my wrists and rest my eyes after a long writing session.
I absolutely must recognize my young son. This book was written and sold before he came along, but the editing that brought it alive happened after he made me a mom. Though it became harder to write after he arrived, he gave me a reason to continue and continue well. He gave me a deeper understanding of Mama, a kinder eye toward her. The book would not be as good without him.
For my husband there aren’t words that fully convey my appreciation for all the support, companionship, leadership, love, wisdom, and comfort he has given me since we were just kids in high school. He read all the troublesome early drafts. He lent his keen eye and ear for voice and character authenticity. He hustled hard, worked full-time, commuted long hours, then took care of our son, all so I could meet deadlines. He was with me at the top of Half Dome and I’m so glad to have him here with me at the top of this mountain.
Lastly, I want to recognize all the amazing and courageous gender non-conforming kids and adults who have shown, posted, recorded, written, told, and lived their stories. Although Birdie was not inspired by anyone specific, his voice grew clearer in my head the more I opened my mind to all the awesome people who are like him. I’ve watched, read, and listened to countless stories, but wanted to specifically recognize C. J. and Lori Duron and Jacob Tobia—their public vulnerability and authenticity has truly shaped how I see the world.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
J. M. M. Nuanez was born and raised in California, but has lived in other places like Texas and Korea. When not reading or writing, you can usually find her outside with her husband and son. In her limited spare time, she likes to play with her cats, make Korean food, and build miniature things.
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