Together with his best friends, Bell and Seb, Archie sets off on a heartwarming and unforgettable journey to try and fix his family, even if he has to break a few rules to do it... In Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow, we follow Archie, whose parents have recently separated and who desperately wants them all to be happy again. When his dad comes out to him, Archie decides the best way to fix things, and make his dad happy, is to go to London Pride, to find out just what he can do to help. I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review – thanks so much as always to Netgalley for sending this to me! So adorable, funny, and heartwarming. I loved it!’ – Alice Oseman, author of the HEARTSTOPPER series

All of these things are touched on briefly but never actually talked about, which is such a shame when you have a book for younger audiences who probably do not (fully) understand these things. Disclaimer: A Physical Copy was provided via Simon and Schuster India in exchange for an honest review. The Thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are therefore, my own. If you never read Middle Grade Fiction then this is the PERFECT READ for you to introduce yourself to this genre. Together with his best friends, Bell and Seb, Archie sets off on a heartwarming and unforgettable journey to try and fix his family, even if he has to break a few rules to do it…

What I wanted from this book was explaining and examining Pride and all that surrounds it from the perspective of a 12/13 year old boy whose father just came out as gay.

Yes, there are one or two tiny niggles I had with this (it's me. Of course I spot things that niggle at me), but I get why these issues are in the story and written in the way it was. And yet, this book was a joy to read and these niggles didn't effect my reading. Instead I got a third of the book where the parents are fighting followed by two thirds of people getting lost and trying to find each other, which happens to be at Pride in London.

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This is a really sweet book. Archie is a great, cheeky main character with a super engaging voice, who chatters away to you like you’ve been best mates for years. There’s a great emphasis on friendship here, which I loved; I feel like kids have such all-encompassing friendships and it was so wholesome to see Archie lean on his friends and how they rally together to support him in spite of their fears. There are lots of funny little moments (such as when his best friend needs to come up with a fake name and the first thing that springs to mind is ‘Eliza Barclay Card,’ a name she got off her mum’s bank statement) and tear-jerkers too. The end of the book in particular made me tear up – it was so warm and comforting and lovely, it felt like I was being hugged by this great big pride family. It’s a gentle, not-too-overwhelming introduction to the colourful world of the LGBTQIA+ community that no doubt seems alien to a lot of young kids. The final third of the book in particular has an almost magical feel to it – it’s so vivid and descriptive. Reading it was immensely comforting, because it’s so low-conflict and you had this guarantee that everything would be okay in the end that I find hugely reassuring – a happily ever after is a must for me, and I never doubted for a second that this book would deliver. It also has an absolutely GORGEOUS cover, it really catches the eye, I’m obsessed with it. A million kudos to the illustrator, Sandhya Prabhat; she did a phenomenal job. This is a kind book which frames the topic of a parent coming out with a gentle story about decent people dealing as best they can with seismic changes to their lives, and one which will be warmly welcomed by readers waiting to read about a story that mirrors their own. Oh this was a beautiful and delightful as well as heartwarming celebration of familial love, acceptance and the joy of family, no matter how unconventional it may be! Who was Marsha P Johnson and why is her quote used? Why is Pride (still) a protest? Why do people become drag queens and what does it mean when people use they/them pronouns?

Joyful, funny and heartfelt’ – Katie Tsang, co-author of SAM WU IS NOT AFRAID and DRAGON MOUNTAIN‘This joyful book has such heart, expertly navigating serious subjects around family, gender, and sexuality. Celebratory and advocating kindness, I’d recommend this book to all middle-grade readers. A real tear-jerker!’ – Steven Butler, author of THE NOTHING TO SEE HERE HOTELWhen Archie's parents get divorced, he's sure there's a secret, but he doesn't know what it is. Eventually, his dad tells him he's gay, and this leads to conflicting feelings for Archie. He's mainly afraid things will change, and he doesn't want them to. But he wants to support his dad, and he thinks the best way to go about that is to go to London Pride.