Disappearing Boy, The

Thirteen-year-old Neil must deal with incredibly complex family relationships: he doesn’t know the identity of his father, his mother moves them from Vancouver to Ottawa where they connect with a grandmother Neil had no awareness of, he learns his mother is transgender, and these discoveries prompt him to run away to New Brunswick to seek solace with a grandfather he has never met, but his grandfather’s intolerance drives Neil and his mother closer together. This engaging, fast-paced Canadian novel for grades 6-8 is suitable for read-aloud, literature circles, or a classroom library, and deals with issues of family dynamics, gender identity, resilience, compassion, and acceptance.