Six New Things – Week of May 12, 2025

Knowing who we are and who our people are is essential in spiritual and personal maturing. Compassionate communities foster self-awareness and belonging that nurtures life-long growth.

ONE

Heralded as ‘a modern take on ‘Are You. There God? It’s Me, Margaret’, Ollie In Between (Feiwel & Friends) is ‘a tender, queer coming of age story about finding your voice and choosing to live authentically, even when it’s easier to blend in’.

Get ‘an up-close look at the newest generation’ with the tested and true research found in, Thirteen: A First Look at Gen Alpha (Springtide), which offers insight to, ‘their hopes, their dreams, and their needs’.

Find more in our new Tweens & Teens lib guide, particularly the growing Coming-of-Age & Spiritual Growth tab.

TWO

For a deeper and broader exploration into gender identity, you might invite adults to read, No One Taught Me How to Be a Man: What a Trans Man’s Experience Reveals about Masculinity (Broadleaf, 2025), ‘an exploration of manhood and what it takes to be a good man in a world of toxic masculinity’. Author Shannon Kearns uses his experience as a trans man to ‘”see” gender in ways cis men cannot, making masculinity visible. Without arguing that masculinity should be done away with, or that there is no real difference between men and women, [Kearns] bravely points toward a form of manhood built for the well-being of the world, and for people of all genders’.

I created a whole toolkit, disguised as the Men and Church: Identity & Community Great Idea based on Kearns’ book and recent articles and interviews about the growing number of Gen Z in ‘religious services’.

THREE

Healthy masculinity is one step toward becoming a more welcoming community for all – including 2SLGBTQIA+ youth.

Illustrated Ministry’s guest writer, Deborah Jodrey, shared a two-part blog, ‘Welcoming and Affirming Queer Youth‘ – a great short read to inspire a powerful presence at this year’s Pride festivities and meaningful hospitality with queer community members, year-round.

IM’s Pride stickers and gear are always a hit – this year’s line-up does not disappoint:

Pride Palace – whose mission is, ‘to create a community, encourage people to embrace their pride, help charitable organizations, and amplify the voices of LGBTQ+ individuals’, is giving away FREE PRIDE FLAGS!

FOUR

As young ones’ identities develop, they may need different forms of community.

‘This Thing of Ours’ (Candlewick), follows Black student Ossie Brown from dashed basketball career dreams to navigating ‘the social and academic ecosystems of his affluent, predominantly white school’, to finding  new purpose and new people in the school’s writing program. The novel, ‘confronts… racism and classism, the treatment of student athletes, homophobia, and book banning while weaving together a moving testament to family, romance, friendship, and the power of words’.

It’s not new, but new to me: adults can tackle the topic of accessible literature with How to Resist Amazon and Why: The Fight for Local Economics, Data Privacy, Fair Labor, Independent Bookstores, and a People-Powered Future! (Microcosm). Join the economic revolution!

Letting Go, Finding You: Uncover Your Truest Self through the Enneagram and Contemplation (Broadleaf), urges us to get off of ‘the treadmill of consumer spirituality’ as it shows ‘how the contemplative path, informed by the Enneagram, will allow you to finally stop striving after false promises and start surrendering to the truest version of yourself’.

Find more in our Banned Books, Teens & Tweens – Leadership: BIPOC and our Intentionality: Simplicity/Minimalism and Meaning/True Self lib guides.

FIVE

Navigating white dominance and affluence – steeped in abuse and trauma – with self and belonging and community intact is at the heart of Medicine River: A Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools (Pantheon), ‘a sweeping and deeply personal account of Native American boarding schools in the United States, and the legacy of abuse wrought by them in an attempt to destroy Native culture and life’.

Find more in our Anti-Racism: Adults – Spirituality, Identity, and Healing – and the Church 

SIX

And none of this will mean anything if we don’t save the planet.

‘Award-winning broadcaster and natural historian David Attenborough and longtime collaborator Colin Butfield present a powerful call to action focused on our planet’s oceans, exploring how critical this habitat is for the survival of humanity and the earth’s future’ in Ocean: Earth’s Last Wilderness (Grand Central).

Find more in our Creation Care lib guide.