Jamie

JAMIE is an uplifting standalone novel set in contemporary England which tackles themes of bravery, acceptance and chosen family. It’s also interesting to note that the novel provides an accessible introduction into what being non-binary means, with definitions provided in Jamie’s narrative voice after certain chapters, explaining terms associated with LGBTQ+. Lapinski has previously written the STRANGEWORLDS trilogy, the most successful middle-grade debut series published in lockdown. JAMIE will be published by Hachette Children’s in April 2023. You can check out the bookseller announcement here.

Jamie Rambeau is a happy 11-year-old non-binary kid who likes nothing better than hanging out with their two best friends Daisy and Ash. But when the trio find out that in Year Seven they will be separated into one school for boys and another for girls, their friendship suddenly seems at risk. And when Jamie realises no one has thought about where they are going to go, they decide to take matters into their own hands, and sort it all out once and for all.

As the friends’ efforts to raise awareness eventually become a rooftop protest against the binary rules for the local schools, Jamie realises that if they don’t figure out a way forwards, they might be at risk of losing both their friends forever.

L.D. Lapinski lives just outside Sherwood Forest with their family, a lot of books, and a cat called Hector. L.D. first wrote a book aged seven; it was made of lined paper and Sellotape, and it was about a frog who owned an aeroplane. When L.D. grows up, they want to be a free-range guinea pig farmer. They have an MA in Creative Writing, and when not working, L. D. can be found online, usually talking about Spider-Man. Their first series, THE STRANGEWORLDS TRAVEL AGENCY, is out now from Hachette Children’s Group. Lapinski is represented by Claire Wilson at RCW Literary Agency.