Joy, to the World: A Middle Grade Novel About Trans Joy and Fight

A young Dumplin’ meets Melissa in this joyful and energetic middle grade novel about a twelve-year-old girl living her life to the fullest, celebrating her love for sports and fighting for her right to cheer.

Joy, a twelve-year-old trans girl, just moved to Texas with her mother and older brother. Her family has accepted Joy as the girl she is early in her transition, with little fuss, leaving Joy to explore her love of sports, competition, teamwork, school spirit, and worship.

But when she is told she’s off the cheerleading team, Joy wants to fight for her right to cheer. As her battle with the school board picks up momentum, Joy attracts support from kids all around the country . . . she even gets the attention of her hero, trans activist Kai Shappley.

Inspired by Kai’s own life, Joy, to the World is a timely story of living life to the fullest, celebrating and centering trans joy, courage, and resilience. 

One girl. One team. One unfair rule that changes everything.

• Inspired by a True Story: Based on the life of co-author and activist Kai Shappley, this novel shines a light on the real-life challenges and triumphs of trans kids in Texas.
• Finding Your Voice: When the school board says no, Joy discovers that speaking up can inspire a movement, proving one kid can make a world of difference.
• Cheerleading and Teamwork: From falling in love with the sport to forming the unstoppable Sparkle Squad, this story celebrates the power of spirit, stunts, and standing together.
• Unforgettable Friendships: With her best friend Max by her side and a growing squad of allies, Joy learns that the strongest teams are built on loyalty and acceptance.

Kai Shappley is a young American actress and activist. When she was in fourth grade, she stood up to the Texas State Legislature against their attack against trans kids. Her journey was recorded in the Emmy winning documentary, Trans in America: Texas Strong. She has also guest starred in the first season of the Babysitters Club on Netflix. She loves her family, friends, pets, and Dolly Parton! 

Lisa Bunker (she/vo/they) is the author of Felix Yz and Zenobia July, two novels for young readers that feature many LGBTQ+ characters without that being the preachy point. From 2018 to 2022 she served the town of Exeter in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Lisa is married and has three grown children. Her geekeries include chess, bass-playing, gender, storycraft, and language. She lives in Sacramento, California.