Stage Dreams

By Melanie Gillman. Published by Lerner Books.

Softcover, 104 pages, Colour, 2019.

In this rollicking queer western adventure, acclaimed cartoonist Melanie Gillman (Stonewall Award Honor Book As the Crow Flies) puts readers in the saddle alongside Flor and Grace, a Latinx outlaw and a trans runaway, as they team up to thwart a Confederate plot in the New Mexico Territory. When Flor—also known as the notorious Ghost Hawk—robs the stagecoach that Grace has used to escape her Georgia home, the first thing on her mind is ransom. But when the two get to talking about Flor’s plan to crash a Confederate gala and steal some crucial documents, Grace convinces Flor to let her join the heist.

Awards

• Excellence in Graphic Literature Award YA Fiction, Nominated, 2020
• Notable Award YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens, Winner, 2020
• Notable Award Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year, Winner, 2020
• Southwest Books of the Year, Winner, 2019

Reviews

MTV News

Reviewed on 22 April 2020

“[A] whirlwind adventure and a blossoming romance…” —MTV News

NPR Books

Reviewed on 22 September 2019

“Stage Dreams’ sweeping lines and dimensional shading are rich pleasures.”—Etelka Lehoczky for NPR Books

Starred Review Publishers Weekly

Reviewed on 11 September 2019

“[D]elves into queer history and spins a witty and extravagant yarn about a dashing duo.”—starred, Publishers Weekly

Starred Review School Library Journal

Reviewed on 19 June 2019

“This charming and poignant queer romance set against a Civil War–era backdrop will resonate with readers.”—starred, School Library Journal

Booklist

Reviewed on 18 June 2019

“An illuminating western with a refreshingly matter-of-fact queer romance.”—Booklist

Kirkus Reviews

Reviewed on 5 June 2019

“An engrossing escapade with a heart-stealing queer romance.”—Kirkus Reviews

Emil Ferris

Reviewed on 6 March 2019

“Melanie Gillman’s beautifully crafted YA graphic adventure reveals the hitherto little-known historic diversity of the Old West.”—Emil Ferris, My Favorite Thing Is Monsters

Kate Leth

Reviewed on 6 March 2019

“Stage Dreams is a delight. A fast-paced, charming adventure story told beautifully in colored pencil—a medium nobody knows better than Mel Gillman. Treat yourself to this book; your day/week/life will be better for it.”—Kate Leth, Spell on Wheels