I really enjoyed this one. I thought all the characters were multi-dimensional and imperfect which certainly makes for an interesting story. I also appreciated the racial/sexual preference diversity which you don't always see even now. Suzette (Little) and her step-brother Lionel (Lion) deal with a variety of issues, mistakes, mixed feelings, etc. during one summer when she comes home from boarding school and attempts to deal with her sexuality, his bipolar disorder, and several other issues. Lovely writing and a quick read. ( )

The story was very readable and tackled subjects for teens such as microaggressions, gender, and mental health. But maybe, too many for one book?

Some issues are treated with respect but then others are completely glossed over. The job does a good job of dealing with bipolar symptoms. There is talk of suicide but it is handled well and again informative. And I appreciated a scene where microaggressions are called out--that was completely informative. But then others--six kinds of tequila can appear at a party and jello shots are passed around with no consequences or questions. The teens are sexually active, but they seem to be going through the motions. The main character is working out her own gender/sexuality, but she felt a bit jaded already by the whole thing.

I read this because this book was tagged for banning in Texas schools. I decided to read a number of books on the list because I hate the idea of banning any books and loathe the idea that librarians and educators are not qualified to know which books should be available for teens. ( )

The title of Brandy Colbert’s award-winning book Little and Lion comes from the names of the two main characters, Suzette and Lionel, two stepsiblings in a biracial family who have a close and trusting relationship where “Little” is Lionel’s nickname for his “little sister” and “Lion” is short for Lionel and is a special name given to him by her. The story is told from the perspective of Suzette, who has come home to stay with her family in Los Angeles for the summer after her first year at a boarding school in New England. As the story unfolds, we discover she was sent away for school this year because Lionel has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and her parents felt it would be easier for teens to not be a distraction for one another while he struggles through treatment and medication adjustment. The story ultimately is about friendship, family, trust, and how mental illness, religion, identity, and race are aspects challenging or strengthening many families, blended or not. The story content is mature (some recreational drug and under-age alcohol use, profanity, some sexual content described although not graphically) and presented by the author in ways that show consequences and reflection, so that the plot’s tension and the story’s lighter moments feel genuine. The writing is simple and while the story sounds complicated, it’s just as messy as many real families can become and resolves with questions remaining, some solutions that didn’t quite work, but also with a clean sense of discovery, hope, and honesty that’s refreshingly relatable. ( )

teen fiction (LGBTQ, ethnic diversity, mental health and differently abled, unmarried blended family in Los Angeles). I liked the part about speaking out against microaggressions (or in this case, blatantly wrong statements). There was a lot more diversity (all kinds!) than I was used to seeing in a book, but since this is more or less what the world actually looks like, this is a good thing. I also liked Suzette's small step progress as she figures out who she is and whom she likes, and how to behave accordingly--it is a confusing period in her life and I thought Colbert did a very nice job of helping Suzette begin to navigate through it. Well done. ( )