4-7 5-7 7-8 Fiction Middle Grade Narrative

Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff

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Published: 2021
Series: N/A
Author: Kyle Lukoff
Illustrator: N/A
Genres: Mystery, LGBTQ, Grief, Middle Grade, Fiction, Fantasy, Queer, Audiobook, Realistic Fiction
Audience (Grade Levels): Grades 4-7
Number of Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Goodreads Link: Too Bright to See
Triggers / Content Warnings: Grief over the death of a family member, alienation, and financial stress.
Review By: Kim LeRoy

Publisher’s Summary:

A haunting ghost story about navigating grief, growing up, and growing into a new gender identity

It’s the summer before middle school and eleven-year-old Bug’s best friend Moira has decided the two of them need to use the next few months to prepare. For Moira, this means figuring out the right clothes to wear, learning how to put on makeup, and deciding which boys are cuter in their yearbook photos than in real life. But none of this is all that appealing to Bug, who doesn’t particularly want to spend more time trying to understand how to be a girl. Besides, there’s something more important to worry about: A ghost is haunting Bug’s eerie old house in rural Vermont…and maybe haunting Bug in particular. As Bug begins to untangle the mystery of who this ghost is and what they’re trying to say, an altogether different truth comes to light–Bug is transgender.

Review:

This fiction book combines the struggle of transitioning to middle school with the grief of losing one’s very close Uncle. Bug’s best friend Moira (formerly known by the tomboyish moniker Mo) feels she and Bug need to be made-over before the start of middle school in fall, and brings makeup and nail polish around constantly to try to fix the issues she sees with both of their vibes. Bug hates this, but she really has no other friends. In the meantime, Bug is struggling to process the grief from losing her Uncle who played a very large role in her life. This is all compounded by the fact that Bug lives in a haunted house.

Although some may think Bug’s transition is not realistic, I appreciate how the author  treats the experience of a child understanding and coming into themselves as Trans.
Bug experiences no bullying or cruelty, though there is grief and alienation and financial stress. Add in a bit of ghost action and it seems appropriate and a worthwhile addition for an elementary/middle school collection.

Classroom & Curricular Connections:

  • ELA (English Language Arts): A phenomenal mentor text for studying the intersection of genres (mystery and realistic fiction), analyzing extended metaphors, exploring foreshadowing through supernatural manifestations, and tracking internal character development.
  • Social Studies & Civics: Integrates seamlessly into units exploring modern civil rights, LGBTQ+ history, and examining how cultural definitions of gender roles and societal expectations have evolved within communities over time.
  • SEL (Social-Emotional Learning): Provides vital curricular pathways for navigating the multi-layered stages of grief and loss, building profound peer empathy, working through changing childhood friendships, and fostering self-acceptance during identity transitions.
  • Extension Activity / Library Application: Perfect for use as a school library choiceboard selection or creative classroom extension. Librarians can coordinate a “Metaphorical Mystery Journaling Project.” Mirroring Bug’s journey of decoding clues left by the house’s ghost to realize a truth about identity, students can select a fictional character and design a series of symbolic “haunting items” or clues that visually represent that character’s hidden strengths, passions, or internal transformations.
  • Diversity & Representation: The book models elite standards of diversity, equity, and inclusion by providing a rare, highly empathetic “ownvoices” window into the pre-transition psychological landscape of a transgender child. By treating Bug’s realization with dignity, showing a family dynamic processing financial stress and grief without resorting to traumatic violence, and presenting an identity journey devoid of external cruelty, Lukoff validates trans youth and expands equity by celebrating authentic self-discovery.

Readalikes:

  • Ana on the Edge by A.J. Sass
  • Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky
  • The Ship We Built by Lexie Bean
  • King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender

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