Lily and Dunkin

Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart was originally published in 2016. A coming-of-age novel set in contemporary America, the book tells the stories of two unique and inspiring teenagers who find themselves and each other. Lily and Dunkin was named one of NPR’s Best Kids’ Books of 2016, one of Amazon’s Top 20 Children’s Books of 2016, and one of YALSA’s picks for Best Fiction for Young Adults in 2017. This guide is based on the 2016 edition by Yearling, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books. 

Plot Summary

Lily Jo McGrother was born a boy named Tim, but she identifies as a girl. She has lived most of her life as Tim, presenting in public and at school as male. However, six days before eighth grade, she tries on her mother’s red dress and feels conflicted: part of her relishes being herself, and the other is terrified of others’ reactions. Daring to head outside, Lily waves to the cute new boy in town, even though her father is irate. Lily’s father struggles with Lily’s transgenderism, worried about violence and bullying. Lily hopes that she can convince her father to allow her to get hormone blockers and love her as the person she truly is.