The Fights That Make Us Paperback – 1 February 2024
Sarah Hagger-Holt . Usborne Publishing Ltd . English
"The Fights That Make Us is a thought-provoking, heartwarming wonder." Maz Evans, author of Who Let the Gods Out?"Highly engaging, completely relatable and truly empowering, I loved this book." Jen Carney, author of The Accidental Diary of B.U.G. An unputdownable read about LGBTQ+ history and standing up for what you believe in, from award-winning author Sarah Hagger-Holt. Maybe there was a place in history for people like me, not on the edges of the story, but right in the centre. Jesse has recently come out as non-binary, and is struggling to find their place at school, and ideas for their project on lost stories from history. Thirty-five years earlier, Jesse's cousin Lisa is falling for her best friend, but with new laws being introduced to restrict LGBT people's rights, they'll have to fight for the world to accept who they are. When Jesse stumbles across Lisa's teenage diary, they are fascinated and horrified by her stories of living a secret life and protesting in the streets. Now it's Jesse's turn to find a way to shine a spotlight on a history that mustn't be forgotten. Praise for Sarah Hagger-Holt: Winner of the Little Rebels Award Twice-nominated for the Carnegie Medal"A heartwarming and empowering read that amplifies LGBTQ+ voices from the past and present." Tamsin Winter, author of Being Miss Nobody"An empowering, eye-opening and empathy-boosting book written with great sensitivity." Rashmi Sirdeshpande, author of How To Be Extraordinary"Gentle and compassionate" The Times Literary Supplement. "A fantastic book - I absolutely loved it!" L.D. Lapinski, author of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency. "Warm, funny and believable" The Guardian
Categories: Action & Adventure
About the Author
Sarah Hagger-Holt is the award-winning author of Carnegie-nominated middle-grade novels, 'Nothing Ever Happens Here' (2020) and 'Proud Of Me' (2021), followed by 'Just Like Everyone Else' (2023), 'The Fights That Make Us' (2024). Ideal for 9-13 year old readers. She is also the author of the 'Hideaway Hotel' (2023) series for younger readers (5-8 year-olds) and co-authored two non-fiction books for adults, 'Living It Out: A survival guide for lesbian, gay and bi Christians, their friends, families and churches' (2009) and 'Pride and Joy: A guide for lesbian, gay, bi and trans parents' (2017). 'Nothing Ever Happens Here' was described by The Book Trust as "a timely, gentle and honest story that will inspire conversations and encourage empathy", by The Guardian as "filled with warm, nuanced characterisation" and by Waterstones' book blog as "fresh and vibrant [...] with refreshing humour". It was one of the Book Trust's 100 Great Reads for 2020, as well as being nominated for the Carnegie Award, shortlisted for the Warwickshire Secondary Book Award and for the James Reckitt Hull Children's Book Award and longlisted for the Bristol Teen Book Award and the Diverse Books Award. 'Proud of Me' was described by The Guardian as a "warm, funny and beliveable coming of age story", by The Book Trust as "beautifully written [...] perfect for children who are just starting secondary school", and by The Week Junior as "a thoughtful story about growing up". It is the winner of the Little Rebels Award for Radical Children's Fiction 2022 and one of the Book Trust's 100 Great Reads for 2021, as well as being nominated for the Carnegie Award, and shortlisted for the Redhill Academy Trust Book Award and Sefton Super Reads. 'Just Like Everyone Else' was described by The Guardian as "acutely observed, warm and down to earth [...] an absorbing read" and as "a powerful and important book" by author Tamsin Winter. It has been shortlisted for the Cheshire Schools Book Award, Derby Schools Book Award, Sheffield Children's Book Award, Salford Children's Book Award and longlisted for the Juniper Award and the James Reckitt Hull Book Award (KS3). 'The Fights That Make Us' won both the Polari Prize (Children's and Young Adult) in 2024 and the Little Rebels Award for Radical Children's Fiction in 2025, was shortlisted for the Young Quills Award for Historial Children's Fiction, the Brilliant Books Award and the Diverse Books Award, and was highly commended for the Oxfordshire Children's Book Award. Follow me on Instagram or visit my website to book an author visit.
