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So Hard to Say, the Lamda Award-winning middle grade novel about love and friendship by Alex Sanchez

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The main characters are Xio and Frederick.

Fredderick, the journey of self discover, especially when it came to sexual identity. His story is important for young readers who might be feeling unsure about who they are, he shows that it is ok to question things and that knowing who you are takes time.

Xio, she is so emotional and  honest in the story. Her story is about learning that sometimes people don’t feel the same way you do and friendship can still matter deeply. She accepts others and herself.

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Frederick is going to a new school he is a thoughtful person. he is a quiet eighth grader and is trying to fit in. Frederick is trying to understand his sexual identity. as the story unfolds he tries to make sense of feeling he's never experienced before. and is he does not know why he does not like the girl that is in love with him.

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"half of me thought i knew everything. but the other half of me believed i wouldn't ever know anything at all" ( Sanchez, 147)

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"I wanted to say something, to explain, but the words were stuck. I couldn’t even explain it to myself.” ( Sanchez, 120)

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"I kept asking myself: Why don’t I like her the way I’m supposed to? What’s wrong with me?”( sanchez,90)

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Frederick gives off the innocent vibe at the beginning ,Unsure ,hopeful And he is trying to do the right thing. As the book goes on, he becomes the seeker him trying to find his identity.

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“I kept asking myself: Why don’t I like her the way I’m supposed to? What’s wrong with me?”(Sanchez,90)

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“I’m not ready to tell anyone yet. I’m still figuring it out myself.”(Sanchez,160)

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The point of view in the book is first-person POV, The story goes back-and-forth between Frederick and xio Point of view. Every chapter is labelled with “Frederick” or “xio” and when the characters are talking, they use “I” when they’re referring to themselves.

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person vs self Fredrick has a hard time with accepting his own sexuality.

Person vs person the main example is that xio likes Frederick romantically, but Frederick doesn’t feel the same way.

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What positive events happen in the novel? 

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What positive events happen in the novel? 

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Frederick starts to understand himself. This is the biggest positive moment because it’s what the whole story is really about. Frederick is trying to figure out who he is and even though it’s scary and confusing he starts to accept that he might be gay, that’s a huge step for him.

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What do the characters learn about themselves.

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What do the characters learn about themselves.

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Frederick starts off feeling really unsure about himself. He’s scared to admit that he might be gay even to himself because he doesn’t know how people will react. But as the story goes on, he begins to realize that hiding who he is just makes him feel more alone.

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What do the characters learn about themselves.

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What do the characters learn about themselves.

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Xio learns that just because you really like someone doesn’t mean they’ll like you back, and that’s not something to take personally. At first, she’s hurt and confused but eventually she sees that he’s going through something deeper.

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“you’re not cold and hard. You never will be. You’ve been hurt, that’s all. And because of it, you’ll probably grow to be stronger and wiser than I’ll ever be. But part of being strong is learning to accept, forgive, and let go.” (sanchez,188)

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Middle School Most of the story happens at school in classrooms, the lunch area

Xio’s Home, A safe, warm environment where she’s surrounded by family.

Frederick’s Home, More private and less emotionally open.

hangout spots the characters go to the park or public places

early 2000s

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“I kept asking myself: Why don’t I like her the way I’m supposed to? What’s wrong with me?”( sanchez, 90)

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“Her house smelled like tortillas and cinnamon, and her family greeted me like I’d always belonged.” ( sanchez,60)

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“At lunch, everyone was sitting in their usual places. I spotted Xio with her group and waved.” ( sanchez,88)

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“I knew I should be happy, but all I felt was confused.” (sanhez,48)

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The overall theme of the book is Discovering and accepting your identity is a challenging but necessary part of growing up.

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“I wanted to say something, to explain, but the words were stuck. I couldn’t even explain it to myself.” ( sanchez, 210)

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“I kept wondering why I didn’t feel the way I was supposed to. Was there something wrong with me?” ( Sanchez, 67)