For many kids, middle school is a fraught time. Friendships are forged and broken; bodies begin to change in sometimes uncomfortable ways. For Zenobia July, starting middle school is far more complicated than it is for most of her peers. She’s starting at a new school far from where she grew up, but more importantly, she’s now identifying as the girl she always knew she was, leaving behind the boy she’d been labeled as since birth. Zenobia July is the name of Exeter, New Hampshire novelist’s Lisa Bunker’s new book for young adults. She spoke with NHPR's Peter Biello about her book. Find Lisa Bunker's top five reading recommendations here . Can you tell us a little bit about how you first thought about writing Zenobia July ? There were three separate inspirations for this book. The first is light and fun. I've always wanted to write a super-detective in the Sherlock Holmes vein. So my detective works in cyberspace instead of the real world and is a teenage transgender girl. If I get to
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