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A. J. Sass

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A. J. Sass
BornUnited States
OccupationNovelist
LanguageEnglish
GenresMiddle grade, young adult: contemporary, sports, LGBTQIA+, nonfiction
Years active2020–present
Notable worksAna on the Edge
Website
sassinsf.com

Andrew "A. J." Sass[1] is an American author of children's and young adult fiction, best known for his middle grade contemporary novel, Ana on the Edge, and his Time op-ed discussing transgender and non-binary character representation in youth literature.[2]

Personal life

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Sass grew up in the Midwestern and Southern United States[3] and began training in figure skating as a child. He passed his U.S. Figure Skating Senior Moves in the Field test while in law school,[4] then worked as a technical writer and legal editor[4] while writing creatively on the side. His debut middle grade novel, Ana on the Edge, was purchased by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.[5]

At the age of 33, Sass passed the U.S. Figure Skating Senior Free Skate test,[4] then went on to compete as a member of the Masters synchronized skating team, IceSymmetrics.[4] IceSymmetrics won the bronze medal at the 2018 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships[6] and the silver medal at the 2019 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships.[7] Sass also holds test judge appointments with U.S. Figure Skating in Gold Singles and Bronze Ice Dance.[4]

Sass is Jewish[8] and autistic.[4] He describes himself as gay, transmasculine[8] and non-binary, and uses he/him and they/them pronouns.[9]

He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.[8]

Selected works

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Ana on the Edge

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Sass' debut novel follows twelve-year-old Ana-Marie Jin, the reigning U.S. Juvenile figure skating champion, as Ana navigates old and new friendships, the financial hardships of elite figure skating, and a newly discovered non-binary gender identity.[10] It was published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on October 20, 2020, and received a starred review from Booklist.[11] Ana on the Edge went on to be named a Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 2020 selection,[12] an American Library Association 2021 Rainbow List Top 10 for Young Readers title,[13] a selection in the Chicago Review of Books Notable List of Debut Books by Trans, Non-binary, and Gender Non-conforming Authors,[14] and was named to the New York Public Library's "Favorite Trans, Nonbinary, and GNC Titles of 2020.[15] It also received a favorable review in The New York Times Book Review.[16]

Ellen Outside the Lines

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Sass' second novel features Ellen Katz, an autistic thirteen-year-old, who is attempting to regain a long-time friendship on a class trip to Barcelona, Spain. It explores Spanish and Catalan culture, as well as queer and Jewish identity.[4] Ellen Outside the Lines released on March 22, 2022, from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Camp QUILTBAG

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Co-authored with Nicole Melleby, Camp QUILTBAG is a story about twelve-year-old Abigail Rabb and thirteen-year-old Kai Lindquist, who are attending a summer camp for queer youth for vastly different reasons. They make a pact to help themselves settle in at camp, all while navigating their queer identities and a competition pitting cabin against cabin.[17] It was released by Algonquin Young Readers on March 21, 2023. It was named an American Library Association 2024 Rainbow List Top 10 for Young Readers title.[18]

Bibliography

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Novels

  • Ana on the Edge (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2020)
  • Ellen Outside the Lines (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2022)
  • Camp QUILTBAG (Algonquin Young Readers, 2023; co-authored with Nicole Melleby)
  • Just Shy of Ordinary (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2024)

Essays

  • "This Is What It Feels Like" in Allies: Real Talk About Showing Up, Screwing Up, and Trying Again (DK/Penguin Random House, 2021)

Short stories

Op eds

  • "I'm a Nonbinary Writer of Youth Literature. J.K. Rowling's Comments on Gender Identity Reinforced My Commitment to Better Representation" (Time, 2020)

References

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  1. ^ "A.J. Sass". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  2. ^ "I'm a Nonbinary Writer of Youth Literature. J.K. Rowling's Comments on Gender Identity Reinforced My Commitment to Better Representation". Time. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  3. ^ "Q&A With A. J. Sass, Ana on the Edge". We Need Diverse Books. October 20, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Andrew Sass: 'My childhood love for skating remains strong'". U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone. June 14, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  5. ^ "Rights Report: Week of February 25, 2019". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  6. ^ "2018 Synchronized Skating Championships: Masters Teams". ijs.usfigureskating.org. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  7. ^ "2019 US Synchronized Skating Championships". ijs.usfigureskating.org. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  8. ^ a b c Kirichanskaya, Michele (October 23, 2020). "Interview With A. J. Sass, Author of Ana on the Edge". Geeks OUT. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  9. ^ "Media Kit – A.J. Sass". Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  10. ^ "Children's Book Review: Ana on the Edge by A.J. Sass. Little, Brown, $16.99 (240p) ISBN 978-0-316-45861-0". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  11. ^ Ana on the Edge, by A. J. Sass. | Booklist Online.
  12. ^ Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 2020, by | Booklist Online.
  13. ^ "Rainbow Book List". Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  14. ^ Jude, Jen St (December 16, 2020). "18 Notable Debuts by Trans, Non-binary, and Gender Non-conforming Authors". Chicago Review of Books. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  15. ^ "Favorite Trans, Nonbinary, and GNC Titles of 2020". The New York Public Library. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  16. ^ Kittenplan, Susan (January 16, 2021). "Figuring It Out: 2 Novels About Ice Skating and Adolescence". The New York Times Book Review. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  17. ^ "Rights Report: Week of April 12, 2021". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  18. ^ "Rainbow Book List". Retrieved July 18, 2024.
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