“WHEN LIFE GETS DARK …
LET YOURSELF SHINE BRIGHT”

I have absolutely loved reading Glitter Boy
I was instantly invested in James and Joel
In Harriet and Nathan
I adored Nan
I have just loved this brilliant and beautiful
Character led story
About self discovery
Bullying
The trials of school life
Of home life
Of family and friendship

Ian has written this book
With his heart and his soul
Reading his words
His story
Have made me want to be
A better parent
A better person
I have laughed out loud
Cried so many tears
And nodded along
Knowing how it can be
To feel that you do not fit in

This story needs to be
In every classroom
In every library
And read in as many homes as possible

This is a story that will spark discussions
Around bullying
Empathy
Accepting and celebrating differences
Being true to yourself

This is a story that shines a light
On the power of kindness
This book will also help young people
Recognise and process their own feelings

Ian writes with power and poignancy
About loss and grief
Dealing with anger
Communication difficulties
Between parent and child
Parents separating
There is so much packed into this story
Because in any classroom
In any school across the UK
And around the world
Life happens
And it is not always pretty

Books like this help us to better
Understand one another
And ourselves

I am so glad that I bought
Glitter Boy
I am going to read it aloud
With my older children
And talk to them about
The LGBTQ+ community
And about what being LGBTQ+ means
I also want us to explore
LGBTQ+ history together
And Glitter Boy is a great place to start

This is an incredibly moving story
Of finding the courage
To be proud of who you are
And showing the world
Your true self
Glitter Boy is about
“Allowing yourself to shine and sparkle
And never giving up
Even when the darkness seems to be
Drawing in around you”

I want my children to hear James’ story
I want them to know the importance
Of being kind to everyone
I want them to know the power
Good and bad
That words can have
And I want them to know that
While life can be tough
There are good people in this world
Like Nan
Like Mr Hamilton
Like Harriet and Joel
Like Dad
That will have your back
Who will love you and support you
Always
No matter what

And I want them to know
That they are fabulous
And they must “never allow anyone
To dim their light”
That I will help them always
Find the strength and bravery they need
To “stay fabulous” and
“Keep glittering brightly!”