Strong, illustrated pride that aims high and speaks to the choir

What’s the difference between a gay weightlifter and a weightlifter who is gay? That’s kind of a trick question because there is no correct answer and it’s one that just popped into my head as I was trying to recap Strong. Strong is an illustrated book and the story of Rob Kearney, a professional Strongman who is openly gay. Or would that be an openly gay professional Strongman? Regardless he competes on a global scale, but his biography describes him as the latter. However, either way you describe it, it leads to one of the main issues that school librarians will have with Strong, not that there’s anything wrong with that.

In the illustrated book we see Kearney’s growth as he learns to love moving heavy objects or picking up bulky items. From cheerleading to guarding the quarterback or even picking up lots of grocery bags he always loved testing his strength. When he was seventeen a teacher told him about Strongman and how there was a sport that was entirely dedicated to lifting heavy objects.

Kearney was great at the sport and able to lift objects that were hundreds of pounds, but it just didn’t feel right. During his workouts, he’d wear the dark, drab colors that all of the other professionals wore, and then switch into his brighter and more expressive. While training one day he met a fellow weightlifter named Joey and the two fell in love. Joey encouraged Kearney to be himself and to wear the colors and hairstyle that make him, him.

It wasn’t easy because Kearney’s style was the polar opposite of everyone else in the sport. After embracing his true self whilst he’s competing, he almost falters but sees Joey in the crowd cheering him on and powers through to win it.

The text in Strong is by Rob Kearney and Eric Rosswood with illustrations by Nidhi Chanani. It’s written on a level that most third graders will be able to read without any effort. The illustrations are big, loaded with color, and the sort of happy art that elementary-aged kids will enjoy.

It’s not really a problem with Strong, it’s just that it’s a vehicle that is designed to speak to the choir. This is an issue-oriented book that’s similar to illustrated books that are written by celebrities whose content or books otherwise would struggle to get on people’s radar. Similar, because Strong certainly does fill a void and there are kids who will benefit from reading the inspiring story of a young adult who was struggling to find themselves. However, those audiences who aren’t down with the LGBTQ+ cause won’t appreciate the book. It’s not that the goal of the book is to make kids gay, but some educators will see it as that due to the way that some kids will present it to their parents.

Strong is a book that you’ll see in the windows of book stores, big-box retail and heavily promoted online, especially with Pride month in June. However, elementary school libraries, outside of major metro areas won’t have the book in stock. Those districts will probably purchase the book, but the individual libraries won’t put it out because of the student-to-parent reactions. Essentially, it all goes down to the question that started it all off.

Because the book is the story of Kearney and the discovery of the gay person he is, it’s an illustrated book that doesn’t pass the elementary school test. For the most part, the books in an elementary school library could have a gay character, but the story can’t be about their gayness or their coming out. Strong only has a couple of pages that cross over into that vein diagram, but it’s a bridge too far for the elementary school librarians I showed the book to. As a story, it’s one that younger kids can handle, but a middle school mglit book could’ve been a better vehicle for Kearney’s story because more readers outside of its target would discover it and be able to discover it.

Strong is by Rob Kearney and Eric Rosswood with illustrations by Nidhi Chanani and available on Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

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