Redwood and Ponytail is a middle grade novel-in-verse by American author K. A. Holt. Originally published by Chronicle Books in 2019, Redwood and Ponytail tells the story of two middle school girls, Kate and Tam, trying to make sense of who they are as they develop feelings for each other. At the start of seventh grade, Kate and Tam expect a typical school year. However, their unexpected meeting changes how they feel about their usual friend groups, hobbies, and themselves. Falling for Tam makes Kate doubt her position on the cheerleading team and her love for boy bands, while falling for Kate makes Tam wonder if she is too unwilling to sacrifice her identity for love. Written in a series of first-person poems, the novel explores themes including Striving for Perfection Due to Parental and Social Expectations, the Journey Toward Claiming Queer Identity, and Finding Safety and Affirmation in Loving Relationships.

This guide refers to the 2019 Chronicle Books paperback edition of the novel.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide feature depictions of antigay bias, emotional abuse, and bullying.

Plot Summary

At the start of seventh grade, Kate and Tam prepare for a typical school year. Kate is a cheerleader who spends most of her time practicing with her cheer squad and trying to satisfy her mom’s impossible expectations of her. Meanwhile, Tam is a more confident seventh-grader who knows that she is queer and is fearless about expressing her identity. She lives with her gregarious, loving mother and spends her time playing volleyball and visiting with her elderly next-door neighbor, Frankie.

On the first day of school, Kate and Tam meet for the first time. Kate is intrigued by Tam’s playfulness and confidence, and Tam is taken by Kate’s pretty hair. The two start to see each other around school and discover that they have many of the same classes. Soon, they begin to eat lunch together and invite each other to their respective athletic events.

At cheer practice one day, Kate volunteers to fill in as the school mascot, assuming that she is helping her teammates by taking the undesirable role. At her first game as the mascot, she is thrilled to discover how fun it is to dance around wearing a giant Falcon costume and make everyone laugh. However, her mom is not happy. She wants Kate to work toward being the cheer captain and thinks she is ruining her chances. Meanwhile, Tam supports Kate’s mascot role, insisting that she is the best Falcon and congratulating her moves and style. Kate struggles to celebrate with her new friend because she knows she has disappointed her mom.

Over the following weeks, Kate continues to act as the mascot while fielding her mom’s frustration. She also attends Tam’s volleyball games, thrilled to see Tam thriving on the court. At lunch, the two talk and joke. Outside of school, they visit each other’s houses and get to know each other. 

Finally, one day, they sit under a tree outside the school and decide to officially start dating. They clasp each other’s pinkies in the hallways, feeling close and excited. One day, Kate notices how others are looking at her and Tam when they are holding hands. Afraid people are judging her, she pulls away, tells Tam they’re moving too fast, and flees. When she invites Tam over to decorate shirts for an upcoming boy band concert that she is attending with her cheer friends, she embarrasses Tam, afraid that her friends think she is weird for liking someone like Tam.

Tam goes to Frankie for advice. She does not understand why Kate acts so differently around her friends than when they are alone together. Frankie is queer, too, and tells Tam about her own experience. She used to be married to a man, with whom she had a family. She felt trapped for many years but did nothing to change her situation because she was too afraid of disappointing her family. Finally, she came out and started a life with her current partner, Roxy. She encourages Tam to be patient with Kate.

Tam and Kate make amends, but they have another falling out not long after. Kate is furious when she discovers that Tam’s best friend Levi has been trying to sabotage her mascot performances by running around the football field in a chicken suit, and she takes it out on Tam. She is even more upset when Tam runs for class president against her, convinced that Tam is trying to embarrass her. Furious, she tears down Tam’s posters and is forced to drop out of the race.

Soon after, Tam stops over at Kate’s house to apologize. Kate accepts and invites her to join her birthday party with her cheer friends. The longer Tam is there, the more out of place she feels. She ends up confronting Kate for pretending to be someone she isn’t. Kate insists that, unlike Tam, she is “normal” and likes being “perfect.” 

After Tam leaves, Kate attends the concert with her friends, but she leaves early when she starts throwing up. She realizes she can’t keep lying to herself any longer. Back at home, she tells her mom that she is gay. She soon tells her friend from the squad that she is gay, too. She is relieved when they don’t reject her. To make up with Tam, Kate prints out a giant poster of them together and brings it over to Tam’s house. Tam is thrilled. They make amends and hang the poster on Tam’s wall. They talk for hours and agree to be girlfriends.