I feel like I've gotten really behind on my comics reading lately, but this one has been on my radar for awhile, and I FINALLY sat down with it this week. TOMBOY by Liz Prince is a graphic memoir of Liz's search for gender identity in a culture that frequently subscribes to only two distinct boxes: Girly Girl and Guy Stuff. Funny, lively, and unafraid of being a little bit complicated, Tomboy is a great book for anyone who questions (or wants to question) the rules of gender. We have it shelved in adult Graphica, but it's appropriate for middle school and up.
And, by the way, this is not the only book about gender-nonconformity that we have for young readers. Here are a few others if you're looking for kids' books that put the T in LGBT.
FIVE TRANSGENDER BOOKS FOR KIDS AND YOUNG ADULTS
1. I Am Jazz by Jessie Herthel and Jazz Jennings is the picture-book story of one of the most recognized transgender youth in America--Jazz Jennings, whose parents supported her early-childhood transition. This is a good introduction to what it means to be transgender for very young readers. You can find it on our picture book wall and in the kids' Life Experiences section.
2. Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky is a sweet, smart, sensitively written new midgrade novel about a transgender gradeschooler who is just starting to understand her own gender. Supported by school theater and a community of loving teachers and friends, Grayson takes the first brave steps into visible life as the girl she is. This is an AWESOME book.
3. Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kirstin Cronin-Mills is a young adult novel about a trans highschooler who (for now) only publicly lives his male identity on the air of his radio show.
4. and 5. Some Assembly Required by Arin Andrews and Rethinking Normal by Katie Rain Hill are memoirs of transition by a young man and woman, respectively. They can both be found in the biography section of our nonfiction wall.
Happy reading!
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