There are still very few nonfiction books for trans teens in need of support, and this title helps fill in that gap.
A chatty and informal guide for transgender teenagers and others who want to understand more about those experiences.
The authors cover topics such as coming out, names, gender roles and expression, dysphoria, hormones and surgery, coping with puberty, wellness, interacting with the media, and activism. Spot illustrations and selected comics from Labelle’s Assigned Male series are interspersed throughout. The authors say that they have written a book with all the information they would have liked to have had access to when they were younger—and, loose and conversational, the tone is pulled straight from the internet. It feels like reading think pieces from whatever pop-journalism site is currently trending mixed with a personal transition blog, sometimes reminiscent of LiveJournal from the trans days of yore, and seasoned with earnest Twitter-like affirmations. A sense of vagueness permeates the information; generalized references to modern society and plenty of assumptions of a shared cultural background hamper the larger usefulness of the information. It’s worth noting that the close focus on the British health care system and support networks will only be useful to readers located there, and the authors often neglect to address the ways that disability, race, and other intersections may influence a trans person’s life.
There are still very few nonfiction books for trans teens in need of support, and this title helps fill in that gap. (resources, appendix, glossary) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 21, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-78592-341-8
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Review Posted Online: June 25, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change.
Testa’s connection to and respect for nature compelled her to begin championing animal causes at the age of 10, and this desire to have an impact later propelled her to dedicate her life to fighting plastic pollution. Starting with the history of plastic and how it’s produced, Testa acknowledges the benefits of plastics for humanity but also the many ways it harms our planet. Instead of relying on recycling—which is both insufficient and ineffective—she urges readers to follow two additional R’s: “refuse” and “raise awareness.” Readers are encouraged to do their part, starting with small things like refusing to use plastic straws and water bottles and eventually working up to using their voices to influence business and policy change. In the process, she highlights other youth advocates working toward the same cause. Short chapters include personal examples, such as observations of plastic pollution in Mauritius, her maternal grandparents’ birthplace. Testa makes her case not only against plastic pollution, but also for the work she’s done, resulting in something of a college-admissions–essay tone. Nevertheless, the first-person accounts paired with science will have an impact on readers. Unfortunately, no sources are cited and the lack of backmatter is a missed opportunity.
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change. (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22333-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
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