Young trans children know who they are the atlantic. A comprehensive collection of research, resources, and stories to help any parent, family member, or guardian learn more about gender diversity. The book she was looking up happened to be one with a transgender protagonist, and i mentioned i. Sandy was like many parents i met while doing research for my new book on families raising gender nonconforming children. A trans and gender nonconforming reading list for all ages. Lesson plans to help students understand gender and to. All hrc welcoming schools lessons are aligned with the common core state standards. I swear ehrensaft is the patron saint of kids who dont conform to traditional gender norms. Books for kids the hrc foundations welcoming schools project provides this list of books that teaches children about gender identity and exposes them to examples of transgender and gender nonconforming people. The book will only be published with the help of crowdfunders. Typically, we see the stereotypical roles of girls and boys take shape on the pages. It implies that conformity is a good and desirable thing, rather than something that harms everyone. The transformation of an american family by amy ellis nutt. I got particularly absorbed in a book that had just been released titled gender born, gender made by diane ehrensaft, phd, which was written as a guidebook for raising healthy gender nonconforming children.
However, because gender stereotypes are reinforced, some children learn to behave in ways that bring them the most reward, despite their authentic gender identity. These parents often struggled with the question of how to tell if their. For the parents of gendernonconforming kids, a new. By studying the 85 gender nonconforming children she recruited, her team has now shown, in two separate ways, that those who go on to transition do so because they already have a strong sense of. There are obvious problems with using nonconformity as a way to describe people who dont follow gender norms. Books with transgender and gender nonconforming themes. Typical behavior among those who exhibit the phenomenon includes but is not limited to a propensity to crossdress, refusal to take part.
Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Harpertrophy, an imprint of harper collins publishers, young children pinky and rex part of a series, james howe and melissa sweet, 1990. There are many ways to be a boy, girl, both or neither. It supports trans children who are worried about being bullied or misunderstood. Children and parents alike can step into a world where boys wear dresses, princesses play sports, and selfacceptance reigns. But all gendernonconforming children have one thing in common. Most also categorize their own gender by age 3 years. Sarah and ian hoffman, parents to sam, a gender nonconforming 12yearold, and his sister, recently published a children s book inspired by their familys story, jacobs new dress. Charlottemecklenburg schools cms pulled the book from the firstgrade curriculum after legislators got wind of it and objected. Picture books for gender nonconforming children 7 books. Fiction books about gender identity orlando by virginia woolf. Raising healthy gender nonconforming children by diane ehrensaft phd. Pediatricians stand ready to assist in the healthy development of transgender and gender diverse children.
Learn about and purchase the best books and resources to support young children s learning and development. Granting children a confidence and selfassuredness early in life, through these stories and books, would make for much happier tales of growing up as gender nonconforming. Understanding gender understanding gender the language of gender becoming me research related to parenting and family supporting our gender expansive youth impacts of strong parental support for trans youth helping families. They highlight characters who are true to themselves. There are childrens picture books like my princess boy and 10,000 dresses, and books for parents like gender born, gender made. Today, writer and designer sharon mentyka launched a kickstarter campaign for her new book, b in the world, a children s book that tells the story of a gender nonconforming kid named b. Free its ok to be neither teaching that supports gender variant children. Ehrensaft has written a seminal and informative book that fills what has been a gaping abyss in the literature for parents rearing gender nonconforming children. The gender nonconforming friendly office the clinical setting should be stocked with a variety of toys and books that are gender neutral or gender nonconforming. In gender born, gender made, she offers parents, clinicians, and educators guidance on both the philosophical dilemmas and the practical, daily concerns of working with children who dont fit a typical gender mold. Julian is a mermaid by jessica love, jacobs new dress by sarah hoffman, raising my rainbow. Diane ehrensaft has worked with children like felicia, sam, and maggie for over 30 years. While there are quite a few ya books written about people who transition from one binary gender to the other, alex in alyssa brugmans novel is the first explicitly gender nonconforming person.
For woolf, for whom gender was a constriction both in terms of her career and her romantic life, orlando seems an exploration of a world in which the binary is infinitely. Transgender and gender diverse children like all children need support, love and care from family, school and society. The 21 best transgender and gender nonconforming books for kids 1. A trans and gender nonconforming reading list for all. For instance, a person with the sex of female may feel that their gender should be male. Childrens book about gender nonconforming boy banned. Sometimes the best way to teach a child about individuality, nonconformity, and diversity is with the rhythmic text, imaginative storylines, and captivating illustrations of a good book. Books with transgender and gender nonconforming themes for younger kids one day when i was working the desk, a patron asked for help using the catalog. News about the transgender communityincluding banned books, bathroom laws, hockey, wrestlers, models, parades, jackie and juliet evancho, and, most tragically, a horrifying murder caught on cellphone videohave all made recent headlines. Help students understand ways gender stereotyping impacts all children. She debunks outmoded approaches to gender nonconformity that may actually do children harm. My path to womanhood, identity, love, and so much more by janet mock.
Understanding gender nonconformity in childhood and. Supporting the families of gender nonconforming children. The paper bag princess of one childrens book of many that teaches a valuable lesson about gender roles. One of the classics of queer literature, virginia woolfs orlando stands singular amongst its peers as a novel centering on gender and identity. Childrens books about gender nonconformity building. Celebrate pride month with these picture and chapter books about kids who are transgender or gender nonconforming. Resources and information to support gender nonconforming. Gender neutral or nonconforming picture books by librarybeast a communitycreated list. Since that time other children s picture books featuring gender nonconforming boys have been published, telling stories about boys who dance, cook, and prefer to wear dresses. Harcourt childrens books, ages 48 williams doll, charlotte zolotow and wlliam pene dubois, 1985. Written by a child psychologist who works with trans and gendernonconforming kids, this picture book tells the story of young trans boy keith, who is currently known to his family, friends, and classmates as kathy. A childrens book called jacobs new dress was meant to teach children a lesson about bullying and acceptance, but its inclusion in curriculum inspired backlash from conservative powers. Sarah and ian hoffman, authors of new childrens book.
Understanding gender nonconformity in childhood and adolescence robert garofalo, md, mph division head. There have been few resources available for parents with children whose gender expression is notably different from their peers, and they are often isolated and frightened. This describes the difference between sex and gender. This qualitative research examines 20 of these books, published between 1972 and 2014. I am glad to see more books about gender acceptance entering mainstream childrens literature, although i would like to see less message driven books surrounding this topic and more books about kids being kids no matter how or if they identify with any certain gender. Gender nonconforming childrens book launches fundraising. Across the country, as transidentified and gender nonconforming children and teenagers are supported in living their affirmed gender identities, many are finding their anthem in an illustrated songbook by phyllis rothblatt. At ages 5 to 6 years, most children are rigid about gender stereotypes and preferences. Children s picture books that feature trans, nonbinary and non gender conforming characters. The everyday experiences of a 1st grader push a teacher to confront gender issues in theclassroom.
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