If you've read: Gender Queer and All Boys Aren't Blue

[Anonymous]

I'm a school librarian fighting to keep these books in my school library. If you've read them, can you tell me how important they would have been to read as a young adult and why they should stay in the school library?

[Anonymous]

Good Reads has a lot of reviews.

[Anonymous]

I've read Gender Queer. I don't think it should be in a middle school library, due to the graphic nature of the images. I found the scenes of the main character getting their period to be disturbing for me, even as an adult. Would be less bothered by it in a high school library. That's just my opinion and not what you are looking for. You are looking for justification for keeping it in the library. The author of Gender Queer did an interview in the WaPo a couple of weeks ago, which was really good. They spoke to writing the book for the family, so they would understand the journey. Even as a more conservative person who does not advocate for the trans lifestyle, I think that memoirs are just that - one story of one experience, conveyed in an artful way (quite literally, with the graphic novel genre). And that's probably enough to justify it in a library.

[Anonymous]

OP here - thank you. This is for a 10-12 building. So, upper high school.

[Anonymous]

Why is a period not appropriate for middle school. In middle school, We all read are you there god it’s me Margaret… about the period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is a period not appropriate for middle school. In middle school, We all read are you there god it’s me Margaret… about the period.

PP here. I agree discussion of a period is totally appropriate for middle school. The main character of Gender Queer has serious angst when the period comes 1) because no told them (i.e., parents) it was coming and 2) it viscerally and physically reminds the character that they are not at home in their own body, and that there is something similar to warfare going on inside of them. So the images accompanying this section is a knife thrust in the midsection, through the back, similar to what you would see in a battle scene. It was jarring for me as an adult and it would have been even more traumatic had I been in middle school reading it. I mean, I get the imagery in context with the trans journey and it makes complete sense to describe the feelings inside. Just too graphic for my tastes and my feeling on what is appropriate for a middle schooler. Other people may be less sensitive and not be bothered by the imagery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thank you. This is for a 10-12 building. So, upper high school.

Public librarian here. I read Gender Queer recently with my 9th grade genderqueer kid and their 7th grade sibling. We all got something from reading it - probably some version of validation for the genderqueer kid and understanding for all of us. Some of the imagery is graphic wrt sex, but since 30-40% of high school kids are having sex, and 100% of high school kids have access to the internet, I don't think it's unreasonable.

[Anonymous]

Wow you guys are a lot more progressive than me, with my leftist views on economics and social issues, but not necessarily on early exposure to graphic sexual scenes for children.

Well, I won't fight you about it, OP. My children read classic literature, which while beautifully written, raises plenty of cultural, racial, social and gender questions that I address at home, and I guess if they happen upon one of these gender books in their school library it will round out their education

[Anonymous]

Classical literature with gender questions? Hmm
Not seen it.
Age 15 is not early exposure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Classical literature with gender questions? Hmm
Not seen it.
Age 15 is not early exposure.

I meant that classic literature is occasionally racist, classist and misogynist, albeit highly "proper", which raises questions from my children that I have to answer.
The books mentioned on this thread are like the anti-classics! So my point is, they might pair well together

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is a period not appropriate for middle school. In middle school, We all read are you there god it’s me Margaret… about the period.

PP here. I agree discussion of a period is totally appropriate for middle school. The main character of Gender Queer has serious angst when the period comes 1) because no told them (i.e., parents) it was coming and 2) it viscerally and physically reminds the character that they are not at home in their own body, and that there is something similar to warfare going on inside of them. So the images accompanying this section is a knife thrust in the midsection, through the back, similar to what you would see in a battle scene. It was jarring for me as an adult and it would have been even more traumatic had I been in middle school reading it. I mean, I get the imagery in context with the trans journey and it makes complete sense to describe the feelings inside. Just too graphic for my tastes and my feeling on what is appropriate for a middle schooler. Other people may be less sensitive and not be bothered by the imagery.

You do know cis gender girls also go through that exact experience. I had a neighborhood girl spend a lot of time with my family, her mom was my friend but schizophrenic and left the family.

Nobody told her about her period had no clue. She tells me years later her period reminds her of her mom abandonment. It sound very educational toward understanding others experiences.