Gender Blender by Blake Nelson

I picked up this book thinking it might be a fun introduction for middle schools discussing gender roles and challenging the societal expectations of gender.  What I found instead was a light variation on Freaky Friday. 

Emma:Wants Jeff Matthews to notice her.
Hates sexist boys.
Wonders when she’ll get her period.
Tom:
Must avoid looking like a wuss.
Must deal with his blended family.
Must get a chance with Kelly A.
Then something freaky happens: Emma and Tom switch bodies. And until they can find a remedy:
Emma:
Can’t believe she has a . . . thingie.
Hates mean girls.
Finds out secondhand that her period has arrived.
Tom:
Must learn to put on a bra.
Must deal with an overachieving family.
Must not be alone with Jeff Matthews.

 The description on the back of the book should have been a clue as to how this novel was handled.  

Sixth graders, Emma and Tom, used to be friends but drifted apart as they got older. Emma now tries to balance her high grades, piano lessons, gymnastics team and volunteer work while being a part of the popular mean-girl, boy crazy/boy hating clique.  Tom loves baseball, barely tolerates school and hangs out with boys whose main aspirations are to insult girls and brag about their social prowess. After being assigned a gender comparison project and fighting all the time, Emma and Tom somehow switch bodies.  While searching for a way to switch back they must experience life as the other gender.

The author starts to identify the daily pressures that both genders face from parents, peers, society and themselves.  The concept of gender expectations was lightly touched on but quickly fell way to the behaviours of the "mean girl" and "tough jock" stereotypes.  I think setup for a more meaningful story was there but somehow even the characters got caught up in repetitive and inane conversations.There is a lack of focus in the story allowing it to skim over deeper issues the main characters Tom and Emma have in their lives.  Emma faces high expectations academically and in extra curriculars from her family, over-scheduling and loving but controlled home life.  Tom has to deal with an absent father, a distracted mother and a lack of any expectation for success from home or school. Both appear to have friends that are neither supportive or seemingly present outside of the school hallways.  With the exception of a few moments between each of the mothers and their body-switched children, this book lacked characters that explored beyond the immediate situation of how Tom would survive Emma's piano lesson or if Emma would be able to pull off baseball tryouts.  There was a missed opportunity for all characters to grow during the story, learn from the experience and come away with more than the 'discovery' that peers judge each other on superficial terms. Tom and Emma are both experiencing the changes of puberty and switching physical bodies could have provided a chance for the author to explore a better understanding of themselves and each other and how gender can be a factor in so many aspects of life. Throwing in the odd statement for challenging gender roles, such as boys don't cry or girls are not good at team sports, doesn't serve much purpose unless the characters experience such downfalls and allow the reader share a connection or offer some room to form an opinion. This felt more like an outline for a good story that was never fleshed out and simply left as jumble of stock characters that barely made it to the page.

Go Figure by Jo Edwards

Ryan is not obsessing....

But she does want to lose weight. Ever since she was outted as a "fat girl" at chearleading camp in fifth grade, Ryan's been on a mission to shed more than a few pounds.

Lately she's also on the hunt for a new relationship. Now that her ex- boyfriend is a rock star - currently posing on the cover of Rolling Stone - Ryan seriously needs to move on. They haven't spoken in months, but in the magazine Noah's wearing the bracelet Ryan gave him. She can't wondering what that means...Not that she wants him back or anything.

No, Ryan's plan is to make the most of senior year. After all, she's popular, funny, a talented photographer...she's got a lot going for her. So it's not all about losing weight or gaining a boyfriend. It's about getting what she wants. And it's about time.

********

Have you ever read a book and once a few chapters in, realize that you are just to old for the story? I think I may have enjoyed this novel in junior high, but at this point, I found the characters immature and the conversations lacking. The idea was worthy but the author didn't go deep enough, throwing in family issues and character histories as written explanations rather than weaving them into the characters themselves.  From the main characters, I had expected more during their interactions: more believably, more depth.   I was especially disappointed in the best friend relationship.  There was a lot more promise to their dynamic than was explored.  A life-long friend who had shared so many of the same issues and experiences could have been used as a mirror and touchstone for Ryan.  Instead, the friend (who's name I can't even recall now) remained one dimensional and distant. Spending more time here may have given the novel some needed soul.  In the end, I found that I felt as though I had read an outline of a great story that had every opportunity to connect with its reader, but didn't take advantage of it. The lack of character growth by any of the four main characters, especially Ryan gave the story a flat and unsatisfying ending. 

A quick, easy read with relatable YA topics,  I can not recommend this title. Instead I suggest Meg Cabot's Heather Wells Mysteries which also has the larger girl, pop-star romance plot.

One by Kathryn Otoshi

Blue is a quiet color. Red’s a hothead who likes to pick on Blue. Yellow, Orange, Green, and Purple don’t like what they see, but what can they do? When no one speaks up, things get out of hand — until One comes along and shows all the colors how to stand up, stand together, and count. As budding young readers learn about numbers, counting, and primary and secondary colors, they also learn about accepting each other's differences and how it sometimes just takes one voice to make everyone count.

I really enjoyed this book. The illustrations are deceptively simple for such a complex issues as bullying, self-confidence and making right choices. I especially liked the consistent use of the colour in the text. It allows for additional conversations with the kids reading it, enabling them to evaluate what is happening, make predictions and become involved in the story rather than just reading it.
A beautiful book, the illustrations of the number one demonstrate how standing up and speaking up can make you feel tall and strong. The physicality of the colours express how each is feeling much better than words can, making the emotions of the story more accessible for the class. It also allows for great follow-up activities where students can draw their own pictures to show how they feel now or in various situations. "One" provides a common visual language to discuss emotions and a manner in which to share those feelings with classmates.

Here is a book trailer for the book:

Book trailer for One:

Finding Books that Look Like You: Gender roles in Books

While staff seems to accept and even embrace stories where girls break the old gender barriers by being independent and adventurous and (gasp) being the hero, I still face resistance to books such as My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kildodavis. It's a process, as they say.  I will continue to slowly introduce 'controversial' titles as long as they are well written and have a valuable message. 

Add your favorites in the comments.  How do you deal with resistance on 'sensitive' topics?

Dyson loves pink, sparkly things. Sometimes he wears dresses. Sometimes he wears jeans. He likes to wear his princess tiara, even when climbing trees. He's a Princess Boy.

Here are some other titles that challenge the traditional expectations of gender roles in children's books.

Amazing Grace 

By Mary Hoffman.
Grace loves to act out stories. She eventually overcomes restrictions of gender and race to play the part of her dreams, Peter Pan, in the school play.

Anna Banana and Me

By Lenore Blegvad.
Anna Banana is a fearless young girl. When she plays with a timid boy, he eventually becomes as brave as his friend

The Art Lesson

Written and illustrated by Tomie DePaola

Tommy loves to draw but feels constrained in art class. A new teacher finally strikes a compromise to allow for Tommy’s creativity.

Boy, Can He Dance!
By Eileen Spinelli.
Tony doesn't want to become a chef like his father. Instead, he wants to dance. 

The Chalk Box Kid

By Clyde Bulla.
Gregory does not have anywhere to grow a garden, so he creates one of his own.

Ira Sleeps Over

Written and illustrated by Bernard Waber.

When Ira is invited to sleep over at Reggie’s house, he must decide whether to take his beloved teddy bear. In the end, he learns that it is acceptable for boys to have teddy bears.

Little Granny Quarterback

By Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson. 

Granny, who was a star quarterback in her youth, leaps into her television to assist her favorite team with the winning touchdown.

Mama and Me and the Model T

By Faye Gibbons. 

When the Model T arrives, Mama proves that she, like the men, can drive.

The Paper Bag Princess

By Robert Munsch.

Princess Elizabeth rescues her prince from a fire-breathing dragon. When he doesn't  appreciate her efforts, she decides not to marry him after all.

Sam Johnson and the Blue Ribbon Quilt

Written and illustrated by Lisa Campbell Ernst.

Sam isn't welcome in the women’s quilting club, so he organizes a men’s quilting group. Eventually the men and women join to make a quilt together.

The Story of Ferdinand

By Munro Leaf. 

This classic about the value of peace presents Ferdinand, a young bull who prefers smelling flowers to butting heads.

Tough Boris

By Mem Fox.

Boris is tough, but in the end when his parrot companion dies, he—like all pirates—cries.

When Sophie Gets Angry, Really, Really Angry

Written and illustrated by Molly Bang. 

Sophie gets angry and deals with her strong feelings by climbing trees

White Dynamite and Curly Kidd

By Bill Martin Jr. and John Archam-bault. 

A child excitedly watches Dad ride the rodeo bull and wants to grow up to be a bull rider like him. The twist is that she’s a girl

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Titles selected from the list prepared by Lisen C. Roberts and Heather T. Hill 

( http://journal.naeyc.org/btj/200303/Books4Children.pdf)