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.

The Power of One: Teen Starts 'Giving Library' for Homless

This story is a few years old, but may inspire someone to do likewise.  You don't have to be rich or have an organization behind you to do wonderful things.  Check out what one teen was able to accomplish:

reposted from GOOD's May 2012 article by Liz Dwyer.

Florida Teen Starts 'Giving Library' for Homeless Kids

There’s nothing like curling up in bed with a good book before you go to sleep, but far too many low-income kids don’t know what that’s like. Two-thirds of poor children have no age-appropriate books at home, and the nation's 1.6 million homeless children have even fewer options.

Fifteen-year-old Florida resident Lilli Leight wanted to help provide homeless kids in her community with access to books, so she created a "giving library" at a Miami homeless shelter. To staff the library, she formed a teen book club to encourage her classmates to volunteer. Her effort won her the National Book Foundation's Innovations in Reading prize, which recognizes individuals and institutions for developing ways of instilling a lifelong love of reading.

Leight began volunteering three years ago at the nonprofit Chapman Partnership shelter, and she quickly noticed that after students there finished their homework, they'd turn on the shelter's television instead of cracking a book like she did at home. The kids didn’t even think to ask for a book, she found, because they were so used to not having any around.

A lack of access to books has long-term effects on kids, research shows—several studies indicate that availability of reading materials is a stronger predictor of future academic achievement than socioeconomic status. In Leight's home state, less than 25 percent of homeless children graduate from high school.

To build the library, Leight began collecting donated new and used books from friends, schools, community organizations, and local bookstores. The effort was so successful that the shelter’s library now has multiple books for every child. And when families are back on their feet and able to leave the shelter, they're invited take as many books with them as they want. Leight's book club, called iRead, provides a place for teens from area high schools to get together to discuss books, meet authors, and volunteer at Chapman as homework helpers.

Leight told the National Book Foundation that her project has made her "feel empowered to help change the world―even if it is just one child at a time." Thanks to her, more kids in tough economic situations have the opportunity to fall in love with a book.

Photo via (cc) Flickr user Hermionish

Teens love reading and traditional library services!

Some interesting facts about teenagers use of libraries:  

• 85 percent of 16–17 year-olds read at least one print book in the past year, making them significantly more likely to have read a book in this format than any other age group.

• 60 percent of younger patrons say they go to the library to sit and read, study, or watch or listen to media, while only 45 percent of library visitors age 30 and older do this.

• 67 percent of younger Americans say they would be interested in a digital media lab for creating and uploading digital content; 27 percent say they would be “very likely” to use such a resource.

• 44 percent of library visitors under age 30 have used a library’s computers, internet, or a public WI-FI network, compared with just 27 percent of those age 30 and older.

When queried about what library services and resources are “very important” to offer:
• 80 percent of young Americans name librarians to help people find information they need
• 76 percent name research resources such as free databases
• 75 percent name free access to computers and the Internet
• 75 percent name books for people to borrow
• 72 percent name quiet study spaces
• 72 percent name programs and classes for children and teens
• 71 percent name job or career resources

Read more on this study at School Library Journal online.