Some of the best things in the world aren’t one thing or the other, but in between…and entirely fantastically their own.
Are you a boy or a girl?
Some people expect others to be either a boy or a girl and don’t understand that not everyone fits in to that either/or category. Some people identify as non-binary or gender fluid (not just a boy or a girl), transgender or gender diverse (not the sex they were assigned at birth.) Some people express themselves in gender nonconforming ways, like a boy who is most comfortable wearing dresses.
You can explore gender nonconformity and gender expression with your kids with two books from Magination Press, My Maddy and Jacob’s Room to Choose.
- In My Maddy, a young girl’s parent is neither a boy or a girl. They are something entirely, wonderfully their own.
- In Jacob’s Room to Choose, Jacob and his friend, Sophie, get chased out of the school bathroom because of the way they look, but their teacher helps the kids in their class understand stereotypes and gender expression.
It’s important for children to understand that people identify and express themselves in diverse and wonderful ways, and that friends and family are about love and acceptance. Magination Press books about gender nonconformity can help.
Read an interview with Jacob here.
Learn about appropriate gender identity vocabulary here.
Magination Press is proud to offer books for kids and teens that celebrate LGBTQ+ voices and promote inclusive school and family values. Check out the Rainbow Collection.
Related Books from Magination Press
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My Maddy
Most mommies are girls. Most daddies are boys. But lots of parents are like my Maddy.
My Maddy has hazel eyes which are not brown or green. And my Maddy likes sporks because they are not quite a spoon or a fork.
The best things in the world are not one thing or the other. They are something in between and entirely their own.
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Jacob’s Room to Choose
Jacob, the beloved character who made national headlines by wearing a dress to school, is back in an encouraging story about gender expression.
When Jacob goes to the boys’ bathroom he is chased out because the boys think he looks like a girl because of the way he is dressed.
His classmate, Sophie, has a similar experience when she tries to go to the girls’ bathroom.
When their teacher finds out what happened, Jacob and Sophie, with the support of administration, lead change at their school as everyone discovers the many forms of gender expression and how to treat each other with respect.
