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This book also recommends Mermaids in its list of resources, a controversial youth trans charity that is now being investigated by the Charity Commission. This book is easy to read even though it's about the author's conflicted childhood. He had a supportive, if not perfect, family, and at least two very close female friends. But his life, especially the teen years, were full of inner discomfort about his gender. He tried to be a tomboy sometimes and to be just a girl other times. Neither of those worked, as he is a guy. The support shown him by his parents and grandparents is very touching and affirming to witness. Overall the book has a cheery, optimistic tone. Hancox is very generous and empathetic as he details his friends and family's journeys to getting on board with his being trans. We are heartbroken to think of teenage girls, whether lesbian or straight, having self-harm and body hatred promoted to them in the name of inclusion,” she added. I thought I wouldn't like the format of his current self narrating scenes from his earlier life. But it worked well, and helped in getting to know him. Some of the scenes (and his later observations about them) are hilarious, but it's always obvious that the conflict was emotionally debilitating.
I especially love seeing how open and accepting his grandparents were. They set a real example for young readers that the overused excuse of people being intolerant should not be shrugged off as just a 'generational' thing. And kids really will bully other kids for any reason, so every reader should be able to find empathy for Lewis in this graphic novel, regardless of their gender identity.The Reading Agency said the 27 books on the list also cover anxiety, depression, online safety, social anxiety and neurodiversity. Its previous schemes have involved 130,000 young people and 10 million books being borrowed. I selected this on a whim and so I went in with no expectations. I feel that it was very good. I like the parts where the adult author would converse with those around them who remember what they were like as a teen. I was sent a copy from the publisher, Scholastic in exchange for an honest review. Al thoughts are my own. The daughter of modest restaurant owners, Kim was apolitical—she just wanted to make her parents proud and be worthy of her tuition expenses. Following an administrator’s advice to avoid trouble and pursue extracurriculars, she joined a folk dance team where she met a fellow student who invited her into a banned book club. Kim was fearful at first, but her thirst for knowledge soon won out. As she learned the truth of her country’s oppressive fascist political environment, Kim became closer to the other book club members while the authorities grew increasingly desperate to identify and punish student dissidents. The kinetic manhwa drawing style skillfully captures the personal and political history of this eye-opening memoir. The disturbing elements of political corruption and loss of human rights are lightened by moving depictions of sweet, funny moments between friends as well as deft political maneuvering by Kim herself when she was eventually questioned by authorities. The art and dialogue complement each other as they express the tension that Kim and her friends felt as they tried to balance school, family, and romance with surviving in a dangerous political environment. References to fake news and a divisive government make this particularly timely; the only thing missing is a list for further reading. The shortlists consist of 18 books across three categories. Six books will compete within each category to be crowned Category Winner, with the three category winners then vying for the overall title of Waterstones Children’s Book Prize Winner 2023.
Down a (Welsh) Rabbit Hole – A Work-in-Progress Look at ‘The Noisy Valley’ by Myfanwy Tristram September 1, 2023As a trans person, I would give an arm and a leg to speak to my teenage self to set some insecurities aside. To tell myself that it gets harder as you get older but it also gets loads better. To reassure myself that the world won’t end if I make a mistake. He knows she's confused about who to snog. He knows she's really a he and will ultimately realize this... But she's going to go through a whole lot of mess (some of it funny, some of it not funny at all) to get to that point.
As you might be able to guess by the cover, he inserts current-Lewis into a candid narrative about his teen life, including his coming out process, and realizing he was trans. This book is awesome, easy to read, sweet and sad and even funny at times. I loved following Lewis' journey and highly recommend this book. We Wanted this to Be a Fast-Paced, Funny Adventure”– Rob Williams and Pye Parr on ‘Petrol Head’, Their “Fast & the Robo-Furious” Sci-Fi Series from Image Comics September 22, 2023 I really enjoyed taking a trip down memory lane with Lewis; revisiting MySpace, MSN, CD Walkmans, quadvods and Tammy Girl (I used to love that shop!). But Hancox's graphic novel is not just about his own story of growing up and becoming who he was always meant to be, it's also a lifeline for younger readers who may feel confused about their own identities, or who are sure of their identities but feel unsure of where to get support.Kirja avaa hyvin Lewisin pohdintoja ja hämmennystä, mutta toisaalta antaa äänen myös hänen ympärillään olleille läheisille. Tämä on hyvä huomio, sillä muutos ja etsikkoaika ei koskenut vain Lewisia vaan myös ihmisiä hänen elämässään. One of two gender books is titled Welcome to St Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure, by Lewis Hancox, a memoir of a girl transitioning to a boy, narrated through illustrations. ‘My imaginary willy’ Thank goodness Lewis confided in his art teacher and was able to find the information he needed to recognise that there wasn't anything abnormal about how he felt, and that there were support options available for him.
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