Tag Archives: gender identity

Review: The Gender Binary is a Big Lie by Lee Wind

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The Gender Binary is a Big Lie: Infinite Identities Around the World by Lee Wind

The Gender Binary is a Big Lie: Infinite Identities Around the World (Queer History Project)
Lee Bind
Zest Books
Published August 6, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Gender Binary is a Big Lie: Infinite Identities Around the World

What if you discovered that the whole concept of a gender binary is an illusion?

While many people identify as men or women, that is not all there is. The idea that all humans fall into one of two gender categories is largely a construct created by those who benefit from that belief. The reality is that gender is naturally diverse, falling inside and outside of those boxes, and more expansive ideas of gender have always existed.

In the second book of the Queer History Project, The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie: Infinite Identities around the World, author Lee Wind uses historical evidence and primary sources―poetry, ancient burial sites, firsthand accounts, and news stories―to explore gender roles and identities. Gender identities and physical bodies are as diverse as the human experience. Get ready to shatter those preconceived notions of nothing but a gender binary and dive deep into expressions of gender―both past and present―that reveal the infinite variety and beauty of everyone’s gender.

My Review

Last year, I read the book Genderqueer by Maia Kobabe, and I feel like that left me with a lot to think about. So, when I saw a copy of this book available for review this year, I felt like it was great timing.

I’ve been increasingly aware of the fact that I live at a particular point in history and in a particular place. Lots of the rules and values I encounter are heavily influenced by this truth. It impacts even the way we interpret things like the Bible, and I think we don’t give enough thought to that.

At any rate. So. The Gender Binary is a Big Lie. Let’s talk about it.

The book begins with a lengthy introduction that gives readers a framework for how to talk about intersex and transgender people. This section defines terms and offers some insight into why certain words are not used anymore. It also gives a high view of some important historical discoveries that support the books core idea: that many cultures have not subscribed to a limited gender binary across history and the globe.

After the introduction, the book focuses on a few examples of cultures with well-defined outside-the-binary gender identities. I thought this was the coolest part of the book. References appear throughout the text. (The backmatter lists more than fifty pages of source material.)

The last chapter is also great information. One of the things I have had multiple conversations with people about is the existence of intersex people, so it is very helpful to have some references for myself to refer back to or to refer others to for more information.

Conclusion

While I’m sure this is not an exhaustive text, it’s a great introduction to thinking beyond our American, 21st century experience with identity and gender norms. Though the chapters are long, the text is broken down into shorter sections that make the information much easier to digest. I highly recommend this text for readers looking for more information on identities beyond the gender binary. I’m excited to read a few of the books listed in the backmatter as well.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to romantic relationships of real historical people. One chapter offers facts and information about intersex people (people whose genetic biology doesn’t fit a gender binary).

Spiritual Content
One chapter shows teachings from Classical Judaism. Another section offers some information about Australian First Nations traditions. A different chapter talks about Hindu beliefs and the hijra community. One chapter talks about Hawaiian and Tahitian traditions and identity.

Violent Content
Some explanation of how colonialism impacted indigenous communities and belief systems. In the chapter on intersex identities, the author explains that historically (and still sometimes currently) people are forced to have medical surgery to alter their bodies to fit a gender binary. This chapter also mentions death by suicide.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

MMGM Review: North of Tomboy by Julie A. Swanson

Book Review and Content, Historical, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , ,

North of Tomboy
Julie A. Swanson
SparkPress
Published September 2, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About North of Tomboy

For fans of Kacen Callender, Lin Thompson, and Kyle Lukoff, comes a middle grade novel set in 1973 about a child who feels more boy than girl and is frustrated that people act blind to that when—aside for her stupid hair and clothes—it should be obvious!

Shy fourth grader Jess Jezowski turns the tables on her mom when she’s given yet another girly baby doll for Christmas. This time, instead of ignoring or destroying it, she transforms it into the boy she’s always wanted to be—a brave, funny little guy named Mickey. Making him talk, Jess finally lets the boy in her express himself.

But when Mickey evolves to become something more like an alter ego whose voice drowns out her own and the secret of him escapes the safety of her family, Jess realizes Mickey’s too limited and doesn’t allow the boy part of her a big enough presence in the world. She must find a way to blend him into her—so she can be that side of herself anywhere, around anyone.

Jess tries to wean herself from the crutch of Mickey’s loud, comical persona, and to get her family to forget about him, but she struggles to do both. What will it take for her to stop hiding behind Mickey and get people to see her for who she truly is? Based on the author’s experience growing up on Michigan’s rural Leelanau Peninsula in the ’70s, North of Tomboy includes artwork throughout.

My Review

I read a review of North of Tomboy a few weeks ago on Always in the Middle. I think he made a lot of good points about the book. He noted the length being a little bit long for the type of story this is, and I’d agree. It’s the kind of book that makes you laugh, but makes you think right along with the main character. Some elements of the book feel more like a coming of age story than a middle grade novel, but the voice is solidly middle grade. Jess really feels like a nine-year-old kid. Lots of times her ideas about what’s happening are imperfect, or she accidentally stumbles onto a solution that works. For example, she realizes the family listens to Mickey differently than they listen to her. That kind of thinking reminded me a lot of myself as a kid.

I also appreciated how nuanced the family members are. Jess is one of four kids in a closeknit family. She’s closest to her youngest sister, Lucy, but often wants to do the things her older brothers are doing. Her mom navigates difficult situations with Jess’s dad in a way that Jess struggles to understand. She also constructs a lot of rules about Jess’s appearance, requiring her to dress and act “like a girl.” Though those things are hurtful and make Jess feel unheard and unseen, Jess appreciates her mom’s emotional honesty about family matters.

The 1970s setting is interesting, too. Politics and historical events don’t intrude into the story too much. The references to the Nixon administration and the Vietnam war help anchor the story in the time period.

Throughout the story, Jess expresses her frustration about the expectations she faces as a child assigned female at birth. The story doesn’t center around her labeling herself, but simply her resourcefulness at finding ways to express who she is. Her quest to be comfortable in her own skin really resonates.

Conclusion

Kids who don’t identify with gender conventions, whether they identify as LGBTQIA+ or simply don’t fit gender stereotypes, will find a kindred spirit in Jess. Readers interested in historical fiction set in 20th century America will find the Michigan setting and 1970s timeline engaging.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
References to attending church and prayer. Jess worries that she’ll go to Hell if she dies before finishing her prayers and asking forgiveness for her sins each night.

Violent Content
Jess takes risks a couple of times. She winds up seriously injured once.

Drug Content
Jess’s dad drinks a beer after work sometimes. His father was an alcoholic, something the family doesn’t talk about.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle.

Review: Let’s Talk About It by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan

Book Review and Content, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human
Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan
Random House Graphic
Published March 9, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Let’s Talk About It

An inclusive, accessible and honest graphic novel guide to growing up, from gender and sexuality to consent and safe sex. Perfect for any teen starting to ask…Is what I’m feeling normal? Is what my body is doing normal? Am I normal? How do I know what are the right choices to make? How do I fix it when I make a mistake?

Let’s talk about it.

Growing up is complicated.

How do you find the answers to all the questions you have about yourself, about your identity, and about your body? Let’s Talk About It provides a comprehensive, thoughtful, well-researched graphic novel guide to everything you need to know but might not know how to talk about.

Covering relationships, friendships, gender, sexuality, anatomy, body image, safe sex, sexting, jealousy, rejection, sex education, and more, this is the go-to handbook for every teen navigating adolescence, and the first in graphic novel form.

My Review

Growing up is complicated. Whew.

This book covers a lot of ground, so I’ve been struggling with how to write my review. I like that it tackles a wide range of topics in a conversational, relaxed way that normalizes having questions and seeking safe places to find answers to those questions, whether from an older mentor, sibling, or more experienced friend.

Each chapter centers around a specific topic, such as body image, safe sex, or aftercare. Some chapters have explicit content, while others do not. For example, the chapter on body image shows some cartoon images of characters in their underwear or naked. These illustrations support the points in the text. For instance, in the body image chapter, the characters represent different races, body sizes, and genders.

The information stays fairly basic. Each chapter is only about 13 pages long, and the pages are graphic novel panels, so the text is broken up by images, and some lines appear in speech bubbles.

Topics Overview

I like that the information is pretty basic. It offers readers a great place to begin with some of these topics. I also like that the book covers topics like what happens to friendships or how to maintain friendships while dating. It explores what to do with feelings of jealousy or rejection. There’s an infographic that helps readers identify an abusive partner or recognize abusive behavior patterns in themselves.

Illustrations show an inclusive group of teens, including teens of different races, disabled teens, and intersex/transgender teens.

Some chapters explore topics that will leave some parents squirming. This is stuff that a lot of us probably leave out of our explanations about intimate relationships, but these are topics that teens will probably have questions about, and it’s important to create safe spaces to find information.

Here are some of the more sex-specific topics covered: gender/sexual identity, body image, anatomy, masturbation, contraceptives and protection, climax, sexting (including safety concerns), and aftercare.

There is also a chapter about kinks, fantasies, and porn. It introduces what each topic means and encourages communication and safety between partners.

More Context Desired

A few things in the book would benefit from additional context or further conversation. I think that’s intentional. This book isn’t meant to answer every question or cover every scenario. It’s more of a guide to the basics or a conversation opener. One of the things I wish had more context, for example, is that on one page, the text encourages readers that the internet is a safe place to search for information about sex.

I mean, yeah, it’s safe from the standpoint that Google isn’t going to call you homophobic slurs because of your search terms. But there are internet viruses and other risks to be careful about. Sometimes what seems like innocent enough search terms can return results that are way more explicit than the user intended. I wish the text had at least encouraged thoughtfulness or included some parameters for search terms and basic virus avoidance or something.

Conclusion

Let’s Talk About It is one of the top ten most challenged books from 2023. If you follow book-ban conversations at all, it’s probably not hard to imagine why this one raises discomfort for some parents.

Kids need safe places to ask questions and gain information, though. I love the conversational style that the authors use in this book. I like that they keep information pretty basic and that they encourage safety and communication above all.

Perhaps some of these topics wouldn’t be so scary or uncomfortable for us to think about our kids reading if we were better at safe communication ourselves.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
F-bombs appear somewhat infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Cartoon illustrations show simple nude figures of different genders. Illustrations show kissing between characters. One simple illustration shows two people engaged in sex. Illustrated diagrams show sexual organs. A chart lists contraceptive options and their effectiveness. One chapter discusses pornography. Another talks about masturbation. In another, a couple share secret fetishes or fantasies with one another (readers are not privy to the details).

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
One section explains what consent is and is not. An infographic lists abusive behavior patterns one might recognize in oneself. Another shows behavior abusive behavior patterns one might recognize in a partner.

Drug Content
In the section discussing what consent is not, one panel shows someone unconscious and states that someone who is sleeping or inebriated cannot give consent.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. All opinions are my own.