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Original poster

This book, “My Trans Teen Misadventure for Children. WTF???

114 replies

TheWorldisGoingMad · 07/03/2023 13:24

I know this post may offend and I'm sorry if it does. But I feel children need to be protected. If parents don't know what books may be in their school libraries, how do they counteract the information?

This book, “My Trans Teen Misadventure,” has been nominated for UK bookseller Waterstones Children’s Book Prize of 2023.

AIBU to think this is a dangerous book for children's mental health and body image. I find it seriously worrying that children have access to books like this from an early age. I feel sends a message to vulnerable girls that the answer to dis-ease in their bodies is irreversible medication and surgery.

OP posts:
Clymene · 07/03/2023 16:04

A pro-ana book would never been published. This book is unsuitable for children.

Verv · 07/03/2023 15:59

OneTC · 07/03/2023 15:45

Why not go the whole hog and remove the twee drawings

Cos it's a comic

No shit.

GrammarTeacher · 07/03/2023 15:55

Yup total misunderstanding and the wrong title of the book!
It is an excellent book and clearly not aimed at young teenagers.

Delphinium20 · 07/03/2023 15:55

It's agreeing with children who hate their bodies. I want no part in that

OneTC · 07/03/2023 15:45

Why not go the whole hog and remove the twee drawings

Cos it's a comic

Naunet · 07/03/2023 15:36

ProbablyDogNappersHunX · 07/03/2023 15:29

I haven't read this particular book in full myself, but it's the memoirs of a transman's teen years. I can only assume that that's how he felt at the time.

Waterstones (who shortlisted it in the older readers category) recommend it for ages 14+. Teenagers of that age should be entirely capable of reading a story about someone else's experiences while being able to separate it from their own life path. Reading a book about growing up trans doesn't make people become trans any more than watching a film about gay people makes you gay, or reading a book about eating disorders makes you anorexic.

The OP's put an entirely misleading book title. The actual book title does not mention children. It's "Welcome to St Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure" (St Hell appears to be a reference to a school name) which leads me to strongly believe they haven't actually read the book themselves.

Show quote history

Well I think the “transman” should be very well aware of the discomfort many teenage girls feel about their bodies and that writing a book that reinforces that message and then marketing it at them, is irresponsible at best.

Verv · 07/03/2023 15:31

Why not go the whole hog and remove the twee drawings and replace them with inviting images of mastectomy and phalloplasty scars.

Suspect that would stop the grooming of children into gender ideology dead in its tracks.

ProbablyDogNappersHunX · 07/03/2023 15:29

Naunet · 07/03/2023 14:57

What context would make it ok to refer to breasts as ‘fatty lumps that need to be removed’ and then aim that message at young girls? I can’t think of any.

Show quote history

I haven't read this particular book in full myself, but it's the memoirs of a transman's teen years. I can only assume that that's how he felt at the time.

Waterstones (who shortlisted it in the older readers category) recommend it for ages 14+. Teenagers of that age should be entirely capable of reading a story about someone else's experiences while being able to separate it from their own life path. Reading a book about growing up trans doesn't make people become trans any more than watching a film about gay people makes you gay, or reading a book about eating disorders makes you anorexic.

The OP's put an entirely misleading book title. The actual book title does not mention children. It's "Welcome to St Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure" (St Hell appears to be a reference to a school name) which leads me to strongly believe they haven't actually read the book themselves.

zorgoid · 07/03/2023 15:15

Eek that image is quite powerful isn't it. I haven't read the book though so imagine there's context?

Naunet · 07/03/2023 14:57

ProbablyDogNappersHunX · 07/03/2023 14:06

Nothing like taking something out of context is there? Maybe try reading the whole book and not just looking at one page you saw on Twitter.

This is like the kid who read an Alice Oseman book featuring two gay teenagers in the school library. He reported that the school librarian had offered him the "graphic version". She'd actually offered him a graphic novel (aka comic) by the same author, and claimed the whole thing was pornography. Music to the ears of right wing American book burners. Trouble is it's not remotely pornographic...

What context would make it ok to refer to breasts as ‘fatty lumps that need to be removed’ and then aim that message at young girls? I can’t think of any.

ProbablyDogNappersHunX · 07/03/2023 14:06

Nothing like taking something out of context is there? Maybe try reading the whole book and not just looking at one page you saw on Twitter.

This is like the kid who read an Alice Oseman book featuring two gay teenagers in the school library. He reported that the school librarian had offered him the "graphic version". She'd actually offered him a graphic novel (aka comic) by the same author, and claimed the whole thing was pornography. Music to the ears of right wing American book burners. Trouble is it's not remotely pornographic...

Naunet · 07/03/2023 14:00

I’m so sick of this shit being pushed on kids. It’s grooming FFS.

slamfightbrightlight · 07/03/2023 13:40

Widely discussed here a couple of weeks ago if you do a search OP 😊

Fedupofdiets · 07/03/2023 13:32

So so dangerous. I have a niece who is 12 now and has said she wanted to be a boy since the age of 10. She has been through mental health agony with her battle with herself and her body. She is now a girl again - but her MH is fragile (suicide threats, won't wash because she can't bare to look at her body, won't attend school). She has ADHD which I think has added to her feelings - that along with puberty and questioning sexuality can be an enormously hard time. A book like this is wrong on so many levels. I am aghast at Waterstones, it's so wrong for children to be exposed to this sort of thing when they are so mixed up.