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Original poster

Have I bought the wokest book?

34 replies

IamThereforeIdontIdentify · 25/12/2018 19:09

I bought "Stories for Boys who Dare to be Different" for DS7 who has listened to "Bedtime Stories for Rebel Girls" and kept asking for one about boys. Fair enough.

Person number 3 is about a trans man. The first to have surgery apparently to match how he "felt inside".

I skipped that story because it's Christmas and I don't feel like giving a biology and politics lesson to my 7 year old (and his 5 year old sister who is also listening).

We continue.

Four stories later, another trans man. Now really, there are very few trans men out there and I think they're generally courageous, in part because they have to be due to society. However, two out of the first seven men who "dare to be different" aren't actually men!

Interestingly, the second one was a pole jumper who had to stop competing after altering their biology.

Alan Turing was in there and pretty well written up, so it's not all bad.

I'm wondering if there will be any boys who dare to be different by wearing a dress..somehow doubting it...

Have I bought the wokest book?
Have I bought the wokest book?
Have I bought the wokest book?
OP posts:
Original poster
IamThereforeIdontIdentify · 25/12/2018 22:10

Silent oh yes! I recognise that page now. We skipped it for pretty much the points you make!

Scipio thanks for the link. I'll have a read.

OP posts:
silentcrow · 25/12/2018 22:01

Laughed my head off at the thread title - was pretty sure what it was before I read the OP!

So yes, to confirm, Rebel Girls has one transgender child, an MtF called Coy Matthias, p46, born 2007, whose greatest achievement to date is to get their parents to get a judge to declare the girls' school toilets mixed sex and throw a party with a pink sparkly dress to celebrate. A suitable achievement to stand next to Hatshepsut, Angelou, Bly, Kahlo, Ginsberg and Hadid, I'm sure you'll agree. Hmm

Heads up for those considering this book; it also features Thatcher and Aung San Suu Kyi. So avoid if you're not into discussing their politics.

I would recommend Women In Science by Rachel Ignotofsky instead. Read it yesterday and it actually made me really cross because despite having two science degrees I hadn't heard of half these women. Great resource for KS2 and I plan to track down the Women in Sport version shortly.

Have I bought the wokest book?
NottonightJosepheen · 25/12/2018 21:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

redexpat · 25/12/2018 21:20

Well Im glad i ordered it from the library and not from amazon. Thanks for the heads up.

ScipioAfricanus · 25/12/2018 21:17

Iam it’s on this thread, raised by silentcrow

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3451466-badass-books-for-little-girls?msgid=83328248

I then went on to read Amazon reviews and a lot confirmed it, but I can’t remember if they have specific examples of who the trans woman/women was or were.

I agree one can definitely pick out what to read and not - no point throwing baby out with the bath water if it’s working for you. I bowdlerise some books we read aloud to make them less sexist and sometimes I raise sexist points as we read, so could definitely see myself using trans narratives to then discuss things. I just guess I have a problem with the books as I don’t agree that the people included are ‘boys’ or ‘girls’ (or vice versa, depending on the book!). But things like Enid Blyton are arguably just as problematic so I’m not sure I’m very consistent!

Original poster
IamThereforeIdontIdentify · 25/12/2018 20:38

Scipio I've read all of the Girls book and don't remember a trans woman..but perhaps I skipped it too! Might take another look.

I won't send it back because DS is sooo happy to have a boys one. I won't read any about trans men though as a trans man isn't exactly a role model for a boy - they haven't been a boy!

I think I may read about them together at some point in the future in the context of some people don't feel comfortable in their bodies and, psychologically, need to alter them (in some cases), but not "Hey 7 year old boy who very specifically wants a book about boys and men, here's a woman who felt she's a man, who changed their name and body to resemble a man, so you should aim to have this man, who isn't a woman, as a role model". I mean, it doesn't even make sense when it's written, there's no way my 7 year old is going to fall for it! And I can't be bothered with that discussion.

I mean trans people obviously exist and have every right to, but there are FAR more people with disabilities, serious illnesses, who are or have been homeless, displaced by war, who are brave or done incredible things and I'd rather spend my time discussing them with young kids, than a very tiny, already disproportionately represented section of the population.

OP posts:
ScipioAfricanus · 25/12/2018 20:17

It was a thread on here which told me that the Rebel Girls book included trans women and so I’m not surprised about the Boys Who Dare to be different including similar. While I have every sympathy for individual trans people and admiration for anyone of whichever sex who has achieved amazing things, I don’t believe that people can change their sex so I don’t want a confusing story for my child as a sort of bedtime story. I would prefer a mixture of sexes but I wouldn’t want to have a transgender conversation with him until I felt he was old enough for it to be useful (though keeping an eye on other sources around him). A lot of my friends have these books and I’d been previously tempted thinking it would be good for him to read about the challenge of gender stereotypes and strong women (we read a lot of books as bedtime stories with main female characters) but if he gets these for Christmas this year I will be getting rid of them immediately.

ChristmassyContessaConSparkles · 25/12/2018 20:15

Yeah, I bought a copy and stopped reading for this reason. Not teaching my boys that, thanks.

LaundryLaundryLaundry · 25/12/2018 20:14

Well Lucille certainly benefited from Alan's aquired male privilege. How different things could have been if only she'd been allowed to have short hair Hmm.

I wonder whether any of this is mentioned in the Amazon reviews? I'd send it back, if I were you!

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