10,000 Dresses

[NotZenEnough]

This book is about a little boy called Bailey. He dreams of dresses, so is referred to as 'she' throughout the book. His parents are obviously complete gits because they think he's a boy. All the characters in the book are stereotypically male or female. Basically it's a bag of shit, and us being read in my son's primary school.
He had it read to him in Y2 and Y4. I know it has also been read in a Y2 assembly.

The SRE teacher is very bright and sensible, and I think generally understands the GC argument. Deputy head bit more 'woke' & doesn't really understand.
I've been in to the school to ask them to stop teaching it, and have tried to raise awareness on the school Facebook page.
Just thought I'd share because I had no idea that this was being taught to children in our primary school.

It would be a far better story if it called out the rigid attitudes of Bailey's horrible relatives and let him be a happy boy who likes dresses.

Exactly. Also doesn't this book accidentally admit that one thing that can lead to a kid thinking they are trans is having regressive, homophobic parents? Can the author not see that? And if the story were true how could anyone conclude that the problem wasn't the attitude of the parents, rather than the body of the child?

Well done for challenging this OP.

Bloody help re ferret and vole! That would send me stratospheric.

The kids like this rubbish book! I gather it is generally well received. Haven't had feedback saying it's been a problem on a personal level.

Kids like some really crap things though.

How do you find out what is on your children's school's reading list? Write to the head? Ask the class teacher? Are they obliged to tell you?

littlecabbage write and ask, if they don’t want to tell you that is extremely suspicious!

Thanks. I need to do this. Hope I'm not in for a nasty shock.

I found out which teacher heads up SRE And asked specifically which resources they use for their LGBT education, plus whether they have any resources which specifically deal with the transgender issue. Plus who advises them on SRE. External groups often advise schools. Our school has 'diversity role models' come in and talk, but they do not directly discuss trans, although they do include the word in LGBT. The borough council has a section on diversity in their web site and they are tied up with Diversity Role Models.

Probably also worth asking what their safeguarding procedures are with these people coming into schools!

NotZenEnough - your school sound very like my DCs school (and is in the same area). I know of 2 former pupils who are 13/14 now and transgender, both with autistic traits. I know at least one of my DC has read 10,000 Dresses so wouldn't be surprised if those children have. Could be worth highlighting to the school the disproportionately large number of autistic children identifying as transgender and asking them if they have noticed this trend amongst former pupils.