Can I tell you about Gender Diversity?: A guide for friends, family and professionals

Can I Tell You About...?

by C.J. Atkinson, Olly Pike (Illustrator)

Meet Kit - a 12 year old who identifies as trans and is currently going through female to male medical transition. Kit explains what it is like to transition and how his friends, family and teachers can help by using the right pronouns, respecting his name change, introducing gender neutral toilets at school and much more.

With illustrations throughout, this is an ideal way to start conversations about gender diversity in the classroom or at home. It is suitable for readers aged 7 and above and also includes a useful list of recommended reading, organisations and websites for further information and support.

Genres: Nonfiction, LGBT, Gender

64 pages, Paperback

Published December 21, 2016

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick and simple guide to gender diversity geared towards children who are curious, questioning and seeking answers for their feelings.

It covers quite a variety of topics - from what is being gay to what it means to be transgender and everything in between.

I did really appreciate how all of the content was so detailed and was always age-appropriate.

As an adult reading this, there were a few things that were explained in a way I hadn't seen before but I liked the approach.

All in all, this is a handy little guide that really does a great job of introducing difficult topics for younger readers. Really recommended!

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[Una-Jane Winfield · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a highly dangerous book. It is based on "gender identity ideology" which proposes that people have two "identities": biological sex and "gender" identity. The latter exists in a separate place from actual, real biological sex. Where is it? Is it in the mind? Is it our "soul"? We are not told.

GI ideology is a "bunkem" theory and it is dangerous because it is not based on evidence. It flies in the face of evidence: the mind co-exists with the body, the mind arises from the body to which it is inextricably attached. The mind and the body should be at ease with each other. To postulate that the mind can be "at war" with the body is to promote a form of insanity.

No child should be exposed to "gender identity" ideology or this book which promotes dissociation of the mind from the body.

In a few years we will look back at the victims of "gender identity" ideology, "trans-kids" like Jazz Jennings (a boy) and Keira Bell, and recognise that society went down a rabbit hole. We became victims of another form of Mass Hysteria: https://thefederalist.com/2016/11/17/.... Abjure "gender identity" ideology!

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short, simple book about gender diversity that is suitable for reading to children in elementary school and can be read by upper elementary and middle school children. The book contains clear and simple explanations about what gender is, what gender dysphoria is and how many people feel when they are transgender. In addition to the story about Kit, there are facts and resources for adults listed in the back of the book.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Jeimy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gender diversity is the final frontier in children's books. This is a much needed title because it either quenches curiosity or whets the reader's appetite leading to further research into the topic.

[Shahira8826 · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Can I Tell You About Gender Diversity" by C.J. Atkinson is an excellent resource for all parents, teachers and educators who want to learn more about the life experience of trans kids. Every school should have a copy of this in its library!

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

MG NF: Got asexuality wrong, good information mostly, but not well written or illustrated

[Rebekah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love the format and idea of these books and the other topics but completely disagree with this topic because of it's bias. I feel it ridiculously reinforces stereotypes that girls must like dresses or they must be a boy, or that what they like determines their gender. What happened to a tomboy? Or just a wide variety of girls and boys (biologically) who are all kinds of personalities and intrests? This book is a rejection of true diversity of gender and warps biology and geniune diversity for a biased agenda. Great series, but applied in a biased and possibly harmful way. It's not this simple.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was skeptical because of the cover. I’ve read a lot of educational books on NetGalley, and this is by far the best one. I couldn’t stop reading it and I loved the compassionate tone - it wasn’t condescending to anyone who might not know the information and it showed a supportive environment for Kit (but didn’t leave out that some people aren’t so lucky.) Lovely.

[Alana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chapter names would be nice. Some repetition, but otherwise well-done.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite simple and a little bit repetitive. Some things were maybe slightly incorrect, but overall a good starting point in regards to educating young people.