Not really a book review because I have zero complaints. I love this book so much! I know you probably didn’t come here for a book review or advertisement. However, this book is so good that I can’t help sharing.

Kobabe, Maia. Gender Queer: A Memoir. Colors by Maia Kobabe. Edited by Andrea Colvin. Portland, OR: Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group, LLC, 2019. Sensitivity Read by Melanie Gillman. Assistant Editor: Grace Bornhoft.

Note for Parents/Guardians: I don’t know what age is the right age for this book. I do know that some adults I love will worry about when their kids are ready for this book. Kobabe does cover masturbation, pornography, and a very disturbing gynecological appointment. So, I guess, adults – you read it first and decide.

I was reading an article about book banning, and saw the photo of this book’s cover. I immediately bought it. I’ve done this before. If it’s good but not great, I’ve read the book and passed it on. BUT THIS BOOK IS SO SO GOOD.

I don’t really want to show you tons of photos of this graphic novel because I want you to check it out or buy it! The art of the book feels like the heart of the book. I feel more comfortable sharing some quotes that really demonstrate how brilliant and meaningful this book is.

One of my favorite pages is the very last page. It’s a beautiful drawing of the author’s family which also includes a short dedication. It says: ” A note to my parents: Though I have struggled with being your daughter, I am so, so glad that I am your child.” (Kobabe, 240) To me, this comment is so deeply beautiful and revealing. This beautiful dedication not only encapsulates the author’s love and gratitude for eir* parents, but also demonstrates how EASY it can be sometimes to find the right gender-free word. See pages 189 for some pronoun stuff and pages 171-175, 206-209. Actually, on page 175 is one of my favorite hilarious quotes: “Because really, I want people to be confused about my gender at all times.” (Kobabe, 175)

I sent a couple friends this text: The people who banned this book think it’s about gender, and it’s mostly about books and reading. That’s probably why they banned it. They hate reading (and critical thinking). My brilliant friend Jessica texted back: People who ban books like this one are afraid that books can turn people gay, but books about straight people haven’t turned gay kids straight. I was hoping that maybe it would turn people who read this book into better readers! (See pages 28, 72-75, 143) I sent her the book in the mail with the note: BUT WILL IT HELP PEOPLE CHOOSE BETTER TV? (Mostly because of page 116 #Supernatural and page 151 #BuffytheVampireSlayer)

I also want to tell you about one of my favorite pages, a page that felt like it was made for me. On page 178, Kobabe writes: “I remember when I first realized I never had to have children. It was like walking out of a narrow alley into a wide open field. I never have to get married….These realizations were like gifts that I gave to myself.” [My father says that, when I was in fifth grade, I told him I never wanted to have kids. I think he thinks it’s interesting that I never changed my mind.]

I like buying banned books, and I really like requesting and checking out banned books from the public library! I strongly recommend you request and check out your favorite books from the library – not because you need them, but because it’s good for the library to know what books you think are important.

You can also read this book for free here. [DO NOT READ THE COMMENTS!]

*So, Kobabe chooses “the Spivak pronouns e, em, eir, as in ‘Ask em what e wants in eir tea.'” (Kobabe, 189) For more, I found this interesting: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Spivak_pronoun