Books List

Reading for children
Reading for adolescents
Reading for parents and families
Personal stories

Reading for children

10,000 Dresses by Ewert and Marcus
In her dreams, Bailey is a young girl. Every night she dreams about magical dresses. Unfortunately, when Bailey wakes up, nobody wants to hear about her beautiful dreams. This is because Bailey is a boy and shouldn't be thinking about dresses at all. Then Bailey meets an older girl who is touched and inspired by Bailey's dreams and courage. Eventually they start making dresses together that represent Bailey's dreams coming to life.

Reading for adolescents

Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher
In “Almost Perfect,” Sage Hendricks is the new girl at Logan Witherspoon’s school. She is very tall, a bit awkward and unconventional in manner and appearance. Logan is immediately drawn to Sage’s intelligence and humor; they need each other’s friendship, but Sage’s life is a mystery. Sage reveals she was born a boy. Outraged, Logan begins to question his sexuality and cuts his ties with his friend, when she needs him most.

Hello, Cruel World: 101 Alternatives to Teen Suicide by Kate Bornstein
This is a one-of-a-kind guide to staying alive outside the box for marginalised youth. Celebrated transsexual trailblazer, Kate Bornstein bravely and wittily shares personal and unorthodox methods of survival in an often cruel world. This title features a catalogue of 101 alternatives to suicide that range from the playful (moisturise!) to the irreverent (shatter family values) to the highly controversial (get laid, please). Designed to encourage readers to give themselves permission to unleash their hearts' harmless desires, the book has only one directive: "Don't be mean". It is this guiding principle that brings readers on a self-validating journey, which forges completely new paths toward a resounding decision to choose life.

If You Believe in Mermaids... Don't Tell by A. A. Phillips
Thirteen-year-old Todd is a fine diver with a wry sense of humor. He knows that boys are not supposed to daydream about mermaids and play with their little sister's dolls. At summer camp he tries to fit in, talking tough and flirting with girls, but Brad, the camp's bad boy, is eager to expose all that's different about Todd.
Todd would like to swim away to his mermaid fantasy world. It's a secret refuge no one else can know about -- especially not his Dad. Even though he's not the soccer jock his Dad had hoped for, Todd is good at diving. If only diving could save him. Because along comes the doll thing. Dad finds out, and his explosion rocks the house. Todd decides that it's time to disappear.
The most unlikely person of all tracks him down and persuades him to come home. With help, his family begins to reconnect and Todd finds the courage to accept himself. At last he glimpses a life that might match his fantasies.

Luna by Julie Anne Peters
Regan's brother Liam can't stand the person he is during the day. Like the moon from whom Liam has chosen his female namesake, his true self, Luna, only reveals herself at night. In the secrecy of his basement bedroom Liam transforms himself into the beautiful girl he longs to be, with help from his sister's clothes and makeup. Now, everything is about to change-Luna is preparing to emerge from her cocoon. But are Liam's family and friends ready to welcome Luna into their lives? Compelling and provocative, this is an unforgettable novel about a transgender teen's struggle for self-identity and acceptance.

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Reading for parents and families

Inside Out: children in the wrong body by Sarah Wong and Ellen de Visser
Link to the website of Sarah Wong below. For the past seven years photographer Sarah Wong and journalist Ellen de Visser have been following 11 Dutch children on the way to a new identity. Their photos and reports in the book Inside Out give a glimpse inside the lives of children born in "the wrong body". At present the book is not in stock anywhere in the UK but we have emailed the author to see if she can give us a UK based source.
http://www.sarahwong.com/insideout_01.html

The Transgender Child: A Handbook for Families and Professionals by Stephanie Brill and Rachel Pepper
A comprehensive, first-of-its-kind guidebook for the unique challenges that thousands of families face raising children who step outside of the pink or blue box.

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Personal stories

Mom I need to Be a Girl by Just Evelyn
This is a rare true story about a young boy who received a kind of help from his mother that some children need, but almost none receive. Lyn Conway has been given permission by the author to publish this online. To open this click here.

Trans Forming Families: Real Stories About Transgendered Loved Ones by Mary Boenke, Editor.
Mary Boenke's son was born a daughter. When she found out that her child was transsexual, Mary had nowhere to turn for resources. So, she published a book. Here is a collection of stories, from partners, parents, children and siblings of trans-identified folks. Their stories tell the true meaning of love and family.

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