 | Tomboy Author: Prince, Liz | |
| Price: $13.11 | ||
Summary:
Eschewing female stereotypes throughout her early years and failing to gain acceptance on the boys' baseball team, Liz learns to embrace her own views on gender as she comes of age in this anecdotal memoir in graphic novel format.
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: UG Reading Level: 3.50 Points: 2.0 Quiz: 172616 | Reading Counts Information: Interest Level: 6-8 Reading Level: 4.50 Points: 6.0 Quiz: 68214 | |
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 08/01/2014 Is there any grade-school struggle more defining than the desire to fit in? In her first full-length graphic novel, award-winning comics artist Prince tells the story of her lifelong battle with gender stereotypes through the lens of her tomboy childhood, marked by a preference for male role models, slouchy oversize clothes, and some serious bullying. As a kid, Prince chafed at femininity—“Given the chance, I’d much rather wield a sword than wear a tiara”—but her offbeat choices made it hard for her to find friends or a boyfriend. She starts to believe that her disinterest in being girly is what makes her unlikable, and soon she feels embarrassed by being a girl altogether. Luckily, she eventually finds a group of people who appreciate her differences and don’t expect her to act a particular way just because she is a girl. Prince’s tongue-in-cheek black-and-white line drawings, in a charming style reminiscent of Jeffrey Brown’s autobiographical comics, pack a punch in this empowering memoir that should have ample appeal for any kid who feels like an outsider. - Copyright 2014 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 08/01/2014 Gr 9 Up—Prince knew from an early age that she was not a typical girl. The only pictures of her in a dress were from when she was a baby and could not protest. She hates dresses and all things "girly." Fortunately, she had supportive parents who did not force her into traditional gender roles and who let her wear the kinds of clothing she wanted. Most of Prince's friends were boys, and her fantasies and playtime were devoted to being a hero, not a princess. Her wardrobe choices made her the target of ridicule and bullying in Boston and in Santa Fe, where her family moved when she was in early elementary school. In their first neighborhood, most of her friends were boys, but she found some girlfriends after the family moved. It was the first time she found girls with similar interests in comics and Ghostbusters, and it was also when she realized that she did not want to be a boy but, rather, wanted the freedom that came with being one. Meeting a good friend of her mother's, who encouraged her talent and interest in comics, and transferring to a very small, highly experimental high school helped her become comfortable with her choice as a tomboy. Although Prince has created a work that will affirm the choices of tomboys, the black-and-white illustrations show little variation among characters, and the text is sometimes difficult to read. The chronology is also confusing, as Prince often jumps from childhood to adolescence in the space of one frame and then jumps back to childhood again. Purchase where graphic novel memoirs are in demand.—Suanne B. Roush, formerly at Osceola High School, Seminole, FL - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
