Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that they should expect plenty of sexual and body-part humor typical of middle schoolers, covering erections, periods, etc. A boy who switches bodies with a girl gets his period; the girl in the boy's body tries to learn how to pee. The differences between boys and girls are talked about and stereotyped while the characters work out what gender means.
Families can talk about what stereotypes both sexes face and how to deal with them. They can also talk about how to deal with peer pressure.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Terreece Clarke
GENDER BLENDER is Freaky Friday for the sexes. Blake Nelson weaves a fun and light tale among the confusion that is middle school. Boys and girls have a hard enough time dealing with the changes that are happening to them, but dealing with the changes in the opposite sex is even more confusing. When ex-friends Emma Baker and Tom Witherspoon accidentally switch bodies, they are forced to take a harder look at what stereotypes and expectations are placed on both sexes.
Nelson takes readers on a fun ride into the mysteries that surround the differences between boys and girls. Readers will giggle, sigh, and see themselves in the characters and parents will love the questions and discoveries that characters make about themselves and each other.
Do people expect boys to be strong and win all the time? Why are girls expected to do well in school? What pressure does society put on both?
From The Book
"Hey!" shrieked Margaret. She was especially touchy about boys. Two days earlier, Tom's best friend, Brad Hailey, had snuck up behind her in gym class and yanked down her sweatpants in front of everyone.
"What are you doing?" Margaret yelped. "Get out! Get away from me!"
Tom was caught in the skirt and fought to untangle himself. He had to find that ball. He could not let Jane Hennessey hit a home run.
"Perv alert! Perv alert!" Courtney shouted. She and the Grrlzillas rushed to defend Margaret. Rachel Simms kicked Tom in the butt and hit him with her backpack. The other girls joined in, whacking Tom with textbooks, gym bags, whatever they had. One of them even jabbed him with an umbrella.
"Stop it!" Tom grabbed the ball and jumped to his feet. "I was trying to get the ball." He turned to Emma. "Emma, help me out."
But she frowned and crossed her arms.
Plot Summary:
Emma and Tom used to be great friends in fourth grade, but by sixth grade they were practically enemies; all they did was fight. Things take a freaky turn when they have an accident and find themselves stuck in the other person's body!
Tom has to figure out how to be a girl and Emma has to work out what being a boy means -- and they both have to find their way back into the right body before time runs out.
Related Books:
Other Titles by This Author:
Prom Anonymous
The New Rules of High School
Girl
Rock Star Superstar
Reviewed: 11/25/2007
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentMuch body-part humor; a health education class and students bring up boners, pitching a tent, etc. Girls reflect on whether they are developed enough and who's more developed. Boys try to look down girls' shirts and everyone is curious about making out. A girl and boy switch bodies so there's discussion about how to pee; the boy checks out his "girl" body, gets his period, and gets a chance to be in the girls' locker room. Discussion of naked pictures and masterbation. |
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ViolenceTwo girls get into a fight at a party. A couple of boys throw dirt clods at each other and one tries to pee on several older boys that are harassing him. |
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LanguageBody part humor is the worst of it. |
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Social BehaviorThis book highlights a time when boys and girls are both repelled and drawn to each other. There's some sexism from both genders, but they do recognize similarities and positive attributes in each other. |
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