Gender Blender

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Fun switcheroo tale is good for gender-role talk.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

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.

  • This 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.
  • Two 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.
  • Much 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.

What's the story?

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.


Is it any good?

 

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 the stereotypes and expectations 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.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about the stereotypes both sexes face and how to deal with them. How are girls sterotyped, and why are these assumptions not always true? How about boys?


This review was written by Terreece Clarke
Adult
August 30, 2009
 

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Teen, 18 years old
July 5, 2009
 
Very informative!
It was very informative. If anyone is afraid of talking to their parents then this answers a lot of questions. It was funny and a good, easy book to read!

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Adult
January 28, 2009
 
omg soo good!
this book is so good! its 4 gurl and boys i related 2 everything that happened like when she got her period i really loved it it was so funny! i love blake nelson's books

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Kid, 13 years old
October 3, 2009
 
LOL Hilarious!
This is a hilarious book about a boy and a girl in middle school who switch bodies. In the book they mention some stuff that kids up to 10 wouldn't understand and it would be to inappropriate for them. Over all it's a very good and funny book for ages 12 and up.

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Teen, 17 years old
November 15, 2008
 
A must read book!
This book is amazing! I read it early 08.. and i LOVED IT!!!! I admitt every preteen-teen reads it!

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Parent of 14 year old
April 3, 2011
 
Tee-hee! Hilarious!
I thought it was very amusing, but sort of inapro-pro! Hilarious though.

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Teen, 15 years old
April 9, 2008
 
i have not read it but it sounds good
it sounds o.k. but kind of gross!!!i cant wait to read it but i cant document it that makes me kind of mad!

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Parent of 14 year old
July 7, 2009
 

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This review was written by Terreece Clarke
Author:Blake Nelson
Book type:Fiction
Genre:Coming of Age
Publisher:Delacorte Press
Publication date:September 11, 2007
Number of pages:192
Paperback price:$8.99
Publisher's recommended age(s):9 - 12

This review was written by Terreece Clarke
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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