2022: An important book that should STAY in high school libraries

The high school next to mine just had a 12-month long discussion about whether this book should stay on the library's shelves. I wanted to read it, not only because it had been recommended to me as a great book about being non-binary, but also so I could have an opinion on the discussion happening in my hometown. Don't worry–they voted to keep the book in the library WAHOO

Honestly, I loved this graphic memoir. Kobabe dives deep into eir life, in one of the most personal memoirs I've ever read. There is a thorough recap here from eir very early childhood memories (honestly, very impressive, I don't remember nearly as much) through eir current struggles with how to introduce eirself to eir students and what eir new nephew should call em. I, too, am excited for us to come up with a good gender neutral term for aunts/uncles and for nieces/nephews (have we settled on nibling? not yet?)

In terms of whether this belongs on school library shelves, my answer is an unabashedly YES. There are two panels that I could see the argument for being more graphic than expected. But honestly, teens in high school are without a doubt seeing images just as graphic or much worse than this in all sorts of media. This is a perfect example of graphic media with *appropriate* context. And that's what it comes down to! I would be interested in whether Kobabe decides to write a YA version of this book, because I think it's a super important resource for younger students to have access to. It's also great for us adults who don't know how to navigate young people having questions about their own genders, and I'd love to see more childcare workers having access to this book as well.