Reading this memoir of one of today’s most famous transgender teens feels like sitting down for an eye-opening conversation with a friend.
Recommended grade level: 7 and up
Pages: 256 (for ISBN 9780399554643)
Genre(s) and keywords: nonfiction, memoir, LGBTQA+
Tone/Style: personal, youthful
Pace: moderate to fast
Topics: transgender people, coming out, media attention, dating, legal battles
Themes: courage, gender identity, being oneself, speaking out
Summary: Jazz Jennings is one of the youngest and most prominent voices in the national discussion about gender identity. At the age of five, Jazz transitioned to life as a girl, with the support of her parents. A year later, her parents allowed her to share her incredible journey in her first Barbara Walters interview, aired at a time when the public was much less knowledgeable or accepting of the transgender community. This groundbreaking interview was followed over the years by other high-profile interviews, a documentary, the launch of her YouTube channel, a picture book, and her own reality TV series—I Am Jazz—making her one of the most recognizable activists for transgender teens, children, and adults. Continue reading
This dual-POV novel addresses big issues like gender identity and depression with due seriousness but a prevailing sense of hope.
Flashlight Chronicles 