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Becoming Who We Are: Real Stories About Growing Up Trans
Becoming who you are is a journey, and all journeys start somewhere.
In a collection of stories from across the spectrum of real-life experience, nine members of the trans community share their inspirational childhood stories. These are tales of questioning, affirming, transitioning, and growing up; courageous, gripping accounts from musicians, actors, teachers, scientists, forest rangers, and activists of how they overcame their unique challenges to become who they truly are.
Featuring work by HAZEL NEWLEVANT, LILAH STURGES, CYNTHIA YUAN CHENG, KAMERON WHITE, SUNMI, and many more!
In a collection of stories from across the spectrum of real-life experience, nine members of the trans community share their inspirational childhood stories. These are tales of questioning, affirming, transitioning, and growing up; courageous, gripping accounts from musicians, actors, teachers, scientists, forest rangers, and activists of how they overcame their unique challenges to become who they truly are.
Featuring work by HAZEL NEWLEVANT, LILAH STURGES, CYNTHIA YUAN CHENG, KAMERON WHITE, SUNMI, and many more!
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 4, 2024
9 people are currently reading
581 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 72 reviews
June 12, 2024
A wonderful collection of short comics about trans people with different stories, experiences, jobs, and dreams. Each story is illustrated by a different artist which gives each tale its own voice. An accessible and affirming collection, especially for young readers!
April 30, 2025
Fue muy tierno y me gustó que colocaran una descripcion de les artistas cuando presentaban a la persona de la que iba a tratar la historia.
Tambien el hecho de que cambiaban a les artistas por historia lo hacía bastante entretenido, los estilos artísticos encajaban bien con las historias que tocaban, se nota que se le puso pensamiento a esos detalles
Tambien el hecho de que cambiaban a les artistas por historia lo hacía bastante entretenido, los estilos artísticos encajaban bien con las historias que tocaban, se nota que se le puso pensamiento a esos detalles
December 29, 2024
Cute and simple. Very uplifting. All very queer joy. A great one situation for someone who is struggling to come out or find solace in their identity. I envision giving this to a kid who knows they’re trans, but is worried about their future.
May 6, 2025
It makes me so freakin’ happy to see books like this for a younger audience! I would’ve loved anything like this when I was a kid.
My only issue with this collection is that I felt like it needed a proofreader. I found myself rereading portions for the sake of clarity and ended up feeling like this was published a couple drafts too early. Even simple mistakes like misspelling President Roosevelt’s name. Or having a protagonist say they were 10 years old and then, on the same page, another character responds with “You were only 11!” It just made me wish the entire book had been tidied up a bit more. When it comes to other mistakes like frequently misplaced commas and awkward syntax, I know I’m just picky.
No matter what, I enjoyed these stories. It’s fantastic that books like this even exist (and that we’re getting so much more like it these days!).
My only issue with this collection is that I felt like it needed a proofreader. I found myself rereading portions for the sake of clarity and ended up feeling like this was published a couple drafts too early. Even simple mistakes like misspelling President Roosevelt’s name. Or having a protagonist say they were 10 years old and then, on the same page, another character responds with “You were only 11!” It just made me wish the entire book had been tidied up a bit more. When it comes to other mistakes like frequently misplaced commas and awkward syntax, I know I’m just picky.
No matter what, I enjoyed these stories. It’s fantastic that books like this even exist (and that we’re getting so much more like it these days!).
July 21, 2024
My 10-year-old found this book and told me I had to read it… nothing better for a librarian than a book rec from your own kids!
April 17, 2025
Honestly? Loved it. Gave it a solid 4/5 stars. Some stories dragged a bit or felt uneven pacing-wise, which is why I docked a star—but overall, it was heartfelt, real, and super impactful. It’s so important for trans kids (and really, all kids) to have access to stories like these, especially right now with everything going on politically. Definitely worth the read.
June 29, 2024
This was honestly sweet and so hopeful, and I'd love to see it become more available to trans kids and teenagers (and adults too!) who need to read it.
July 5, 2024
Picked this up on Independent Bookstore Day and absolutely adored it. I love the collection of different stories accompanied by different artists drawing each one.
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August 6, 2024Alies had deze gekocht op vakantie en ja cute!!!
December 29, 2024
An excellent collection of tiny biographies written and illustrated by trans people. 🥰
March 16, 2025
I love trans joy so much
October 3, 2024
If I read this as a kid, it would have changed my life
July 17, 2024
I appreciate the variety of art styles and types of stories told. However, I got a bit tired of the “I knew I was trans since I was 4!” moment that seemed to be in just about every story. Some people don’t discover their transness till they’re adults, but they can still look back and see the signs as a kid; it helps connect pieces that seemed out of place before. I was hoping for more of a mix of the early and late discoveries in this book.
September 15, 2024
Becoming Who We Are kertoo yhdeksän transihmisen tarinan. Jokaisella tarinalla on eri taiteilija, mikä oli loistava ratkaisu, joskin muutamassa oli aika hankala käsinkirjoitettu teksti. Tälle on annettu ikäsuositukseksi 8-12, eli sopii hyvin nuoremmallekin lukijalle.
June 5, 2024
6/4/2024 Terrific. Full review tk at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.
6/5/2024 Happy Pride Month, y'all! I was so thrilled to have this land on my desk to officially launch Pride over at The Frumious Consortium. Collecting nine real biographies of trans people and their childhoods, this is an excellent, inspirational collection that serves double-duty in assuring trans kids (and even some adults!) that it's okay to be who you are, while also sharing with cis folks the interior lives of a demographic they may have yet had little experience with.
Sammy Lisel has done an excellent job in interviewing nine impressive transgender North Americans from all walks of life and reworking each of their life stories into a chapter of this highly readable graphic novel. The diversity is exceptional, in age, racial and cultural background, profession, and just in the multitude of life experiences that it took for each kid to grow up to be the person who they are today. It's also really great to see teachers and entrepreneurs, park rangers and musicians, scientists and firefighters all represented in these pages, underscoring how trans people are integral parts of society and will flourish in their chosen fields as long as they're given the right to live peaceably as who they are. Their stories are told with humor, honesty and verve, emphasizing the need for trans people to be able to exist as unreservedly as cis people do, and to be able to come out on their own terms.
Becoming Who We Are's real genius, tho, lies in Hazel Newlevant's editorial decision to assign each story to a different, extremely talented artist, underscoring once more the diversity of these stories and experiences. While the chapters are each unified in their theme of a trans person discussing the challenges of their childhoods and onwards before becoming the inspirational people that they are today, the contrast in artistic styles emphasizes that trans people are not a monolith, that they come from all walks of life. Just as importantly, there is no one "correct" way to be trans, as this book makes very clear both in text and imagery. We're all unique individuals, regardless of whether we're trans or cis, so it's perfectly normal to have different paths to happiness.
Which is a very important lesson to impart, not only to kids but to anyone fearful of opening up about themselves. Representation matters in all forms, as Robin Aguilar's tale here explicitly states. Books like this are important because they showcase how it's possible for any trans person from any background to become a happy, thriving grown-up doing meaningful work to help uplift and advance the world. It's hard to believe that someone like yourself can succeed if you don't see people like you achieving the goals that you want to accomplish, too. The flipside of that, ofc, is how important it is for trans people who are secure and supported to stand up and lead by example. Given the much smaller percentages of out trans folks compared to cis adults in the world tho, books like this serve an important purpose in giving kids hope that things will get better, via concrete examples of trans people growing up and going on to do amazing things.
Becoming Who We Are edited by Sammy Lisel & Hazel Newlevant was published June 4 2024 by A Wave Blue World and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
6/5/2024 Happy Pride Month, y'all! I was so thrilled to have this land on my desk to officially launch Pride over at The Frumious Consortium. Collecting nine real biographies of trans people and their childhoods, this is an excellent, inspirational collection that serves double-duty in assuring trans kids (and even some adults!) that it's okay to be who you are, while also sharing with cis folks the interior lives of a demographic they may have yet had little experience with.
Sammy Lisel has done an excellent job in interviewing nine impressive transgender North Americans from all walks of life and reworking each of their life stories into a chapter of this highly readable graphic novel. The diversity is exceptional, in age, racial and cultural background, profession, and just in the multitude of life experiences that it took for each kid to grow up to be the person who they are today. It's also really great to see teachers and entrepreneurs, park rangers and musicians, scientists and firefighters all represented in these pages, underscoring how trans people are integral parts of society and will flourish in their chosen fields as long as they're given the right to live peaceably as who they are. Their stories are told with humor, honesty and verve, emphasizing the need for trans people to be able to exist as unreservedly as cis people do, and to be able to come out on their own terms.
Becoming Who We Are's real genius, tho, lies in Hazel Newlevant's editorial decision to assign each story to a different, extremely talented artist, underscoring once more the diversity of these stories and experiences. While the chapters are each unified in their theme of a trans person discussing the challenges of their childhoods and onwards before becoming the inspirational people that they are today, the contrast in artistic styles emphasizes that trans people are not a monolith, that they come from all walks of life. Just as importantly, there is no one "correct" way to be trans, as this book makes very clear both in text and imagery. We're all unique individuals, regardless of whether we're trans or cis, so it's perfectly normal to have different paths to happiness.
Which is a very important lesson to impart, not only to kids but to anyone fearful of opening up about themselves. Representation matters in all forms, as Robin Aguilar's tale here explicitly states. Books like this are important because they showcase how it's possible for any trans person from any background to become a happy, thriving grown-up doing meaningful work to help uplift and advance the world. It's hard to believe that someone like yourself can succeed if you don't see people like you achieving the goals that you want to accomplish, too. The flipside of that, ofc, is how important it is for trans people who are secure and supported to stand up and lead by example. Given the much smaller percentages of out trans folks compared to cis adults in the world tho, books like this serve an important purpose in giving kids hope that things will get better, via concrete examples of trans people growing up and going on to do amazing things.
Becoming Who We Are edited by Sammy Lisel & Hazel Newlevant was published June 4 2024 by A Wave Blue World and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
May 22, 2024
This is a fantastic collection of short biographies of nine different trans and nonbinary* people who shared stories of their childhoods and how they became "who they are"** today, illustrated beautifully by nine different artists (also all trans/NB)! I could write a synopsis for each, but it's somewhat the same in each case: grew up knowing or at least suspecting they were in the wrong body, got bullied for it, eventually became who they were and are living better lives.
There is a note at the beginning where, for accuracy, each person is referred to by their original pronouns during their childhood scenes (with one exception, noted before the story), but they are called by their chosen names for simplicity (with a few exceptions). This feels slightly confusing for outsiders like me, who are looking in on their lives, because if—say—Rebekah Bruesehoff was always Rebekah to everyone else, then did she actually transition? At the same time, I understand that this is partly a chronicle of how their experiences FELT, and why wouldn't someone want to retcon a little if it conveys the right emotion? "Everybody treats me like a girl, but I am NOT a girl!" "I can't like pink because I'm a boy? President Roosevelt wore a pink dress!"
I do feel like this book more than meets its stated goal, of sharing the message that you—possible young closeted reader afraid that you are the only one who knows what you are going through— aren't alone*** and have so much to look forward to experiencing. It may take some effort to get there, including getting to safety (sad to say), but it's worth it. Absolutely powerful read and recommended for anyone who needs a guiding light out of the darkness.
*nonbinary IS trans, but I wanted to specify they're not just trans men and women
**I can't find the editor's source for the quote; the link is the first result I *did* find (and, admittedly, gives a different vibe).
***It's irritatingly difficult not just repeating the quotes on the book! "You are not alone" is the most obvious message, however true.
Edit to add: The one thing I sort of don't like is the paperback has "dust jacket"-style cover flaps that keep unfolding as I read. The hardcover doesn't have this (or a dust jacket), so it's missing the review quotes printed on the paperback's flaps. Better get both versions to complete your collection!
There is a note at the beginning where, for accuracy, each person is referred to by their original pronouns during their childhood scenes (with one exception, noted before the story), but they are called by their chosen names for simplicity (with a few exceptions). This feels slightly confusing for outsiders like me, who are looking in on their lives, because if—say—Rebekah Bruesehoff was always Rebekah to everyone else, then did she actually transition? At the same time, I understand that this is partly a chronicle of how their experiences FELT, and why wouldn't someone want to retcon a little if it conveys the right emotion? "Everybody treats me like a girl, but I am NOT a girl!" "I can't like pink because I'm a boy? President Roosevelt wore a pink dress!"
I do feel like this book more than meets its stated goal, of sharing the message that you—possible young closeted reader afraid that you are the only one who knows what you are going through— aren't alone*** and have so much to look forward to experiencing. It may take some effort to get there, including getting to safety (sad to say), but it's worth it. Absolutely powerful read and recommended for anyone who needs a guiding light out of the darkness.
*nonbinary IS trans, but I wanted to specify they're not just trans men and women
**I can't find the editor's source for the quote; the link is the first result I *did* find (and, admittedly, gives a different vibe).
***It's irritatingly difficult not just repeating the quotes on the book! "You are not alone" is the most obvious message, however true.
Edit to add: The one thing I sort of don't like is the paperback has "dust jacket"-style cover flaps that keep unfolding as I read. The hardcover doesn't have this (or a dust jacket), so it's missing the review quotes printed on the paperback's flaps. Better get both versions to complete your collection!
July 12, 2025
I give this five stars because it was the MOST checked out book from my classroom library this past school year. I noticed that when students or visitors browsed my books, this was one that caught their attention.
It is possible that the subject matter, transgender people, was the attention getter, but people stayed to finish.
What I like is that this book not only centers transgender people, the stories and illustrations are done by transgender people. For me, the people who get to tell the story matters. It is a short anthology of writers and short stories around famous people who are trans.
The stories reflect moments of self revelation, transition, and embracing identity.
I am often asked how I handle parents who are opposed to me having books like this in my classroom library. I don't really face this problem for the following reasons:
1. Students select into the books they read. I am not forcing any book on any person.
2. I have a variety of books that cover many topics. This is just one among over a thousand.
3. I teach high school. Most parents are excited to hear that their teen is reading... ANYTHING.
4. I invite parents/guardians to talk to their teens about what they are reading and to read the same book with them. As a mother of a 15 year old, there is no topic off the table for discussion. I want to talk to my child about what they are experiencing and support them on their path. I find most parents feel the same.
If you haven't... take a minute and read this book.
It is possible that the subject matter, transgender people, was the attention getter, but people stayed to finish.
What I like is that this book not only centers transgender people, the stories and illustrations are done by transgender people. For me, the people who get to tell the story matters. It is a short anthology of writers and short stories around famous people who are trans.
The stories reflect moments of self revelation, transition, and embracing identity.
I am often asked how I handle parents who are opposed to me having books like this in my classroom library. I don't really face this problem for the following reasons:
1. Students select into the books they read. I am not forcing any book on any person.
2. I have a variety of books that cover many topics. This is just one among over a thousand.
3. I teach high school. Most parents are excited to hear that their teen is reading... ANYTHING.
4. I invite parents/guardians to talk to their teens about what they are reading and to read the same book with them. As a mother of a 15 year old, there is no topic off the table for discussion. I want to talk to my child about what they are experiencing and support them on their path. I find most parents feel the same.
If you haven't... take a minute and read this book.
April 28, 2025
I really loved this!! HIGHLY recc when looking for trans comics. A really diverse selection of stories too, reflecting many different trans experiences as there's no universal trans experience. I loved to read all these people's stories. If I was a kid I would have loved this.
I will say one story does deal with alcoholism, and seems more of a pick for a YA comic. Other stories talk about a family member with addiction in passing, however idk if a 8-12 year old would want be able to relate to it. Just a nitpick because it feels way more adult than the other stories.
My favorites were
Robbi- cute, I loved the theme of the outdoors, a sweet little story and probably my favorite of the bunch!
Kate- just one that stood out to me that I personally enjoyed
Robin- loved the sea exploration metaphor and the daydreaming sequences were well drawn
Rebekah- I just really enjoyed seeing a trans experience involving a positive experience with religion as someone who is both trans and religious. It's something I rarely see
I will say one story does deal with alcoholism, and seems more of a pick for a YA comic. Other stories talk about a family member with addiction in passing, however idk if a 8-12 year old would want be able to relate to it. Just a nitpick because it feels way more adult than the other stories.
My favorites were
Robbi- cute, I loved the theme of the outdoors, a sweet little story and probably my favorite of the bunch!
Kate- just one that stood out to me that I personally enjoyed
Robin- loved the sea exploration metaphor and the daydreaming sequences were well drawn
Rebekah- I just really enjoyed seeing a trans experience involving a positive experience with religion as someone who is both trans and religious. It's something I rarely see
June 4, 2024
Thank you to A Wave Blue World for the eGalley to review!
Another inspirational anthology of queer stories to help people better understand themselves and others! I just love how each one is illustrated by a different artist and that they cover such a diverse range of backgrounds (including someone from a Lutheran family who is active in advocacy in church!). There is even a set of resources at the end for those in crisis and a list of organizations that can provide more information and could use donations to continue helping people. It's just a wonderful book and I legitimately felt a swell of emotion while reading. I think all people, not just those who are in the queer community or are questioning, should give this book a read.
Another inspirational anthology of queer stories to help people better understand themselves and others! I just love how each one is illustrated by a different artist and that they cover such a diverse range of backgrounds (including someone from a Lutheran family who is active in advocacy in church!). There is even a set of resources at the end for those in crisis and a list of organizations that can provide more information and could use donations to continue helping people. It's just a wonderful book and I legitimately felt a swell of emotion while reading. I think all people, not just those who are in the queer community or are questioning, should give this book a read.
October 22, 2024
A really nice collection of true stories about prominent trans people coming of age and finding their way, all written by Sammy Lisel, but illustrated by a wide variety of genderqueer artists.
The diversity of experiences collected here is really wonderful--different professions, racial and cultural backgrounds, childhoods, paths to coming out, etc. I think it will give teens a very good chance to see themselves in one or all of these accounts.
Plus, I googled many of the people featured in this anthology and very often you could find out more about their life and story online! I particularly liked the trans woman's journey to becoming a firefighter, and was surprised to discover the CBC had produced a whole documentary about her.
The diversity of experiences collected here is really wonderful--different professions, racial and cultural backgrounds, childhoods, paths to coming out, etc. I think it will give teens a very good chance to see themselves in one or all of these accounts.
Plus, I googled many of the people featured in this anthology and very often you could find out more about their life and story online! I particularly liked the trans woman's journey to becoming a firefighter, and was surprised to discover the CBC had produced a whole documentary about her.
July 1, 2024
I believe strongly that reading others’ stories is an important way to develop empathy and compassion for those that are different from you. While this book is being marketed to young trans people, I believe this is an excellent book for people of all ages and gender identities. I loved so many things about this book: the diversity of individuals’ stories, the fact that many of the adults in the young people’s lives were supportive of them, the fact that all of the illustrators are also trans or non-binary, and the wide range of careers that the individuals have as adults. This is a beautiful anthology of stories of individuals becoming their true selves.
July 12, 2024
I received a free galley from the Publishers Weekly Summer/Fall 2024 grab a galley event. I knew I wanted to read this one when I recognized the first comic included in this book. I had read it online within the last year and it had stuck with me ever since. I really enjoyed this series of short stories about those who end up realizing they live outside of the traditional binary we've set up for ourselves. While I consider myself cis, I see so much value in reading about others' perspectives, and this book is an excellent and accessible sampling of trans and non-binary perspectives. The art styles are all wonderful, and the stories are all personal and, I think, very worth telling.
January 23, 2025
Reading 2025
Book 29: Becoming Who We Are: Real Stories About Growing Up Trans by Sammy Lisel
This book is a collection of true stories with various illustrators and collaborators, did not include all of the names. Grabbed this book from the library after seeing it on the 2025 Texas Maverick list.
Synopsis: In a collection of stories from across the spectrum of real-life experience, nine members of the trans community share their inspirational childhood stories.
Review: These stories were all different childhood struggles with identity and self esteem. Where life has taken each person on their life road is also shared with the reader. Real people, real journeys. My rating 4⭐️.
Book 29: Becoming Who We Are: Real Stories About Growing Up Trans by Sammy Lisel
This book is a collection of true stories with various illustrators and collaborators, did not include all of the names. Grabbed this book from the library after seeing it on the 2025 Texas Maverick list.
Synopsis: In a collection of stories from across the spectrum of real-life experience, nine members of the trans community share their inspirational childhood stories.
Review: These stories were all different childhood struggles with identity and self esteem. Where life has taken each person on their life road is also shared with the reader. Real people, real journeys. My rating 4⭐️.
September 29, 2024
This graphic novel was so refreshing to read. I found a copy on the Comics Plus app.
I love the diversity and variety of individuals highlighted, and the range of illustrators tasked to help visualize the storytelling. This collaboration was well done.
I like seeing the bios and portraits of everyone involved, it made this book so much more special and easier to connect with.
I also love the final touches in the last few pages showing behind the scenes of the cover concept. As an illustrator I love sketches and process work.
I love the diversity and variety of individuals highlighted, and the range of illustrators tasked to help visualize the storytelling. This collaboration was well done.
I like seeing the bios and portraits of everyone involved, it made this book so much more special and easier to connect with.
I also love the final touches in the last few pages showing behind the scenes of the cover concept. As an illustrator I love sketches and process work.
December 23, 2024
More like a solid 3.5, this comic is an easy introduction to trans people and their respective journeys. While I do understand the way that the comic was written, it did leave me craving more in terms of the realization each person had when they discovered they identified as trans or when they first heard of the word. I know all journeys aren’t the same, but it feels like the comic missed out on including that eye opening key moment rather than just skipping ahead to a way when the people knew they identified as the opposite sex without any mention of the word trans.
January 4, 2025
A nicely put together collection of autobiographies of 9 trans people. Each story is illustrated by a trans comic artist. There are a wide variety of people, including ones who knew all along and ones who didn't figure it out until they were adults, people who had full support from their family and co-workers and those who felt they had to keep it secret. Good intro. to the world of trans people.
July 11, 2025
Absolutely fantastic. Talk about a book to fill an empathy gap! By just sharing their personal stories of what it's like to be them, cis folks like me can really see how trans people don't change who they are when they transition, they become MORE who they are. Great range of trans people represented from USA and Canada and a couple from other places in the world. Would also recommend for trans and questioning people, to see if they feel their lives and stories are reflected here too.
May 29, 2024
I adored this sweet graphic novel of positive stories of people who grew up trans. Not every childhood was easy, but they all have found their paths in life. The book notes on the back that it is readable by teens, and I would totally recommend it especially to those who might need to see that yes, there can be a positive future. It left me feeling good.
Read
March 20, 2025It’s short - I finished it in 50 minutes - and sweet. I loved each story, and found pieces of myself in them all. They’re definitely the big picture, not very detailed, however they don’t need to be.
It is definitely inspiring and comforting as a young trans person. You can tell a lot of thought went into making the book. I don’t really have much else to say, other than I recommend reading it!
It is definitely inspiring and comforting as a young trans person. You can tell a lot of thought went into making the book. I don’t really have much else to say, other than I recommend reading it!
Displaying 1 - 29 of 72 reviews