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Gender Blender
Wants Jeff Matthews to notice her.
Hates sexist boys.
Wonders when she’ll get her period.
Must avoid looking like a wuss.
Must deal with his blended family.
Must get a chance with Kelly A.
Then something freaky Emma and Tom switch bodies. And until they can find a
Can’t believe she has a . . . thingie.
Hates mean girls.
Finds out secondhand that her period has arrived.
Must learn to put on a bra.
Must deal with an overachieving family.
Must not be alone with Jeff Matthews.
182 pages, Hardcover
First published March 28, 2006
20 people are currently reading
450 people want to read
About the author
Blake Nelson
27 books402 followersBlake Nelson grew up in Portland, Oregon. He began his career writing short humor pieces for Details Magazine.
His first novel GIRL was originally serialized in SASSY magazine and was made into a film staring Selma Blaire and Portia De Rossi.
His novel PARANOID PARK won the prestigious International Grinzane Literary Award and was made into a film by Gus Van Sant.
His most recent Young Adult novel THE PRINCE OF VENICE BEACH has been shortlisted for the 2015 Edgar Award.
His 2011 novel RECOVERY ROAD has been adapted into a television drama for ABC FAMILY and will premier in January of 2016.
His first novel GIRL was originally serialized in SASSY magazine and was made into a film staring Selma Blaire and Portia De Rossi.
His novel PARANOID PARK won the prestigious International Grinzane Literary Award and was made into a film by Gus Van Sant.
His most recent Young Adult novel THE PRINCE OF VENICE BEACH has been shortlisted for the 2015 Edgar Award.
His 2011 novel RECOVERY ROAD has been adapted into a television drama for ABC FAMILY and will premier in January of 2016.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
February 23, 2012
When you see the cover to Gender Blender you might, like me, except a YA or middle grade book that investigates gender non-conformance, perhaps through the story of one or more youth who is a "gender blender." In fact, it is NOT this kind of book.
While it was published in 2006, the approach to gender (which is completely linked to sex characteristics, to male or femaleness) it takes would have been more interesting if it was written in the 1950s.
The premise is that we have two sixth graders who are former friends - Emma and Tom - who have drifted apart because of their genders. Each wishes they were still friends, but they sure don't show it in their interactions. Then, they are assigned to spend time together to learn about gender differences.
Personally, I got 30 pages in and couldn't continue. Not only was it not what I expected, seemed to revive relatively outdated stereotypes to support its plot (it is set in SEATTLE, Wash. not a particularly gender-backwards city), it also had unrealistic and stilted dialogue and glaring inconsistencies within characters. I even skipped ahead to the end to see if it went somewhere I was excited about, somewhere worth journeying 150 more pages to get to. For me, the answer was no.
Does that mean you or your child shouldn't read it? Of course not! Every book has it's reader. My expectations were off, I've been reading some of the most amazing children's literature of my life recently, and I am personally NOT a 6th grade boy or girl grappling with puberty.
While it was published in 2006, the approach to gender (which is completely linked to sex characteristics, to male or femaleness) it takes would have been more interesting if it was written in the 1950s.
The premise is that we have two sixth graders who are former friends - Emma and Tom - who have drifted apart because of their genders. Each wishes they were still friends, but they sure don't show it in their interactions. Then, they are assigned to spend time together to learn about gender differences.
Personally, I got 30 pages in and couldn't continue. Not only was it not what I expected, seemed to revive relatively outdated stereotypes to support its plot (it is set in SEATTLE, Wash. not a particularly gender-backwards city), it also had unrealistic and stilted dialogue and glaring inconsistencies within characters. I even skipped ahead to the end to see if it went somewhere I was excited about, somewhere worth journeying 150 more pages to get to. For me, the answer was no.
Does that mean you or your child shouldn't read it? Of course not! Every book has it's reader. My expectations were off, I've been reading some of the most amazing children's literature of my life recently, and I am personally NOT a 6th grade boy or girl grappling with puberty.
September 18, 2012
I had finally decided to award this book with three stars because it got me reading to the end and it managed to amuse me at various points along the way. This would have been four or maybe even five if it weren't for some things:
1. The vulgar words constantly used in the book. Yes, I know. A lot of children already know these words thanks to the wonderful world of media. But it certainly doesn't mean one should just flaunt it. It makes them think that it might be "okay" to use those words, which it certainly isn't! And this is a children's book, for crying out loud! Such words should be omitted!!! The author can quickly undo parents' desperate attempts to keep their children's minds not as tainted as everyone else's with this book.
2. The uselessness of Tom while he was in Emma's body. Okay, so he made her parents loosen up. But that's all about it. He totally ruined her gymnastic test while she completely aced his. He hardly did anything positive to her life at all! It's unfair, don't you think?! She had comforted his mother, tricked his brother several times, scared off some eighth-grade boys, increased his fame, and got him into the A team while he did... what exactly?
3. The general clichéness.
Still, an enjoyable read. Sort of.
1. The vulgar words constantly used in the book. Yes, I know. A lot of children already know these words thanks to the wonderful world of media. But it certainly doesn't mean one should just flaunt it. It makes them think that it might be "okay" to use those words, which it certainly isn't! And this is a children's book, for crying out loud! Such words should be omitted!!! The author can quickly undo parents' desperate attempts to keep their children's minds not as tainted as everyone else's with this book.
2. The uselessness of Tom while he was in Emma's body. Okay, so he made her parents loosen up. But that's all about it. He totally ruined her gymnastic test while she completely aced his. He hardly did anything positive to her life at all! It's unfair, don't you think?! She had comforted his mother, tricked his brother several times, scared off some eighth-grade boys, increased his fame, and got him into the A team while he did... what exactly?
3. The general clichéness.
Still, an enjoyable read. Sort of.
October 7, 2015
Switching bodies to learn about gender differences? Awesome!
Except...this books teaches exactly what we trying to help children, and much of society to unlearn. That gender isn't informed by your sex at birth, and the constructs around gender (such as the ones the children discuss with Miss Andre) are masculine versus feminine, not male versus female. Sex Swap would be a perfect title, but gender blender just completely misleads the reader, adult and child alike.
For a book that is supposed to be a funny romp about gender, the biggest problem is that the author doesn't know what gender is. This was incredibly disappointing, and yet another example of how misinformation is rampant in children's lit.
Except...this books teaches exactly what we trying to help children, and much of society to unlearn. That gender isn't informed by your sex at birth, and the constructs around gender (such as the ones the children discuss with Miss Andre) are masculine versus feminine, not male versus female. Sex Swap would be a perfect title, but gender blender just completely misleads the reader, adult and child alike.
For a book that is supposed to be a funny romp about gender, the biggest problem is that the author doesn't know what gender is. This was incredibly disappointing, and yet another example of how misinformation is rampant in children's lit.
November 18, 2012
Reviewed by Jocelyn Pearce for TeensReadToo.com
GENDER BLENDER is a fun but thought-provoking novel about gender differences for middle-schoolers.
Since they started middle school, Emma and Tom haven't been able to get along and be friends the way they used to be.
Emma hates boys--except Jeff, the cutest sixth-grade boy in school. She can only hope that he'll notice her! She gets straight-A's and is involved in a ton of after-school activities. She's worried about getting her first period, among other things. She's pretty much a typical overachieving sixth-grader.
Tom isn't what anyone would call a good student. He spends most of his time fooling around with his friends and playing baseball. He's got stuff to be stressed about, too, though. For one thing, he wants beautiful Kelly to notice him!
When their health teacher gives them an assignment on gender differences, Emma and Tom suddenly have an advantage over the rest of the class--though they don't see it that way. While jumping on a trampoline, they knock heads, and, suddenly, they've switched bodies! Can they learn to understand each other and get along in time to switch back?
GENDER BLENDER, while it is quite entertaining, deals with an important issue. Gender differences are certainly something to think about; Emma and Tom's health teacher is right--boys and girls don't really understand each other, especially in middle school (not to say that it gets completely better later, though...). Blake Nelson's novel deals with this issue in a fun, if slightly ridiculous, way, using likeable characters, as well. This is a great book for preteens of either gender!
GENDER BLENDER is a fun but thought-provoking novel about gender differences for middle-schoolers.
Since they started middle school, Emma and Tom haven't been able to get along and be friends the way they used to be.
Emma hates boys--except Jeff, the cutest sixth-grade boy in school. She can only hope that he'll notice her! She gets straight-A's and is involved in a ton of after-school activities. She's worried about getting her first period, among other things. She's pretty much a typical overachieving sixth-grader.
Tom isn't what anyone would call a good student. He spends most of his time fooling around with his friends and playing baseball. He's got stuff to be stressed about, too, though. For one thing, he wants beautiful Kelly to notice him!
When their health teacher gives them an assignment on gender differences, Emma and Tom suddenly have an advantage over the rest of the class--though they don't see it that way. While jumping on a trampoline, they knock heads, and, suddenly, they've switched bodies! Can they learn to understand each other and get along in time to switch back?
GENDER BLENDER, while it is quite entertaining, deals with an important issue. Gender differences are certainly something to think about; Emma and Tom's health teacher is right--boys and girls don't really understand each other, especially in middle school (not to say that it gets completely better later, though...). Blake Nelson's novel deals with this issue in a fun, if slightly ridiculous, way, using likeable characters, as well. This is a great book for preteens of either gender!
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October 1, 2019Context of my review: I'm trans (nonbinary), read this book when I was between ages 9-12 or so. I first tried to come out as non-straight at 12 and came out as nonbinary at 16. I am in my mid-twenties right now.
I remember this book really fondly because I read it around puberty no. 1 and it was something I kind of needed to read at the time. I couldn't give you a proper review because I read it so long ago, but I can tell you it impacted me in a positive way.
I think around first (or only, depending who you are) puberty there's a lot of segregation of people based on whether their puberty is estrogen-induced or testosterone-induced. People are given separate instructions and you don't hear much about what people going through a different kind of puberty are going through.
There's this sense of socially-induced solidarity that people experience with other people going through the same kind of puberty, not because there is anything exceptionally uniting about two people who happen to menstruate or whatever, but because conversations about what it is like to live in our bodies have been something adults assumed there was something wrong with sharing with people you aren't like, married to, or whatever. At least, I think those ideas are the seeds upon what a lot of sex ed in the anglosphere revolves around.
This book gave me an outlet to live out conversations with people experiencing testosterone-induced puberty that I didn't otherwise have until adulthood. There's a kind of non-sexual, healthy intimacy in the mutual vulnerability and sympathy of talking about the different ways you live in your body with another person.
I remember this book really fondly because I read it around puberty no. 1 and it was something I kind of needed to read at the time. I couldn't give you a proper review because I read it so long ago, but I can tell you it impacted me in a positive way.
I think around first (or only, depending who you are) puberty there's a lot of segregation of people based on whether their puberty is estrogen-induced or testosterone-induced. People are given separate instructions and you don't hear much about what people going through a different kind of puberty are going through.
There's this sense of socially-induced solidarity that people experience with other people going through the same kind of puberty, not because there is anything exceptionally uniting about two people who happen to menstruate or whatever, but because conversations about what it is like to live in our bodies have been something adults assumed there was something wrong with sharing with people you aren't like, married to, or whatever. At least, I think those ideas are the seeds upon what a lot of sex ed in the anglosphere revolves around.
This book gave me an outlet to live out conversations with people experiencing testosterone-induced puberty that I didn't otherwise have until adulthood. There's a kind of non-sexual, healthy intimacy in the mutual vulnerability and sympathy of talking about the different ways you live in your body with another person.
September 22, 2018
War ein Zufallsgriff aus der Vorschlagsliste der Onleihe meiner Stadtbibliothek. Naja liest sich halt wie etwas, das Kinder in der 6. Klasse in der Schule lesen müssen. Inhaltlich fand ichs eher schwach. Es will Vorurteile widerlegen, ersetzt es aber bloß durch neue. Klar können Mädchen Sport! Emma ist schließlich beim Turnen (ausgerechnet Bodenturnen... son klassischer Mädchensport... *seufz*). Und klar haben Jungs auch voll die Gefühl. Und Emma ist gar nicht zickig, sie leidet nur darunter, dass Mädchen (im Allgemeinen und als solche) großem Leistungsdruck ausgesetzt sind, während Jungs halt machen dürfen, was sie wollen und das natürlich auch nutzen, um nur scheiß zu machen.
Ist zwar so ne ganz witzige Geschichte - aber diese Idee dahinter, dass jetzt halt alle Jungen und alle Mädchen so und so seien, die nervt. Genau genommen lernt Tom ja nichts über Mädchen im Allgemeinen, sondern nur über Emma als Einzelperson. Und Emma lernt nicht alle Jungen kennen, sondern nur Tom. Die Schlussfolgerung, dass Mädchen angepasst und klug und stark gefordert seien, während Jungen voll rebellisch, ungeschickt und irgendwie leicht dümmlich seien... naja. Von diesem klassischen Frau-Mann-Schema, dass keinen Platz für andere Geschlechtsidentitäten kennt, mal ganz abgesehen.
Ist zwar so ne ganz witzige Geschichte - aber diese Idee dahinter, dass jetzt halt alle Jungen und alle Mädchen so und so seien, die nervt. Genau genommen lernt Tom ja nichts über Mädchen im Allgemeinen, sondern nur über Emma als Einzelperson. Und Emma lernt nicht alle Jungen kennen, sondern nur Tom. Die Schlussfolgerung, dass Mädchen angepasst und klug und stark gefordert seien, während Jungen voll rebellisch, ungeschickt und irgendwie leicht dümmlich seien... naja. Von diesem klassischen Frau-Mann-Schema, dass keinen Platz für andere Geschlechtsidentitäten kennt, mal ganz abgesehen.
July 12, 2021
In this droll YA, gender-bent version of Freaky Friday, a young girl and boy stagger miles in each other’s shoes. Mr. Nelson nimbly captures the voices of females and males as Emma and Tom navigate the tricky waters of middle school. Tom sees just how mean the beautiful girl he has a crush on is and yet how supportive and kind girls can be when they’re looking out for each other. Emma revels in the power of boy bonding and the strength of her new body but is disgusted by the horrid way they talk about girls. It’s a learning experience and very ably done.
There are moments of humor, too, as Tom handles the horrors of his first period amidst a bevy of excited girls and Emma deals with morning wood and bullies. Teenagers and tweeners of both sexes will enjoy this slim volume of seeing just how the other half lives.
There are moments of humor, too, as Tom handles the horrors of his first period amidst a bevy of excited girls and Emma deals with morning wood and bullies. Teenagers and tweeners of both sexes will enjoy this slim volume of seeing just how the other half lives.
December 8, 2008
Disclosure: I am sort of biased towards Blake Nelson because he wrote a poem I really like and I first read his fiction in Sassy magazine.
This is a nice read for middle schoolers--it's not preachy and still tries to get at some of the frustrations of gender stereotyping, by using a Freaky Friday premise (but actually done in a way that tries to make sense, rather than just being general magic). Of course the cover could use an update because it's kind of dorky-looking and that decreases the chances of a kid actually carrying the book around.
This is a nice read for middle schoolers--it's not preachy and still tries to get at some of the frustrations of gender stereotyping, by using a Freaky Friday premise (but actually done in a way that tries to make sense, rather than just being general magic). Of course the cover could use an update because it's kind of dorky-looking and that decreases the chances of a kid actually carrying the book around.
July 31, 2009
Cute middle grade book that tries to cut through some of the dumb stuff about gender but, unfortunately, I think, also contributes to some of it too. I wish that the stereotyping had been shown to be more about societal differences - though I think that's what Nelson was going for. Just think it could have been illuminated on better.
Also: funny!
Also: funny!
October 26, 2019
Adults who read this book need to stop complaining about this book being stereotypical. They have forgotten what it's like to be 11 years old. No matter how smart you are at that age, stereotypes happens! This book was fun and funny. Fast read and very cute.
January 3, 2018
Well, for a 12-year old book, it tried. This would be a very different book if published today. I liked the family relationships the most.
June 25, 2021
Cute!
You can definitely tell it was published in 2006. Its views and understanding of gender is not updated, but I bet it was good for its time. It definitely includes a lot of specific differences between the sexes and does a very good job getting into the heads of middle schoolers.
It's important to note that even though they switch bodies, they are still referred to by their original names and pronouns. So that's one trans-positive thing. Still, the author painted Emma is a do-no-wrong, aces-everything protagonist while Tom was... well, he was kind of useless. He kept messing up and Emma kept having to deal with it, just like always. Very little actually changed.
The ending was good, but the book did only a marginal amount to relate how the characters got to their conclusions. It's unfortunate because a book like this has so much potential to teach kids - and adults - how the body you were born with (your sex) doesn't really matter. It's what's inside (your gender but also your individual work ethic) that counts. And... I think it failed spectacularly at that.
I think this book would do much better with a better, longer rewrite and, just as importantly, as a young adult novel rather than a juvenile one.
You can definitely tell it was published in 2006. Its views and understanding of gender is not updated, but I bet it was good for its time. It definitely includes a lot of specific differences between the sexes and does a very good job getting into the heads of middle schoolers.
It's important to note that even though they switch bodies, they are still referred to by their original names and pronouns. So that's one trans-positive thing. Still, the author painted Emma is a do-no-wrong, aces-everything protagonist while Tom was... well, he was kind of useless. He kept messing up and Emma kept having to deal with it, just like always. Very little actually changed.
The ending was good, but the book did only a marginal amount to relate how the characters got to their conclusions. It's unfortunate because a book like this has so much potential to teach kids - and adults - how the body you were born with (your sex) doesn't really matter. It's what's inside (your gender but also your individual work ethic) that counts. And... I think it failed spectacularly at that.
I think this book would do much better with a better, longer rewrite and, just as importantly, as a young adult novel rather than a juvenile one.
September 23, 2024
A nice sweet book on stereotypes. What I liked about this book is that the protagonists weren't dumb. Like they acted like actual kids but not dumbed down version kid we often see in shows, actual kids.
Emma did far more in Tom's body than Tom did in Emma's but I suppose that's just another thing about Emma's lifestyle which appeared to be packed full of a hundred things making life difficult for anyone but her to manage.
Tom's lifestyle was simple but also the fact that people didn't expect a lot from Tom made Emma excel in his body.
A nice sweet book. Doesn't innovate or do anything unique with plot and premise but is well written.
Emma did far more in Tom's body than Tom did in Emma's but I suppose that's just another thing about Emma's lifestyle which appeared to be packed full of a hundred things making life difficult for anyone but her to manage.
Tom's lifestyle was simple but also the fact that people didn't expect a lot from Tom made Emma excel in his body.
A nice sweet book. Doesn't innovate or do anything unique with plot and premise but is well written.
September 29, 2017
What would happen if two friends, from elementary school, who aren't now getting along, find themselves paired up to do an assignment on the opposite sex. And what would happen if some ancient curse suddenly had them switch bodies to see what life is really like for the opposite sex?
A young contemporary person's take on Freaky Friday.
A young contemporary person's take on Freaky Friday.
June 13, 2020
Read this back in middle school and it's still a great off the beaten path book to check out. I have often thought about it and reread it. It does contain some situations that may be sensitive for some young readers, but it is worth it to read in middle school!
June 7, 2024
For a long time, this has been my favorite read, in like ever. An 11-year-old read this at a time when he needed to be more mature and grow up in the world. And I will always appreciate this book for helping me do that.
February 1, 2018
Great book! I really don't like reading but this book made me enjoy reading
October 26, 2018
The overall story was pretty interesting, but the book was very similar to others I have read. Some parts were boring, but most of it was exciting.
September 16, 2024
Sexistischer Schrott.
March 15, 2025
Disturbing To say the least. Aimed at 10-12 year olds talking about boners, exploring each others bodies, peeing, periods etc.
October 27, 2025
Unoriginal with stereotypical characters
July 4, 2023
I had to read it for school
August 1, 2011
Originally from myteenreads.blogspot.com
Gender Blender is a treasure from my childhood. I remember reading it when I was in 4th or 5th grade and LOVED it. It was one of my favorite books. Now that I'm almost in 10th grade, I decided to go back and re-read this book that I had loved so much.
This story is about a 6th grade girl and boy named Emma and Tom.
Emma hates boys. Except for the adorable Jeff Matthews, of course. She loves school, gets straight A's (except for that one B last year), and is involved in countless after-school activities like gymnastics and piano lessons.
Tom hates girls. Except Kelly, who is extremely developed and curvy. No one expects too much of him, so he spends his time goofing off with his friends or practicing for the baseball tryouts.
Emma and Tom used to be good friends, but now they're older and of COURSE everyone knows that once boys and girls get to a certain age, they just don't stay friends anymore! Duhhh obviously :P
After an unfortunate accident, they find themselves in each other's bodies. They only have four days to understand the opposite sex and break the curse, or they will be stuck in each other's bodies forever.
In 5th grade, I loved this book. I liked the plot of it and how the girl and the boy have to work together so that the curse will be broken. It's fun, creative, and an interesting view into a boy's mind. I found it hilarious about the different situations they were put into.
Now, 5 years later, I still like the creative plot and yes the situations are quite entertaining. But the characters are SO stereotyped. I don't like books or characters I can't relate to, and there were a lot of things I can't relate to about this book.
First of all, Emma and Tom are supposed to be in 6th grade. They're pretty much at the boys-are-disgusting and girls-have-cooties stage. The girls have formed a group called the Grrlzillas, where they discuss their sisterhood and how much they don't like boys. Now maybe I was just a mature 6th grader, but I do NOT remember chasing around any boys or being in any girl clubs. Maybe when I was like in 3rd grade, but not 6th! At some times, the characters seem a lot younger than they actually are, but at others, they seem much older. Brad draws pictures of naked girls. Tom spends all day trying to look at Kelly's breasts because she just "spills out of her shirt". Okay, you're in 6th grade, like seriously?
The entire book was pretty much like this for me, hard to relate-to and understand, since I had been in most of the situations Tom and Emma had. After living through them, it's hard for me to find them realistic. By page 10 I was rolling my eyes and considering not finishing the book. However, it was too entertaining to leave unfinished.
I found the chapter titles extremely silly, and show exactly who the age group this book is targeted for. Examples: So you can basically get a feel for the book by reading those chapter titles I've given you.
I would recommend this book to a mature 4th grader, or a 5th grader. Anyone over the age of 7th grade will probably be able to see how unrealistic and stereo-typical this book is from real life. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad book. It's actually an enjoyable, hilarious one. Just not for the age that I am now. So yes, I would recommend this book to a pre-teen, but not a teenager. Thank you Blake Nelson, for writing such a great book for my pre-teen self.
When I read it in 5th grade, it was definitely a 5 star book, but now, it's more of a 2. So, for my final grade, I will average the two and come up with a 3.5 out of 5 stars. Normally on my Goodreads reviews, I will round up (ex. I would round to give this book 4 stars), but I think that's a little too deserving for a book I found myself scoffing at the entire time, so 3 stars for my Goodreads review. :)
Gender Blender is a treasure from my childhood. I remember reading it when I was in 4th or 5th grade and LOVED it. It was one of my favorite books. Now that I'm almost in 10th grade, I decided to go back and re-read this book that I had loved so much.
This story is about a 6th grade girl and boy named Emma and Tom.
Emma hates boys. Except for the adorable Jeff Matthews, of course. She loves school, gets straight A's (except for that one B last year), and is involved in countless after-school activities like gymnastics and piano lessons.
Tom hates girls. Except Kelly, who is extremely developed and curvy. No one expects too much of him, so he spends his time goofing off with his friends or practicing for the baseball tryouts.
Emma and Tom used to be good friends, but now they're older and of COURSE everyone knows that once boys and girls get to a certain age, they just don't stay friends anymore! Duhhh obviously :P
After an unfortunate accident, they find themselves in each other's bodies. They only have four days to understand the opposite sex and break the curse, or they will be stuck in each other's bodies forever.
In 5th grade, I loved this book. I liked the plot of it and how the girl and the boy have to work together so that the curse will be broken. It's fun, creative, and an interesting view into a boy's mind. I found it hilarious about the different situations they were put into.
Now, 5 years later, I still like the creative plot and yes the situations are quite entertaining. But the characters are SO stereotyped. I don't like books or characters I can't relate to, and there were a lot of things I can't relate to about this book.
First of all, Emma and Tom are supposed to be in 6th grade. They're pretty much at the boys-are-disgusting and girls-have-cooties stage. The girls have formed a group called the Grrlzillas, where they discuss their sisterhood and how much they don't like boys. Now maybe I was just a mature 6th grader, but I do NOT remember chasing around any boys or being in any girl clubs. Maybe when I was like in 3rd grade, but not 6th! At some times, the characters seem a lot younger than they actually are, but at others, they seem much older. Brad draws pictures of naked girls. Tom spends all day trying to look at Kelly's breasts because she just "spills out of her shirt". Okay, you're in 6th grade, like seriously?
The entire book was pretty much like this for me, hard to relate-to and understand, since I had been in most of the situations Tom and Emma had. After living through them, it's hard for me to find them realistic. By page 10 I was rolling my eyes and considering not finishing the book. However, it was too entertaining to leave unfinished.
I found the chapter titles extremely silly, and show exactly who the age group this book is targeted for. Examples: So you can basically get a feel for the book by reading those chapter titles I've given you.
I would recommend this book to a mature 4th grader, or a 5th grader. Anyone over the age of 7th grade will probably be able to see how unrealistic and stereo-typical this book is from real life. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad book. It's actually an enjoyable, hilarious one. Just not for the age that I am now. So yes, I would recommend this book to a pre-teen, but not a teenager. Thank you Blake Nelson, for writing such a great book for my pre-teen self.
When I read it in 5th grade, it was definitely a 5 star book, but now, it's more of a 2. So, for my final grade, I will average the two and come up with a 3.5 out of 5 stars. Normally on my Goodreads reviews, I will round up (ex. I would round to give this book 4 stars), but I think that's a little too deserving for a book I found myself scoffing at the entire time, so 3 stars for my Goodreads review. :)
August 26, 2016
I picked up this book thinking it might be a fun introduction for middle schools discussing gender roles and challenging the societal expectations of gender. What I found instead was a light variation on Freaky Friday.
The author starts to identify the daily pressures that both genders face from parents, peers, society and themselves. The concept of gender expectations was lightly touched on but quickly fell way to the behaviours of the "mean girl" and "tough jock" stereotypes. I think setup for a more meaningful story was there but somehow even the characters got caught up in repetitive and inane conversations.There is a lack of focus in the story allowing it to skim over deeper issues the main characters Tom and Emma have in their lives. Emma faces high expectations academically and in extra curriculars from her family, over-scheduling and loving but controlled home life. Tom has to deal with an absent father, a distracted mother and a lack of any expectation for success from home or school. Both appear to have friends that are neither supportive or seemingly present outside of the school hallways. With the exception of a few moments between each of the mothers and their body-switched children, this book lacked characters that explored beyond the immediate situation of how Tom would survive Emma's piano lesson or if Emma would be able to pull off baseball tryouts. There was a missed opportunity for all characters to grow during the story, learn from the experience and come away with more than the 'discovery' that peers judge each other on superficial terms. Tom and Emma are both experiencing the changes of puberty and switching physical bodies could have provided a chance for the author to explore a better understanding of themselves and each other and how gender can be a factor in so many aspects of life. Throwing in the odd statement for challenging gender roles, such as boys don't cry or girls are not good at team sports, doesn't serve much purpose unless the characters experience such downfalls and allow the reader share a connection or offer some room to form an opinion. This felt more like an outline for a good story that was never fleshed out and simply left as jumble of stock characters that barely made it to the page.
The author starts to identify the daily pressures that both genders face from parents, peers, society and themselves. The concept of gender expectations was lightly touched on but quickly fell way to the behaviours of the "mean girl" and "tough jock" stereotypes. I think setup for a more meaningful story was there but somehow even the characters got caught up in repetitive and inane conversations.There is a lack of focus in the story allowing it to skim over deeper issues the main characters Tom and Emma have in their lives. Emma faces high expectations academically and in extra curriculars from her family, over-scheduling and loving but controlled home life. Tom has to deal with an absent father, a distracted mother and a lack of any expectation for success from home or school. Both appear to have friends that are neither supportive or seemingly present outside of the school hallways. With the exception of a few moments between each of the mothers and their body-switched children, this book lacked characters that explored beyond the immediate situation of how Tom would survive Emma's piano lesson or if Emma would be able to pull off baseball tryouts. There was a missed opportunity for all characters to grow during the story, learn from the experience and come away with more than the 'discovery' that peers judge each other on superficial terms. Tom and Emma are both experiencing the changes of puberty and switching physical bodies could have provided a chance for the author to explore a better understanding of themselves and each other and how gender can be a factor in so many aspects of life. Throwing in the odd statement for challenging gender roles, such as boys don't cry or girls are not good at team sports, doesn't serve much purpose unless the characters experience such downfalls and allow the reader share a connection or offer some room to form an opinion. This felt more like an outline for a good story that was never fleshed out and simply left as jumble of stock characters that barely made it to the page.
March 6, 2012
This was a fun, quick read--a fantastic premise with a pretty good execution: a twelve-year-old boy and girl switch bodies and must live as each other, exploring how the other experiences their gender, until they can switch back.
I adored the Freaky Friday books as a kid and was fascinated by the idea of switching bodies, of actually living as someone else--and I wondered why the Freaky Friday books didn't explore the actual body part in too much depth.
This book explores that with grace and humor--both what it's like to inhabit the developing body of someone else, without shrinking away from the practicalities of morning wood and first periods, as well as the different expectations placed on different genders.
I did find, though, that it was a little too essentializing. There was a lot of "girls are like this," and "boys are like that," which I found frustrating. But at the same time, it was written at maybe a third or fourth grade reading level, and for that reading level it covered a lot of ground in a reasonable amount of depth.
And at the end, when Emma and Tom are giving their reports of What They Have Learned, they actually have some pretty insightful comments about how socialization shapes people. Including how boys can be lonely because nobody wants to hear about their feelings. Which really impressed me.
They threw a few essentializing comments in there too, though.
In addition, the whole premise of the body-switching curse was around this arrowhead found in the woods...which made me uncomfortable...really must we romanticize Native Americans all the time.
So, a few qualms, but overall I really enjoyed the read. I would love to assign this book to a sixth grade health class. It gets into gender in more depth than many kids that age are probably used to, which is great, but I would hope a teacher could push them even further.
And, I'd love to hear from any of the rest of you who like to read children's books and think about gender. This book is definitely worth a look, and I'd love to discuss it more.
I adored the Freaky Friday books as a kid and was fascinated by the idea of switching bodies, of actually living as someone else--and I wondered why the Freaky Friday books didn't explore the actual body part in too much depth.
This book explores that with grace and humor--both what it's like to inhabit the developing body of someone else, without shrinking away from the practicalities of morning wood and first periods, as well as the different expectations placed on different genders.
I did find, though, that it was a little too essentializing. There was a lot of "girls are like this," and "boys are like that," which I found frustrating. But at the same time, it was written at maybe a third or fourth grade reading level, and for that reading level it covered a lot of ground in a reasonable amount of depth.
And at the end, when Emma and Tom are giving their reports of What They Have Learned, they actually have some pretty insightful comments about how socialization shapes people. Including how boys can be lonely because nobody wants to hear about their feelings. Which really impressed me.
They threw a few essentializing comments in there too, though.
In addition, the whole premise of the body-switching curse was around this arrowhead found in the woods...which made me uncomfortable...really must we romanticize Native Americans all the time.
So, a few qualms, but overall I really enjoyed the read. I would love to assign this book to a sixth grade health class. It gets into gender in more depth than many kids that age are probably used to, which is great, but I would hope a teacher could push them even further.
And, I'd love to hear from any of the rest of you who like to read children's books and think about gender. This book is definitely worth a look, and I'd love to discuss it more.
January 29, 2016
This is a pretty funny book about two students in elementary school. Emma is an A student with an extremely complex schedule of extra-curricular activities which her mother has devised. Tom, on the to her hand, loves baseball but is still an immature male. Although he and Emma have known each other for years they fight verbally all the time.
The classroom teacher assigns a project on gender differences, where students are paired and they are to observe their partner and try to figure out what kind of gender differences (behavorial, social) exist.
Tom is using a trampoline when he's not supposed to, and Emma needs to use it. During the event they bump heads and end up switching personalities. The rest of the humor derives from having the male Tom try to get used to having a female body, and the female Emma trying to get use to having a male body.
It's not just physical stuff, though; it's how they are treated by other students and even by the teachers. They also have to deal with their “new” families. Thus, the two have a whole lot of improvising they have to do and a lot of fast learning (which is much easier for Emma than it is for Tom.)
There's one incident straight out of anime where Tom, now in Emma's body, is in physical education class. The girls are taking showers and when a girl he really likes takes her bra off and he sees her nude he faints.
The way each is supposed to act with their peers is interesting to read about, especially in relation to how Tom and Emma have to watch their own behavior and try to change their behavior since the peer groups they are now in don't function the way their previous groups did.
They try to figure out a way to change back and end up at a party where Tom finds out how nasty girls can be to other girls. One thing after another happens and the two aren't sure they will ever be able to return to “their” bodies.
A lot of the stuff in the book is very funny, and a lot is very thought-provoking. It's a good way to look at gender differences without getting tied up in psychological terminology and boring the reader to death.
Overall a good novel.
The classroom teacher assigns a project on gender differences, where students are paired and they are to observe their partner and try to figure out what kind of gender differences (behavorial, social) exist.
Tom is using a trampoline when he's not supposed to, and Emma needs to use it. During the event they bump heads and end up switching personalities. The rest of the humor derives from having the male Tom try to get used to having a female body, and the female Emma trying to get use to having a male body.
It's not just physical stuff, though; it's how they are treated by other students and even by the teachers. They also have to deal with their “new” families. Thus, the two have a whole lot of improvising they have to do and a lot of fast learning (which is much easier for Emma than it is for Tom.)
There's one incident straight out of anime where Tom, now in Emma's body, is in physical education class. The girls are taking showers and when a girl he really likes takes her bra off and he sees her nude he faints.
The way each is supposed to act with their peers is interesting to read about, especially in relation to how Tom and Emma have to watch their own behavior and try to change their behavior since the peer groups they are now in don't function the way their previous groups did.
They try to figure out a way to change back and end up at a party where Tom finds out how nasty girls can be to other girls. One thing after another happens and the two aren't sure they will ever be able to return to “their” bodies.
A lot of the stuff in the book is very funny, and a lot is very thought-provoking. It's a good way to look at gender differences without getting tied up in psychological terminology and boring the reader to death.
Overall a good novel.
March 28, 2018
Emma und Tom waren mal beste Freunde. Vergangenheit, schließlich sind sie jetzt auf dem Gymnasium, und da hat man eben andere Interessen. Während Tom mit seinen Kumpels Baseball spielt, steckt Emma mit den Mädchen ihrer Klasse, den Grrzillas, zusammen. Warum also noch befreundet sein? Als die beiden jedoch plötzlich im Körper des anderen feststecken, finden sie mehr über das Leben des anderen heraus und stellen fest, dass vielleicht doch nicht alles so ist, wie sie dachten.
Mir hat die Idee für die Geschichte schon mal sehr gut gefallen und Blake Nelson baute diese wirklich gut aus. So kann man Emma und Tom bei einigen interessanten und lustigen Momenten begleiten. Die Charaktere sind, obwohl das Buch recht kurz ist, ziemlich gut ausgearbeitet und man kann sie sich sehr gut vorstellen. Sehr gut fand ich, dass sowohl aus Emmas Sicht, als auch aus Toms Sicht erzählt wurde, denn sonst hätte dem Buch definitiv etwas gefehlt.
Blake Nelsons Schreibstil lässt sich sehr einfach lesen, da die Geschichte vor allem für Kinder gedacht ist. Er bringt die Gefühle und Gedanken von Tom und Emma schön zum Ausdruck, so dass man sich sehr gut in die beiden hineinversetzen kann.
Besonders überzeugt das Buch mit seinem Humor und dem Aspekt der Freundschaft, der hier wirklich groß geschrieben wird.
Mir hat die Idee für die Geschichte schon mal sehr gut gefallen und Blake Nelson baute diese wirklich gut aus. So kann man Emma und Tom bei einigen interessanten und lustigen Momenten begleiten. Die Charaktere sind, obwohl das Buch recht kurz ist, ziemlich gut ausgearbeitet und man kann sie sich sehr gut vorstellen. Sehr gut fand ich, dass sowohl aus Emmas Sicht, als auch aus Toms Sicht erzählt wurde, denn sonst hätte dem Buch definitiv etwas gefehlt.
Blake Nelsons Schreibstil lässt sich sehr einfach lesen, da die Geschichte vor allem für Kinder gedacht ist. Er bringt die Gefühle und Gedanken von Tom und Emma schön zum Ausdruck, so dass man sich sehr gut in die beiden hineinversetzen kann.
Besonders überzeugt das Buch mit seinem Humor und dem Aspekt der Freundschaft, der hier wirklich groß geschrieben wird.
May 2, 2013
“Gender Blender” is a book for 'tweens and early teens. The plot is basically boy and girl are longtime friends, boy and girl stop being friends when they enter puberty, boy and girl switch bodies.
This book is written in easy-to-read prose, perfect for reluctant readers. There are a lot of funny parts, and I found myself occasionally laughing out loud. The book also does a good job at showing how life is not easy regardless of your gender, making it a great story for both boys and girls. The chapters are short and switch back and forth between the boy’s view and the girl’s view.
Unfortunately, in spite of the humor, interesting premise and good intentions, the book had a lot of problems. I thought the kids seemed more cliched than real. The book is full of stereotypes which are meant to drive the point home but are likely to feel negative to those who don’t fit gender stereotypes. The book almost seemed to reinforce gender stereotypes in its effort to achieve cross-gender understanding. I feel that the premise could have gone farther at breaking down the gender divide.
This book is written in easy-to-read prose, perfect for reluctant readers. There are a lot of funny parts, and I found myself occasionally laughing out loud. The book also does a good job at showing how life is not easy regardless of your gender, making it a great story for both boys and girls. The chapters are short and switch back and forth between the boy’s view and the girl’s view.
Unfortunately, in spite of the humor, interesting premise and good intentions, the book had a lot of problems. I thought the kids seemed more cliched than real. The book is full of stereotypes which are meant to drive the point home but are likely to feel negative to those who don’t fit gender stereotypes. The book almost seemed to reinforce gender stereotypes in its effort to achieve cross-gender understanding. I feel that the premise could have gone farther at breaking down the gender divide.
September 6, 2011
This is one of those book I would have enjoyed 12 years ago. Well, to be honest, I did enjoy this. It was cute and funny, but we're talking about 6th graders. Surprisingly, I'm much too mature for the level of thought displayed through this book.
Basically, it follows the typical boy and girl used to be friends, but don't like each other anymore. In school they learn about gender differences and magically end up switching bodies. They have to learn to appreciate/understand each other in 4 days or be stuck in the wrong body forever. Same old, but I can't help but enjoy the theme. There was a lot of dated things like CDs and Good Charlotte (the band, remember? maybe not, I'm old), so I'm not sure it will fare the future well.
Anyway, I recommend this for a much younger age group (3-6 grade) depending on their maturity and reading level. Words like, 'penis' and 'masturbation' are used, just so you know.
Basically, it follows the typical boy and girl used to be friends, but don't like each other anymore. In school they learn about gender differences and magically end up switching bodies. They have to learn to appreciate/understand each other in 4 days or be stuck in the wrong body forever. Same old, but I can't help but enjoy the theme. There was a lot of dated things like CDs and Good Charlotte (the band, remember? maybe not, I'm old), so I'm not sure it will fare the future well.
Anyway, I recommend this for a much younger age group (3-6 grade) depending on their maturity and reading level. Words like, 'penis' and 'masturbation' are used, just so you know.
August 22, 2012
Cute. I enjoyed it and thought it was funny and liked the idea of unpacking some ideas about gender but I don't think it's clear enough, even though it borders on the edge of didactic. I really wanted the book to focus on the idea of individual people instead of stereotypes which isntead the book seems to perpetuate- maybe even going so far as to promote the widely accepted theory of gender as a social construction rather than biological fact. It also seems to let a lot of issues slide- like the violence in male relations, Tom's mother's need for affection and support, Brad objectification of women, and Emma being treated badly because she was in the janitor's closet with Tom. I did like that Nelson didn't shy away from the physical ramifications of the body switch and that each had to confront physical issues. Overall, there were things that I very much liked and things that I very much disagreed with. Certainly worth talking about, but not worth getting overly excited about.
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