North of Tomboy is a middle-grade novel that navigates what it is like to live as a transgender nine-year-old in the 1970s who isn't able to get through to her parents that she is not a girl. Julie A. Swanson's character, Jess, struggles with wanting to express the gender she inwardly identifies with, while not upsetting her parents, and also with being accepted by her friends and extended family.
Image courtesy of Simon and Schuster
She discovers a solution in the form of a Christmas gift from her mother: a baby doll that she transforms into the boy she always wanted to be by cutting its hair short and sewing it a new wardrobe. 'Mickey' becomes the inner voice of Jess, allowing her to express herself in ways she's never felt able to before.
"I just stand there listening, amazed at the things coming out of me. Ravishing? Whom? I never use those words. I don't talk this way. I'm not funny, clever, brave, or sassy. I think before I speak, being careful what I let out. This must be a magical doll with a mind all his own" (p.35).
Eventually, Jess realizes that she can be confident and strong without Mickey, but her family has gotten used to his voice, and she struggles to break away from him while keeping the confidence she gained from having Mickey in her life.
It's a powerful coming-of-age story that incorporates themes such as peer pressure, family expectations, sibling rivalry, self-discovery, and generational conflicts, in addition to gender exploration. Swanson illustrates how difficult it is for transgender youth to find their voice in a society that chooses not to hear them.
"'And for back-to-school shopping, instead of me picking out dresses to bring home for you, I'm going to take you and let you pick which ones you want to try on.'
How about none, no dresses? She just doesn't get it. But how do I tell her that, shoot her down when she thinks she's being nice?" (p.259).
North of Tomboy is the perfect novel to read together with your middle-school-age child, or to have on the shelf in a school library. It opens the door for great conversations about how society has tried to break away from the traditional gender norms portrayed in the novel, as well as the ways we have remained the same after fifty years.
At 349 pages and 58 chapters (most a few pages long), North of Tomboy is easily read in just a few days or over the course of a weekend. It's suitable for middle-schoolers and adults alike, and will leave you thinking about it long after you've finished reading.
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