Tomboy by Liz Prince

Interest Level: YA

Lexile: HL460L
Reading Level: 4.5
Genre: Historical Memoir/Graphic Novel

In her first full-length graphic novel, award-winning comics artist Prince tells the story of her lifelong battle with gender stereotypes through the lens of her tomboy childhood, marked by a preference for male role models, slouchy oversize clothes, and some serious bullying. As a kid, Prince chafed at femininity but her offbeat choices made it hard for her to find friends or a boyfriend. She starts to believe that her disinterest in being girly is what makes her unlikable, and soon she feels embarrassed by being a girl altogether. 

I chose to read this book because I wanted to see if it was appropriate to add to the middle school library collection. Growing up I was called a tomboy. I may not have had the same disgust toward dress and all things girly but I could relate to a lot of what Prince wrote. I will be purchasing this book for the library. I would recommend it to 8th graders who have an interest in gender stereotypes.