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Gender: Gender Non-Conforming

Characters who express gender (how they present themselves to those around them through their appearance, clothing, behaviors) in ways that do not conform to the prevailing gender binary (e.g. character’s name and pronouns are masculine or character identifies as a boy, but character wears dresses, makeup, plays with dolls, etc.).

Drummer girl

2016

by Hiba Masood and Hoda Hadadi

Year after year, in the blessed month of Ramadan, little Najma has happily arisen to the drum beat of her neighborhood's musaharati. He walks through the streets of her small Turkish village, waking each family for the pre-dawn meal before the long day of fasting. Najma wants nothing more than to be a musaharati herself one day, but no girl has ever taken on the role before. Will she have what it takes to be the drummer girl of her dreams? Find out in this inspirational story of sincerity, determination, and believing in yourself.

Beautiful Life

Hank’s big day

2016

by Evan Kuhlman and Chuck Groenink

Hank is a pill bug whose daily routine involves nibbling a dead leaf, climbing up a long stick, avoiding a skateboarder, and playing pretend with his best friend, a human girl named Amelia.

Any Child

Hats Off For Gabbie!

2016

by Laura Flores, Marivir Montebon and Yana Murashko

"When the Little League coach tells Gabriella only boys can play on his team, she returns dressed as a boy and makes the team. Although Gabbie feels bad for not telling her mother she will be pretending to be a boy, she is happy to prove she is just as good as the boys…until the big game. With her team losing by two runs and two outs in the last inning, Gabbie comes to the plate, afraid she will strike out and lose the game." -- published

Any Child

Leah’s mustache party

2016

by Nadia Mike and Charlene Chua

Four-year-old Leah loved being a pirate for Halloween. She never considered being a princess or a fairy. But once Halloween has come and gone, Leah misses so many things about her costume. She misses her sword. She misses saying "Arrrr!" But most of all, she misses her silly moustache. But Leah knows that it doesn't have to be Halloween to play dress up. She can wear a moustache whenever she wants! She can wear one while she's watching a movie, or riding her bike, or playing her favorite game. And when Leah's birthday finally arrives, she knows exactly what she wants to do: have a party where everyone must wear a moustache! At Leah's moustache party, everyone gets in on the dress-up fun, even Grandma!

Any Child

Police in our school

2016

by Becky Coyle and Juan Bautista Juan Oliver

"When Ben and his friends see a new face at school, they aren't quite sure how to react. Ben thinks it means big trouble, but he quickly learns that sometimes things aren't always what the seem. Follow along as three friends learn about their new School Resource Officer and the role she plays in keeping students safe while they learn and play."--Back cover "A School Resource Officer has a diverse role in the school community and has many duties and responsibilities. This book teaches kids about the important role their school resource officers play to protect them and their school. Becky Coyle learned firsthand how children can misunderstand officer's roles in schools through her work as an elementary school resource officer. It inspired her to create this School Safety series to explain school safety concepts to young children in a fun and engaging way."--Amazon

Any Child

Sign up here

2016

by Kathryn Cole and Qin Leng

"When Dee-Dee finds herself excluded from various activities and clubs by the other kids, she and her teacher come up with a plan to show what good friends are and how they should treat each other."--Amazon.com

Any Child Cross Group

The boy & the bindi

2016

by Vivek Shraya and Rajni Perera

In this beautiful children's picture book, a five-year-old boy becomes fascinated with his mother's bindi, the red dot commonly worn by South Asian women to indicate the point at which creation begins, and wishes to have one of his own. Rather than chastise her son, she agrees to it, and teaches him about its cultural significance, allowing the boy to discover the magic of the bindi, which in turn gives him permission to be more fully himself. The Boy & the Bindi is a joyful celebration of gender and cultural difference. --Publisher

Beautiful Life

Annie’s plaid shirt

2015

by Stacy B. Davids and Rachael Balsaitis

Annie loves her plaid shirt and wears it everywhere. But one day her mom tells Annie that she must wear a dress to her uncle's wedding. Annie protests, but her mom insists and buys her a fancy new dress anyway. Annie is miserable. She feels weird in dresses. Why can't her mom understand? Then Annie has an idea. But will her mom agree? Annie's Plaid Shirt will inspire readers to be themselves and will touch the hearts of those who love them. Themes of gender norms, identity, individuality, tolerance, and self-esteem.--amazon.com

Any Child

Interstellar Cinderella

2015

by Deborah Underwood and Meg Hunt

In this outer space adaptation of the fairy tale in rhyme, Cinderella dreams of becoming a spaceship mechanic.

Cross Group Folklore Incidental

Many of the cover images on this site are from Google Books.

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