Tuesday, July 12, 2016

BEING JAZZ: MY LIFE AS A (TRANSGENDER) TEEN by Jazz Jennings

Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen (Signed Book)
The first time I heard of Jazz Jennings was when I saw previews for the TLC reality show featuring her family. I decided to tune in and ended up watching each episode. As I watched, I thought, what a courageous young woman. I am glad to now have her book so I can share it with my students and others interested in learning more about transgender issues.

Jazz Jennings writes this book from the heart. She presents her story for the most part chronologically, beginning with her earliest memories of knowing she was really a girl. Unusual, because most transgender individuals don't recognize their differences and desires at such a young age. Jazz's very loving family has given her the necessary support to identify and live as her true self.

As Jazz tells her story, she speaks clearly about how she hopes her experience and advocacy will help others to understand and educate themselves about what it means to be transgender. She credits her supportive family for making her transition as easy as possible which has allowed her to live happily for most of her young life. Not that everything has been perfect, of course. Experiencing depression, learning to deal with strangers' looks and comments, and navigating the world of puberty and hormones while living an extremely public life has had its challenges, but Jazz and her family have done their best to learn what they can and pass that knowledge on to others.

BEING JAZZ is a powerful, inspiring, and meaningful book that should be readily available for readers everywhere. Its message will encourage readers to understand that we are all just people and should be accepted for we are.

No comments: