''Gender Blender'' (, 2006) is a

young adult A young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages of human development significantly influencing the definition of ...

novel written by

Blake Nelson Blake Nelson is an American author of adult and children's literature. He grew up in Portland, Oregon, and attended Wesleyan University and New York University. He lives in Hillsboro, Oregon, in the Portland metropolitan area. Biography Nelso ...

. The book explores the differences between males and females and dramatizes it in a way that children will understand.

Summary

Emma and Tom both try to jump onto the same school trampoline and have a serious collision, somehow switching bodies. Emma is now Tom, and Tom is Emma. Both characters face challenges from the differences in the biological bodies that they inhabit and figuring out how to act in accordance with the expectations of others. Eventually, they have another collision and become themselves again.

Publisher

This book was published by

Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

on 28 March 2006.

Reception

The Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...

'' describes ''Gender Blender'' as "''

Freaky Friday ''Freaky Friday'' is a comedic children's novel written by Mary Rodgers, first published by Harper & Row in 1972. It has been adapted for several films, including versions in 1976, 1995, 2003, and 2018, and was reinterpreted as a horror film f ...

'' with a gender-bending twist" and recommends it as a comedy that encourages deep thinking, although it noted that the book's ending "is a bit of a jumble". The reviewer for ''

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...

'' says "most readers will be disappointed by the lack of substance." '' Kirkus Reviews'' calls it "a message-driven but enjoyable read". ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' notes the author's "keen understanding of peer pressure and gender stereotyping".

References

External links

Homepage of ''Gender Blender''
2006 American novels Fiction about body swapping Novels by Blake Nelson {{2000s-child-novel-stub