Published: 2014
Author: Jessica Herthel & Jazz Jennings | Illustrator: Shelagh McNicholas
Genre: Children’s Non-Fiction / Biography
Audience: Pre-K–Grade 3
Number of Stars: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Goodreads Link: I Am Jazz
Themes: Gender Identity, LGBTQIA+ Representation, Family Acceptance, Banned Books, Self-Discovery.
Review by: Megan Powell
Publisher’s Summary
Jazz always knew she was different from other kids. She had a girl’s brain and a boy’s body. This is her story.
The story of a transgender child based on the real-life experience of Jazz Jennings, who has become a spokesperson for transkids everywhere. From the time she was two years old, Jazz knew that she had a girl’s brain in a boy’s body. She loved pink and dressing up as a mermaid and didn’t feel like herself in boys’ clothing. This confused her family, until they took her to a doctor who said that Jazz was transgender and that she was born that way. Jazz’s story is based on her real-life experience and she tells it in a simple, clear way that will be appreciated by picture book readers, their parents, and teachers. Jazz Jennings was thirteen years old when this book was first published, and loves pink and soccer, and is an honorary cofounder of the TransKids Purple Rainbow Foundation. She has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Network, 20/20 specials with Barbara Walters, and The Rosie Show to tell her story, and she speaks at schools and conferences across the country to show other transgender kids that they are not alone.
“This is an essential tool for parents and teachers to share with children whether those kids identify as trans or not… I found it deeply moving in its simplicity and honesty.” — Laverne Cox
Review
I Am Jazz is a picture book that frequently causes a lot of conversation and debate among parents, students, and teachers in the educational system. Because of its subject matter, I chose this specific title to fulfill my “banned book” reading category.
The story focuses on a child named Jazz who grows up with two brothers and one sister. From an early age, Jazz explains that while her brothers would constantly try to get her to play competitive sports or play with trucks, she had absolutely no interest in those things. Instead, Jazz felt a much deeper, natural connection with her sister and traditionally feminine activities. Eventually, her parents brought her to see a doctor, who listened to their experiences and explained to the family that Jazz was transgender.
From that pivotal moment on, Jazz’s family fully embraced her identity: she was officially referred to using she/her pronouns, was eventually permitted to use the girls’ restroom at her school after some initial pushback, and was finally able to live comfortably in her own skin. I know that within certain school districts this subject matter can be highly sensitive, so it does make logical sense from a political standpoint as to why some schools have chosen to ban it from standard library shelves. In my personal opinion, this is not a bad book at all; however, I think it is a text that should ideally be introduced to young children based primarily on their own parents’ terms.
🎒 Classroom & Curricular Connections
- Social Studies & Civics (Understanding Censorship and Banned Books):
- Activity Idea: “The Freedom to Read.” Use this book to introduce a mature, age-appropriate discussion on what it means when a book is “banned” or challenged. Have students research the role of the American Library Association (ALA) during Banned Books Week, analyzing why different communities hold conflicting viewpoints on what materials belong in a shared public space.
- Social-Emotional Learning (Empathy, Acceptance, and Belonging):
- Activity Idea: “What Makes Me, Me.” Jazz emphasizes wanting people to see her for who she truly is on the inside. Have students create an identity collage. On a piece of construction paper, have them draw a mirror; on the inside of the mirror, they can sketch or write adjectives that describe their internal personality traits, favorite hobbies, and what makes them unique, reinforcing that everyone deserves to feel comfortable in their own skin.
