Social Justice Books
Critically reviewed selection of multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and educators.
Teaching Idea
Reviewed by Paige Pagan
Jazz is humanized/normalized in this book as a child who enjoys things any other child would enjoy. She plays dress-up and bounces on trampolines with her best friends, Samantha and Casey. But she confides to the readers: “I’m not exactly like Samantha and Casey,” (pp. 6).
Jazz tells readers that she was born transgender, which to her means having a girl brain in a boy body. For Jazz, it always seemed like she was a boy doing girl stuff or a boy dressing in girls clothes, but really she was simply expressing her gender in the most authentic way it felt to her. When the doctor informs Jazz’s parents that she’s transgender, they begin to understand Jazz’s feelings and support her.
Being transgender is a complex reality and while Jazz tells about her childhood experiences that are unique to her trans journey and she deserves to feel validated in those experiences, it’s also important to note that no one’s journey is the same. Jazz maintains a gender binary outlook on her trans identity and there are some stereotypical designations of gender, such as girls preferring the color pink and wearing princess and mermaid costumes, unlike superhero costumes.
When teaching this book it’s essential to work against these gendered stereotypes and show children that there are other gender identities not mentioned in this book, such as non-binary, genderqueer, gender-fluid, and cis-gender. Children should feel supported in expressing their gender in non-confining ways. Some recommended picture books on healthy gender identity and expression can be found on our Gender Identity book list.
You can also find a recommended lesson plan on I Am Jazz to introduce transgender and non-binary identities by educator Dani McCormick here .
Paige Pagan is a Social Justice Books Program Specialist at Teaching for Change.
Publisher's Synopsis: The story of a transgender child based on the real-life experience of Jazz Jennings, who has become a spokesperson for transkids everywhere. "This is an essential tool for parents and teachers to share with children whether those kids identify as trans or not. I wish I had had a book like this when I was a kid struggling with gender identity questions. I found it deeply moving in its simplicity and honesty." Laverne Cox (who plays Sophia in Orange Is the New Black 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.
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I Am Jazz Hardcover – Picture Book, 13 July 2015
- Reading age 4 - 8 years
- Print length 32 pages
- Language English
- Grade level Pre-school - 3
- Dimensions 27.79 x 0.81 x 23.65 cm
- Publisher Dial Books
- Publication date 13 July 2015
- ISBN-10 0803741073
- ISBN-13 978-0803741072
- See all details
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Product description" I Am Jazz is honest, inspiring, and beautiful--but its greatest strength is it never apologizes for being different."--Brad Meltzer, New York Times bestselling author of I Am Amelia Earhart About the AuthorProduct details.
About the authorsJessica herthel. Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more Jazz Jennings16 year old Jazz Jennings, is an honorary co-founder of the Transkids Purple Rainbow Foundation, an author, a tv personality, Youtube Vlogger, a youth ambassador for the Human Rights Campaign and a passionate transgender advocate. Jazz speaks at universities, medical schools, conferences, conventions and symposiums all over the country. When she was six, Jazz appeared on 20/20 with Barbara Walters, as one of the youngest transgender children to appear in the media. Since then, she's been featured on a variety of major programs and news outlets, including a 20/20 update with Barbara Walters when she was 11, Katie Couric twice, Oprah: Where are the Now?, Dr. Drew, Nightline, Dateline, MSNBC, 60 Minutes, Dr. Oz, Time Magazine, Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Huffington Post, Elle Magazine, the Rosie Show, The Meredith Vieira show, The View, an Oprah Winfrey Network documentary, "I am Jazz: A family in Transition" and many others. Jazz and her family now have their own GLAAD Award winning docs-series, “I Am Jazz,” on TLC. Jazz is the voice of Zadie the first animated transgender character in, Amazon’s, “Danger & Eggs”. Jazz's doll to be released in the summer of 2017. Jazz is the youngest recipient of the Colin Higgins Youth Courage Award, the youngest person ever to be recognized in The Advocate Magazine’s, “Top Forty Under 40” annual list, OUT Magazine’s Top 100 list, the 2014 Trans100 list, and the youngest recipient of the 2014 Equality Florida's, "Voice for Equality" Award. Jazz was honored and recognized at the 2013 GLAAD Awards, where she got to meet former President Bill Clinton. Jazz is the recipient of LogoTV's 2014 youth Trailblazer Award. She was named as one of TIME Magazine's Most Influential Teens for 2014 and 2015. She is also listed on Huffington Post's 14 Most Fearless Teens of 2014. In 2016, Jazz was recognized on Teen Vogue’s 21 under 21 list. In March of 2105 Jazz and her family were the recipients of the Ackerman Institute's Gender & Family Project Award, and in May of 2015, Jazz received the Harvey Milk and Pride Center’s Diversity Honors Youth Award. In June of 2015, Jazz was invited to the White House where she met President Obama. In October of 2015 she was honored as Miss Teen Pride USA. Jazz is also the recipient of the 2015 TREVOR Youth Courage Award. In December of 2015, she was honored alongside Caitlyn Jenner at the, “Angels of Change” fundraiser through the LA Children’s Hospital. In April of 2016, Jazz was a featured inspirational speaker at WE Day which also featured Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato and Charlize Theron. The event was attended by over 16,000 students from Los Angeles area schools who earned their ticket by volunteering and service. Jazz is the recipient of Equality California's 2017 Equality Visibility Award and HRC's Youth Upstander Award for 2017. In 2015, Jazz became one of the faces of Johnson & Johnson’s Clean and Clear Campaign: “See the Real” Me. Jazz served as the 2016 Grand Marshal in the New York City Heritage of Pride March. She is the youngest person to serve as Grand Marshal in the history of the march. In 2014, Jazz co-wrote a children’s picture book with Jessica Herthel titled “I Am Jazz”, and is the author of her 2016 her memoir, “Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen”. Jazz is no stranger to discrimination. For 5 years she wasn’t allowed to use the girls restroom in her school. For 2 1/2 years Jazz was banned from girls’ soccer in her state. After a long battle, the United States Soccer Federation ordered her home state to lift the ban. As a result of the discrimination that Jazz was forced to endure, the USSF created a policy to include all transgender athletes who want to play soccer in the United States of America. Jazz and her family continue to participate in many media projects with a goal to educate, and spread the message of tolerance and acceptance for all Transkids. Currently, Jazz lives with her family of 6 in South Florida where she attends high school, and is the President of her GSA. Jazz loves to play soccer, binge watch TV on her laptop, hang with friends and is often found cuddling with her 4 cats.  Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings, help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyses reviews to verify trustworthiness. Customers sayCustomers find the writing style very well-written and beautifully illustrated. They also describe the story as brilliant. AI-generated from the text of customer reviews Customers find the writing style brilliant, fabulous, and inspiring. They say it's a great introduction to young children about transgender and for adults too. "...Then today this book arrives. Simply written with beautiful illustrations my child must have read this book at least 10 times in a few hours before..." Read more "This is a lovely book and well written ...." Read more "...is their family and it's an amazing story that is fantastically written with great understanding and also ideal for parents who need to let go of..." Read more "Put in such a beautiful way and such a wonderful way to introduce the subject - as a transgender lady I am so pleased with this book as it will help..." Read more Customers find the story brilliant, well-written, and illustrated. "...is just starting to come to terms as is their family and it's an amazing story that is fantastically written with great understanding and also ideal..." Read more "This is a beautifully told story of a sweet little girl who is transgender. Fabulously illustrated!..." Read more " Brilliant story , very well written and illustrated. Great introduction to young children about transgender and for adults too!" Read more "A lovely story ..." Read more
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About the authorsJazz jennings. 16 year old Jazz Jennings, is an honorary co-founder of the Transkids Purple Rainbow Foundation, an author, a tv personality, Youtube Vlogger, a youth ambassador for the Human Rights Campaign and a passionate transgender advocate. Jazz speaks at universities, medical schools, conferences, conventions and symposiums all over the country. When she was six, Jazz appeared on 20/20 with Barbara Walters, as one of the youngest transgender children to appear in the media. Since then, she's been featured on a variety of major programs and news outlets, including a 20/20 update with Barbara Walters when she was 11, Katie Couric twice, Oprah: Where are the Now?, Dr. Drew, Nightline, Dateline, MSNBC, 60 Minutes, Dr. Oz, Time Magazine, Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Huffington Post, Elle Magazine, the Rosie Show, The Meredith Vieira show, The View, an Oprah Winfrey Network documentary, "I am Jazz: A family in Transition" and many others. Jazz and her family now have their own GLAAD Award winning docs-series, “I Am Jazz,” on TLC. Jazz is the voice of Zadie the first animated transgender character in, Amazon’s, “Danger & Eggs”. Jazz's doll to be released in the summer of 2017. Jazz is the youngest recipient of the Colin Higgins Youth Courage Award, the youngest person ever to be recognized in The Advocate Magazine’s, “Top Forty Under 40” annual list, OUT Magazine’s Top 100 list, the 2014 Trans100 list, and the youngest recipient of the 2014 Equality Florida's, "Voice for Equality" Award. Jazz was honored and recognized at the 2013 GLAAD Awards, where she got to meet former President Bill Clinton. Jazz is the recipient of LogoTV's 2014 youth Trailblazer Award. She was named as one of TIME Magazine's Most Influential Teens for 2014 and 2015. She is also listed on Huffington Post's 14 Most Fearless Teens of 2014. In 2016, Jazz was recognized on Teen Vogue’s 21 under 21 list. In March of 2105 Jazz and her family were the recipients of the Ackerman Institute's Gender & Family Project Award, and in May of 2015, Jazz received the Harvey Milk and Pride Center’s Diversity Honors Youth Award. In June of 2015, Jazz was invited to the White House where she met President Obama. In October of 2015 she was honored as Miss Teen Pride USA. Jazz is also the recipient of the 2015 TREVOR Youth Courage Award. In December of 2015, she was honored alongside Caitlyn Jenner at the, “Angels of Change” fundraiser through the LA Children’s Hospital. In April of 2016, Jazz was a featured inspirational speaker at WE Day which also featured Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato and Charlize Theron. The event was attended by over 16,000 students from Los Angeles area schools who earned their ticket by volunteering and service. Jazz is the recipient of Equality California's 2017 Equality Visibility Award and HRC's Youth Upstander Award for 2017. In 2015, Jazz became one of the faces of Johnson & Johnson’s Clean and Clear Campaign: “See the Real” Me. Jazz served as the 2016 Grand Marshal in the New York City Heritage of Pride March. She is the youngest person to serve as Grand Marshal in the history of the march. In 2014, Jazz co-wrote a children’s picture book with Jessica Herthel titled “I Am Jazz”, and is the author of her 2016 her memoir, “Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen”. Jazz is no stranger to discrimination. For 5 years she wasn’t allowed to use the girls restroom in her school. For 2 1/2 years Jazz was banned from girls’ soccer in her state. After a long battle, the United States Soccer Federation ordered her home state to lift the ban. As a result of the discrimination that Jazz was forced to endure, the USSF created a policy to include all transgender athletes who want to play soccer in the United States of America. Jazz and her family continue to participate in many media projects with a goal to educate, and spread the message of tolerance and acceptance for all Transkids. Currently, Jazz lives with her family of 6 in South Florida where she attends high school, and is the President of her GSA. Jazz loves to play soccer, binge watch TV on her laptop, hang with friends and is often found cuddling with her 4 cats. Jessica HerthelDiscover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more Products related to this item Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness. Customers sayCustomers find the book informative and a terrific teaching tool for the classroom. They say it's perfect for people of all ages, great for kids, and important for kids to see growing up. Readers appreciate the simplicity of the language and clear explanations. They appreciate the beautiful story and illustrations. AI-generated from the text of customer reviews Customers find the illustrations in the book beautiful, fabulous, and helpful for providing visual context. They also say the book is good for reading time in the classroom and endearing. "... Great read !" Read more "...Particularly good for reading time in the classroom —it's a child's POV of what she likes and how she feels—so extremely relatable...." Read more "...The illustrations are cute and appropriately support the directness behind the message...." Read more "Cute book. Beautiful illustrations . Banned from some places- that’s ridiculous. Buy it and help all children understand that everyone is special!" Read more Customers find the book informative, empowering, and perfect for a conversation starter. They say it's a terrific teaching tool for the classroom and a wonderful way to explain transgender people in an age-appropriate way. Readers also mention it instils empathy and understanding in children. "...It just highlights the important big pieces . And would be easy for any young child to comprehend and either learn from or relate to. Great read!" Read more "...trans kids feel less alone in this world, and instilled empathy and understanding in children who don’t understand what it means to be trans...." Read more "...This book is also a simple way to explain being transgender to cis children and that every child wants to be accepted for who they are and not by..." Read more "This is a fantastic, age appropriate, introduction to understanding and respecting transgender individuals as friends and peers...." Read more Customers find the book simple, well-written, and clearly. They say it's beautifully told with cheerful illustrations. Readers also mention the book is great at explaining to kids what being transgender is. "...And would be easy for any young child to comprehend and either learn from or relate to. Great read!" Read more " This book is so well done —and really appropriate for any age level...." Read more "This is so important for kids to see growing up. It’s explained simply and clearly . Honestly it could help some adults too." Read more "...The description used in the book is easy for children to understand (having a girl brain in a boy body)...." Read more Customers find the book perfect for people of all ages. They say it's great for kids and introduces them to trans people's experiences. Readers also mention it'll be wonderful for adults. They appreciate that it gives parents words and ways to help children understand. "This book is so well done—and really appropriate for any age level ...." Read more "This is so important for kids to see growing up . It’s explained simply and clearly. Honestly it could help some adults too." Read more "...This is a wonderful book for any child who may be transgender, has a loved one who is transgender, or just to introduce them to the idea." Read more "This is a fantastic, age appropriate , introduction to understanding and respecting transgender individuals as friends and peers...." Read more Customers find the story beautiful, important, relatable, and amazing. They say it's a true life story of unconditional love. "Well written by my favorite Author Jazz Jennings. It was such a sweet story book . I’m a transgender woman and I really enjoyed reading this...." Read more "...—it's a child's POV of what she likes and how she feels—so extremely relatable ...." Read more "What a remarkably brave story in I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, and illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas...." Read more "... Love the story and message . Shaking my head and rolling my eyes if this is actually offensive to someone." Read more Customers find the book well-written, endearing, and thoughtful. They say it's sweet and special. Readers also mention the book will hopefully bring hope, love, and understanding to all. "...Although my child is 20, I thought this would be such a special and cute book to have ...." Read more "...Anyways, I loved the book and Jazz is the Cutest ! I am happy to see topics that this being printed in way for children to understand." Read more "...Jazz comes across as a fun, thoughtful girl that I think my kids would have liked at that age. The art work is cute...." Read more "...This book will hopefully bring hope, love , and understanding to all transgender and non transgender children and adults alike...." Read more Reviews with images One Fabulous Children's Book!!!
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by Jessica Herthel ; Jazz Jennings ; illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 4, 2014 An empowering, timely story with the power to help readers proclaim, in the words of Jazz’s parents, “We understand now."... An autobiographical picture book describes trans-youth activist Jazz Jennings’ story of embracing and asserting her transgender identity. Both the title and the opening text proclaims, “I am Jazz!” The book goes on to detail Jazz’s various interests and tastes, which follow traditionally feminine gender norms. But as Jazz goes on to explain, she has “a girl brain but a boy body. This is called transgender. I was born this way!” Although the realistic watercolor illustrations consistently display only happy faces in these beginning pages, the text recounts her family’s struggle to understand her early-childhood assertion of femininity: “At first my family was confused. They’d always thought of me as a boy.” Jazz recalls her pain when compelled to wear “boy clothes” in public. “Pretending I was a boy felt like telling a lie.” Her parents’ efforts to understand prompt them to meet with a doctor who introduces the word “transgender,” which enables the family’s powerful affirmation: “We understand now. Be who you are. We love you no matter what.” The story balances this acceptance with honest acknowledgement of others’ ongoing confusion and intermittent cruelty, and it briefly addresses Jazz’s exclusion from girls’ soccer in her state. Ultimately, Jazz’s self-acceptance, bolstered by her family’s support and advocacy, acts as a beacon for readers, trans- and cisgender alike. Pub Date: Sept. 4, 2014 ISBN: 978-0-8037-4107-2 Page Count: 32 Publisher: Dial Books Review Posted Online: June 24, 2014 Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2014 CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY Share your opinion of this book More About This Book  SEEN & HEARD  IN THE NEWS  THE LEAF THIEFby Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nicola Slater ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 2021 A hilarious autumnal comedy of errors. A confused squirrel overreacts to the falling autumn leaves. Relaxing on a tree branch, Squirrel admires the red, gold, and orange leaves. Suddenly Squirrel screams, “One of my leaves is…MISSING!” Searching for the leaf, Squirrel tells Bird, “Someone stole my leaf!” Spying Mouse sailing in a leaf boat, Squirrel asks if Mouse stole the leaf. Mouse calmly replies in the negative. Bird reminds Squirrel it’s “perfectly normal to lose a leaf or two at this time of year.” Next morning Squirrel panics again, shrieking, “MORE LEAVES HAVE BEEN STOLEN!” Noticing Woodpecker arranging colorful leaves, Squirrel queries, “Are those my leaves?” Woodpecker tells Squirrel, “No.” Again, Bird assures Squirrel that no one’s taking the leaves and that the same thing happened last year, then encourages Squirrel to relax. Too wired to relax despite some yoga and a bath, the next day Squirrel cries “DISASTER” at the sight of bare branches. Frantic now, Squirrel becomes suspicious upon discovering Bird decorating with multicolored leaves. Is Bird the culprit? In response, Bird shows Squirrel the real Leaf Thief: the wind. Squirrel’s wildly dramatic, misguided, and hyperpossessive reaction to a routine seasonal event becomes a rib-tickling farce through clever use of varying type sizes and weights emphasizing his absurd verbal pronouncements as well as exaggerated, comic facial expressions and body language. Bold colors, arresting perspectives, and intense close-ups enhance Squirrel’s histrionics. Endnotes explain the science behind the phenomenon. Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-7282-3520-2 Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky Review Posted Online: June 1, 2021 Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021 CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS More by Alice Hemming  BOOK REVIEW by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nicola Slater  by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nancy Leschnikoff  LITTLE DAYMOND LEARNS TO EARNby Daymond John ; illustrated by Nicole Miles ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2023 It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work! John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Pub Date: March 21, 2023 ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2 Page Count: 40 Publisher: Random House Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022 Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023 CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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Book Reviews (1)I thought this book was really good.
Review: An Extraordinary, Ordinary Girlhood in TLC’s I Am JazzI t’s only coincidence that I Am Jazz (premieres July 15) is coming to TLC shortly after 19 Kids and Counting was forced off the same channel. But it feels like a change of era. In May, TLC suspended the reality show about the fecund fundamentalist Duggar family–whose matriarch Michelle once warned that transgender people were child predators –after revelations that one of the Duggars’ sons had molested girls, including his sisters, when he was a teen. The network’s newest family-reality series introduces viewers—who didn’t already know her from her YouTube videos, writing, fundraising and activism— to Jazz Jennings , a soccer-loving South Florida 14-year-old who was assigned male at birth but has identified as female since she could speak. (Or, as she puts it in a children’s book she wrote: “I have a girl brain but a boy body. This is called transgender. I was born this way!”) I Am Jazz may be overshadowed by E!’s I Am Cait (debuting July 26), about Caitlyn Jenner, which had the booster-rocket launch of a primetime Diane Sawyer interview, not to mention the media-bait combo of an Olympian decathlete transitioning amid reality’s royal family on Keeping Up With the Kardashians . (Jazz, at least, had dibs on the title locution; I Am Jazz was also the title of an OWN special on her aired in 2011.) But I Am Jazz may be most radical for how ordinary it is. It’s not that Jazz’s gender identity is incidental here. The hour-length premiere especially focuses on it; her mother Jeanette remembers two-year-old Jazz asking, “When is the good fairy going to come and change my penis into a vagina?” Her family, including a college-aged sister and twin older brothers, are universally supportive; her grandmother, well-meaning but unsure on the nomenclature, asks at one point if “tranny” is an offensive term. (It is.) And while I Am Jazz is conscious of the trap of obsessing on transgender people’s biology over all else (the first thing most people ask, Jeanette says, is “Has she had the surgery?”), it’s an unavoidable issue for a teen taking hormones to avoid forestall male puberty–and yes, weighing the eventual possibility of what her doctor calls “bottom surgery” (as distinguished from cosmetic surgery above the waist). But like many of TLC’s family series– Jon and Kate Plus Eight , Our Little Family , Sister Wives — I Am Jazz is about the extraordinary amidst the mundane. This is at heart a show about being a teen in the ‘burbs–changing schools, gossiping with friends, shopping, having trivial family arguments about money and curfews. It all just happens to be heightened: when a group of boys don’t show up for a bowling date with Jazz and her friends, they have to wonder if it’s typical social weirdness or transphobia. Jazz’s parents are protective–when a passer-by calls Jazz a “tranny freak” while the two are eating out, it’s Jazz who has to calm her mother down–but it’s combined with typical parental anxiety about a youngest child growing up. Jazz is an appealing guide to her own life, confident but with a kid’s awkwardness and dorky sense of humor. She’s remarkably self-possessed for a 14-year-old, likely a product of having grown up in the media. Besides her video series, she cowrote a children’s book and was one of TIME’s Most Influential Teens of 2014. But it’s not until the fifth episode, as Jazz gives a book reading, that the series presents her as “the leader of the trans kids’ movement”–in her coauthor’s words–rather than as she first describes herself in the premiere: “I am a teenage girl.” Overall I Am Jazz plays less like advocacy and more like the approachable, if stagey, family-reality hybrids cable has made a staple. Reality shows like these, for all their sensationalism or sleight-of-hand, increasingly do what sitcoms like The Cosby Show (also recently fallen to controversy) used to. On the one hand, they offer a sense of possibility to an audience—here, trans kids—that had never seen itself on-screen. On the other, they introduce the rest of the audience to virtual neighbors many of them don’t have in real life, be they transgender, rural and poor ( Here Comes Honey Boo Boo ), rural and rich ( Duck Dynasty ), Muslim ( All-American Muslim ), blended ( Kardashians ) or devout ( 19 Kids ). Amazon’s Transparent , the best show of 2014 , dealt elegantly with gender transition in a family, but Jazz and Cait— as well as ABC Family’s current docuseries Becoming Us —may have a reach beyond that show’s indie-TV audience. I Am Jazz allows that audience plenty of surrogates beyond the Jenningses, choosing to teach to the curious rather than preach to the converted. In a later episode, Jazz’s twin brothers argue with a friend who believes that being transgender is a “choice”–literally, “I thought when she was born they gave her a choice, do you want to be a boy or do you want to be a girl?” The show could easily have given him a villain edit. Instead the brothers explain that Jazz identified as a girl from her earliest memories. He feels badly for making the assumption, we move on, and the show is better for giving him, and by extension audience members, the room to make a mistake and grow. I Am Jazz is an engaging story of a teen girl who has transitioned. But it is also the story of everyone else, transitioning. More Must-Reads from TIME
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The Untold Truth Of I Am Jazz Reality television often gets a bad reputation for being vapid, shallow, and full of negative situations that are usually more scripted than, well, actually realistic. Many of the guilty pleasure shows out there live up to this stereotype, but one stands out in a good way: TLC's "I Am Jazz," starring transgender activist Jazz Jennings and her family. The critically acclaimed show shares the story of what it's like to grow up as a transgender teen and young adult in today's world, approaching important issues with a surprising amount of frank honesty in order to try and fight the many misconceptions out there. " I Am Jazz " debuted in 2015, and since then, it has never shied away from putting a spotlight on controversial issues. Jazz openly discusses her sexuality, her gender confirmation surgery, body image issues, and so much more — her strength is inspiring to watch. Still, even though the show (and its star!) is known for being incredibly honest and self-aware, there are some behind-the-scenes secrets that even the biggest fans aren't aware of. These little details give the show even more depth, and can be integral to truly understanding Jazz's world. She met Barbara Walters at only 6 years old Jazz Jennings first gained notoriety back during her " 20/20" interview with Barbara Walters in 2013. At 11 years old, Jazz revealed to the world that she is transgender, becoming the youngest trans advocate during a time when talking about it was far more controversial than it is today. Jazz told the world that she had been expressing gender dysphoria (when someone strongly identifies with the opposite gender of their assigned sex) since she could talk, stating, "I have a girl brain in a boy's body." The interview obviously led to a lot of media attention, eventually leading up to the creation of the show "I Am Jazz." But while the "20/20" interview shows an 11-year-old Jazz talking to the camera in a surprisingly mature way, what many people don't realize is that the very first time Walters met Jazz was when she was 6 years old, back in 2007. During the "20/20" interview, Walters talks about how, at 6 years old, Jazz was "one of the youngest documented cases of an early transition from male to female." Jazz and her family went to the media with a very specific goal in mind Jazz and her family didn't set out to do the "20/20" interview with dreams of becoming famous. They actually originally brought their story to the media in an attempt to get others to accept Jazz as a girl. In an interview with Broadly , Jazz's mom, Jeanette, opened up about how she and her husband struggled to get school administrator's to see Jazz as a girl, saying, "I tried to engage in a conversation, and they really weren't interested in meeting with me. I think they were afraid." In the beginning, Jeanette submitted their story anonymously to a local newspaper, although she says that it was clear to their community that it was about their family. In the end, the media attention paid off. Jeanette told Broadly, "It worked because they granted us the conversation and a meeting. They allowed us to go in with our lawyer, our doctor — you name it, they were there. We came in, guns loaded, ready to battle, and we fought for her right to go to school as a girl." This was, of course, only the beginning when it came to the spotlight on the family. The Jennings family originally didn't want to be on camera Remember, the Jennings originally went to the media for some extra help in getting Jazz accepted as a girl at her school, and they did so anonymously. So it isn't too surprising to hear that they weren't exactly thrilled with the idea of having Jazz do an interview on national television. In an interview with Metro Weekly , Jeanette talked about being approached by ABC for "20/20" and said, "It took them 10 months of wooing us to even convince us to do it. We were not ready to share something so personal." In the beginning, Jazz's parents said they would only do the interview if they didn't have to show their faces or share their real names. They also insisted of having Walters do the interview. In the end, the family gave in because they felt fully introducing the public to Jazz would be the best way to get their message across. Jeanette told Metro Weekly, "You know, you really have to see Jazz to get the whole situation. To see her in her environment, with her friends and family — to know and see that she truly is a girl." They eventually grew to love having a filming crew around Despite their initial hesitation, Jazz Jennings and her family have said that they began to actually enjoy being filmed all the time. In an interview with Metro Weekly , Jeanette said, "I love having people in my house, I love having company. For other people it'd be disruptive, but I really enjoyed the crew. It was a lot of work at times — many hours where we were filming and we were exhausted. But it's all worth it in the end, now that we see the finished product." Jazz also talked about how much she enjoys filming the show. She said, "Like my mom said, the crew was just absolutely incredible. It was definitely difficult to adjust to at first. But we got used to it pretty quickly. And you know, when you always have this camera following you around — it's so different, it keeps you on your toes." Jennings is not Jazz's real last name Even though they're on an incredibly popular reality TV show, the Jennings family is still pretty committed to having some sense of privacy. The show might be very open about Jazz's experience as a transgender girl, but the family tries to keep hidden what they can. It took a long time for them to reveal they lived in Broward, Florida, and in an interview with the Miami Herald , Jeanette revealed that "Jennings" isn't their real last name. She said, "Jennings is our pseudonym, to sort of make life easier. We try to hide our real last name as much as possible." Jeanette added, "Our last name is a very Jewish, long last name. We found it easier at this point. She's known as Jazz Jennings. With the TV show, they're not going to tell anybody where we live. The TV show is not going to reference our true last name." A lot of the dinner table scenes were staged One of the reasons "I Am Jazz" is such a great show is because it's genuine and real. You know that what Jazz talks about going through is really happening, and you don't get the sense that anything is scripted or staged — like you do with so many other reality TV shows out there. As it turns out, though, a few of the scenes actually are staged. Jazz wrote in her book "Being Jazz" that most of the dinner table scenes are staged, and reasoning actually makes sense. Screen Rant pulled a quote from "Being Jazz" that says, "Any time there's a scene that's happening over a meal, you're not supposed to actually eat. The sound of the chewing gets picked up by all the microphones and ruins any conversations that are happening. We learned fast that whenever we needed to film a lunch or dinner scene, we'd need to really eat beforehand." Jazz fought to allow transgender kids to play soccer as their self-designated gender Jazz Jennings has obviously had to deal with so many different challenging situations as a trans teen, like fighting for the right to participate in sports. She didn't only think about herself, though — Jazz also worked hard to get the Minnesota State High School League to change their Trans Athletic Policy so that other trans athletes could participate in their sport of choice. In an interview with The Minnesota Post , Jazz talked about how her love of sports inspired her in this situation, saying, "Like other transgender kids, I face enough discrimination and just want peace and the right to participate in sports on the team that matches my affirmed gender identity , and it is harmful to our health and well-being to keep us from doing so." Jazz pointed out that being on a sports team could help trans teens deal with the many challenges they face daily. She added, "All kids deserve to be happy, and enjoy themselves recreationally and socially. For me, sports are a big part of this happiness." Her fight was successful in the long run. Jazz had to lose 30 pounds in order to get her gender confirmation surgery Jazz Jennings went through gender confirmation surgery on June 26th, 2018, something she talked about in a YouTube video and documented in "I Am Jazz ." The surgery is a serious one, and there were many things to take into consideration before going into it — including Jazz's weight. According to a clip shared with People , Jazz was told she had to lose 30 pounds in order to go through with the surgery. In the video, Jazz's doctor explained that Jazz had gained in her body mass index (also known as BMI), which measures your weight compared to your height. The gain was something that could have potentially postponed Jazz's surgery. Her doctor said, "If we're going to get a hospital to say, 'we're going to allow a surgery at age 17,' you're going to have to be at a lower BMI. Literally, they won't approve it if your BMI is one dot cover." The doctor explained that, for Jazz, this meant losing about 30 pounds. Jazz did end up losing the weight, a journey she partially documented on social media . Jazz originally wanted to give herself the name 'Sparkles' While Jazz Jennings is a name she gave herself, it was almost something very different. In an interview with Audible , Jazz revealed that she had actually originally wanted to call herself "Sparkles." She said, "When I was 3 years old, I came up with the name Sparkles for myself. I thought it was going to be a cool name, you know, being Sparkles, this little glitter fairy child. I don't know. Maybe I'll keep it as a middle name." In an interview with Glamour in July 2015, Jazz revealed that she settled on her final name choice after watching her sister (whom she refers to as her "role model") play Princess Jasmine in a school play. In that same interview, Jazz's mom Jeannette revealed that she only started calling her daughter Jazz once they started their TLC show — before that, she called Jazz by her birth name, Jaren, revealing: "She has always been Jaren to me." Jazz struggles with leading a healthier lifestyle in Season 7 While viewers have watched Jazz Jennings live her authentic life on camera season after season, Season 7 shows something more private: Jazz struggling with her health. The trailer for Season 7 of "I Am Jazz" teased the young trailblazer's battle with her eating disorder, with Jazz telling the camera that she put on almost 100 pounds between Seasons 6 and 7. "Two years ago, I was on my way to one of the greatest institutions in the world (Harvard), but I was actually struggling severely with mental health issues," Jazz said, alluding to the college career she put on hold. "I started binge eating and I gained weight and more weight and more weight. And now, almost 100 pounds heavier, here I am today." Simple acts like going to the grocery store and trying to select healthier options became difficult for Jazz, and in a preview of a Season 7 episode, People reported that the activist found it incredibly difficult to prioritize healthy options, eventually calling her mom for help. "Resisting the unhealthy food is much harder than putting the healthy food in my cart," Jazz said. "The unhealthy food you have this like psychological battle with it, and you're like 'I want it, but I don't want it, I want to lose weight but I'm hungry' so it's much harder to resist unhealthy food." Jazz Jennings' book of the same title as her show has been at the center of controversy When Jazz Jennings first came on the scene during her interview with Barbara Walters, her story — recounting being a young girl and knowing in her heart she was transgender — received mixed reviews. Even now, one of Walters' sit-downs with the young Jazz continues to bear the burden of judgmental comments, even though it aired almost a decade ago. You may be wondering what other kinds of reception Jazz has faced since first sharing her story with the world, both on-camera and in printed form, and the most updated news might surprise you. In addition to "I Am Jazz" airing on TLC, the transgender activist co-authored a book of the same title, which follows the journey of a transgender child who started making their public transition while in kindergarten. The picture book has been available since 2014 but has recently been at the center of a banned book controversy. As noted by WLRN , "I Am Jazz" is one of two books centered around transgender characters that has been banned from the classrooms and public libraries of Palm Beach County, Florida. The second book, "Call Me Max," tells the story of a transgender boy. As co-author of "I Am Jazz," Jessica Herthel, told Yahoo , "A lot of the people who have criticized the book never read it, never saw it, never put their hands on it." Jazz Jennings opened up about her collegiate aspirations on the show One of Jazz Jennings' biggest life decisions — attending college — came at a time when she was really struggling with her own physical and mental health. After having been accepted to Harvard University, Jazz decided to defer her admittance, focusing on herself and overcoming personal challenges. In news that came as a cherished moment for the activist, Jazz was readmitted to Harvard University and will continue her academic pursuits at the Cambridge, Massachusetts institution. In a January 2022 episode of "I Am Jazz," the young star revealed that she was still very concerned about her future at the university, as she had previously deferred her initial acceptance. "Part of me is still worried that they're gonna review my information and deny me," Jazz revealed . "They can dictate the course of the rest of my life by what they decide." While she was worried for her future, Jazz shared the wonderful news with her fans via TikTok shortly thereafter, revealing that she had in fact been readmitted. "You're approved to return. Welcome to Harvard again!" Jazz read aloud from an email sent to her by the school. The future of the show is up to Jazz As of this writing, Jazz Jennings is set to embark on a new journey at Harvard University. Thus, the future of "I Am Jazz" is up in the air. Per the International Business Times , TLC, the network behind the show, has not yet hinted at a Season 8, leaving fans to wonder if the finale of Season 7 is their final goodbye to Jazz. Adding more speculation to the future of the show, Jazz's mom, Jeanette Jennings, admitted during an interview with MediaVillage that the future of the show is in Jazz's hands (via IBT). Confessing that cameras would not be permitted on Harvard's campus, Jeanette revealed that if Jazz wants to continue with the show, that's her prerogative. "It's really what Jazz wants to do," Jeanette said. "But if she's tied up with summer school or something, they can't film up at Harvard. They're not allowed to ... have cameras up there. Without her, we wouldn't have a show." Recommended Yours CuriouslyProse, poetry and a point of view, read poems and stories reviews of children's books on yours curiously.
I am Jazz - Book Review As a teacher I was unable to recognise that my students were struggling with their gender identities and sexuality. I am now familiarising myself with LGBTQIA literature for both adults and children. I hope that this attempt will help me understand and support the teachers and students I work with. Based on real life experiences... Please read... I am Jazz. #IAmJazz #JessicaHerthel #JazzJennings #childrensliterature #BookReview #LGBTQIA #Transgender
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Common Sense Media Review Transgender teen's reality show is positive, poignant. Parents Need to KnowParents need to know that the reality series I Am Jazz follows a transgender woman sharing her experiences from attending high school to entering adulthood. There's lots of talk about boys, breast size, virginity, and dating in general, and much of it centers on coping with these issues as transgender people… Why Age 11+?"Piss" and "crap," plus slurs such as "tranny freak." Jazz gets several hate calls and texts calling her "freak" and "tranny freak." B Jazz talks about genitalia, breast size, and periods in relation to the gender-a Children's book I Am Jazz is featured and promoted. Any Positive Content?Themes include acceptance of your authentic identity and family, as well as the Jazz is brave and willing to speak out and share her story. She also works hard Centers on a transgender young woman, Jazz, as she navigates transitioning. She Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide. Violence & ScarinessJazz gets several hate calls and texts calling her "freak" and "tranny freak." Bullying, discrimination, and hate crimes are frequently discussed; the show clearly portrays this behavior as abusive. Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide. Sex, Romance & NudityJazz talks about genitalia, breast size, and periods in relation to the gender-affirming procedures she goes through. She also shares her experiences of dating, including topics of virginity. Nothing sexual is shown on-screen. Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide. Products & PurchasesPositive messages. Themes include acceptance of your authentic identity and family, as well as the importance of courage, communication, and empathy. Positive Role ModelsJazz is brave and willing to speak out and share her story. She also works hard on resolving her own body image issues and navigates difficulties at school. Her family is extremely supportive: Mom Jeanette advocates for Jazz and ensures her daughter receives the care and respect she deserves, while dad Greg demonstrates great understanding of Jazz's wants and needs. Diverse RepresentationsCenters on a transgender young woman, Jazz, as she navigates transitioning. She goes through gender-affirming surgeries and deals with other people's intolerance. The series shows her unique experiences around dating and going to school. Trans youth legislation, health care, and public education are also discussed. Jazz battles anxiety and depression with love and support from her family and friends. Her longtime friend Noelle is a White trans woman who goes through myriad challenges during the process of transitioning. The cast is predominantly White. But Jazz's ex-boyfriend Ahmir Steward is Black, has significant screen time, and supports Jazz on her journey. Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update. Parents need to know that the reality series I Am Jazz follows a transgender woman sharing her experiences from attending high school to entering adulthood. There's lots of talk about boys, breast size, virginity, and dating in general, and much of it centers on coping with these issues as transgender people. Bullying and discrimination are discussed; the series shows Jazz getting hate texts and calls that address her and her transgender friends as "freaks" and "tranny freaks." Other language includes "piss" and "crap." The show highlights the challenging realities of growing up as a transgender woman, and courage, communication, and empathy are major themes. The series promotes Jazz's children's book I Am Jazz as well as media campaigns designed to support transgender youth. Where to WatchVideos and photos.  Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 5 parent reviews I have no transphobic bias. This show is very stupid, the people are too.Not just another pointless reality show., what's the story. I AM JAZZ is a reality series that starts with author and YouTube celebrity Jazz Jennings as she prepares to enter high school. Assigned male at birth, Jazz began her transition when she was five years old and has lived a happy life as a girl. But as she's getting older, she must deal with the challenges that come with puberty, including adjusting hormone treatment levels to prevent male development, becoming comfortable with meeting new people, and dating. Meanwhile, she must continue to cope with institutional ignorance and ongoing bullying. Luckily her parents, Greg and Jeannette, as well as her older sister, Ari, and twin brothers, Griffen and Sander, are there to support her every step of the way. Is It Any Good?The overall series is largely uplifting, thanks to Jazz's honesty about who she is, and her efforts to be a role model to other transgender people. I Am Jazz weaves together conversations about clothes, makeup, and boys with a positive and uniquely personal story about a teen who's constantly negotiating her willingness to openly be herself and facing fears of being rejected or bullied because she's transgender. It also underscores the serious medical decisions she must constantly make to ultimately have the life she wants. The picture painted here isn't an easy one, especially when Jazz and her parents describe the endless struggles they've had to face over the years and some of the concerns they have for the future. Bullying incidents captured on camera aren't easy to watch either. Talk to Your Kids About ...Families can talk about being transgender. What kind of challenges do trans people face on a daily basis? How can TV shows like I Am Jazz help? Jazz's family is both supportive and financially stable. How do you think her life might be different if one of these factors changed? How does I Am Jazz promote courage , communication , and empathy ? Why are these important character strengths ?
Did we miss something on diversity?Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update. Suggest an UpdateWhat to watch next.  Becoming Us The Prancing Elites Project Becoming Chaz Just GenderTv shows with lgbtq+ characters and leads, movies with lgbtq+ characters, related topics.
Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.  Review of “I am Jazz”This children’s book was written by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas. I have never read this book before, but I have heard about Jazz in the news and on talk shows. Ratings: Amazon : 4.7 out of 5 stars (the highest I’ve ever seen!). Goodreads : 4.12 out of 5 stars. Summary: (copied from Amazon) The story of a transgender child based on the real-life experience of Jazz Jennings, who has become a spokesperson for trans kids everywhere. This book is an autobiographical children’s book based on the childhood of a transgender activist. This book does not show any sexual contact, nor does it cover the gender affirmation surgery (which has been a big stickler for those that makes transgender a political issue). This transgender activist grew up in Florida and graduated from Broward County Public Schools in 2019. Which is a crazy coincidence since Florida passed the “Parental Rights in Education” Act, HB 1557 in 2022. House Bill 1557 (2022) – The Florida Senate (flsenate.gov) This means it is illegal for teachers to read a book like “I am Jazz” to anyone in six grade or younger. “In 2015, the Mount Horeb Area School District in Wisconsin canceled a reading of I Am Jazz after an attorney with the evangelical group Liberty Counsel threatened to sue teachers and school district staff for “violation of parental rights.”” Trans Author’s ‘I Am Jazz’ Is One of the Most Banned Books in the U.S. (reason.com) “In 2017, I Am Jazz was challenged at Rocklin Academy Gateway in California after the book was read aloud in a kindergarten class. The school has a policy in which students can bring in books from home to be read aloud. A student in the class was undergoing gender transition, and she brought in the copy of I Am Jazz that was read to the class. Several parents subsequently removed their children from the school and called for a policy that allowed them to keep their children from sharing a classroom with a transgender student. The school stood behind their book policy , affirming the inclusion of LGBTQ literature in classrooms, and administrators rightly decided not to add the requested “opt out” policy, which would have been tantamount to illegal discrimination. Unfortunately, the administration chose to add a red flagging policy that would forewarn parents about potentially “controversial” material, which could invite future complaints and disrupt the educational process.” Banned Spotlight: I Am Jazz | Banned Books Week For this review, I am forgoing my personal take. I will let Jazz Jennings speak for herself. “My name is Jazz and I was assigned male at birth. At age 2, I expressed I knew I was a girl. At age 5, I began my social transition. And today, despite living my life as a proud trans woman, my children’s book I Am Jazz is banned all over the country,” she said in an Instagram video posted on Tuesday. “Legislators ban the book out of fear that it will recruit or brainwash kids into being LGBTQ+. It does not. The book is about identity and it helps so many transgender youth learn about their personal self identity and who they are and it helps families better support their transgender child and friends better support their transgender friend.” Jazz Jennings calls out legislators for banning her children’s book (yahoo.com) I’ll leave you with that thought. Here are a few links for those who object to accessing this book: Share this:Leave a comment cancel reply. 
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Our review: Parents say (1 ): Kids say (4 ): I AM JAZZ straightforwardly explains to very young children a topic that can confuse even adults. It isn't particularly dramatic -- to the contrary, and this is partly the point, Jazz is depicted as a rather ordinary (if unusually confident) young girl. It's that ordinariness that helps make this ...
An autobiographical picture book describes trans-youth activist Jazz Jennings' story of embracing and asserting her transgender identity. Both the title and the opening text proclaims, "I am Jazz!". The book goes on to detail Jazz's various interests and tastes, which follow traditionally feminine gender norms.
Jessica is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School. Jazz Jennings is a trans woman, YouTube celebrity, spokesmodel, activist, and author of the memoir Being Jazz. She has a docu-series about her life called I Am Jazz on TLC, which started airing in July 2015.
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. About I Am Jazz The story of a transgender child based on the real-life experience of Jazz Jennings, who has become a spokesperson for transkids everywhere
While I Am Jazz is an important book for introducing children to the concept of transgender, I was disappointed to see that "girlness" was equated to princesses, pink, and mermaids in this text. While stereotypical gendered behavior is often a key factor in parents and health care providers realization of a child's transgender identity, it is ...
Jessica is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School. Jazz Jennings is a trans woman, YouTube celebrity, spokesmodel, activist, and author of the memoir Being Jazz. She has a docu-series about her life called I Am Jazz on TLC, which started airing in July 2015. She was named to Time's "Most Influential Teens" list two ...
Paige Pagan is a Social Justice Books Program Specialist at Teaching for Change. I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel, Jazz Jennings Published by Penguin Group (USA) LLC on 2014 Genres: LGBTQ Pages: 32 Reading Level: Grade K, Grades 1-2 ISBN: 9780803741072 Review Source: Teaching for Change. Publisher's Synopsis: The story of a transgender child based ...
I Am Jazz. Hardcover - Picture Book, 13 July 2015. by Jessica Herthel (Author) 4.8 693 ratings. See all formats and editions. 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 boy's clothing.
I Am Jazz. HERTHEL, Jessica & . illus. by Shelagh McNicholas. 32p. Dial. Aug. 2014. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780803741072. Gr 1-3— This enlightening autobiographical picture book tells the story of a transgender child who knew from the time she was two that despite her physical body she wasn't really a boy. Young Jazz was passionate about her love ...
Herthel, Jessica and Jazz Jennings. I Am Jazz. Dial, 2014. $17.99. 32p. HC. 978-0803741072. In a child's easily understood voice, 13-year-old Jazz tells her story. She explains how her parents let her play as a girl at home where her siblings accept her as her parents do. "But whenever we went out, I had to put on my boy clothes again.
She has a docu-series about her life called I Am Jazz on TLC, which started airing in July 2015. She was named to Time's "Most Influential Teens" list two years in a row, was one of Huffington Post's "14 Most Fearless Teens," and was the youngest person ever featured on Out's "Out 100," as well as on Advocate's "40 Under ...
I Am Jazz Kindle Edition. I Am Jazz. Kindle Edition. by Jessica Herthel (Author), Jazz Jennings (Author), Shelagh McNicholas (Illustrator) Format: Kindle Edition. 4.7 790 ratings. See all formats and editions. Book Description. Editorial Reviews. The story of a transgender child based on the real-life experience of Jazz Jennings, who has become ...
I am Jazz has received multiple awards, including the American Library Association's Rainbow Project Book List Award (2015). [3]I am Jazz has landed on the American Library Association's list of Top 10 Challenged Books of 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019. [4] [2] The book has been challenged and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content, for having a transgender character, for confronting a topic that is ...
An autobiographical picture book describes trans-youth activist Jazz Jennings' story of embracing and asserting her transgender identity. Both the title and the opening text proclaims, "I am Jazz!". The book goes on to detail Jazz's various interests and tastes, which follow traditionally feminine gender norms.
I wish I had had a book like this when I was a kid struggling with gender identity questions. I found it deeply moving in its simplicity and honesty."—Laverne Cox (who plays Sophia in "Orange Is the New Black") From the time she was two years old, Jazz knew that she had a girl's brain in a boy's body.
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. Publisher: Dial Books ISBN-13: 9780803741072
United States (English (Canada)) I Am Jazz - Ebook written by Jessica Herthel, Jazz Jennings. Read this book using Google Play Books app on your PC, android, iOS devices. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read I Am Jazz.
Jazz is an appealing guide to her own life, confident but with a kid's awkwardness and dorky sense of humor. She's remarkably self-possessed for a 14-year-old, likely a product of having grown ...
But while the "20/20" interview shows an 11-year-old Jazz talking to the camera in a surprisingly mature way, what many people don't realize is that the very first time Walters met Jazz was when she was 6 years old, back in 2007. During the "20/20" interview, Walters talks about how, at 6 years old, Jazz was "one of the youngest documented ...
As a teacher I was unable to recognise that my students were struggling with their gender identities and sexuality. I am now familiarising myself with LGBTQIA literature for both adults and children. I hope that this attempt will help me understand and support the teachers and students I work with. Based on real life experiences... Please read... I am Jazz.#IAmJazz #JessicaHerthel # ...
Our review: Parents say (5 ): Kids say (6 ): The overall series is largely uplifting, thanks to Jazz's honesty about who she is, and her efforts to be a role model to other transgender people. I Am Jazz weaves together conversations about clothes, makeup, and boys with a positive and uniquely personal story about a teen who's constantly ...
"In 2017, I Am Jazz was challenged at Rocklin Academy Gateway in California after the book was read aloud in a kindergarten class. The school has a policy in which students can bring in books from home to be read aloud. A student in the class was undergoing gender transition, and she brought in the copy of I Am Jazz that was read to the class ...