There is a big difference between diversity and propaganda, and right now I feel publishers and the entertainment industry are refusing anything that’s not propaganda. Kids are getting it from every direction - being “cishet” is boring at best, contemptible and oppressive to all the minorities around you at worst. Promiscuity, drug use, smoking, polyamory, and sex work are also being normalized along with transgender identities and homosexuality that seems to be a performance rather than a genuine orientation. I didn’t realize how widespread this was until my then 14 year old got totally captured. It never occurred to me that reading books with gay characters was going to make her want so badly to identify as gay that she’d change her gender (because she isn’t actually homosexual so now she’s a “gay boy” which is apparently MUCH cooler than just being an ordinary girl). But it’s not just representation anymore, it’s openly mocking anyone who isn’t a “minority” in some way. And this is one type of minority identity that one can opt into.
I’m getting to the point where I can’t even watch TV anymore, either. I don’t mind the occasional gay character or story line, but every single show now has far more gay sex than straight sex, and it’s especially bizarre in historical situations where this would NEVER have happened.
Thank you for this contribution! As a writer, I'm always curious to see more insights into the creative writing trends.
I don't believe in banning books nor pressuring any author towards or against any moral viewpoint. I think guilting and censoring the writers makes things worse, after all, many writers will be flawed or have ideas I disagree with. As a young writer, I ended up hating "wokeness" because of these trends. I also include some non-binary, trans, and gay characters in my own writing, it's not inherently flawed.
That said, many stories today containing LGBT+ characters DO feel awkward, flat, or like the cast is "extra gay" in order to push a message. My discomfort with this comes not from the choices or content of the author but rather, the sense of immense pressure and how the author feels forced into certain decisions. I don't like seeing that kind of pressure and I think it's what really makes the stories feel awkward.
I've also seen how being a minority character makes their behaviors critique-proof at times - I think a key point here is that representing these things in an unhealthy way is the issue, not having gay characters exist in general (for all of the gay men I've confessed to writing about here, I've never once included a sex scene, so you know my work is "safe" in that regard at least). Even so, we can't stop crappy writers from existing, and I feel media tends to be given too much credit for the power it has. Yes, it can have an influence, but that can easily be broken with the right tools.
Restricting books based on age-appropriateness is one way to do it, though I worry about how strict some can be. Given the number of times I'd been warned about "sexist" media only to either not care or not find it offensive. I had a supportive community, in a generally accepting society, so a book with a stereotypically weak female character or unhealthy relationships portrayed was something I at most rolled my eyes at and put down. That can hurt someone to see if the world around them doesn't have the right support, but I think it's more important to connect and support someone on a deeper level rather than try to control the superficial. It's not like seeing an empowering Christian representative in media, for instance, would have replaced my need for human connection (very few of my woke friends seemed to prioritize actual socialization over preaching to the right mantras). We can make a bigger impact on those close to us, and we can't end bad writing no matter what we try. At least, that's just my thoughts on the matter, and I think the principles can apply both ways.
Though, it's not like I can stop writers from being criticized, either. People are allowed to say they don't like someone's work, and I'm sure many of us in this thread aren't taking it to an extreme extent. I agree with most of the critiques presented here on modern media. It's not really productive to call someone a bigot the second they dislike something - And hey, people were right about me including wayyy too many non-binary characters out of pressure. It's helped me stop forcing it, though I'm not about to restrict myself from any particular demographic.
One last thing - and I want to end on this because it's important. I see so many groups that are all for minority meet-ups. When searching for a place to meet other young-adults, I found my top Meetup.com results consisted of almost all LGBT+ or autism meet-ups. There were a few Catholic groups, to be fair... But that was a small minority, about 2 or 3 in the first 20 results or so. I think I only saw one that was actually just hobby-focused. Even as a Catholic, this is frustrating.
I've never liked women's groups since it feels like I'm being forced to feel something specific about my gender that I don't, like I can't just do the activity for the activity. But I'm not against them, I know some enjoy being around other women, and similarly, I know some LGBT+ kids really appreciate the safe space with people like them if they either come from a more hostile environment or just find that to be an important thing to them, as individuals. It's not that these groups serve no purpose.
But I have to wonder, especially as (if I'm not crazy to presume) things seem, dare I say, much more accepting nowadays - how do LGBT+ people my age feel about this? Are there some who also feel like I do with women's groups, "Why can't we just connect normally if we're meant to be included? Why must we always be supported in a seperate space?" Not everyone will feel the same about these groups, but it feels like we're all expected to be shoved into them one way or another, which is where I start feeling uncomfortable. To be clear - I just want more options, I'm not interested in tearing anybody down.
I wish I could create groups more easily, just regular spaces to just... hang out, where the focus isn't on activism or mental health or whatnot. I've tried, but I don't really have the resources to build something people will actually see and sign up for, (and I also have no idea what I'm doing.)
I'm sorry for the long, long, long post... Maybe I'm just spouting nonsense. It's one of those things I've bottled up for a while without many people my age to talk to about.
“When the protagonist introduces the nonbinary friend to her immigrant Chinese mother and says “You can use they/them for [Name]” and the mom replies “Sure honey. I don’t understand it but I’ll use whatever [Name] wants,” my eyes rolled out of my head. I don’t think any immigrant Asian mother would respond so kindly. The reality would be more like “What is wrong with your friend? I think you should stop hanging out with her. Is she crazy?”
And I was being generous. It would be more realistic if the main character didn't tell her immigrant Chinese mother anything about preferred pronouns b/c the mother would not understand at all, and likely yell at her daughter to stop hanging out with crazy people.
That’s why laughed out loud… I’m married to a Chinese woman whose parents are immigrants… and when I envisioned my Mother-in-Law being asked to use they/them pronouns… and accepting it without question… I burst out laughing.
The term “book ban” has become a little meaningless, right? It’s less about bans and more about librarians making very specific choices about which books to order for school libraries and which books to cull from their collections. I *have* noticed an uptick in books targeted to boys about sports. I haven read any, but maybe this is the start of a change?
Thank you for this list. I will look them up. Lord of the Rings was next on my list. I enjoyed this series when I was in middle school. He has already read The Hobbit so far.
Also, gaming is not bad. There is a lot of creativity there. Putting a graphics card in his computer and letting him explore StarCraft or similar cool games can be a great experience. It is like a movie where you get to be a character.
This is also happening in all areas of culture, not just pop culture, but what was formerly nerd culture like video games, table top games, sci-fi and fantasy books. All spaces are now female and queer coded and boys aren't welcome anymore.
There is a concerted effort ongoing to insert this propaganda into all aspects of culture and demonize and drive out anyone who dissents.
You should read a post I recently restacked called "Attack of the theatre kids" which speaks about this issue, if you haven't already.
yes there is definitely a whole "we don't need (straight) men" vibe going on for the last 20 years. You know what stickers were floating around at my son's robotics competition a few seasons ago? (This is a competition for 5th-8th graders)-- "The Future is Female." Western society has been tricking girls into thinking boys are unnecessary and then these girls grow up doing both roles and being miserable, and giving their kids to the government to raise b/c they have to go straight back to work instead of raising a family.
I’m a lesbian, and I’ve never liked that “queer” characters became not just mainstreamed but mandatory in so much of media.
The actual lesbian and gay experience is about being on the margins, not having that many people who are like you around you. Even now, it's much more likely that you'll have friends that identify as LGBT/queer, but most of them won't pursue same-sex relationships. Same-sex relationships often include dealing with stigma and homophobia, sometimes even from your partner if they haven’t accepted themselves fully yet. This is even more common in adolescence. Mainstream queer books present the LGBT experience as if these struggles don't exist, or if they do, only in the most hamfisted and stereotypical ways.
Back in the day there was an independent lesbian and gay press that published books intended for our subculture, that included the full range of lesbian and gay experiences. These books were for lgbt adults, not to propagandize to children. Even though I am Gen Z, I seek out vintage lesbian books from the 1990s because I find them more relatable and realistic.
I hate these unrealistic propaganda books put out by mainstream presses, they paint a picture of a reality that doesn’t exist and has very little to do with the actual experience of being lesbian/gay
Thanks for this perspective. I know that my sister-in-law and her wife (both Gen X) do NOT really relate to all the current LGBTQ hoopla and views. They think those people are wacko.
I am in general, against book bans, but I enjoy articles that make me challenge myself. Should these books be placed in a different section other than YA whereby, as you mentioned, it’s clear to the reader what they’re getting? Do we need to lobby publishers to lighten-up on the DEI requirements you imply they may be imposing? Or simply create a large, noisy grassroots demand for healthier reading choices? A good friend of mine was a top librarian in Toronto and she told me she hated book-banning, but her staff spent a lot of time with proper categorization, especially in regards to age-appropriateness.
It sounds like you are included in the group of people who believe that parents are demanding “book bans” when in reality most are saying this is not appropriate for a/ my child. Exactly what is described here. And no, they will not “recategorize” because they are already categorized as YA. It is meant for young readers. It is intentional. The very groups/ forces/ influences that have brought gender ideology into every aspect of a child’s life today, are the ones that have determined it is “important” to expose children to these topics as early as possible. Aided mostly by people who do not fully know that what is described here is actually happening, and yet rally against those opposing it. They have a firm stronghold in our schools, in culture, in literature as explained here, in our own homes. They’re not easily going to let go of such power. Whole another story, but also fully endorsed by political forces… but that’s a story for another day.
yes I completely agree, which saddens me b/c literature is where freedom lies. And now it seems the institutions are corrupting literature as well for young people. In "Excellent Sheep," William Deresiewicz says that "Books are maps of the possible futures. They help endow you with exactly that imagination that it takes to invent your life," when arguing for the necessity of a liberal arts education. However, when a specific ideology has a stronghold on what constitutes literature and there is only one type of character worthy of story and voice, well then, that is not freedom. "The most successful tyranny is the one that removes the awareness of other possibilities" - Allan Bloom.
Huh. I have no doubt. I’m an east-coaster and my sister on the west coast (Canada FYI) tells me of friends of hers that bring up their children as “they’s”, rather than assign a sex. Makes my blood boil.
Wonderfully written. At the risk of getting lost amid the many comments, I have a great series recommendation for your son! Fablehaven and Dragonwatch by Brandon Mull are companion series that total something like 10 or 12 books. They’re hefty, too! I started them as a middle schooler and the second series was completed in my adulthood, still loved it!
Yup! He is on the last book of Dragonwatch currently. He finished Fablehaven already. Those lasted him a few months... lol. He enjoyed Dragonwatch more than Fablehaven. He complained that in Fablehaven, the boy character always got in trouble by the grandparents but the sister did not, and the sister got to do the cool spells or something.
I just recently tried to read a book. It was about a 14 year old in a foster home where she reconnected with a childhood male friend who was now living as a girl.
She describes him the following: he appeared kind of stupid as a boy, but as a girl this worked for “her”.
This book was set in the 1990s. The transgeberism is not relevant for the plot at all. The plot is actually about murder and the satanic panic of the 90s.
Of course the main character is a lesbian with a lot of inappropriate sex with older women. And then the only true “lesbian” relationship with her “male” friend is glorified as true love.
I nearly lost it. Are we telling kids and teens now that girls are stupid or must appear stupid?
Btw that is directly what the main protagonist’s sister is saying word for word.
I did not finish the book.
Thanks for fleshing this out and highlighting this worrisome trend.
Great article. It’s a bad time when authors, publishing houses, bookstores, and librarians are all pushing this extreme ideology. If we aren’t doing book bans, then we need to make an effort to support authors and publishers who buck this trend and try to get better content out to readers.
A few ideas for your son.
Fantasy
- LOTR: the Hobbit is readable by 1-2yr younger kids than the main trilogy.
- try The Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan.
- the Black Cauldron series by Lloyd Alexander
- the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey
- The Oath of Swords by David Weber
Science Fiction
- Citizen of the Galaxy or Orphans of the Sky. Robert Heinlein has 7 juvenile books that are all good
- Dune by Frank Herbert is great, but probably at 15 or so.
- March Upcountry by John Ringo is the first of a really nice trilogy.
Informative well argued article! Thank you!!! Resulted in reasoned thought provoking comments too. I'm inspired that I may not be the only person who sees 2024 societal issues in shades of gray.
Thank you so much for making the point that it is extraordinarily difficult to read books which use they/them to refer to a single character. Regardless of my feelings about the whole pronoun debate, I just can't read they/them without picturing multiple persons. I recently just gave up on a book because that word usage pulled me out of the story every. single. time.
Oh, I know. I used it that way myself in another Substack post recently: "I don't belong to an IRL book club, but I participate in quite a few group reads here on Substack. I like them because the Substack author/leader has already chosen a book he or she wants to explore, so THEY are already speaking from a place of enthusiasm for the book and from a willingness to dive deeper." But in the context of my post, it was already clear that I was referring to a single person in the abstract.
Robert Cormier and Gary Paulson are great for middle school audiences, especially boys. I haven’t read her more recent releases, but The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo has always been a favorite for both my HS daughter and middle school son. And don’t forget the “oldies”/classics from mythology—D’Aulaire’s collections of Greek and Norse myths and Edith Hamilton’s Mythology are invitations to dive as deep as a reader wants to go into those timeless—and universal—stories.
Interesting piece! I would advise that her son reads anything by RA Salvatore. High fantasy from the nineties was probably the pinnacle of male-oriented literature meant before boys migrated to video games as their chief source of storytelling and narrative device. Animorphs is a great series, too.
There is a big difference between diversity and propaganda, and right now I feel publishers and the entertainment industry are refusing anything that’s not propaganda. Kids are getting it from every direction - being “cishet” is boring at best, contemptible and oppressive to all the minorities around you at worst. Promiscuity, drug use, smoking, polyamory, and sex work are also being normalized along with transgender identities and homosexuality that seems to be a performance rather than a genuine orientation. I didn’t realize how widespread this was until my then 14 year old got totally captured. It never occurred to me that reading books with gay characters was going to make her want so badly to identify as gay that she’d change her gender (because she isn’t actually homosexual so now she’s a “gay boy” which is apparently MUCH cooler than just being an ordinary girl). But it’s not just representation anymore, it’s openly mocking anyone who isn’t a “minority” in some way. And this is one type of minority identity that one can opt into.
I’m getting to the point where I can’t even watch TV anymore, either. I don’t mind the occasional gay character or story line, but every single show now has far more gay sex than straight sex, and it’s especially bizarre in historical situations where this would NEVER have happened.
I'm with you all the way.
If I had a daughter today, I think it would be 10x harder keeping the trash out of her reading materials.
Thank you for this contribution! As a writer, I'm always curious to see more insights into the creative writing trends.
I don't believe in banning books nor pressuring any author towards or against any moral viewpoint. I think guilting and censoring the writers makes things worse, after all, many writers will be flawed or have ideas I disagree with. As a young writer, I ended up hating "wokeness" because of these trends. I also include some non-binary, trans, and gay characters in my own writing, it's not inherently flawed.
That said, many stories today containing LGBT+ characters DO feel awkward, flat, or like the cast is "extra gay" in order to push a message. My discomfort with this comes not from the choices or content of the author but rather, the sense of immense pressure and how the author feels forced into certain decisions. I don't like seeing that kind of pressure and I think it's what really makes the stories feel awkward.
I've also seen how being a minority character makes their behaviors critique-proof at times - I think a key point here is that representing these things in an unhealthy way is the issue, not having gay characters exist in general (for all of the gay men I've confessed to writing about here, I've never once included a sex scene, so you know my work is "safe" in that regard at least). Even so, we can't stop crappy writers from existing, and I feel media tends to be given too much credit for the power it has. Yes, it can have an influence, but that can easily be broken with the right tools.
Restricting books based on age-appropriateness is one way to do it, though I worry about how strict some can be. Given the number of times I'd been warned about "sexist" media only to either not care or not find it offensive. I had a supportive community, in a generally accepting society, so a book with a stereotypically weak female character or unhealthy relationships portrayed was something I at most rolled my eyes at and put down. That can hurt someone to see if the world around them doesn't have the right support, but I think it's more important to connect and support someone on a deeper level rather than try to control the superficial. It's not like seeing an empowering Christian representative in media, for instance, would have replaced my need for human connection (very few of my woke friends seemed to prioritize actual socialization over preaching to the right mantras). We can make a bigger impact on those close to us, and we can't end bad writing no matter what we try. At least, that's just my thoughts on the matter, and I think the principles can apply both ways.
Though, it's not like I can stop writers from being criticized, either. People are allowed to say they don't like someone's work, and I'm sure many of us in this thread aren't taking it to an extreme extent. I agree with most of the critiques presented here on modern media. It's not really productive to call someone a bigot the second they dislike something - And hey, people were right about me including wayyy too many non-binary characters out of pressure. It's helped me stop forcing it, though I'm not about to restrict myself from any particular demographic.
One last thing - and I want to end on this because it's important. I see so many groups that are all for minority meet-ups. When searching for a place to meet other young-adults, I found my top Meetup.com results consisted of almost all LGBT+ or autism meet-ups. There were a few Catholic groups, to be fair... But that was a small minority, about 2 or 3 in the first 20 results or so. I think I only saw one that was actually just hobby-focused. Even as a Catholic, this is frustrating.
I've never liked women's groups since it feels like I'm being forced to feel something specific about my gender that I don't, like I can't just do the activity for the activity. But I'm not against them, I know some enjoy being around other women, and similarly, I know some LGBT+ kids really appreciate the safe space with people like them if they either come from a more hostile environment or just find that to be an important thing to them, as individuals. It's not that these groups serve no purpose.
But I have to wonder, especially as (if I'm not crazy to presume) things seem, dare I say, much more accepting nowadays - how do LGBT+ people my age feel about this? Are there some who also feel like I do with women's groups, "Why can't we just connect normally if we're meant to be included? Why must we always be supported in a seperate space?" Not everyone will feel the same about these groups, but it feels like we're all expected to be shoved into them one way or another, which is where I start feeling uncomfortable. To be clear - I just want more options, I'm not interested in tearing anybody down.
I wish I could create groups more easily, just regular spaces to just... hang out, where the focus isn't on activism or mental health or whatnot. I've tried, but I don't really have the resources to build something people will actually see and sign up for, (and I also have no idea what I'm doing.)
I'm sorry for the long, long, long post... Maybe I'm just spouting nonsense. It's one of those things I've bottled up for a while without many people my age to talk to about.
You are not spouting nonsense, you are presenting balance. Well done.
Thank you for the kind words! :)
This paragraph made me wheeze…
“When the protagonist introduces the nonbinary friend to her immigrant Chinese mother and says “You can use they/them for [Name]” and the mom replies “Sure honey. I don’t understand it but I’ll use whatever [Name] wants,” my eyes rolled out of my head. I don’t think any immigrant Asian mother would respond so kindly. The reality would be more like “What is wrong with your friend? I think you should stop hanging out with her. Is she crazy?”
Great piece!
And I was being generous. It would be more realistic if the main character didn't tell her immigrant Chinese mother anything about preferred pronouns b/c the mother would not understand at all, and likely yell at her daughter to stop hanging out with crazy people.
That’s why laughed out loud… I’m married to a Chinese woman whose parents are immigrants… and when I envisioned my Mother-in-Law being asked to use they/them pronouns… and accepting it without question… I burst out laughing.
This is how the self anointed self-righteous left drives people to vote for Trump. And then they will blame everyone but themselves.
The term “book ban” has become a little meaningless, right? It’s less about bans and more about librarians making very specific choices about which books to order for school libraries and which books to cull from their collections. I *have* noticed an uptick in books targeted to boys about sports. I haven read any, but maybe this is the start of a change?
What's the difference between cull and ban?
I was that kid, only not Korean (although I wanted to be and studied Korean at university). I highly recommend:
-Dune
-Lord of the Rings
-Anything Kurt Vonnegut
-Wheel of Time (that will easily take a six months to a year)
-Anything Raymond Feist
-Anything Brandon Sanderson, but start with his Skyward young adult books
That should last a year if he reads fast, and half a decade if he does not.
Thank you for this list. I will look them up. Lord of the Rings was next on my list. I enjoyed this series when I was in middle school. He has already read The Hobbit so far.
Also, gaming is not bad. There is a lot of creativity there. Putting a graphics card in his computer and letting him explore StarCraft or similar cool games can be a great experience. It is like a movie where you get to be a character.
This is also happening in all areas of culture, not just pop culture, but what was formerly nerd culture like video games, table top games, sci-fi and fantasy books. All spaces are now female and queer coded and boys aren't welcome anymore.
There is a concerted effort ongoing to insert this propaganda into all aspects of culture and demonize and drive out anyone who dissents.
You should read a post I recently restacked called "Attack of the theatre kids" which speaks about this issue, if you haven't already.
yes there is definitely a whole "we don't need (straight) men" vibe going on for the last 20 years. You know what stickers were floating around at my son's robotics competition a few seasons ago? (This is a competition for 5th-8th graders)-- "The Future is Female." Western society has been tricking girls into thinking boys are unnecessary and then these girls grow up doing both roles and being miserable, and giving their kids to the government to raise b/c they have to go straight back to work instead of raising a family.
I’m a lesbian, and I’ve never liked that “queer” characters became not just mainstreamed but mandatory in so much of media.
The actual lesbian and gay experience is about being on the margins, not having that many people who are like you around you. Even now, it's much more likely that you'll have friends that identify as LGBT/queer, but most of them won't pursue same-sex relationships. Same-sex relationships often include dealing with stigma and homophobia, sometimes even from your partner if they haven’t accepted themselves fully yet. This is even more common in adolescence. Mainstream queer books present the LGBT experience as if these struggles don't exist, or if they do, only in the most hamfisted and stereotypical ways.
Back in the day there was an independent lesbian and gay press that published books intended for our subculture, that included the full range of lesbian and gay experiences. These books were for lgbt adults, not to propagandize to children. Even though I am Gen Z, I seek out vintage lesbian books from the 1990s because I find them more relatable and realistic.
I hate these unrealistic propaganda books put out by mainstream presses, they paint a picture of a reality that doesn’t exist and has very little to do with the actual experience of being lesbian/gay
Thanks for this perspective. I know that my sister-in-law and her wife (both Gen X) do NOT really relate to all the current LGBTQ hoopla and views. They think those people are wacko.
I am in general, against book bans, but I enjoy articles that make me challenge myself. Should these books be placed in a different section other than YA whereby, as you mentioned, it’s clear to the reader what they’re getting? Do we need to lobby publishers to lighten-up on the DEI requirements you imply they may be imposing? Or simply create a large, noisy grassroots demand for healthier reading choices? A good friend of mine was a top librarian in Toronto and she told me she hated book-banning, but her staff spent a lot of time with proper categorization, especially in regards to age-appropriateness.
It sounds like you are included in the group of people who believe that parents are demanding “book bans” when in reality most are saying this is not appropriate for a/ my child. Exactly what is described here. And no, they will not “recategorize” because they are already categorized as YA. It is meant for young readers. It is intentional. The very groups/ forces/ influences that have brought gender ideology into every aspect of a child’s life today, are the ones that have determined it is “important” to expose children to these topics as early as possible. Aided mostly by people who do not fully know that what is described here is actually happening, and yet rally against those opposing it. They have a firm stronghold in our schools, in culture, in literature as explained here, in our own homes. They’re not easily going to let go of such power. Whole another story, but also fully endorsed by political forces… but that’s a story for another day.
yes I completely agree, which saddens me b/c literature is where freedom lies. And now it seems the institutions are corrupting literature as well for young people. In "Excellent Sheep," William Deresiewicz says that "Books are maps of the possible futures. They help endow you with exactly that imagination that it takes to invent your life," when arguing for the necessity of a liberal arts education. However, when a specific ideology has a stronghold on what constitutes literature and there is only one type of character worthy of story and voice, well then, that is not freedom. "The most successful tyranny is the one that removes the awareness of other possibilities" - Allan Bloom.
Huh. I have no doubt. I’m an east-coaster and my sister on the west coast (Canada FYI) tells me of friends of hers that bring up their children as “they’s”, rather than assign a sex. Makes my blood boil.
Sign me up for the grassroots movement for healthier reading choices!
Wonderfully written. At the risk of getting lost amid the many comments, I have a great series recommendation for your son! Fablehaven and Dragonwatch by Brandon Mull are companion series that total something like 10 or 12 books. They’re hefty, too! I started them as a middle schooler and the second series was completed in my adulthood, still loved it!
Yup! He is on the last book of Dragonwatch currently. He finished Fablehaven already. Those lasted him a few months... lol. He enjoyed Dragonwatch more than Fablehaven. He complained that in Fablehaven, the boy character always got in trouble by the grandparents but the sister did not, and the sister got to do the cool spells or something.
I just recently tried to read a book. It was about a 14 year old in a foster home where she reconnected with a childhood male friend who was now living as a girl.
She describes him the following: he appeared kind of stupid as a boy, but as a girl this worked for “her”.
This book was set in the 1990s. The transgeberism is not relevant for the plot at all. The plot is actually about murder and the satanic panic of the 90s.
Of course the main character is a lesbian with a lot of inappropriate sex with older women. And then the only true “lesbian” relationship with her “male” friend is glorified as true love.
I nearly lost it. Are we telling kids and teens now that girls are stupid or must appear stupid?
Btw that is directly what the main protagonist’s sister is saying word for word.
I did not finish the book.
Thanks for fleshing this out and highlighting this worrisome trend.
when was this book published?
March 2024
Rainbow Black: A Novel https://a.co/d/1jlupsG
Great article. It’s a bad time when authors, publishing houses, bookstores, and librarians are all pushing this extreme ideology. If we aren’t doing book bans, then we need to make an effort to support authors and publishers who buck this trend and try to get better content out to readers.
A few ideas for your son.
Fantasy
- LOTR: the Hobbit is readable by 1-2yr younger kids than the main trilogy.
- try The Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan.
- the Black Cauldron series by Lloyd Alexander
- the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey
- The Oath of Swords by David Weber
Science Fiction
- Citizen of the Galaxy or Orphans of the Sky. Robert Heinlein has 7 juvenile books that are all good
- Dune by Frank Herbert is great, but probably at 15 or so.
- March Upcountry by John Ringo is the first of a really nice trilogy.
Informative well argued article! Thank you!!! Resulted in reasoned thought provoking comments too. I'm inspired that I may not be the only person who sees 2024 societal issues in shades of gray.
The system works! (Occasionally)
Thank you so much for making the point that it is extraordinarily difficult to read books which use they/them to refer to a single character. Regardless of my feelings about the whole pronoun debate, I just can't read they/them without picturing multiple persons. I recently just gave up on a book because that word usage pulled me out of the story every. single. time.
There is a place for a singular “they.” It is a small one. I have misplaced any example…
Oh, I know. I used it that way myself in another Substack post recently: "I don't belong to an IRL book club, but I participate in quite a few group reads here on Substack. I like them because the Substack author/leader has already chosen a book he or she wants to explore, so THEY are already speaking from a place of enthusiasm for the book and from a willingness to dive deeper." But in the context of my post, it was already clear that I was referring to a single person in the abstract.
Robert Cormier and Gary Paulson are great for middle school audiences, especially boys. I haven’t read her more recent releases, but The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo has always been a favorite for both my HS daughter and middle school son. And don’t forget the “oldies”/classics from mythology—D’Aulaire’s collections of Greek and Norse myths and Edith Hamilton’s Mythology are invitations to dive as deep as a reader wants to go into those timeless—and universal—stories.
Interesting piece! I would advise that her son reads anything by RA Salvatore. High fantasy from the nineties was probably the pinnacle of male-oriented literature meant before boys migrated to video games as their chief source of storytelling and narrative device. Animorphs is a great series, too.