The Transgender Child: A Handbook for Families and Professionals [Paperback]

Stephanie A. Brill (Author), Rachel Pepper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 28, 2008

This comprehensive first of its kind guidebook explores the unique challenges that thousands of families face every day raising their children in every city and state. Through extensive research and interviews, as well as years of experience working in the field, the authors cover gender variance from birth through college. What do you do when your toddler daughter’s first sentence is that she’s a boy? What will happen when your preschool son insists on wearing a dress to school? Is this ever just a phase? How can you explain this to your neighbors and family? How can parents advocate for their children in elementary schools? What are the current laws on the rights of transgender children? What do doctors specializing in gender variant children recommend? What do the therapists say? What advice do other families who have trans kids have? What about hormone blockers and surgery? What issues should your college-bound trans child be thinking about when selecting a school? How can I best raise my gender variant or transgender child with love and compassion, even when I barely understand the issues ahead of us? And what is gender, anyway? These questions and more are answered in this book offering a deeper understanding of gender variant and transgender children and teens.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Libraries may own books dealing with transgender adults, but this is the only guide about raising transgender children. While the general message to parents is that "you have nothing to apologize for and nothing to be embarrassed about," the authors make it clear that parents and families will not have it easy. Realistic and empowering. Background: What do you do when it's Grandma's birthday dinner and your eight-year-old son insists on wearing his dress and Mary Janes? And how do you handle dating when your transgirl daughter still has male sex organs? Brill (founder, Gender Spectrum Education and Training) and Pepper (coordinator, LGBT studies, Yale Univ.) bring solid credentials and years of research to help parents and others deal with issues specific to transgender children. Answers may not be easy, but blaming the child, denying access to transgender friends, and verbal threats are not helpful. When parents recognize their child's gender identity, there can be feelings of confusion, anger, shock, fear, shame, and grief. Most children have gender identities by age two or three; like homosexuality, being transgender is not a choice. Nor is it, as it has often been labeled, "acting out" in anger against parents. There is much detail about medical practices and legal matters, most of which become issues as transgender children become adults."---Linda Beck, Indian Valley P.L., Telford, PA -- Library Journal--June 24, 2008

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Cleis Press (June 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573443182
• ISBN-13: 978-1573443180
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #38,625 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > Gay & Lesbian > Nonfiction > Transgender

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Book, August 20, 2008

By 

David N. Parker "pflagtnet" (Colfax, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Transgender Child: A Handbook for Families and Professionals (Paperback)

This is a wonderful book!
The Transgender Child is the first of its kind - a thoughtful manual for parents and caregivers of transgender children, written by one of our country's most respected gender therapists and an experienced researcher and author of books related to the GLBT community and gender variance. Detailed, up-to-date, and easy to read, this book should be the prime resource for parents of transgender children and teens, and anyone who deals with them.
The Transgender Child includes a Foreword by Dr. Norman Spack, our country's leading expert on the care and treatment of transgender children and youth. It is followed by a series of chapters dealing with all aspects of how to deal with the child, their family and friends, their schools and school administrators and staff. Also included are excellent chapters on medical care and legal issues unique to these children.
Everyone who deals with a transgender child should have and read a copy of this book. It is especially valuable when dealing with those unfamiliar with the transgender experience - whether they are family members, neighbors, teachers, or the local Department Family Services. The Transgender Child adds the authority of leading professionals to any discussion of the child's care and treatment.
I recommend it highly!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, Outstanding, Brilliant, May 6, 2009

By 

S. M. Bassett - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Transgender Child: A Handbook for Families and Professionals (Paperback)

This book is exceptional. I am a 27 year old, typically gendered female. I do not know any transgendered people nor do I know anyone who is related to any transgendered people. I purchased this book to understand something that I know very little about.

This book is very easy to read and doesn't faff around. It covers a lot of different issues and the quotes from the families and children are beautiful and inciteful.

I think everyone should read this book and this should definitely be given to everyone studying psychology and medicine out there in the world.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must have" guide for anyone who interacts with transgender kids, August 6, 2008

By 

K. Garza - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Transgender Child: A Handbook for Families and Professionals (Paperback)

This is the best book I've read on Transgender Children. It has valuable information, and is wonderful to share with schools, doctors, etc (I purchased extras to give away as needed). It was written in a manner that is easily understood, as well as including great resources.