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Susan Kuklin

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out Paperback – March 10, 2015

by Susan Kuklin (Author)

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A 2015 Stonewall Honor Book

A groundbreaking work of LGBT literature takes an honest look at the life, love, and struggles of transgender teens.

Author and photographer Susan Kuklin met and interviewed six transgender or gender-neutral young adults and used her considerable skills to represent them thoughtfully and respectfully before, during, and after their personal acknowledgment of gender preference. Portraits, family photographs, and candid images grace the pages, augmenting the emotional and physical journey each youth has taken. Each honest discussion and disclosure, whether joyful or heartbreaking, is completely different from the other because of family dynamics, living situations, gender, and the transition these teens make in recognition of their true selves.

Print length

192 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Candlewick
Publication date

March 10, 2015
Grade level

9 - 12
Reading age

14 years and up
Dimensions

7.56 x 0.55 x 9.05 inches
ISBN-10

0763673684
ISBN-13

978-0763673680
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Editorial Reviews

Review

[A] sorely needed resource for teens and, frankly, many adults... Downright revelatory. ... Kuklin captures these teenagers not as idealized exemplars of what it “means” to be transgender but as full, complex, and imperfect human beings. As Kuklin writes, “My subjects’ willingness to brave bullying and condemnation in order to reveal their individual selves makes it impossible to be nothing less than awestruck.” She isn’t wrong.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Kuklin brings her intimate, compassionate and respectful lens to the stories of six transgender young people.
... The collective portrait that emerges from these narratives and pictures is diverse, complex and occasionally self-contradictory — as any true story should be.Informative, revealing, powerful and necessary.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

[A] strikingly in-depth examination of the sometimes clinical complexities of being transgender, even as Kuklin’s empathy-inducing pictures put a human face on the experience. ... Kuklin’s important new book brings welcome clarity to a subject that has often been obscure and gives faces—literally and metaphorically—to a segment of the teen population that has too long been invisible. Speaking with equal impact to both the reader’s heart and mind, Beyond Magenta is highly recommended.
—Booklist (starred review)

Readers [will] become immersed in these young adults’ voices and experiences. The youth interviewed here do not uniformly share It Gets Better-style happy endings, but their strength is nonetheless inspirational as they face ongoing challenges with families, sexual and romantic relationships, bullies, schools, transitions, mental health, and more. The level of detail about their lives, and the diversity of their identities–including gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, and geography–provide a powerful antidote to the isolation and stigma that some transgender youth experience. ... There is much here that will resonate with and hearten the kids who need it and will foster understanding and support among those who live and work with transgender teens
—School Library Journal

Pain and possibility are juxtaposed in this groundbreaking book that by its very existence portends a better future.
—San Francisco Chronicle

It is a testament to Susan Kuklin's gifts as a listener and interviewer that her subjects describe their lives with such candor. ... Kuklin introduces each teen with a bit of background, and often (but not always) the teen's gender at birth. Kuklin treats her subjects with tenderness and respect. Her book provides both reassurance and answers to questions that teens may not even realize they have.
—Shelf Awareness Pro

The presentation of the spectrum of experiences is remarkably nuanced and sensitive... Kuklin also brings her skills as a photographer to the book’s design, using some pictures documentary-style interspersed throughout an individual’s interview, others grouped as breathtaking galleries that explore expression or isolation.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Kuklin’s book is not just a lifeline for teens who are going through something similar and need to see themselves and their lives so openly portrayed—this book is an important read for the parents, friends, and loved ones who want to understand what a transgender teen might be going through. This book is worth having on any shelf in any library and will not linger there long. ... A highly informative resource that is powerful, respectful, honest, and most importantly, long overdue.
—VOYA

In her edited transcriptions of the interviews, Kuklin lets her subjects speak wholly for themselves... Photographs (of most of the subjects) are candid and winning; and appended material, including Kuklin’s explanation of her interview process, a Q&A with the director of a clinic for transgendered teens, and a great resource list, is valuable.
—The Horn Book

This book examines a sensitive issue and explains the spectrum and diversity within the transgender community as well as defines the distinction between transgenders and individuals identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or queer. ... This bookis a valuable resource for students desiring information on gender identity and the LGBTQ community.
—Library Media Connection

Riveting.
—Wall Street Journal

While several books have illuminated the lives of LGBT youth, this is the first book to focus solely on trans subjects, in an attractive collection that's perfect for a coffee table or your favorite pre-teen's bookshelf.
—The Advocate ("The Year's 10 Best Transgender Non-Fiction Books")

An eye-opener. ... Through extensive interviews, Susan Kuklin has captured the thinking and personalities of each subject in this book. Her sensitive photographs shows them as interesting people who have struggled to understand themselves and how they each, in their own unique way, differ from the norm.
—The Huffington Post

[A] candid, inspiring book. ... The teens are members of a group, but also distinct individuals, each with a unique, highly personal story. It goes without saying that their decision to share these stories is courageous. But being brave and taking chances is what transitioning is all about.
—The Chicago Tribune

About the Author

Susan Kuklin is the award-winning author and photographer of more than thirty books for children and young adults that span social issues and culture. Her photographs have appeared in Time, Newsweek, and the New York Times. Susan Kuklin lives in New York City.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Candlewick; Reprint edition (March 10, 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0763673684
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0763673680
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 14 years and up
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 9 - 12
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.23 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.56 x 0.55 x 9.05 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #72,739 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #20 in Teen & Young Adult LGBTQ+ Issues
- #81 in Teen & Young Adult Biographies
- #3,507 in LGBTQ+ Books

Customer Reviews:
329 ratings

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A. McIlroy

Enlightening

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 28, 2022

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I found this book at my library after searching “transgender.” Normally I wouldn’t be drawn to a book aimed at teens and young adults, but in an effort to educate myself (upon learning a family member was transitioning) I took the plunge. The value to me was that the stories of various trans teens were told in their own words. The authenticity, pain and resolution spoke to me. I am saddened that the “trans issue” has become a political football. These fellow humans deserve better.

2 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Touching and informative

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 16, 2022

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Appreciated learning more about something that I was not that knowledgeable

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E. Miecielica

An OK look at Trans* teens

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 27, 2014

Verified Purchase

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out tackles the difficult subject of transgender teens. It provides a glimpse into the lives of five transgender teens and young adults. At this point, I believe it is important to go through the basics of sex, gender, and transgender before I review the book. Although a majority of people use the terms "sex" and "gender" interchangeably, they are vastly different concepts. The term "sex" is purely biological and it refers to the physical characteristics of genitalia, chromosomes, and hormones. Someone who has male genitalia, XY chromosomes, and primarily testosterone is referred to as male. A biological female has female genitalia, higher levels of estrogen, and XX chromosomes. Intersex individuals can have any number of combined male and female physical characteristics and ambiguous genitalia. Now these physical attributes have nothing to do with gender, which is a societal context, internal feeling and identity. A person's gender is how they identify in terms of being man/woman, pronouns they prefer (he/she), bathrooms they use, and countless other thoughts, feelings, and sense of who a person is. Now a majority of people are cisgender, meaning their intrinsic gender identity matches their biological sex. However, for a small minority of people, their intrinsic gender identity doesn't match their biological sex or have ambiguous biological sex. This is what the term "transgender" means and it is an umbrella term for any gender identity which doesn't precisely match a person's physical characteristics. For example, a person could be born biologically female, but, identify as a man or F to M. Of course this is just one example under the general umbrella term of transgender.

Like I mentioned at the beginning, Beyond Magenta briefly examines the lives of five transgender individuals. I think the book succeeds in several aspects. For starters, I felt the author gave each person the respect he or she deserved and it seemed like the author genuinely tried to understand each person. Often times transgender people face violence and discrimination because people are ignorant, do not understand the differences between sex and gender, and are afraid of such a foreign concept for them. I also liked how the author shared each person's story before, during, and after their transition, if applicable. Additionally, I thought the author did a fantastic job presenting each person as the gender they identified with. She used the appropriate pronouns, even before the person transitioned, and showed more pictures of each person as their preferred gender. In fact, I wasn't sure of the biological sex of one of the people (no that this matters of course) and actually guessed wrong. Clearly, the author took great care in presenting each person correctly.

Despite these positive qualities, I thought the book was weak in two main areas and these are the reasons I am giving it a mediocre star rating. First, I wish the author spent more time dealing with the thoughts and feelings of the coming out process for everyone involved. I felt this aspect of each's person's story was glossed over in a couple of paragraphs. I also wish the author spent more time discussing each person's life while they were growing up and working through their thoughts and feelings until they reached the conclusion they were transgender. Overall, I guess I just wish each story was told in more depth.
This wasn't my biggest problem, however. My biggest problem with the book is she included one, if not two, people with many other psychological issues. One person went back and forth on whether or not they were transgender and ever described one instance as a phase. This person was engaging in sexual activity, starting at 6 years old, spent several months or years, on a few occasions, in hospitals or group homes due to emotional instability. They were forcibly removed from their guardian's house twice due to violent outbursts and threatening people with a knife. At one point in the hospital, this person stuck their hand in someone's pants (and more) and the author left out whether this was consensual sexual activity. Regardless, I don't think their story should have been included because it is not representative of the general transgender population. Transgender people already have enough trouble with discrimination and violence due to misperceptions and false beliefs without the author adding, to the already common notion that transgender people are mentally ill. The other person clearly suffered from clinical depression and I am ambivalent on their story being included for the same reasons. Although it is common for transgender people to struggle with clinical depression, so this person's story was probably more relevant and representative of the struggles of being transgender than the first person I mentioned.

35 people found this helpful

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DocTodd

This was my response to S.C. Sue, who recommends some alternative books that serve a different purpose.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 25, 2014

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This was my response to S.C. Sue, who recommends some alternative books that I think may serve a different purpose. You'll have to read the comments on her review to see those, and it may be worth it for those titles if this book isn't what you want. My response to Sue is below:

Thanks for responding. I can understand why you might not like the format. It does NOT seem like a book for someone looking for advice on how to deal with these issues on a personal level. Given the number of books you have read, maybe you know someone who deals with some of the issues that the kids in the book deal with. I probably know someone too, or many people, but I am not aware of their struggles and wasn't looking for any information that would help me or them.

I looked at this book as serving a different purpose. I felt each section was short and could be read by a teenager, or maybe even a pre-teen like my 12 year old son. Kids who may not have any significant gender identity issues and whose only exposure to this material is to whisper about the effeminate seeming boy or the two girls making out during recess. Well, that, and to hear me explain how prevalent these things are, and that they aren't abnormal.

Even reading just the first story is enough exposure to start kids thinking about how difficult it can be to deal with gender issues. That's a pretty huge thing. I probably wasn't exposed to these issues until medical school.

I read this and it made me think of the kid in my middle school who was shunned a bit because he was different. I had no classes with him and only knew his name, but I didn't make any effort to understand him at all or even to say hello to him when I walked past him. He was different from the "cool kids" I wanted to be associated with. As far as I know, his issues weren't related to the subject matter of this book, but after he committed suicide, I always wondered if a few of us had been more tolerant of "different", and had made some effort to acknowledged him as a person, if that might have made a difference. To this day I feel bad I didn't have the courage to invite him to join us playing volleyball, or to walk to ice cream truck when he sat alone at our community pool. Instead, I stuck with my group of friends and agreed with them when they said "he's so weird". I wish I hadn't.

This book seems perfect to expose kids who don't struggle with their gender, to some of what kids who do struggle with it have to deal with. Hopefully enough teach them more sensitivity than I had when I was younger. Enough that they aren't scared to say hello to and to talk with, the boy wearing a dress or the girl who "acts like a boy". Enough that they won't snicker and agree that they're so weird. If it does that, I'll be more than satisfied with it.

13 people found this helpful

Helpful

Russell J. Sanders

Good resource for trans teens

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 27, 2020

Verified Purchase

It is easy to see why Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out was designated an honor book. Author Susan Kuklin has produced a book that transgender teens, especially, can embrace. While I was disappointed that the physical process of transition is not discussed as much as I would have liked in order for me to understand it, I was very surprised to see that there is an entire spectrum of transgender experiences. Far too many of us ill-informed think it is simply a process of believing your body doesn’t fit your mindset and a change is needed from biological male to female or biological female to male. It stands to reason—and thank goodness this book is here for teens who are not understanding themselves well at all—that the human mind is complex, and there are many variations in the transgender experience. Kuklin interviews teens who are male to female, female to male, intersex, and kids who refuse to be labled. I leave it to the reader to discover these many variations and to be impressed by these interviewees who are so honest and informative.

21 people found this helpful

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Raisa Arreola

a must read

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 17, 2022

Verified Purchase

I learned a lot from reading this book. Truly recommend. It’s a book that is the perfect material to talk with peers, loved ones or friends.

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Ic

Great book, as a mum who was now struggling ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 1, 2017

Verified Purchase

Great book, as a mum who was now struggling to some to terms with her son coming out as transgender, and having read as much material I could lay my hands on, its a great book to read from the young ones personal point of view, quite moving and powerful, but a fantastic read, thank you !

5 people found this helpful

Jonathan Joseph Nicholas

absolutely brilliant - these teenagers are putting transgender issues on the ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 2, 2014

Verified Purchase

absolutely brilliant - these teenagers are putting transgender issues on the map and going for public debate - not before time - I read it twice straight off.

3 people found this helpful

Mcuthbert

Good read.

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on April 4, 2019

Verified Purchase

Good read, quick delivery, easy read.

One person found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Excellent book

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on May 22, 2020

Verified Purchase

Fantastic resource.

See all reviews

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