When Ms. Andre asks her Health Class what the gender traits of girls and boys are, the responses are the typical stereotypical sexist fare. This is middle school, after all and one can’t expect much more. So, she assigns a project that she hopes will remedy the situation and allow the opposite gender a deeper understanding of what it takes to be them. When the girl/boy pairs are announced Emma and Tom are less than elated to be stuck with each other. They used to be best friends, before middle school and before they started being interested in the opposite sex. During an argument after school, the two collide and are knocked unconscious. When she wakes up, Emma hears screaming from the boy’s locker room and she runs in to find Tom, no herself, staring into a mirror, screaming in horror. When she looks into the mirror herself, she sees Tom. This humorous, laugh out loud comedic twist on Freaky Friday will keep readers engaged well past their bedtime. Tom and Emma each struggle with different body issues, challenging experiences of the opposite sex that bring all of their assumptions into question, and different social hierarchies. Each gets a new outlook on the opposite gender as they hang out with one another’s friends and get to hear the secret back room talk they’ve always been curious about. The end result is a funny story that will challenge the reader’s assumptions about the opposite sex, and hopefully engage thoughtful discussion of gender stereotypes. This is a story that both male and female readers will be entertained by and I would recommend it both.
Nelson, B. (2006). Gender Blender. New York: Delacorte Press. 182 pages. ISBN: 978-0-385-90937-2.
Ages 9-12. 
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