Written by Liz Prince
Publisher: Zest Books
ISBN: 978-1-936976-55-3
Ages 14 & up
Awards:
Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2014
ALA Rainbow Book List
YASLA Great Graphic Novels for Teens
Amelia Bloomer Project Top 10 Titles 2015
Review:
Tomboy is a graphic novel memoir that chronicles Liz Prince's life from ages 4 - 31. Prince uses humor and real-life situations to describe how she felt as a true tomboy in the real world. As she got older, she realized just how different boys and girls are expected to act and the discrepancy between those expectations and how she felt. Prince details playing Ghostbusters as a kid, dressing in old men's clothes, going through puberty, moving and making new friends, and much more. She also describes the boy crushes she had and that she knew she wasn't a lesbian and didn't really want to be a boy. She just simply wanted to be a girl who was allowed and encouraged to dress and behave the way she felt comfortable. The novel follows her self-discovery and development into the woman she is today, accepting that she is wonderful just the way she is. This book will appeal to graphic novel lovers as well as anyone who has struggled or is struggling with accepting his/her true self.
Professional Review
Kirkus Starred Review (2014)
Teaching Ideas
1 - Health 10.1r & Visual ArtsI.8
H10.1 - The student will demonstrate and understanding of health concepts, behaviors, and skills that reduce health risks and enhance the health and wellness of self and others throughout life. r) Identify characteristics of healthy peer, family, and dating relationships.
AI.8 - The student will select and apply elements of art and principles of design to communicate meaning in works of art.
Comic Assignment: Draw a portrait of your best friend (or take a picture and upload it to a digital tool), and explain in the bullet-point style used in Tomboy, why this person is important to you. Write about a time he/she supported you during your friendship. (Zest Books, 2015)
2 - Health 10.2k & English 10.5f
H10.2 - The student will analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the protective factors needed to make healthy decisions throughout life. k) Explain the value of positive self-image, self-esteem, and self-control when faced with peer pressure.
English 10.5 - The student will read, interpret, analyze, and evaluate nonfiction texts. f) Draw conclusions and make inferences on explicit and implied information using textual support as evidence.
Think about all the times Liz Prince was picked on, bullied, or ostracized because she was did not fit into the norm. How would her life have been different if she did not have the self-esteem to stick with what she believed? Would you have continued on like she did or would you have made different choices?
3 - Health 10.2n & English 10.4b
H10.2 - The student will analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the protective factors needed to make healthy decisions throughout life. n) Calculate the importance of support and encouragement from positive role models.
English 10.4 - The student will read, comprehend, and analyze literary texts from different cultures and eras. b) Make predictions, draw inferences, and connect prior knowledge to support reading comprehension.
Liz felt like an outcast because she didn’t have any tomboy role models, but once she found some, she realized that a lot of people felt like her. Do you think you have role models that affirm your identity? If so, does that make you more confident in yourself? If not, are you confident in yourself anyway? How do your role models help you understand how Liz felt when she finally found some tomboy role models? (Zest Books, 2015)
4 - Health 6.2n & Computer Technology 6-8.7A
H6.2 - The student will describe the influence of family, peers, and media on personal health decisions. n) Describe how culture, media, and other external factors influence perceptions about body image and gender roles.
C/T 6-8.7 - Plan and apply strategies for gathering information, using a variety of tools and sources, and reflect on alternate strategies that might lead to greater successes in future projects. A) Use various technology and digital resources to collect information.
Search for images, articles, books, commercials, etc. currently available in the mainstream media that influence a certain body image or gender role. Compile them into a digital presentation and either write or record your findings to share with your peers.
5 - English 9.3b 9.8c
English 9.3 - The student will apply knowledge of word origins, derivations, and figurative language to extend vocabulary development in authentic texts. b) Use context, structure, and connotations to determine meanings of words and phrases.
English 9.8 - The student will use print, electronic databases, online resources, and other media to access information to create a research product. c) Find, evaluate, and select appropriate resources to access information and answer questions.
What is your definition of a tomboy? Based on your definition, search for at least 4 examples of tomboys in other books. What makes these particular characters tomboys? Would they meet Liz Prince's definition of a tomboy?
Further Exploration
Interview with Liz Prince - Live interview conducted with Liz Prince during the Brooklyn Book Festival in 2014.
Written Interview with Liz Prince for Graphic Policy - Liz Prince talks about why she wrote Tomboy and what she hopes readers will gain from the book.
Excerpt from Tomboy (p. 15 & 16)
Screw You Gender Roles on Tomboy by Liz Prince - A review written for Entropy Mag by Greg Letellier who was often criticized in high school for not being "many" enough.
Liz Prince's Website - Liz Prince's website to explore her other works, art, and favorite links.
Discover the Tomboy Archetype - At archetypes.com, you can learn about the "tomboy archetype," a subset of the "athlete archetype." You can also learn about the other archetypes and their subsets: creative, rebel, caregiver, visionary, royal, performer, spiritual, tastemaker, explorer, advocate, and intellectual.
Young Adult Library Services Association List of Great Graphic Novels in case you want to read more graphic novels. The books on this list are on a wide variety of topics that will appeal to many different readers.
Possible Partner Titles
by Harper Lee
Scout in the classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, is often referred to as a tomboy. Students could explore this classic novel to see what similarities and differences there are between her and Liz Prince.
by Susan Kuklin
This nonfiction book shares the thoughts of six transgender or gender-neutral young adults. This book has a similar theme to Tomboy in that these individuals are also on the outskirts of society and often do not feel welcome. It is a higher reading level than Tomboy as it is not a graphic novel, but might appeal to students who do not favor graphic novels.
Publishers Weekly Starred Review (2014a)
by Mariko Tamaki
This pairs well with Tomboy for students who enjoy graphic novels, but prefer a more mature topic. This fictional graphic novel follows two girls, Rose and Windy, through a summer that ends up changing their lives.
Publishers Weekly Starred Review (2014b)
by Christian McEwen
This book is a collection of fiction and memoir celebrates real-life tomboy heroines inspired by Louisa May Alcott's Jo March from Little Women. As this book is a collection of shorter works, readers who have trouble getting through an entire book will appreciate the ability to read a whole piece and come back at a later date.
Publishers Weekly Review
By Maggie Thrash
For those students who enjoyed the graphic memoir format, this book follows 15 year old Maggie as she falls in love for the first time with Erin, her 19 year old camp counselor. Like Liz Prince, Maggie must come to terms with who she is and what is happening to her while interacting and dealing with the outside world.
Kirkus Starred Review (2015)
References
Archetypes Authors. (2014). Discover the tomboy archetype. Retrieved from http://www.archetypes.com/article/discover-tomboy-archetype/
Kirkus. (2014). Tomboy. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/liz-prince/tomboy/
Kirkus. (2015). Honor girl. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/maggie-thrash/honor-girl/
Letellier, G. (2015). Screw you gender roles! On tomboy by Liz Prince. Retrieved from http://entropymag.org/screw-you-gender-roles-on-tomboy-by-liz-prince/
Prince, L. (2014). Tomboy (pp. 15-16). San Francisco: Zest Books.
Prince, L. (2015). The official website of Liz Prince. Retrieved from http://lizprincepower.com
Publishers Weekly. (1997). Jo's girls: Tomboy tales of high adventure, true grit, and real life. Publishers weekly Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-8070-6211-1
Publishers Weekly. (2014a). Beyond magenta: Transgender teens speak out. Publishers weekly, 111. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0763656119
Publishers Weekly. (2014b). This one summer. Publishers weekly Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-59643-774-6
Ratzlaff, J. (2014). Liz Prince talks tomboy. Retrieved from http://graphicpolicy.com/2014/10/14/liz-prince-talks-tomboy/
Wicker, R. (2014). Liz Prince - Tomboy woman. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBsFeNWMZ2w
Virginia Department of Education. (2015). Standards of learning (SOL) & testing. Retrieved from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/index.shtml
Young Adult Library Services Association. (2015). Great graphic novels. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/yalsa/great-graphic-novels
Zest Books. (2015). Tomboy study guide. Retrieved from http://zestbooks.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Tomboy.StudyGuide.pdf
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