Middle School Library Books - Some Girls Bind
Some Girls Bind by Rory James is available to 12-14 year old students at Lakeshore Middle School. The book is written in a semi-poetic manner. Jamie, a teenager, has started binding her breasts to make her look more like a man. Jamie has other friends with “secrets”. One is gay, one has an alcoholic father and the other does not want to be on the swim team. One-by-one, the friends share their secrets with each other and some of them with their parents and others. Some people accept them after they share their secrets where as others reject them.
This book does not contain violence, profanity or explicit sexual content, but it does attempt to normalize breast binding, homosexuality, transgenderism, the use of gender non-specific pronouns, and the use of restrooms that don’t match gender assigned at birth. Some parents would be perfectly supportive of their child reading this book, but others would not, or at a minimum would want to be notified of their child’s interest in such a book so that they have the opportunity to discuss this unusual and adult topic with their child.
Here are some examples of the book’s normalization of breast binding
p. 8 – What other teenage girl binds her chest because she’s not sure she’s a girl?
p. 9 – I started when I was 14….
p. 83 – Could talk about binding like it’s normal, like it’s okay
p. 136 – Have you heard of people who bind their chest?...”yes.”….”I have a friend Steve who binds his chest to look more like a guy.”
p. 137 - …binding’s totally okay.
p. 174 – And it’s funny to think I was afraid, but I know it’s normal
p. 182 – I find another queer poet and they too speak so casually about binding.
p. 183 – It’s really common (speaking of breast binding)
Here are some ways the book attempts to normalize the use of gender non-specific restrooms and pronouns.
p. 64 – I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so happy. “This restaurant has gender neutral restrooms.”
p. 75 – It would be nice to find someone who understands what it is to wear a “they/them?” Pin each day. Or….
p. 83 - …ask out names and our pronouns
p. 168 - … daughter into child… she into they…
p. 179 – Or that so many places make me choose a restroom based on signs
Here are some examples of the book encouraging secrets
p. 1 – Everyone has a secret in high school…. Some girls date “bad boys”, sneak out their windows, run off on motorcycles with dropouts…. Maybe it’s so they don’t leave fingerprints on their parents’ wine bottles
p. 3 – My friends have secrets too… Levi’s gay, Nora’s dad drinks too much
p. 13 – I say nothing, hide everything
p. 141 – “…why don’t I order a real binder for you?” [mom and dad] won’t know
Here are some examples on how this book normalizes and even celebrates LGBTQ behaviors
p. 63 – Evan and Levi get ice cream, kiss in front of pride flags
p. 70 – I look for the “books of my people,” stories about gender, sexuality.
p. 81 – I’m home because some of these people look like people, not just men and women.
p. 129 – Levi just came out to his parents. He should choose the movie.
p. 138 – “I’m genderqueer”…”cool”….”What else do you want to talk about?”
p. 165 – My parents are watching the news and there’s a kid who is trans.
According to the GHAPS Activities page children learn the values of building character, leadership and teamwork skills at GHAPS. Teaching children values begins at home, but continues through the school system. Children will naturally keep secrets from their parents when they know they are doing something that goes against their parent’s values. This book encourages teenagers to keep secrets from their parents. What values is the school encouraging by offering this book? If students reading this book emulate this behavior it works to break down the structure of the family.
The use of gender non-specific pronouns is a controversial issue in society as is the issue of allowing people who identify as LGBTQ to use a restroom that contradicts with their gender assigned at birth. According to GHAPS board policy po2240 Controversial Issues;
Properly introduced and conducted, the consideration of such issues can help students learn to identify important issues, explore fully and fairly all sides of an issue, weigh carefully the values and factors involved, and develop techniques for formulating and evaluating positions. When controversial issues are taught in school they must not tend to indoctrinate or persuade students to a particular point of view, they must be related to the instructional goals of the course and they must encourage open-mindedness.
This book violates all of these conditions. This book may help a child who is struggling with their gender and therefor could be useful in a school setting. It however, does not offer the parent the opportunity to discuss this life changing struggle with their child. Instead of talking to their parents, this book encourages children to keep secrets and to explore the behavior of breast binding by making it seem normal.
The topic of the book is not appropriate for 12-14 year olds. This book should only be available to high school students on the recommendation of a counselor and after a parent has given permission.
This book was brought to the attention of the GHAPS Director of Instructional Services, Mary Jane Evink, and the librarian of Lakeshore Middle School, Sarah McElrath. Both agreed that the book was appropriate for the GHAPS middle school library. Here is their review.
Sarah and I (Mary Jane Evink) agree the book should stay in the library. We do not think it normalizes breast binding, homosexuality, transgenderism, the use of gender non-specific pronouns, and the use of restrooms that don't match the gender assigned at birth. The character struggles with the fact that bathrooms are gender specific - not that she wants to use the bathroom labeled for the opposite sex. She wishes there were gender-neutral bathrooms (like the family bathrooms at the mall). Nowhere in the book does it try to persuade or indoctrinate kids to use the restroom assigned for the opposite sex. The main character struggles with all of these things you mentioned and there are explicit cautions about binding in the book. The book shows the difficult realities of being gay or gender-neutral. The girl really struggles with her reality and is worried her parents won't keep her. She worries her friends will reject her if they know she binds. The book shows the extreme awkwardness and uncomfortable nature of not being straight.
Sarah and I like the phrase, "You are who you need to be and you are enough." As far as normalizing... again, the book does not make this sound like a comfortable or easy lifestyle. But it does do a good job of instilling hope to those who are on the LGBTQ spectrum. We serve all students. The checkout history shows that in the three or so years we have had this book, it has gone out 3 times. Every single one who has checked it out has had a vested interest. These are issues that students who are going through puberty (especially girls) might grapple with. If there is a book that can make them feel not alone or crazy - that is a good thing. The book does not indoctrinate, but it does inform. And again - this book is not required reading for any student. We need to help students feel welcome, safe and seen.
I encourage adults to check out this book and decide for themselves whether or not they feel it is appropriate for a school library. Appropriateness is a matter of opinion, and this is a controversial book. Parents should get to decide whether or not their child has access to this book BEFORE it is offered to them.
If your child has read any books given to them by GHAPS that made them feel uncomfortable, they were likely not appropriate. If you would like to share your please email us at jsn1984@protonmail.com.