Two intrepid librarians

Two intrepid librarians review the best nonfiction books for children

Monday, September 29, 2014

Tomboy: a graphic memoir by Liz Prince

Tomboy: a graphic memoir
by Liz Prince
Zest Books. 2014
ISBN: 9781936976553
Grades 8 thru 12
The publisher sent me a copy of this book.

What defines who you are? Is it how you dress or is it who you are inside?

Artist Liz Prince explores these questions in graphic memoir, Tomboy. Prince shares her personal experience growing up being a girl who preferred things traditionally meant for boys. Instead of playing with dolls, having tea parties and loving the color pink, Liz loved pants, drawing dinosaurs and the genie from the movie Aladdin, and playing catch. She grew up totally happy as long as she wasn’t expected to dress and act girly.

I didn’t know what a tomboy was until I started school and was expected to follow the ‘rules of gender.

Prince’s frankness throughout is powerful. Her cartoonish illustrations convey her frustrations toward gender norms and builds to a crescendo when at age 16 she reads a Zine by Ariel Schrag that changed her thinking:

I subscribed to the idea that there was only one form of femininity and that it was inferior to being a man. I don’t want to be a girl on society’s terms. I wanted to be a girl on my own terms!


Tomboy: a graphic memoir is an excellent addition to your teen collection. Prince's self-confidence permeates the text and champions readers to be strong and remain true to themselves, even if it means being bullied...or not getting the guy. 

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