Review of “I am Jazz”

This children’s book was written by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas.

I have never read this book before, but I have heard about Jazz in the news and on talk shows.

Ratings: Amazon: 4.7 out of 5 stars (the highest I’ve ever seen!). Goodreads: 4.12 out of 5 stars.

Summary: (copied from Amazon) The story of a transgender child based on the real-life experience of Jazz Jennings, who has become a spokesperson for trans kids everywhere.

This book is an autobiographical children’s book based on the childhood of a transgender activist. This book does not show any sexual contact, nor does it cover the gender affirmation surgery (which has been a big stickler for those that makes transgender a political issue).

This transgender activist grew up in Florida and graduated from Broward County Public Schools in 2019. Which is a crazy coincidence since Florida passed the “Parental Rights in Education” Act, HB 1557 in 2022. House Bill 1557 (2022) – The Florida Senate (flsenate.gov) This means it is illegal for teachers to read a book like “I am Jazz” to anyone in six grade or younger.

“In 2015, the Mount Horeb Area School District in Wisconsin canceled a reading of I Am Jazz after an attorney with the evangelical group Liberty Counsel threatened to sue teachers and school district staff for “violation of parental rights.”” Trans Author’s ‘I Am Jazz’ Is One of the Most Banned Books in the U.S. (reason.com)

“In 2017, I Am Jazz was challenged at Rocklin Academy Gateway in California after the book was read aloud in a kindergarten class. The school has a policy in which students can bring in books from home to be read aloud. A student in the class was undergoing gender transition, and she brought in the copy of I Am Jazz that was read to the class. Several parents subsequently removed their children from the school and called for a policy that allowed them to keep their children from sharing a classroom with a transgender student. The school stood behind their book policy, affirming the inclusion of LGBTQ literature in classrooms, and administrators rightly decided not to add the requested “opt out” policy, which would have been tantamount to illegal discrimination. Unfortunately, the administration chose to add a red flagging policy that would forewarn parents about potentially “controversial” material, which could invite future complaints and disrupt the educational process.” Banned Spotlight: I Am Jazz | Banned Books Week

For this review, I am forgoing my personal take. I will let Jazz Jennings speak for herself.

“My name is Jazz and I was assigned male at birth. At age 2, I expressed I knew I was a girl. At age 5, I began my social transition. And today, despite living my life as a proud trans woman, my children’s book I Am Jazz is banned all over the country,” she said in an Instagram video posted on Tuesday. “Legislators ban the book out of fear that it will recruit or brainwash kids into being LGBTQ+. It does not. The book is about identity and it helps so many transgender youth learn about their personal self identity and who they are and it helps families better support their transgender child and friends better support their transgender friend.” Jazz Jennings calls out legislators for banning her children’s book (yahoo.com)

I’ll leave you with that thought.

Here are a few links for those who object to accessing this book: