Reviewed by Jocelyn Pearce for TeensReadToo.com
GENDER BLENDER is a fun but thought-provoking novel about gender differences for middle-schoolers.
Since they started middle school, Emma and Tom haven't been able to get along and be friends the way they used to be.
Emma hates boys--except Jeff, the cutest sixth-grade boy in school. She can only hope that he'll notice her! She gets straight-A's and is involved in a ton of after-school activities. She's worried about getting her first period, among other things. She's pretty much a typical overachieving sixth-grader.
Tom isn't what anyone would call a good student. He spends most of his time fooling around with his friends and playing baseball. He's got stuff to be stressed about, too, though. For one thing, he wants beautiful Kelly to notice him!
When their health teacher gives them an assignment on gender differences, Emma and Tom suddenly have an advantage over the rest of the class--though they don't see it that way. While jumping on a trampoline, they knock heads, and, suddenly, they've switched bodies! Can they learn to understand each other and get along in time to switch back?
GENDER BLENDER, while it is quite entertaining, deals with an important issue. Gender differences are certainly something to think about; Emma and Tom's health teacher is right--boys and girls don't really understand each other, especially in middle school (not to say that it gets completely better later, though...). Blake Nelson's novel deals with this issue in a fun, if slightly ridiculous, way, using likeable characters, as well. This is a great book for preteens of either gender!
GENDER BLENDER is a fun but thought-provoking novel about gender differences for middle-schoolers.
Since they started middle school, Emma and Tom haven't been able to get along and be friends the way they used to be.
Emma hates boys--except Jeff, the cutest sixth-grade boy in school. She can only hope that he'll notice her! She gets straight-A's and is involved in a ton of after-school activities. She's worried about getting her first period, among other things. She's pretty much a typical overachieving sixth-grader.
Tom isn't what anyone would call a good student. He spends most of his time fooling around with his friends and playing baseball. He's got stuff to be stressed about, too, though. For one thing, he wants beautiful Kelly to notice him!
When their health teacher gives them an assignment on gender differences, Emma and Tom suddenly have an advantage over the rest of the class--though they don't see it that way. While jumping on a trampoline, they knock heads, and, suddenly, they've switched bodies! Can they learn to understand each other and get along in time to switch back?
GENDER BLENDER, while it is quite entertaining, deals with an important issue. Gender differences are certainly something to think about; Emma and Tom's health teacher is right--boys and girls don't really understand each other, especially in middle school (not to say that it gets completely better later, though...). Blake Nelson's novel deals with this issue in a fun, if slightly ridiculous, way, using likeable characters, as well. This is a great book for preteens of either gender!
