By Liz Prince. Published by Zest Books. Softcover, 256 pages, B&W, 2014. Growing up, Liz Prince wasn’t a girly girl, but she wasn’t exactly one of the guys either (as she learned when her little league baseball coach exiled her to the distant outfield). She was somewhere in between. But with the forces of middle school, high school, parents, friendship, and romance pulling her this way and that, the middle wasn’t an easy place to be. Tomboy follows award-winning author and artist Liz Prince through her early years and explores—with humor, honesty, and poignancy—what it means to “be a girl.” From staunchly refuting “girliness” to the point of misogyny, to discovering through the punk community that your identity is whatever you make of it, Tomboyoffers a sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking account of self-discovery in modern America. Awards Amelia Bloomer Project List, Winner, 2015 Notable Award YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Nominee, Nominated, 2015 CBC Teen Choice Book of the Year Award Nominee, Nominated, 2014 Goodreads Choice Awards Top Ten Finalist, Runner-up, 2014 Notable Award Kirkus Best Teen Books of the Year, Winner, 2014 Notable Award ALA Rainbow List, Winner, 2014 Notable Award YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens, Winner, 2014 Notable Award YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, Winner, 2014 Texas Maverick Graphic Novels Reading List, Winner, 2014 Reviews The Horn Book Magazine Reviewed on 1 January 2015 “In an often funny, sometimes painful, and sharply observed graphic memoir, comics artist and self-described tomboy Prince views her formative years through the lens of gender—or rather, society’s rigid rules for gender conformity.”—The Horn Book Magazine Publishers Weekly Reviewed on 6 October 2014 “[G]ives readers space to question their own acquiescence to gender stereotypes.”—Publishers Weekly Library Journal Reviewed on 15 September 2014 “A real slash and burn of gender stereotypes, this title delivers a unique message for both teens and adults about finding your own way despite cultural conventions. Fans of Jeffrey Brown’s autobiographical comics will also enjoy it.”—Library Journal School Library Journal Reviewed on 1 August 2014 “Purchase where graphic novel memoirs are in demand.”—School Library Journal Booklist Reviewed on 1 August 2014 “[An] empowering memoir that should have ample appeal for any kid who feels like an outsider.”—Booklist Starred Review Kirkus Reviews Reviewed on 16 July 2014 “Spectacular; a book to make anyone think seriously about society’s preordained gender roles.”—starred, Kirkus Reviews People Magazine “The heroine of this charming, gently subversive graphic memoir loves Little League and hates dresses, so what does she grow up to be? Gloriously herself.”—People Magazine The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books “One of the most important insights—hard won after over a decade of searching for something about herself to love—that Liz gains is that gender can be identified on one’s own terms: girl doesn’t have to equal cheerleader.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
