Adriana Rodriguez' Post: I Am Jazz

I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel & Jazz Jennings is a fantastic story about Jazz Jennings. At the age of 2 Jazz knew she was different.
It was not easy for Jazz to be who she was. Growing up Jazz loved playing, dancing, makeup, and pretending she was a pop star, and above all she loved to pretend she was a mermaid. Although Jazz had two girl best friends, she knew she was not exactly like them. Jazz knew she had a girl's brain in a boy's body. While growing up, she would tell her mom not to call her a boy because she was a girl. 

Her parents did not understand her and the transition she was going through nor did her siblings. And although her parents let Jazz dress up like a girl when she was at home, when they went out in public , she was forced to wear boy's clothing. She did not like pretending she was a boy; to her it felt like telling a "lie."  One day her parents decided to take her to the doctor because they did not understand what she was going through and why she acted the way she did. The doctor diagnosed her as being transgender and informed her parents that Jazz was actually born this way. They then understood what she was going through. Her parents gave Jazz their unconditional love and support. Of course, this made Jazz feel deeply happy. 

Her parents let her change her name to Jazz. Jazz loved being herself. Her mother explained to her that being different is o.k. Unfortunately, not everyone understood her and that included teachers, although that changed later. Sadly, not all kids understood her; as a result, Jazz was bullied by students' who  teased her, called her a boy/boy names, and secluded her. This made Jazz feel very sad and upset, but not all students were mean nor did they bully Jazz. These kids were her friends and that made her feel special. Jazz didn't mind being different. In her words she states, "And inside, I am happy, I am having fun. I am proud! I am Jazz." 

So what else can I add about this book? That I absolutely love it! Indeed I do! This was a book I had to purchase. It has actually become one of my favorite books. Before I end this post, I would like to ask teachers who have read this book in their classrooms, how did you introduce the topic and/or book?