Both are aimed at a younger audience but with an eye to gender and identity.

George, by Alex Gino, is a coming of age story set in your typical American school and family. It just so happens our protagonist is a girl that everyone keeps assuming is a boy. Gino tackles a difficult subject in a direct and personal way, and we discuss the hurdles that may face a transgender novel written for middle-grade readers.

The graphic novel Lumberjanes is similar only in that it defies gender expectations. Without ever being “issue” driven, this fun, adventurous, and beautifully drawn series of comics completely won us over.