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On the day that prolific Australian author, Hazel Edwards was honoured with an Order of Australia Medal for services to literature, her latest young adult novel was receiving a very different distinction at the other end of the country. Hazel Edwards has written more than 200 books, including the hugely popular Hippopotamus picture book series, […]
f2m:the boy within by Hazel Edwards and Ryan Kennedy
ISBN:9781876462901 , Publisher: Ford Street Publishing
"Tick the box. M or F. Male or Female are the only options 'ordinary' people know about. M for Male. F for Female. You're one or the other. But what if you're not? Like me. As I'm finding out."
All adolescents face the quest for identity, but gender change complicates 'coming of age'. Meet school-leaver Skye who is transitioning from female to male. Skye plays guitar in her all-girl band, The Chronic Cramps. Making her name in the punk music scene is easier than FTM (female to male) transitioning: from Skye to Finn, from girl to man. At the school reunion, Finn faces victimisation, but challenges the bullies.
Uncovering genetic mysteries about family heritage tears the family apart. Gran’s loved sibling Al was also Alberta. Transgender identity is more than hormones and surgery, it’s about acceptance. Going public, Finn sings FTM lyrics on TV.
With a little help from bemused mates and parents who don’t want to lose a daughter, but who love their teenager, Finn is transitioning.
Read the first 12 pages for free
here. See the
trailer.
Awards & Recognitions: Included in White Ravens 2011, displayed at Bologna Book Fair.
Top Five YA novels for 2010 on Literary Clutter review blog (George Ivanoff)
Hazel Edwards and Ryan Kennedy co-wrote the novel f2m:the boy within and collaborated via Skype using a webcam. By writing together online and using web conferencing, they developed the entire novel using web 2.0 tools.
Australian Author
Hazel Edwards has written over 200 books for children and adults. This is New Zealand author
Ryan Kennedy's first book.
Book Reviews
•The Great Raven - Book Review "It’s well-written and answers a lot of questions"
•The Reading Stack - Book Review:"Give it a try. f2m blew my mind"
•Read Plus - Book Review: "Recommended"
•Aussie Reviews - Book Review: "A groundbreaking novel"
•Paper Tigers Blog - Book Review: "It’s a fast-paced and compulsive read"
•The Gender Centre, Australia - Book Review: "F.T.M. the boy within is a valuable addition to teen literature and should be in every school and public library"
•Reader's Corner – Book Review: "superbly written and well researched"
•Mortal words - Book Review: "a great, easy read"
•Cheryl Morgan - Book Review: "very approachable and non-confrontational."
•Bookie Monster - Book Review: "should be mandatory reading"
•Rooster Tails contains 'fan art' . 'going to recommend f2m to my Mum.'
•The Year in Review' ' delighted to see the YA market producing good books about trans characters'. Cheryl Morgan
Having heard from Hazel Edwards about her part in her new novel ftm, today her co-author Ryan Kennedy drops by to share his experiences. Welcome Ryan.
This book was challenging for me . Being my first novel, there was a lot to learn. Having a co-writer and mentor in Hazel was the best way to get through such a huge project.
Collaborating online was nothing new for me – I regularly work with
Thanks Sally, that was awesome. Ryan Kennedy sounds like a really interesting person.<br />Maureen. www.thepizzagang.com