Name I Call Myself

Meet Ari, a young person who doesn't like to be called by their birth name Edward: "e;When I think of the name Edward, I imagine old kings who snore a lot."e; Throughout this beautiful and engaging picture book, we watch Ari grow up before our very eyes as they navigate the ins and outs of their gender identity; we see how, as a child, they prefer dolls and princess movies, and want to grow out their hair, though their father insists on cutting it short, "e;because that's what boys look like."e; At nine, they play hockey but wish they could try on their mother's dresses; at fifteen, they shave their face, hoping to have smooth skin like girls. At sixteen, they want to run away, especially from their father who insists, "e;You're a boy, so you have to act like one."e; Who will Ari become?Moving from age six to adolescence, The Name I Call Myself touchingly depicts Edward s tender, solitary gender journey to Ari: a new life distinguished and made meaningful by self-acceptance and unconditional love. Ages 5 to 12.