- Were your views and opinions challenged or changed by this text? Do any of the ideas clash with your views? If so, explain what you are rethinking as a result of the ideas presented in the text. Give examples of how your views might have challenged or changed.
- For the most part, my views and opinions weren’t changed. I feel strongly about inclusivity and accepting people for who they are. One view that I did feel was a little challenged was the idea of not making right and wrong totally black and white. I was confused and also inspired by how Sasha was able to forgive Richard and move on with their life despite what happened. They had the beautiful ability to accept his apology and genuinely forget about what happened. I found myself wondering if I would be able to do the same if it were me. Of course I’d like to think that I would handle that situation with the utmost grace, but it’s so hard to know for sure. The way Sasha handled the situation is a true testament to the strength that they have.
- How well does the text address things that you, personally, care about and consider important? What does the text have to do with you, personally, and with your life (past, present or future)? Consider how it addresses the values and beliefs that are important to and how you understand the world, what it means to be human, or what it means to live a meaningful life.
- I thought this text was a beautiful representation of what it means to be different and how important it is to embrace what makes us all different. I also thought it did an amazing job of emphasizing how necessary it is to learn and be conscious of inclusive language. These ideals are some that I find important when raising my three daughters. Now, more than ever, parents are having to be intentional with what they teach their children in regards to using inclusive language, being inclusive, and being accepting of everyone no matter what differences might stand between them. As my oldest daughter gets older, I learn more and more about how difficult it can be to answer some of her tough questions. We have a close family friend that is transgender and he has scars from his top surgery that was done during his transition from female to male. One day while at a pool party, she saw his scars and asked me what happened. I felt pretty blind-sighted by that question from my four year, but found it to be a valuable learning opportunity for her as a child growing up in a world where people are finally feeling strong or confident enough to live their truth, and for me as a parent navigating raising children to be accepting of those who different and wish to be acknowledged by words that most closely identify who they are. I thought this book included a lot of great lessons that I have, do, or will have to teach my children and found it to be a good way to get an idea of what someone like Sasha must be thinking or feeling when they are discriminated against or even when they are feeling accepted. Having never met someone that is agender, I found it to be difficult to be able to explain why/what my daughter should say or do if they had the opportunity to befriend an agender (or any other type of person that doesn’t identify with the same category). This book really gave me a better sense of understanding their thoughts, feelings, and why they do or say certain things. I also thought that this book is a great representation of what it means to be human, which is to be kind, be open-minded, be inclusive, and most importantly, be yourself.
- To what extent did it pass the “Who cares?” test? What is your overall reaction to the text? Would you read something else like this, or by this author, in the future or not? Why or why not? To whom would you recommend this text?
- My overall reaction to the text is positive. I loved the fact that it gave representation to agenders. I love that it had so many valuable lessons relating to inclusivity, inclusive language, exploration of sexuality, discrimination, and living our own truths at whatever cost. I would definitely read more books like this one with similar themes and story lines because I feel like I could learn at lot of lessons that can be applied to my life as a parent, as a teacher, and as a human in general. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for something “different.” Too often in books we find repetition—many stories are just slightly altered retellings of other stories. However, this book, the characters, and the way it was written is so different than anything I’ve ever read. I would also recommend this book to a young adult struggling to figure out who they are or who and what they love. I think this book would give them a chance to see that not only is there someone in a book that is similar to them, but they also came out stronger because of their situations, despite there being hate surrounding them as a person.
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YAL Gon' Make Me Lose My Mind 