Northern Lights Book Awards
Except When They Don’t
Winner of the Poetry Category
Author: Laura Gehl
Illustrator: Joshua Heinsz
Little Bee Books
Newsflash—It’s okay to be you!
Some girls like to dance, play with dolls, and do their nails. So do some boys. Some boys like to race cars, play football, and build model spaceships. So do some girls. Except When They Don’t shows children that their interests don’t have to be dictated by their gender and that play time can be free of stereotypes.
We know a girl whose favorite colors are pink and purple. She loves to play with Barbies, but sometimes she puts on a cape and calls herself Superman. When someone suggested she was Supergirl instead, she held her ground and insisted she was Superman!
The same girl chose a Minecraft backpack for the first day of kindergarten, even though she had never played the videogame before. If someone else had picked out her bag, they might have chosen something along the lines of unicorns and flowers. Fortunately, she was allowed to make this decision on her own.
We know another girl who is as girly-girl as you can get. She wears princess dresses every chance she gets, yet she loves to play with building blocks and wrestles rough and tumble with her younger sister. The point is, children at play should be free to follow wherever their imaginations take them.
With its energetic illustrations and fun-to-read rhythms, Except When They Don’t portrays the wonders of childhood. So have fun and don’t forget to “fight pirate duels” or “wear pom-poms, pink, and jewels.” Be who you want to be.
You can view the full list of Northern Lights Book Award winners here http://northerndawnawards.com/2019-northern-lights-book-awards-winners/
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