F2M: The Boy Within

“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.

The Making Tracks series takes young readers on a fictional journey through some Australian stories,inspired by objects from the National Museum of Australia.

Other books in the series are based on museum objects such as a Chinese sewing basket from goldrush days, a convict coin and even an outside broadcast radio van from the Melbourne Olympic Games in 1956.

Although Hazel Edwards went on an Antarctic expedition to Casey Station with the Australian Antarctic Division as writer-on-ice, in 2001, this story of today’s 10 year old John, is faction. Antarctic historical details are accurate. But a little electronic imagination has been added via the laptop web-cam.

John loves to fiddle with things but when he connects a broken web-cam to an old telescope,he is in for a shock.Suddenly he finds himself looking back in time, caught in a very ‘cool’ Antarctic adventure.

ISBN: 1458729869-9781458729866
Author: Hazel Edwards
Publisher: ReadHowYouWant

Formats: Paperback, Kindle

Visit your local bookshop or these online retailers have copies available now – just click through on the direct link and you can purchase online:

Comic Graphic Novel in Development

‘The Boy Within’ is being illustrated as a comic graphic novel by NZ comic artist, transman Sam Orchard. Inspired by ‘f2m:the boy within’

The Spinoff interview about the process and philosophy of developing diverse comic characters

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.

Youtube Doco on reactions to controversial subject. (Kailash Studios psychologist Meredith Fuller interviews co-authors)

Approachable introduction for gender discussions with families via fiction.

Resources and NZ Support groups

Check Ryan’s blog about ‘f2m:the boy within’ inclusion in ‘The White Ravens’

Bright Ideas (School Library Association of Victoria) An International 3 Way Webchat for Gippsland Youth: Co-authors reply via Skype to youth questions

2013_f2m-the-boy-within-discussion-notes-educational-resources.pdf for book clubs & educators

with hypotheticals, activities and gender facts.

f2m:the boy within was launched at Unity Books on July 21, 2010 by Green MP and Rainbow spokesperson Kevin Hague.