American Girl, the popular doll brand founded in 1986 that featured dolls of young girls from American history with accompanying books telling their stories, is being slammed for a new book that trumpets how prepubescent girls can change their gender.
The 96-page book, titled, “A Smart Girl’s Guide: Body Image: How to love yourself, live life to the fullest, and celebrate all kinds of bodies,” is aimedat girls 8-11 years old, in grades four through six.
“The way you show your gender to the world through clothes and behaviors is your gender expression,” the book states. “Your gender expression can be feminine, masculine, or somewhere in between – and it might change! Maybe you’ll experiment with bright dresses and long, feminine hairstyles. Or you might try baggy shorts, plaid shirts, and a buzzed haircut. Your gender expression should make you feel at home in your body.”
“Parts of your body may make you feel uncomfortable and you may want to change the way you look. … ‘That’s totally OK!” the book states, according to the Daily Mail. The book adds, “If you haven’t gone through puberty yet, the doctor might offer medicine to delay your body’s changes, giving you more time to think about your gender identity.”
