What does it mean to be young and transgender today?

Growing Up Trans shares stories, essays, art and poetry created by trans youth aged 11 to 18. In their own words, the works illustrate the trans experience through childhood, family and daily life, school, their bodies and mental health. Together the collection is a story of the challenges, big and small, of being a young trans person. At the same time, it’s a toolkit for all young people, transgender or not, about what understanding, acceptance and support for the trans community looks like. In addition to the contributed works, there are questions and tips from experts in the field of transgender studies to challenge the reader on how to be a trans ally.

Growing Up Trans came out of a series of workshops held in Victoria, British Columbia, to bring together trans youth from across the country with mentors in the community.

Dr. Lindsay Herriot is a full-time inclusion/special education teacher in the Greater Victoria School District. She also works at the University of Victoria in several capacities, as an adjunct/sessional professor in both the Faculty of Education and School of Child and Youth Care and as a fellow at the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society. A cisgender, bisexual, white settler, Lindsay is originally from unceded Mi'kmaq territory in New Brunswick and is of Acadian, Scottish and Anglo heritage. She now lives on the unceded territory of the Lekwungen Peoples in Victoria, BC, with her spouse and two young children.

Lindsay Herriot's profile page

Kate Fry is a writer and editor currently living as a white settler on the unceded lands of the Lekwungen Peoples. Her writing has appeared in several publications, including Prism International, This Side of West, Bad Dog Review and The Albatross. She recently completed a BA with honors in English literature from the University of Victoria. Kate co-founded the Trans Tipping Point project in 2017 with her great friend and mentor, Lindsay Herriot.

Kate Fry's profile page

• Commended, Forest of Reading Yellow Cedar Award Honour Book
• Short-listed, Rocky Mountain Book Award (RMBA)
• Short-listed, Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction
• Commended, Bank Street College of Education Children's Book Committee Best Children's Books of the Year
• Commended, Ontario Library association (OLA) Best Bets
• Short-listed, Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award
• Short-listed, Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable Information Book Award
• Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selection
• Commended, BC Books for BC Schools

“Heartfelt and honest, this will be a valuable resource for trans readers hoping to see themselves and will help cis readers better understand their journeys.”

Booklist

“Without a doubt, a necessary and groundbreaking book.”

Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD)

“A vibrant collection...Engagingly designed with colorful page borders and backgrounds, the volume is a rich resource for youth (and adults), both trans and not, for understanding and supporting trans lives.”

Mombian

“A vibrant collection…This book serves stereotype-busting diverse perspectives that are sure to resonate with many.”

School Library Journal (SLJ)

“Filled with hope, love, and anger, the collection engages innovatively with topics that include voice dysphoria, pronoun usage, and parental acceptance. Whether the tone is joking or heavy-hearted, the anthology amplifies and unites these often-ignored voices and is a startling testament to these kids’ resiliency.”

Quill & Quire

“These narratives are enlightening, heartbreaking, hopeful, haunting, raw, and real, and, all together, they create an overarching narrative that will be beneficial to young people and adults alike, and it is also a fantastic resource for parents, educators, and allies everywhere…A truly innovative, inclusive, and thoughtful resource...Growing Up Trans: In Our Own Words is not only important; it is essential.”

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

“Sensitive and heartfelt…A sense of hope permeates these stories, and readers will root for their success. Middle and high school libraries should consider this title as a useful classroom resource for adults as much as for students.”

School Library Connection

“The collection of stories, poems and artwork in Growing Up Trans provides the reader with insight into the maelstrom of ups and downs, fears and triumphs, self-reflections and affirmations that is the lived experience of many trans youth. The contributing authors and artists have generously shared their deeply personal, witty, insightful and sometimes dead-silly thoughts and musings, and the reader will hopefully get a sense of the vast panoply of identities and the hard-fought resilience that have emerged as these youth come to be the person they see inside.”

Daniel L. Metzger, MD, Pediatric Endocrinologist, BC Children's Hospital, and Clinical Professor, University of British Columbia