From: Christina McTighe <christina.mctighe_at_gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 17 Aug 2013 11:52:08 -0400

Well, with my regular patron, we had a quick chat about how awesome Wonder Woman is and how she's a superhero, too. And then, since she's three, she went on a quest through the reading room for invisible ladybugs.

With the boy who dropped the book, he was with his mother and I didn't really feel it was my place to say anything-- I didn't have the relationship with them that I do with the little girl, and it's not my job to police their reactions to gender roles. And with the kid who thought that only boys make good friends, we did get to a point where he admitted a girl could be a good friend, too (along with mommies, daddies, and pets).

I work in a very wealthy community in Washington, DC. It's a progressive neighborhood, and so its slightly ironic to me that there's such pervasive gendering and stereotyping. I wonder if you asked some of the parents about this very topic what their response would be. And I hate it, but if a grown up comes in looking for a book for a child who isn't present, I do end up asking if it's for a boy or a girl-- because sometimes, if you suggest something for the "wrong" gender, people get offended.

But at the same time, there are some parents who expressly seek out girl mc's for their sons. So it's a mixed bag.

Christina -- Christina McTighe christina.mctighe_at_gmail.com 440-328-5194
Received on Sat 17 Aug 2013 11:52:08 AM CDT