Everyone asks that question at some point, but for some book characters, it's a more pressing concern. We've collected here books for teens about gender swapping and body switching—your life may feel simple by comparison.
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 28, 2006
"As is traditional in body-switching stories, Tom and Emma's incredible experience allows them to become friends again, a cheerful ending to a message-driven but enjoyable read. (Fiction. 10-13)"
A trampoline collision and a magic arrowhead cause sixth-graders Tom Witherspoon and Emma Baker to switch bodies for four long days in which they discover and learn to sympathize with gender differences.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: June 1, 2008
"Although it relies on a somewhat far-fetched premise, the text's abundant references to current pop culture and Em's witty character keep this read both grounded and fun. (Fiction. YA)"
Unlike her starry-eyed sister, down-to-earth Em Watts isn't thrilled to be at Stark Megastore's star-studded opening, especially since her best friend and secret crush, Christopher, can't stop drooling over teen modeling sensation and Stark representative, Nikki Howard.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Aug. 26, 2008
"Jill and Jack's story, touched with intrigue, humor and fascinating questions, ends with a conclusion both satisfactory and open-ended. (Fantasy. 14-16)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 1, 2008
"Claire's quick-paced narration comes laced with bolts of sarcasm; the realistic problems blend successfully into a suspenseful, mystical story that will attract fans of both chick-lit and the supernatural. (Fantasy. YA)"
It usually happens to 15-year-old Claire when there's a thunderstorm, and only with someone born under the same moon.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 9, 2008
"Futuristically blurring the boundaries of life and death, this text intimately tackles tough ethical topics, including faith, identity, suicide and genetic engineering, through blunt dialogue and realistic characters. (Fiction. YA)"
Beautiful, talented, wealthy and above all headstrong, 17-year-old Lia Kahn knows who she is and what she wants, until she is severely injured in a car accident that destroys her body but spares her mind.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Dec. 1, 2008
"Nonetheless, this adventure, filled with intrigue, friendships, combat and magical allies, is a winner. (Fantasy. 12-14)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: Aug. 25, 2009
"It won't make sense without Cycler (2008), but it's well worth the effort of reading both. (Fantasy. YA)"
Jill has more reason than most recent high-school graduates to be both thrilled and terrified to leave home: Once a month, instead of having her period, she turns into a boy.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 6, 2009
"The setting begs comparisons to Hayao Miyazaki, Kenneth Oppel and Naomi Novik, but this work will stand—or fly—on its own. (Science fiction. 12-15)"
The fate of many rests in the hands of an Austrian schoolboy and a British airman, both in disguise.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: April 5, 2011
"Alex has to figure out why his soul overtook Flip's body, and how—if at all—he can get back into his own before it's too late. (Thriller. 12 & up)"
Fourteen-year-old geeky musician Alex wakes up hundreds of miles from his London home in the body of Philip Garamond, a high-school soccer star and girl magnet nicknamed Flip.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Aug. 28, 2012
"An awe-inspiring, thought-provoking reminder that love reaches beyond physical appearances or gender. (Fiction. 14 & up)"
