YA Literature, Intellectual Response, and Social Change

A crucial aspect of Young Adult Literature is its ability to reach and contribute to the
development of the young, impressionable mind. Many young adult books merely produce a
good story, yet others venture a step further and affect an emotional and intellectual response
within the adolescent (and even adult) reader that, sometimes, contributes to greater social
change. I Am J, by Cris Beam, is one of those books.
In I Am J, the reader is exposed to the tumultuous and tremendously confusing life
experiences of a transgender teen. While trying to navigate his way through the usual angst and
uncertainties of adolescence, J must also come to terms with his true person and authentic self.
He is faced with misinformed peers and judgmental parents, but still manages to overcome
tremendous obstacles and find his way home, to the man he was always supposed to be. His
story, while controversial for many, is wrought with raw emotion and impeccably illustrates the
humanity of those who many unjustly disapprove of and, unfortunately, sometimes even scorn.
Through J, the reader, no matter his/her personal beliefs, becomes intimately acquainted with a
transgender character, and receives a lens into his life. According to Autumn M. Dodge and Paul
A. Crutcher, including young adult literature (YAL) with LGBTQ characters or themes is a
starting point for making visible LGBTQ students identities (96). For once, the cis gender,
heterosexual reader is able to step within the shoes of an unlike individual and experience, in
some form, life through his eyes. As the reader navigates through the story and creates a
relationship with the character, suddenly, he/she perceives him to be, not merely a transgender
person, but an actual human being, capable of the same emotions, thoughts, and pain as the rest
of us. In this sense, the text acts as a transformative experience for the reader as he is virtually
reborn into a more understanding, compassionate, and tolerant individual.
In addition to enabling the reader to fashion a bond with and tolerant view of someone
belonging to an identity different from his/her own, the novel also serves as a beacon of hope for
transgender teens. As Susan L. Groenke and Lisa Scherff state, adolescents seek out literature
that speaks to the issues, conflicts, and stressors they face, and literature that helps them makes
sense of these issues (15). I Am J reflects the realities of transgender youth and provides them
the opportunity to consider themselves as important and wanted, rather than insignificant and
marginalized. It allows for a comforting experience and the realization that, despite what they
may believe, they are not alone in their struggle. I Am J, once more, transforms the reader, this
time, from one who is insecure, disheartened, and likely frightened, to one who is confident,
happy, and (hopefully) even proud of who he/she is.
Through a relatable character in young adult texts such as I Am J, LGBTQ youth can
discover their own selves and become confident in and confirm the reality that they, too, belong.
These same texts can, also, result in an evolved understanding and compassionately tolerant
disposition among heterosexual, cis gender readers. Whether evoking a change within the hearts
and minds of those within the LGBTQ community or those of heterosexual identity, it is
undoubtedly true that I Am J and all the texts like it are eye-opening and thus, extremely
necessary, particularly if we are to create an inclusive, tolerant classroom and overall society.

Works Cited
Beam, Cris. I Am J. New York: Little, Brown, 2011. Print.
Dodge, Autumn M., and Paul A. Crutcher. "Inclusive Classrooms for LGBTQ Students." Journal of
Adolescent & Adult Literacy 59.1 (2015): 95-105. Web.
Groenke, Susan L., and Lisa Scherff. Teaching YA Lit through Differentiated Instruction. Urbana, IL:
NCTE, National Council of Teachers of English, 2010. Print.