It Feels Good To Be Yourself

Reviewed by Jessica Huang

How Does This Book Engage Literacy?

'It Feels Good To Be Yourself' is a great book to engage in literacy because it has 2-3 sentences per page and it is easy to read. It is also has many pictures. You can follow along with the words and match it with the picture. It is easy to comprehend for grade 1-3 year old students. This book informs the student reading the book on what they are reading about. It provides words that is engaging and provides a sense of awareness as you are reading with many pictures. The wording in the book allows the student to decode and try to understand the language that they want to teach students what it means to be a "girl", "boy", "cisgender", non- binary and etc. This book is to recognize pride month and for the LGBTQ2+ community. It is meant to introduce important topics and conversation to teach students in classrooms, home, and anywhere else to bring awareness to what it means to be identify as what you want to be. This is a fun story for students to follow along and learn new vocabulary if they do not know.

What is the role of identity based on LGBTQ2+ community?

'It Feels Good To Be Yourself' touches base on the LGBTQ2+ community. The book focuses on the different identities and this book helps touches base on helping students understand their identities or why there are different people who identify what they call themselves. Seeing people that resemble them in stories is like discovering a reliable confidante for children who are struggling with their identity and who they have affections for. It also helps families allow their child to be introduced to the community in ways due to the fact that some families may not know how to talk about it. This is a great way to introduce it to their child due to the fact parents not knowing how to.

A Larger Role For Literacy In The Community

The book allows for a great introduction for the literacy of the terms being used that people identify themselves. Through the stories it touches on the different pronouns and the reasoning behind it along with a story line of the persons name in the story. Each story behind each pronoun is a great way to keep the student reading engages with the different background story. It emphasize the value on what it means towards someone who has the pronouns. It teaches that everyone is different and it is important to understand that it is your own choice on deciding what your own identity is. It teaches children not to judge someone and it is how a person feels or is born identifying themselves with the chosen pronoun.