A Transgender Teen Becomes Homecoming Queen

I am excited to share my blog and tell you all about the book I am reading. The book I am currently reading is called "Beautiful Music for Ugly Children" by Kirstin Cronn-Mills. It is a very interesting and inspiring book about my character, Liz or as she calls herself Gabe. Throughout the beginning of the book Gabe gives his story of finally being able to start his life as Gabe. Gabe is a transgender and he has known it his whole life. Knowing how hard it is, Gabe waits to be himself after high school. Not many know about Gabe, only his family knows and close friends find out within the first few chapters.

My book tells us Liz's challenge into becoming Gabe. In beginning of the story, Gabe is a senior in High School and has a huge passion for Music. He wants to peruse his career into his music once he graduates. Gabe has a talk show radio and music station on KZUK radio but only his viewers know him as Gabe, just a regular guy. His talk show is were he can express his passion for music and be himself. Only Gabe's closest Friends, Paige and his neighbor and music producer, Johnny know about his talk show. Although, he has a difficult time of letting the world know Gabe. Paige and John both help him get through telling the world about Gabe. Gabe's show, 'Beautiful Music for Ugly Children' gives many people an inspiration to be themselves or as Gabe calls it, showing people your 'A side or B side'. Will Gabe be able to keep his show running once people find out about Gabe's "A side", Liz? So far his show gives great advice for teens to be themselves and be outgoing.

Throughout Chapter 1-3, The book starts off with Gabe at his first talk show on air. He is pretty nervous but does amazing on the show. Gaining more and more followers over the few months, 'Beautiful Music for Ugly Children' becomes very popular. Of course, no one at school knows about Gabe, "Liz" hears his peers at school talk positively about his radio talk show all over school. Being Liz or his A side in high school is hard for him. Gabe is graduating soon and he can finally be B side, Gabe. Every show Gabe has a kind of music and inspirational theme to every show. One of his first talk shows he introduces the idea of A side and B side to his viewers, without actually telling them about Liz or Gabe. All over school, internet and graphited walls show that viewers are listening. Inspired viewers graphited and spray painted walls telling people what side they are. Viewers also built a fan page for Beautiful Music for Ugly Children and commented and posted pictures of their outgoing experiences and achievements.

Going into more detail on Chapter 3, Gabe is listening a famous talk show called the 'Vibe' and they announce there is a contest for 'new song'. The contest winner gets a chance to win five thousand dollars and a seven-to-midnight weekly guest spot on the Vibe. You must enter with your name and titles of your five coolest summer songs on their blog for a chance to win. Gabe goes to help him enter but John already has entered him, as Liz. In that time John did not know about being transgender and Gabe is forced to tell John about and introduce Gabe. This chapter shows, how challenging it is for Gabe to show himself  and the relief he feels once he announces to one of his closest friends, "My name is Gabe"(Cronn-Mills 39). After expressing Gabe, his talk show that night he announces to viewers the idea of having an 'A side and B side'. "Are you more of an A side or B side? I prefer my B side (Cronn-Mills 42)."  Gabe got so many positive calls from many viewers announcing what side they were.

Now today being Transgender is more acceptable now that it is happing more often. Although many still do not accept people for showing their true color. Today we give more of a better example of being yourself. Gabe has a hard time telling John about being Gabe and not Liz. Not everyone excepts transgender right away especially is it was someone you were very close to. The first few chapters were inspiring to me. He showed his true self to the world and gave his viewers an inspiration or goal to set as well. Everyone should go and try something they love or have always wanted to do. It doesn't matter what gender or race you are, everyone needs to follow their inspiration.