Jacob's Room to Choose

by Sarah Hoffman, Ian Hoffman, Chris Case (Illustrator)

Overview

2020 ALA Rainbow Book List Selection
2020 NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Selection

When Jacob goes to the boys’ bathroom he is chased out because the boys think he looks like a girl because of the way he is dressed. After Jacob's friend Sophie faces the same situation, their class gets together to make things better.

The beloved lead character from Jacob's New Dress, which is one of The American Library Association's top 100 banned books of the last decade, is back in an encouraging story about gender expression. When Jacob goes to the boys’ bathroom he is chased out. His classmate, Sophie, has a similar experience when she tries to go to the girls’ bathroom. When their teacher finds out what happened, Jacob and Sophie, with the support administration, lead change at their school as everyone discovers the many forms of gender expression and how to treat each other with respect. 

Check out the companion book, Jacob's School Play Starring He, She, and They. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781433830730
Publisher:	American Psychological Association
Publication date:	05/07/2019
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	399,242
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.80(d)
Lexile:	500L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Sarah and Ian Hoffman live in the San Francisco Bay Area with their two children. Visit sarahandianhoffman.com for more about their books and parenting experiences.

Chris Case has been illustrating books and magazines since 2008. He lives in Vermont.  You can see more of his work at chriscase.org.



 

What People are Saying About This

Jesica Sweedler DeHart

Kids need the tools to understand gender nonconforming peers. With books like this, minds open, perspectives blossom and everyone has more choices. Sophie and Jacob’s teacher is paying attention and sees an opportunity to create a more inclusive classroom and school where everyone’s differences are celebrated. A progressive book that is forward thinking and acting to solve problems with new solutions.

Editorial Reviews

05/27/2019

In this follow-up to Jacob’s New Dress, both the titular character, who wears a dress, and his friend Sophie, clad in a button-up plaid shirt and slacks, know which bathroom feels right. But Jacob is stared at in the boys’ bathroom, and Sophie has a similar experience in the girls’ room. Compassionate teacher Ms. Reeves is an ally; pointing to symbols representing a girl and a boy, she gently speaks to the whole class: “You know what? A lot of you don’t look like the signs.” The students set out to create new, inclusive bathroom signs: “I have to pee, so let me be!” one reads. Ms. Reeves just might be the real star in the story, as she models how limiting traditional views of gender can be. Case’s smudgy artwork shows the familiar trappings of a cozy library and the energy of an impromptu art project. In an authors’ note, the Hoffmans share their firsthand experience with their gender-nonconforming son. Ages 5–8. (May)

Publishers Weekly

So many, many people need to read this book.  Kids adults, politicians, administrators—there is not one person in this world that doesn’t need to digest and ponder the less of this sweet, simple, and very necessary (unfortunately) book.

Kiss the Book

Like the first book about Jacob, the message is about acceptance. Simple lyrical writing introduces the setting and the characters from the opening lines: 'The carpet was warm. The bunnies were funny. Jacob and Sophie loved library time.' And the message is vital, especially for this young age group. The Hoffman’s book comes from their hearts.

Oregon Coast Youth Book Preview Center

2020 ALA Rainbow Book List Selection

2020 NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Selection

Finalist in the 2019 Foreword INDIES Awards

Recommended by Psychology Today

“The students set out to create new, inclusive bathroom signs: ‘I have to pee, so let me be!’ one reads. Ms. Reeves just might be the real star in the story, as she models how limiting traditional views of gender can be.” —Publishers Weekly

“Their teacher's lesson shows that there are more than two ways to dress—not all boys wear short hair, and not all girls wear long hair or dresses. Even their own classroom represents a spectrum of expressions.” —Kirkus Reviews

“So many, many people need to read this book.  Kids adults, politicians, administrators—there is not one person in this world that doesn’t need to digest and ponder the less of this sweet, simple, and very necessary (unfortunately) book.” —Kiss the Book

"Like the first book about Jacob, the message is about acceptance. Simple lyrical writing introduces the setting and the characters from the opening lines: 'The carpet was warm. The bunnies were funny. Jacob and Sophie loved library time.' And the message is vital, especially for this young age group. The Hoffman’s book comes from their hearts." —Oregon Coast Youth Book Preview Center

“Kids need the tools to understand gender nonconforming peers.  With books like this, minds open, perspectives blossom and everyone has more choices.  Sophie and Jacob’s teacher is paying attention and sees an opportunity to create a more inclusive classroom and school where everyone’s differences are celebrated.  A progressive book that is forward thinking and acting to solve problems with new solutions.”
— Jesica Sweedler DeHart, Librarian and Influencer, @WanderingBookseller

“This book is a necessary and well-crafted addition to the growing world of LGBTQ+ themed picture books.” —Adrien Kade Sdao

From the Publisher

05/17/2019

PreS-Gr 2-In this follow-up to Jacob's New Dress, Jacob and Sophie try to use the bathroom at school but do not feel safe. Jacob, a boy who wears dresses, is threatened by several kids in the boy's restroom, while Sophie, a girl who dresses in a plaid button down and khakis, is chased out of the girl's restroom. When they explain what happened to their teacher, the woman gathers their class for a lesson: not everyone looks like the bathroom signs for girls and boys, but everyone has to pee! The class takes a little time to consider, but are ultimately inspired. As a group, they make signs affirming everyone's right to use the bathroom without fear. There is no opposition from the school or parents—everyone is completely supportive. An author's note explains the importance of making bathrooms safe for gender nonconforming youth. Case's bright watercolor illustrations show a diverse and engaged classroom, and reinforce the emotional journey of the text. The text, though simple, clearly makes the case for making bathrooms safe for everyone, modeling a simple discussion on the topic for teachers or parents. VERDICT A solid picture book that addresses identity, gender expression, and how to be a good ally. Recommended for purchase.-Kelsey Socha, Ventress Memorial Library, Marshfield, MA

School Library Journal

2019-03-03

When two students are bullied in the bathroom, their class makes new rules so that everyone can pee in peace in this follow-up to Jacob's New Dress (2014).

Jacob, a white boy with blond hair, and his friend Sophie, a girl with brown skin and Afro-textured hair, need to use the bathroom after library time. Jacob wears a dress; Sophie has on a button-down shirt and khaki trousers. "Do you think it's OK?" they worry together outside the gender-segregated lavs, each marked with the familiar blue, gendered icons. Entering the boys' room, Jacob attracts unwelcoming stares, and Sophie is likewise driven from the girls' room. With the help of their teacher, they work together with their classmates to design new signs and rules so that anyone can use the bathroom without fear. Case's watercolor illustrations match the style of the first book's and fill the page, inviting readers into Jacob's diversely depicted class of students. Unlike in the first book, no children tell Jacob he can't wear a dress, but his classmates still make assumptions about gender based on one another's clothing choices. Their teacher's lesson shows that there are more than two ways to dress—not all boys wear short hair, and not all girls wear long hair or dresses. Even their own classroom represents a spectrum of expressions. While the overall theme emphasizes inclusion, the language never moves beyond "boys and girls" when referring to gender identities; nonbinary identities are not explored.

Solid as a stand-alone for new readers or as a continuation of the conversation about gender expression started in the first book. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews