Why no stories for rebel children? Don’t divide young readers by gender | Tricia Lowther

Yes, girls need to read more about women like Ada Lovelace, but so do boys. Labelling books by gender only reinforces stereotypes

Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls, and its more recent male equivalent Stories for Boys Who Dare to Be Different, are among a clutch of bestselling children’s books that supposedly break down gender stereotypes. By sharing tales of inspirational women and men who succeeded against the prevailing stereotypes of their time, these books aim to challenge ideas about what it means to be a boy or a girl. But could they actually be reinforcing the problem?

While the content of the books – stories of groundbreaking women, or men unafraid to express emotion – is welcome, and no doubt will inspire many children, the use of the words “for girls” and “for boys” in the titles discourages others from reading them. It’s great to see the achievements of women such as Ada Lovelace celebrated, but why suggest that only girls should be interested in her? However useful the content matter, the branding clearly separates boys and girls into different readership groups. It tells children they are different from each other and, by emphasising difference, impedes equality. It could make a big difference to simply change the word “for” in the title to “about” or “of”.

Absolute favourite kids read is goodnight stories for rebel girls. Reluctant to say anything negative about this fabulous book... but...my 9 yr old son loved it too but was embarrassed to admit he liked a book for girls....

Related: The Guardian view on children’s books: read more, more often | Editorial

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