The Witch Boy

This is a great way to question arbitrary gender norms, especially for middle grade readers. I loved the use of different types of magic to separate men and women. So many things in our lives are gender coded: dolls vs. trucks, pink vs. blue, skirts vs. pants, softball vs. baseball, etc. There's no real reason why people can't play, wear, or do whatever they want. Aster's story shows that it can be harmful to deny children their interests just because of their gender. And parents don't have to understand it to love and care for their children as they are.