What do you do when your son insists on wearing a dress to school? Or when your toddler daughter's first sentence is that she's a boy? Offering an extensive understanding of gender-variant and transgender youth, The Transgender Child answers these questions and more. Covering developmental, legal, medical, and school issues, The Transgender Child is a comprehensive, first-of-its-kind guidebook for the unique challenges that thousands of families face raising children who step outside of the pink or blue box.

"This handbook will be a valuable addition to the resources available to help us to help gender-variant children, transgender youth, and their families. I will be recommending it as a "must read" for the families I see. I will suggest that parents provide copies to their school nurses and administrators. I also intend to recommend it to my colleagues in pediatrics and adolescent medicine. As a pediatrician, I find no greater pleasure that helping parents and communities help children grow and develop into happy, healthy, well-adjusted adults. This resource will help me in that goal for gender-variant and transgender youth." —Irene N. Sills, MD, Joslin Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology

"The Transgender Child isn’t just an important resource for parents with transgender and gender-variant children; it’s also a great, practical guide that every parent should read. As more and more families strive to be supportive of their children, this book is a smart, accessible roadmap that has something to teach everyone about embracing and supporting young people. Parents, teachers, grandparents and anyone who interacts with kids on a regular basis will find The Transgender Child to be a smart guide for what can often be an unchartered journey. Stephanie Brill and Rachel Pepper help parents cut to the chase and do what every parent does best: love and embrace their child, no matter who they are.” —Jody M. Huckaby, Executive Director of PFLAG

"Finally! The roadmap that parents of gender variant children and providers have been waiting for! Compassionate, pragmatic, based on available research and practice wisdom. Read it! Share it! Use it to nurture your child and make our family and community environments supportive and sustaining for gender variant children and youth.” —Caitlin Ryan, PhD, ACSW, Director, Family Acceptance Project, San Francisco State University

"For far too long parents, families, friends, teachers and helping professionals have lacked a unified resource to help them navigate a reality that can be perplexing and challenging. They have lacked a way to sort out received messages, which are often contradictory. The Transgender Child: A Handbook for Families and Professionals provides a collection of technical information, supportive resources and personal stories that will positively impact the lives of transgender adolescents, children and their families. It will play the role of a practical companion on a journey that can be trying but also rewarding. The needs of transgender and gender variant youngsters and their families are multiple, complex and varied. Providing up-to-date and balanced information about a field of knowledge that is underdeveloped is not an easy task. With a clear commitment to improve the lives of transgender children and their families, Stephanie Brill and Rachel Pepper have achieved an inclusive and concise reading that is a must have for all those involved." —Edgardo Menvielle, MD, Director of the Gender and Sexuality Psychosocial Programs, Children’s National Medical Center

"This beautifully written, meticulously well-researched book is a godsend for parents and professionals in search of clear, reliable, and up-to-date information about all facets of parenting and caring for transgender children. Combining real life experience with the latest research, Stephanie Brill and Rachel Pepper have written an indispensable guide that will save lives and empower families to ensure that transgender children receive the love and support they need to thrive." —Shannon Price Minter, Legal Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights

"This vital book fills a profound social need by giving parents of transgender children basic information about who those children may be. It will mitigate such parents' feelings of isolation, not only affording insight, but also paving the way for compassion." —Andrew Solomon, Author of The Noonday Demon

"The Transgender Child is a ground-breaking book. It is a sophisticated and sympathetic look at a world unknown to many of us. Families with transgender children often suffer pain and suffering because of society’s prejudices. This book opens a door and shines a light on members of society who deserve the compassion and understanding of us all." —Peggy O'Mara, Editor and Publisher, Mothering Magazine

"Realistic and empowering." —Library Journal

"The appearance of a thorough, authoritative work for parents is long overdue. This book fills the need with balance and sensitivity." —Dana Rudolf, Bay Windows and Mombian.com

Stephanie Brill is the founder of Gender Spectrum Education and Training (genderspectrum.org) which provides education, resources and training to create a more gender-sensitive and supportive environment for all children. She founded and runs the Children's Hospital Oakland Support Group for parents of gender-variant and transgender children and teens. She also co-produces a national conference, Gender Spectrum Family (genderspectrumfamily.org), for families with gender-variant and transgender children.

Rachel Pepper is the Coordinator of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Studies at Yale University. An award-winning journalist and an editor at Curve Magazine, she is the author of The Ultimate Guide to Pregnancy for Lesbians and co-author of The Gay and Lesbian Guide to College Life.