Golden Boy: A Novel
Instructional Resources
Book Review
Written by Abigail Tarttelin
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: 5/21/2013
ISBN-13: 9781476705835
Grade 9 and up
Max Walker is the golden boy, and not just because of his halo of golden blond hair. He gets good grades at school, and is popular with both guys and girls. His parents are both powerful attorneys and his little brother is quirky, but Max loves him and understands him. Everything seems great, except that Max and his parents share one big secret. Max is actually intersex, meaning he was born with both male and female genitalia. The only other person who knows about Max's condition betrays him in the most heartbreaking way, setting into motion a year of turmoil for Max and his family.
This novel by Tarttelin is poignant in its characterization of Max and his family as they deal with the gender issues associated with being intersex. The story is told by meshing together the thoughts and reflections of Max and the people around him. The reader will experience horror, relief, fear, anxiety, and resolution right along with the characters.
High school students can relate to the coming-of-age theme presented in this book, and current events have put the spotlight on the increasing fluidity of gender roles; anyone who is looking for perspective in this area would appreciate this book.
Awards
Alex Award winner, 2014
Lambda Literary Award finalist, 2014
School Library Journal Best Book of 2013
In the Classroom
Using available web tools, students will make a visual presentation to compare and contrast the experiences of Max in Golden Boy to those of Kristin in None of the Above.
SOLs Addressed: Reading 10.4,
Definitions: Sexual Assault and Rape
Using definitions provided by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, students will analyze Hunter's assault on Max and review all the reasons why the encounter could not be considered consensual. Students will form groups to create various scenarios for the class to analyze to determine when sexual encounters are consensual or not. Students will learn community resources available to victims of sexual assault.
SOLs Addressed: Reading 10.4, Family Life 9.5, 9.7, 12.8
Hunter: Motivations
Students will examine and analyze the character of Hunter. Why does he assault Max? What are his secrets? Does he really think the encounter was consensual? Using the text, students will answer the questions and infer his motivations. They will also determine the implications of his arrest on the two families, and on the development of his own sexual identity.
SOLs Addressed: Reading 10.4, Family Life 9.3
Gender Explorations
Students will discuss "typical" characteristics (looks, behaviors, emotions, societal expectations) of each gender. They will analyze those characteristics to determine if they are actually typical of a single gender. Students will reflect upon how those characteristics have been constructed by society as opposed to having a biological basis.
SOLs Addressed: Reading 10.4, Family Life 6.11
Life in Great Britain
Students will learn about the geography and current social customs of life in Great Britain. Students will locate the areas mentioned in Golden Boy and learn how the school progression is set up. Students will create a visual representation to compare the progression of American school and British schools.
SOLs Addressed: World History WHII.16, Communication: Speaking, Listening and Media Literacy 9.2, 10.2, 11.2
Pair This Book With...
Annabel
Annabel is the story of another intersex child. However in this book, the child is assigned a male gender by his father, who also approves the surgery to sew his female genitalia shut. We watch as Wayne grows up, not knowing about his disorder, as his father tries to get him into the male hunting culture of the town. Wayne can feel something different about himself, and he finds out the truth during puberty when his female side begins to assert itself.
This story tells the tale of what an intersex child may have faced in the past, when parents were often pressured to pick on gender for the child early on in life. Annabel makes a nice contrast to Golden Boy.
Winter, K. (2010). Annabel. New York, NY: Black Cat.
None of the Above
While Max may be the Golden Boy, in this novel Kristin Lattimer is the golden girl; she has friends, a boyfriend, a scholarship to run track at college, and has recently earned a place on the homecoming court. When Kristin decides to become intimate with her boyfriend for the first time, issues arise that lead her to the doctor where she discovers that she has an intersex condition. When she confides in her friends, her secret gets out, and Kristin must face the rest of her senior year while facing rejection from her boyfriend and many of her peers.
This is a nice portrayal of an intersex teen who identifies as female, but who struggles with her gender identity and what it means as in Golden Boy.
Gregorio, I. W. (2015). None of the above. New York, NY: Balzer & Bray.
Middlesex
The story of Callie, who is born intersex, and how she grows into being Cal is the subject of Middlesex. Eugenides tells the about Callie/Cal by going back two generations, and tracing the family's migration from Turkey to America. The changes in society and attitudes is also incorporated. This is the story of another intersex person's experience.
Eugenides, J. (2002). Middlesex. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus, Giroux.
Speak
Anderson, L. H. (1999). Speak. New York, NY: Farrar Straus Giroux.
Just Listen
Dessen, S., Brennan, N., Penguin Group,, & Viking Children's Books,. (2006). Just listen: A novel. New York, NY: Viking Children's Books.
Further Resources
- Find out more about author Abigail Tarttelin and how Golden Boy came to be.
- Watch the Golden Boy book trailer.
- Learn about being intersex.
- Help advocate for the equal treatment of intersex people.
- Follow the blog of intersex writer Hida Viloria.
- Victims of sexual assault can get help through RAINN.
- Watch Me, My Sex, and I, the documentary that inspired Golden Boy.
References
Global Video Center. (2013, September 4). Me my sex and I : BBC documentary [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/7ZRD1OdHBA4
Intersex campaign for equality | The United States affiliate of the Organization Intersex International (OII). (2015). Retrieved July 28, 2015, from http://oii-usa.org/
Orion Publishing. (2014, January 17). Golden Boy book trailer [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/pPed1JropFk
RAINN | Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network | RAINN: The nation's largest anti-sexual assault organization.One of “America’s 100 Best Charities" —Worth magazine. (2009). Retrieved July 28, 2015, from https://www.rainn.org/
Tarttelin, A. (2015). Welcome to the online home of Abigail Tarttelin. · Abigail Tarttelin. Retrieved July 28, 2015, from http://www.abigailtarttelin.com/
Viloria, H. (2015). Hida Viloria | My blog: Intersex and out [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://hidaviloria.com/category/blog/