SO VERY PROUD OF MY WEE SLASHER!
The kid I tutor? Awesome. We're reading Eight Days of Luke by Diana Wynne Jones. It's about a boy named David. He's an orphan living with some relatives. They don't abuse him, but they're not great. You gotta feel for David.
Then Luke, also known as the Norse god Loki, comes along. Instant connection! Before the first day is out it's clear that both boys would do anything for each other. I've always shipped Luke/David, and so does everyone who reads the book.
The relatives can get a little confusing, so today I drew little stickmen for the girl I tutor: "Here's Aunt Dot with the pearls, here's her husband Uncle Bernard with the cane": (I draw a little line between them to show their marriage). "Here's cousin Ron, and here's his wife Astrid" (another little line). And here's David".
"Wait," she says. "You gotta draw Luke next to David."
I draw Luke.
"Ok," K says. "Now you have to draw a line between them."
"The line is to show that they're married," I say to make sure, but I already have a feeling for where this is going.
"But Luke and David are married!" K protests, all earnest. "You gotta show that they're married!"
Not sure how progressive her mom is, I remind K, "They're both boys."
"But they're married, right?" she looks at me with her heart in her eyes. Clearly K's happiness with this book depend on Luke and David being together.
"Sure, K. They're so married." I reassure her. I can't get the grin off my face. It's adorable that they're not boyfriends, they're not dating, they're just clearly married already. I draw the little line. She nods in satisfaction.
"Which one's the girl?" K ponders.
I try to figure out how to summarize gender stereotypes in queer theory for a 10 year old, but K starts giggling.
"Oh!" she says. "You should put them in dresses so they can both be girls!"
I decline because we have to get back to the lesson and K would tailor-draw clothes for every single character if I let her. She adds dresses for them later.
So not only is K a slasher at 10 years old, she's already going for genderswap. You guys, I AM SO FLAILY AND PROUD!
ETA
Before all this she says, "Let me look at the cover."
I hand the book over. she stares for a while at this version before asking gravely, "Which one do you think is cuter?"
"Um," I say. It's a fair question.
"David is good-looking," she says. She says it in a way that means, "David is soooo hot!" Then she peers closer. "But Luke has freckles."
"I like freckles," I say.
She nods vehemently. "I like freckles," she agrees. "They're both cute."
I love tutoring.
Then Luke, also known as the Norse god Loki, comes along. Instant connection! Before the first day is out it's clear that both boys would do anything for each other. I've always shipped Luke/David, and so does everyone who reads the book.
The relatives can get a little confusing, so today I drew little stickmen for the girl I tutor: "Here's Aunt Dot with the pearls, here's her husband Uncle Bernard with the cane": (I draw a little line between them to show their marriage). "Here's cousin Ron, and here's his wife Astrid" (another little line). And here's David".
"Wait," she says. "You gotta draw Luke next to David."
I draw Luke.
"Ok," K says. "Now you have to draw a line between them."
"The line is to show that they're married," I say to make sure, but I already have a feeling for where this is going.
"But Luke and David are married!" K protests, all earnest. "You gotta show that they're married!"
Not sure how progressive her mom is, I remind K, "They're both boys."
"But they're married, right?" she looks at me with her heart in her eyes. Clearly K's happiness with this book depend on Luke and David being together.
"Sure, K. They're so married." I reassure her. I can't get the grin off my face. It's adorable that they're not boyfriends, they're not dating, they're just clearly married already. I draw the little line. She nods in satisfaction.
"Which one's the girl?" K ponders.
I try to figure out how to summarize gender stereotypes in queer theory for a 10 year old, but K starts giggling.
"Oh!" she says. "You should put them in dresses so they can both be girls!"
I decline because we have to get back to the lesson and K would tailor-draw clothes for every single character if I let her. She adds dresses for them later.
So not only is K a slasher at 10 years old, she's already going for genderswap. You guys, I AM SO FLAILY AND PROUD!
ETA
Before all this she says, "Let me look at the cover."
I hand the book over. she stares for a while at this version before asking gravely, "Which one do you think is cuter?"
"Um," I say. It's a fair question.
"David is good-looking," she says. She says it in a way that means, "David is soooo hot!" Then she peers closer. "But Luke has freckles."
"I like freckles," I say.
She nods vehemently. "I like freckles," she agrees. "They're both cute."
I love tutoring.