I liked this book. It was def. meant for a younger audience than I thought based on the cover. I thought the content was very honest and didn't shy away from controversial subjects (although I think I felt embarrassed for the two characters most of the time.)

It's def. a great book for boys and girls reaching "the change" :), but that don't want to read those crazy pamphlets. ( )

Gender Blender takes the 'Freaky Friday' premise to a new level. What if you switched bodies with someone of the opposite gender? What if that someone use to be your best friend? Since entering the sixth grade being friends with someone of the opposite sex has been an issue for Tom and Emma, they just don't get along anymore. Emma Baker is an over-scheduled, over-achiever who is cares about school and has a crush on Jeff Matthews who doesn't notice her. Tom Witherspoon used to be her best friend in the fourth grade, but now he is now dealing with his parents' divorce, making the baseball team and the craziness of girls. These two former friends get cursed and are forced to live in each other's bodies until they can figure out how to switch back.

There are many funny moments in this story, especially as Emma and Tom adjust to being in each other’s bodies. Going through puberty is tough enough, but switching genders at this precarious time leads to some entertaining situations. Emma and Tom struggle at first to cope, but then learn to appreciate what the other goes through as a boy or girl. Co-operation, understanding and respect of the opposite sex are themes brought about in this tale of swapped identities. While this premise is not original, nine to twelve-year olds trying to make sense of why boys or girls act the way they do will enjoy this insightful story. ( )

Reviewed by Jocelyn Pearce for TeensReadToo.com

GENDER BLENDER is a fun but thought-provoking novel about gender differences for middle-schoolers.

Since they started middle school, Emma and Tom haven't been able to get along and be friends the way they used to be.

Emma hates boys--except Jeff, the cutest sixth-grade boy in school. She can only hope that he'll notice her! She gets straight-A's and is involved in a ton of after-school activities. She's worried about getting her first period, among other things. She's pretty much a typical overachieving sixth-grader.

Tom isn't what anyone would call a good student. He spends most of his time fooling around with his friends and playing baseball. He's got stuff to be stressed about, too, though. For one thing, he wants beautiful Kelly to notice him!

When their health teacher gives them an assignment on gender differences, Emma and Tom suddenly have an advantage over the rest of the class--though they don't see it that way. While jumping on a trampoline, they knock heads, and, suddenly, they've switched bodies! Can they learn to understand each other and get along in time to switch back?

GENDER BLENDER, while it is quite entertaining, deals with an important issue. Gender differences are certainly something to think about; Emma and Tom's health teacher is right--boys and girls don't really understand each other, especially in middle school (not to say that it gets completely better later, though...). Blake Nelson's novel deals with this issue in a fun, if slightly ridiculous, way, using likeable characters, as well. This is a great book for preteens of either gender! ( )

Although the idea of switching bodies has been covered in several other books, usually it involves the switch between an older and a younger body, of the same gender. This book daringly involves a switch between Emma, a girl in grade six, with her best friend from elementary school, Tom. The two are no longer close, yet neither can understand why or how they grew apart. Predictably the switch between two adolescent bodies is filled with some awkward situations, but that just serves to make the book humorous. This would be a great book for a partial read aloud during a health discussion on puberty.
It is a book that is rarely on the shelf for every long before it is signed out again. I think lots of students would like to know what it's like to be the opposite gender. ( )

I thought this book was really fun. I really liked hearing thing from both a girl and guy. They get into pretty awkward situations, which is really funny. Most importantly this book really showed me what kind of things boys have to go threw, and its hard to be a guy. I recomend this book for anyone who is middle school, or will be soon. It might change the way you think of the oppisit gender. ( )