It's Just a Book

By Max Celebnon

The central character of this book is Max, a thirteen-year-old boy who has the courage of his conviction to dress as a girl and think differently to other boys his age. Max is an Adonis, with unmistakably stunning androgynous looks, captivating emerald green eyes, and mid-length blonde hair. Despite a loving, supportive family and their unconditional positive regard for him, his good looks both work for him and against him as he questions himself and his choices as he experiences the scorn of others. He narrates his journey through high school as he enjoys a change in status from being bullied and a pariah, to becoming accepted as one of the popular kids.

This is a fun, engaging, heart-warming and an enlightening book with a twist at the end. It will raise a smile, bring a tear, and give hope to the reader. It is book for all young people coming of age in search of self and their identity. It is also a must read for all adults involved in education, child adolescent and mental health services and social care.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Feb 2, 2024
• ISBN: 9781035802319

Max Celebnon

Born in Liverpool but raised in the suburbs, Max Celebnon has over forty years’ experience as an educator and sports coach. He has worked with children, young people, and adults across the full spectrum of ability from high achievers to those with a special educational need, both at home and abroad. He has a passion for working with those who are ‘different’ or ‘hard to like’ and specialises in helping people find their way by working with them to identify their individual strengths, talents, and skills, and then providing a platform for them to test these out and experience success.

Book preview

About the Author

Born in Liverpool but raised in the suburbs, Max Celebnon has over forty years’ experience as an educator and sports coach. He has worked with children, young people, and adults across the full spectrum of ability from high achievers to those with a special educational need, both at home and abroad. He has a passion for working with those who are ‘different’ or ‘hard to like’ and specialises in helping people find their way by working with them to identify their individual strengths, talents, and skills, and then providing a platform for them to test these out and experience success.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to:

My mother for giving me the freedom to grow,

explore and solve my own problems.

Copyright Information ©

Max Celebnon 2024

The right of Max Celebnon to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781035802289 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781035802296 (Hardback)

ISBN 9781035802319 (ePub e-book)

ISBN 9781035802302 (Audiobook)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2024

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Acknowledgement

Austin Macauley Publishers

Synopsis

In many ways, Max is a typical 13-year-old boy. He is into his sport, loves his food, likes his sleep, spends time on his Play Station, and he likes his fashion; but this where his similarity to other boys his age stops. Max likes to dress as a girl at home and to school when the mood takes him. He questions everything, has wild ideas, he has his own take on life, and is outspoken. Max is also small for his age and is late starting puberty. He is unmistakably an Adonis with stunningly androgynous flawless features. He has a mop of shiny, shoulder length, light blonde hair, and bright green eyes with a glaze that makes them sparkle. His dress sense, his appearance, the ideas he has, the things he thinks about, and his small stature are factors that have contributed to him being repeatedly bullied in primary school and again in secondary school. Max knows that he is different, kind of odd and a tad weird, but he is loved and supported unconditionally by his family; while others think he should see a shrink.

This is a coming-of-age book in which Max narrates his journey through the trials and tribulations of secondary school from the start of Year 9 to the end of Year 10. He discovers and learns more about himself and others, and talks freely and honestly about bullying, masturbation, his teenage views on current affairs, his sexual identity, etc, etc. He moves up the social hierarchy in school from being a loner and pariah to becoming one of the ‘popular’ kids – a minor celebrity and reluctantly, he feels, the ‘go to person’ for teenage issues and advice. Along the way, he invites four interested boys for a girlie night at his home to transform them from boys to girls in frocks, with hairstyle, and makeup. He devises social experiments involving kissing, and sleepovers with boys and girls to discover self and raise money for teenage cancer. He travels to the USA to meet a womanless pageant with one of his younger friends, and models clothes for girls for money. But unbeknown to Max, this opens up Pandora’s box, forges deep bonds of friendship and leads to paranormal and new adventures for the boys.

Despite the onset of puberty and adolescence, Max retains his androgynous looks throughout secondary school, passing easily as a girl or boy. As far as Max is concerned, life is an adventure to be experienced. It is not about being a boy or a girl, dressing as such, or conforming to social norms; life it is much more than that. After all, this is just a book, Max’s book.

Chapter 1

Welcome to My Book!

Hello! My name is Max. I turned 13 two months ago. I have a mop of shiny, light blonde, shoulder length hair and large bright green eyes. I am small for my age. Sometimes I am mistaken for girl. I live at home with my mum, dad, a younger brother, two older sisters and an older brother. I have a cat called ‘Meow’ and a dog called ‘If.’ I live in North London in a big detached Victorian house. It is quite spooky if I am home alone. Both of my parents are professors, one in medicine and the other in psychology. My little brother is eight, my twin sisters are 15, and my older brother is 17. They are super talented. And then there is me! I am not! My family thinks I am odd. Others think I should see a shrink. I am different. Different is good!

I was ten when I first thought I may be different from other kids my age. I noticed that they did not think like me, talk about the same stuff, or dress like me. I remember the day that things started to change. It was after I wore one of my sister’s dresses that she had outgrown to a friend’s birthday party, along with painted nails and pink lipstick. It was no big deal. I was not thinking boy or girl at the time. The cotton dress was comfortable in the summer heat. It fit well and I looked good. It was not a one-off event as I often dressed-up in girl clothes. But it may have been the last straw for my friends and their parents. Friends drifted away. I was not invited to the usual sleepovers or parties and most of my old friends did not want to hang out with me. But I was happy, and I am still happy. My parents love me for who I am.

Being different is not just about me wearing a dress now and then, or going to school wearing nail varnish, lipstick, and eye makeup, or wearing a skirt in PE for a whole term, or even wearing a yellow silky scrunchie on my wrist. That is just one aspect of my differentness. I am different because of the way I look, the way I think for my age, the range of things I think about, the questions I ask, the conversations I start, and because of the things I do. I do know that other people think I am weird.

Now, I may only be a kid, but I am not stupid. I knew that wearing a skirt, etc, was going to get a reaction and it did! I get called a faggot, a puff, a bender, and a queer. I get pushed, kicked, and hit by bullies in my year group and by some older kids. But other kids are interested in the way I dress, how it feels, and why I do it. I enjoy the attention and enjoy trying to understand why people react to me the way they do. Oh, do not worry! I do not get beat-up or bullied every day. Most people just accept me. I go to a good school, and I have big kids who look out for me. They say I have guts, that I look cute, and they think that I am sick; but in good way. I am happy and confident being me.

At my age, I look young because I am young. My skin is smooth and blemish free. And I am slim. Some people say that I have the facial features of a girl and talk like a girl; whatever that means! My big eyes have a permanent glaze to them that makes them sparkle, so lots of people stare at me or comment. I get used to it. My sister says I could be a model if I was taller. Anyway, Dad says that I am likely to look the way I do until I am fifteen or sixteen; until testosterone kicks in and I become more masculine sooner. So, what a wonderful time to experiment with girl clothes that I can fit in to and to play with makeup. I can grow my even hair longer and tie it back in a bow. I am experimenting now with different looks with the help of my sisters and my mum. Afterall, men have worn skirts and dresses for years in other cultures, and actors in films, in plays and on TV, wear makeup all the time; so why shouldn’t I?

My message to all boys is to wear your sister’s clothes or girl clothes from charity shops if the mood takes you. Or any other clothes that are different to the norm for your age and gender. Mix and match, wear makeup, paint your nails, and grow your hair long. Dress-up and have fun. Buck the trend. Be different! Try things out at home. Try dressing as a girl or other in public. Question the norm. Educate your parents. Discover a fresh look to your usual boy appearance. It is not a sad thing, a naughty thing, a wrong thing, or a weird thing to do. It is perfectly normal, and you will not go to hell. It is so fun and liberating!

I was walking to school the other day in my sister’s old summer uniform dress that she had outgrown and a blazer when I thought it would be great if all boys in my year came to school dressed as a girl and lived that way at home for a week or two. Wow! How great would that be! What a neat social experiment! I told my mum after school at our evening meal. Mealtime is a wonderful opportunity in my house to talk about your day. Anyhow, back to my mum. She liked the idea but suggested that it may need to be thought through a little more. So, I am working on it! Nothing is off-limits in my house. I can talk freely to my parents about anything.

I should remind the reader that in many ways, I am young for my age. I am not at the ‘attracted to’ stage of my life just yet. And I am not a girl trapped in a boy’s body. Today, I know that I am not gay, bi-sexual or transexual, other, or confused. I just wanted to know what it felt like to wear a dress and makeup, and to see what reaction I would get. I am not sure what my sexual orientation will eventually be. I may end up being asexual! Who knows, and who cares? I do not!

Chapter 2

Being Different Is Good!

It is good to be different, but it is not without its challenges. Towards the end of primary school, and throughout Years 7 and 8 in high school, I knew I was odd, different from the rest, as I have already explained. Despite my supportive family, this has made me feel lonely at times, and even though I am more accepted now in high school, there are times when I still feel lonely.

As a loner, it is easy to notice other loners. They can be spotted on the fringes of play areas and social groups in school. Loners tend to stand or sit on their own in the playground, at lunch time or on the school bus. A common denominator of being different in some way or being a loner in school is that you can be a target for bullies.

I have been bullied for the past few years or so because of the way I look and dress. Although any type of bullying is wrong. There are different levels of bullying from mild and low level to extreme and menacing. In my experience, I have been repeatedly called names and teased at one level of bullying, to being grabbed, pushed, and punched at another level. At the extreme end of bullying, a Year 10 boy pinned me to the floor in a threatening manner, tried to kiss me, put his hand inside the blouse and up the skirt I was wearing – explaining in graphic detail what he would like to do to me. At a menacing level, a Year 11 bully tried to get into my head by telling me to keep looking over my shoulder because he was going to rape my blonde butt, but I wouldn’t hear or see him until it was too late. Quite a scary thought as you make your way home through the park in the dark! I have experienced and coped with all levels of bullying on my own. None of them pleasant, some upsetting and some disturbing. Bullies rarely