Pirates and Princesses

Written by: Jill Kargman, Sadie Kargman, and Christine Davenier

First line: Ivy and Fletch had known each other their entire lives.

Why you should read this book: A fine offering in the genre of not putting up with other people's gender stereotypes when those stereotypes dictate how to act and who to talk to. Ivy and Fletch, friends since utero, have also been close, and always played well together, until kindergarten socialization forces them to declare alliances: boys are pirates and girls are princesses. Of course, Ivy is unhappy, and Fletch recognizes that a lifelong friendship trumps artificial gender divisions, and together, the two friends reunite kindergarten in a non-gender-specific play space.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You freak out when your kids don't use the swing set "correctly."