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How To Be A Boy And Do It Your Own Way by Dr Ranj
The Blurb On The Back:
Do you ever pretend to like something you don’t, just to fit in?
Is it sometimes hard to tell others how you’re feeling?
Do you wish there was less pressure on you to ‘man up’?
Navigating the confusing messages around boyhood is tough, and it’s easy to worry whether you’re living up to expectations.
Dr Ranj is here to reassure readers that being a boy is BRILLIANT - no matter what kind of boy they are. Exploring everything from gender stereotypes, respect and peer pressure to mental health, body image and leadership, this book encourages boys to stop stressing about their insecurities and instead embrace being the type of boy they want to be, with confidence, positivity and kindness.
Dr Ranj (aka Ranjit Singh) is a doctor, TV presenter and author. This book for boys aged 9+ (illustrated by David O’Connell) counters the toxic masculinity that readers can find on-line and offers good advice about being yourself and dealing with pressure and insecurities, all coupled with personal anecdotes from Dr Ranj and others. It’s a good starting point for a necessary conversation but I wonder Dr Ranj he’s the right messenger here.
I picked this up having a slight familiarity with Dr Ranj without actually knowing much about his work - i.e. I knew he was a TV doctor and seemed a pleasant enough bloke - but absolutely nothing else. I actually learned a lot about him in this book as he talks freely about his own experience as a gay British-Indian who wasn’t into sport as a youngster. In that respect, if you have a young reader who perhaps doesn’t tick all the boxes of “expected” boy interests, then I think they will get a lot out of this and perhaps see themselves represented here.
Dr Ranj talks about masculinity and what it means, why diversity is important, what allyship is and how to do it (including how to support women and LGBTQ+ people and be anti-racist), how to tackle bad behaviour and peer pressure (e.g. why catcalling and bullying is unacceptable, how to stand up to peer pressure and be a leader), dealing with puberty and body image and dealing with mental health (including how to handle your emotions). There is a lot of very sensible, practical and reassuring advice here and Dr Ranj writes in a very empathic way that I think will connect with boys who feel vulnerable. I particularly liked the way Dr Ranj mixes personal anecdotes with sections from contributors like Jake Graf (who discusses being a trans man), Ryan Lanji (who writes about being queer and Asian) and Suki Sandhu (who discusses allyship). There are also mini biographies of men who Dr Ranj points to as good role models, such as Barack Obama, Harry Styles and Freddie Flintoff.
David O'Connell’s illustrations are fun and work well with the text. I particularly liked the portraits he does, not just of Dr Ranj but also people like Einstein and Aretha Franklin.
Given the number of people out there who are trying to push toxic ideas of masculinity and other behaviours on boys, I do think that this book is a good way of trying to open the conversation with young readers. I certainly don’t fault the way Dr Ranj makes his points - he writes in a way that is compassionate and accessible without being patronising. My concern is that the boys who are most likely to be attracted to the kind of alpha male rubbish perpetrated by certain internet actors, are not necessarily going to be interested in what someone like Dr Ranj has to say because he does not tick those “alpha male” criteria. On that basis, I do wonder if he is the best messenger for this type of book and I don’t say that as a reflection on him, but rather because I think some readers are more likely to be receptive of these message from a footballer or sportsman.
That concern aside, I do think this is a good book and a good way of making boys think about this and, hopefully, starting an important conversation.
The Verdict:
Dr Ranj (aka Ranjit Singh) is a doctor, TV presenter and author. This book for boys aged 9+ (illustrated by David O’Connell) counters the toxic masculinity that readers can find on-line and offers good advice about being yourself and dealing with pressure and insecurities, all coupled with personal anecdotes from Dr Ranj and others. It’s a good starting point for a necessary conversation but I wonder Dr Ranj he’s the right messenger here.
HOW TO BE A BOY was released in the United Kingdom on 11th May 2023. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.
Is it sometimes hard to tell others how you’re feeling?
Do you wish there was less pressure on you to ‘man up’?
Navigating the confusing messages around boyhood is tough, and it’s easy to worry whether you’re living up to expectations.
Dr Ranj is here to reassure readers that being a boy is BRILLIANT - no matter what kind of boy they are. Exploring everything from gender stereotypes, respect and peer pressure to mental health, body image and leadership, this book encourages boys to stop stressing about their insecurities and instead embrace being the type of boy they want to be, with confidence, positivity and kindness.
Dr Ranj (aka Ranjit Singh) is a doctor, TV presenter and author. This book for boys aged 9+ (illustrated by David O’Connell) counters the toxic masculinity that readers can find on-line and offers good advice about being yourself and dealing with pressure and insecurities, all coupled with personal anecdotes from Dr Ranj and others. It’s a good starting point for a necessary conversation but I wonder Dr Ranj he’s the right messenger here.
I picked this up having a slight familiarity with Dr Ranj without actually knowing much about his work - i.e. I knew he was a TV doctor and seemed a pleasant enough bloke - but absolutely nothing else. I actually learned a lot about him in this book as he talks freely about his own experience as a gay British-Indian who wasn’t into sport as a youngster. In that respect, if you have a young reader who perhaps doesn’t tick all the boxes of “expected” boy interests, then I think they will get a lot out of this and perhaps see themselves represented here.
Dr Ranj talks about masculinity and what it means, why diversity is important, what allyship is and how to do it (including how to support women and LGBTQ+ people and be anti-racist), how to tackle bad behaviour and peer pressure (e.g. why catcalling and bullying is unacceptable, how to stand up to peer pressure and be a leader), dealing with puberty and body image and dealing with mental health (including how to handle your emotions). There is a lot of very sensible, practical and reassuring advice here and Dr Ranj writes in a very empathic way that I think will connect with boys who feel vulnerable. I particularly liked the way Dr Ranj mixes personal anecdotes with sections from contributors like Jake Graf (who discusses being a trans man), Ryan Lanji (who writes about being queer and Asian) and Suki Sandhu (who discusses allyship). There are also mini biographies of men who Dr Ranj points to as good role models, such as Barack Obama, Harry Styles and Freddie Flintoff.
David O'Connell’s illustrations are fun and work well with the text. I particularly liked the portraits he does, not just of Dr Ranj but also people like Einstein and Aretha Franklin.
Given the number of people out there who are trying to push toxic ideas of masculinity and other behaviours on boys, I do think that this book is a good way of trying to open the conversation with young readers. I certainly don’t fault the way Dr Ranj makes his points - he writes in a way that is compassionate and accessible without being patronising. My concern is that the boys who are most likely to be attracted to the kind of alpha male rubbish perpetrated by certain internet actors, are not necessarily going to be interested in what someone like Dr Ranj has to say because he does not tick those “alpha male” criteria. On that basis, I do wonder if he is the best messenger for this type of book and I don’t say that as a reflection on him, but rather because I think some readers are more likely to be receptive of these message from a footballer or sportsman.
That concern aside, I do think this is a good book and a good way of making boys think about this and, hopefully, starting an important conversation.
The Verdict:
Dr Ranj (aka Ranjit Singh) is a doctor, TV presenter and author. This book for boys aged 9+ (illustrated by David O’Connell) counters the toxic masculinity that readers can find on-line and offers good advice about being yourself and dealing with pressure and insecurities, all coupled with personal anecdotes from Dr Ranj and others. It’s a good starting point for a necessary conversation but I wonder Dr Ranj he’s the right messenger here.
HOW TO BE A BOY was released in the United Kingdom on 11th May 2023. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.