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Nashville author writes children's book to challenge gender norms, promote confidence

Posted at 1:38 PM, May 22, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-22 14:39:19-04

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Name-calling, even bullying can start early. Hannah Carmona Dias says the idea for her children's book came out of a conversation.

Dias teaches theater and says one of her students, a fifth-grade boy, was distressed.

"Basically he was being called gay for doing things that he liked - which was theater and singing and dancing," she said.

Her book, "Dazzling Travis," was inspired by his gender-based dilemma.

"From that conversation we talked a lot about, 'You know it doesn't really matter in the long run, do what you want to do. It doesn't have to be this is what girls do and this is what boys do,'" she said, "I left that conversation just thinking somebody should write a book about this."

A mother of two, Dias wrote the book to help challenge social norms and labels.

"Dazzling Travis" is available through Cardinal Rule Press.

For more information click here.