Stories of gender identity for kids

Books can offer an entry point into themes of gender diversity for both parents and kids

- Avantika Bhuyan

There are many layers to Rain Must Fall. This graphic novel—a gripping ghost story—is about Rumi and an apparition called Rain. Rendered in black and white, this poignant book by Nandita Basu follows an important chapter in the life of a young adolescent who accompanies their father to the village of Shankerpur to help him convert the ancestral home into a bed-and-breakfast. There, Rumi encounters Rain, who is unable to recall the circumstances that led him to become a ghost.

Rain isn't the only one who is conflicted in this story. Before coming to Shankerpur, Rumi had been disappointed by their best friend's reaction when they disclosed that they identified as a non-binary. Their parents too can't understand how Rumi "doesn't believe she is anything—boy or girl".

At the heart of it, Rain Must Fall is a story of healing and acceptance—of the ghost and the adolescent coming to terms with their own identities. Though this is not a new book—it was published by Duckbill in October 2021—it should be on the reading list of everyone aged 9-12.