George

by Alex Gino

Overview

BE WHO YOU ARE.

When people look at Melissa, they think they see a boy named George. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl.

Melissa thinks she’ll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. Melissa really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part... because she's a boy.

With the help of her best friend, Kelly, Melissa comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte — but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545812542
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	08/25/2015
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	1,146,402
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 5.80(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Alex Gino loves glitter, ice cream, gardening, awe-ful puns, and stories that reflect the diversity and complexity of being alive. Their first novel, Melissa, was a winner of the Children’s Stonewall Award, the Lambda Literary Award, and the Children’s Choice Book Award. For more about Alex, please visit them at alexgino.com.

Read an Excerpt

From George

George reached the end of Charlottes' monologue and was ready for the dialogue with Wilbur that followed. But George didn't hear her cue. She opened her eyes. Ms. Udell was frowning, and a thick crease had formed across her forehead.

"George, what was that?" she asked.

"I . . ." started George, but there were no words to finish the sentence. "I . . ."

"Was that supposed to be some kind of joke? Because it wasn't very funny."

"It wasn’t a joke. I want to be Charlotte." George's voice sounded much smaller now that she was speaking her own words.

"You know I can't very well cast you as Charlotte. I have too many girls who want the part. Besides, imagine how confused people would be. Now, if you're interested in being Wilbur, that's a possibility. Or maybe Templeton — he's a funny guy."

"No, thanks. I just . . . I wanted . . ."

Editorial Reviews

Prepare yourself, Alex Gino: You'll be receiving lots of feedback when readers discover your timely, touching novel. School librarians will run to you at conferences, thanking you for writing a story that speaks to students like George. Irate parents will leave one-star reviews on Amazon, claiming your book has an agenda. And there will be children—you know, the actual intended audience for George—who will send you an email, politely demanding a sequel. You can't blame them for asking. The memorable central character of George is unlike almost any protagonist out there…
—The New York Times Book Review

The New York Times Book Review - Tim Federle

★ 05/11/2015
Though others see her as male, 10-year-old George has long known that she is a girl, and she longs for people to see that truth, even while the idea terrifies her. When George’s fourth-grade class has tryouts for a school production of Charlotte’s Web, George desperately wants to play Charlotte, a character she adores. George’s teacher doesn’t allow to George to audition for the part, but her supportive best friend Kelly, who is cast as Charlotte, comes up with a plan that may give George the chance she needs. The taunts of a school bully, George’s self-doubts, and her mother’s inability to truly hear what George is telling her carry real weight as debut author Gino’s simple, direct writing illuminates George’s struggles and quiet strength. George’s joy during stolen moments when she can be herself will resonate with anyone who has felt different, while providing a necessary window into the specific challenges of a child recognizing that they are transgender. Profound, moving, and—as Charlotte would say—radiant, this book will stay with anyone lucky enough to find it. Ages 8–12. Agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for George:

"Timely, touching... George may be the most right-now book imaginable." — New York Times Book Review

"Insightful... it'll resonate with anyone who has ever felt different." — People Magazine

"George is a timely book for parents to share and discuss with their children, whether dealing with similar issues or simply to foster understanding." — Entertainment Weekly

* "Warm, funny, and inspiring." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "Profound, moving, and — as Charlotte would say — radiant..." — Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "A required purchase for any collection that serves a middle grade population." — School Library Journal, starred review

* "[A] sensitive, insightful portrayal of a transgender child coming to terms with gender identity." — Booklist, starred review

"Readers going through a similar experience will feel that they are no longer alone, and cisgender (non-transgender) readers may gain understanding and empathy." — BookPage

"Reading this breathtaking debut should be a requirement for living." #6 on the Indie Next Autumn '15 List — Marisa DiNovis, Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill, NC

From the Publisher

★ 07/01/2015
Gr 4–6—Before her mother and older brother Scott come home, George has a few, treasured moments to experience life as she's always wanted to live it. She looks in the mirror and calls herself Melissa, combs her hair over her forehead to mimic the appearance of bangs, and reads glossy magazines full of ads for lipstick, perfume, and tampons. Once her mom and brother come home, however, the magazines must go back to their secret hiding place. While George has no doubt she's a girl, her family relates to her as they always have: as a boy. George hopes that if she can secure the role of Charlotte in her class's upcoming production of Charlotte's Web, her mom will finally see her as a girl and be able to come to terms with the fact that George is transgender. With the help of her closest ally, Kelly, George attempts to get the rest of the world to accept her as she is. While children can have a sense of their gender identity as early as the age of three, children's literature is shockingly bereft of trans* protagonists, especially where middle grade literature is concerned. George offers more than the novelty of an LGBTQ coming-out story, however. Here, what is most remarkable is the use of pronouns: While the world interacts with George as if she is a boy, the narrator only refers to her with female pronouns, which gives her girl-ness a stronger sense of validation. In addition, George comments on the fact that, in past years, gays and lesbians have achieved a certain amount of visibility and acceptance, while the trans* community is still largely ignored and misunderstood. George's mother remarks that while she can handle having a gay child, she simply can't accept her as "that kind of gay." For George, as is the case for many LGBTQ youth, coming out is a process that she must repeat until she is properly recognized. There is pain in George, but not without the promise of a better tomorrow, even if tomorrow doesn't arrive as soon as it should. VERDICT A required purchase for any collection that serves a middle grade population.—Ingrid Abrams, Brooklyn Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

★ 2015-05-06
George, a fourth-grader who knows she is a girl, despite appearances, begins to tell her secret. The word "transgender" is used midway through, but far more work is done by the simple choice to tell George's story using third-person narration and the pronouns "she" and "her." Readers then cringe as much as George herself when bullies mock her or—perhaps worse—when well-meaning friends and family reassure her with sentiments like "I know you'll turn into a fine young man." Each year the fourth-graders at George's school perform a dramatized version of Charlotte's Web, the essentials of which are lovingly recapped (and tear-inducing ending revealed) for readers unfamiliar with the tale. George becomes convinced that if she plays Charlotte, her mom will finally see her as a girl. George's struggles are presented with a light, age-appropriate, and hopeful touch. The responses she gets when she begins to confide in those closest to her are at times unexpected but perfectly true-to-character—most notably her crude older brother's supportive observation that, "No offense, but you don't make a very good boy." A coda to the Charlotte's Web story, in which George presents herself as a girl for the first time, is deeply moving in its simplicity and joy. Warm, funny, and inspiring. (Fiction. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews

2016 Stonewall Book Award Children's Literature Winner
2016 Children's Choice Book Award Winner for Debut Author
2016 Lambda Literary Award Winner for LGBT Children's/Young Adult Literature