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Overview
Overview
A bright, bold debut about a girl who happens to have been born a boy, but refuses to let that stand in the way of her dream.
More than anything else, George wants to play Charlotte in her fourth-grade class's production of Charlotte's Web. The problem is, her teacher won't let her, because George is a boy. But George isn't about to let that squash her dream. With the help of her best friend, George must learn to stand up for her wish -- and brave a few bullies along the way.
Transcending all categories and genres, George is a pertinent and poignant middle-grade read for kids of all backgrounds.
More than anything else, George wants to play Charlotte in her fourth-grade class's production of Charlotte's Web. The problem is, her teacher won't let her, because George is a boy. But George isn't about to let that squash her dream. With the help of her best friend, George must learn to stand up for her wish -- and brave a few bullies along the way.
Transcending all categories and genres, George is a pertinent and poignant middle-grade read for kids of all backgrounds.
- Format: CD
- Author: Gino, Alex
- ISBN: 9780545880060
- Condition: Used
- Dimensions: 5.90 x 0.60
- Publication Year: 2015
Language:
English
Customer Reviews
Rating Snapshot
5 ★
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2 Ratings
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0 Recommendations
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Amazing Book
McKenzie R. - 5 years 8 months agoI loved this book. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would. A wonderful book for young readers to better understand what it means for someone to be trans. One of the things I liked most about the book was the author's use of the pronoun "she" in reference to George, even before she openly told anyone she felt like she was a girl. I think it really made it clear to the reader that there was no question whether George was supposed to be a girl or not. It was a fact that she was a girl. This helped to combat the common counterarguments society often tries to make about trans youth ("you're too young to know", "you're just going through a phase", "you have boy parts so you are a boy", etc.). I also thought the other characters' reactions were well done. Kelly's was my favorite, because even before George told her, she was always trying to defend George and build her up, saying not to listen to the bully who called her a girl, without realizing that wasn't the support George needed. It is so easy to have good intentions, but make mistakes such as these, especially for young children. As the novel progresses, Kelly demonstrates one way of being a good ally and friend, which I loved. She doesn't get all caught up ruminating on her mistake or denying it. She just changes her way of thinking and goes on to be very supportive. I've seen a lot of criticism of the book in regards to its use of gender stereotypes, which is fair, but I do think because the characters are so young, it does seem realistic. Children often have rigid rules about what constitutes girl stuff and boy stuff. I don't know how many times I've heard elementary and preschool kids tell boys their favorite color can't be pink because it's a girl color or that boys can't like My Little Pony because it's a girl show. So while George does hold fairly stereotypical ideas of gender (make up, skirts), I think this is probably due to these strict rules as well as what most represents being a girl to her at that age (i.e. all the things she isn't allowed to do because of how people see her gender). Overall, I thought this was a fantastic read and a great starting place for introducing the idea of transgender to young readers. Great writing, wonderful story, and a good cast of characters. While it was short, it had a great message and lesson, which it presents perfectly for young readers. #BannedBook
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Charming and engaging with a compelling protagonist; however the writing itself could have been better
Ruth S. - 5 years 8 months agoThe writing itself could certainly be better, but otherwise this was a frankly charming and infirmative book (the faq at the end, presented as an interview, is especially informative, and not to be missed). Melissa is a compelling protagonist, and the choice to tell her story in the third person let us experience, to a small degree, the disconnect between her internal sense of identity and how others treated her and spoke of her. I was on the edge of my seat when she was outed, watching to see how her friends and family reacted; but, not to spoil anything, there is a happy ending. Doubtless the deep insight brought to Melissa's story was informed by the author's own experiences, as Alex Gino is genderqueer (they/them pronouns). A wonderful example of the value of #ownvoices! #bannedbook