George

Gino, A. (2015). George. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

George is the title character in this novel that explores what it is like to be a transgender youth. George is a fourth grade girl who is struggling to come to terms with what makes her different than others in her class. They see a boy but inside she knows she is a girl.  Her mother doesn't understand and can't bring herself to accept it. She is bullied by boys in her class who see her as weak. Her ally is her best friend Kelly. Kelly is the first to accept that George is a girl. George's class is putting on a play Charlotte's Web. George would like nothing more than to be Charlotte. Her teacher Ms Udell says the role is only for a girl actor breaking George's heart. Luckily her friend Kelly, who won the part, is not insistent on playing the role. They devise a plan to split the responsibility and have George's wish fulfilled. The last chapter is one of the happiest things I have read in a long time. Seeing George getting to dress as girl and put on make up and be a girl in public even for a day trip to the zoo really brought home how much pain the transgender are in having to deny their true feelings.

This novel is appropriate for middle school age because of the subject manner. But as our society become more tolerant, hopefully it wont be such a controversial topic to bring up gender issues in elementary schools. George and Kelly are delightful and I appreciate how Gino shows different sides of the issues. Not every parent is ready to accept a change in their child and it does take some of them some time to get used to and accept the idea that their child is not who they thought they were. I liked how the topic of wanting to be a girl is brought up in something as simple as wanting to play a female part in a school's play. Because George is the protagonist and we as readers see her thoughts and feelings, we get a better understanding of what it is like for young people just realizing they are different from their peers.