{"id":29368,"date":"2016-03-17T23:01:11","date_gmt":"2016-03-18T03:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=29368"},"modified":"2016-03-17T23:01:11","modified_gmt":"2016-03-18T03:01:11","slug":"review-of-george-by-alex-gino","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=29368","title":{"rendered":"Review of George, by Alex Gino"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"george_large\"<\/a>George<\/em><\/p>\n

by Alex Gino<\/p>\n

Scholastic Press, New York, 2015. 195 pages.
\nStarred Review
\n2016 Stonewall Children\u2019s Literature Award<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve got a transgender adult daughter, so I was ready for this book, about a transgender 10-year-old. But it opened even my eyes.<\/p>\n

The story is simple and well-told. The narration talks about George as \u201cshe,\u201d but the people around her treat her as male and assume that she is male, even when they\u2019re trying to be supportive and encouraging.<\/p>\n

At the start of the book, George\u2019s teacher is finishing reading Charlotte\u2019s Web<\/em> to the class, and George can\u2019t keep from crying when Charlotte dies \u2013 which of course attracts jeers from boys in the class, including one boy who used to be George\u2019s friend.<\/p>\n

George\u2019s teacher tries to be supportive.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes a special person to cry over a book. It shows compassion as well as imagination.\u201d Ms. Udell patted George\u2019s shoulder. \u201cDon\u2019t ever lose that, George, and I know you\u2019ll turn into a fine young man.\u201d<\/p>\n

The word man<\/em> hit like a pile of rocks falling on George\u2019s skull. It was a hundred times worse than boy<\/em>, and she couldn\u2019t breathe. She bit her lip fiercely and felt fresh tears pounding against her eyes. She put her head down on her desk and wished she were invisible.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

George\u2019s class is going to perform a play of Charlotte\u2019s Web<\/em>. George wants with all her heart to be Charlotte, but is told that there are too many girls who want the part.<\/p>\n

This book helped me get inside the head of someone who is figuring out who she really is. And showed me just how difficult that would be \u2013 to understand, and then to try to tell the people around you.<\/p>\n

This is a children\u2019s book about what it feels like to be transgender. Wow. Perhaps it will help some transgender kids feel less alone. But maybe even more important, perhaps it will help other kids experience empathy, which is one of the best antidotes to bullying. It would be harder to mock someone for being transgender after you\u2019ve read about George just wanting to be who she is.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s also a great story about a kid who wants to surprise everyone by really shining in her class play.<\/p>\n

alexgino.com <\/a>
\nscholastic.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Childrens_Fiction\/george.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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