6/19/2023 0 Comments George gino alexWithout realising it at the time, I bought the Scholastic Gold version of the book, which contains some useful information on trans issues at the end of the story, including the use of pronouns, where to get support and how to be supportive. George – which the author now calls Melissa’s Story (and I believe is due to be re-published with that title) is a true ‘mirrors and windows’ read for me: some readers will be able to put themselves at the heart of the story and others will gain an insight into Melissa’s experience as a transgender girl. With the help of her best friend, Kelly, Melissa thus comes up with a way to allow her to be Charlotte and for people to finally know who she is. Her class is to perform Charlotte’s Web in school and Melissa is desperate to play Charlotte however, she isn’t even allowed to audition for the part because her teacher sees her as a boy. Melissa is a transgender girl who hasn’t shared this part of herself with anyone else – at birth she was named George. I’m really glad, therefore, that I came across George as Alex Gino has written such a thought-provoking, honest story. When searching for a middle grade book (for readers aged around 10+) with a trans protagonist, I was looking to find one that had been written from a position of understanding as I’d read another that just didn’t feel authentic.
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