George (novel) facts for kids
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| Author | Alex Gino |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | LGBT, children's fiction, transgender |
| Published | 2015 |
| Publisher | Scholastic Press |
| Pages | 195 |
| ISBN | 978-0-545-81254-2 |
George is a children's novel. It is about a young transgender girl named Melissa. The book was written by American author Alex Gino.
The story follows Melissa, a fourth-grade student. She feels like a girl on the inside. But the world sees her as a boy named George. Melissa uses her class play, Charlotte's Web, to show her mom who she truly is. She switches roles with her best friend. Melissa then plays the part of Charlotte, a girl spider.
The book was first published by Scholastic on August 25, 2015. Jamie Clayton, a transgender actress, read the audio book. Many people liked the book before it was even released. So, Scholastic printed more copies.
Alex Gino received mostly good reviews for George. These came from places like the New York Times. However, some parents and teachers had different opinions. They discussed the book's main character, Melissa. This led to George being listed among the most discussed books by the American Library Association. It was on this list in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.
About the Book's Creation
Alex Gino wrote George because it was a book they wanted to read. They wished they had a similar story when they were growing up. This book is not exactly about Gino's own life. Gino is gender-queer, while Melissa is a girl. Also, they grew up in different times. Melissa has access to the internet. She also sees more positive stories about transgender people.
Gino also wanted to write George because there were not many books for kids about transgender topics. They wanted to fill this gap. The book helps children understand these important ideas. George teaches kids to be accepting of transgender people. It also shows transgender children that others share similar experiences.
Gino started working on George in 2003. It was published in August 2015. They made many changes to the story over time. This was to keep up with how society's views on transgender people were changing. Gino hopes that one day George will be seen as "historical fiction." This means people in the future will wonder why anyone was ever against transgender people.
George was Gino's first published book. In 2019, they published another book. It was called You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P! This book talks about being Deaf and the Black Lives Matter movement. Gino wants to keep writing "progressive middle grade fiction." They want to address important social topics in their books.
What Happens in the Story
George by Alex Gino tells the story of Melissa. She is a transgender girl. But her family and others see her as a boy named George. Melissa is in the fourth grade. Her class is getting ready to put on the play Charlotte's Web.
Auditions are coming soon. The class rules say that girls will try out for Charlotte. Boys will try out for Wilbur, the pig. Melissa really wants to try out for Charlotte. When Melissa auditions, her teacher, Ms. Udell, thinks Melissa is joking. Ms. Udell tells Melissa she cannot play Charlotte. This is because Ms. Udell sees Melissa as George.
Melissa does not want to play any other role. So, she decides to work on the stage crew instead. At home, Melissa's mom finds her secret collection of magazines for girls. Melissa's mother thinks her actions are childish. She tells Melissa she does not want to see her wearing girl clothes or shoes. She also tells Melissa not to go into her room.
Back at school, Melissa is still sad about Ms. Udell's reaction. She also feels a bit distant from her friend Kelly. Kelly got the role of Charlotte. But as the play preparations continue, Melissa finds a way to be like Charlotte for the stage crew. She helps and supports her friend.
Inspired by Charlotte's bravery, Melissa feels confident enough to tell Kelly that she is a girl. Kelly takes some time to understand this news. But then she becomes very supportive of Melissa. She wants to help Melissa tell the world she is a girl.
One afternoon, the stage crew is working on the set. Jeff, the class bully, says he would step on a talking spider. Melissa feels she needs to protect Charlotte. She paints "SOME JERK" on a paper. Then she drops it on Jeff's back. This paints his sweatshirt. Jeff sees the damage and punches Melissa. Melissa gets sick on him. Both Melissa and Jeff get in trouble. But while being punished, Melissa learns that the Principal understands transgender people.
Later that night, Melissa's mom asks about the magazines. Melissa tells her mom that she is a girl. Her mom does not listen to her feelings. This makes Melissa very sad. But when Melissa tells her brother Scott that she is a girl, he understands. He thinks her feelings match her actions. He offers to help and support her.
The night before the play, Kelly and Melissa make a plan. Melissa will play Charlotte in the evening show. This will help her show the world she is a girl. Kelly will perform in the morning. Melissa does a great job as Charlotte. She gets many compliments from classmates and the principal. Her mom is surprised at first. But the performance helps her become more supportive and understanding of Melissa.
After the play, Melissa feels more comfortable with herself. Kelly invites her to the zoo with her uncle. Melissa takes this chance to show herself as she truly is. She will be around people who do not know her as George. Dressed in Kelly's clothes, she and Kelly have a happy day at the zoo.
Book Type
George fits into several types of books. It is meant for readers aged eight to twelve years old. George is a fictional story. It is also considered children's literature and LGBTQ+ literature. This book adds to the small but growing number of books for middle-grade readers about gender identity.
How the Book Was Published
Gino started writing George in 2003. The book went through many changes before it was released in August 2015. Gino worked closely with editors Jean Marie Stine and David Levithan from Scholastic Corporation. One big change was the title. The first title was Girl George. This was a reference to a singer named Boy George. But Scholastic changed it to George during editing.
Before George was sold in stores, Scholastic sent over 10,000 copies to teachers in the United States. They received different opinions, but most were positive. Teachers and librarians who did not like the book said children were too young to talk about these topics. However, the good feedback convinced Scholastic to print more copies. They increased the first printing from 35,000 to 50,000 books.
Scholastic Press and Scholastic UK print copies of George. They come in both hardcover and softcover. The book has been translated into many languages. These include Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and more. Trans woman actress Jamie Clayton read the audio book for the novel. Clayton is known for her role in Sense8. Gino felt it was important to have "trans voices telling trans stories." This made the story feel more real and true.
