George (2015)

George is the story of a fourth-grade girl who wants to play the role of Charlotte in the class production of Charlotte's Web. The only problem? She was born a boy and no one knows that she's really a girl, not even her best friend. This book takes us through George's journey of self-acceptance and how to share her true self with those closest to her. Her best friend, Kelly, is a true ally whose reaction to learning George's secret and then support is honest and realistic. George is a book that should be in every school library. ( )

In this short and to the point book, fourth-grader George has always thought of herself as a girl, even if she was born with male body parts. She's carried this secret for some time, but things come to a head when her class is putting on a play version of Charlotte's Web and George desperately wants to act as Charlotte -- a part reserved for girls only.

As far as I can tell, George does a good job of describing the feelings and troubles of a transgender child. This book is occassionally a bit didactic, although that's somewhat to be expected given the subject matter and the intended audience. Depending on your child(ren), this book might be a bit much for a young audience, with references to "dirty" things like porn magazines and boys taking pictures up girls' skirts. (Unfortunately, however, those things are a reality.) For myself, the only thing that truly bothered me were a couple of rather detailed descriptions of vomit, which made me feel rather queasy as a result.

Although there are some cautions, this book ends on positive notes. Perhaps this is more tidy and optimistic than real life, but it is nice for children to see a world where they aren't judged for who they are.

For the audiobook listener, I wasn't blown away by Jamie Clayton's reading, which seemed a bit placid for my taste. ( )

A well-written novel that explores how young kids explore and understand identities, but also how they may need support and inclusion from outside of themselves to feel welcomed and supported. ( )

Putting all religious and personal views aside, I enjoyed reading this book. It is about a kid named George who knows that he is a girl. On the outside, they look, like a boy, but doesn't feel this way. Some of the people that are most uncomfortable with this situation are the adults in their life. In school, George has tried to find many ways to express themself, and wants to try out for the school play as Charlotte. The teacher wont allow this, and George is very upset. But one friend helps with this, Kelly. She sees George the way they want to be seen, and she helps her to play Charlotte. On opening night of the play, she gets George on stage and after, everyone applauds the performance. At first, his mom doesn't agree with what he is telling her about wanting to be a girl, and she says " You are still my son." He didn't want to be seen as her son, but her daughter. George, at the end of the book, finally reveals who he truly is and had always been, Melissa.
I think that this book is perfect for those children that may be questioning who they are. People may not accept them right away, but see that who they truly are makes them happy. With George, his friend Kelly accepted him right away, but the adults in his life did not. The main point that I took away from this book is that we should accept others no matter how they look, act, or feel. I think all kids will enjoy this book not only for the characters trying to come to terms with accepting Melissa, but also for the positive message of tolerance and acceptance of others. ( )

A brief read about a fourth grade boy named George. George wants to play Charlotte in the school's performance of "Charlotte's Web". A good introduction for anyone with questions about gender identity. (If you've encountered this issue in your own family, the subject is tackled in superficial terms.) "George" is an empathic book that handles an important topic with respect & clarity. ( )