Melissa (previously published as GEORGE)
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4.8 • 11 Ratings
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
BE WHO YOU ARE.
When people look at Melissa, they think they see a boy named George. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl.
Melissa thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. Melissa really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part... because she's a boy.
With the help of her best friend, Kelly, Melissa comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte -- but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
We applaud Alex Gino for writing this big-hearted story about a transgender girl struggling to find acceptance. When George auditions for the part of the kindhearted, maternal spider in Charlotte’s Web, she ruffles feathers both at school and at home. Written in a crisp, conversational style, George is a fast read that explores an important topic. Gino has created a thoughtful, brave protagonist who challenges us to embrace different definitions of identity and, above all, to move through the world with kindness.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Though others see her as male, 10-year-old George has long known that she is a girl, and she longs for people to see that truth, even while the idea terrifies her. When George's fourth-grade class has tryouts for a school production of Charlotte's Web, George desperately wants to play Charlotte, a character she adores. George's teacher doesn't allow to George to audition for the part, but her supportive best friend Kelly, who is cast as Charlotte, comes up with a plan that may give George the chance she needs. The taunts of a school bully, George's self-doubts, and her mother's inability to truly hear what George is telling her carry real weight as debut author Gino's simple, direct writing illuminates George's struggles and quiet strength. George's joy during stolen moments when she can be herself will resonate with anyone who has felt different, while providing a necessary window into the specific challenges of a child recognizing that they are transgender. Profound, moving, and as Charlotte would say radiant, this book will stay with anyone lucky enough to find it. Ages 8 12.
