Title: George
Author: Alex Gino
Genre: Middle Grade / LGBT
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Published: August 25th 2015
Page Number: 240
Rating: 5/5
Summary:
BE WHO YOU ARE.
When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl.
George 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. George 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, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte -- but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.
REVIEW
So remember when I said that HIM was my favourite book of 2015? It was only in my last review, so I'm going to guess that you do. Well, now it's not. Because George came right in and slapped it out of that position.
I will kick off and say that reading Middle Grade books is a huge thing for me, so huge in fact because I never seem to connect, relate to any of them. But George is a book that I knew I had to read, not because I received it to review but because it's on a subject that I value so close to my heart. I have friends who are Transgender. I also questioned my gender when I was 14.
George may be a Middle Grade book but the topic is so important. And when a book is on that topic you have to be very careful that it doesn't come across as "preachy". But Alex Gino has mastered it well and wrote a simple story of a girl who was born in a boys body. A girl so different to everyone else that she just wanted to be who she truly was.
This book screams acceptance. In fact I cried so much because of the amount of acceptance there was, from George's best friend Kelly, who stood by her side constantly. To her head teacher, who let me tell you, completely surprised me. It was truly a beautiful thing to read about. The story does deal with the whole confusion from family but it was so well done that it was completely realistic.
After finishing the book in a few hours the words out of my mouth were "This book needs to be on the school curriculum. There's so many lessons that children could learn from this." And I stand by what I say. A lot of people don't understand that children understand a lot more than they think and it's honestly one of those 'Oh, okay.' things when they're young.
I'm not aware of Charlotte's Web. I've heard of it but never watched the movie and read the book. But I found myself loving how the book intertwined the play into it. It was the main centre of the book and honestly the best moments happened during their performances. I loved every page, every sentence, every word. George is a novel so important. It will save lives.
'A Copy of the book was sent for a honest review.'
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