George

Gino, A. (2015). George. New York: Scholastic.

George has the body of boy but knows that she is a girl. In her bathroom, with the door locked, she looks at girls in magazines and wishes she looked like them. George also wants to be Charlotte in the fourth grade production of Charlotte's Web. Although her audition is perfect, George's teacher will not give her the part because George isn't a girl. With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George gets the courage to tell his mother and brother that she is girl. Kelly also gives her the most incredible experience. She takes George to the Bronx Zoo as her girl self, Melissa. For the first time ever, Melissa is truly happy.

This is such a timely book, especially with recent political issues regarding the LGBT community. How wonderful it is to finally have a character that a transgender child can relate to. I can imagine that this book is also being contested by conservative parents and groups. Every child should be able to find him/herself in a book, the LGBT community included! I was thrilled to see this in my school library! I'm not sure how to teach it without upsetting parents, but I think a copy may find its way onto my classroom shelf.