Melissa

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. Agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (Aug.)

Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 4-6--Before her mother and older brother Scott come home, George has a few, treasured moments to experience life as she's always wanted to live it. She looks in the mirror and calls herself Melissa, combs her hair over her forehead to mimic the appearance of bangs, and reads glossy magazines full of ads for lipstick, perfume, and tampons. Once her mom and brother come home, however, the magazines must go back to their secret hiding place. While George has no doubt she's a girl, her family relates to her as they always have: as a boy. George hopes that if she can secure the role of Charlotte in her class's upcoming production of Charlotte's Web, her mom will finally see her as a girl and be able to come to terms with the fact that George is transgender. With the help of her closest ally, Kelly, George attempts to get the rest of the world to accept her as she is. While children can have a sense of their gender identity as early as the age of three, children's literature is shockingly bereft of trans* protagonists, especially where middle grade literature is concerned. George offers more than the novelty of an LGBTQ coming-out story, however. Here, what is most remarkable is the use of pronouns: While the world interacts with George as if she is a boy, the narrator only refers to her with female pronouns, which gives her girl-ness a stronger sense of validation. In addition, George comments on the fact that, in past years, gays and lesbians have achieved a certain amount of visibility and acceptance, while the trans* community is still largely ignored and misunderstood. George's mother remarks that while she can handle having a gay child, she simply can't accept her as "that kind of gay." For George, as is the case for many LGBTQ youth, coming out is a process that she must repeat until she is properly recognized. There is pain in George, but not without the promise of a better tomorrow, even if tomorrow doesn't arrive as soon as it should. VERDICT A required purchase for any collection that serves a middle grade population.--Ingrid Abrams, Brooklyn Public Library, NY

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

* "A coda to the Charlotte's Web story, in which George presents herself as a girl for the first time, is deeply moving in its simplicity and joy. Warm, funny, and inspiring." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "Profound, moving, and as Charlotte would say radiant, this book will stay with anyone lucky enough to find it." — Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "A required purchase for any collection that serves a middle grade population." — School Library Journal, starred review
* "Pair this important addition to the slender but growing body of transgender fiction with Ami Polonsky s Gracefully Grayson." — Booklist, starred review"