https://medium.com/@afalck/trans-author-interview-alex-gino-da00eebf1651
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gino, Alex.
GEORGE. New York: Scholastic, 2015. ISBN: 978-0-545-81254-2.
PLOT
SUMMARY: George is a fourth-grade student who identifies
as a girl. She has been keeping her
secret from her family as well as her best friend. When her class is preparing for the play
Charlotte’s Web, George wants to play the part of Charlotte. Her teacher does not allow her to audition
for the part because she is a boy and George is heart-broken. With the help of
Kelly, her best friend, they come up with a plan for her to play
Charlotte. Not only does George get to
play Charlotte but it also helps her to show her family who she is.
ANALYSIS:
George has always felt like a girl and wishes
she could freely express herself with her family, friends and classmates. In her closet she has kept a collection
of girls’ magazines that she enjoys looking at and reading about different girl
topics such as makeup and clothing.
George has a hard time with some things that she must deal with as a
boy. She dislikes going to the boys’ bathroom and has a hard time looking at
her male body parts. One of her
happiest days is when she goes with Kelly to the zoo and dresses up as a
girl.
SETTING: The story
takes place at George’s home, her school and Kelly’s home. George’s family is composed of her, her mom
and her brother. Her dad lives in
another city and has remarried. At
school George is bullied by two boys, Rick and Jeff. When the class was reading Charlotte’s Web
and Charlotte died, George became very emotional and started crying. As much as she tried to hold her tears to
avoid being teased, she couldn’t which Rick and Jeff noticed and started making
fun of her. George can sometimes feel
better when she is with her friend Kelly.
Kelly lives only with her dad and not much is revealed about her
mom.
THEME: The themes of this book are transgender and acceptance. In this book, the author shows the reader how a transgender person might feel when they do not have the opportunity to express freely who they are therefore hiding what they wish they could do and be. Acceptance is presented here when George’s friend, Kelly, accepts who George is without any questions. George is also surprised by her brother’s reaction of acceptance when she shared with him who she felt she was.
CULTURAL MARKERS:
Author
qualifications to write relating to the culture:
Alex Gino
identifies as genderqueer and uses the pronoun they. The author has been an activist and advocate
for LGBTQIAP+ communities. They also served on the board of NOLOSE a group that
works in support of fat acceptance and culture.
9.CONNECTIONS:
Students will answer the following questions
using a collaborative board on Nearpod.
The tagline
for George is: “Be Who You Are.” Discuss what this means to you. What are some
ways that you can be who you are? What are some ways that you can support other
people in being who they are?
Do you
think it’s fair that the boys and girls can’t try out for the same parts in the
play? How does it make you feel when people say that some things (like pink or
blue) are only for boys or girls?
At the end
of the performance of the play, Melissa thinks: “Charlotte was dead, but George
was alive in a way she had never imagined.” What does this mean?
Questions
retrieved from:
Nearpod
link
https://app.nearpod.com/?pin=C9247D84CBB2B01EED97F9AEE3336C41-1
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