Adolescence is a challenging time to navigate further complicated when a daily farce must be enacted. The topic of transgender identification is on full display in this novel written from the point of view of a ten year old whose body causes the external world to refer to him by his birth name, George, but whose heart screams "My name is Melissa!" After reading and discovering that the class play will be a rendition of Charlotte's Web, Melissa approaches her teacher to announce her intention of auditioning. She is rejected and betrayed in the face of Ms. Udell's reaction and is further taunted by mean-spirited classmates when she develops the strength to begin verbalizing her gender identification. Though few offer genuine support for allowing the aspiring actress to tell her story, including her contradictory, critical mother and macho older brother, she is confirmed through the total acceptance of her best girlfriend Kelly who challenges her to yell instead of whisper that she is Melissa, not George, and celebrates her with a true girl's day out complete with a gender identifying wardrobe to boot.
The goal and the charge of any worthwhile school library program administrator is to support the notion that our facilities must reflect the interests of all of its patrons. George is a needed addition to promote a sense of belonging and educate the greater population of the need to accept individuals for who they feel they are without bias, prejudice, discrimination, or malice. Well done, Alex Gino.
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