If you have been following along this year you know that I set a goal of reading 12 books in 2018, which is about 10 more than I have read in the last 2 years! HA! Well, while it seemed like a crazy goal, I am doing it!! Today I am sharing my 10th book read of 2018. Yes, you read that right! Number 10!!
For number 10 I went in a different direction and genre of books. Over the years I have really enjoyed reading Young Adult books so whenever we go to the bookstore or library I always take a glance at the shelves to see if something grabs my attention. The last time we were at the library the colorful cover of George by Alex Gino instantly grabbed my eye and today I am sharing my review and thoughts about this Scholastic Gold book.
George by Alex Gino Book Review
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.
My Thoughts on George by Alex Gino
When I saw this book in the library it was not the first time I had heard about this book. This book has caused quite a stir in the world of children’s literature, to the point of people wanting to ban the book. Can I just tell you how much that term makes me cringe? Or that when I hear banned book I want to run out and buy a case of them? Okay, off topic, back to my thoughts.
Let me be clear, I am not an expert on anything in on the LGBTQ+ line but I do know that I am open and ready to learn all I can. That being said, recently in the news we have seen so many young people end their lives over the bullying of their sexual orientations and gender identity. Guys, that is so ridiculous – it is time to be educated and time to be open to all people. This book is written and geared towards 8 to 12 year olds. I am 35 years old, and I learned a lot, I cried for Melissa, and would highly recommend this book for adults who are ready to learn more.
My son is 8 years old and he is an avid reader. However, when I started reading this book I struggled with the idea of him reading it because of the some of the references in the book – example: porn and some cursing. However, I also agree that waiting until middle school and high school is too late for teaching children about these topics. This was a super easy read for me, and I believe my 8 year old would be able to read and understand this novel but again, in “keeping kids kids” I do worry about the porn discussions and cursing.
BUT, I would think that by age 10, maybe 4th grade, this book would be helpful for children. Look, the fact is, our children will be growing up with friends who are feeling just like Melissa in this book. This book teaches empathy, true friendship and how to support and love a person going through such a transition. Why wouldn’t we want to teach our children this?
If you have not gathered yet, I really loved this book. It was powerful, perfectly written and gave me some inspiration on how to educated myself and my children on topics like this. I do think you need to read this book as a parent before passing it along to your younger children and use your best judgement to decide when your kids might be ready to read GEORGE. But that being said, this truly could be the book that changes the way our children treat their friends and classmates OR frankly, it could be the book that changes the way ADULTS treat people in our society. We have a lot of work to do people, and by simply picking up this 200 page book you could be apart of that change.
Reasons Why You Should Read George by Alex Gino
1. George will teach you about empathy.
2. George will teach you about true friendship.
3. George will help you realize that you will be a part of a “George” in your lifetime.
4. You will learn A LOT from George.
5. George will open up the much needed dialogue of LGBTQ+ issues & experiences.
6. George can be a tool to learning about what being transgender means, even as a child.
Need some support on talking to you children about GEORGE? Visit the website for some tips and information from Alex Gino.
How To Talk About GEORGE
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