A review by richardleis
George by Alex Gino

5.0

"George" is a short and beautiful read. The author displays wonderful empathy and care for their central character, Melissa. There is also a great deal of humor, often from Melissa's best friend, Kelly. The adults have complex reactions to Melissa's journey, and I thought this was really well handled for a book at this reading level. It also shines a light on how children deal with the complexities of figuring out who they are, especially when what they discover might not be handled very well by adults. Melissa's journey to support and acceptance is fraught with scary and tense moments; thank goodness the book was a quick read, because at times it was really difficult to read about a chid dealing with not only the reaction of her fellow students but also her teachers, principal, parents, and other adults.

The language is ostensibly appropriate for the reading level, but I was surprised and amused by the use of "sesquipedalian." I was much less amused by a few adult-sounding derogatory phrases and observations, but I think these helped make the story realistic while generally staying appropriate for children.

Such a good book!