I read the book George by Alex Gino. The book takes place in modern times in New York City. George, the main character, struggles to understand who she really is. She feels like a girl, but looks like a boy. George is scared to explain her true feelings to her mom. She feels insecure about herself. At school George tries out for the school play, Charlotte’s Web. George really wants to be Charlotte in the play, but when her best friend, Kelly gets the part instead of George, she gets extremely disappointed. George and Kelly do not speak to each other for a while, but finally they start to talk again and when they do,  they think of a plan to show the world that George is a girl and not a boy. The plan is to reveal George and not Kelly as the girl role of Charlotte during the second performance of the evening. George is so happy to be able to show the world who she really is, a girl.

George is shy, resilient, and forgiving. George is shy because she never has the guts to tell her mom how she really feels inside, especially about wanting to be a girl and not a boy. George is resilient because when she does not get the girl part, she never gives up. George shows the director that her want for a girl part is no joke. She stands up for what she believes in, even if others do not understand. George is forgiving because when Kelly gets the part that George wants, George takes a moment to be upset and then forgives her by moving on without letting the situation escalate into a big deal.

Although this book is serious, I found one part to be funny.  The mean boy in George’s class named Jeff makes fun of the Charlotte role in the play. George does not think this is kind or right, so she sticks a sign on Jeff’s back saying “Jerk!” When Jeff finds out, he turns around and punches George in the stomach which causes George to projectile vomit all over Jeff! This part is fun and I like the revenge George gets on the mean boy. Another part that is interesting is when Kelly offers her girly clothing to George for their trip to the zoo with Kelly’s grandfather. This makes George feel so happy and comfortable in her own skin. When Kelly said for George to wear her clothing… girl clothing, George said, “Are you sure?” I feel glad that George felt so good at the zoo.

I really enjoyed this book. The book taught me that it is ok to be different and the most important lesson is to be true to yourself. Another reason why I loved this book is it teaches the importance of good friendship.  Without good friendship, Kelly and George would not have come together to craft a way for George to play the part too. Kelly put herself in George’s shoes and wanted to make her friend happy. I would absolutely recommend this book. It has a powerful message for everyone to learn. This book is unique to me because I have never read about being transgender and the struggles that come with it. I rate this book with 5 starts which means I loved it and would want to read it again!