Melissa by Alex Gino
When people look at Melissa, they think they see a boy named George. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl.
THEMES:
LGBTQ+, Trans, Coming of Age
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.
Publication Date: August 25th, 2015
Audiobook? Yes
Age Range: 8+
Read Time: 1 hours, 40 minutes (at 300 WPM)
ISBN-13: 9781338843415
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alex Gino loves glitter, ice cream, gardening, awe-ful puns, and stories that reflect the diversity and complexity of being alive. Their first novel, Melissa, was a winner of the Children’s Stonewall Award, the Lambda Literary Award, and the Children’s Choice Book Award. For more about Alex, please visit them at alexgino.com.
In a session titled "Experiences as a Trans Reader, Writer, and Person." Alex Gino notices when even your allies slip up when working with gender fluid people. (April 2018, San Francisco Public Library)
Alex Gino about the censorship of their work, the importance of representation in literature, and ways to spark discussions. (October 2020, Banned Books Week)
IN THE NEWS
Banned books: eight authors targeted by censors speak up about why they think it happened (Xtra Magazine)
Alex Gino’s children’s novel George retitled Melissa ‘to respect trans heroine’ (The Guardian)
Efforts to ban books jumped an 'unprecedented' four-fold in 2021, ALA report says (PBS)