In one word: Charming
Cannonball Read Bingo: They She He
In one word: Charming
Cannonball Read Bingo: They She He
I don’t read any children’s literature, aside from an occasional revisit of a childhood fave or a few failed attempts to do a tandem read-a-long with my kiddo. I picked up George for him to read, having seen it at the library and hearing about it years ago from my favorite podcast, Literary Disco. They did an episode where they read George and Lumberjanes, and Lumberjanes is his favorite, so I thought George could be a win. It didn’t capture his interest, and I’m not much for forced reading (plus he’s 12 now, so it’s a bit below his reading level) as he is a bit of a reluctant reader, so it was at my house looking for an audience. I had a bingo square to fill; it was fate, and I’m delighted I picked up this charming important book.
As far as her family and the world know, George is a 4th-grade girl, but she knows that isn’t the case. She’s a girl who wants to be free to be herself but doesn’t yet dare to live as her true self. With the introduction of a theater performance of Charlotte’s Web, she hopes to have an opportunity on the stage to shine and bring life to Charlotte’s words. But will the world let her be herself? A little book with a big message, this book was a vulnerable peek into the mind of a transgender child and a hopeful message for what life and the world could (and can) be.
As far as I know, I did not come across anyone trans in my own life until graduate school, and it’s incredible to me that we live in a world where kiddos have access to a book like this, and my kiddo already understands what it means and thinks it’s no big deal.