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by Sharon M. Draper

“Eleven-year old Isabella lives in two worlds. She’s a double-backpack-carrying child of divorce, so she lives with her mom one week, and her dad the next. In addition, she’s bi-racial, and she sees herself as the caramel swirl milkshake that resulted from her mom’s vanilla and her dad’s chocolate ice cream. Izzy is an accomplished pianist, and as she practices for a crucial recital, the black keys and the white keys of her life combine to create an unexpected symphony of race, terror, and finally peace.” (Draper, 2016).

Reference:
Draper, S. M. (2018). Blended. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Draper, S. (2016). Blended. Retrieved from http://sharondraper.com/bookdetail.asp?id=75.

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Welcome to the Official Site of Sharon Draper

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Eleven-year old Isabella lives in two worlds. She's a double-backpack-carrying child of divorce, so she lives with her mom one week, and her dad the next. In addition, she's bi-racial, and she sees herself as the caramel swirl milkshake that resulted from her mom's vanilla and her dad's chocolate ice cream.

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To explore self-identity.

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5th Grade - at grade level

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1. How do I see myself?
2. Is it the same way others see me?
3. Is identity constant?

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5th Grade Reading Standards for Literature (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL)
Key Ideas and Details: 
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.3 Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).
Craft and Structure 
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.5 Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.6 Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.

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Format: Fiction Book

Complexity: On Grade Level

Potential Use: Topic is sexual identity. This is a chapter book about a transgender fourth-grader who increasingly learns to be herself and to tell others about her secret. Along the way, she finds many supportive advocates, but her greatest ally is her best friend, Kelly. This fits the essential questions because it shows the main character questioning her identity and how others see her. This could be used as a selection choice for students in book clubs/groups.

Reference:
Gino, A. (2017). George. New York City, NY: Scholastic Inc.

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Blog post: How To Talk About GEORGE and Melissa

When people look at George, they see a boy. But George 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.

GEORGE is a candid, genuine, and heartwarming middle grade about a transgender girl who is, to use Charlotte's word, R-A-D-I-A-N-T!

Edited by David Levithan, GEORGE is available in hardcover from Scholastic Press.

Laurel Bookstore is your most reliable source for signed copies of GEORGE. GEORGE can also be bought at your favorite book retailer. Independent bookstores like Powell's, Books Inc, Oblong Books & Music would be glad to help you out or use Indie Bound to find an independent bookstore near you. GEORGE is also available at iBooks, Google Play, or Kobo, Barnes & Noble and Amazon!

Many thanks to We Need Diverse Books for the official, exclusive cover reveal.

Listen to me talking briefly about GEORGE and reading a short excerpt at TeachingBooks.

Teachers, looking for a novel study for your class? Jenna Colacino has created a great one here, with lots of commentary on what might come up in classroom conversations.

GEORGE is on the awards scene!!

Winner, Mike Morgan and Larry Romans Children's Stonewall Award

Winner, LGBT Children's/Young Adult Lambda Literary Award

Gold, Juvenile, California Book Awards

Winner, Debut Author, Children's Choice Book Awards

Winner, Booksellers International Book of the Year, International Congress of Young Booksellers

Honoree, ABA Indie's Choice E.B. White Read-Aloud Middle Reader Award

Silver, Children's Books, Der Leserpreis (Germany)

Nominee, Goodreads Choice Award for Middle Grade & Children's

Nominee, Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award (voting to take place spring 2017)

GEORGE is making it onto Best of the Year Lists!!
Bank Street College Best Children's Books of the Year, 2016 Edition iBooks Best of 2015 Kirkus Reviews Best of 2015 NPR Best Books of 2015 Publishers Weekly Best Books 2015 School Library Journal Best Books 2015 School Library Journal Top 10 Audio Books 2015 Reviews for GEORGE!!
"Profound, moving, and-as Charlotte would say-radiant, this book will stay with anyone lucky enough to find it." - Publisher's Weekly, starred review

"Warm, funny, and inspiring." - Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"VERDICT A required purchase for any collection that serves a middle grade population." - School Library Journal, starred review

"Gino's debut novel is a sensitive, insightful portrayal of a transgender child coming to terms with gender identity."- Booklist, starred review

"George is a timely book for parents to share and discuss with their children. " - Entertainment Weekly

A "timely, touching novel ... with refreshingly little fanfare." - The New York Times

"Alex Gino's warm debut novel is a pitch-perfect story for younger middle grade." - CCBC Book of the Week

"Readers going through a similar experience will feel that they are no longer alone, and cisgender (non-transgender) readers may gain understanding and empathy." - Book Page

"This book should be in all collections that serve 3rd-6th graders." - ALA GLBT Roundtable

Gino's excellent writing is gravy, and George is a life-saving book! - Lambda Literary

Other People Like it Too!!

READ THIS." - John Green

"Honest, funny, and full of heart." - Kate Messner

"Loved it. Buy it, ask your library to buy it, give it to every kid you know. Give it to every grown-up too." - Lucy Hallowell

Interviews and other media with Alex listed here!!

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Blog post: How To Talk About GEORGE and Melissa When people look at George, they see a boy. But George 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.

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Format: Nonfiction - Informational Document

Complexity: Above Grade Level

Potential Use: Topic is gender, sexual identity, rights, and activism. The actual bill was adopted in 1995 and could be used to discuss what legal rights we have or don’t have in the United States when it pertains to gender. This source could be used in conjunction with the book George by Alex Gino. This addresses the essential questions by giving students a source of what their rights are when it pertains to gender identity.

Reference:
International Conference on Transgender Law and Employment Policy. (1996). International bill of gender rights. Retrieved from https://www.tolerance.org/classroom-resources/texts/international-bill-of-gender-rights.

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Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

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Format: YouTube Video

Complexity: Below and On Grade Level

Potential Use: This video shows different teens and how they feel about themselves versus what others may see them as. This is done by them filling in the sentences… “I am ….” and “I am not…” Potential uses would be a follow up activity for students to come up with their own “I am…” and “I am not…” statements and then sharing with others. This video addresses the essential questions of How do I see myself? versus how we think others see us.

Reference:
Vox ATL [Screen name]. (2017, March 1]. I am...I am not...teen’s identity [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpO27mNYMIc.

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Flexin’ in her Complexion: Bullied girl a messenger of hope 

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Flexin’ in her Complexion: Bullied girl a messenger of hope 

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Format: Nonfiction News Story / Article

Complexity: Below, On Grade, and Above Grade Level (This article’s Lexile levels can be chosen (590L - 1270L), so this is below, on, and above grade level).

Potential Use: This article is about how a black girl has learned to deal with bullies and finding her true self. Potentially used to show empowerment and overcoming hardships. Students may connect with the subject matter and may have ideas in which they themselves can be empowered. This addresses the essential questions by asking students who they are and how others (i.e. a bully) sees them. Discussions about who they want to be may also come up with this source.

Reference:
Italie, L. (2019, March 18). Flexin’ in her complexion: Bullied girl  a messenger of hope. Associated Press. Retrieved from https://www.tweentribune.com/article/tween56/flexin-her-complexion-bullied-girl-messenger-hope/.

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Kheris Rogers was in the first grade. She was in a predominantly white private school. It was in Los Angeles. She felt the bite of racism among her peers. She was being bullied because of her dark skin. She tearfully kept it to herself. Eventually, she turned to her older sister, Taylor Pollard. And she switched to a more diverse school. There, colorism among fellow African-American students surprised and confused her.

Her young sister's self-esteem was bruised. Then Taylor inadvertently launched Kheris to social media fame in 2017. She posted a photo of the girl on Twitter. She was dressed up for a fashion show. She used their beloved grandmother's down-home words for a hashtag: "Flexininhercomplexion."

Soon, Kheris had her own Twitter and Instagram accounts (@KherisPoppin). She was posting photo shoots of herself that she and Taylor created. Her own fashion line followed. This included T-shirts sporting her tagline, "Flexin' in My Complexion." Then came backpacks reading "The Miseducation of Melanin." She also created other apparel and accessories.

Lupita Nyong'o posted a photo of herself wearing a black version of the shirt with bright yellow letters. She was supporting Kheris. Whoopi Goldberg sported one while attending the Rodarte show. That was at New York Fashion Week in September. Alicia Keys lauded her black girl magic.

While the words of her tormenters no longer sting, they haven't been forgotten. The behavior wasn't restricted to children, either.

"The kids would always call me names," said Kheris, now 12. She spoke with The Associated Press in an interview. "They would always tease me for my dark-skin complexion. They used to call me dead roach and say I've been in the oven too long. When I really knew I was being bullied because of my color was when my teacher handed me a black crayon instead of a brown crayon to draw our portraits for parent conferences."

Taylor is 24 and is now Kheris' manager. She suspected something was amiss and Kheris finally told her family.

"I had no friends. I was only invited to one of the birthday parties that they had. Everybody else was invited and I wasn't," Kheris recalled.

Now in middle school, things are more than just a little looking up.

Kheris was chosen as one of Teen Vogue's "21 Under 21" inspiring girls and femmes of 2018 and attended the magazine's teen summit. She was picked by LeBron James as one of 16 people to help mark his 16th shoe release with Nike, modeling in ads for the company. She's been featured in a spread in Essence magazine. She walked the runway of "America's Next Top Model" after Tyra Banks learned of her plight.

She has shown her own line in Harlem during New York Fashion Week. And she hasn't hit the eighth grade yet.

Julee Wilson, fashion and beauty director for Essence magazine, called support for Kheris "both an honor and responsibility."

She added: "To stand in the face of society's narrow beauty standards isn't an easy task, and she's doing it with an incredible amount of grace. We can't wait to see how Kheris pushes the 'Flexin' in My Complexion movement forward in the future. There's no doubt in our minds that she'll continue to remind the world that Black is incredibly beautiful."

Her mom Erika Pollard is a social worker. She said Kheris travels the country speaking at conferences about empowerment.

"As a parent, of course, you know, it was heartbreaking, but it made us stronger," she said of the rough years. "It pulled us together as a family because it's something that we had to conquer together. Now she's making a positive difference within her community, which I'm so proud of at such a young age."

Kheris said she now considers her life a mission.

"Flexin' in My Complexion isn't just about me," she said. "It's about every brown, dark, freckled, fair-skinned person who wants to tell the world, 'I am more than just the color of skin.'"

She hopes to spread her message across the world.

"I want to be a spokesperson for racism and colorism (issues)," she said.

Kheris now has lots of friends as a seventh-grader and knows exactly how to handle bullies: "Back off because I'm flexin' in my complexion and it doesn't matter what you think about me. It matters what I think about myself."

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Flexin' in her Complexion: Bullied girl a messenger of hope

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Kheris Rogers was in the first grade. She was in a predominantly white private school. It was in Los Angeles. She felt the bite of racism among her peers. She was being bullied because of her dark skin. She tearfully kept it to herself. Eventually, she turned to her older sister, Taylor Pollard.

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Can I touch your hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship

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Can I touch your hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship

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Format: Nonfiction - Poetry

Complexity: On Grade Level

Potential Use: topic: This source explores different racial experiences in America through a collection of poems by two classmates who pair up to write poems from their point of views on different aspects of their daily lives. Potential uses could include having students pair up and write similar poems as the characters; students could also work individually on writing poems. This addresses the essential question of how students see themselves using a different format, poetry.

Reference:
Latham, I. (2018). Can I touch your hair? Poems of race, mistakes and friendship. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books.

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Can I Touch your Hair? - Multnomah County Library

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Can I Touch your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship (Book) : Latham, Irene : Irene Latham, who is white, and Charles Waters, who is black, present paired poems about topics including family dinners, sports, recess, and much more. This relatable collection explores different experiences of race in America.

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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

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Format: Fiction Chapter Book

Complexity: On Grade Level

Potential Use: The topic is love and self-identity over time. This story is about a toy China rabbit who goes on a journey.  Throughout the book the rabbit changes owners many times and each owner gives him/her a new name and identity. As the rabbit moves through owners, he learns many life lessons, mostly about love.  Even though this book is on grade level it is a quick read and can be used as a read aloud, used in a book club or individually.  This chapter book addresses the essential question of how identity changes over time the way Edward Tulane character changed and grew with each new owner.

Reference:
DiCamillo, K. (2006). The miraculous journey of Edward Tulane. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Bagram IbatoullineKate DiCamillo | Scholastic

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When a toy china rabbit named Edward Tulane becomes lost, he takes an extraordinary journey and shows readers a true miracle.

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Format: Biography Picture Book

Complexity: Below Grade Level
Potential Use: The topic is self-identity, gender roles, rights & activism. This picture book about Malala Yousafzai follows her quest to continue to go to school and to fight for equal rights for girls.  This book could be used be an informative read aloud to the class.  The text connects to the theme of self-identity as Malala consistently holds true and fights for what she believes to be equal rights.  She holds a strong identity of herself with the support of her father.

Reference:
Maslo, L. (2018). Free as a bird. New York, NY: Balzer + Bra.

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The inspiring true story of Malala Yousafzai, human rights activist and the youngest ever winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, from debut author/illustrator Lina Maslo.

When Malala Yousafzai was born, some people shook their heads because girls were considered bad luck. But her father looked into her eyes and knew she could do anything.

In Pakistan, some believed girls should not be educated. But Malala and her father were not afraid. She secretly went to school and spoke up for education in her country.

And even though an enemy tried to silence her powerful voice, she would not keep quiet. Malala traveled around the world to speak to girls and boys, to teachers, reporters, presidents, and queens-to anyone who would listen-and advocated for the right to education and equality of opportunity for every person. She would shout so that those without a voice could be heard. So everyone could be as free as a bird.

Free as a Bird is the inspiring true story of a fearless girl and the father who taught her to soar.

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The inspiring true story of Malala Yousafzai, human rights activist and the youngest ever winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, from debut author/illustrator Lina Maslo. When Malala Yousafzai was born, some people shook their heads because girls were considered bad luck. But her father looked into her eyes and knew she could do anything.

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Format: Fiction Picture Book

Complexity: Below Grade Level

Potential Use: The topic is being true to your inner self.  This book can be a fun introduction to a self-identity unit. Red has a bright red label, but he is in fact, blue.  This story is about being true to your inner self and following your own path despite obstacles that may come your way and connects well with the essential questions of how one sees themselves may be different than how others see themselves.

Reference:
Hall, M. (2015). Red: A crayon’s story. New York, NY : Greenwillow Books.

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Red has a bright red label, but he is, in fact, blue. His teacher tries to help him be red (let's draw strawberries!), his mother tries to help him be red by sending him out on a playdate with a yellow classmate (go draw a nice orange!), and the scissors try to help him be red by snipping his label so that he has room to breathe.

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"Broken and Beautiful” by Kelly Clarkson from UglyDolls Movie

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"Broken and Beautiful” by Kelly Clarkson from UglyDolls Movie

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Format: Song Lyrics

Complexity: Grade Level

Potential Use: This song is about knowing that you’re okay even if you’re broken.  It is a current song, so students will be more familiar with it.  It has good use of descriptive language and vocabulary.  The lyrics fit well with the essential questions because they will resonate with grade 5 students who are trying to fit in with their peers and discover who they are.

Reference:
MAC, S., MCDAID, J., MOORE, A. B., & MARSHMELLO. (2019). Broken and beautiful [Recorded by Kelly Clarkson]. UglyDolls [Motion Picture]. Burbank, CA: STX Entertainment.

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“This is Me” by The Greatest Showman Cast

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“This is Me” by The Greatest Showman Cast

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Format: Song Lyrics

Complexity: Above Grade Level

Potential Use: This song is about courage and self acceptance.  This is another popular song attached to a movie that many kids will be familiar with.  The theme of accepting oneself for who they are and embracing the journey towards becoming the person you want to be is important for 11 year olds to loudly hear.  This song could be broken up into parts and students share and reflect on the different takeaways.

Reference:
Paek, B. & Paul, J. (2017). This is me [Recorded by Keala Settle]. The Greatest Showman [Motion Picture]. Los Angeles, CA: 20th Century Fox.

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“Just Because…” Poems about Shattering Stereotypes and Embracing our True Selves

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“Just Because…” Poems about Shattering Stereotypes and Embracing our True Selves

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Format: Poetry text on a website

Complexity: Below Grade Level

Potential Use: The topic is stereotypes and self-love. This website shares student poems using a set format.  Students can create very powerful statements about how they see themselves in relationship to how others may see them.  It can also be a good reminder about how misleading stereotypes can be. This text connects to the essential questions because it explores the difference between how one sees themselves as opposed to how they think others view them.

Reference:
Karlyn N. (2014, January 17). "Just Because..." Student Poems about Shattering Stereotypes and Embracing our True Selves (*New Poem Added!) [Blog]. Retrieved from https://www.worldpulse.com/community/users/karly-n/posts/30976.

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Hello World Pulse!

The beautiful young women in my Global Girls Group in a High School in Portland, Maine recently completed a poetry exercise. Here they share their voices in poetic form to give us insight into who they truly are, and remind us how dangerous labels can be. See the pictures below to read their hand-written versions of these poems.

JUST BECAUSE by Belyse:

Just because I am calm Doesn't mean I don't have an opinion Doesn't mean I don't know my rights Doesn't mean I am going to submit myself to others I am peaceful

Just because I am single Doesn't mean I don't love Doesn't mean I am a prostitute Doesn't mean I am hopeless I am happy

Just because I am talkative Doesn't mean I am a liar Doesn't mean I gossip Doesn't mean I am not respectful I am proud of myself

Just because I am a woman Doesn't mean I don't deserve respect Doesn't mean I am fragile Doesn't mean I am emotional I am strong

JUST BECAUSE by Ciham:

Just because I am African-American Doesn't mean I am poor Doesn't mean I am uneducated I am friendly and open to all

Just because I am a Muslim girl Doesn't mean I am oppressed Doesn't mean I am forced to do anything Doesn't mean I am the daughter of a terrorist I am liberated

Just because I am young Doesn't mean I'm not mature Doesn't mean I'm dumb Doesn't mean I can't make rational decisions I am an individual

JUST BECAUSE by Hayat:

Just because I am: MUSLIM Doesn't mean I hate America Doesn't mean I am a terrorist Doesn't mean I'm not a feminist QUIET Doesn't mean my voice won't be heard Doesn't mean I'm not a dreamer Doesn't mean I can't change the world I am a silent Muslim-American Leader

JUST BECAUSE by Claudia:

Just because I am a teenage girl Doesn't mean I hate school Doesn't mean I dress inappropriately to get boys attention Doesn't mean I stay all night on social media I am different

Just because I am quiet Doesn't mean I don't have a voice Doesn't mean I don't see what you're doing Doesn't mean I am naive I am strong

Just because I smile Doesn't mean I am happy Doesn't mean I don't cry Doesn't mean I don't get sad I am human

JUST BECAUSE by Edna:

Just because I am a feminist Doesn't mean I am stern Doesn't mean I hate men Doesn't mean I see them as 'beneath me' I am a fighter for gender equality From both perspectives

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"Just Because..." Student Poems about Shattering Stereotypes and Embracing our True Selves (*New Poem Added!)

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Hello World Pulse! The beautiful young women in my Global Girls Group in a High School in Portland, Maine recently completed a poetry exercise. Here they share their voices in poetic form to give us insight into who they truly are, and remind us how dangerous labels can be.

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Format: YouTube Video

Complexity: Below and On Grade Level

Potential Use: This video includes people’s accounts on how they felt before and after moving to a foreign country. This video could be used to show students different perspectives how others felt when they moved to a new country and how their identity may have changed being in a foreign country. This could also be used with students who have moved from another country, for them to identify with others who may be going through some of the same feelings of feeling lost and/or alone. This addresses the essential questions by answering who each person in the video was before they moved and how others perceive who they were in the new country. A great video that addresses the essential question Is identity constant?

Reference:
Coram [Screen name]. (2017, November 16). What does belonging mean to you? [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfMXcAKxMRk.

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What Does Belonging Mean to You? (Part 1)