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George was published in August 2015 by Scholastic, Inc. and reviewed 4 starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly, and School Library Journal. It was the winner of the Lambda Literary Award, the Stonewall Award (American Library Association), and the Children's Choice Book Awards Debut Author. George is all about being who you are. The summary from Gino's website is below: "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!"

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Alex talks about dead-naming Melissa in George and the need for diverse books and representation.

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0:00 / 6:28•Watch full video

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Alex Gino Talks About Their Book GEORGE & Other Transgender Fiction for Young Readers

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Alex discusses their reasoning behind writing George, why they wanted to become an author, the target audience for George, what it means to be genderqueer, how the book can work as a mirror and a window, how to respond to ignorance and hate, and more.

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A chat with Alex Gino, author of "George"

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You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P by Alex Gino | Scholastic Fall 2018 Online Preview

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You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P! was published in September 2018 by Scholastic, Inc. and received 3 star reviews from Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly, and School Library Journal. The summary from Gino's website is below:

"The way the world sees you changes how you see the world. Jilly thinks she’s figured out how life works. But when her sister Emma is born Deaf, she realizes how much she still has to learn. The world is going to treat Jilly, who is white and hearing, differently from Emma, just as it will treat them both differently from their Black cousins.

A big fantasy reader, Jilly makes a connection online with another fantasy fan, Derek, who is a Deaf Black ASL user. She goes to Derek for help with Emma but doesn’t always know the best way or time to ask for it. As she and Derek meet in person, have some really fun conversations, and become friends, Jilly makes some mistakes . . . but comes to understand that it’s up to her, not Derek, to figure out how to do better next time — especially when she wants to be there for Derek the most.

Within a world where kids like Derek and Emma aren’t assured the same freedom or safety as kids like Jilly, Jilly is starting to learn all the things she doesn’t know – and by doing that, she’s also working to discover how to support her family and her friends.

With You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P!, award-winning author Alex Gino uses their trademark humor, heart, and humanity to show readers how being open to difference can make you a better person, and being open to change can make you change in the best possible ways."

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Rick was published in April 2020 by Scholastic, Inc. and received 4 star review from Booklist, Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly, and School Library Journal. The summary from Gino's website is below:

"The story of a kid named Rick who needs to explore his own identity apart from his jerk of a best friend.

Rick’s never questioned much. He’s gone along with his best friend Jeff even when Jeff’s acted like a bully and a jerk. He’s let his father joke with him about which hot girls he might want to date even though that kind of talk always makes him uncomfortable. And he hasn’t given his own identity much thought, because everyone else around him seemed to have figured it out.

But now Rick’s gotten to middle school, and new doors are opening. One of them leads to the school’s Rainbow Spectrum club, where kids of many genders and identities congregate, including Melissa, the girl who sits in front of Rick in class and seems to have her life together. Rick wants his own life to be that … understood. Even if it means breaking some old friendships and making some new ones.

As they did in their groundbreaking novel George, in Rick, award-winning author Alex Gino explores what it means to search for your own place in the world … and all the steps you and the people around you need to take in order to get where you need to be."

This book can be a useful tool to educate middle schools about the LGBTQ+ community, asexuality, nonbinary folks, and pronouns.

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George is a fourth-grade student who's troubled by a couple of things. For one, George knows he's not a boy: She's actually a girl named Melissa.

But the rest of the world doesn't see that - which is why the teacher won't cast George as Charlotte the spider in the school play based on the book "Charlotte's Web," because Charlotte is a female character.

The question of gender identity is at the heart of "George," a middle-grade novel that's been making waves since it was published in 2015. It might have the most unconventional storyline for a children's book since "Heather has Two Mommies," by Holyoke author Lesléa Newman, debuted in 1990.

Last week, Alex Gino, the author of "George," came to The Common School in Amherst to read from the novel and answer questions about it. And Gino, who is genderqueer - very broadly, a person who identifies as neither exclusively male nor female - talked about the importance of self-identity and accepting people for who they are.

"This is a book for trans people," said Gino, a New York City native and writer who lived in Northampton from 2005 to 2008. "But more importantly, it's a book for everyone."

About 80 people, including students, parents, teachers and staff, came to the The Common School's main meeting room to listen to the author, who was already something of a favorite: Many of the students in the school's combined 5th and 6th grade class read "George" last year on their own, said director Christine Lindeman.

"It really took off like wildfire," she said.

The school also examines gender and community in a more general way, Lindeman noted. Last fall a Northampton therapist, Julie Mencher, who works with teens on gender issues, held a workshop with faculty and staff to help them become more familiar with addressing the topic in the classroom.

The school's librarian, JennyKate Marble, is also a friend of Gino and suggested bringing in the author for a talk. "We all thought that would be a great idea," said Lindeman.

So did many of the students. "We think you're awesome!" said one girl at the the beginning of the Q & A session, after Gino had read part of one chapter.

Gino, 39, who uses the pronoun "they," said "George" had a long gestation period. They'd started working on the novel around 2003 "not knowing anything about writing a book" and had progressed over the years through multiple drafts and reviews by friends and then a literary agent.

But the novel quickly found a publisher (Scholastic Press) a few years ago, likely reflecting the way transgender people have gained national visibility in recent years, from the story of Caitlyn Jenner, to the appearance of well-developed trans characters in TV shows, to profiles in magazines and newspapers.

The novel, Gino quipped, "was a 10-year overnight success."

Proper pronouns

"George" gets right to the issue of its protagonist's identity: The third sentence reads "George had to steady herself awkwardly on one foot while the backpack rested on her other knee."

Gino said the idea of using a female pronoun straightaway to describe George's thoughts and actions was introduced by the book's editor. Gino had originally switched George's narration from "he" to "she" much later in the novel, when George completely takes on the identity of Melissa.

"[My editor's] argument was that 'This is who George is, so why aren't we using 'she' right from the start?' " said Gino.

When it comes to transgender people, "We talk about 'preferred pronouns,' " Gino added. "But I don't prefer my pronoun, I use it, and I don't 'identify' as genderqueer - I am genderqueer ... That's part of what this book is trying to get across."

In the novel, George tries desperately to keep her identity from everyone, including her mom, her older brother, Scott, and even her best friend, Kelly. A couple of bullies in the class, Jeff and Rick, regularly taunt George for being effeminate.

George's teacher, Ms. Udell, is perplexed when George does a tryout for the role of Charlotte and reads - perfectly - several of the spider's lines from the play.

"Was that supposed to be some kind of joke?" the teachers asks. "Because it wasn't very funny ... You know I can't very well cast you as Charlotte."

Even Kelly doesn't grasp George's dilemma, at least not at first. "I still don't see what the big deal is," she says. "So you want to play a girl onstage. It's not like you want to be a girl."

Slowly but surely, though, George finds her way to greater acceptance and understanding among the people closest to her. She even gets revenge on one of her tormentors, Jeff, when she vomits on Jeff's shirt after Jeff punches George in the stomach.

That scene prompted laughs from the children at The Common School when Gino gleefully read it aloud.

"I love that George uses her body to get back at the bully!" Gino said afterward.

In a later email to the Gazette, Gino said they'd used "Charlotte's Web" in their own story because it's "a story of friendship and what it means to support something going through a situation (Charlotte saves Wilbur [a pig] from the fate of becoming bacon)."

"I also connect with it because I cried at the story when we read it in class when I was a child," Gino added. "The way I remember it, I was the only one crying, and it was one of my earliest feelings of being different."

At The Common School, Gino said their goal in giving readings and talks about "George" is to promote greater respect and understanding for trans people and to encourage anyone struggling with gender identity "to find a safe space that works for you - you have that right."

Finding your way on that journey is not an overnight process, Gino added: "Coming out is a lifelong process."
Steve Pfarrer can be reached at spfarrer@gazettenet.com. Alex Gino's webiste is www.alexgino.com.

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With 'George,' Author Alex Gino talks transgender issues with Common School in Amherst

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George is a fourth-grade student who's troubled by a couple of things. For one, George knows he's not a boy: She's actually a girl named Melissa.But the rest of the world doesn't see that - which is why the teacher won't cast George as Charlotte the...

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Gino on the Importance of People Telling Their Own Stories

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Gino on the Importance of People Telling Their Own Stories

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I first chose to read George because I heard about the awards it had won and was looking for more books with LGBTQ+ characters and topics to provide more mirrors and windows for my classroom library. BookPage wrote, “Readers going through a similar experience will feel that they are no longer alone, and cisgender readers may gain understanding and empathy.”

Then, I chose to read Rick because it contained a main character from George and involved the topics of bullying and LGBTQ+ issues.

Lastly, I read You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P! because it is another one of Gino's books that contains diverse characters and experiences not traditionally seen in middle grades literature.

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Gino's books are modern, relevant, and relatable to young adults. They really put the "realistic" in "realistic fiction," and they contain themes and topics that matter to students in the middle grades, such as identity formation, bullying, being yourself, friendship, and social issues such as racism, homophobia, sexism, and ableism.

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The characters in these books experience or witness microaggressions.

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The characters in these books experience or witness microaggressions.

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In George

George mentions how once people find out someone is transgender, a lot ask about “the surgery.” George saw an interview where the transgender woman said that what was between her legs was nobody’s business but hers and her boyfriend’s.

George's teacher says she could not cast her as Charlotte because: “...imagine how confused people would be.” Gino wanted to demonstrate that "other people" should not be the deciding factor in this situation. I’m sure the "people people" would figure it out. Teachers have the power to hurt or crush students with their words, which is something we must keep in mind as well.

More examples of microaggressions in George can be found in the intent vs. impact section below.

In Rick

Jeff makes many microaggressions in Rick. For example, he makes homophobic comments, such as, “A buncha gay kids are meeting up! Gross!” He called Kelly a “🤬" and asks his lunch table, “You guys are gonna go all gay on me too?” At one point, he also says maybe Mark’s aunt was too ugly to be straight and only women that wanted to be men knew aikido. Rick knew it didn’t work like that, but he didn't say anything.

In Jilly P

Profound was offended that Jilly told him her baby sister was deaf, but she didn’t understand why. She wrote, “Profound is probably tired of people thinking of him as the Deaf one. The only other things I really know about him are that he’s Black and he loves Vidalia but hates Orthor.” She makes a promise to learn more about him and realize that parts of one’s identity do not solely define a person.

Profound is sick of questions like, "What's it like being Deaf?"

Audiologist says they needed to get her baby sister checked for hearing aids to get her back on the “normal” track as quickly as possible. She says people with hearing loss need intervention to participate in the world. She talks about cochlear implant surgery and discourages Jilly from showing her sister sign language because it may “confuse her” and stunt her growth in using her mouth, tongue, and lips to communicate properly.

At Thanksgiving, her family makes many microaggressions, such as talking about her Black cousin’s hair and saying they couldn’t tell Black football players apart. Her grandma says ASL would be too hard to learn at her age and “don’t have her waving her hands around.” Her uncle tells a story about chasing off a bunch of- (he stops himself), and he calls Black people “thuggish." This gets Jilly wondering if some people in her family are racist, and she doesn't understand why her parents don't say anything in these situations. She begins to talk to her Aunt Alicia more, who is Black and left the dinner early because she was uncomfortable. Through this, Jilly learns why what her uncle and grandma said was wrong, how to properly intervene in situations such as this, how to be an ally, and how to have tough conversations that can lead to change.

Profound talks about how hearing people try to assimilate Deaf people into their culture. He says, “Oralism is back. As if hanging around hearing people is going to make me hearing or something. I mean, it’s not the same as it was. There aren’t asylums or anything anymore and Deaf people have always found a way to sign with each other but hearing people are still trying to make us like them.”

Gino also mentions the “I don’t see color” problem and how "Telling Black folk you don't see us as Black is kind of like saying you don’t want us to be Black. Like being Black is a bad thing or something... saying you forgot they’re Black is like saying you expect everyone to be white."

Derek’s Deaf friend was shot seven times in the back by police. She was unable to hear their directions for her to stop running. People said she should’ve been wearing her hearing aids, not that the cops shouldn’t have shot her. They blamed the victim.

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Gino depicts young adults as capable and knowledgeable about themselves and their identities.

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Gino depicts young adults as capable and knowledgeable about themselves and their identities.

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These books show that adults sometimes dismiss kids and their ideas about their identity, saying they are "too young" to know certain things or that their sexuality/gender identity is a "phase" that they will grow out of. For example, when Rick comes out as asexual to his sister, she tells him he is too young to know that kind of stuff about himself. However, when he comes out to his grandfather, he says, "Of course I believe you. You are the person who knows yourself better than anyone else. There are lots of different ways of being. Lots of different kinds of people, and lots of different kinds of relationships.”

Gino portrays young adults as capable and caring about social issues in their books. For example, in Rick, the kids in the Rainbow Connection planned a whole event to raise money for LGBTQ+ books for their school's library.

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These books also deal with the theme of belonging and not belonging, which is relevant to young adults.

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These books also deal with the theme of belonging and not belonging, which is relevant to young adults.

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In George

In the dedication of George, Gino wrote, “To you, for when you felt different.”

“If George were there [in the magazines with the girls she saw as her friends], she would fit right in, giggling and linking her arms in theirs. She would wear a bright-pink bikini, and she would have long hair that her new friends would love to braid” (3).

In George, Melissa is constantly worrying about whether or not people see her as "weird," which is relatable to young adults.

In George, Kelly and the principal make Melissa feel like she belongs, whereas her teacher and Jeff make her feel as if she does not belong.

George's principal had a sign that said "support safe spaces for LGBT youth," which made her feel supported and valued. Here, Gino was demonstrating the power of having the support of a trusted adult on one's self-esteem growing up.

On the other hand, at first, George's mom does not understand the fact that she is trans. When she tells her mother that she is a girl, she dismisses the idea and even laughs, giving a "you'll grow out of it" sort of response rather than validating and respecting George's choices and identity.

In Rick

Jeff makes Rick feel as if he does not belong, with his microaggressions and homophobic comments.

On the other hand, Rick feels like he belongs when he is with his grandfather and the Rainbow Connection group. These support groups can be extremely powerful for students. For example, they can use them to talk about the problems they are dealing with at home, to protest local businesses that do not support LGBTQ+ rights, or to just have a space to be their authentic selves. What's powerful about the Rainbow Connection group is that the students had CHOICE in what the group would do, which empowered them and solidified their self worth.

In Jilly P

Jilly has friends online and in person. Her online group makes her feel as if she belongs because they all bond over their mutual interest in a book series. She also has a best friend that she goes to school with, though this friendship plays a different role than that of her online friends.

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You should speak up for what's right, even if it's hard.

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You should speak up for what's right, even if it's hard.

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In Rick

Throughout the book Rick struggles with being friends with Jeff, who is oftentimes rude to those who are different and even makes homophobic and sexist comments. However, by the end of the book, Rick realizes that it's important to speak up for what's right, even if it is hard. He stands up to Jeff and stops being his friend. He realizes that Jeff is a jerk, even if Jeff didn't do anything mean to Rick directly. How he treated other people mattered too. By talking with his grandfather, Rick learns that, with good friends, you can always be yourself.

Gino also shows young adults standing up for what's right. When Jeff calls Kelly a "🤬," two boys at his lunch table stand up for her and explain that they have gay family members and that he is being homophobic. When the class laughs about Plato possibly being gay, a student responds with, "There is nothing wrong with being gay." When the teacher says that is no talk for the classroom, she goes on to invite people to the Rainbow Connection after-school group to discuss LGBTQ+ issues.

In Jilly P

Jilly's parents, who are white, do not talk to Jilly about race. The book starts with them watching the news, and a story comes on about a black teen killed by the police. Rather than talking about it, her parents say the world is getting "scarier and scarier," and then they change the subject, rather than using this as an opportunity to talk with Jilly about race. Jilly instead talks to her Aunt Alicia, who is Black. She says, “Black parents in this country have to talk with their kids about being careful around the police. But until white parents can talk about what’s happening to Black kids too, nothing’s going to change… So keep talking and asking questions” (60).

Later in the book, at a family holiday meal, Jilly's uncle makes several microaggressions about black people. Rather than correcting him or leaving, Jilly's parents change the subject, not wanting the confrontation to continue. This upsets Jilly, who knows what he said was wrong and was upset that Aunt Alicia left and no one took her side.

However, by the end of the book, Jilly's parents learn more about the importance of having tough conversations in order for real change to take place. They can no longer use their Whiteness as a privilege or a shield allowing them to stay silent. Like Jilly's Aunt said, "Of course it’s uncomfortable. And sometimes we white people need to make ourselves uncomfortable in order to help Black people feel safe.”

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In George

George wants to wear makeup and even wears Chapstick all year because it is close to wearing lipstick. In this way, Gino combats the idea that makeup is for a certain gender.

In George, calling a boy a girl is often used as an insult. This can be used as a starting point for discussion with students about sexism, masculinity, and how society thinks boys should behave.

In Rick

Rick is asexual. In this way, Gino dismisses the idea that people must be attracted to others and shows the existence of diverse sexualities. Members of the Rainbow Connection identify as lesbian, transgender, bisexual, pansexual, and more.

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The books deal with the idea of intent vs. impact.

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The books deal with the idea of intent vs. impact.

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Gino discusses that sometimes, we say things that hurt people without intending to do so. All we have to do is learn from our mistakes and do better next time. The most important thing is to be respectful and willing to change.

In George

George cried over the end of Charlotte’s Web. Her teacher patted her shoulder and said, “It shows compassion as well as imagination… Don’t ever lost that, George, and I know you’ll turn into a fine young man.”

When boys tease George in class, “‘That ain’t no girl. That’s George.’ ‘Close enough,’” the teacher does not automatically intervene. When she does, she speaks to the boys about how they should be sensitive to the topic of death, rather than addressing the inappropriate comment they made about George’s gender.

Even George's best friend says things that are hurtful, though she didn't mean to. “If you want to be Charlotte, you should try out for Charlotte. You make such a big deal out of everything. Who cares if you’re not really a girl?” This is hurtful because she dismissed George's identity by saying she wasn't a "real girl." Later she says, “Ms. Udell will love that you care so much about the character that you want to play her onstage, even though she’s a girl and you’re a boy. Plays are all about pretending, right?” Again, this dismisses George's identity. In another chapter she says, “So you want to play a girl onstage. It’s not like you want to be a girl." Luckily, by the end of the book, Kelly starts to realize the microaggressions she is making and corrects herself when they happen. She says, “You were totally like a girl… I mean, you totally are a girl.”

George's mom says, "Whatever happens in your life, you can share it, and I will love you. You will always be my little boy, and that will never change. Even when you grow up to be an old man, I will still love you as my son.” Those words are extremely hurtful for George because her mom is not understanding that she is a GIRL. This dismisses her identity and makes her feel unseen and unworthy.

In Jilly P

When Jilly accidentally hurts her friend Profound's feelings, she thinks, “The hard thing about accidentally saying the wrong thing is that you don’t know it’s the wrong thing until you've already said it and hurt someone. And even if you didn’t mean it that way, you cant take it back.”

Aunt Alicia explains intent vs. impact after Thanksgiving dinner. “What Mike did was on purpose. What your Gram did wasn’t. It's like the difference between stepping on someone’s foot by mistake and kicking them. Only one is mean, but they both hurt. Sometimes you don’t have to be trying to hurt someone. You just have to say the wrong thing.”

They discuss how if you don’t know the right thing to say, do the best you can. If you make a mistake, it’s okay. The closer you are to a person, the more chances there are to mess up. But talk about it and it will happen differently the next time. Not doing anything is the problem because nothing can get better if nothing changes. “Progress brings some dark times, but it’s still better than not growing at all.”

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Heteronormativity and Changing Our Language

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Heteronormativity and Changing Our Language

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Gino gets us thinking about heteronormativity and the amount of times gender comes up in day to day conversations in the classroom, without us even realizing it.

This is seen multiple times in George, such as when the bathroom pass had the word “boy” on it, when the kids lined up by gender, when students played either “boy” or “girl” parts in the play, and when the teachers called the students Mr./Mrs. We need to think about how that makes kids feel and change our language to be more inclusive.

This is also seen in Rick. At the start of the book, Rick's dad talks about how Rick is about to go to middle school and whole new worlds are opening up to him. He says, “Girls…” but Rick's mom butts in and says, “Or boys.” In this case, Rick's mom is combatting heteronormativity, but she still doesn't realize the possibly that Rick is asexual, at that point.

Jilly P gets us thinking about racism as well as ableism and how we can be more inclusive with the way we do things such as applause, getting the attention of a group, and more.

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Gino's books contain diverse characters in terms of race, gender, class, and identity. For example, there are diverse families, including those with parents who are divorced and those that are still together, LGBTQ+ families, straight families, mixed-race families, etc. Kids talk about having two moms and there are teachers who are gay. Jilly's aunt is in an interracial, lesbian relationship, and her wife has kids from a previous marriage. Characters are also diverse in terms of ability. For example, Profound and Emma are Deaf.

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Be respectful and considerate of others.

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Be respectful and considerate of others.

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In George

Kelly realizes the impact of her language, and by the end of the book, she corrects her microaggressions.

In Rick

Gino uses the character of Mr. Sydney to show readers what to do if they make a mistake. After a debate during the Rainbow Connection meeting about the singular "they," he admits his error and says, "...it is more important to be respectful than to be right.”

At one point, someone says they are nonbinary and Mr. Sydney clarifies what that means but then asks if he has that correct. This shows that if you are not a member of a certain community, it is important to clarify and ensure that you are using the right language.

In Jilly P

Jilly learns that sometimes not everything is about her, and there are things in life that she does not yet understand. She realizes that she needs to put herself in others' shoes and think before she speaks.

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Gino depicts young adults as resourceful.

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Gino depicts young adults as resourceful.

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In all three books, the main characters use the Internet to find more about themselves and others. For example, in George, George began looking up things online about hormones and transitioning but was afraid of telling his mom. Kelly and George were also resourceful, coming up with a plan to switch parts so George could play Charlotte in the school play. In Rick, at first, Rick is unsure if he’s gay or not because he has never had a crush on a boy OR a girl. He feels very confused and looks to the Internet for answers too. In YDKEJP, Jilly uses the Internet to learn more about ASL and is part of an online community.

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Gino depicts young adults as understanding and empathetic in comparison to older generations.

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Gino depicts young adults as understanding and empathetic in comparison to older generations.

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In George

George and Kelly talk about how transgender people don’t get certain rights. Both kids were able to agree that that was awful, without argument or a second thought. This shows that prejudice is taught, not inherent, and again, that children are more accepting than older generations.

On the other hand, George's mom takes a while to accept the fact that George is trans. At first, when she found the magazines George was looking at, she said, “George, I don’t want to find you wearing my clothes. Or my shoes. That kind of thing was cute when you were three. But you’re not three anymore. In fact, I don’t want to see you in my room at all.” Later, she said she was worried about George and how others would treat her. She said, “I just don’t want you to make your road any harder than it has to be.” George replies, “Trying to be a boy is really hard.”

George's brother accepts the news much easier than their mom does, with hardly any questions. Again, Gino demonstrates the younger generation as more understanding.

In Rick

Rick's grandfather levels the playing field for the older generation, in this sense. He is extremely supportive and open-minded. When Rick comes out as asexual, his grandpa does not question him. Instead, he is supportive and understanding.

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Interview with Gino at the Back of George

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Interview with Gino at the Back of George

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Interview with Alex Gino at the Back of Jilly P

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Interview with Alex Gino at the Back of Jilly P

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In George

At first, George wishes she were “someone else-anyone else” (10). She feels like she has to hide who she is. By the end of the book, she finally feels alive. Gino wrote, "Charlotte was dead, but George was alive in a way she had never imagined.” This shows the power of being seen on someone's self-worth and confidence. Playing Charlotte was so important to George because “...if people could see her onstage as Charlotte, maybe they would see that she was a girl offstage too.”

In Rick

Through conversations with his grandfather, Rick learns that it feels good to be yourself. At first, he hides the fact that he joined the Rainbow Connection, but by the end of the book, he is open about being a member and even comes out as asexual.

In Jilly P

Profound was proud to be Deaf and Black.

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This book is definitely a window book for white, able-bodied people to see into the experiences of people who are Deaf and/or African-American. Through reading this book, I learned a lot about Deaf culture. For example, Profound explains that little-d deaf is about not being able to hear. Big-D Dead is about community and ASL (American Sign Language). There are other types of sign language as well, all around the world, just as there are different spoken languages. This type of knowledge broadens students' worldview and prepares them to work and live with the diverse people in society.

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Gino depicts young adults as determined.

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Gino depicts young adults as determined.

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In Jilly P, when Jilly finds out her sister Emma may be Deaf, she immediately begins to learn ASL. She makes a goal to learn one sign a day and refuses to waste time being in denial. Again, Gino writes his characters as capable, using the Internet as a tool to learn more about others. In George, Melissa was determined to play Charlotte in the play. In Rick, Rick was determined to stop Jeff from burning the Rainbow Connection flyers at the end of the book.

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In this interview, Gino explains why they like writing for the middle grades and how they focused on accurately representing characters outside of their own identity.

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Alex Gino is a long-time LGBTQ+ activist, but they are best known for George, their 2015 middle-grade novel whose titular character wants to be seen as a girl and prefers the name Melissa. George was published in 2015 and won numerous awards, including the Lambda Literary Award and the ALA's Stonewall Award; it has also been a frequent target of challenges and bans.

Alex Gino's new book, You Don't Know verything, Jilly P!, was published in September and has received starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal. Jilly P is another realistic middle-grade novel, this time focusing on a white hearing character who befriends a Deaf black boy online and, through conversations with him and her black aunt, starts to recognize, talk about, and respond to ableism and racism in her environment.
Why do you write for middle grade? What is it about that audience that appeals to you as a writer?
The earliest I can genuinely connect with young me as a person is around fourth grade, and the years after that are times of figuring out how you want to be in the world and who else is here. These are formative times, and kids deserve tools to make sense of the world around them. Books can also be links to adults who may be reluctant to delve into deep conversations with kids. And at the end of the day, that's the narrative voice in my head, so I go with it.
In an interview with We Need Diverse Books, you talk about how the story of You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P! changed dramatically from what you had originally envisioned to its final form. It sounds like you went through some personal growth as well. What did you take away from your experience of writing Jilly P? In your author's note, you write, "I want to name that you have just read yet another story that centers a white hearing main character." Why was it important to you to call that out?
My first novel, George, was about a kid who wasn't being seen for who she was. While the details are different, that story is enough mine that I could use my experiences as a starting point for understanding Melissa's. But in Jilly P, I knew I could be misrepresenting communities that I'm not a part of, so it was an experience in looking critically at my own writing, but also reaching out to sensitivity readers and incorporating their feedback into my work. It was an experience in self-reflection.
You're a white hearing person writing about a white hearing character for a white audience, on the topics of anti-black racism and deafness. Were you nervous about how that would be received? How did you approach it?

I wasn't nervous about how it would be received so much as I was nervous about misrepresenting people.

I found it interesting that Jilly's crush on Derek fades away about as quickly as it came, but they remain good friends. Why did you want to give their relationship that arc?
Because it's true, and because most of children's literature (and published literature in the US in general) centers white experiences without even realizing it. If a character's skin or race isn't mentioned, they're assumed to be white. Further, most books with Deaf characters were written by hearing authors, and it was important for me to acknowledge that I'm part of that questionable trend. By focusing on Jilly and the way she learns about the experiences of the Deaf and Black people in her life, I could respond to these trends, rather than just add to them.

I wasn't nervous about how it would be received so much as I was nervous about misrepresenting people. As a white person who aims to be anti-racist, it was important for me to figure out how to support the people I'm in alliance with without speaking for or over them. It is not my place to write a story of Blackness or Deafness, but I can write books which can be tools for white, non-disabled people making sense of their privilege.
George was number five on the American Library Association's list of the most-challenged books in 2017. Did that surprise you?
Crushes are funny things. They can come and go quickly. For Jilly, she's as excited about the idea of having a crush as the object of the crush himself. Once she meets Derek in person, he becomes less of a concept and more of an actual person. That's when Jilly is able to start really seeing him and figuring out how to ally with him.
Do you get personally involved in the response to challenges of George?

I didn't have in my mind that nonbinary kids would know and name who they are by fourth grade. I am delighted to have been proven wrong on that.

Can you share one of the positive reactions to George that's stuck with you?
Sadly, no. When I started writing George in 2005, I didn't think it would be published at all. There are a lot of adults who are afraid to have conversations with kids where they're not the experts, and they often think that by hiding information from kids, the kids will never know that part of the world exists. But kids have access to more information that parents know, and will grow up into adults, who are much more likely to be well-adjusted if they've had (pardon the word play) time to adjust well to who they are and how the world will treat them. On the other hand, the road back from shame is long and hard, and we don't come out of it unscarred.
Why did you decide to write about a trans girl as opposed to a trans boy or nonbinary kid?
I have occasionally, yes. Last year, a school district left George out of purchases from a state list, so I raised matching fund to provide them myself and visited a few schools in the area. And of course, when a kid emails me about not being able to use my book for a report or the like, I make sure to get back to them and thank them for their support. Once I even went out for ice cream with a kid and Mom when I happened to be in their town. But mostly, that's not my job, and I try to keep my focus on writing the next story.
Are there any questions I haven't asked that you wish I had?
I sure can. One of my favorite was a tweet from a Mom who had just finished reading George with her 7 year old. The kid brought out a stuffed bunny and declared that the bunny was trans. In a world where people are worried that my words will magically change who people are, I found that to be a delightful way for her to play with the idea of allyship. She didn't ask herself, "what if I was trans?" She asked herself, "what would I do if I knew someone trans." Not that I suggest you announce peoples' trans status as an act of allyship, but I think you get what I mean. ;)
Do you have any advice for aspiring trans writers?
Partly, the job of the writer is to tell the character's story, and Melissa was the character in my head. But also, there are slightly more cracks in the world for a young trans boy to slip into. Not that any infringement on our expression is fair, but the "boy in a skirt" brings an unmatched ire, as heads reel at the notion of someone "choosing" to head downward on the privilege ladder. And to be honest, in 2005 when I started writing George, I didn't have in my mind that nonbinary kids would know and name who they are by fourth grade. I am delighted to have been proven wrong on that.

People sometimes ask about the title of my first book, and while I'm not proud of it, I think it's important to talk about. The title George deadnames my main character; that is, I've used the name for my main character that she would prefer never to hear again. Her name is Melissa, and by calling her George, I have disrespected Melissa and further the notion that trans peoples' names are up for question. It was a mistake, and I'm sorry to the trans community. At the same time, that discomfort between Melissa and the book title is a bit of insight into trans experience.

Write write write write write!!! We need YOU to write our stories, so that cis voices don't dominate the field. Apply for grants and mentorships, enter contests, submit to agents - they are for you too! Especially in the face of frightening times, we need to tell our stories. And show your work to other people. That doesn't mean you need to listen to everything they say, but revising your work so that it does what you want it to do means you need to know what it does for other people.

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Alex Gino is a long-time LGBTQ+ activist, but they are best known for George, their 2015 middle-grade novel whose titular character wants to be seen as a girl and prefers the name Melissa. George was published in 2015 and won numerous awards, including the Lambda Literary Award and the ALA's Stonewall Award; it has also been a frequent target of challenges and bans.

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Inside, George knows that she is a girl. When her class puts on a production of Charlotte's Web, she is not allowed to try out for the role of Charlotte - but with the help of her best friend, George is determined to show the world who she really is.

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Inside, George knows that she is a girl. When her class puts on a production of Charlotte's Web, she is not allowed to try out for the role of Charlotte - but with the help of her best friend, George is determined to show the world who she really is.

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Rick realizes that his best friend is a bully and attempts to forge his own identity as he navigates middle school.

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Test your spelling acumen. See the definition, listen to the word, then try to spell it correctly. Beat your last streak, or best your overall time. Spellers of the world, untie!

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Rick realizes that his best friend is a bully and attempts to forge his own identity as he navigates middle school. Learn Explore the Words Assign Answer a few questions on each word. Get one wrong? We'll ask some follow-up questions. Use it to prep for your next quiz!