This is an engaging story, suitable for Stage 2 or 3, about ten year old George, a boy who identifies as being a girl. The narrator uses feminine pronouns to refer to George while the other characters refer to him as male.
George has a secret stash of teen girl magazines, dreams of wearing skirts and make-up, and longs to play Charlotte in the school production of Charlotte's Web. When his desire to play Charlotte is dismissed by his teacher, George and his best friend Kelly hatch a plan.
What I liked about the story is that it's not all high drama. A number of characters tell George that if he were gay it would be no big deal but this is just a bit more. Neither his mother nor his teacher are particularly onboard, but his friend Kelly welcomes a new girlfriend with open arms. It's a simple heart warming story that aims to increase empathy for transgender children.
There are parallels between the story and Charlotte's Web e.g. themes of tolerance and friendship. However, the story has a clear enough message that no deep analysis or comparison is required.
One day children's books with transgender characters won't be about transgender; children's books will just have diverse characters. Until then, we need more books like this one.
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