Stonewall Book Award

The Stonewall Book Award is given out annually to a distinguished book relating to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experiences.  This award also has a non-fiction and literary category, but those are geared more towards adults.  The award has been given out since 1976, under several different names.  The award was first simply called The Gay Book Award, then the Gay and Lesbian Book Award.  The award's name continued to change as we learned more and became more accepting of people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender.

This year's Stonewall Book Award for children was awarded to Alex Gino for the book George.  This book needs to go on everyone's to read list RIGHT NOW! This book is the epitome of what I love about books and literature.  Through reading your eyes are opened and thoughts broadened.  You are able to put yourself into someone else's shoes and have empathy.  Reading diverse books creates diverse people.

George is the story of a person everyone thinks is a boy, because that is what they see, but really she is a girl.  George is in 4th grade struggling with her identity and how to tell those around her that she is a girl.   George's class has just finished reading Charlotte's Web and are now going to perform it for their school and families.  George wants to be Charlotte so bad.  She loves how strong, bold and radiant Charlotte is.  But only the girls are allowed to try out for Charlotte.  With the help and encouragement of her best friend, Kelly, George tries out for Charlotte.  Her teacher gets upset and thinks that it is a joke so George does not get the part, Kelly does.

George eventually gets the courage to first tell Kelly that she is a girl and then her mom and brother.  Kelly is the most accepting of the idea saying to George, "If you think you're a girl....Then I think you're a girl too!" To George's surprise her brother Scott also takes it well.  George's mom is having a hard time accepting it.  Then George and Kelly come up with a plan to switch places during the play so that George can be Charlotte.  Everyone is blown away by her performance and people begin to understand what George has been struggling with.

The book ends with Kelly asking George to go on a girl's trip to the zoo (wearing girl clothes and everything).  George is so excited at the idea, and even more when she finally gets to share her girl name with Kelly... Melissa.

The plot alone is enough to put this book on the must read list, but the way Gino includes George's thoughts and struggles (all the way down to hating going into the boy's bathroom), is what knocks this book out the of the park.  There are George's sitting in our classrooms and at our dinner tables across this country and we need to let them know we accept them for who they are and that there are people out there just like them.  If nothing else George gives us a glimpse into the difficult inner struggle transgender children are dealing with.  Don't miss this one!

Stonewall Book Award Honors

Wonders of the Invisible World by Christopher Bazark

Sex Is A Funny Word: A book about bodies, feelings and YOU! by Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smythe

Happy Reading!
Laura