Books by Alex Gino

George

by Alex Gino

BE WHO YOU ARE.

When people look at Melissa, they think they see a boy named George. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl.
Melissa 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. Melissa 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, Melissa comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte -- but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.

Rick

by Alex Gino

From the award-winning author of Melissa, the story of a boy 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 Melissa, 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.

Melissa (Previously Published as George)

by Alex Gino

BE WHO YOU ARE.

When people look at Melissa, they think they see a boy named George. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl.
Melissa 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. Melissa 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, Melissa comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte -- but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.

Our Story Begins: Your Favorite Authors and Illustrators Share Fun, Inspiring, and Occasionally Ridiculous Things They Wrote and Drew as Kids

by Kwame Alexander, Gail Carson Levine, Rita Williams-Garcia, Gordon Korman, Marla Frazee, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Grace Lin, Kathi Appelt, Candace Fleming, Peter Lerangis, Dan Santat, Brian Selznick, Linda Sue Park, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Eric Rohmann, Yuyi Morales, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Thanhhà Lai, Chris Grabenstein, Tom Angleberger, Chris Gall, R. J. Palacio, Ashley Bryan, Alex Gino, Elissa Brent Weissman, Tim Federle

From award-winning author Elissa Brent Weissman comes a collection of quirky, smart, and vulnerable childhood works by some of today’s foremost children’s authors and illustrators—revealing young talent, the storytellers they would one day become, and the creativity they inspire today.

Everyone’s story begins somewhere…

For Linda Sue Park, it was a trip to the ocean, a brand-new typewriter, and a little creative license.
For Jarrett J. Krosoczka, it was a third grade writing assignment that ignited a creative fire in a kid who liked to draw.
For Kwame Alexander, it was a loving poem composed for Mother’s Day—and perfected through draft after discarded draft.
For others, it was a teacher, a parent, a beloved book, a word of encouragement. It was trying, and failing, and trying again. It was a love of words, and pictures, and stories.

Your story is beginning, too. Where will it go?

Our Story Begins: Your Favorite Authors and Illustrators Share Fun, Inspiring, and Occasionally Ridiculous Things They Wrote and Drew as Kids

by Kwame Alexander, Gail Carson Levine, Rita Williams-Garcia, Gordon Korman, Marla Frazee, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Grace Lin, Kathi Appelt, Candace Fleming, Peter Lerangis, Dan Santat, Brian Selznick, Linda Sue Park, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Eric Rohmann, Yuyi Morales, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Thanhhà Lai, Chris Grabenstein, Tom Angleberger, Chris Gall, R. J. Palacio, Ashley Bryan, Alex Gino, Elissa Brent Weissman, Tim Federle

From award-winning author Elissa Brent Weissman comes a collection of quirky, smart, and vulnerable childhood works by some of today’s foremost children’s authors and illustrators—revealing young talent, the storytellers they would one day become, and the creativity they inspire today.

Everyone’s story begins somewhere…

For Linda Sue Park, it was a trip to the ocean, a brand-new typewriter, and a little creative license.
For Jarrett J. Krosoczka, it was a third grade writing assignment that ignited a creative fire in a kid who liked to draw.
For Kwame Alexander, it was a loving poem composed for Mother’s Day—and perfected through draft after discarded draft.
For others, it was a teacher, a parent, a beloved book, a word of encouragement. It was trying, and failing, and trying again. It was a love of words, and pictures, and stories.

Your story is beginning, too. Where will it go?

Green

by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, Laura Peyton Roberts, Alex Gino

Turning thirteen starts off with a bang for Lily. Literally. A birthday present explodes on her porch . . . and soon after a trio of leprechauns (yes, leprechauns) appears in her bedroom. They whisk her away to a land of clover, piskies, a new friend, a cute boy, and lots of glimmering, glittering gold. A world of Green.

It turns out that Lily, like her grandmother before her, is next in line to be keeper for the Clan of Green, and in charge of all their gold. That is, if she passes three tests. And she has to pass them. Because if she doesn’t she may never get to go home again. She’ll be stuck with the Greens.

Forever.

Green

by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, Laura Peyton Roberts, Alex Gino

A fast-paced middle grade novel perfect for fantasy lovers! Lily's thirteenth birthday starts off with a bang. Literally. A present explodes on her porch . . . and soon after, a trio of leprechauns (yes, leprechauns) appears in her bedroom. They whisk her away to a land of clover, piskies, a new friend, a cute boy, and lots of glimmering, glittering gold. A world of Green.

It turns out that Lily—as her grandmother was before her—is in line to be keeper for the Clan of Green, in charge of all their gold. That is, if she passes three tests. And she has to pass them. Because if she doesn't? She may never get to go home again. She'll be stuck with the Greens.

Forever.

Green

by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, Laura Peyton Roberts, Alex Gino

Die cut pages bring surprise after surprise in this magical new book from the "Queen of the concept book"―an intricate and satisfying homage to green, the color of all creation.

How many kinds of green are there? There's the lush green of a forest on a late spring day, the fresh, juicy green of a just-cut lime, the incandescent green of a firefly, and the vivid aquamarine of a tropical sea. In her newest book, Caldecott and Geisel Honor Book author Laura Vaccaro Seeger fashions an homage to a single color and, in doing so, creates a book that will delight and, quite possibly astonish you. This title has Common Core connections.

Green is a Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of 2012

Green is a 2013 Caldecott Honor Book

Green

by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, Laura Peyton Roberts, Alex Gino

From the bestselling author of MELISSA, a new book putting a non-binary kid named Green at center stage.

CRUSHES ARE CONFUSING.
Green is very lucky. They've got a supportive dad, friendly neighbors, and good friends. They've figured out a lot of things... but they can’t figure out what to do about Ronnie.
Ronnie's a boy who's been in Green's class for awhile. He's sweet. Funny. And lately, Green's heart has raced a little faster whenever he's around.
Green is pretty sure about their own feelings. But when it comes to how Ronnie feels, they have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA.
When Green doesn't get a part in the school musical -- a very untraditional version of The Wizard of Oz -- they join the crew to work alongside Ronnie.Is this a good idea?Green’s about to find out…

You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P! (Scholastic Gold)

by Alex Gino

Alex Gino, the Lambda Literary Award-winning author of Melissa, is back with another sensitive tale based on increasingly relevant social justice issues.

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 how being open to change can make you change in the best possible ways.

You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P!

by Alex Gino

Alex Gino, the Lambda Literary Award-winning author of Melissa, is back with another sensitive tale based on increasingly relevant social justice issues.

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 how being open to change can make you change in the best possible ways.

George (Scholastic Gold)

by Alex Gino

The unforgettable debut from Stonewall Award Winner Alex Gino.

George joins the Scholastic Gold line, which features award-winning and beloved novels. Includes exclusive bonus content!
When people look at Melissa, they think they see a boy named George. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl.
Melissa 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. Melissa 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, Melissa comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte -- but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.