Talk:Melissa (novel)

Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment
This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 9 January 2019 and 8 May 2019. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Icf17, Njk47.

Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT (talk) 21:45, 17 January 2022 (UTC)

Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment
This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 29 August 2019 and 13 December 2019. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Will Schott.

Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT (talk) 21:45, 17 January 2022 (UTC)

Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment
This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 26 January 2021 and 15 May 2021. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Dg954.

Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT (talk) 21:45, 17 January 2022 (UTC)

Proposed Additions and Changes to Article
In my edits, I plan to add content to the reception section of the article from both positive and negative book reviews that George has received. I also plan to add an analysis section in which I will touch on a few major themes of the novel in order to create a baseline to which future editors can make further contributions. There are also a few sentences that I think are misplaced in the reception section of the article that I plan to move to different sections.

Oliviab219 (talk) 17:57, 26 November 2019 (UTC)

If anyone knows how to put a link to the Wikiversity page we created on Transgender Literature Transgender Literature from this page we created a Wikiversity unit based on the novel George. I saw another page with a wikiversity logo to direct readers there if interested but not sure how to add that FloresTindall (talk) 21:56, 22 June 2020 (UTC)

Suggestions for Article
Hello, while I'm able to see a citation next to the sentence that claims the book has been heavily challenged the past couple of years, I'm wondering if this can be clarified more, and make it explicit where/how the book has been officially banned/censored. Has this occurred in certain city public libraries, school districts, etc.? I think providing specific information would help readers understand more about the challenges made against George.Dg954 (talk) 20:16, 22 March 2021 (UTC)

Annotated Bibliography
Hello! I've included an annotated bibliography of 10 sources that I think can be incorporated in this article to improve/build on content.

Aviles, Gwen. “More than Half of Banned Books Challenged for LGBTQ Content.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 8 Apr. 2019, www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/more-half-banned-books-challenged-lgbtq-content-n992221.

Aviles explains that over half of the top 11 most frequently challenged and banned books of 2018 include LGBTQ content. She specifically mentions that George has been repeatedly banned, challenged, and relocated because it's "believed to encourage children to clear browser history and change their bodies using hormones."

Bussel, Rachel Kramer. “8 Of 10 Top Books Americans Tried To Ban Last Year Have LGBTQIA+ Content.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 30 Sept. 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/rachelkramerbussel/2020/09/29/8-of-11-top-books-americans-tried-to-ban-last-year-have-lgbtqia-content/?sh=23196cc863b0.

Bustle elaborates on the fact that in 2019, 8 of the 10 titles on the most frequently challenged books’ list were cited for containing LGBTQIA+ content, with George being one of these works. Reasons for banning this book include that the work conflicts with a religious viewpoint and “traditional family structure”.

Cook, Katherine. “Parents Debate Whether Book about Transgender Child Should Be on School Reading List.” Kgw.com, 15 Jan. 2019, www.kgw.com/article/news/education/parents-debate-whether-book-about-transgender-child-should-be-on-school-reading-list/283-91827f22-d59f-4581-8127-0191e50f9f03.

Cook sheds light on the Scappoose School Board’s decision to defeat a resolution to remove George from a reading list for the ‘Oregon Battle of the Books’, a statewide optional reading competition for third through fifth graders. This source includes arguments for and against this decision, as well as general reactions to the decision.

Flood, Alison. “LGBTQ Children's Books Face Record Calls for Bans in US Libraries.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 21 Apr. 2020, www.theguardian.com/books/2020/apr/21/us-libraries-say-lgbtq-children-books-most-calls-for-bans-last-year-alex-gino-george.

Flood reveals that The American Library Association’s annual list of the most challenged books in public, school and academic libraries was topped by Alex Gino’s George in 2019, which has made the top 10 every year since it was published in 2015. She also examines how common objections to the book include sexual references and conflict with “traditional family structure”, with some saying schools and libraries should not “put books in a child’s hand that require discussion”.

Gomez, Betsy. “Banned Spotlight: George.” Banned Books Week, ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, 11 Sept. 2018, bannedbooksweek.org/banned-spotlight-george/.

Gomez acknowledges that while George has received heavy criticism because of its LGBT+ content, the book has also received a lot of praise. She specifically mentions that Booklist, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal gave the book starred reviews, and it won the Lambda Literary Award, Stonewall Award, Children’s Choice Debut Author Award, and the Gold Medal for juvenile fiction in the California Book Awards.

Krug, Nora. “2020's Most Challenged Books Include 'The Hate U Give' and Others about Race.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 6 Apr. 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/2021-most-challenged-books/2021/04/06/34f89260-96ed-11eb-b28d-bfa7bb5cb2a5_story.html.

Krug finds that Geoge was the most challenged book in 2020, with the biggest reasons being its inclusion of LGBTQIA+ content, conflicting with a religious viewpoint, and not reflecting “the values of our community”. She also mentions that George has been actively challenged every year since it first became published.

Lakritz, Talia. “11 Books People Tried to Ban from Schools and Libraries in 2018.” Insider, Insider, 10 Apr. 2019, www.insider.com/banned-books-schools-libraries-2019-4.

Lakritz establishes that George was the most challenged book in 2018, with reasons for its ban including "mentioning 'dirty magazines,'" "describing male anatomy," and "creating confusion.". She also makes a reference to the Oregon Battle of the Books controversy, which is covered and explained in another source mentioned in this bibliography.

Titus, Ron. “Banned Books 2020 - George.” Marshall Libraries, 11 Aug. 2020, www.marshall.edu/library/bannedbooks/george/.

Titus includes a detailed reference and explanation for the different reasons George has been censored and banned since 2017. A specific incident with this title is Tigard-Tualatin School District (King City, OR) considering requiring a parental permission slip before allowing elementary school-aged students to read Gino’s fictional story.

Ulaby, Neda. “'George' Wants You To Know: She's Really Melissa.” NPR, NPR, 27 Aug. 2015, www.npr.org/2015/08/27/434277989/-george-wants-you-to-know-she-s-really-melissa.

Ulaby’s interview with Alex Gino reveals the author’s motivations for wanting to write and publish an LGBT+ book aimed at middle school students. Gino’s hope with George is that it will “help transgender children feel less alone”. This source also includes information on Scholastic, the book’s publisher, as well as reveals that the book had an initial press run of 50,000 copies.

Yorio, Kara. “‘George’ Tops Most Challenged List for Third Year in a Row: ‘Stamped’ Takes No. 2 Spot.” School Library Journal, The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, 5 Apr. 2021, www.slj.com/?detailStory=george-tops-most-challenged-list-for-third-year-in-a-row-stamped-takes-no-2-spot.

Yorio exposes that as of 2021, Alex Gino's George was the most challenged book for the third year in a row, according to the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom. This information is for the most part consistent with what other sources say on the matter, and includes further reasons for why the book is repeatedly challenged.Dg954 (talk) 06:12, 21 April 2021 (UTC)

Intended Edits
Hello! I am planning to make some edits on this article's live page soon. I noticed a content gap in the 'Reception' section, so I identified a couple of new and relevant sources that speak to both the positive and negative reactions against the book. In adding more information regarding awards and positive evaluations of the book, I'm looking to reorganize the content in which the book's positive reception is presented via chronological order. After this part, I'm planning to add specific controversies relating to George by mentioning a couple of school districts that have challenged the work. By including and elaborating on some key controversies, I'm hoping readers can gain a better understanding of the different types of reactions this book has had, and for what reasons. I also clarified that while this book has been challenged by the American Library Association every year since 2016, the reasons why have changed. My exigence behind these changes is to reveal that although the content of the book hasn't changed since its initial release, its controversies and public reaction have. This latter insight I feel was not presented in an easy to understand format in the current article, so I'm hoping my edits will correct this. All of my intended edits fall in line with bringing this article closer to Wikipedia's recommendations for entries on books.Dg954 (talk) 05:49, 3 May 2021 (UTC)

George or Melissa's Story?
I have removed the "Melissa" content from the lead. 🐔 Chicdat Bawk to me!  10:02, 21 July 2021 (UTC)

Article retitle
Should the article be retitled to Melissa (novel), or stay as George (novel)? It was notable under George so I can see why that would be preferable, but as the book has been retitled, should the article title be changed? The book is referred to as Melissa in several places in the article. -- Roundish   ⋆  t c) 21:15, 12 June 2022 (UTC)


 * The article title should be changed to match the author's and publisher's preference, with a redirect from George (novel). I am updating the Library of Congress work authority record for this and it will be named as Melissa, not George. AdamSeattle (talk) 02:27, 9 February 2023 (UTC)