George

Chapters 1-4

Reading Check

1. From the trash and recycling (Chapter 1)

2. Charlotte dying in Charlotte’s Web (Chapter 2)

3. The boys’ bathroom (Chapter 2)

4. Kelly (Chapter 2)

5. Charlotte (Chapter 2)

6. Kelly (Chapter 3)

7. George’s mom says, “You will always be my little boy.” (Chapter 3)

Short Answer

1. George visualizes a world where she is friends with the girls in the magazine, a world where she is accepted for being a girl. George knows that society would not encourage her to look at the magazines, which is why she hides them. (Chapter 1)

2. Society tells her not to look at certain magazines. Jeff laughs at her for her empathy. Her teacher says she will “turn into a fine young man.” Her mom refers to her as a “boy.” (Chapters 1-4)

Chapters 5-8

Reading Check

1. George’s brother (Chapter 5)

2. Wilbur (Chapter 6)

3. Kelly (Chapter 6)

4. Her mother takes them. (Chapter 6)

5. Playing video games (Chapter 7)

6. Beats her up (Chapter 8)

7. In Principal Maldonado’s office (Chapter 8)

Short Answer

1. George does not know how to tell her mom she is a girl. If she tells her mom that she auditioned for Charlotte, George is unsure how to explain it, and she does not trust her mom with the truth. (Chapter 5)

2. At first, Kelly is confused, but soon she finds George and tells her, “If you think you’re a girl […] then I think you’re a girl too.” Kelly also reveals she has been doing research about transitioning genders. (Chapters 5-8)

Chapters 9-12

Reading Check

1. To Arnie’s All-You-Can-Eat Buffet (Chapter 9)

2. Maybe (Chapter 9)

3. George (Chapter 10)

4. Melissa (Chapter 11)

5. Returning the magazines (Chapter 11)

Short Answer

1. Rather than talking more and reassuring George of her absolute acceptance, George’s mom takes George and Scott to a buffet to shift the focus from George’s revelation that she is a girl. Also, she previously took George’s magazines and referred to her as a “boy.” Her mom is not building trust or truly talking with George. (Chapter 9)

2. Principal Maldonado stops the teachers from halting the play when everyone realizes George is playing Charlotte. She also talks to George’s mom and calls her a “star.” Then, she privately offers to be there if George needs to talk. (Chapter 10)

3. Melissa goes out in public as the girl she knows she is. She uses her expertise from reading her magazines to apply makeup. She wears a skirt. Also, she uses the girls’ bathroom. (Chapters 11-12)