The Thing About Georgie

I checked out this book at the library for my 4th grade son. I started reading it to see if he'd like it and couldn't put it down. I was worried it would be a preachy, tired, politically correct lesson about tolerance. I found it both real and very moving. It was funny and interesting and extremely well written for a children's book. This book should be read in schools. Bravo!!

The Thing about Georgie was added to our later elementary library reading program earlier this year. Curious, I picked up the book and was delighted with this tale of a boy with a disability meeting the challenges of growing up.. sometimes well, sometimes not so well. As the narrator so aptly describes, some of Georgie's struggles are due to his being a dwarf; others are just related to his being a 10 year old boy.

But the real test.. I then gave this book to my 11 year old daughter and her 10 year old friend as a summer read. Neither are avid readers, and my daughter is somewhat picky about what she reads. Both loved this book and raced through it in a few days. A good story that has my daughter excited about a book? The Thing about Georgie is a home run!

I picked up this book to read because it has been nominated for the Illinois Rebecca Caudill award this year. As a fourth grade teacher, I found this story to be a wonderful depiction of personal struggles and friendships children experience within their daily lives. From the point of view of a young boy, Georgie, the reader gains perspective of what it is to be a person smaller that others but he truly discovers that everyone has gifts to share no matter what his size. I think this is an excellent example for children to be introduced to either as a read-aloud or independent selection. I would highly recommend this book and I plan to read it aloud to my class during the upcoming school year.

Anyone who likes a good book and likes to laugh would like The Thing About Georgie by Lisa Graff. Georgie, the main character, is very short (dwarf) and is always being bullied by a girl named Jeanette Wallace, who everyone calls Jeanie the Meanie. The story takes place during Georgie's 4th grade year all around his town. My favorite character was Georgie because he wouldn't let his handicap get in the way of him enjoying life.

Georgie reminds me of my little brother because he can't do some of the stuff I can do. Just like Georgie I have been in a play and I was nervous I wasn't going to do well. That is my text-to-self connection.

I liked The Thing About Georgie because it was funny and didn't let you get bored. My favorite part of the book was the different things the author told you to do. The author gave the reader activities to demonstrate some of the things Georgie could and couldn't do. If I could change something about the book it would be to give Georgie a different nickname like Shorty rather than Dwarf. In my opinion anyone who can read, would like this book even though it is recommended for ages 8-12.

I really like The Thing About Georgie.

Georgie is a Little Person. He has one best friend and, now, that best friend seems to be drifting to spend more time with a tall-sized popular-type kid who Georgie is certain will join his long line of personal mockers. To make matters worse, Georgie's parents have a new diversion that challenges their love for him, as well, one that might remind them of their disappointment that Georgie cannot fulfill their musical aspirations they had in their child.

Just when it seems that things couldn't get any worse, he has to play a pint-sized rendition of the country's tallest president, Abraham Lincoln, in the school play!

Will Georgie lose everything before losing his pride?

The awesome chapter beginnings challenge the young reader to put themselves in Georgie's shoes. The chapters begin with a mystery narrator asking the reader to measure distances or try to do body contortions or write with bent fingers - all tasks that give greater insight to the difficulties faced by Little People. It really gives one pause. It is an important topic, and Graff has definitely approached the subject in a creative way.

(P.S. Am I mistaken that "dwarf" - the term used in this book is politically incorrect? On TLC, the Roloffs says it's "Little People".)