Gracefully Grayson

This is one I hope you give a try. Gracefully Grayson, by Ami Polonsky features 12 year old Grayson, who has known from the beginning that she is a girl in a boy's body. She also has learned that this is not "normal", and to hide the truth by imagining her loose pants and t-shirts to be gowns and

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dresses. In school, she's learned to draw unrecognizable (by others) princesses as she takes notes. It is becoming harder to sustain herself by imagination only, however, and she feels urges to come out of hiding. When she impulsively auditions for The Myth of Persephone, directed by Finn, her favorite teacher, her life begins to change. I won't spoil the story, but her actions trigger a cascade of problems, while at the same time she begins to find new, sympathetic friends among her fellow actors. Her quiet bravery as she tries to make her way through dangerous waters is moving, and real. No preaching, no improbably articulate ripostes, just a very believable young girl trying to deal with being in the wrong body, and trying to find a way to express her joy at who she really is in a world that resists.

Bullying inevitably shows its face, but so does unexpected support, including at home. Her parents died in an accident, and she lives with her aunt and uncle. The latter legitimately struggle with concerns for her safety versus letting her be herself. It turns out her parents had something to say about all of it, too.

This book is beautifully and simply composed. My wife teared up at chapter 34; some problem with our ventilation blurred my vision a bit sooner, at Chapter 31. The book is targeted at 10-14 year olds, but is one of those, like R.J. Palacio's Wonder, that should have appeal for all ages. Wonder, the story of a horribly disfigured boy who endures bullying but also is someone well worth knowing, has been on the middle grade bestseller lists for a long time, which I find encouraging. I hope something similar happens for Gracefully Grayson, as it deserves a wide audience and carries a welcome and timely message of integrity and compassion.

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Gracefully Grayson. By Ami Polonsky. Hyperion / Disney Book Group. 2014. 256 pages. $16.99 hbk. 978-1423185277. Grades 6-10.
Read as an ebook through NetGalley.

Grayson Sender is not the sixth-grade boy everyone thinks she is. Orphaned and lonely at school, she unhappily bears the weight of her

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secret feelings alone, until trying out for the role of Persephone in the school play gives her freedom and a newfound sense of confidence. Grayson’s journey is a moving experience, especially since it is told from her first-person point of view: this is a sweet, touching story of a young girl finding the courage to be herself. And it is invigorating to see such a young protagonist questioning her gender identity, in a story aimed at a middle school audience: this is an important milestone in children’s literature. Polonsky chooses not to probe Grayson’s identity very deeply: Grayson is a role model for confidence and emotional growth but less so for the actual mechanics of transitioning (such as coming out and modeling correct pronoun usage) – and there are still many children in need of such role models in literature, as society has not yet evolved enough to fully support them. The writing style also occasionally feels almost too slick for a first-person middle-school protagonist. But overall this story marks a turning point in children’s literature by representing a child's struggle with her gender identity for a middle school audience: Polonsky’s portrayal of Grayson and her journey is gracefully done.

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Hard to believe this is a first novel - the emotions and characters are great, the story is affecting. You really root for Grayson to find herself. And the author is good at showing, not telling - you're not beaten over the head with messages about what's "good" and what's "bad" - it's all just

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kind of organic with the story. In fact, I rated this 4 stars, but as I think about it, I'm changing it to 5.

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Grayson doodles princesses in notebook margins and dreams of swishy skirts and sparkly necklaces -- but wears track suits and hides the doodles because Grayson was born a boy. When auditions are held for the school play, Grayson auditions for the part of Persephone. A sympathetic teacher supports

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Grayson in this decision, even though it may mean bullying and difficulty. As Grayson steps into the role of Persephone, he . . . she . . . begins exploring and expressing other aspects of her identity.

This book has the potential to be incredibly significant to children who are experiencing, or know someone who is experiencing, Grayson's situation. The writing is good but not fantastic -- I thought some things were simplified or glossed over, but all in all, this is a good book that will be important to its primary audience.

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A beautifully, tenderly, lovingly written tale I finished in less a day, Gracefully Grayson surrounds Grayson Sender, biologically a boy, but in heart and soul a girl, who bravely spends the many pages of this grab-your-heart novel figuring out her place in the world and what and who really matter.

Great story, earnest and thoughtfully crafted. An excellent choice for group discussion.

Grayson has suffered quietly with the torment of feeling like a girl on the inside while looking like a boy on the outside. When she auditions for and wins the role of Persephone in the school play, she finds herself closer to revealing her true self, even as her selection generates conflicing

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responses in the school community. Like "George," this book presents the topic in a developmentally appropriate way for child readers. They will understand the need to belong and be accepted, whatever the case may be.

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Grayson has a secret: "he" is a girl on the inside, born in the wrong gender's body.

I loved this. No, not this, Grayson. I loved Grayson. I loved who he was and who he wanted to be and how he made it happen. (I use the pronoun he because Grayson used it throughout the book.) I loved the teacher who cast Grayson in the lead female role in the play because Grayson was the best

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person who tried out. I loved Grayson's dead parents who knew five year old him loved wearing dresses and were going to support him being a girl as he said he was, and I loved his grandmother who saved his mother's letters so Grayson could read them.

This wasn't a one hundred percent feel-good book. There were tough times for Grayson, there were people who didn't understand him, people who didn't support him, and people who opposed him. The parts that really struck me were those who didn't understand, who thought he was gay or who thought he was a rebel for wearing a skirt or barrettes. I never realized how difficult that sort of benign misunderstanding could be.

(Provided by publisher)

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Gracefully Grayson is a middle grade novel about a 6th grader whose exterior doesn't match who they believe they really are. It follows them as they try to figure out the balance between how the world sees them and how they see themselves, and try to find ways to become who they feel they are. It

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is a quick read, aimed at younger readers. I found it to be very moving. I wanted a happy ending for Grayson, although I feel like the ending of the book was in many ways more like the beginning of the main character's journey.

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Grayson is a 6th grade boy, who knows deep down, that he is a girl, but he doesn't know how to express that. His parents died when he was young and he lives with his aunt, uncle and cousins. When the school puts on a play, Grayson decides to try out for the lead female part... and gets the role. He

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is thrilled. His aunt and cousin are not. His cousin thinks he's a freak, and his aunt feels a bit that way, but is also worried about him being bullied. Which, of course, he is. But his uncle is far more supportive. As is the teacher directing the play, who gave him the role... and most of the cast of the play as well.
Grayson comes to terms with who he is, and also learns who his real friends are, and who they aren't. I found it sweet, believable, and a great book for helping non-transgendered people understand a bit better what being transgender is like.

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Beautiful, beautiful book.

children's middlegrade fiction (6th grade trans girl). I like Grayson, and I could easily cry for her struggles, but she kind of bores me just a little with her obsession over wearing dresses; it's a relief when the plot moves onto different things. This is not the best trans-centered fiction I've

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read, but it's decently good, and pretty gentle for younger readers.

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I'm not sure what to do with this book, because it has exactly the same plot as George -- and I don't know if they were in production at the same time or not. I want more trans books in the world, so I'm going with -- yay, another book with a trans main character for upper elementary/middle school

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audiences and then not put myself through reading the same book twice.

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2014. A sweet story of girl in sixth grade trying to come out. She’s so tired of wearing boy’s clothes. She gets the female lead in the school play and that helps her move toward becoming herself. Takes place in Chicago.