Melissa

     As much as I critiqued Melissa in our class Monday, the story is so heartwarming and amazing. As a middle grade/children's novel, even though it has its faults just like any other book, it is soo powerful. Generally, Melissa is about a kid coming to terms with her gender identity as a trans girl and finding that people, given time, are more or less supportive. 

     Kelly, even though initially she seems a little gender essentialist given her comments about Melissa being a boy because he has a penis, comes around incredibly quickly once Melissa actually comes out to her. Kelly is such an overwhelming and unquestionably supportive friend to Melissa with everything she does, and she shows that coming out to your friends, even though they may seem a little insensitive, you can come out on the other side without losing everyone and everything you love and care about, that there will (probably) be someone in your corner no matter what. 

     Melissa's mother, even though she does and says some pretty questionable things throughout the book, also supports Melissa eventually, once she realises that Melissa is actually serious about being a girl. The mom shows that, if you give your family a chance, they can become your supporters as well. Her initial rejection, hesitation and dismissal of Melissa's gender identity also shows that people can change and grow out of their harmful views, and shows that trans people shouldn't change how they present themselves or go back into the closet to appease their family members, because those family members might eventually realise that you weren't playing around when you initially came out. 

     Scott shows that coming out as trans and being true to yourself doesn't have to be a big deal, some people don't care and will keep being the same person around you, even if that person is your gross older brother. 

     These characters all show that there is a possibility for so much support for trans children if you just communicate with the people around you, and that even if some people don't react like you want, it doesn't have to be the end of the world. This is such an important narrative for kids to have as they are starting to realise and come to terms with their gender identity, and banning this book effectively limits the amount of trans joy that children get to experience, making it so that the only trans books left for kids to read are ones where the trans character is the outsider, ostracised and bullied by everyone around them, maybe even dying in the end, which is how so many trans stories (and trans experiences) in the past have been. But Gino, with this book, is showing that those types of stories don't have to be the end all be all of trans stories and trans existence.