“The district is able to address certain things. “You’re talking about 8-year-olds,” Duron said. The book itself, she said, is available in Hermiston’s middle and high school libraries.

And Duron added the district wants to be supportive of its transgender students. Kids at older grade levels can still participate in regionals. 'George,' Duron said, didn't align with what the district suggests kids are supposed to be learning about health and their bodies in grades 3–5.ĭuron said younger Hermiston students will still compete within the school using all the other books this year.

“It was not about the subject matter,” Duron said, “but the content of the book.' Maria Duron, a spokeswoman for the Hermiston School District, said principals from Hermiston’s elementary schools thought the book didn't match with the district curriculum. Two Oregon school districts will withhold their third- through fifth-grade students from regional competitions, in which kids might be asked about “George.” And we want books on the list where kids can say, 'I’ve never considered somebody’s point of view like that before.'”Īlex Gino's 'George,' published in 2015, is the winner of a Lamba Literary Award.Ĭourtesy of Scholastic Books 2 Districts Drop Outīut the book has raised some hackles. We want to have books on the list where kids can say, ‘Hey, that child is like me,’ and feel empowered. 'Books are both windows and mirrors for kids. “We liked that it was about a trans child - something we’ve never had on the elementary list before. Most members had already read the book and approved. For “George,” she said, there were definitely more than that.

The minimum requirement to get a book on the list is a yes vote from three committee members. Korie Buerkle, a librarian in Newberg and a member of the committee, said books can be nominated during a September–November window by anyone: students of any age, teachers, parents, school librarians, municipal librarians. (OBOB's teams are divided up by grade level: 3–5, 6–8 and 9–12.) That's close to where OBOB's selection committee placed it, on the list for competitors in grades three through five. When 'George' was published in 2015, Gino intended it for middle-grade readers, ages 8 to 12. Sorry if I busted in on you when you were taking a dump.' Scott wiped the juice off his lips on his bare forearm.

Alex gino