11 May 2020 RICK by Alex Gino, Scholastic Press, April 2020, 240p., ISBN: 978-1-338-04810-0

“Be yourself

Then you can free yourself”

-- Graham Nash (1971)

“‘ Hi.’ He gave a small wave back. ‘I’m Rick.’

‘I know.’ Melissa smiled with a mix of nerves and glee.

And that’s when Rick realized that the girl in the blue skirt was no stranger. He had gone to school with her since first grade. He even used to play checkers with her, before he and Jeff had become best friends.

‘Wait, is that you, G--?’

Melissa stopped him with a raised finger as well as her voice. ‘I don’t use that name anymore. You can call me Melissa.’

‘Oh. Um, hi.’

‘Yeah, hi.’

They sat there for a moment in the din of introductions, just seeing each other. 

‘You look good.’ Rick meant it. Not the way Jeff would, but more like she looked happy. Last year, her hair had been in her face and her eyes were almost always focused on the ground. Now her reddish brown hair was brushed back and her eyes were looking right at Rick.

‘Thanks.’

Rick’s brain felt like a vacuum, and the next words that came to his mind popped right out of his mouth, ‘So you’re…?’

‘I’m a girl. A transgender girl. I wanted to come to school as myself last year, but my mom said I should wait for a fresh start in middle school.’

‘That makes sense, I guess.’

Melissa shrugged. ‘It would have been nice to stop hiding sooner.’

‘That makes sense too.’”

I really enjoyed RICK, the sequel to Alex Gino’s 2015 GEORGE. 

As we learned in GEORGE, Rick and George, who has now transitioned to Melissa, had once been friendly checkers competitors. But that was before Jeff had moved into town. Jeff’s a mean kid, a real jerk. 

But Jeff can be funny (albeit at others expense) and he has fancy electronic toys. As Rick was comfortable playing the role of sidekick, he spent the latter half of elementary school being best friends with Jeff. Now they and their peers are in sixth grade, attending middle school and changing classes. 

Rick bears some responsibility for not calling out Jeff’s bullying misbehavior toward others, including George. But, unlike Jeff, Rick’s never talked like a homophobe or behaved like an all-around-creep. As this great coming-of-age story progresses, Rick becomes less and less comfortable with Jeff’s words and deeds, and he eventually finds it necessary to part ways with his longtime buddy. He finds himself growing into a new group of friends that includes Melissa.

During this time, Rick is frequently questioning who he, himself, is as a moral and sexual being. As he pursues this quest, he benefits tremendously from a blossoming relationship with his paternal grandfather, who’s a smart and caring guy, and from participating in the middle school’s extracurricular Rainbow Spectrum club. 

I appreciate Rick’s internal discomfort with the manner in which his father and Jeff both talk to him about girls. I recall the beginning of junior high. It was like culture shock, suddenly seeing guys my age holding hands with girls and walking them to class. I was so not there yet. I can still remember how uncomfortable I was when guys would talk about girls in a vulgar manner that had me wondering what was wrong with me, that I didn’t get it. 

As I learned, and as Rick learns, the manner in which we are wired will eventually come into focus. We just need to be a little patient and self-aware. RICK will reassure readers of all stripes and persuasions that this is not a one-size-fits-all world, that you can and should be yourself.

Richie Partington, MLIS

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