Other Local and National Resources

Transcription

Working to improve the lives of LGBTQ Youth and Adults
Facebook Group – UWDPRIDE
www.uwde.org/pride.php
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning (LGBTQ)
Resource Guide
Edited by
Colleen Dougherty,
LGBTQ Mentor Case Manager,
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Delaware
The following resources are only a few that are available to the general public. This is not an
exhaustive list, but a beginning to self-education. Resources including but not limited to news
and entertainment outlets, information on LGBTQ friendly colleges and universities, and books,
movies, and documentaries can be found within this guide. Please be sure to do your own
research into any resource or information before passing it along to a student or young person.
Some resources may be more appropriate or applicable for some people, but not others.
Likewise, the Internet changes daily and websites and pages are subject to change. Please use
this guide as a starting point for your own self-education.
LGBTQ Resource Guide
I.
Contents
II.
A.
B.
C.
D.
CRISIS HOTLINES
SUICIDE AND DEPRESSION ......................................................................................................................................2
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ............................................................................................................................................2
RAPE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT ...................................................................................................................................2
RUNAWAY/HOMELESSNESS ....................................................................................................................................2
II.
NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT OUTLETS/MAGAZINES ............................................................................... 3
III.
COLLEGE INFORMATION .......................................................................................................................... 4
A.
B.
GREEK LIFE .........................................................................................................................................................4
SCHOLARSHIP AND CAMPUS SAFETY INFORMATION.....................................................................................................9
IV.
NATIONAL LGBTQ ORGANIZATIONS *CHECK WEBSITE FOR INFORMATION ON LOCAL CHAPTERS. ........ 10
V.
LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND RESOURCES ............................................................................................. 12
VI.
OUT-OF-HOME CARE RESOURCES .......................................................................................................... 16
VII.
EDUCATIONAL, ADVICE AND OUTREACH RESOURCES ............................................................................ 17
VIII.
LGBTQ BOOKS ........................................................................................................................................ 23
A.
B.
C.
D.
IX.
FICTION: ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND UP .................................................................................................................23
FICTION: MIDDLE SCHOOL AND UP ........................................................................................................................34
FICTION: HIGH SCHOOL AND UP............................................................................................................................55
NON-FICTION ....................................................................................................................................................93
FILMS ................................................................................................................................................... 112
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
COMEDY .........................................................................................................................................................112
DRAMA ..........................................................................................................................................................114
ROMANCE.......................................................................................................................................................119
DOCUMENTARIES .............................................................................................................................................120
NOT LGBTQ-SPECIFIC, BUT DOES TOUCH UPON GENDER AND GENDER ISSUES IN AMERICAN CULTURE. .............................131
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Crisis Hotlines
A. Suicide and Depression
1.
Hopeline- 1-800-442-HOPE
2.
Kent/Sussex Mobile Crisis Unit- 1-800-345-6785
3.
National Hopeline Network: 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433)
4.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)
5.
Tressler Brandywine Program Center of Delaware- 302-995-2002
6.
Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386
7. Wilmington Mobile Crisis Intervention Service- 1-800-652-2929/302-5772484
B. Domestic Violence
1.
Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence- 302-658-2958
2.
Domestic Violence Coordinating Council- 302-255-0405
3.
New Castle County Crisis Hotline- 302-762-6110
4.
Kent & Sussex County Crisis Hotline- 302-422-8058
C. Rape and Sexual Assault
1.
Contact LIFELINE- Toll free- 1-800-262-9800
2.
Contact LIFELINE- New Castle County- 1-302-761-9100
3.
Contact LIFELINE- Kent and Sussex Counties- 1-302-422-1154
4.
National Sexual Assault Hotline- 1-800-656-Hope
D. Runaway/Homelessness
1.
Child, Inc. – 302-762-6373
E. General information:
1. For information on a variety of resources in the state of Delaware dial
211 or check out Delaware211.org.
2.
121HelpMe- 1-855-201-2121, 121help.me, or text 121help to 20121
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III.
News and Entertainment Outlets/Magazines
A. The Advocate: http://www.advocate.com/
A news site featuring articles and opinion pieces geared specifically towards the LGBTQ
community.
B. After Ellen: http://www.afterellen.com
A pop culture news site aimed at LGBTQ women.
C. After Elton: http://www.afterelton.com
A pop culture news site aimed at LGBTQ men.
D. Autostraddle: http://www.autostraddle.com
A news and pop culture site aimed at LGBTQ women.
E. Curve: http://www.curvemag.com/
A monthly lesbian publication that covers various issues, including news, politics, social
issues, pop culture, and travel.
F. Elixher: http://www.elixher.com
A website featuring articles, news and blog posts about, for, and by queer women of color.
G. The Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com
An Internet news outlet with various categories catering to specific demographics, including
the LGBTQ community under their “Gay Voices” section.
H. LOGO: http://www.logotv.com
An LGBTQ television channel with some original programming. Features news, music,
movies, documentaries and other entertainment. Check local listings/cable provider for
channel information. Website listed above.
I. Out Magazine: http://www.out.com/
A monthly gay and lesbian fashion, entertainment, and lifestyle publication.
J. Philadelphia Gay News: http://www.epgn.com/
The Philadelphia Gay News is an LGBTQ newspaper with the mission to serve as a forum for
community discussion and communicating LGBTQ issues with the mainstream media,
especially in the Philadelphia area.
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IV.
College Information
A. Greek Life
1.
Alpha Lambda Zeta (National) http://www.alphalambdazeta.com/
Alpha Lambda Zeta Fraternity, Inc. is a nationally recognized fraternity for masculineidentified lesbians (i.e. stud, butch, tomboi, etc.) who seek to promote positive images
of the LGBT community through service to the community and impacting political
change through their five principles of fraternal sisterhood, political activism,
community volunteerism, erudition, and professionalism.
2.
Alpha Psi Kappa (National) http://www.alphapsikappa.org/
Alpha Psi Kappa Fraternity, Inc is a Non-Profit, Non-Collegiate, Social and Service
Organization for Dominant Lesbian Women committed to providing the entire
community with quality community service. We are active in the entire community,
both heterosexual and homosexual, to provide a positive image of dominant women
and also to promote uplifting the community.
3.
Beta Phi Omega (National) http://betaphiomega.net/main/
Beta Phi Omega Sorority, Inc. was founded as an organization that does not discriminate
against women because of their ethnic background and sexual orientations. An
important factor in its founding was that sisters worked to form a unified, unique,
diverse, and comfortable sisterhood. Beta Phi Omega gives back to the community
through a wide range of community service, such as AIDS Awareness, The March of
Dimes, Breast Cancer Awareness, Safer Sex Seminars, Black Lesbian Pride events, and
more. Beta Phi Omega Sorority, Inc. is a sorority that is strongly geared towards
awareness, pride, love, joy, prosperity, community involvement, and last but certainly
not least lesbian victory!
4.
Alpha Zeta Gamma www.alphazetagamma.yolasite.com
Alpha Zeta Gamma Sorority, Inc. is a non-collegiate, non-profit, social organization
focused on the bisexual woman but open to all women of all sexual orientations. We
are a non-discriminatory and non-hazing sorority for women of all races, cultures, sexual
orientations, and any handicaps. We pride ourselves in the education of our members
on current issues affecting today’s society with a strong emphasis on the LGBT
community, servicing the community with a strong focus on empowering our youth, and
strengthening our members with leadership skills and a pride in yourself and your
sexuality.
5.
Gamma Rho Lambda (National) http://gammarholambda.org/
Gamma Rho Lambda National Sorority is an all-inclusive woman's social sorority
exemplifying the qualities of tolerance, diversity, unity, and trust, which provides a
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network of assistance in the areas of scholastic guidance, emotional support, and
community service while ultimately developing the lifelong bonds of sisterhood.
6.
Theta Epsilon Alpha http://www.thetaepsilonalpha.org/
Theta Epsilon Alpha is a coalition of like-minded, self-identified femme lesbians and
queer women who are dedicated to promoting self-empowerment through service
initiatives, everlasting sisterhood, and leadership development. At the core of Theta
Epsilon Alpha rests our belief in the power of intentional sisterhood and femme
advocacy. Our service initiatives, coupled with our sororal bond, address the unique
experiences of femme lesbian and queer women. Theta Epsilon Alpha is a small, but
growing, organization with members in Georgia, New York, and Virginia. We welcome
femme women of all races, economic backgrounds and abilities. Our sisterhood
functions as a safe-space that recognizes the plurality of femme identity. We empower
femme women to celebrate their whole self. We seek to improve ourselves, our
communities, and society through purposeful service.
7.
Theta Xi Theta (National) http://www.thetaxitheta.com/
Theta Xi Theta Fraternity, Inc. is an organization for masculine identified lesbian women
aspiring to be a positive representation of the LBGTQ community with a special interest
in mentoring & supporting LBGTQ youth.
8.
Kappa Alpha Lambda (Regional) http://www.kappaalphalambdasorority.com/
Kappa Alpha Lambda Sorority, Incorporated is a social service sorority for the
sophisticated, professional and classy lesbian. We endeavor to handle all Sorority and
Inter-Fraternal affairs as exemplary examples of Kappa. The mission of Kappa Alpha
Lambda Sorority, Inc. is to increase the positive visibility of lesbian women in society,
while providing them with a quality fraternal experience. Thus, Kappa and her members
uphold a perpetual objective to continually represent the Kappa Sisterhood in a positive
and professional light at all times.
9.
Lambda Delta Lambda (University of California, Davis)
Lambda Delta Lambda is a sorority started in 1985 at the University of California, Davis.
Lambda Delta Lambda is open to all people within the LGBTQ community regardless of
race, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.
10.
Omega Xi Eta http://www.omegaxieta.org/
Omega Xi Eta is a social/service fraternity made up of a selective group of diverse
individuals, Omega Xi Eta is dedicated to the lifelong commitment of being in the
brotherhood and giving back. The mission of Omega Xi Eta is to bring together positive
and influential dominant women who strive to become better individuals. As a
social/service organization we believe in taking charge, being leaders and providing
prodigious service to our communities.
11.
Phi Alpha Nu http://phialphanu.org/home.html
Phi Alpha Nu is a non-profit, non-traditional, non-collegiate yet education based, social
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and service fraternal sisterhood for dominant lesbians who identify with a masculine
presence. The primary vision of Phi Alpha Nu Fraternity is to re-bridge the gap between
education and our communities by way of friendship, leadership, mentorship, and
service while enhancing the development of our members.
12.
Kappa Psi Kappa http://www.kappapsikappainc.org
The purpose of Kappa Psi Kappa Fraternity is to transform an individual through
brotherhood, cooperation, culture, leadership patience, diversity, and to expose them
to leading figures. Using these things, a true brother of this fraternity may be able to
lead the fraternity into great heights and others into a more profound world. The
mission of Kappa Psi Kappa Fraternity, Incorporated is to enhance the quality of life
within the community. Community Service, Public Service, Leadership Development,
and the education of all people is what Kappa Psi Kappa Fraternity aims for. Kappa Psi
Kappa Fraternity will address concerns and aspects that impact all communities
educationally, civilly, and sexually.
13.
Alpha Omega Nu (Hollywood, CA) http://www.alphaomeganu.com/
Alpha Omega Nu serves as a brotherhood/fraternity for individuals born biologically
female who are in process of becoming and/or identify as male (including trans men,
ftm, gender variant, etc.). The mission of this organization is to create a safe space for its
members to support each other in building character, self-esteem, leadership abilities,
financial independence, physical wellbeing and spiritual evolution. We take pride in
living our lives with integrity and commit to being a supportive and loving presence in
our community.
14.
Beta Gamma Chi http://www.bgchi.org/
Beta Gamma Chi Fraternity, Incorporated is a non-profit service organization that was
established with the purest intention to aid in the growth and development of the Gay,
Bi-sexual, Lesbian, and Transgender community. The mission of the fraternity has five
distinct components: (1) to enhance the quality of life among gay and bi-sexual men
through political, professional, diverse, and scholastic programs, (2) to uplift, educate,
empower, love and serve the LGBT community, (3) to promote the positive welfare of
gay and bi-sexual men on college campuses, (4) to bond together and collaborate with
LGBT service organizations in the best interest of the brotherhood, and (5) to hold fast
to the vision of brotherhood while uncovering success with each step.
15.
Delta Lambda Phi (National) http://dlp.org/
Delta Lambda Phi is an organization with twenty-five years of history and a diverse
membership. The Fraternity has changed over time, and it means different things to
different people. Chapters may have their own local traditions or ways of doing things.
However, all aspects of the Fraternity adhere to our three guiding purposes: 1) To
develop dignified and purposeful, social, service, and recreational activities, for
progressive men irrespective of sexual orientation. 2) To lead in determining the rights
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and privileges of individuals in society. 3) To present a strong and positive image, which
respects the diversity of all individuals irrespective of sexual orientation.
16.
Delta Sigma Phi http://www.deltasig.org
Delta Sigma Phi consists of 107 chapters and colonies across the continental United
States. The fraternity has adopted the American Red Cross as its national philanthropy,
and members are urged to support the endeavors of the non-profit and raise funds.
Since the adoption of the American Red Cross and "Vision 2025," Delta Sigma Phi aims
to be recognized as "Men of Action" in their recruitment and development philosophy.
17.
Delta Phi Upsilon www.dphiu.org/
Delta Phi Upsilon Fraternity, Inc. mission is to improve the public stature of same gender
loving people by supporting a progressive interest in the social and civic welfare of our
community through the promotion of unity, educational advancement and community
service.
18.
Mu Omega Nu http://www.muomeganu.org/
Mu Omega Nu is a fraternity for transgender men. Their mission is to LEAD, LOVE, and
LEARN from one another. Embracing all with an open mind, the MEN of Mu Omega Nu
shall not judge, ridicule, or express any other means of disrespect to the unknowing,
and unwilling.
19.
Sigma Phi Beta http://www.sigmaphibeta.org/
Sigma Phi Beta Fraternity promotes equality and respect by providing Queer and Allied
men in college with a uniquely diverse safe space within the traditional Greek fraternity
system. We strive for integrity and professionalism, and uphold high standards of
scholarship and excellence. The purpose of Sigma Phi Beta Fraternity is to build
character in gay, straight, bisexual and transgender male college students through social
and meaningful activities that will empower them in their future endeavors while
upholding the bonds and true meaning of brotherhood.
20.
Sigma Epsilon Omega (University of California, Berkeley)
http://sigmaepsilonomega.com
Sigma Epsilon Omega (SEO), UC Berkeley’s only Gay Fraternity and one of the few
recognized Gay Fraternities in the nation, provides male students a unique opportunity
to be included in a safe space focused around respect and acceptance. Founded by 3
students at Cal, SEO has continued to break barriers and stereotypes of both the Gay
and Greek Communities.
21.
Delta Lambda Psi (University of California, Santa Cruz) http://delta-lambdapsi.org/
Delta Lambda Psi is an all-inclusive queer Greek organization founded at the University
of California at Santa Cruz in 2005. The purpose and objective of Delta Lambda Psi is to
strengthen Greek life by providing a vehicle for positive leadership, change, and growth
in the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, intersex, queer, questioning, and
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ally community. It is our intention to provide further opportunity to obtain a wellrounded educational experience by offering leadership skills and the atmosphere
needed to succeed academically, socially, and culturally.
22.
Sigma Omicron Rho (University of Virginia)
Sigma Omicron Rho is a co-ed, queer and allied fraternity dedicated to providing a fun
and open environment in which its members can celebrate who they are and feel safe
being themselves.
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B. Scholarship and Campus Safety Information
1.
Campus Pride: http://www.campuspride.org
An organization that serves LGBTQ youth and young adults. The Campus Pride website
has many different articles and resources for and about LGBTQ youth, including The
Campus Pride Index, a database of LGBTQ friendly colleges and universities.
2.
College Resource Network:
http://www.collegeresourcenetwork.com/scholarships/types/lgbt/
Database with resources for variety of scholarships and grants, not limited to LGBTQ
community.
3.
Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund: http://dpsf.davisputter.org/
Scholarship fund for activists working towards social change. Previous recipients of the
grant have been undergraduate as well as graduate students. Applicants must be
enrolled or planning to enroll in schools in the United States.
4.
The Jed Foundation: www.jedfoundation.org
The Jed Foundation was founded to promote emotional health and prevent suicide
among college and university students through a variety of initiatives that promote
awareness and understanding and increase knowledge mental illness, depression, and
suicide while increasing and raising the importance of mental health services.
5.
FinAid Scholarships: http://www.finaid.org/otheraid/lgbt.phtml
Scholarship database not limited to LGBTQ community.
6.
PFLAG Scholarships: http://community.pflag.org/page.aspx?pid=370
Scholarship information for Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG).
7.
The Point Foundation: http://www.thepointfoundation.org/
Foundation offering scholarship and grants to LGBTQ students.
8.
Queer Foundation: http://queerfoundation.org/html/scholarships.html
Foundation offering scholarship and grants to LGBTQ students.
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V.
National LGBTQ Organizations
*Check website for information on local chapters.
A. Athlete Ally: http://www.athleteally.com
Founded by Columbia University Wrestling coach, Hudson Taylor, Athlete Ally is a non-profit
resource to encourage respect amongst athletes, coaches, parents, fans, and other
members of sports communities. The organization provides social advocacy campaigns, oncampus trainings and practical tools to educate those in athletics about their goals.
B. GLAAD: http://www.glaad.org
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is an organization devoted to
monitoring popular media within the United States in order to promote and encourage
positive use of LGBTQ people and imagery in the media.
C. GLBT National Help Center: http://glnh.org/
The GLBT National Help Center provides free telephone and online peer-counseling,
information, and local resources for GLBTQ people throughout the United States.
D. GLBT Near Me: http://www.glbtnearme.org/
GLBT Near Me is one of the largest databases of LGBTQ resources. The database contains
over 15,000 resources for LGBTQ individuals and a wide variety of categories.
E. Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA): http://www.glma.org
Through the expertise of our members and in collaboration with other lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender (LGBT) civil rights and health organizations as well as with health
associations and policy-makers at all levels, GLMA is a major force in the effort to ensure
the health and well-being of LGBT individuals and families. GLMA takes great pride in the
impact made over their 30+ year history—with the support of members, supporters and the
community at-large—toward greater equality in healthcare.
F. GLSEN: http://www.glsen.org
The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) is a national organization
devoted to making school communities safe and accepting places for everyone regardless of
their sexual orientation and/or gender identity or expression.
G. Human Rights Campaign: http://www.hrc.org
The Human Rights Campaign is one of the largest civil rights organizations in the country.
Their main goal is to achieve equality for LGBTQ Americans.
H. Lambda Legal: http://www.lambdalegal.org
Lambda Legal is the oldest and largest legal organization in the United States devoted to
safeguarding and advancing the civil rights of the LGBTQ community.
I. National Center for Transgender Equality: http://www.transequality.org
A social justice organization located in Washington, D.C., dedicated to advancing the rights
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of transgender individuals through advocacy, empowerment, and education. The NCTE
website has a good deal of resources for the transgender community.
J. NotAlone.gov: http://www.notalone.gov
Information for students, schools, and anyone interested in finding resources on how to
respond to and prevent sexual assault on college and university campuses and in our
schools.
K. OutServe-SLDN: http://www.outserve-sldn.org/
OutServe-SLDN is the national association of active LGBTQ military personnel. This nonprofit, non-partisan group provides legal services and acts as a watchdog and policy
organization. OS-SLDN is dedicated to bringing full LGBTQ equality to and ending
discrimination and harassment within the American military.
L. PFLAG: http://www.pflag.org
Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays is a national non-profit organization
whose goal is to provide help to LGBTQ individuals and their families and friends through
support, education, and advocacy. See below for local chapters.
M. Planned Parenthood: http://www.plannedparenthood.com
Planned Parenthood is a national organization dedicated to sexual health education and
services. Planned Parenthood clinics across the country offer a wide variety of services from
sexual education to STD and cancer screenings to general health care. The Sexual
Orientation and Gender Identity sidebar option on their website is a good place to start
when discussing sexual orientation and gender identity.
N. ReachOut USA: http://www.reachoutusa.org/index.html
ReachOut USA focuses on the intersection between disability and LGBT (gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender) concerns. ReachOut USA seeks to influence the disability
community to be more responsive to LGBT individuals, and at the same time it seeks to
influence LGBT individuals and organizations to be more accountable to people who have
disabilities. ReachOut USA pursues these goals through advocacy, training, technical
assistance, referrals, and the negotiation of partnerships.
O. Soulforce: http://www.soulforce.org
A non-profit organization dedicated to bring awareness, education and freedom from
oppression to the LGBTQ community through educational workshops and events and nonviolent protests. Their websites contains educational resources as well as an archive of their
past events. Soulforce is the driving force behind Equality Ride, a cross-country bus tour,
made famous by the 2006 documentary Equality U. The purpose of Equality Ride is to visit
colleges and universities across the country where LGBTQ individuals must remain closeted
for fear of being outed and being kicked out of school.
P. Southern Poverty Law Center: http://www.splcenter.org/
A non-profit civil rights organization dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry while seeking
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justice for the most vulnerable members of society. Their main groups of focus are race, the
LGBTQ community, vulnerable children, and immigrants.
Q. The Trevor Project: http://www.thetrevorproject.org
The Trevor Project is one of the largest and most widely recognized crisis intervention and
suicide prevention hotlines for LGBTQ youth.
R. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH): www.wpath.org
The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) is an international
multidisciplinary professional association whose mission is to promote evidence based care,
education, research, advocacy, public policy and respect in transgender health through
furthering the understanding and treatment of gender identity disorders by professionals in
medicine, psychology, law, social work, counseling, psychotherapy, family studies,
sociology, anthropology, sexology, speech and voice therapy, and other related fields.
WPATH publishes the Standards of Care and Ethical Guidelines, which articulate a
professional consensus about the psychiatric, psychological, medical, and surgical
management of gender identity disorders, and help professionals understand the
parameters within which they may offer assistance to those with these conditions.
S. 121 Help Me: http://www.121help.me/
121 Help Me is a confidential hotline and chat for young people experiencing a crisis in
their lives, whether it is substance use; family problems; physical, sexual, mental and/or
emotional abuse/neglect; bullying; depression; and thoughts of suicide. Young people can
chat online with a counselor, call the helpline at 1-855-201-2121, or text 121help to 20121.
VI.
Local Organizations and Resources
A. American Civil Liberties Union/Foundation of DE (ACLU): 302-654-3966
http://www.aclu-de.org/
Local affiliate of the ACLU devoted to defending the basic civil rights and freedoms of
Delaware residents through their legal advocacy program, public education and media
outreach, or legislative advocacy and lobbying. Their offices are located in Wilmington.
B. Appoquinimink Counseling Services, LLC: 302-898-1616
http://www.appocounseling.com
Appoquinimink Counseling Services, LLC offers outpatient psychotherapy services for
adolescents and adults, individuals, couples, and families. Since opening in 2008, they have
earned a reputation of being a respectful, responsive, client-centered practice and are
proud that many clients refer their loved ones. Appoquinimink Counseling Services value
diversity and welcome clients of all races, genders, sexual orientation, religion and
economic status. Common areas addressed include, but are not limited to: Relationships,
Life Transitions, Depression (including Postpartum), Anxiety, Work/Family Balance,
Women's Issues, Sexual Orientation, Dating/Domestic Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Trauma, Self
esteem, Loss and Grief, Sexual Dysfunction & Pain, and Chronic Illness. Appoquinimink
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Counseling Services, LLC has expanded to include additional therapists independently
providing individual, couples, and family counseling. Additional services available upon
request include clinical supervision, consultation, and training.
C. AIDS Delaware: 302-652-6776 http://aidsdelaware.org/
AIDS Delaware is a non-profit that offers a variety of programs to the Delaware community
with a focus on HIV and AIDS education and prevention. They offer free rapid HIV testing
weekly at a variety of locations. A listing of their programs, testing sites and more
information can be found on their website.
D. The Attic Youth Center: 215-545-4331 http://www.atticyouthcenter.org/
A youth center located in Philadelphia, PA, which exclusively serves Philadelphia and the
surrounding area’s LGBTQ youth.
E. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Delaware: 302-998-3577 http://www.bbbsde.org
Big Brothers Big Sisters is a mentoring organization whose mission is to provide children
facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported 1-to-1 relationships that
change their lives for the better, forever.
F. The Brandywine Center: 302-475-1880 http://www.brandywinecenter.com/
The Brandywine Center offers a full range of psychotherapy and counseling services at The
Brandywine Center, including individual counseling and psychotherapy, couple's therapy,
family therapy, group therapy and workshops, and consultation.
G. Brandywine Counseling: 302-656-2348 http://www.brandywinecounseling.org/
Brandywine Counseling and Community Services, Inc. is a Delaware based non-profit
organization dedicated to serving Delawareans through a variety of services offered at their
five facilities statewide.
H. Camp Rehoboth: 302-227-5620 http://www.camprehoboth.com
An LGBTQ community center located in Rehoboth Beach, DE, which holds a variety of
programs and support groups for the southern Delaware region.
I. Child, INC.: 302-762-8989 http://www.childinc.com/index.html
A non-profit organization that advocates for children in the state of Delaware. Their
programs cover a wide variety of issues including domestic violence and abuse prevention
and assistance, children’s and runaway shelters, and specialized foster care.
J. Children and Families First Adolescent Resource Centers (ARC): 800-924-6977
http://www.cffde.org/services/supportingteens/arc.aspx
ARC is a comprehensive counseling, educational and medical service program funded
through Children and Families first to help youth reduce risk-taking behaviors. Their services
are offered at three centers in New Castle County and one center in Dover.
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K. Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence: 302-658-2958 http://www.dcadv.org/
As the state of Delaware’s federally recognized domestic violence coalition, the DCADV
works to support and empower victims of domestic violence through legal recourse and
their offered services and educate the public about and change the societal conditions that
contribute to domestic violence.
L. Delaware Guidance Services: http://www.delawareguidance.org/
Delaware Guidance Services for Children & Youth, Inc. exists to provide quality behavioral
health services for children, youth, and their families. We believe that all children have a
right to good behavioral health and should have access to quality therapeutic care,
regardless of their ability to pay.
M. Delaware HIV Consortium: 302-654-5471 http://www.delawarehiv.org/home.html
A statewide non-profit dedicated to HIV education, prevention, and treatment. A listing of
their programs and information can be found on their website.
N. Delaware Pride: http://www.delawarepride.org/wordpress/
Delaware Pride is dedicated to promoting platforms for expressing diversity and creating a
more visible and united LGBTA community. Delaware Pride sponsors and promotes cultural,
social, educational, and recreational events.
O. Delaware Renaissance: http://www.delren.org/
This local transgender support group holds meetings every second Saturday at the First
Unitarian Church 730 Halstead Road, Talleyville, Delaware. Doors open at 7:30 pm and
meetings begin at 8:30. Meetings are informal, and usually feature a guest speaker.
Members also volunteer at regional conferences, churches, and events to educate the
community on transgender issues. All are welcome regardless of sex, sexual orientation,
gender, or gender identity, with the expectation that attendees are respectful of the group.
P. Equality Delaware: http://www.equalitydelaware.org/
Equality Delaware is the statewide organization working to ensure and promote dignity,
safety, and equality for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Delawareans through
legislation as well as community education.
Q. Haven: http://www.udhaven.com
The University of Delaware’s LGBTQ student organization. Haven provides educational,
social, and outreach programs and events on the University of Delaware campus.
R. Jewish Family Services: 1-302-478-9411 http://www.jfsdelaware.org/index.html
Jewish Family Services provides counseling and support services which strengthen the wellbeing of the individual, family and community, based on Jewish values. The goals of Jewish
Family Services are to promote independent community based living and promote adaptive
functioning.
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S. Kent Sussex Counseling Services: 302-735-7790 http://www.kscs.org/
One of the major public outpatient counseling centers in Kent and Sussex counties, Kent
Sussex Counseling Services covers a wide array of programs from addiction to mental health
to HIV testing, counseling, and treatment. They currently have offices in Dover, Georgetown
and Laurel.
T. LGBTQ Veterans Support Group: Sussex County Vet Center, Georgetown, DE
302-225-9110
This group will focus on the unique needs and concerns of the LGBT community as it relates
to the ongoing difficulties you may be experiencing as a result of your military service. If at
any time in your military career you experienced sexual assault, or harassment you are
invited to join this group. This group will offer support in a safe and confidential
environment. If you are a veteran or know a veteran, who could benefit from participating,
please contact: Sussex County Vet Office, Phyllis Perrine at 302-225-9110
U. Maryland TransEquality: http://mdtransequality.org/
The Maryland Coalition for Trans Equality (MCTE) is a coalition of organizations and
individuals working to advance equal rights for transgender, transsexual, and gender nonconforming people in Maryland.
V. Mazzoni Center: 215-563-0652 http://www.mazzonicenter.org
A health center located in Philadelphia, PA, the Mazzoni Center offers a full array of primary
health care services, mental and behavioral health services, and LGBT legal services, as well
as HIV and STD testing, food bank and housing subsidies for families and individuals affected
by HIV, support groups, outreach and education programs. These services include medical,
psychological, and hormone services for transgender adults and youth. The Mazzoni Center
also sponsors the annual Philadelphia Trans Health Conference each year.
W. Mid-Atlantic Behavioral Health: 302-224-1400
https://www.midatlanticbh.com/index-2.html
Mid-Atlantic Behavioral Health combines the expertise of diverse professional staff of
licensed psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists with a comprehensive array of proven
outpatient assessment and treatment approaches to inspire and support each individual,
family or group to reach their fullest potential. Mid-Atlantic Behavioral Health also offers
consulting and training services in educational, medical, forensic, business and other
settings as well as partner with various community and professional organizations to take
an active role in enhancing quality mental health care in the area.
X. PFLAG Rehoboth Beach: 302-841-1339 PFLAGRehobothBeach@gmail.com
PFLAG: Rehoboth Beach provides support, education, and advocacy to lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons, their loved ones, family and friends, to cope with
the unique challenges each of them may face. PFLAG offers a safe place for people who
have questions or would like share their experiences with others, and provides a
confidential setting that is respectful of human diversity. PFLAG - Rehoboth Beach meets on
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the second Sunday of every month at 4 PM at Epworth United Methodist Church, 19285
Holland Glade Rd, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. Everyone is welcome!
Y. PFLAG Wilmington: 302-654-2995 http://www.pflagwilmde.org/
PFLAG promotes the health and well-being of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and
Intersex persons, their families and friends through support, education, and advocacy.
PFLAG provides the opportunity for dialogue in a confidential setting. You do not have to
be a member to attend our meetings. We meet the 2nd Thursday of each month at the
Westminster Presbyterian Church, 13th & Rodney Sts, Wilmington, DE from 7-9pm. We
meet in classroom #8, which is through the double oak doors on the 13th street side of the
church, down the steps and all the way back to the next to last door on the right. There is
plenty of parking on 13th street or across the street in the church lot.
Z. Philadelphia Trans Health Conference: http://www.trans-health.org/
Since its inception in 2002, the Philadelphia Trans Health Conference has offered a space for
trans*people and their allies, families, and providers opportunities to educate themselves
and others on transgender issues including but not limited to health, safety, education,
employment, housing, and social support. The three day conference is held each June at the
Pennsylvania Convention Center.
AA. TransCentral PA: http://www.transcentralpa.org
TransCentralPA is committed to providing advocacy and caring support for transgender
individuals, their significant others, families, friends and allies. TransCentralPA also provides
gender education and information to businesses, organizations, educational institutions and
governmental agencies.
BB. United Way of Delaware: 302-573-3700 http://www.uwde.org/
Founded in 1965, the United Way of Delaware’s mission is to maximize the community
resources available to Delawareans and advancing the common good through the United
Way’s three building blocks to a good life: Education, Income, and Health. The United Way’s
Pride Council focuses specifically on maximizing the resources available to LGBTQ youth in
the state of Delaware
VII.
Out-of-Home Care Resources
A. American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law: It’s Your Life Project:
http://www.americanbar.org/groups/child_law/what_we_do/projects/itsyourlife.html
It’s Your Life helps LGBTQ youth in foster care navigate the child welfare system. Explore
this site to understand your rights and receive the care and attention you are entitled to. It’s
Your Life is a companion publication and website to Opening Doors for LGBTQ youth in care
site and publication.
B. American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law: Opening Doors:
http://www.americanbar.org/groups/child_law/what_we_do/projects/openingdoors.html
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The Opening Doors Project is one of many at the ABA Center on Children and the Law.
Opening Doors started 6 years ago to provide the legal and child welfare community tools,
resources and support for improving outcomes for LGBTQ young people in foster care.
What are the rights of LGBTQ young people in care? How do I balance personal beliefs with
professional responsibility? What resources exist for families of LGBTQ-identified youth?
What does LGBTQ even mean? We answer these questions and more. We support you in
building an inclusive, supportive environment where LGBTQ and ALL young people are safe
and feel safe.
C. Family Acceptance Project: http://familyproject.sfsu.edu/home
The Family Acceptance Project™ is the only community research, intervention, education
and policy initiative that works to decrease major health and related risks for lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth, such as suicide, substance abuse, HIV and
homelessness – in the context of their families. We use a research-based, culturally
grounded approach to help ethnically, socially and religiously diverse families decrease
rejection and increase support for their LGBT children.
D. Lambda Legal: Getting Down to Basics Toolkit:
http://www.lambdalegal.org/publications/getting-down-to-basics
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning ("LGBTQ") young people are in
America’s child welfare and juvenile justice systems in disproportionate numbers. Like all
young people in care, they have the right to be safe and protected. All too often, however,
they are misunderstood and mistreated, leading to an increased risk of negative outcomes.
This tool kit offers practical tips and information to ensure that LGBTQ young people in care
receive the support and services they deserve. Developed in partnership by the Child
Welfare League of America (CWLA) and Lambda Legal, the tool kit gives guidance on an
array of issues affecting LGBTQ youth and the adults and organizations who provide them
with out-of-home care.
E. Represent Mag: http://www.representmag.org/
Represent, founded in 1993 as Foster Care Youth United, is an award-winning magazine
written by and for youth in foster care. It is published by Youth Communication, a non-profit
that helps marginalized youth reach their full potential through reading and writing. In
addition to Represent, Youth Communication publishes a high school magazine, a library of
non-fiction books for struggling teen readers, and a variety of leader guides with lessons
that focus on social and emotional topics like resilience, work readiness, and masculinity.
F. US Dept. of Health and Human Services: Administration for Children and Families:
Resources for LGBTQ Youth in Out-of-Home Care:
https://www.childwelfare.gov/outofhome/casework/children/lgbtq_youth.cfm
Resources and information designed to help LGBTQ youth in out-of-home care.
VIII.
Educational, Advice and Outreach Resources
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A. Advocates for Youth: http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/
Advocates for Youth champions efforts to help young people make informed and
responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Advocates believes it can
best serve the field by boldly advocating for a more positive and realistic approach to
adolescent sexual health. Advocates for Youth offer a wide variety of resources, programs,
and initiatives focusing on youth education.
B. Everyone is Gay: http://www.everyoneisgay.tumblr.com
An advice website that uses humor and honesty to create a dialogue, conversation, and
education amongst its readers. Though open to all people, Everyone is Gay does put
emphasis on the LGBTQ youth community.
C. FIERCE: www.fiercenyc.org
FIERCE is a membership-based organization building the leadership and power of lesbian,
gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth of color in New York City. They
develop politically conscious leaders who are invested in improving themselves and their
communities through youth-led campaigns, leadership development programs, and cultural
expression through arts and media. FIERCE is dedicated to cultivating the next generation of
social justice movement leaders who are dedicated to ending all forms of oppression.
D. Frameline Youth in Motion: http://www.frameline.org/youth-in-motion
Youth In Motion offers student activists and teachers LGBTQ themed films and interactive
tools to help educate and build student leadership and activist skills, completely free of
charge! Free films are offered to registered schools and organizations across the country
starting the 2013-2014 school year.
E. Gender Spectrum: https://www.genderspectrum.org/
Gender Spectrum provides education, training and support to help create a gender sensitive
and inclusive environment for all children and teens by providing consultation, training and
events designed to help families, educators, professionals, and organizations understand
and address the concepts of gender identity and expression. Their accessible, practical
approach is based on research and experience, enabling their clients to gain a deeper
understanding of gender all along the spectrum.
F. Have a Gay Day: http://haveagayday.org/
A community website that tackles a variety of topics and issues facing and effecting the
LGBTQ community.
G. I Am Transgender: http://www.iamtransgendered.com/
This website provides a wide variety of resources both domestically and internationally for
transgender individuals of all ages.
H. It’s Pronounced Metrosexual: http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/
A website full of great articles and infographs on sexuality, gender, gender identity, and
social justice.
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I. Step In, Speak Up! Kognito Training: http://delaware.kognito.com/
This short online training module that is available through the Department of Services of
Children, Youth, and their Families is geared towards helping educators understand the
specific issues the LGBTQ American students face in school. With help from role-playing
simulations and information given in the training, people can learn how best to use specific
skill sets when interacting with youth in situation and how to create a supportive
environment for students.
J. Live Out Loud: www.liveoutloud.info
Live Out Loud connects LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) youth to positive out
role models whose stories and expertise can inspire LGBT students to live more enriched
and empowered lives. Live Out Loud’s mission is to empower, energize and enable Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth to live the life of their dreams through the celebration
of the richness and diversity of our shared experience, the visibility of role models and the
dissemination of information. Live Out Loud began in 2000 when Founder and Executive
Director, Leo Preziosi, Jr. spotted an article in Metro Source called “The Gun in the Closet”
about two students who committed suicide because of hostile school environments,
isolation, ostracism and fear. Compelled to action, Preziosi began assembling LGBT
professionals to speak at highs schools and colleges about their obstacles, triumphs, and
journeys towards affirmed lives. Since then, Live Out Loud has brought over 500 LGBT role
models to high schools and universities. From spiritual leaders to fashion designers to
corporate powerhouses and grassroots activists, Live Out Loud works with a diverse body of
outstanding leaders throughout our community to touch the lives of thousands of youth.
K. Love is Louder: www.loveislouder.com
The Love is Louder Project was started by MTV, The Jed Foundation, and actress Brittany
Snow to support individuals who feel mistreated, misunderstood, or unloved. Schools and
organizations have used the Love is Louder project to bring address issues like bullying, selfesteem, discrimination, and depression. Their website includes resources around dating
abuse, mental health, cyberbullying, sexual assault and self-injury.
L. Queers On Wheels: http://www.disqueers.tripod.com/
Queers On Wheels is an organization that aides the sexual well-being of the physically
disabled community, and welcomes people from all sexual identity groups, including those
who identify as GLBTQ (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer). Queers On Wheels
provides literature; teaches classes and workshops on sexuality and disability, works one on
one with clients to provide whatever they need, and offers networking opportunities for
physically disabled folks. Since people with disabilities are often overlooked as sexual
beings, the mission of Queers On Wheels is to liberate and empower them with information
and support. This narrow way of thinking does not value a person as a whole, but rather
focuses on an aspect of their identity. Queers On Wheels recognizes that people have
multiple identities and that those identities need to be valued and appreciated.
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M. Safe Schools Coalition: http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org
An online resource with links and pages on a variety of topics ranging from general
information on the LGBTQ community to history to LGBTQ youth of color to transgender
and gender variant youth. The website also has resources geared towards specific people,
such as educators, advocates, supporters, and youth themselves.
N. Social Media Sites
Social media, blogging and forum sites are a great place to talk to people who are going
through or have been through similar experiences. However, please advise others to use
caution when using social media and networking sites and never to meet someone in
person that they have met on the Internet.
1. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com
There are a variety of Facebook groups and pages where people are able to
talk about issues they face as parts of various communities, as well as share
news and information.
2. Twitter: http://www.twitter.com
Though the 140 character limit does not allow too much conversation, Twitter
can be a great place to see other LGBTQ individuals, especially celebrities,
which helps to show people that they are not alone, as well as connect them
to other websites where they can find helpful and useful information.
3. Tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com
Tumblr is a wide-ranged blogging site that allows users to connect with other
people and blogs related to their interests. Many professional organizations
and out or allied celebrities have Tumblr blogs or websites, including Blitz
Trans, GLAAD, Everyone is Gay, Barack Obama (run by the President’s social
networking staff), staff editor for People.com and trans* activist Janet Mock,
and Glee actress Diana Agron. Tumblr allows individuals to express
themselves in a variety of ways and share information quickly among groups
and friends.
O. Teaching Tolerance: http://www.tolerance.org/
A project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, Teaching Tolerance offers a variety of
resources on incorporating a variety of topics, including gender, the LGBTQ community,
race, religion, and ethnicity into classrooms pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. These resources
include lessons for teachers, activities, film kits, and information on professional
development. All kits for educators are free.
P. Teen Ink: http://www.teenink.com/
Teen Ink offer teenagers the opportunity to publish their creative work and opinions on the
issues that affect their lives - everything from love and family to substance abuse and
relationship issues to volunteering and community service. The Young Authors Foundation,
Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that supports all Teen Ink publications. The
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foundation is devoted to helping teens share their own voices, while developing reading,
writing, creative and critical-thinking skills. All proceeds from the print magazine, website
and Teen Ink books are used exclusively for charitable and educational purposes to further
our goals.
Q. Think B4 You Speak: www.thinkb4youspeak.com
A campaign started through GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network), Think B4
You Speak is about curbing the use of homophobic language in schools. Their website
includes resources for parents, educators and coaches including posters that can be hung
up around schools, a pledge for students to sign, and ways to download and share
information across social media.
R. Trans Student Equality Resource: www.transstudent.org/
Trans Student Equality Resources is a youth-led organization dedicated to improving the
educational environment for trans* and gender nonconforming students, affirming that
one's gender identity is a valuable form of human diversity. A core belief of the organization
is that trans* and gender nonconforming youth should be allowed the same opportunities
and respect enjoyed by their peers and that an equal education is a matter of civil rights.
S. Trans Youth Equality Foundation: www.transyouthequality.org/index.html
The Trans Youth Equality Foundation provides education, advocacy and support for
transgender and gender non-conforming children and youth and their families. Their
mission is to share information about the unique needs of this community, partnering with
families, educators and service providers to help foster a healthy, caring, and safe
environment for all transgender children.
T. Trans Youth Family Allies (TYFA): http://www.imatyfa.org/
TYFA empowers children and families by partnering with educators, service providers and
communities, to develop supportive environments in which gender may be expressed and
respected. We work to create a society free of suicide and violence in which all children are
respected and celebrated.
U. Welcoming Schools: A Project of the Human Rights Campaign:
http://www.welcomingschools.org/
Welcoming Schools offers professional development tools, lessons aligned with Common
Core Standards, and additional resources for schools on embracing family diversity, ending
bullying and name-calling, affirming gender, and avoiding gender stereotyping.
V. The Youth and Gender Media Project: www.youthandgendermediaproject.org
The Youth and Gender Media Project produces short films and curricula that capture the
diversity and complexity of young people who are questioning the binary (male/female)
concept of gender. Their films introduce profoundly new concepts, like the idea that even a
young child can be transgender and the new and still rare use of hormone blockers to delay
puberty. Universal themes like family acceptance, being true to one’s self, coming of age,
the power of community, and the importance of tolerance and love make these films
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accessible and deeply moving, even to people who may be resistant to the idea of
transgender youth. In collaboration with their outreach partner Gender Spectrum, as well as
several other non-profits, they are dedicated to creating safe and inclusive communities for
all children, regardless of their gender expression.
W. YouthResource: http://www.youthresource.com/
YouthResource is a Web site created by and for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and
questioning (GLBTQ) young people. YouthResource takes a holistic approach to sexual
health and exploring issues of concern to GLBTQ youth, by providing information and offer
support on sexual and reproductive health issues through education and advocacy. Through
monthly features, message boards, and online peer education, GLBTQ youth receive
information on activism, culture, sexual health, and other issues that are important to
them. YouthResource is a Web site hosted by Advocates for Youth. Advocates for Youth
champions efforts to help young people make informed and responsible decisions about
their reproductive and sexual health. Advocates believes it can best serve the field by boldly
advocating for a more positive and realistic approach to adolescent sexual health.
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IX.
LGBTQ books
A. Fiction: Elementary School and Up
1. 10,000 Dresses by Marcus Ewert (ISBN-13: 9781583228500) Ages 5+
Every night, Bailey dreams about magical dresses: dresses made of crystals
and rainbows, dresses made of flowers, dresses made of
windows…Unfortunately, when Bailey’s awake, no one wants to hear about
these beautiful dreams. Quite the contrary: “You’re a BOY!” Mother and
Father tell Bailey. “You shouldn’t be thinking about dresses at all.” Then Bailey
meets Laurel, an older girl who is touched and inspired by Bailey’s imagination
and courage. In friendship, the two of them begin making dresses together.
And Bailey becomes the girl she always dreamed she’d be! This gorgeous
picture book—a modern fairy tale about becoming the person you feel you
are inside—will delight people of all ages.
2. Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride by Pam Munoz Ryan, illustrated Brian
Selznick (ISBN-13: 9780590960755) Ages 4+
An inspiring true story of Amelia Earheart and Eleanor Roosevelt -- and a
thrilling night when they made history together! On a brisk and cloudless
evening in April 1933, Amelia Earheart and Eleanor Roosevelt did the
unprecedented: They stole away from a White House dinner, commandeered
an Eastern Air Transport plane and took off on a glorious adventure -- while
still dressed in their glamorous evening gowns! This large-format lavishly
produced picture book celebrates the courage and pioneering spirit of two
friends who defied convention in the name of fulfillment, conviction, and fun.
Breathtaking black and white drawings -- which create the look of a vintage
movie -- make this a visual tour de force for young adventurers, historians and
any one else who dares to dream.
3.
All Families Are Special by Norma Simon, illustrated by Teresa Flavin (ISBN-13:
9780807521755) Ages 5+
When Mrs. Mack says she will soon be a grandmother, her students realize that
teachers have families just like they do! Suddenly everyone in the class wants to
share information about his or her own unique family.
4.
Amazing Faces by Lee Bennet Hopkins (ISBN-13: 9781600603341) Ages 7+
In this contemporary yet timeless collection, sixteen evocative poems are brought to
life in diverse and detailed faces that reveal the universal feelings we all share. Girls
and boys, women and men invite us to experience their world, understand their lives,
and find the connections that bring us together.
5. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell,
illustrated by Henry Cole (ISBN-13: 9780689878459) Ages 4+
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In the zoo there are all kinds of animal families. But Tango's family is not like
any of the others. This illustrated children's book fictionalizes the true story of
two male penguins who became partners and raised a penguin chick in the
Central Park Zoo.
6. The Art Lesson by Tomie dePaola (ISBN-13: 9780698115729) Ages 4+
Tommy knows he wants to be an artist when he grows up. He can't wait to get
to school and have real art lessons. When Tommy gets to school and finds out
that the art lessons are full of "rules", he is surprised and dismayed. How the
wise art teacher finds a way to give Tommy the freedom to create and stay
within the "rules" makes a wonderfully perceptive picture book about
growing up and keeping one's individuality.
7. Asha’s Mums by Rosamund Elwin (ISBN-13: 9780889611436) Ages 9+
Asha, an African-Canadian girl whose lesbian mums become an issue for the
teacher and the curiosity of classmates, responds with clarity and assuredness
that having two mums is no big deal--they are a family.
8. Ballerino Nate by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, Illustrated by R. W. Alley
(ISBN-13:9780803729544) Ages 4+
Nate has the heart of a dancer, and he is determined to learn ballet. Even his
older brother, Ben, can’t change his mind with his claims that "boys don’t
dance." Or can he? When Ben tells Nate that he’ll have to wear pink shoes
and a dress, Nate becomes awfully worried. And when he’s the only boy in his
ballet class, he begins to think that Ben is right: Maybe boys don’t dance.
Exuberant and true-to-childhood, this is a warm and funny story about sibling
squabbles, the joy of ballet, and best of all, grabbing hold of your dreams.
9. Baseball Ballerina by Kathryn Cristaldi, illustrated by Abby Carter (ISBN13: 9780679817345) Ages 5+
A shortstop in a tutu? Not if she can help it! Forced by her mother into taking
ballet lessons, a die-hard tomboy discovers that there's team spirit at the
barre as well as on the baseball diamond.
10. The Basket Ball by Esme Raji Codell, illustrated by Jennifer Pleacas
(ISBN-13: 9781419700071) Ages 4+
Lulu prefers playing basketball to playing with dolls. So when the boys won’t
let her join their school-yard team, she decides to host a Basket Ball—where
ball gowns are traded in for sequined basketball jerseys and high-top heels!
Girls travel from all over the world to attend the ball, shooting hoops, showing
off their skills, and forming a league of their own.
11. Be Who You Are by Jennifer Carr (ISBN-13: 9781452087252) Ages 5+
Nick was born in a boy's body, but has always felt like a girl inside. Nick's
family supports him when he says he no longer wants to be called a boy or
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dress like a boy; "Always remember to be who you are Nick. Remember that
we love you, and we are so proud of you." Nick's parents find a group for
families like theirs. With their support, Nick expresses a desire to be
addressed as "she," and then to be named "Hope."
12. The Best Part of Me by Wendy Ewald (ISBN-13: 9780316703062) Ages 3+
An award-winning photographer asked several children "What is the best part of
you?", and presents their answers in this sometimes funny, sometimes moving,
deeply personal book that includes striking black-and-white photographs taken by
the author. Ideal for parents and teacher to use to discuss body image, self-esteem,
and diversity with children.
13. The Boy Who Cried Fabulous by Leslea Newman, illustrated by Peter
Ferguson (ISBN-13: 9781582461014) Ages 5+
Roger is a boy who simply can't stop smelling the roses. Can you blame him?
Through his eyes the world is a wonder not to be rushed by. But his parents
have an entirely different view, and they expect Roger to see things the way
they do. Paired with vibrant illustrations, this cheerful tale will have children
rejoicing along with Roger at all the fabulous things that await him when he
steps outside.
14. Crow Boy by Taro Yashima (ISBN-13: 9780140501728) Ages 5+
A lonely boy in a village school in Japan learned all the calls of the crows as he left his
home at dawn and arrived home at sunset on schooldays.
15. The Daddy Book by Todd Parr (ISBN-13: 9780316607995) Ages 3+
Some daddies work at home. Some daddies work far away. Some daddies
teach you to walk. Some daddies teach you to ride a skateboard. All daddies
love you!
16. Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite (ISBN-13: 9781555831189)
Ages 4+
This story's narrator begins with his parent's divorce and continues with the
arrival of "someone new at Daddy's house." The new arrival is male. This new
concept is explained to the child as "just one more kind of love." The text is
suitably straightforward, and the format--single lines of copy beneath fullpage illustrations--easily accessible to the intended audience.
17. Daddy’s Wedding by Michael Willhoite (ISBN-13: 9981555833503) Ages
4+
Six years after writing and illustrating Daddy's Roommate, Michael Willhoite
brings another pioneering story. Nick is like any other 10-year-old boy, but
when Daddy and Daddy's roommate, Frank, decide to get married, Nick gets
to do something extra special: play best man. And while everybody celebrates
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the big wedding day, the dog Clancy is working on a big surprise for all of
them!
18. Dear Child by John Farrel, illustrated by Maurie J. Manning (ISBN-13:
9781590784952) Ages 2+
Young children can change your world forever. Over the years, families have taken
many different forms. But one thing remains constant: adults are forever changed by
the arrival of a child. The love and sense of wonder they feel for this small life deepen
as each day passes. John Farrell and Maurie J. Manning offer rhythmical words and
tender, playful paintings to show the emotional connections between grown-ups and
their little ones.
19. The Different Dragon by Jennifer Bryan, illustrated by Danamarle Hosler
(ISBN-13: 9780967446868) Ages 4+
This bedtime story about bedtime stories shows how the wonderful curiosity
and care of a little boy, with some help from one of his moms, can lead to
magical and unexpected places. Join Noah and his cat, Diva, on this nighttime
adventure and you too will leave with an unforgettable new dragon friend!
20. Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E. B. Lewis (ISBN-13:
9780399246524) Ages 5+
Each kindness makes the world a little better. Chloe and her friends won't play with
the new girl, Maya. Maya is different--she wears hand-me-downs and plays with oldfashioned toys. Every time Maya tries to join Chloe and her gang, they reject her.
Eventually, Maya plays alone, and then stops coming to school altogether. When
Chloe's teacher gives a lesson about how even small acts of kindness can change the
world, Chloe is stung by the lost opportunity for friendship, and thinks about how
much better it could have been if she'd shown a little kindness toward Maya.
21. Emma and Meesha My Boy: A Two Mom Story by Kaitlyn Taylor
Considine (ISBN-13: 9781413416008) Ages 3+
This is a delightful story of little girl with two moms as she learns how to be
nice to her cat. Follow along as Emma gets in trouble trying to play with
Meesha Kitty and cheer as she learns to treat him with care.
22. Elena’s Serenade by Campbell Geeslin, illustrated by Ana Juan (ISBN-13:
9780689849084) Ages 3+
Who ever heard of a girl glassblower? In Mexico, where the sun is called el sol
and the moon is called la luna, a little girl called Elena wants to blow into a
long pipe...and make bottles appear, like magic. But girls can't be
glassblowers. Or can they? Join Elena on her fantastic journey to Monterrey -home of the great glassblowers! -- in an enchanting story filled with magic
realism.
23. Families by Meredith Tax, illustrated by Marylin Hafner (ISBN-13:
9781558611573) Ages 4+
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Available for the first time in Spanish, tis charming book is a winning
introduction to the rich variety of families. Realities such as divorce,
stepfamilies, adoption, single parenting, and gay and lesbian parenting are
explored through the curious, affectionate, and non-judgemental eyes of sixyear-old Angie as she introduces readers to her multicultural group of friends,
who are loved and cared for within many different types of families.
Meredith Tax's funny, engaging text reveals what families have in common
while encouraging an acceptance of difference. Marilyn Hafner's appealing
illustrations convey the warmth and individuality of the characters. In the end,
the book's message is a simple and heartfelt one: As Angie says, "Las familias
son los que viven contigo y a quienes tu quieres." ("Families are who you live
with and who you love.")
24. Families by Susan Kuklin (ISBN-13: 9780786808229) Ages 4+
In frank, funny, touching, and often surprising interviews, children from fourteen
different families talk about how they identify themselves as a family. The range of
families profiled in this engaging book reflects the kaleidoscopic diversity of families
in America today: there are mixed-race families and immigrant families; families of
gay and lesbian couples and very religious families; families with only children, many
children, adopted children, and children with special needs. This book is a celebration
of all families, and provides young readers with windows into other lives, as well as
mirrors in which they can see their own family relationships reflected.
25. The Family Book by Todd Parr (ISBN-13: 9780316155632) Ages 2+
In his typically silly and reassuring style, Parr celebrates the many different
types of families in this picture book. Full color.
26. The Great Big Book of Families by Mary Hoffman (ISBN-13: 9780803735163)
Ages 5+
This fun and fascinating treasury features all kinds of families and their lives together.
Each spread showcases one aspect of home life-from houses and holidays, to schools
and pets, to feelings and family trees. Ros Asquith's humorous illustrations perfectly
complement a charming text from the acclaimed Mary Hoffman; kids will love poring
over these pages again and again. A celebration of the diverse fabric of kith and kin
the world over, The Great Big Book of Families is a great big treat for every family to
share.
27. Horace and Morris but Mostly Dolores by James Howe, illustrations by
Amy Walrod (ISBN-13: 9780689856754) Ages 4+
Horace, Morris, and Dolores have been best friends forever. They do
everything together -- from sailing the seven sewers to climbing Mount EverRust. But one day Horace and Morris join the Mega-Mice (no girls allowed),
and Dolores joins the Cheese Puffs (no boys allowed). Is this the end? Or will
Horace and Morris but mostly Dolores find a way to save the day -- and their
friendship?
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28. I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont, illustrated by David Catrow (ISBN-13:
9780152020132) Ages 4+
High on energy and imagination, this ode to self-esteem encourages kids to
appreciate everything about themselves--inside and out. Messy hair? Beaver breath?
So what! Here's a little girl who knows what really matters. At once silly and serious,
Karen Beaumont's joyous rhyming text and David Catrow's wild illustrations unite in a
book that is sassy, soulful--and straight from the heart.
29. In Our Mother’s House by Patricia Polacco (ISBN-13: 9780399250767)
Ages 6+
Marmee, Meema, and the kids are just like any other family on the block. In
their beautiful house, they cook dinner together, they laugh together, and
they dance together. But some of the other families don’t accept them. They
say they are different. How can a family have two moms and no dad? But
Marmee and Meema’s house is full of love. And they teach their children that
different doesn’t mean wrong. And no matter how many moms or dads they
have, they are everything a family is meant to be. Here is a true Polacco story
of a family, living by their own rules, and the strength they gain by the love
they feel.
30. It’s Okay To Be Different by Todd Parr (ISBN-13: 9780316043472) Ages
3+
It's Okay to Be Different cleverly delivers the important messages of
acceptance, understanding, and confidence in an accessible, child-friendly
format featuring Todd Parr's trademark bold, bright colors and silly scenes.
Targeted to young children first beginning to read, this book will inspire kids
to celebrate their individuality through acceptance of others and selfconfidence. Along with the four other bestselling Todd Parr picture books
debuting in paperback this season, It's Okay to be Different is designed to
encourage early literacy, enhance emotional development, celebrate
multiculturalism, and promote character growth.
31. Jacob’s New Dress by Sarah Hoffman and Ian Hoffman, illustrated by
Chris Case (ISBN-13: 9780807563731) Ages 4+
Jacob loves playing dress-up, when he can be anything he wants to be. Some
kids at school say he can't wear "girl" clothes, but Jacob wants to wear a dress
to school. Can he convince his parents to let him wear what he wants? This
heartwarming story speaks to the unique challenges faced by boys who don't
identify with traditional gender roles.
32. King and King by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland (ISBN-13:
9781582460611) Ages 5+
Once there lived a lovelorn prince whose mother decreed that he must marry
by the end of the summer. So began the search to find the prince's perfect
match and lo and behold......his name was Lee. You are cordially invited to join
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the merriest, most unexpected wedding of the year. KING & KING is a
contemporary tale about finding true love and living happily ever after, sure
to woo readers of any age. A great gift. Exuberant artwork full of visual play
calls for repeated readings.
33. King and King and Family by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland (ISBN-13:
9781582460611) Ages 5+
Join newlyweds King Lee and King Bertie on their journey into the noisy
jungle. The kings are greeted by wild animal families, but the royal travelers
suspect that something more significant awaits them in the trees. King & King
soon discover that there's no adventure more wonderful than starting a
family of their own. Jubilant sequel to Lambda Literary Award nominee KING
& KING. Subtle clues on each page lead readers to a surprise ending.
34. Los Mejores Colores/Best Colors by Eric Hoffman, illustrated by Celeste
Henriquez (ISBN-13: 9781884834691) Ages 5+
With the help of his two mammas, Nate learns he can have more than one
best color and one best friend. Includes activity and teaching ideas.
35. Max by Rachel Isadora (ISBN-13: 9780020438007) Ages 4+
Max is a crack baseball player. Saturday mornings he walks with his sister,
Lisa, to her dancing school on his way to the park for his weekly game. One
morning Max is early, and Lisa's teacher invites him to join the class. Max
stretches at the barre. He struggles for a split. And before he knows it, he's
having fun! Young ballplayers and ballet dancers will share Max's delight
when he discovers that dance class is a great way to warm up for a home run.
36. Max, The Stubborn Little Wolf by Marie-Odile Judes, illustrated by
Bourre Martine (ISBN-13: 9780060294175) Ages 4+
Wolf fathers and sons are hunters. Everyone knows that--except Max, a little
wolf who thinks hunting is mean and horrible. He wants to be a florist. Papa
Wolf can't imagine what Max likes about those good-for-nothing flowers. If
the big wolf can't find a way to make his son become a hunter, he'll eat his
hat--and he means it!
37. Molly’s Family by Nancy Garden, illustrated by Sharon Wooding (ISBN13: 9780374350024) Ages 4+
The members of Ms. Marston's kindergarten class are cleaning and decorating
their room for the upcoming Open School Night. Molly and Tommy work on
drawing pictures to put on the walls. Molly draws her family: Mommy, Mama
Lu, and her puppy, Sam. But when Tommy looks at her picture, he tells her it's
not of a family. "You can't have a mommy and a mama," he says. Molly
doesn't know what to think; no one else in her class has two mothers. She
isn't sure she wants her picture to be on the wall for Open School Night.
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Molly's dilemma, sensitively explored in words and art, shows readers that
even if a family is different from others, it can still be happy, loving, and real.
38. The Mommy Book by Todd Parr (ISBN-13: 9780316608275) Ages 3+
With his trademark, child-like art, Todd Parr celebrates mothers, whether they
drive a minivan or a motorcycle or work in a big building or at home. Full
color.
39. My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis, illustrated by Suzanne DeSimone
(ISBN-13: 9780615395944) Ages 4+
My Princess Boy is a nonfiction picture book about acceptance. With words
and illustrations even the youngest of children can understand, My Princess
Boy tells the tale of 4-year-old boy who happily expresses his authentic self by
happily dressing up in dresses, and enjoying traditional girl things such as
jewelry and anything pink or sparkly. The book is from a mom's point of view,
sharing both good and bad observations and experiences with friends and
family, at school and in shopping stores. My Princess Boy opens a dialogue
about embracing uniqueness, and teaches you and others how to accept
young boys who might cross traditional gender line clothing expectations. The
book ends with the understanding that 'my' Princess Boy is really 'our'
Princess Boy, and as a community, we can accept and support youth for
whoever they are and however they wish to look.
40. Oliver Button is a Sissy by Tomie dePaola (ISBN-13: 9780156681407)
Ages 4+
A little boy must come to terms with being teased and ostracized because
he’d rather read books, paint pictures, and tap-dance than participate in
sports.
41. One by Kathryn Otoshi (ISBN-13: 9780972394642) Ages 4+
Blue is a quiet color. Red’s a hothead who likes to pick on Blue. Yellow, Orange,
Green, and Purple don’t like what they see, but what can they do? When no one
speaks up, things get out of hand — until One comes along and shows all the colors
how to stand up, stand together, and count. As budding young readers learn about
numbers, counting, and primary and secondary colors, they also learn about
accepting each other's differences and how it sometimes just takes one voice to
make everyone count.
42. One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads by Johnny Valentine,
illustrated by Melody Sarecky (ISBN-13: 9781555838485) Ages 2+
Two children—one with blue dads, one from a more traditional family—
compare notes in this light hearted book about parents who are different. In
the end, of course, they discover that blue dads aren’t really that different
from other dads. Except for one thing.
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43. Owen by Kevin Henkes (ISBN-13: 9780688114497) Ages 4+
Owen had a fuzzy yellow blanket. "Fuzzy goes where I go," said Owen. But
Mrs. Tweezers disagreed. She thought Owen was too old for a blanket. Owen
disagreed. No matter what Mrs. Tweezers came up with, Blanket Fairies or
vinegar, Owen had the answer. But when school started, Owen't mother knew
just what to do, and everyone -- Owen, Fuzzy, and even Mrs. Tweezers -- was
happy.
44. The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael
Martchenko (ISBN-13: 9780920236161) Ages 4+
The Princess Elizabeth is slated to marry Prince Ronald when a dragon attacks
the castle and kidnaps Ronald. In resourceful and humorous fashion, Elizabeth
finds the dragon, outsmarts him, and rescues Ronald --- who is less than
pleased at her un-princess-like appearance.
45. Punxsutawney Phyllis by Susanna Leonard Hill, illustrated by Jeffrey
Ebbeler (ISBN-13: 9780823420407) Ages 5+
Phyllis can't convince Uncle Phil to get out of bed to make his prediction on
Groundhog Day. When Uncle Phil realizes he has missed all the signs of an
early spring, he knows it's time to retire and pass on the title of Punxsutawney
Phil. Only this time, it's Punxsutawney Phyllis!
46. Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins, illustrated by Jamie Hogan (ISBN-13:
9781580893084) Ages 7+
Naima is a talented painter of traditional alpana patterns, which Bangladeshi
women and girls paint on their houses for special celebrations. But Naima is
not satisfied just painting alpana. She wants to help earn money for her
family, like her best friend, Saleem, does for his family. When Naima's rash
effort to help puts her family deeper in debt, she draws on her resourceful
nature and her talents to bravely save the day. Includes a glossary of Bangla
words and an author's note about a changing Bangladesh and microfinance
47. Roland Humphrey Is Wearing a WHAT? By Eileen Kiernan-Johnson,
illustrated by Katrina Revenaugh (ISBN-13: 9780615666556) Ages 5+
Roland Humphrey is Wearing a WHAT? is the story of a little boy's quest to be
his authentic self, dressed in pink and festooned with sparkles, in a world that
frowns upon boys who like "girly" things. Roland sees girls at his school dress
in a rainbow of hues and is confused by the "rules" limiting what boys can
choose; he doesn't understand why girls can like sports and ballet, but for
boys there's just one way. Written in verse, Roland Humphrey is Wearing a
WHAT? playfully raises important questions about gender norms, acceptance,
and friendship.
48. Say Something by Peggy Moss, illustrated by Lea Lyon (ISBN-13:
9780884483601) Ages 5+
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At this school, there are some children who push and tease and bully. Sometimes
they hurt other kids by just ignoring them. The girl in this story sees it happening, but
she would never do these mean things herself. Then one day something happens
that shows her that being a silent bystander isn t enough. Will she take some steps
on her own to help another kid? Could it be as simple as sitting on the bus with the
girl no one has befriended (and discovering that she has a great sense of humor)?
49. The Sissy Duckling by Harvey Fierstein, illustrated Henry Cole (ISBN-13:
9781416903130) Ages 5+
Elmer is not like the other boy ducklings. While they like to build forts, he
loves to bake cakes. While they like to play baseball, he wants to put on the
halftime show. Elmer is a great big sissy. But when his father is wounded by a
hunter's shot, Elmer proves that the biggest sissy can also be the greatest
hero.
50. The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf, illustrated by Robert Lawson
(ISBN-13: 9780670674244) Ages 3+
A true classic with a timeless message, The Story of Ferdinand has enchanted
readers since it was first published in 1936. All the other bulls would run and
jump and butt their heads together. But Ferdinand would rather sit and smell
the flowers. So what will happen when our pacifist hero is picked for the
bullfights in Madrid?
51. A Tale of Two Mommies by Vanita Oelschlager, illustrated by Mike
Blanc (ISBN-13: 9780982636664) Ages 4+
A Tale of Two Mommies is a beach conversation among three children. One
boy asks another boy about having two mommies. A young girl listening in
asks some questions too. True to a child’s curiosity, practical questions follow.
“Which mom is there when you want to go fishing? / Which mom helps out
when Kitty goes missing?” To which he answers: “Mommy helps when I want
to go fishing. / Both Mommies help when Kitty goes missing.” A Tale of Two
Mommies is intended for 4-8 year olds. This book lets us look inside one nontraditional family, a same sex couple and their son. As the children talk, it’s
clear this boy lives in a nurturing environment where the biggest issues are
the everyday challenges of growing up.
52. Toby’s Doll’s House by Regnhild Scamell and Adrian Reynolds (ISBN-13:
9781862330269) Ages 4+
All Toby wants for his birthday is a big doll's house. But, nobody's listening-because his dad, auntie, and grandpa all think they know what he'd really like:
a toy fort, a barnyard filled with animals, and a multi-story parking lot. Will
Toby's birthday wish come true? A gentle and charming testament to a child's
imagination.
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53. Tough Boris by Mem Fox, illustrated by Kathryn Brown (ISBN-13:
9780152018917) Ages 4+
Boris von der Borch is a mean, greedy old pirate--tough as nails, through and
through, like all pirates. Or is he? When a young boy sneaks onto Boris's ship,
he discovers that Boris and his mates aren't quite what he expected.
54. Tough Chicks by Cece Meng, illustrated by Melissa Suber (ISBN-13:
9780618824151) Ages 4+
From the moment Penny, Polly, and Molly hatch from their eggs, the whole
farm knows they are truly tough chicks. They wrestle worms, rope roosters,
and are often found under the hood of the tractor. All the other animals and
even the farmer himself tell Mama Hen to make her chicks good. "They are
good!" Mama Hen replies. But could her chicks be too loud, too independent,
and too tough? Lively language and bold illustrations capture all the fun and
humor of this delightfully different farmyard romp that's also a resounding
endorsement for letting girls be girls (even if they're loud and tough and like
to play with tractors.)
55. When Leonard Lost His Spots by Monique Costa (ISBN-13:
9780985106713) Ages 5+
What happens when a beautiful lioness discovers that she was born into the
body of a male leopard? The family is shocked, the transition begins, and an
amazing story narrated by a young cub unfolds. Inspired by the honesty of
animals and the innocence of children, When Leonard Lost His Spots: A Trans
Parent Tail is an encouraging, sensitively crafted story that exemplifies how
open communication can pave the way to acceptance in an ever-changing
world. Join Leonard, Leona, and Cub on this unique journey of coping,
adapting, and unconditional love.
56. Whoever You Are by Mem Fox, illustrated by Leslie Staub (ISBN-13:
9780152060305) Ages 4+
“Little one, / whoever you are, / wherever you are, / there are little ones / just like
you / all over the world.” So begins the Australian author Mem Fox’s joyful picture
book Whoever You Are, a celebration of the world’s diverse cultures, both our
similarities and differences. Leslie Straub’s innovative, colorful, folk art–style oil
paintings of children from all corners of the globe are bordered with photographs of
hand-carved, bejeweled frames—and they all reflect Fox’s message that no matter
where we come from, within our hearts “Joys are the same, / and love is the same. /
Pain is the same, / and blood is the same.” A gem!
57. Who’s In My Family? All About Our Families by Robie Harris, illustrated by
Nadine Bernard Westcott (ISBN-13: 9780763636319) Ages 3+
Join Nellie and Gus and their family — plus all manner of other families — for a day
at the zoo, where they see animal families galore! To top off their day, Nellie and Gus
invite friends and relatives for a fun dinner at home. Accessible, humorous, and full
of charming illustrations depicting families of many configurations, this engaging
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story interweaves conversations between the siblings and a matter-of-fact text,
making it clear to every child that whoever makes up your family, it is perfectly
normal — and totally wonderful.
58. Who’s in a Family? by Robert Skutch, illustrated by Laura Nienhaus (ISBN-13:
9781883672669) Ages 3+
Family is important, but who's in a family? Why, the people who love you the
most!This equal opportunity, open-minded picture book has no preconceptions
about what makes a family a family. There's even equal time given to some of
children's favorite animal families. With warm and inviting jewel-tone illustrations,
this is a great book for that long talk with a little person on your lap.
59. William’s Doll by Charlotte Zolotow, illustrated by William Pene du Bois
(ISBN-13: 9780064430678) Ages 4+
More than anything, William wants a doll. "Don't be a creep," says his
brother. "Sissy, sissy," chants the boy next door. Then one day someone really
understands William's wish, and makes it easy for others to understand, too.
60. Zephyr Takes Flight by Steve Light (ISBN-13: 9780763656959) Ages 4+
Zephyr is a girl who loves airplanes. She draws pictures of them, makes them
out of paper, builds them out of junk, and hopes one day to fly one of her
own. But when Gramma, Daddy, and Mom are too busy to play airplane with
her, Zephyr’s excess enthusiasm gets her sent to her room — where she
discovers a secret door that leads to the most wondrous place she’s ever
seen! Lovers of flying machines and gadgets, along with adventurers of all
kinds, will be buoyed by this lighthearted tale of a little girl who finds her
wings.
B. Fiction: Middle School and Up
1. Absolutely Positively Not by David LaRochelle (ISBN-13:
9780439591096) Ages 12+
There is one thing Steven knows for sure: He's absolutely, positively NOT gay.
Steven's a 16-year-old boy with two obsessions: sex and getting his driving
license. The problem is, Steven's not thinking girls when he's thinking sex.
Could he be -- don't say it -- gay? Steven sets out to get in touch with his inner
he-man with Healthy Heterosexual Strategies such as "Start Hanging Out with
the Guys," and "Begin Intensive Dating." But are Steven's tactics going to
straighten him out, or leave him all twisted up? Absolutely hilarious. Positively
sidesplitting. But absolutely, positively NOT GAY
2. After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson (ISBN-13:
9780142413999) Ages 10+
The day D Foster enters Neeka and her best friend’s lives, the world opens up
for them. Suddenly they’re keenly aware of things beyond their block in
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Queens, things that are happening in the world—like the shooting of Tupac
Shakur—and in search of their Big Purpose in life. When—all too soon—D’s
mom swoops in to reclaim her, and Tupac dies, they are left with a sense of
how quickly things can change and how even all-too-brief connections can
touch deeply.
3. Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden (ISBN-13: 978-0374400118) Ages
12+
This groundbreaking book, first published in 1982, is the story of two teenage
girls whose friendship blossoms into love and who, despite pressures from
family and school that threaten their relationship, promise to be true to each
other and their feelings. Of the author and the book, the Margaret A. Edwards
Award committee said, "Nancy Garden has the distinction of being the first
author for young adults to create a lesbian love story with a positive ending.
Using a fluid, readable style, Garden opens a window through which readers
can find courage to be true to themselves." The 25th Anniversary Edition
features a full-length interview with the author by Kathleen T. Horning,
Director of the Cooperative Children's Book Center. Ms. Garden answers such
revealing questions as how she knew she was gay, why she wrote the book,
censorship, and the book's impact on readers - then and now.
4. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin
Alire Sáenz (ISBN13: 9781442408920) Ages 12+
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who
has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the
swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start
spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—
the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this
friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about
themselves and the kind of people they want to be.
5. Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kirstin Cronn-Mills (ISBN-13:
9780738732510) Ages 12+
My birth name is Elizabeth, but I’m a guy. Gabe. My parents think I’ve gone
crazy and the rest of the world is happy to agree with them, but I know I’m
right. I’ve been a boy my whole life. When you think about it, I’m like a record.
Elizabeth is my A side, the song everybody knows, and Gabe is my B side—not
heard as often, but just as good. It’s time to let my B side play.
6. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray (ISBN-13: 9780439895972) Ages 12+
The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going
to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their stateappropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their
airplane had another idea, crashing on a desert island and leaving the
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survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.
What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of
the program - or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan - or learn to
run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up? Welcome
to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Your tour guide? None other than
Libba Bray, the hilarious, sensational, Printz Award-winning author of A Great
and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine. The result is a novel that will make you
laugh, make you think, and make you never see beauty the same way again.
7. Between Mom and Jo by Julie Anne Peters (ISBN13: 9780316067102)
Ages 12+
Nick has a three-legged dog named Lucky, some pet fish, and two moms who
think he's the greatest kid ever. And he happens to think he has the greatest
Moms ever, but everything changes when his birth mom and her wife, Jo,
start to have marital problems. Suddenly, Nick is in the middle, and instead of
having two Moms to turn to for advice, he has no one. Nick's emotional
struggle to redefine his relationships with his parents will remind readers that
a family's love can survive even the most difficult times.
8. Blue Coyote by Liza Ketchum (ISBN-13: 9780689807909) Ages 12+
"Tito doesn't live here anymore." Alex Beekman's best friend Tito has
disappeared, and his parents won't say where he's gone--or why. To solve the
mystery, Alex joins his father on a summer trip to Los Angeles. As he searches,
Alex uncovers clues--Tito's surfboard, abandoned on a beach; the turtle
design they once painted on their surfboards, now on display at a tattoo shop-but everyone who knew Tito clams up when Alex demands answers about his
missing friend. Alex must draw on reserves of courage and physical strength
as he outruns a dangerous canyon fire and uncovers the truth about Tito--and
himself. Blue Coyote, sequel to Ketchum's award-winning novel, Twelve Days
in August, answers the question most often posed by readers: What ever
happened to Alex? While searching for his lost friend, Alex not only learns the
reasons behind Tito's disappearance but also comes to accept some hidden
truths about himself.
9. Boy2Girl by Terence Blacker (ISBN-13: 9780374309268) Ages 12+
Matthew's American cousin, Sam, has come to London to live with the family.
Sam is a charismatic, funny kid, but can he be trusted to be a reliable friend?
Matthew and his "mates" decide that Sam must undertake a challenge in
order to prove himself: he must start off his new year at their school posing as
a girl. It turns out that Sam makes a great girl. He fools everyone and has an
electrifying effect at Bradbury Hill School. And the longer the prank goes on,
the more hilarious — and serious — the repercussions. This brilliant novel
shines a laser-sharp beam into the perilous territory of early-teen life, in an
unforgettable story of chaos, confusion, and cross-dressing.
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10. Boyfriends with Girlfriends by Alex Sanchex (ISBN-13: 9781416937739)
Ages 12+
Sergio is bisexual, but his only real relationship was with a girl. Lance has
always known he was gay, but he’s never had a real boyfriend. When the two
of them meet, they have an instant connection—but will it be enough to
overcome their differences? Allie’s been in a relationship with a guy for the
last two years—but when she meets Kimiko, she can’t get her out of her mind.
Does this mean she’s gay? Or bi? Kimiko, falling hard for Allie, is willing to stick
around and help Allie figure it out. Boyfriends with Girlfriends is Alex Sanchez
at his best, writing with a sensitive hand to portray four very real teens
striving to find their places in the world—and with each other.
11. The Boy in the Dress by David Wailliams (ISBN-13: 9780007279036) Ages
12+
Dennis' life is boring and lonely. His mother left two years ago, his truck driver
father is depressed, his brother is a bully and, worst of all, "no hugging" is one
of their household rules. But one thing Dennis does have is soccer—he's the
leading scorer on his team. Oh, and did we mention his secret passion for
fashion? When Dennis' friend Lisa discovers his stash of Vogue magazines, she
convinces him to vamp it up and wear a dress to school. But in class, his
hilarious hijinks as "Denise" are brought to a screeching halt when the
headmaster discovers his secret and delivers the worst punishment of all—
Dennis is expelled from school and therefore forbidden to play in the soccer
Final Cup! Can the team win the most important game of the year without
their star player? And, more importantly, will Dennis gain the love and respect
of his friends and family, even in a dress?
12. Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan (ISBN-13: 9780375832994) Ages 12+
This is the story of Paul, a sophomore at a high school like no other: The
cheerleaders ride Harleys, the homecoming queen used to be a guy named
Daryl (she now prefers Infinite Darlene and is also the star quarterback), and
the gay-straight alliance was formed to help the straight kids learn how to
dance. When Paul meets Noah, he thinks he’s found the one his heart is made
for. Until he blows it. The school bookie says the odds are 12-to-1 against him
getting Noah back, but Paul’s not giving up without playing his love really
loud. His best friend Joni might be drifting away, his other best friend Tony
might be dealing with ultra-religious parents, and his ex-boyfriend Kyle might
not be going away anytime soon, but sometimes everything needs to fall
apart before it can really fit together right. This is a happy-meaningful
romantic comedy about finding love, losing love, and doing what it takes to
get love back in a crazy-wonderful world
13. Cinders and Sapphires by Leila Rasheed (ISBN-13: 9781423171171) Ages
12+
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Rose Cliffe has never met a young lady like her new mistress. Clever, rich, and
beautiful, Ada Averley treats Rose as an equal. And Rose could use a friend.
Especially now that she, at barely sixteen, has risen to the position of ladies'
maid. Rose knows she should be grateful to have a place at a house like
Somerton. Still, she can't help but wonder what her life might have been had
she been born a lady, like Ada. For the first time in a decade, the Averleys
have returned to Somerton, their majestic ancestral estate. But terrible
scandal has followed Ada's beloved father all the way from India. Now Ada
finds herself torn between her own happiness and her family's honor. Only
she has the power to restore the Averley name-but it would mean giving up
her one true love . . . someone she could never persuade her father to accept.
Sumptuous and enticing, the first novel in the At Somerton series introduces
two worlds, utterly different yet entangled, where ruthless ambition,
forbidden attraction, and unspoken dreams are hidden behind dutiful smiles
and glittering jewels. All those secrets are waiting . . . at Somerton.
14. Crush by Carrie Mac (ISBN13: 9781551435213) Ages 12+
Because of a moment of indiscretion, Hope's parents send her to New York to
spend the summer with her hipster sister while they travel to Thailand.
Miserable, Hope ends up meeting Nat, and developing a powerful crush. The
only problem is that Nat is a girl. Hope is pretty sure she isn't gay. Or is she?
Struggling with new feelings, fitting in and a strange city far from home, Hope
finds that love—and acceptance—comes in many different forms.
15. The Culling by Steven dos Santos (ISBN-13: 9780738735375) Ages 12+
For Lucian “Lucky” Spark, Recruitment Day means the Establishment, a
totalitarian government, will force him to become one of five Recruits
competing to join the ruthless Imposer task force. Each Recruit participates in
increasingly difficult and violent military training for a chance to advance to
the next level. Those who fail must choose an “Incentive”—a family
member—to be brutally killed. If Lucky fails, he’ll have to choose death for his
only living relative: Cole, his four-year-old brother. Lucky will do everything he
can to keep his brother alive, even if it means sacrificing the lives of other
Recruits’ loved ones. What Lucky isn’t prepared for is his undeniable
attraction to the handsome, rebellious Digory Tycho. While Lucky and Digory
train together, their relationship grows. But daring to care for another Recruit
in a world where love is used as the ultimate weapon is extremely dangerous.
As Lucky soon learns, the consequences can be deadly...
16. Dare Truth or Promise by Paula Boock (ISBN13: 9780395971178) Ages
12+
When Louie and Willa first meet, they don't know their lives will soon be
changed forever. Self-assured Louie is gearing up for another successful year
in high school, starring in a production of Twelfth Night and running the
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Comedy Club. Kicked out of her last school and still stinging from a past
relationship, Willa wants only to get through her final year at school quietly so
she can graduate and become a chef. More than anything, she wants to be
left alone. But each girl unexpectedly finds that plans mean nothing when it
comes to love. Louie discovers that everything she was sure of-acceptance,
faith, and identity-are not what they had seemed. And Willa finds herself
suddenly willing to take another chance.
17. Deliver Us from Evie by M. E. Kerr (ISBN13: 9780064471282) Ages 12+
Told by her brother Parr, this is the story of 18-year-old Evie, her Missouri
farm family, and the turmoil created by Evie's love for the local banker's
daughter. Sixteen-year-old Parr Burrman and his family face some difficult
times when word spreads through their rural Missouri town that his older
sister is a lesbian, and she leaves the family farm to live with the daughter of
the town's banker.
18. The Difference Between You and Me by Madeleine George (ISBN-13:
9780670011285) Ages 12+
Jesse cuts her own hair with a Swiss Army knife. She wears big green
fisherman's boots. She's the founding (and only) member of NOLAW, the
National Organization to Liberate All Weirdos. Emily wears sweaters with faux
pearl buttons. She's vice president of the student council. She has a boyfriend.
These two girls have nothing in common, except the passionate "private time"
they share every Tuesday afternoon. Jesse wishes their relationship could be
out in the open, but Emily feels she has too much to lose. When they find
themselves on opposite sides of a heated school conflict, they each have to
decide what's more important: what you believe in, or the one you love?
19. Diverse Energies edit by Tobias S. Buckell and Joe Monti (ISBN13:
9781600608889) Ages 12+
In a world gone wrong, heroes and villains are not always easy to distinguish
and every individual has the ability to contribute something powerful. In this
stunning collection of original and rediscovered stories of tragedy and hope,
the stars are a diverse group of students, street kids, good girls, kidnappers,
and child laborers pitted against their environments, their governments,
differing cultures, and sometimes one another as they seek answers in their
dystopian worlds. Take a journey through time from a nuclear nightmare of
the past to society’s far future beyond Earth with these eleven stories by
masters of speculative fiction. Includes stories by Paolo Bacigalupi, Ursula K.
Le Guin, Malinda Lo, Cindy Pon, Daniel H. Wilson, and more.
20. Drama by Raina Telgemeier (ISBN-13: 9780545326995) Ages 10+
Callie loves theater. And while she would totally try out for her middle
school's production of Moon Over Mississippi, she's a terrible singer. Instead
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she's the set designer for the stage crew, and this year she's determined to
create a set worthy of Broadway on a middle-school budget. But how can she,
when she doesn't know much about carpentry, ticket sales are down, and the
crew members are having trouble working together? Not to mention the
onstage AND offstage drama that occurs once the actors are chosen, and
when two cute brothers enter the picture, things get even crazier! Following
the success of SMILE, Raina Telgemeier brings us another graphic novel
featuring a diverse set of characters that humorously explores friendship,
crushes, and all-around drama!
21. Dramarama by E. Lockhart (ISBN-13: 9780786838158) Ages 12+
Two theater-mad, self-invented fabulositon Ohio teenagers. One boy, one girl.
One gay, one straight. One black, one white. And SUMMER DRAMA CAMP. It's
a season of hormones, gold lame, hissy fits, jazz hands, song and dance, true
love, and unitards that will determine their future--and test their friendship.
22. Far from Xanadu by Julie Anne Peters (ISBN13: 9780316158817) Ages
12+
Every day in Coalton is pretty much the same. Mike pumps iron in the
morning, drives her truck to school, plays softball in the afternoon, and fixes
the neighbors' plumbing at night. But when an exotic new girl, Xanadu, arrives
in the small Kansas town, Mike's world is turned upside down. Xanadu is
everything Mike is not—cool, complicated, sexy, and...straight. This
heartbreaking yet ultimately hopeful novel will speak to anyone who has ever
fallen in love with someone just out of reach. In a small Kansas town, sixteenyear-old Mary-Elizabeth "Mike" Szabo tries to come to terms with her father's
suicide and her own homosexuality.
23. Freakboy by Kristin Elizabeth Clark (ISBN-13: 9780374324728) Ages 12+
From the outside, Brendan Chase seems to have it pretty easy. He’s a star
wrestler, a video game aficionado, and a loving boyfriend to his seemingly
perfect match, Vanessa. But on the inside, Brendan struggles to understand
why his body feels so wrong—why he sometimes fantasizes having long hair,
soft skin, and gentle curves. Is there even a name for guys like him? Guys who
sometimes want to be girls? Or is Brendan just a freak? In Freakboy's razorsharp verse, Kristin Clark folds three narratives into one powerful story:
Brendan trying to understand his sexual identity, Vanessa fighting to keep her
and Brendan’s relationship alive, and Angel struggling to confront her
demons.
24. From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun by Jacqueline Woodson (ISBN-13:
9780590458818) Ages 12+
At age 13, Melanin Sun, an African American boy growing up in Brooklyn with
his single mother, sometimes longs for the days when life was as ``simple as
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chocolate cakes and Lego sets.'' Instead, his feelings grow more complicated
after his mother explains that she is gay and in love with Kristin, the white
woman whom she has recently invited home. ``You're a dyke! A dyke!'' he
screams at her, enraged. His shock and sense of alienation are quickly
exacerbated when the neighbors begin to gossip and he becomes the object
of cruel taunts. Through Melanin's voice, Woodson frankly expresses the
resentment and confusion of an adolescent desperately struggling to
reestablish normalcy. She shatters stereotypes even as she evokes the
tenderness of a mother/son relationship. Offering no easy answers, Woodson
teaches the reader that love can lead to acceptance of all manner of
differences.
25. The Full Spectrum: A New Generation of Writing About Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Other Identities, editors David
Levithan and Billy Merrell (ISBN: 9780375832901) Ages 12+
Teens are more aware of sexuality and identity than ever, and they’re looking
for answers and insights, as well as a community of others. In order to help
create that community, YA authors David Levithan and Billy Merrell have
collected original poems, essays, and stories by young adults in their teens
and early 20s. The Full Spectrum includes a variety of writers—gay, lesbian,
bisexual, straight, transitioning, and questioning—on a variety of subjects:
coming out, family, friendship, religion/faith, first kisses, break-ups, and many
others. This one of a kind collection will, perhaps, help all readers see
themselves and the world around them in ways they might never have
imagined. We have partnered with the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education
Network (GLSEN) and a portion of the proceeds from this book will be
donated to them
26. Girl, (Nearly) 16: Absolute Torture by Sue Limb (ISBN13:
9780385732161) Ages 10+
Just when things were going so well. Jess had the perfect summer planned:
She and Fred, lounging in the park, gazing into one another’s eyes and
engaging in witty repartee. It was going to be so romantic. And then her
maddening mum stepped in: She suddenly announced a two-week “road trip”
to Cornwall to visit Jess’s dad, something Jess might have enjoyed, actually,
were it not for the monstrously bad timing. Not only will this force Jess and
Fred apart for two whole weeks, it will also leave the darling and handsome
Fred in the clutches of Jess’s blindingly beautiful best friend, Flora—who, you
might recall, expressed an interest in Fred not too long ago. As if all this
weren’t enough, Jess’s mum seems to expect her to weep at the grave of
every departed literary hero in Britain’s long history. It’s absolute torture. And
little does Jess know, a huge surprise awaits her when she visits her dad at his
home for the first time in years.
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27. Getting It by Alex Sanchez (ISBN13: 9781416908968) Ages 12+
Fifteen-year-old Carlos Amoroso is a virgin — and he isn't happy about it. He'd
love to hook up with gorgeous Roxy, but she has no idea he's alive. Watching
a TV show one night gives Carlos an idea: What if he got a makeover from Sal,
a senior at his school who's gay? Sal agrees — but only if Carlos helps him
start a Gay-Straight Alliance. Carlos doesn't expect the catch. What are his
friends going to think? And is he ever going to get what he wants?
28. The God Box by Alex Sanchez (ISBN13: 9781416908999) Ages 12+
High school senior Paul has dated Angie since middle school, and they're good
together. They have a lot of the same interests, like singing in their church
choir and being active in Bible club. But when Manuel transfers to their
school, Paul has to rethink his life. Manuel is the first openly gay teen anyone
in their small town has ever met, and yet he says he's also a committed
Christian. Talking to Manuel makes Paul reconsider thoughts he has kept
hidden, and listening to Manuel's interpretation of Biblical passages on
homosexuality causes Paul to reevaluate everything he believed. Manuel's
outspokenness triggers dramatic consequences at school, culminating in a
terrifying situation that leads Paul to take a stand. Lambda Literary Awardwinning author Alex Sanchez tackles a subject ripped from the headlines in
this exciting and thought-provoking exploration of what it means to be both
religious and gay.
29. Good Moon Rising by Nancy Garden (ISBN13: 9780595347674) Ages 12+
Jan begins her senior year of high school not expecting that she will lose the
starring part in the school play, take over as director when her beloved drama
teacher becomes ill, and realize that she is a lesbian.
30. Gravity by Leanne Lieberman (ISBN13: 9781554690497) Ages 12+
Ellie Gold is an orthodox Jewish teenager living in Toronto in the late eighties.
Ellie has no doubts about her strict religious upbringing until she falls in love
with another girl at her grandmother's cottage. Aware that homosexuality
clashes with Jewish observance, Ellie feels forced to either alter her sexuality
or leave her community. Meanwhile, Ellie's mother, Chana, becomes
convinced she has a messianic role to play, and her sister, Neshama, chafes
against the restrictions of her faith. Ellie is afraid there is no way to be both
gay and Jewish, but her mother and sister offer alternative concepts of God
that help Ellie find a place for herself as a queer Jew.
31. Happy Families by Tanita S. Davis (ISBN-13: 9780375969669) Ages 12+
Teenage twins Ysabel and Justin Nicholas are lucky. Ysabel's jewelry designs
have already caught the eyes of the art world and Justin's intelligence and
drive are sure to gain him entrance into the most prestigious of colleges. They
even like their parents. But their father has a secret—one that threatens to
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destroy the twins' happy family and life as they know it. Over the course of
spring break, Ysabel and Justin will be forced to come to terms with their
dad's new life, but can they overcome their fears to piece together their
happy family again?
32. Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger (ISBN13: 9780689841545) Ages 12+
Since his parents' divorce, John's mother hasn't touched him, her new fiancé
wants them to move away, and his father would rather be anywhere than at
Friday night dinner with his son. It's no wonder John writes articles like
"Interview with the Stepfather" and "Memoirs from Hell." The only release he
finds is in homemade zines like the amazing Escape Velocity by Marisol, a selfproclaimed "Puerto Rican Cuban Yankee Lesbian." Hanging around the Boston
Tower Records for the new issue of Escape Velocity, John meets Marisol and a
hard love is born. While at first their friendship is based on zines, dysfuntional
families, and dreams of escape, soon both John and Marisol begin to shed
their protective shells. Unfortunately, John mistakes this growing intimacy for
love, and a disastrous date to his junior prom leaves that friendship in ruins.
Desperately hoping to fix things, John convinces Marisol to come with him to
a zine conference on Cape Cod. On the sandy beaches by the Bluefish Wharf
Inn, John realizes just how hard love can be.
33. Hello, Groin by Beth Goobie (ISBN13: 9781551434599) Ages 12+
When Dylan Kowolski agrees to create a display for her high school library,
she has no idea of the trouble it's going to cause—for the school principal, her
family, her boyfriend Cam and his jock friends, and her best friend Jocelyn.
And for Dylan herself. If only her English class had been studying a normal,
run-of-the-mill, mundane book like Lord of the Flies instead of Foxfire things
wouldn't have gotten so twisted. Then the world wouldn't have gone into
such a massive funk. And then Dylan wouldn't have had to face her deepest
fear and the way she was letting it run her life. Hello, Groin presents a
compelling, realistic and refreshing look at teen sexuality and one girl's
struggle to make the difficult choices that face her.
34. “Hello,” I Lied by M. E. Kerr (ISBN-13: 9780064471930) Ages 12+
When sixteen-year-old Lang has the chance to spend the summer at the ritzy
East Hampton estate of retired rock star Ben Nevada, he's pretty sure that it
will be the summer of a lifetime. But what Lang doesn't expect is that in
addition to hobnobbing with the rich and famous of the rock world, he'll find
himself coming out about his homosexuality to his childhood friends,
reevaluating his relationship with his boyfriend, Alex, and—most surprising of
all—falling in love with a girl. From the award-winning author of Deliver is
From Evie, this is a powerfully moving novel of a young man's struggle to
come to terms with his sexuality, his emotions and ultimately himself.
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35. The House You Pass On the Way by Jacqueline Woodson (ISBN-13:
9780142417065) Ages 12+
Thirteen-year-old Staggerlee used to be called Evangeline, but she took on a
fiercer name. She's always been different--set apart by the tragic deaths of
her grandparents in an anti-civil rights bombing, by her parents' interracial
marriage, and by her family's retreat from the world. This summer she has a
new reason to feel set apart--her confused longing for her friend Hazel. When
cousin Trout comes to stay, she gives Staggerlee a first glimpse of her possible
future selves and the world beyond childhood.
36. If You Believe in Mermaids… Don’t Tell by A. A. Philips (ISBN-13:
9781598583595) Ages 12+
Some things you just can't say, even to your parents. "Dad, did you ever want
to be a mermaid?" Nope. Don't say it. Not if you're a boy. You gotta keep it
inside. Maybe thirteen-year-old Todd Winslow is the best diver at summer
camp. If only diving could save him. Underwater is a much kinder world, a
secret mermaid world that no one else can know about - not Dad, and
definitely not Brad, the camp's numero uno bad boy. Todd tries to fit in,
playing nice with flirty model-wannabe Sylvie and shunning nature-nerd Olivia
- but you can only fool people for so long. Brad is watching every move, ready
to expose all that's different about Todd. Then there's the doll thing. And Dad
finds out. How will Todd survive now?
37. It’s Our Prom (So Deal With It) by Julie Anne Peters (ISBN-13:
9780316131582) Ages 12+
When Azure's principal gives her the chance to turn the school's traditional
(and boring) senior prom into an event that will appeal to everyone, not just
the jocks and cheerleaders, she jumps at the opportunity. Soon Azure
manages to convince her best friends, Luke and Radhika, to join the prom
committee as well. Facing heavy opposition and admittedly clueless about
prom logistics, the three friends are nonetheless determined to succeed — if
Luke's and Azure's secret crushes on Radhika don't push the committee
members, and their friendships, to the breaking point first. Told in two voices
and filled with comical missed connections, It's Our Prom (So Deal With It)
explores the ups and downs of planning an alternative prom — while dealing
with an unrequited crush on your best friend — and shines with National
Book Award finalist Julie Anne Peters's unmistakable wit and insight.
38. King of the Screwups by K. L. Going (ISBN-13: 9780152062583) ages 12+
Liam Geller is Mr. Popularity. Everybody loves him. He excels at sports; he
knows exactly what clothes to wear; he always ends up with the most
beautiful girls in school. But he's got an uncanny ability to screw up in the very
ways that ticks off his father the most. When Liam is finally kicked out of the
house, his father's brother takes him in. What could a teenage chick magnet
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possibly have in common with his gay, glam rocker, DJ uncle who lives in a
trailer in upstate New York? A lot more than you'd think. And when Liam
attempts to make himself over as a nerd in a desperate attempt to impress his
father, it's his "aunt" Pete and the guys in his band who convince Liam there's
much more to him than his father will ever see.
39. Kissing Kate by Lauren Myracle (ISBN-13: 9780142408698) Ages 12+
The kisser is best-friend-since-seventh-grade Lissa. The kiss is no peck on the
cheek, and therein lies the rub. Since the fateful event, Kate has been cold to
her friend. In this first-person narrative, Lissa, hurt and confused, details her
present state of inner turmoil, with frequent flashbacks to the girls' blissful
(pre-kiss) days. To complicate matters, Lissa and her younger sister are being
raised by an uncle (their parents died in a plane crash), and lack the emotional
rudder a maternal figure might have provided. At first Lissa misses Kate
dearly, but gradually, through personal insights derived from some new and
unexpected friendships (and forays into new-age dream therapy), she finds
the strength to confront both Kate and her own sexual identity.
40. Letters in the Attic by Bonnie Shimko (ISBN-13: 9780897335119) Ages
12+
Lizzy McMann, A feisty twelve-year-old, lives with her immature mother and
Manny, her father (she thinks) in a fleabag Phoenix hotel. One night, Manny's
sudden announcement that he wants a divorce forces mother and daughter
to move to upstate New York to live with Lizzy's grandmother and
grandfather--a mixed blessing. At school, Lizzy befriends, then falls in love
with, Eva Singer, who is dyslexic, looks like Natalie Wood and lives right down
the street. Like all girls her age, Lizzy has to deal with her first period, her first
bra and her first boyfriend. But what scares her most is her love for Eva. She is
also concerned with getting a new husband for Mama--especially after
reading Mama's letters that she has found in the attic. Then Eva gets a
boyfriend and Mama's life enters what seems to be a new crisis. . . . How Lizzy
comes to grips with life's strange twists and turns makes fascinating reading
for adults and young readers alike.
41. Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan (ISBN-13: 9780375834684)
Ages 12+
First there is a Before, and then there is an After. . . . The lives of three
teens—Claire, Jasper, and Peter—are altered forever on September 11, 2001.
Claire, a high school junior, has to get to her younger brother in his classroom.
Jasper, a college sophomore from Brooklyn, wakes to his parents’ frantic calls
from Korea, wondering if he’s okay. Peter, a classmate of Claire’s, has to make
his way back to school as everything happens around him. Here are three
teens whose intertwining lives are reshaped by this catastrophic event. As
each gets to know the other, their moments become wound around each
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other’s in a way that leads to new understandings, new friendships, and new
levels of awareness for the world around them and the people close by.
42. Luv Ya Bunches by Lauren Myracle (ISBN-13: 9780810989825) Ages 9+
What do Katie-Rose, Yasaman, Milla, and Violet have in common? Other than
being named after flowers, practically nothing. Katie-Rose is a film director in
training. Yasaman is a computer whiz. Milla is third in command of the A list.
And Violet is the new girl in school. They’re fab girls, all of them, but they sure
aren’t friends. And if evil queen bee Medusa—’scuse me, Modessa—has her
way, they never will be. But this is the beginning of a new school year, when
anything can happen and social worlds can collide . . . Told in Lauren Myracle’s
inventive narrative style—here a fresh mix of instant messages, blog posts,
screenplay, and straight narrative—Luv Ya Bunches has been called “enticing”
by Publishers Weekly and received a starred review from Booklist, which
called it “a fun, challenging, and gently edifying story.”
43. The Manny Files by Christian Burch (ISBN-13: 9781416955344) Ages 9+
“Be interesting.” That's what the manny tells Keats Dalinger the first time he
packs Keats's school lunch, but for Keats that's not always the easiest thing to
do. Even though he's the only boy at home, it always feels like no one ever
remembers him. His sisters are everywhere! Lulu is the smart one, India is the
creative one, and Belly . . . well, Belly is the naked one. And the baby. School
isn't much better. There, he's the shortest kid in the entire class. But now the
manny is the Dalinger's new babysitter, and things are starting to look up. It
seems as though the manny always knows the right thing to do. Not everyone
likes the manny as much as Keats does, however. Lulu finds the manny
embarrassing, and she's started to make a list of all the crazy things that he
does, such as serenading the kids with "La Cucaracha" from the front yard or
wearing underwear on his head or meeting the school bus with Belly, dressed
as limo drivers. Keats is worried. What if Lulu's "Manny Files" makes his
parents fire the manny? Who will teach him how to be interesting then?
44. Marco Impossible by Hannah Moskowitz (ISBN-13: 9781596437210)
Ages 10+
Best friends Stephen and Marco attempt a go-for-broke heist to break into
the high school prom and get Marco onstage to confess his love for (and
hopefully steal the heart of) Benji, the adorable exchange student and bass
player of the prom band.
45. Mermaid in Chelsea Creek by Michelle Tea (ISBN-13: 9781938073366)
Ages 12+
Everyone in the broken-down town of Chelsea, Massachusetts, has a story too
worn to repeat—from the girls who play the pass-out game just to feel like
they're somewhere else, to the packs of aimless teenage boys, to the old
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women from far away who left everything behind. But there’s one story they
all still tell: the oldest and saddest but most hopeful story, the one about the
girl who will be able to take their twisted world and straighten it out. The girl
who will bring the magic. Could Sophie Swankowski be that girl? With her
tangled hair and grubby clothes, her weird habits and her visions of a filthy,
swearing mermaid who comes to her when she’s unconscious, Sophie could
be the one to uncover the power flowing beneath Chelsea’s potholed streets
and sludge-filled rivers, and the one to fight the evil that flows there, too.
Sophie might discover her destiny, and maybe even in time to save them all.
46. The Misfits by James Howe (ISBN-13: 9780689839566) Ages 9-12
Kids who get called the worst names oftentimes find each other. That's how it
was with us. Skeezie Tookis and Addie Carle and Joe Bunch and me. We call
ourselves the Gang of Five, but there are only four of us. We do it to keep
people on their toes. Make 'em wonder. Or maybe we do it because we figure
that there's one more kid out there who's going to need a gang to be a part
of. A misfit, like us. Skeezie, Addie, Joe, and Bobby -- they've been friends
forever. They laugh together, have lunch together, and get together once a
week at the Candy Kitchen to eat ice cream and talk about important issues.
Life isn't always fair, but at least they have each other -- and all they really
want to do is survive the seventh grade. That turns out to be more of a
challenge than any of them had anticipated. Starting with Addie's refusal to
say the Pledge of Allegiance and her insistence on creating a new political
party to run for student council, the Gang of Five is in for the ride of their
lives. Along the way they will learn about politics and popularity, love and
loss, and what it means to be a misfit. After years of getting by, they are given
the chance to stand up and be seen -- not as the one-word jokes their
classmates have tried to reduce them to, but as the full, complicated human
beings they are just beginning to discover they truly are.
47. My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan by Seth Rudetsky (ISBN13:9780375869150) Ages 12+
Justin has two goals for sophomore year: to date Chuck, the hottest boy in
school, and to become the king of Cool U, the table in the cafeteria where the
"in" crowd sits. Unfortunately, he has the wrong look (short, plump, Brillo-pad
curls), he has the wrong interests (Broadway, chorus violin), and he has the
wrong friends (Spencer, into Eastern religions, and Mary Ann, who doesn't
shave her armpits). And Chuck? Well, he's not gay; he's dating Becky, a girl in
chorus with whom Justin is friendly. But Justin is determined. In detention one
day (because he saw Chuck get it first), Justin comes up with a perfect plan: to
allow Becky to continue dating Chuck, whom Becky's dad hates. They will
pretend that Becky is dating Justin, whom Becky's dad loves. And when Becky
and Justin go out on a fake date, Chuck will meet up with them for a real date
with Becky. Chuck's bound to find Justin irresistable, right? What could go
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wrong? Seth Rudetsky's first novel for young adults is endearingly human, and
laugh-out-loud funny, and any kid who ever aspired to Cool U will find Justin a
welcome ally in the fight for popularity.
48. My Heartbeat by Garret Freymann (ISBN13: 9780618141814) Ages 12+
Ellen loves Link and James. Her older brother and his best friend are the only
company she ever wants. She knows they fight, but she makes it a policy
never to take sides. She loves her brother, the math genius and track star. She
is totally, madly in love with James, his face full of long eyelashes and hidden
smiles. “When you grow out of it,” James teases her, “you will break my
heart.” Ellen knows she’ll never outgrow it. She’ll always love James just the
way she’ll always love Link. Then someone at school asks if Link and James
might be in love with each other. A simple question. Link refuses to discuss it.
James refuses to stay friends with a boy so full of secrets. Ellen’s parents want
Link to keep his secrets to himself, but Ellen wants to know who her brother
really is. When is curiosity a betrayal? And if James says he loves her, isn’t that
just another way of saying he still loves Link? My Heartbeat is a fast, furious
story in which a quirky triangle learns to change its shape and Ellen, at least,
learns the limits of what you can ever know about whom you love.
49. My Mixed-Up Berry Blue Summer by Jennifer Gennari (ISBN-13:
9780547577395) Ages 9+
Twelve-year-old June Farrell is sure of one thing—she’s great at making pies—
and she plans to prove it by winning a blue ribbon in the Champlain Valley Fair
pie competition. But a backlash against Vermont’s civil union law threatens
her family’s security and their business. Even when faced with bullying, June
won’t give up on winning the blue ribbon; more importantly, she won’t give
up on her family.
50. My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway
Park by Steve Kluger (ISBN-13: 9780142413432) Ages 12+
Best friends and unofficial brothers since they were six, ninth-graders T.C. and
Augie have got the world figured out. But that all changes when both friends
fall in love for the first time. Enter Alé. She's pretty, sassy, and on her way to
Harvard. T.C. falls hard, but Al‚ is playing hard to get. Meanwhile, Augie
realizes that he's got a crush on a boy. It's not so clear to him, but to his family
and friends, it's totally obvious! Told in alternating perspectives, this is the
hilarious and touching story of their most excellent year, where these three
friends discover love, themselves, and how a little magic and Mary Poppins
can go a long way.
51. Name Me Nobody by Lois-Ann Yamanaka (ISBN-13: 9780786814664)
Ages 12+
A powerful novel of friendship, family, sexuality, and identity from a unique
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voice in fiction in which 13-year-old Emi-Lou struggles with coming of age and
middle school in Hawaii.
52. Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger (ISBN-13: 9781416916222) Teen 12+
Last week I cut my hair, bought some boys' clothes and shoes, wrapped a
large ACE bandage around my chest to flatten my fortunately-not-large
breasts, and began looking for a new name. Angela Katz-McNair has never felt
quite right as a girl. Her whole life is leading up to the day she decides to
become Grady, a guy. While coming out as transgendered feels right to Grady,
he isn't prepared for the reaction he gets from everyone else. His mother is
upset, his younger sister is mortified, and his best friend, Eve, won't
acknowledge him in public. Why can't people just let Grady be himself?
Grady's life is miserable until he finds friends in some unexpected places -- like
the school geek, Sebastian, who explains that there is precedent in the natural
world (parrotfish change gender when they need to, and the newly male fish
are the alpha males), and Kita, a senior who might just be Grady's first love.
From acclaimed writer Ellen Wittlinger, this is the groundbreaking story of one
teen's search for self and his struggle for acceptance.
53. The Popularity Papers: Research for the Social Improvement and
General Betterment of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang by Amy
Ignatow (ISBN-13: 9780810997233) Ages 9+
Lydia and Julie are best friends with one goal: to crack the code of popularity.
Lydia’s the bold one: aspiring theater star, stick-fighting enthusiast, and
human guinea pig. Julie’s the shy one: observer and artist, accidental field
hockey jock, and faithful recorder. In this notebook they write down their
observations and carry out experiments to try to determine what makes the
popular girls tick. But somehow, the harder Lydia and Julie try to imitate the
popular girls, the farther they get from their goal—and each other. Amy
Ignatow understands friendship and the fifth grade, and she knows just how
to wring humor out of ordinary and extraordinary moments.
54. Proxy by Alex London (ISBN-13: 9780399257766) Ages 12+
Knox was born into one of the City's wealthiest families. A Patron, he has
everything a boy could possibly want—the latest tech, the coolest clothes,
and a Proxy to take all his punishments. When Knox breaks a vase, Syd is
beaten. When Knox plays a practical joke, Syd is forced to haul rocks. And
when Knox crashes a car, killing one of his friends, Syd is branded and
sentenced to death. Syd is a Proxy. His life is not his own. Then again, neither
is Knox’s. Knox and Syd have more in common than either would guess. So
when Knox and Syd realize that the only way to beat the system is to save
each other, they flee. Yet Knox’s father is no ordinary Patron, and Syd is no
ordinary Proxy. The ensuing cross-country chase will uncover a secret society
of rebels, test both boys’ resolve, and shine a blinding light onto a world of
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those who owe and those who pay. Some debts, it turns out, cannot be
repaid.
55. Rainbow Boys (Rainbow Trilogy Series Book 1) (ISBN-13:
9780689857706) Ages 12+
Jason Carrillo is a jock with a steady girlfriend, but he can't stop dreaming
about sex...with other guys. Kyle Meeks doesn't look gay, but he is. And he
hopes he never has to tell anyone — especially his parents. Nelson Glassman
is "out" to the entire world, but he can't tell the boy he loves that he wants to
be more than just friends. Three teenage boys, coming of age and out of the
closet. In a revealing debut novel that percolates with passion and wit, Alex
Sanchez follows these very different high-school seniors as their struggles
with sexuality and intolerance draw them into a triangle of love, betrayal, and
ultimately, friendship.
56. The Realm of Possibility by David Levithan (ISBN-13: 9780375836572)
Ages 12+
One school. Twenty voices. Endless possibilities. There's the girl who is in love
with Holden Caulfield. The boy who wants to be strong who falls for the girl
who's convinced she needs to be weak. The girl who writes love songs for a
girl she can't have. The two boys teetering on the brink of their first
anniversary. And everyone in between. As he did in the highly acclaimed Boy
Meets Boy, David Levithan gives us a world of unforgettable voices that
readers will want to visit again and again. It's the realm of possibility open to
us all - where love, joy, and the stories we tell will linger
57. Riding Freedom by Pam Munoz Ryan (ISBN-13: 9780439087964) Ages 8+
In this fast-paced, courageous, and inspiring story, readers adventure with
Charlotte Parkhurst as she first finds work as a stable hand, becomes a famous
stage-coach driver (performing brave feats and outwitting bandits), finds love
as a woman but later resumes her identity as a man after the loss of a baby
and the tragic death of her husband, and ultimately settles out west on the
farm she'd dreamed of having since childhood. It wasn't until after her death
that anyone discovered she was a woman.
58. Runaways (Marvel Comics) by Brian K. Vaughan Ages 12+
All young people believe their parents are evil … but what if they really are?
Meet Alex, Karolina, Gert, Chase, Molly and Nico – whose lives are about to
take an unexpected turn. When these six young friends discover their parents
are all secretly super-powered villains, the shocked teens find strength in one
another. Together, they run away from home and straight into the adventure
of their lives – vowing to turn the tables on their evil legacy.
59. See You at Harry’s by Jo Knowles (ISBN-13: 9780763664558) Ages 10+
Twelve-year-old Fern feels invisible. It seems as though everyone in her family
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has better things to do than pay attention to her: Mom (when she’s not
meditating) helps Dad run the family restaurant; Sarah is taking a gap year
after high school; and Holden pretends that Mom and Dad and everyone else
doesn’t know he’s gay, even as he fends off bullies at school. Then there’s
Charlie: three years old, a "surprise" baby, the center of everyone’s world.
He’s devoted to Fern, but he’s annoying, too, always getting his way, always
dirty, always commanding attention. If it wasn’t for Ran, Fern’s calm and
positive best friend, there’d be nowhere to turn. Ran’s mantra, "All will be
well," is soothing in a way that nothing else seems to be. And when Ran says
it, Fern can almost believe it’s true. But then tragedy strikes- and Fern feels
not only more alone than ever, but also responsible for the accident that has
wrenched her family apart. All will not be well. Or at least all will never be the
same.
60. Seidman by James Erich (ISBN-13: 9781613725764) Ages 12+
In Viking Age Iceland, where boys are expected to grow into strong farmers
and skilled warriors, there is little place for a sickly twelve-year-old boy like
Kol until he catches the eye of a seið-woman-a sorceress-and becomes her
apprentice. Kol travels to the sorceress's home, where her grandson,
Thorbrand, takes Kol under his wing. Before long Kol discovers something else
about himself that is different-something else that sets him apart as unmanly:
Kol has fallen in love with another boy. But the world is changing in ways that
threaten those who practice the ancient arts. As Kol's new life takes him
across the Norse lands, he finds that a new religion is sweeping through them,
and King Olaf Tryggvason is hunting down and executing sorcerers. When a
decades-old feud forces Thorbrand to choose between Kol and his duty to his
kinsman, Kol finds himself cast adrift with only the cryptic messages of an
ancient goddess to guide him to his destiny-and possibly to his death.
61. Silhouette of a Sparrow by Molly Beth Griffin (ISBN-13: 9781571317018)
Ages 12+
Growing up in the 1920s, sixteen-year-old Garnet Richardson envies the birds
outside her window. Her mother does not approve of Garnet climbing trees to
peer into nests or any other such un-ladylike behavior. She has Garnet’s life all
planned out: after finishing high school, she’ll marry and tend to the home.
But when Garnet is sent away for the summer to stay with relatives in the
lakeside resort town of Excelsior, Minnesota, she finds a chance to spread her
wings. A newly built amusement park and roaring dance hall beckon, and her
explorations land her where she least expects—in a growing relationship with
a beautiful and daring flapper, Isabella. So begins the most important summer
of Garnet’s life. Caught between her family’s expectations and her own
newfound passions, she must decide whose dreams to follow. Can she seize
the freedom she so admires in birds?
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62. The Sin-Eater’s Confession by Ilsa J. Bick (ISBN-13: 9780761356875) Ages
13+
People in Merit, Wisconsin, always said Jimmy was . . . you know. But people
said all sorts of stupid stuff. Nobody really knew anything. Nobody really knew
Jimmy. I guess you could say I knew Jimmy as well as anyone (which was not
very well). I knew what scared him. And I knew he had dreams—even if I
didn't understand them. Even if he nearly ruined my life to pursue them.
Jimmy's dead now, and I definitely know that better than anyone. I know
about blood and bone and how bodies decompose. I know about shadows
and stones and hatchets. I know what a last cry for help sounds like. I know
what blood looks like on my own hands. What I don't know is if I can trust my
own eyes. I don't know who threw the stone. Who swung the hatchet? Who
are the shadows? What do the living owe the dead?
63. So Hard to Say by Alex Sanchez (ISBN13: 9781416911890) Ages 12+
When Frederick shows up at school, Xio is thrilled. The new boy is shy, cute,
and definitely good boyfriend material. Before long, she pulls him into her
lively circle of friends. Frederick knows he should be flattered by Xio's
attention. After all, she's popular, pretty, and a lot of fun. So why can't he stop
thinking about Victor, the captain of the soccer team, instead? Thirteen-yearold Xio, a Mexican American girl, and Frederick, who has just moved to
California from Wisconsin, quickly become close friends, but when Xio starts
thinking of Frederick as her boyfriend, he must confront his feelings of
confusion and face the fear that he might be gay.
64. Tessa Masterson Will go to Prom by Emily Franklin (ISBN-13:
9780802723598) Ages 12+
Lucas and Tessa have always had a close friendship. So it's no surprise when
Lucas finally realizes his true feeling for Tessa and he asks her to Prom. What
no one expected, especially Lucas, was for Tessa to come out as a lesbian-or
for Tessa's decision to wear a tuxedo and escort her female crush to Prom, to
spark a firestorm of controversy. Humiliated and confused, Lucas must decide
if he should stand on the sidelines or if he should stand by his friend to make
sure that Tessa Masterson will go to Prom.
65. Totally Joe by James Howe (ISBN-13: 9780689839580) Ages 9+
As a school assignment, a thirteen-year-old boy writes an alphabiography--life
from A to Z--and explores issues of friendship, family, school, and the
challenges of being a gay teenager.
66. Twelve Days in August by Liza Ketchum (ISBN-13:9780380723539) Ages
12+
For 16-year-old Todd O'Conner, the summer has been relatively carefree,
what with sexy Kai for a girlfriend and an auspicious year ahead playing varsity
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soccer. But upsets occur when Alex and his beautiful twin, Rita, move to
Todd's Vermont town. Todd's attracted to Rita--and Kai notices. Meanwhile,
Alex turns out to be a star soccer player--and another teammate, Randy, up to
now the coach's favorite, gets nervous about his own position and decides to
blackball Alex. Randy says Alex is a ``faggot'' and that ``anyone who even looks
at Alex is a fag.'' Todd, like the others on the team, follows Randy's lead, albeit
with misgivings. Eventually, though, he concludes that Alex really is gay and
avoids him, because ``being gay is weird.'' Then the (unsurprising) truth about
a favorite uncle emerges, and Todd reexamines his prejudices.
67. Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan (ISBN-13: 9780307931900) Ages 12+
New York Times bestselling author David Levithan tells the based-on-trueevents story of Harry and Craig, two 17-year-olds who are about to take part
in a 32-hour marathon of kissing to set a new Guinness World Record—all of
which is narrated by a Greek Chorus of the generation of gay men lost to
AIDS. While the two increasingly dehydrated and sleep-deprived boys are
locking lips, they become a focal point in the lives of other teen boys dealing
with languishing long-term relationships, coming out, navigating gender
identity, and falling deeper into the digital rabbit hole of gay hookup sites—all
while the kissing former couple tries to figure out their own feelings for each
other. This follow-up to the bestselling Every Day showcases David's
trademark sharp-witted, warm-hearted tales of teenage love, and serves as a
perfect thematic bookend to David's YA debut and breakthrough, Boy Meets
Boy, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2013.
68. Way to Go by Tom Ryan (ISBN-13: 9781459800779) Ages 12+
Danny thinks he must be the only seventeen-year-old guy in Cape Breton—in
Nova Scotia, maybe—who doesn't have his life figured out. His buddy Kierce
has a rule for every occasion, and his best friend Jay has bad grades, no plans
and no worries. Danny's dad nags him about his post-high-school plans, his
friends bug him about girls and a run-in with the cops means he has to get a
summer job. Worst of all, he's keeping a secret that could ruin everything.
69. Whistle Me Home by Barbara Wersba (ISBN-13: 9780805048506) Ages
12+
Noli is in love with TJ -- she has been for the past five months and probably
will be for the rest of her life. But now all she can do is avoid him, leave his
letters unanswered, and his presents ignored. Noli has felt more for TJ than
she may ever feel for anyone. But staying away from him is the most
courageous thing she has ever attempted. This is not a simple tale of teenage
love but instead a story about the secrets we hide, the lies we tell -- even to
ourselves -- and the hard choices that make us human. Seventeen-year-old
Noli feels as if she has found her soul mate when handsome, sensitive TJ
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moves to Sag Harbor, but even as their feelings deepen, individual secrets
threaten their relationship.
70. Winger by Andrew Smith (ISBN-13: 9781442444928) Ages 12+
A teen at boarding school grapples with life, love, and rugby in a
heartbreakingly funny novel. Ryan Dean West is a fourteen-year-old junior at
a boarding school for rich kids. He’s living in Opportunity Hall, the dorm for
troublemakers, and rooming with the biggest bully on the rugby team. And
he’s madly in love with his best friend Annie, who thinks of him as a little boy.
With the help of his sense of humor, rugby buddies, and his penchant for
doodling comics, Ryan Dean manages to survive life’s complications and even
find some happiness along the way. But when the unthinkable happens, he
has to figure out how to hold on to what’s important, even when it feels like
everything has fallen apart. Filled with hand-drawn infographics and
illustrations and told in a pitch-perfect voice, this realistic depiction of a teen’s
experience strikes an exceptional balance of hilarious and heartbreaking.
71. Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey (ISBN-13: 9780738725956) Ages 12+
Braden's witch eyes give him an enormous power. A mere look causes a
kaleidoscopic explosion of emotions, memories, darkness, and magic. But this
rare gift is also his biggest curse. Compelled to learn about his shadowed past
and the family he never knew, Braden is drawn to the city of Belle Dam,
where he is soon caught between two feuding witch dynasties. Sworn rivals
Catherine Lansing and Jason Thorpe will use anything—lies, manipulation,
illusion, and even murder—to seize control of Braden's powers. To stop an
ancient evil from destroying the town, Braden must master his gift, even
through the shocking discovery that Jason is his father. While his feelings for
an enigmatic boy named Trey grow deeper, Braden realizes a terrible truth:
Trey is Catherine Lansing's son . . . and Braden may be destined to kill him.
72. The Year They Burned the Books by Nancy Garden (ISBN-13:
9780374386672) Ages 12+
When Wilson High Telegraph editor Jamie Crawford writes an opinion piece in
support of the new sex-ed curriculum, which includes making condoms
available to high school students, she has no idea that a huge controversy is
brewing. Lisa Buel, a school board member, is trying to get rid of the health
program, which she considers morally flawed, from its textbooks to its
recommendations for outside reading. The newspaper staff find themselves in
the center of the storm, and things are complicated by the fact that Jamie is in
the process of coming to terms with being gay, and her best friend, Terry, also
gay, has fallen in love with a boy whose parents are anti-homosexual. As
Jamie's and Terry's sexual orientation becomes more obvious to other
students, it looks as if the paper they're fighting to keep alive and honest is
going to be taken away from them. Nancy Garden has depicted a
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contemporary battleground in a novel that probes deep into issues of
censorship, prejudice, and ethics. While trying to come to terms with her own
lesbian feelings, Jamie, a high-school senior and editor of the school
newspaper, finds herself in the middle of a battle with a group of
townspeople over the new health education curriculum.
C. Fiction: High School and Up
1. 37 Things I Love (In No Particular Order) by Kekla Magoon (ISBN-13:
9780805094657) Ages 14+
Ellis only has four days of her sophomore year left, and summer is so close
that she can almost taste it. But even with vacation just within reach, Ellis isn’t
exactly relaxed. Her father has been in a coma for years, the result of a
construction accident, and her already-fragile relationship with her mother is
strained over whether or not to remove him from life support. Her best friend
fails even to notice that anything is wrong and Ellis feels like her world is
falling apart. But when all seems bleak, Ellis finds comfort in the most
unexpected places. Life goes on, but in those four fleeting days friends are lost
and found, promises are made, and Ellis realizes that nothing will ever quite
be the same.
2. A + E 4ever by Ilike Merey (ISBN-13: 9781590213902) Ages 15+
Asher Machnik is a teenage boy cursed with a beautiful androgynous face.
Guys punch him, girls slag him and by high school he's developed an intense
fear of being touched. Art remains his only escape from an otherwise
emotionally empty life. Eulalie Mason is the lonely, tough-talking dyke from
school who befriends Ash. The only one to see and accept all of his sides as a
loner, a fellow artist and a best friend, she's starting to wonder if ash is ever
going to see all of her.... a + e 4EVER is a graphic novel set in that ambiguous
crossroads where love and friendship, boy and girl, straight and gay meet. It
goes where few books have ventured, into genderqueer life, where affections
aren't black and white.
3. Adaptation by Malinda Lo (ISBN-13: 9780316197960) Ages 15+
Across North America, flocks of birds hurl themselves into airplanes, causing
at least a dozen to crash. Thousands of people die. Fearing terrorism, the
United States government grounds all flights, and millions of travelers are
stranded. Among them are Reese and her debate team partner and longtime
crush David, who are in Arizona when the disaster occurs. On their drive home
to San Francisco, along a stretch of empty highway in the middle of the
Nevada night, a bird flies into their headlights. The car flips over. When they
wake up in a military hospital, the doctor won't tell them what happened,
where they are--or how they've been miraculously healed. Things become
even stranger when Reese returns home. San Francisco feels like a different
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place with police enforcing curfew, hazmat teams collecting dead birds, and a
strange presence that seems to be following her. When Reese unexpectedly
collides with the beautiful Amber Gray, her search for the truth is forced in an
entirely new direction-and threatens to expose a vast global conspiracy that
the government has worked for decades to keep secret.
4. Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher (ISBN-13: 9780385736640) Teens 14+
Logan Witherspoon recently discovered that his girlfriend of three years
cheated on him. But things start to look up when a new student breezes
through the halls of his small-town high school. Sage Hendricks befriends
Logan at a time when he no longer trusts or believes in people. Sage has been
homeschooled for a number of years and her parents have forbidden her to
date anyone, but she won’t tell Logan why. One day, Logan acts on his
growing feelings for Sage. Moments later, he wishes he never had. Sage finally
discloses her big secret: she’s actually a boy. Enraged, frightened, and feeling
betrayed, Logan lashes out at Sage and disowns her. But once Logan comes to
terms with what happened, he reaches out to Sage in an attempt to
understand her situation. But Logan has no idea how rocky the road back to
friendship will be.
5. Am I Blue? Coming Out from the Silence (ISBN-13: 9780064405874)
Original stories by C. S. Adler, Marion Dane Bauer, Francesca Lia Block, Bruce
Coville, Nancy Garden, James Cross Giblin, Ellen Howard, M. E. Kerr, Jonathan
London, Lois Lowry, Gregory Maguire, LeslEa Newman, Cristina Salat, William
Sleator, Jacqueline Woodson, and Jane Yolen. Each of these stories is original,
each is by a noted author for young adults, and each honestly portrays its
subject and theme--growing up gay or lesbian, or with gay or lesbian parents
or friends.
6. Another Kind of Cowboy by Susan Juby (ISBN-13: 9780060765170) Ages
14+
For Alex Ford, dressage is an oasis. In the stable, he can slip into his riding
pants, shed the macho cowboy image, and feel like himself for a change. For
Cleo O'Shea, dressage is a fresh start. She's got a new boarding school,
absentee parents, and, best of all, no one to remember her past. They're an
unlikely pair. Cleo's looking for love, but Alex has a secret he's not ready to
give up, and a flirtation with Cleo is the last thing on his mind. But you can't
find romance before you know real friendship, and sometimes the last person
you'd ever think of as a friend ends up being the one you need the most.
Susan Juby's trademark humor brings life and laughter to this remarkable
story of relationships, mixed signals, and the soul-searching that sometimes
takes two.
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7. The Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge (ISBN-13: 9780763626952) Ages 14+
From the moment sixteen-year-old Billy steps off the train in Tucson, he
knows this will be a summer unlike any he's seen in small-town Bradleyville,
Missouri. For starters, he's staying with his cool gay uncle, who has managed
to get him a job at the racetrack caring for horses. Still, Billy doesn't expect
the horseracing world to be quite as rough and tumble as this — toiling side
by side with a macho survivalist and falling hard for the feisty, romance-shy
"exercise girl" Cara Mae. With his trademark fast-paced dialogue filled with
wit and compassion, Ron Koertge tells the tale of an insecure teen who
discovers that gaining stature involves more than Stetsons and boots — and
that lessons on love and manhood come from the places you least expect.
8. Ash by Malinda Lo (ISBN13: 9780316040099) Ages 14+
In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel
stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying
hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams,
someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she
meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may
be granted The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart
begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa.
Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash's
capacity for love-and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash
for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true
love. Entrancing, empowering, and romantic, Ash is about the connection
between life and love, and solitude and death, where transformation can
come from even the deepest grief.
9. Ask the Passengers by A.S. King (ISBN-13: 9780316194686) Ages 15+
Astrid Jones desperately wants to confide in someone, but her mother's
pushiness and her father's lack of interest tell her they're the last people she
can trust. Instead, Astrid spends hours lying on the backyard picnic table
watching airplanes fly overhead. She doesn't know the passengers inside, but
they're the only people who won't judge her when she asks them her most
personal questions . . . like what it means that she's falling in love with a
girl.As her secret relationship becomes more intense and her friends demand
answers, Astrid has nowhere left to turn. She can't share the truth with
anyone except the people at thirty thousand feet, and they don't even know
she's there. But little does Astrid know just how much even the tiniest
connection will affect these strangers' lives--and her own--for the better. In
this truly original portrayal of a girl struggling to break free of society's
definitions, Printz Honor author A.S. King asks readers to question everything-and offers hope to those who will never stop seeking real love.
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10. Banshee by Hayden Thorne (ISBN-13: 9781603703505) Ages 16+
Nathaniel, or Natty as his family calls him, is a young man at a crossroads. His
mother wants him to spend time with her family, far better off than his father,
who is a poor vicar. His father would rather he do just about anything else,
and his cousins have no interest in getting to know him. So what's a young
man with very few prospects to do? When Natty meets Miles Lovell, a
sophisticated friend of his cousin, he thinks he's found something worth his
while. During their long visit together, Natty discovers things about himself
that he never expected, and manages to acquire a ghostly companion, as well.
Haunted by a faceless woman, who seems to appear when he's at his
weakest, Natty struggles with his own nature, and with his family's increasing
difficulties. His mother is distant, hiding things from him as she never has, and
his father is growing old and tired before his eyes. While Natty tries to find his
place in the world, his childhood is crumbling around him, and he becomes
more and more convinced that his persistent spirit is a harbinger of doom.
Caught in a web of deceit and desperation, Natty must decide whether he will
let his life be ruled by others, or if he can make his way on his own, or if the
family banshee will bring about his ruin.
11. Becoming Alec by Darwin Ward (ISBN-13: 978-0615174686) Ages 14+
Alec always thought she was a lesbian. She got thrown out of her house for it
as a teenager, in fact. But when she moves to Chicago she begins a journey of
self- discovery that leads to a place that she never imagined possible. She
discovers that she isn't a lesbian at all....but a straight man.
12. Becoming Chloe by Catherine Ryan Hyde (ISBN13: 9780375832581) Ages
14+
Meet Jordy. He’s on his own in New York City. Nobody to depend on; nobody
depending on him. And it’s been working fine. Until this girl comes along.
She’s 18 and blond and pretty–her world should be perfect. But she’s seen
things no one should ever see in their whole life–the kind of things that break
a person. She doesn’t seem broken, though. She seems . . . innocent. Like she
doesn’t know a whole lot. Only sometimes she does. The one thing she knows
for sure is that the world is an ugly place. Now her life may depend on Jordy
proving her wrong. So they hit the road to discover the truth–and there’s no
going back from what they find out. This deeply felt, redemptive novel reveals
both the dark corners and hidden joys of life’s journey–and the remarkable
resilience of the human soul.
13. Being Emily by Rachel Gold (ISBN-13: 9781594932830)
They say that whoever you are it’s okay, you were born that way. Those
words don’t comfort Emily, because she was born Christopher and her insides
know that her outsides are all wrong. They say that it gets better, be who you
are and it’ll be fine. For Emily, telling her parents who she really is means a
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therapist who insists Christopher is normal and Emily is sick. Telling her
girlfriend means lectures about how God doesn’t make that kind of mistake.
Emily desperately wants high school in her small Minnesota town to get
better. She wants to be the woman she knows is inside, but it’s not until a
substitute therapist and a girl named Natalie come into her life that she
believes she has a chance of actually Being Emily. A story for anyone who has
ever felt that the inside and outside don’t match and no one else will
understand...
14. The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson (ISBN13: 9781595141552)
Ages 14+
It is the summer before their senior year in Saratoga Springs, NY. At first,
organized, serious Nina has trouble adjusting to her leadership workshop at
Stanford University. Although she desperately misses Avery and Mel, who are
waitresses at a restaurant back home, she quickly falls head over heels for
eco-warrior Steve, who has grown up in a commune on the West Coast–so
different from Nina's secure middle-class experience. When she returns to
New York, she immediately senses that Mel and Avery are keeping secrets and
soon discovers that they have become lovers. Rocked to the core, Nina wishes
them happiness, but feels excluded and lonely, especially as her long-distance
relationship begins to deteriorate. As is typical for teens, the girls obsess ad
nauseam over their romantic relationships. Yet this narrow focus lends
authenticity to the narrative, and readers become drawn into the characters'
lives as they stumble toward adulthood, fall in and out of love, enlarge their
circle of friends, and rethink their values. The friendship of three high school
girls and their relationships with their friends and families are tested when
two of them fall in love with each other.
15. Boy Girl Boy by Ron Koertge (ISBN-13: 9780152058654) Ages 14+
Larry, Teresa, and Elliot are so tight, there's no room in their circle for more
than three: boy, girl, boy. And when they graduate, they plan to move to
California to start their real lives—together. But who are they fooling? Larry is
gay and trying to come to terms with his sexuality. Teresa is tired of hanging
out with boys she loves who don't want to be her boyfriend. And Elliot is
realizing that he may like himself more if he isn't always in the shadow of his
friends. This is a wry, surprising, and insightful story about three best friends
who each learn how tough it is to be yourself.
16. Boys of Summer by Steve Berman (ISBN-13: 9781602826632) Ages 14+
Walt Whitman referred to a "Mad, naked, Summer Night!" In the pages of
Boys of Summer, acclaimed editor Steve Berman's latest anthology, talented
authors and fresh voices reveal the allure and excitement of the season for
gay teens. June always promises romance. July entices with its raw heat, and
August offers a languid fire that will burn out before autumn's approach.
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These are stories of young love and adventure, when the sky's ceiling is a
bright blue marvel, when another boy's laughter at the beach can distract
from dull summer jobs.
17. Brave New World: 13 Dystopian Tales of Desire by Paula Guran (ISBN13: 9780762442201) Ages 14+
Young love has always had its challenges, but even so, the world falling apart
at its seams is a pretty big obstacle. This stellar collection of YA dystopian
tales explores survival of the fittest in terms of love, passion, and humanity.
When the survival of the human race is at stake, what will it take for the bond
between two people to hold strong together? Featuring some of the most
well known and best-selling names of the dystopian genre, as well as the
hottest up-and-coming authors, this anthology includes works from Jeanne
DuPrau (City of Ember), Kiera Cass (The Selection), William Sleator (Interstellar
Pig), Jesse Karp (Those That Wake), Diana Peterfreund (Secret Society Girl),
Carrie Vaughn (The Kitty Norville Series), and Carrie Ryan (New York Times
bestseller The Forest of Hands and Teeth).
18. Breathing Underwater by Lu Vickers (ISBN13: 9781555839642) Ages 14+
In 1970s Chattahoochee, Florida, where the main employer is a mental
institution, it’s sink or swim for Lily. When her mama, a former beauty queen
who once dreamt of being Miss Florida, takes Lily and her siblings fishing one
morning, Lily nearly drowns while her mother looks on, “weighing her gains
against her losses.” Lily proves to be a survivor, which she will need to prove
again and again, as she struggles to stay afloat amidst her mother’s slow
mental deterioration, her first love, and her quest to come to terms with who
she is and what she wants from this crazy world. With lyrical prose, Lu Vickers
gives voice to Lily’s inner soul, and in turn reveals how universal our needs
and desires are.
19. Brooklyn, Burning by Steven Brezenoff (ISBN-13: 9780761375265) Ages
14+
When you're sixteen and no one understands who you are, sometimes the
only choice left is to run. If you're lucky, you find a place that accepts you, no
questions asked. And if you're really lucky, that place has a drum set, a place
to practice, and a place to sleep. For Kid, the streets of Greenpoint, Brooklyn,
are that place. Over the course of two scorching summers, Kid falls hopelessly
in love and then loses nearly everything and everyone worth caring about. But
as summer draws to a close, Kid finally finds someone who can last beyond
the sunset. Brooklyn, Burning is a fearless and unconventional love story.
Brezenoff never identifies the gender of his two main characters, and readers
will draw their own conclusions about Kid and Scout. Whatever they decide,
Brooklyn, Burning is not a book any teen reader will soon forget. Brooklyn,
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Burning is the story of two summers in Brooklyn, two summers of fires, music,
loss, and ultimately, love.
20. The Center of the World by Andreas Steinhofel (ISBN13:
9780307482716) Ages 14+
Seventeen-year-old Phil has felt like an outsider as long as he can remember.
All Phil has ever known about his father is that he was Number Three on his
mother’s long list—third in a series of affairs that have set Phil’s family even
further apart from the critical townspeople across the river. As for his own
sexuality, Phil doesn’t care what the neighbors will think; he’s just waiting for
the right guy to come along. But Phil can’t remain a bystander forever. Not
when he’s surrounded by his mother, Glass, who lives by her own rules and
urges Phil to be equally strong; his sister, Dianne, who is abrupt and willful,
with secrets to share; his uncle Gable, a restless mariner, defined by his scars;
his best friend, Kat, who is generous but possessive. And finally, there is
distant Nicholas, with whom Phil falls overwhelmingly in love—until he faces
the ultimate betrayal and must finally find his worth . . . and place in the
world.
21. The Children’s Hour by Lillian Hellman (ISBN-13: 9781419123924) Older
teens
One of the great successes of this distinguished writer. A serious adult play
about two women who run a school for girls. A malicious youngster, trying to
protect herself, starts an entirely unfounded rumor about the two women.
When the young girl sees the rumor turn to scandal, she understands the
power she wields and sticks by her story, which eventually precipitates
tragedy for the women. Later it is discovered that the gossip was pure
invention, but by that time, irreparable damage has been done.
22. Coda by Emma Trevayne (ISBN-13: 9780762447282) Ages 14+
Ever since he was a young boy, music has coursed through the veins of
eighteen-year-old Anthem—the Corp has certainly seen to that. By encoding
music with addictive and mind-altering elements, the Corp holds control over
all citizens, particularly conduits like Anthem, whose life energy feeds the
main power in the Grid. Anthem finds hope and comfort in the twin siblings
he cares for, even as he watches the life drain slowly and painfully from his
father. Escape is found in his underground rock band, where music sounds
free, clear, and unencoded deep in an abandoned basement. But when a band
member dies suspiciously from a tracking overdose, Anthem knows that his
time has suddenly become limited. Revolution all but sings in the air, and
Anthem cannot help but answer the call with the chords of choice and free
will. But will the girl he loves help or hinder him?
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23. Coffee Will Make You Black by April Sinclair (ISBN-13: 9780380724598)
Set on Chicago's Southside in the mid-to-late 60s, Coffee Will Make You Black
is the moving and entertaining tale of Jean "Stevie" Stevenson, a young black
woman growing up through the Civil Rights and Black Power movements. The
novel opens at a time when, for black families, seeing a black person on
television was an event; when expressions like "I don't want nothing black but
a Cadillac" and "Coffee will make you black" were handed down from one
generation to the next without comment. Stevie is a bookworm, yet she longs
to fit in with the cool crowd. Fighting her mother every step of the way, she
begins to experiment with talkin' trash, "kicking butt, " and boys. With the
assassination of Dr. King she gains a new political awareness, which makes her
decide to wear her hair in a 'fro instead of straightened, to refuse to use skin
bleach, and to confront the prejudice she observes in blacks as well as whites.
April Sinclair writes frankly about a young black woman's sexuality, and about
the confusion Stevie faces when she realizes she's more attracted to the
school nurse - who is white - than her teenage boyfriend. As readers follow
Stevie's at times harrowing, at times hilarious story, they will learn what it was
like to be black before black was beautiful.
24. Collide by J. R. Lenk (ISBN-13: 9781613724736) Ages 14+
Being bisexual is cool now-unless you're a boy. Or so it seems to invisible
fifteen-year-old Hazard James. But when he falls in with bad apple Jesse
Wesley, Hazard is suddenly shoved into the spotlight. Jesse and his friends
introduce him to the underworld of teenage life: house parties, hangovers,
the advantages of empty homes, and reputation by association. So what if his
old friends don't get it? So what if some people love to hate him? Screw
gossip and high school's secret rules. There's just something about walking
into a room and having all eyes on him when just last year nobody noticed
him at all. For a while Hazard basks in the attention, and before he realizes
the depth of the waters he's wading, he and Jesse strike up a "friends with
benefits" routine. It could be something more, but what self-respecting
teenage boy would admit it? Not Jesse-and so not Hazard, either. Not until it's
too late. Hazard and Jesse have collided, and Hazard's life will never be the
same.
25. Crashing America: A Novel by Katia Noyes (ISBN13: 978155839116)
Ages 14+
When her best friend dies, Girl, the 17-year-old street-punk narrator of
Crashing America, leaves San Francisco for the heartland in search of a place
where she can breathe again. Torn between her innate restlessness, an
overwhelming longing for a sense of home, and a desperate fear of impending
death, Girl seeks to link herself to almost anyone she crosses paths with: a
bored housewife in Salt Lake City casting a net for illicit thrills, a born-again
Christian punk rocker and his girlfriend, a teenage waitress in a small town
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with a horizon so endless Girl is terrified to leave her hotel room. On a farm in
Nebraska with her old friend Randa, Randa’s boyfriend Bill, and Bill’s extended
family, Girl finds something that seems awfully close to what she is seeking.
But as the harvest progresses, what at first looked like salvation becomes
something darker, and Girl hits the road in a stolen car headed for Memphis
and one last chance for survival. Katia Noyes’ brave debut is a story about
seeking the still point in an ever-turning world. With hell-bent accuracy, Noyes
spins a tale about the forgotten people at the heart of America as revealing as
an impromptu detour off an interstate highway.
26. Crossing Lines by Paul Volponi (ISBN-13: 9780670012145) Ages 14+
Adonis is a jock. He's on the football team and he's dating one of the prettiest
girls in school. Alan is the new kid. He wears lipstick and joins the Fashion
Club. Soon enough the football team is out to get him. Adonis is glad to go
along with his teammates . . . until they come up with a dangerous plan to
humiliate Alan. Now Adonis must decide whether he wants to be a guy who
follows the herd or a man who does what's right. From critically acclaimed
author Paul Volponi comes this discussable and finely wrought story of bullies,
victims, and the bystanders caught in between.
27. Cycler by Lauren McLaughlin (ISBN-13: 9780375851919) Ages 14+
As far as anyone at her high school knows, Jill McTeague is an average smart
girl trying to get her dream date to ask her to the prom. But what no one
knows, except for Jill’s mom and dad, is that for the four days Jill is out of
school each month, she is not Jill at all. She is Jack, a genuine boy—complete
with all the parts—who lives his four days of the cycle in the solitude of Jill’s
room. But Jack’s personality has been building over the years since the cycling
began. He is growing less and less content with his confinement and his cycles
are more frequent. Now Jill’s question about prom isn’t about who she will go
with, but who will she be when the big night arrives?
28. The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer (ISBN13: 9781461179931) Ages 14+
Three thousand years ago, a god told a lie. Now, only a goddess can tell the
truth. Persephone has everything a daughter of Zeus could want--except for
freedom. She lives on the green earth with her mother, Demeter, growing up
beneath the ever-watchful eyes of the gods and goddesses on Mount
Olympus. But when Persephone meets the enigmatic Hades, she experiences
something new: choice. Zeus calls Hades "lord" of the dead as a joke. In truth,
Hades is the goddess of the underworld, and no friend of Zeus. She offers
Persephone sanctuary in her land of the dead, so the young goddess may
escape her Olympian destiny. But Persephone finds more than freedom in the
underworld. She finds love, and herself. The Dark Wife is a YA novel, a lesbian
revisionist retelling of the Persephone and Hades myth. It won the 2012
Golden Crown Literary Award for Speculative Fiction.
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29. Debbie Harry Sings in French by Meagan Brothers (ISBN-13:
9780805080803) Ages 14+
Johnny’s had kind of a tough life so far, and he’s always been a bit of a freak.
His goth look usually includes black nail polish and a little mascara.When he
discovers Debbie Harry, the lead singer of Blondie, he not only likes her music
but realizes that he kind of, sort of, wants to BE her. He’d like to be cool and
tough and beautiful like her. He’d like to dress like her. He’s not gay, at least
he doesn’t think so. So what does it mean? And what should he tell his
amazing new girlfriend? This wise, hip novel introduces shades of gray into
the black-and-white ideas of sexuality and gender. Anyone who has ever
wished they could be a little bit tough and a little bit glamorous will recognize
themselves in Johnny.
30. The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan (ISBN-13: 9781416963790)
Ages 14+
Nick and his brother, Alan, have spent their lives on the run from magic. Their
father was murdered, and their mother was driven mad by magicians and the
demons who give them power. The magicians are hunting the Ryves family for
a charm that Nick's mother stole — a charm that keeps her alive — and they
want it badly enough to kill again.Danger draws even closer when a brother
and sister come to the Ryves family for help. The boy wears a demon's mark, a
sign of death that almost nothing can erase...and when Alan also gets marked
by a demon, Nick is desperate to save him. The only way to do that is to kill
one of the magicians they have been hiding from for so long. Ensnared in a
deadly game of cat and mouse, Nick starts to suspect that his brother is telling
him lie after lie about their past. As the magicians' Circle closes in on their
family, Nick uncovers the secret that could destroy them all.
31. Don’t Let Me Go by J. H. Trumble (ISBN-13: 9780758269270) Ages 14+
Some people spend their whole lives looking for the right partner. Nate
Schaper found his in high school. In the eight months since their cautious
flirting became a real, heart-pounding, tell-the-parents relationship, Nate and
Adam have been inseparable. Even when local kids take their homophobia to
brutal levels, Nate is undaunted. He and Adam are rock solid. Two parts of a
whole. Yin and yang. But when Adam graduates and takes an off-Broadway
job in New York—at Nate's insistence—that certainty begins to flicker. Nate's
friends can't keep his insecurities at bay, especially when he catches Skyped
glimpses of Adam's shirtless roommate. Nate starts a blog to vent his
frustrations and becomes the center of a school controversy, drawing ire and
support in equal amounts. But it's the attention of a new boy who is looking
for more than guidance that forces him to confront who and what he really
wants. Tender, thoughtful, and unflinchingly real, Don't Let Me Go is a witty
and beautifully written account of young love, long-distance relationships,
and learning to follow your heart.
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32. Down to the Bone by Mayra Lazara Dole (ISBN-13: 9781594933172)
Ages 17+
When Shai receives text messages from her girlfriend Marlena and reads
them during class, her mother finds out what her A-student daughter's been
doing behind her back and throws her out of the house. Soon Shai becomes
involved with an unusual group of friends in Cuban Miami. Can a discarded
freethinker turn the corner into a world as tender, exciting, and painful as her
first love--and create a new kind of family?
33. Empress of the World by Sara Ryan (ISBN-13: 9780142500590) Ages 14+
Nicola Lancaster is spending her summer at the Siegel Institute, a hothouse of
smart, intense teenagers. She soon falls in with Katrina (Manic Computer
Chick), Isaac (Nice-Guy-Despite-Himself), Kevin (Inarticulate Composer) . . .
and Battle, a beautiful blond dancer. The two become friends—and then,
startlingly, more than friends. What do you do when you think you're
attracted to guys, and then you meet a girl who steals your heart? A
trailblazing debut, reissued with an introduction by acclaimed author David
Levithan, and copious back matter, including three graphic novel stories by
Sara Ryan (and artists Steve Leiber, Dylan Meconis, and Natalie Nourigat)
about the characters. While attending a summer institute, fifteen-year-old Nic
meets another girl named Battle, falls in love with her, and finds the
relationship to be difficult and confusing.
34. The End by Nora Olsen (ISBN-13: 9781610401166) Ages 14+
When World War Three breaks out, seventeen-year-old Julia is on a school
trip to Amsterdam, while fourteen-year-old Marly is trapped in a prison for
delinquent girls. They both discover magical amulets, and try their best to
save themselves and those around them. But it looks like their best will not be
enough, as nuclear war threatens the survival of the human race. On her
journey home to New York, Julia is joined by three other queer teens and the
mysterious and alluring Ginger; lipstick lesbian Vikki; and five-thousand-yearold Skilly, who has an amulet that grants him eternal life. When Julia and
Marly meet, they are immediately attracted to each other. But romance has
to take a back seat as the five friends learn the true powers of the amulets.
Can they travel through time to save the world from total destruction?
35. Every Day by David Levithan (ISBN13: 9780307931887) Ages 14+
A has no friends. No parents. No family. No possessions. No home, even.
Because every day, A wakes up in the body of a different person. Every
morning, a different bed. A different room. A different house. A different life.
A is able to access each person's memory, enough to be able to get through
the day without parents, friends, and teachers realizing this is not their child,
not their friend, not their student. Because it isn't. It's A. Inhabiting each
person's body. Seeing the world through their eyes. Thinking with their brain.
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Speaking with their voice. It's a lonely existence—until, one day, it isn't. A
meets a girl named Rhiannon. And, in an instant, A falls for her, after a perfect
day together. But when night falls, it's over. Because A can never be the same
person twice. But yet, A can't stop thinking about her. She becomes A's
reason for existing. So each day, in different bodies—of all shapes, sizes,
backgrounds, walks of life—A tries to get back to her. And convince her of
their love. But can their love transcend such an obstacle?
36. Fair Catch by Del Darcy (ISBN-13: 9781610403306) Ages 14+
When Blake Thompson meets Alex Ayers, his rival on the football field, the
attraction is instant. For one tumultuous high school season, their teams clash
as they fall in love. Playing for the Mustangs, Blake works to carve out a place
for himself in the always-frustrating role of backup quarterback. He tries to
put out of his mind how unlikely it is that someone like him -- a little too
short, from a backwater town -- could make it in college football. Alex is now
with the rival Patriots, poised to add to his string of records in placekicking.
His family has bounced from town to town across the Midwest, spending
barely a year in any one place because of his dad's construction jobs. The
college scouts are starting to notice Alex, and a bright future in football
beckons. Blake is able to put aside his feeling that he's just trailing in Alex's
wake, overshadowed by Alex's star quality, until Alex gets a scholarship to a
prestigious Texas school. Will jealousy destroy Blake's regard for his
boyfriend? Can Alex learn to settle down and trust someone, despite his
vagabond life? If he leaves, what becomes of their love affair?
37. The Geography Club by Brent Hartinger (ISBN-13:9780060012236)
Russel Middlebrook is convinced he's the only gay kid at Goodkind High
School. Then his online gay chat buddy turns out to be none other than Kevin,
the popular but closeted star of the school's baseball team. Soon Russel
meets other gay students, too. There's his best friend Min, who reveals that
she is bisexual, and her soccer–playing girlfriend Terese. Then there's Terese's
politically active friend, Ike. But how can kids this diverse get together without
drawing attention to themselves? "We just choose a club that's so boring,
nobody in their right mind would ever in a million years join it. We could call it
Geography Club!" Brent Hartinger's debut novel, what became first of a series
about Russel Middlebrook, is a fast–paced, funny, and trenchant portrait of
contemporary teenagers who may not learn any actual geography in their
latest club, but who learn plenty about the treacherous social terrain of high
school and the even more dangerous landscape of the human heart. A group
of gay and lesbian teenagers finds mutual support when they form the
"Geography Club" at their high school.
38. Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin (ISBN-13: 9780345806567)
Giovanni's Room traces one man's struggle with his sexual identity. In a 1950s
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Paris swarming with expatriates and characterized by dangerous liaisons and
hidden violence, an American finds himself confronting secret desires that
jeopardize the conventional life he envisions for himself. After meeting and
proposing to a young woman, he falls into a lengthy affair with an Italian
bartender and is confounded and tortured as he oscillates between the two.
"Now a classic of gay literature, Baldwin's haunting and controversial second
novel is his most sustained treatment of sexuality. Examining the agonizing
mystery of love and passion in an intensely imagined yet beautifully
restrained narrative, Baldwin creates a moving and complex story of death
and desire that is revelatory in its insight.
39. Girl Meets Boy: Because There Are Two Sides to Every Story by Kelly
Milner Halls (ISBN-13: 9781452102641) Ages 14+
What do guys and girls really think? Twelve of the most dynamic and engaging
YA authors writing today team up for this one-of-a-kind collection of "he
said/she said" stories—he tells it from the guy's point of view, she tells it from
the girl's. These are stories of love and heartbreak. There's the good-looking
jock who falls for a dangerous girl, and the flipside, the toxic girl who never
learned to be loved; the basketball star and the artistic (and shorter) boy she
never knew she wanted; the gay boy looking for love online and the girl who
could help make it happen. Each story in this unforgettable collection teaches
us that relationships are complicated—because there are two sides to every
story.
40. Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz (ISBN-13: 9781442453128)
Ages 14+
In the wake of the post-9/11 sniper shootings, fragile love finds a stronghold
in this intense, romantic novel from the author of Break and Invincible
Summer. It's a year after 9/11. Sniper shootings throughout the D.C. area have
everyone on edge and trying to make sense of these random acts of violence.
Meanwhile, Craig and Lio are just trying to make sense of their lives. Craig’s
crushing on quiet, distant Lio, and preoccupied with what it meant when Lio
kissed him...and if he’ll do it again...and if kissing Lio will help him finally get
over his ex-boyfriend, Cody. Lio feels most alive when he's with Craig. He
forgets about his broken family, his dead brother, and the messed up world.
But being with Craig means being vulnerable...and Lio will have to decide
whether love is worth the risk. This intense, romantic novel from the author
of Break and Invincible Summer is a poignant look at what it is to feel needed,
connected, and alive.
41. Gotham Central, Volume 2: Half a Life by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark
(ISBN13: 9781401204389) Ages 14+
She's a Grade A detective but her reputation is put on the line when she's
implicated in a murder and her deepest secret is revealed. Suddenly, her
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colleagues in the GCPD look at her askance, begin treating her with hostility,
and when she needs their support the most, she finds mostly cold shoulders.
The man who reaches out to her, though, is one who belongs behind bars. If
free, he presents a grave threat not only to Montoya but to all of Gotham's
citizens.
42. Grl2grl by Julie Anne Peters (ISBN-13: 9780316013437) Ages 15+
In this honest, emotionally captivating short story collection, renowned
author and National Book Award finalist Julie Anne Peters offers a stunning
portrayal of young women as they navigate the hurdles of relationships and
sexual identity. From the young lesbian taking her first steps toward coming
out to the two strangers who lock eyes across a crowded train, from the
transgender teen longing for a sense of self to the girl whose abusive father
has turned her to stone, Peters is the master of creating characters whose
own vulnerability resonates with readers and stays with them long after the
last page is turned. Grl2grl shows the rawness of teenage emotion as young
girls become women and begin to discover the intricacies of love, dating and
sexuality.
43. Hero by Perry Moore (ISBN-13: 9781423101956) Ages 14+
The last thing in the world Thom Creed wants is to add to his father's pain, so
he keeps secrets. Like that he has special powers. And that he's been asked to
join the League - the very organization of superheroes that spurned his dad.
But the most painful secret of all is one Thom can barely face himself: he's
gay. But becoming a member of the League opens up a new world to Thom.
There, he connects with a misfit group of aspiring heroes, including Scarlett,
who can control fire but not her anger; Typhoid Larry, who can make anyone
sick with his touch; and Ruth, a wise old broad who can see the future. Like
Thom, these heroes have things to hide; but they will have to learn to trust
one another when they uncover a deadly conspiracy within the League. To
survive, Thom will face challenges he never imagined. To find happiness, he'll
have to come to terms with his father's past and discover the kind of hero he
really wants to be.
44. How Beautiful the Ordinary: Twelve Stories of Identity by Michael Cart
(ISBN-13: 9781578862672) Ages 14+
A girl thought to be a boy steals her sister's skirt, while a boy thought to be a
girl refuses to wear a cornflower blue dress. One boy's love of a soldier leads
to the death of a stranger. The present takes a bittersweet journey into the
past when a man revisits the summer school where he had "an accidental
romance." And a forgotten mother writes a poignant letter to the teenage
daughter she hasn't seen for fourteen years. Poised between the past and the
future are the stories of now. In nontraditional narratives, short stories, and
brief graphics, tales of anticipation and regret, eagerness and confusion
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present distinctively modern views of love, sexuality, and gender
identification. Together, they reflect the vibrant possibilities available for
young people learning to love others—and themselves—in today's
multifaceted and quickly changing world.
45. How They Met and Other Stories by David Levithan (ISBN13:
9780375848865) Ages 14+
Here are 18 stories, all about love, and about all kinds of love. From the aching
for the one you pine for, to standing up and speaking up for the one you love,
to pure joy and happiness, these love stories run the gamut of that emotion
that at some point has turned every one of us inside out and upside down.
What is love? With this original story collection David Levithan proves that
love is a many splendored thing, a varied, complicated, addictive, wonderful
thing.
46. How to Repair a Mechanical Heart by J. C. Lillis Ages 14+
The summer after high school graduation, two cute and snarky boys hit the
road in an RV. Their mission: follow the traveling fan convention for Castaway
Planet, the cult sci-fi show they’re both obsessed with. Brandon irons his tshirts, loves the dapper and reserved Castaway android Sim, and hides his
pesky Catholic guilt from his out-and-proud roadtrip partner, Abel. Abel
collects funny belt buckles, loves Castaway's brave and dashing Captain
Cadmus, has a hot boyfriend with a phoenix tattoo, and has nothing to hide —
except his epic crush on Brandon. During their six-week cross-country
adventure, Brandon and Abel post new entries on their Castaway Planet fan
vlog, spar with an online community of slash fiction writers, meet their TV
idols, play with their action figures, uncover big secrets, and maybe possibly
fall in love. Can two fanboys face down their obstacles and write themselves a
real-life romance — or is fiction the only thing bringing them together?
47. I Am An Emotional Creature by Eve Ensler (ISBN-13: 9780812970166)
Ages 14+
Ensler's groundbreaking play The Vagina Monologues sought to start a
revolution in the way women related to their bodies and their sexuality; in her
latest, the author and activist seeks to do the same for teenage girlsempowering them by giving voice and value to their feelings, opinions and
struggles, and teaching them to do the same for themselves. This series of
monologues from teenage girls all over the world includes poetry, blog
entries, anecdotes and conversations covering topics as familiar as anorexia
and peer pressure, and as hard to face as sexual slavery and institutional
oppression. The collection shines when dealing with more serious material
(arranged marriages, genital mutilation), but those powerful pieces
unintentionally overshadow the more common concerns of girls struggling to
fit in or cope with the popular crowd. As such, the average American teenager
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should gain a good bit of perspective, though less than Ensler would like
about the legitimacy of her everyday experience.
48. I Am J by Cris Beam (ISBN13: 9780316053617) Ages 14+
J had always felt different. He was certain that eventually everyone would
understand who he really was: a boy mistakenly born as a girl. Yet as he grew
up, his body began to betray him; eventually J stopped praying to wake up a
"real boy" and started covering up his body, keeping himself invisible — from
his parents, from his friends, from the world. But after being deserted by the
best friend he thought would always be by his side, J decides that he's done
hiding — it's time to be who he really is. And this time he is determined not to
give up, no matter the cost.
49. If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan (ISBN-13: 9781616202514) Ages
14+
Seventeen-year-old Sahar has been in love with her best friend, Nasrin, since
they were six. They’ve shared stolen kisses and romantic promises. But Iran is
a dangerous place for two girls in love—Sahar and Nasrin could be beaten,
imprisoned, even executed if their relationship came to light. So they carry on
in secret—until Nasrin’s parents announce that they’ve arranged for her
marriage. Nasrin tries to persuade Sahar that they can go on as they had
before, only now with new comforts provided by the decent, well-to-do
doctor Nasrin will marry. But Sahar dreams of loving Nasrin exclusively—and
openly. Then Sahar discovers what seems like the perfect solution. In Iran,
homosexuality may be a crime, but to be a man trapped in a woman’s body is
seen as nature’s mistake, and sex reassignment is legal and accessible. As a
man, Sahar could be the one to marry Nasrin. Sahar will never be able to love
the one she wants in the body she wants to be loved in without risking her
life. Is saving her love worth sacrificing her true self?
50. Immortal Longings: A Vampire Novel by Diane DeKelb-Rittenhouse
(ISBN-13: 9780984531844) Ages 14+
Lauren and Kayla are the perfect high school couple–except they aren’t
actually a couple. The cute, smart, sarcastic Lauren is secretly in love with her
best friend, Kayla, the gorgeous bi-racial lead actress in the drama club. But
Kayla, one of the most popular girls at school, changes partners (male and
female) like other girls change shoes. After seeing a play in Manhattan one
autumn afternoon, the two 17-year-olds wander into a vintage clothing store,
Deja Nous. Their impromptu shopping spree leads to a chance meeting with
the mysterious and beautiful owner, Elizabeth Valiant. Despite strange, subtle
warnings from Matt, another clerk at the store, both girls agree to take afterschool jobs at the enticing shop. On the ride home to Queens, Kayla talks nonstop about the wonderful clothes, the fabulous Elizabeth and how much fun
the girls will have working together. Deja Nous–and the intriguing and sensual
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Elizabeth–soon becomes an obsession for Lauren and Kayla. Then, after being
accosted at the subway by a strange man and overhearing a surprising
conversation, Lauren accidentally discovers the secret behind the shop and
the Valiant family. As she delves deeper into the mystery, she realizes that her
life and that of her beloved Kayla are in danger–life-threatening danger–from
a centuries-old curse.
51. Inheritance by Malinda Lo (ISBN-13: 9780316198004) Ages 15+
The triangular spaceship hovered motionless in the sky above Reese
Holloway's house, as inscrutable as a black hole. It had seemed like a good
idea when they were inside: to tell the truth about what happened to them at
Area 51. It didn't seem like such a good idea now. Reese and David are not
normal teens--not since they were adapted with alien DNA by the Imria, an
extraterrestrial race that has been secretly visiting Earth for decades. Now
everyone is trying to get to them: the government, the Imria, and a
mysterious corporation that would do anything for the upper hand against the
aliens. Beyond the web of conspiracies, Reese can't reconcile her love for
David with her feelings for her ex-girlfriend Amber, an Imrian. But her choice
between two worlds will play a critical role in determining the future of
humanity, the Imria's place in it, and the inheritance she and David will bring
to the universe. In this gripping sequel to Adaptation, Malinda Lo brings a
thoughtful exploration of adolescence, sexuality, and "the other" to a science
fiction thriller that is impossible to put down.
52. Jumpstart the World by Catherine Ryan Hunt (ISBN13: 9780375866654)
Ages 14+
Elle is a loner. She doesn’t need people. Which is a good thing, because she’s
on her own: she had to move into her own apartment so her mother’s
boyfriend won’t have to deal with her. Then she meets Frank, the guy who
lives next door. He’s older and has a girlfriend, but Elle can’t stop thinking
about him. Frank isn’t like anyone Elle has ever met. He listens to her. He’s
gentle. And Elle is falling for him, hard. But Frank is different in a way that Elle
was never prepared for: he’s transgender. And when Elle learns the truth, her
world is turned upside down. Now she’ll have to search inside herself to find
not only the true meaning of friendship but her own role in jumpstarting the
world.
53. Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters (ISBN13: 9780316009850)
Ages 14+
With a steady boyfriend, the position of Student Council President, and a
chance to go to an Ivy League college, high school life is just fine for Holland
Jaeger. At least it seems to be. But when Cece Goddard comes to school,
everything changes. Cece and Holland have undeniable feelings for each
other, but how will others react to their developing relationship? This moving
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love story between two girls is a worthy successor to Nancy Garden's classic
young adult coming out novel, Annie on My Mind. With her characteristic
humor and breezy style, Peters has captured the compelling emotions of
young love.
54. Keesha’s House by Helen Frost (ISBN-13: 9780374400125) Ages 14+
An unforgettable narrative collage told in poems. Keesha has found a safe
place to live, and other kids gravitate to her house when they just can’t make
it on their own. They are Stephie – pregnant, trying to make the right
decisions for herself and those she cares about; Jason – Stephie’s boyfriend,
torn between his responsibility to Stephie and the baby and the promise of a
college basketball career; Dontay – in foster care while his parents are in
prison, feeling unwanted both inside and outside the system; Carmen –
arrested on a DUI charge, waiting in a juvenile detention center for a judge to
hear her case; Harris – disowned by his father after disclosing that he’s gay,
living in his car, and taking care of himself; Katie – angry at her mother’s
loyalty to an abusive stepfather, losing herself in long hours of work and
school. Stretching the boundaries of traditional poetic forms – sestinas and
sonnets – Helen Frost’s extraordinary debut novel for young adults weaves
together the stories of these seven teenagers as they courageously struggle to
hold their lives together and overcome their difficulties. Keesha's House is a
2004 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
55. Kiss the Morning Star by Elissa Janine Hoole (ISBN-13: 9780761462699)
Ages 14+
Two teenage girls take off on a road trip that becomes a high-spirited
exploration of faith, loss, and love – both carnal and divine
56. Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins by Emma Donoghue (ISBN13:
9780064407724) Ages 14+
Thirteen tales are unspun from the deeply familiar, and woven anew into a
collection of fairy tales that wind back through time. Acclaimed Irish author
Emma Donoghue reveals heroines young and old in unexpected alliances—
sometimes treacherous, sometimes erotic, but always courageous. Told with
luminous voices that shimmer with sensuality and truth, these age-old
characters shed their antiquated cloaks to travel a seductive new landscape,
radiantly transformed. Cinderella forsakes the handsome prince and runs off
with the fairy godmother; Beauty discovers the Beast behind the mask is not
so very different from the face she sees in the mirror; Snow White is
awakened from slumber by the bittersweet fruit of an unnamed desire.
Acclaimed writer Emma Donoghue spins new tales out of old in a magical web
of thirteen interconnected stories about power and transformation and
choosing one's own path in the world. In these fairy tales, women young and
old tell their own stories of love and hate, honor and revenge, passion and
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deception. Using the intricate patterns and oral rhythms of traditional fairy
tales, Emma Donoghue wraps age-old characters in a dazzling new skin.
57. Last Exit to Normal by Michael Harmon (ISBN13: 9780375940989) Ages
14+
After 17-year-old Ben’s father announces he’s gay and the family splits apart,
Ben does everything he can to tick him off: skip school, smoke pot, skateboard
nonstop, get arrested. But he never thinks he’ll end up yanked out of his city
life and plunked down into a small Montana town with his dad and Edward,
The Boyfriend. As if it’s not painful enough living in a hick town with spiked
hair, a skateboard habit, and two dads, he soon realizes something’s not quite
right with Billy, the boy next door. He’s hiding a secret about his family, and
Ben is determined to uncover it and set things right.
58. Leave Myself Behind by Bart Yates (ISBN-13: 9780758203496) Ages 14+
Noah York is a closeted gay teenager with a foul mouth, a critical disposition,
and plenty of material for his tirades. After his father dies, Noah's mother, a
temperamental poet, takes a teaching job in a small New Hampshire town, far
from Chicago and the only world Noah has known. While Noah gets along
reasonably with his mother, the crumbling house they try to renovate quickly
reveals dark secrets, via dusty Mason jars they discover interred between
walls. The jars contain scraps of letters, poems, and journal entries, and
eventually reconstructs a history of pain and violence that drives a sudden
wedge between Noah and his mother. Fortunately, Noah finds an unexpected
ally in J.D., a teenager down the street who has family troubles of his own.
59. Living in Secret by Cristina Salat (ISBN-13: 9780916020026)
Ever since Amelia's parents got divorced, she has wished she could live with
her mother and her mother's girlfriend, Janey, but a judge gave her father
custody. Finally, after years of living apart, Amelia, and her mom decide there
is only one thing to do. On a cold October night, Amelia's mother comes to
steal her away. For Amelia, living in secret means changing her name, not
going to school, and pretending she is twelve instead of eleven. The
adventure of beginning a whole new life, with brand new family and friends, is
marred only by the shadow of a past that could shatter the present in an
instant, should anyone find out who Amelia really is. Amelia's mother helps
her run away from her father who has custody and establish a new home and
identity in San Francisco with her mother's girlfriend.
60. London Reign by A. C. Britt (ISBN-13: 9780974298) Ages 14+
London reign is about an androgynous teen with a secret, battling turmoil of
the inner streets, physical abuse from family, while being in a steamy love
triangle. London reign deals with sexuality, relationships, monogamy, gender
roles, love, lust and betrayal.
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61. Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block (ISBN-13:
9780805096279) Ages 14+
Seventeen-year-old Penelope (Pen) has lost everything—her home, her
parents, and her ten-year-old brother. Like a female Odysseus in search of
home, she navigates a dark world full of strange creatures, gathers
companions and loses them, finds love and loses it, and faces her mortal
enemy. In her signature style, Francesca Lia Block has created a world that is
beautiful in its destruction and as frightening as it is lovely. At the helm of
Love in the Time of Global Warming is Pen, a strong heroine who holds hope
and love in her hands and refuses to be defeated.
62. Luna by Julie Anne Peters (ISBN-13: 0316011274) Ages 14+
Regan's brother Liam can't stand the person he is during the day. Like the
moon from whom Liam has chosen his female namesake, his true self, Luna,
only reveals herself at night. In the secrecy of his basement bedroom Liam
transforms himself into the beautiful girl he longs to be, with help from his
sister's clothes and makeup. Now, everything is about to change-Luna is
preparing to emerge from her cocoon. But are Liam's family and friends ready
to welcome Luna into their lives? Compelling and provocative, this is an
unforgettable novel about a transgender teen's struggle for self-identity and
acceptance.
63. me@you.com by K. E. Payne (ISBN-13: 9781602825925) Ages 14+
Is it possible to fall in love with someone you’ve never met? Imogen Summers
thinks so because it’s happened to her. Immy is a normal eighteen-year-old,
with a normal life, a normal family, and a normal boyfriend. But when she
finds herself falling for a girl on an Internet message board, a girl she knows
only as the mysterious Fickle, her so-called normal life is suddenly turned on
its head. As her relationship with Fickle develops into more than just
friendship, Immy finds another message board friend, the sweet and lovely
Freddie, the perfect person to confide in. But can Freddie stay out of it when
she starts to fall for Immy herself? Things are about to get complicated...
64. Middlesex by Jeffrey Euginedes (ISBN-13: 9780312422158) Teens
"I was born twice: first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit day of
January 1960; and then again, as a teenage boy, in an emergency room near
Petoskey, Michigan, in August of 1974. . . My birth certificate lists my name as
Calliope Helen Stephanides. My most recent driver's license...records my first
name simply as Cal." So begins the breathtaking story of Calliope Stephanides
and three generations of the Greek-American Stephanides family who travel
from a tiny village overlooking Mount Olympus in Asia Minor to Prohibitionera Detroit, witnessing its glory days as the Motor City, and the race riots of
1967, before they move out to the tree-lined streets of suburban Grosse
Pointe, Michigan. To understand why Calliope is not like other girls, she has to
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uncover a guilty family secret and the astonishing genetic history that turns
Callie into Cal, one of the most audacious and wondrous narrators in
contemporary fiction. Lyrical and thrilling, Middlesex is an exhilarating
reinvention of the American epic.
65. The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth (ISBN:
9780062020567) Teens 14+
When Cameron Post's parents die suddenly in a car crash, her shocking first
thought is relief. Relief they'll never know that, hours earlier, she had been
kissing a girl. But that relief doesn't last, and Cam is soon forced to move in
with her conservative aunt Ruth and her well-intentioned but hopelessly oldfashioned grandmother. She knows that from this point on, her life will
forever be different. Survival in Miles City, Montana, means blending in and
leaving well enough alone (as her grandmother might say), and Cam becomes
an expert at both. Then Coley Taylor moves to town. Beautiful, pickup-driving
Coley is a perfect cowgirl with the perfect boyfriend to match. She and Cam
forge an unexpected and intense friendship--one that seems to leave room for
something more to emerge. But just as that starts to seem like a real
possibility, ultrareligious Aunt Ruth takes drastic action to "fix" her niece,
bringing Cam face-to-face with the cost of denying her true self--even if she's
not exactly sure who that is. The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a stunning
and unforgettable literary debut about discovering who you are and finding
the courage to live life according to your own rules.
66. My Father’s Scar by Michael Cart (ISBN-13: 9780312181376) Ages 14+
Eighteen year-old Andy Logan has finally made it to his first year og college,
but not without some struggle. As he tries to settle in this new environment,
he cannot help but recall the events and experiences that have led him there.
It is in these recollections that we meet a vast array of people—those who
had either helped Andy along the way or had threatened his hope to escape.
These are the stories of his hope to escape. These are the stories of his greatuncle, the one person who seemed to understand him; his father, who
domineering presence and unwavering anger were the rules, not the
exeptions; and Evan, an older boy who became his first true love. Rarely does
a writer capture the essence of the journey from a child to adult so acutely.
Cart's dazzling novel is a potent reminder of the pain and the euphoria that
come from growing up and how we remember our family, friends, and first
loves.
67. My Side of the Story by Will Davis (ISBN13: 9780747586913) Ages 14+
Jarold, aka, Jazz, is a typical sixteen year old boy. He lives at home with his
two remarkably un-divorced parents, his holier-than-thou sister, and his
overbearing grandmother. It’s a life straight out of a TV show. Or so it
seems…The truth is that Jazz’s life is anything but picture perfect. He’s seeing
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a shrink because his mom and dad found out he’s gay; his schoolmates
torment him every day; and he keeps bumping into his high school teacher at
a local gay bar. To make matters worse, his best friend, Al, keeps pulling him
into trouble. Jazz knows he has to keep everything together, at least through
finals, so he can get away from this life once and for all. But, in his haste to
leave everything behind, he comes to find out that the only thing he can’t
escape is himself. Witty, sardonic, and incredibly funny, My Side of the Story is
the perfectly rendered portrait of a precocious, troubled teenager faced with
the awkward process of growing up and coming out.
68. Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
(ISBN13: 9780375844409) Ages 14+
Naomi loves and is in love with Ely, and Ely loves Naomi, but prefers to be in
love with boys. So they create their "No Kiss List" of people neither of them is
allowed to kiss. And this works fine - until Bruce. Bruce is Naomi's boyfriend,
so there's no reason to put him on the List. But Ely kissed Bruce even though
he is boring. The result: a rift of universal proportions and the potential end of
"Naomi and Ely: the institution." Can these best friends come back together
again?
69. Nothing Pink by Mark Hardy (ISBN-13: 9781932425246) Ages 14+
Vincent has always known, deep down inside, that he was gay. He was fine
with that. The problem was that his faith told him he was a sinner and
damned to hell.
70. Obscura Burning by Suzanne van Rooyen (ISBN-13: 9781939194497)
Ages 14+
The world's going to end in fire...and it's all Kyle's fault. Kyle Wolfe's world is
about to crash and burn. Just weeks away from graduation, a fire kills Kyle's
two best friends and leaves him permanently scarred. A fire that Kyle
accidentally set the night he cheated on his boyfriend Danny with their female
friend, Shira. That same day, a strange new planet, Obscura, appears in the
sky. And suddenly Kyle's friends aren't all that dead anymore. Each time Kyle
goes to sleep, he awakens to two different realities. In one, his boyfriend
Danny is still alive, but Shira is dead. In the other, it's Shira who's alive...and
now they're friends with benefits. Shifting between realities is slowly killing
him, and he's not the only one dying. The world is dying with him. He's pretty
sure Obscura has something to do with it, but with his parents' marriage
imploding and realities shifting each time he closes his eyes, Kyle has
problems enough without being the one in charge of saving the world...
71. October Mourning by Leslea Newman (ISBN-13: 9780763658076)
On the night of October 6, 1998, a gay twenty-one-year-old college student
named Matthew Shepard was lured from a Wyoming bar by two young men,
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savagely beaten, tied to a remote fence, and left to die. Gay Awareness Week
was beginning at the University of Wyoming, and the keynote speaker was
Lesléa Newman, discussing her book Heather Has Two Mommies. Shaken, the
author addressed the large audience that gathered, but she remained
haunted by Matthew’s murder. October Mourning, a novel in verse, is her
deeply felt response to the events of that tragic day. Using her poetic
imagination, the author creates fictitious monologues from various points of
view, including the fence Matthew was tied to, the stars that watched over
him, the deer that kept him company, and Matthew himself. More than a
decade later, this stunning cycle of sixty-eight poems serves as an illumination
for readers too young to remember, and as a powerful, enduring tribute to
Matthew Shepard’s life.
72. OMGQueer: Short Stories by Queer Youth edited by Radclyffe and
Katherine E. Lynch, Ph. D. (ISBN-13: 978-1602826823) Ages 14+
Hope. Fear. Desire. Despair. Promises. Betrayals. Lesbian. Gay. Bisexual.
Transgender. Questioning. Intersex. This anthology of short stories gives voice
to the rising generation as they define what it means to grow up queer in the
twenty-first century. What is it like to grow up in a society that embraces you
in certain ways but discriminates against you in others? How do you choose a
label from the alphabet soup, and should you even have to? By turns
heartwarming and heartbreaking, comical and caustic, these stories, imagined
and told by youth across America, provide a snapshot of queerness at the
dawn of the new millennium.
73. Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg (ISBN-13: 9780545509893) Ages 14+
A funny, honest novel about being out, being proud . . . and being ready for
something else. Rafe is a normal teenager from Boulder, Colorado. He plays
soccer. He's won skiing prizes. He likes to write. And, oh yeah, he's gay. He's
been out since 8th grade, and he isn't teased, and he goes to other high
schools and talks about tolerance and stuff. And while that's important, all
Rafe really wants is to just be a regular guy. Not that GAY guy. To have it be a
part of who he is, but not the headline, every single time. So when he
transfers to an all-boys' boarding school in New England, he decides to keep
his sexuality a secret -- not so much going back in the closet as starting over
with a clean slate. But then he sees a classmate breaking down. He meets a
teacher who challenges him to write his story. And most of all, he falls in love
with Ben . . . who doesn't even know that love is possible. This witty, smart,
coming-out-again story will appeal to gay and straight kids alike as they watch
Rafe navigate being different, fitting in, and what it means to be himself.
74. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson (ISBN-13:
9780802135162) Ages 15+
Jeanette is a bright and rebellious orphan who is adopted into an evangelical
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household in the dour, industrial North of England and finds herself
embroidering grim religious mottoes and shaking her little tambourine for
Jesus. But as this budding missionary comes of age, and comes to terms with
her unorthodox sexuality, the peculiar balance of her God-fearing household
dissolves. Jeanette's insistence on listening to the truths of her own heart and
mind - and on reporting them with wit and passion - makes for an
unforgettable chronicle of an eccentric, moving passage into adulthood.
75. Out of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg (ISBN-13: 9780525479963) Ages 14+
Star quarterback Bobby Framingham, one of the most talented high school
football players in California, knows he's different from his teammates.
They're like brothers, but they don't know one essential thing: Bobby is gay.
Can he still be one of the guys and be honest about who he is? When he's
outed against his will by a student reporter, Bobby must find a way to earn
back his teammates' trust and accept that his path to success might be more
public, and more difficult, than he'd hoped. An affecting novel about identity
that also delivers great sportswriting.
76. Pantomime by Laura Lam (ISBN-13: 9781908844378) Ages 14+
R.H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic is the greatest circus of Ellada. Nestled among
the glowing blue Penglass – remnants of a mysterious civilisation long gone –
are wonders beyond the wildest imagination. It’s a place where anything
seems possible, where if you close your eyes you can believe that the magic
and knowledge of the vanished Chimeras is still there. It’s a place where
anyone can hide. Iphigenia Laurus, or Gene, the daughter of a noble family, is
uncomfortable in corsets and crinoline, and prefers climbing trees to
debutante balls. Micah Grey, a runaway living on the streets, joins the circus
as an aerialist’s apprentice and soon becomes the circus’s rising star. But
Gene and Micah have balancing acts of their own to perform, and a secret in
their blood that could unlock the mysteries of Ellada.
77. Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (ISBN-13:
9780671027346) Ages 14+
Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is
by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet
socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and
trying to run from it. Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through
uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix-tapes, family dramas and
new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show,
when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.
But Charlie can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life
offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like
from the dance floor. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting
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coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant rollercoaster days known as growing up.
78. Personal Effects by E. M. Kokie (ISBN-13: 9780763655273) Ages 14+
Ever since his brother, T.J., was killed in Iraq, Matt feels like he’s been
sleepwalking through life — failing classes, getting into fights, and avoiding his
dad’s lectures about following in his brother’s footsteps. T.J.’s gone, but Matt
can’t shake the feeling that if only he could get his hands on his brother’s stuff
from Iraq, he’d be able to make sense of his death. But as Matt searches for
answers about T.J.’s death, he faces a shocking revelation about T.J.’s life that
suggests he may not have known T.J. as well as he thought. What he learns
challenges him to stand up to his father, honor his brother’s memory, and
take charge of his own life. With compassion, humor, and a compelling
narrative voice, E. M. Kokie explores grief, social mores, and self-discovery in a
provocative first novel.
79. Pink by Lili Wilkinson (ISBN-13: 9780061926532) Ages 14+
Ava has a secret. She is tired of her ultracool attitude, ultra-radical politics,
and ultrablack clothing. She's ready to try something new—she's even ready
to be someone new. Someone who fits in, someone with a gorgeous
boyfriend, someone who wears pink. Transferring to Billy Hughes School for
Academic Excellence is the perfect chance to try on a new identity. But just in
case things don't work out, Ava is hiding her new interests from her parents,
and especially from her old girlfriend. Secrets have a way of being hard to
keep, though, and Ava finds that changing herself is more complicated than
changing her wardrobe. Even getting involved in the school musical raises
issues she never imagined. As she faces surprising choices and unforeseen
consequences, Ava wonders if she will ever figure out who she really wants to
be. Humor, heart, and the joys of drama—on- and offstage—combine in Ava's
delight-fully colorful journey of self-discovery.
80. Please Don’t Kill the Freshman: A Memoir by Zoe Tropes (ISBN-13:
9780060529369) Ages 15+
I wrote a story about you. Well, sort of, see, it's mostly about me. Well,
entirely about me, but here's the catch: I'm you. No, really, I mean it. Not like
that transcendentalism stuff we're learning in English class, but really, truly,
I'm you. I know what it feels like when your heart beats so hard against your
white bone ribs, when you sing in the shower with soap in your eyes, when
you run until you get a side ache. I wrote this story about you because I am so
in love with you, your broken-fence teeth and your tissue-paper scars. I love
you when you're so exhausted it could topple you to the ground, so in love it
could snap guitar strings, so sickly sweet it could make lips smile. This is a
reckless love story. This is my shameless confession.
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81. Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy by Bil Wright (ISBN-13: 9781416939962)
Ages 14+
Carlos Duarte knows that he's fabulous. He's got a better sense of style than
half the fashionistas in New York City, and he can definitely apply makeup like
nobody's business. He may only be in high school, but when he lands the job
of his dreams--makeup artist at the FeatureFace counter in Macy's--he's sure
that he's finally on his way to great things. But the makeup artist world is
competitive and cutthroat, and for Carlos to reach his dreams, he'll have to
believe in himself more than ever.
82. Radiant Days by Elizabeth Hand (ISBN-13: 9780670011353) Ages 14+
She is a painter. He is a poet. Their art bridges time. It is 1978. Merle is in her
first year at the Corcoran School of Art, catapulted from her impoverished
Appalachian upbringing into a sophisticated, dissipated art scene. It is also
1870. The teenage poet Arthur Rimbaud is on the verge of breaking through
to the images and voice that will make his name. The meshed power of words
and art thins the boundaries between the present and the past - and allows
these two troubled, brilliant artists to enter each other's worlds.
83. Rage: A Love Story by Julie Anne Peters (ISBN13: 9780375852091) Ages
14+
Johanna is steadfast, patient, reliable; the go-to girl, the one everyone can
count on. But always being there for others can’t give Johanna everything she
needs—it can’t give her Reeve Hartt. Reeve is fierce, beautiful, wounded,
elusive; a flame that draws Johanna’s fluttering moth. Johanna is determined
to get her, against all advice, and to help her, against all reason. But love isn’t
always reasonable, right? In the precarious place where attraction and need
collide, a teenager experiences the dark side of a first love, and struggles to
find her way into a new light.
84. Rainbow High (Rainbow Trilogy Series Book 2) (ISBN-13:
9780689854781) Ages 15+
Jason Carrillo, the best-looking athlete in school, has had his eyes on the prize
from day one: a scholarship for college. But then his eyes turn to love — and
Kyle. Kyle Meeks, swim team star and all-around good guy, is finally in the
relationship he wanted. Being in love feels so good, in fact, that he can't
imagine giving it up to go to Princeton. Something he's worked for his entire
life. Nelson Glassman, outgoing and defiant, might be HIV positive. Jeremy,
the boy he loves, is HIV positive. Although Nelson fears testing positive, if he is
infected Jeremy might stop protecting him and pushing him away. They can
be together. High shool's almost over. Graduation is ahead. Life's a bowl of
cherries, right? Right... Follows three gay high school seniors as they struggle
with issues of coming out, safe sex, homophobia, being in love, and college
choices.
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85. Rainbow Road (Rainbow Trilogy Series Book 3) (ISBN-13:
9781416911913) Ages 15+
Jason Carrillo came out to his basketball team senior year and lost his
university scholarship. Now, with graduation behind him and summer ending,
he's asked to speak at the opening of a gay and lesbian high school across the
country. But after spending years in the closet and losing his scholarship
dream, what message can he offer? Kyle Meeks is getting ready to go to
Princeton in the fall and trying to see as much as possible of his boyfriend
Jason before they have to separate. When Jason tells him about his speaking
invitation, Kyle jumps at the chance to drive across country with him. Yet he
can't help worrying: Will their romance survive two weeks crammed together
in a car? Nelson Glassman is happy his best friend Kyle has found love with
Jason. Now he's looking for his own true love -- and hopes he might find his
soul mate during the road trip. But will being the "third wheel" in a trio ruin
his friendships with Kyle and Jason? During an eye-opening postgraduation
summer road trip, each of the three very different boys also embarks on a
personal journey across a landscape of love, sexuality, homophobia, and
above all, friendship.
86. Rose of No Man’s Land by Michelle Tea (ISBN-13: 9780156030939)
Fourteen-year-old Trisha Driscoll is a gender-blurring, self-described loner
whose family expects nothing of her. While her mother lies on the couch in a
hypochondriac haze and her sister aspires to be on The Real World, Trisha
struggles to find her own place among the neon signs, theme restaurants, and
cookie-cutter chain stores of her hometown. After being hired and abruptly
fired from the most popular clothing shop at the local mall, Trisha befriends a
chain-smoking misfit named Rose, and her life shifts into manic overdrive.
87. Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown (ISBN-13: 9780553278866)
Rubyfruit Jungle is the first milestone novel in the extraordinary career of one
of this country's most distinctive writers. Bawdy and moving, the ultimate
word-of-mouth bestseller, Rubyfruit Jungle is about growing up a lesbian in
America – and living happily ever after. Born a bastard, Molly Bolt is adopted
by a dirt-poor Southern couple who want something better for their daughter.
Molly plays doctor with the boys, beats up Leroy the tub and loses her
virginity to her girlfriend in sixth grade. As she grows to realize she's different,
Molly decides not to apologize for that. In no time she mesmerizes the head
cheerleader of Ft. Lauderdale High and captivates a gorgeous bourbonguzzling heiress. But the world is not tolerant. Booted out of college for moral
turpitude, an unrepentant, penniless Molly takes New York by storm, sending
not a few female hearts aflutter with her startling beauty, crackling wit and
fierce determination to become the greatest filmmaker that ever lived.
Critically acclaimed when first published, Rubyfruit Jungle has only grown in
reputation as it has reached new generations of readers who respond to its
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feisty and inspiring heroine. Bawdy and moving, Brown's tale of the
unsinkable Molly Bolt is about growing up a lesbian in America--and living
happily ever after.
88. Run, Clarissa, Run by Rachel Eliason (ISBN-13: 9780988573017) Ages 15+
Life in a small town can be tough when you're a little different, but for a
fifteen year old transgender kid it can truly be hell. Clark is harassed daily at
school for his effeminate behavior and appearance. He has no friends and a
brother that is as likely to be on the teasing as to prevent it. When Clark is
offered a job babysitting for the Pirella family, it seems like a godsend. The
money is good. He bonds with the girls almost instantly. The father, Tony,
works in computer security. Tony and Clark strike up a friendship based on a
mutual love of computers and hacking. As Tony becomes aware of Clark's
transsexuality and his growing feminine alter ego, Clarissa, things become
incredibly complicated. Will Tony be Clarissa's salvation, or her undoing?
89. Scars by Cheryl Rainfield (ISBN-13: 9781934813324) Ages 14+
Kendra hasn't felt safe since she began to recall devastating memories of
childhood sexual abuse, especially because she can't remember the most
important detail: her abuser's identity. At fifteen, Kendra believes someone is
always watching her, leaving menacing messages only she understands. To
relieve the pressure, Kendra cuts; aside from her brilliantly expressive
artwork, it's her only way of coping. Since her own mother is too selfabsorbed to hear her cries for help, Kendra finds support in others, including
Meghan, the classmate who may be more than a friend. But the truth about
Kendra's abuse is just waiting to explode, with startling consequences.
90. A Secret Edge by Robin Reardon (ISBN-13: 9780758219275)
I love the long distance run, when you feel like you're about to die . . . and
then you reach this place where you feel like there are no boundaries for you
anywhere . . . In many ways, Jason Peele is like any other teenager. He hits the
books, hangs with his friends, flirts with girls, and omits the full truth of his life
from his Aunt Audrey and Uncle Steve, who have raised him since his parents
died. But there's one way that Jason Peele is very different: when he dreams
at night, it isn't about girls; it's about David Bowie. At sixteen-years-old, Jason
is just beginning to understand that he might be gay. The one place Jason
feels comfortable is on the track where he can run fast and hard. He loves the
feel of the wind at his back, of his legs propelling him furiously around, the
roar of the crowd in his ears. But now, even his sanctuary feels threatening. It
isn't just the jerks who call him "faggot" in the locker room. A new guy has
joined the team, and everything about him will challenge the way Jason sees
life. From late-night showings of "La Cage Aux Folles" to reading Gandhi, he's
running a new race on an uncertain course, and only one thing's for sure--his
senior year is going to be unforgettable . . . With A Secret Edge, Robin
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Reardon delivers a sexy, sensitive coming-of-age novel about identity and
courage, love and honor, anger and hope, and the many ways the truth can
really set you free.
91. Shine by Lauren Myracle (ISBN-13: 9780810984172) Ages 14+
When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old
Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this
daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and
examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the
name of justice. Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and
intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a
deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an
unforgettable work from a beloved author.
92. A Simple Distance by K. E. Silva (ISBN-13: 9781933354118)
When Jean Sousa’s uncle, a high-ranking politician on the fictional Caribbean island of Baobique, is diagnosed with brain cancer, Jean is forced to reconcile
difficult family relationships and her place among them.
93. Sister Mischief by Laura Goode(ISBN-13: 9780763646400) Ages 14+
A gay suburban hip-hopper freaks out her Christian high school - and falls in
love - in this righteously funny and totally tender YA debut, for real. Listen up:
You’re about to get rocked by the fiercest, baddest all-girl hip-hop crew in the
Twin Cities - or at least in the wealthy, white, Bible-thumping suburb of
Holyhill, Minnesota. Our heroine, Esme Rockett (aka MC Ferocious) is a Jewish
lesbian lyricist. In her crew, Esme’s got her BFFs Marcy (aka DJ SheStorm, the
butchest straight girl in town) and Tess (aka The ConTessa, the pretty, popular
powerhouse of a vocalist). But Esme’s feelings for her co-MC, Rowie (MC
Rohini), a beautiful, brilliant, beguiling desi chick, are bound to get
complicated. And before they know it, the queer hip-hop revolution Esme and
her girls have exploded in Holyhill is on the line. Exciting new talent Laura
Goode lays down a snappy, provocative, and heartfelt novel about discovering
the rhythm of your own truth.
94. Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You by Peter Cameron (ISBN-13:
9780374309893) Ages 14+
It’s time for eighteen-year-old James Sveck to begin his freshman year at
Brown. Instead, he’s surfing the real estate listings, searching for a
sanctuary—a nice farmhouse in Kansas, perhaps. Although James lives in
twenty-first-century Manhattan, he’s more at home in the faraway worlds of
Eric Rohmer or Anthony Trollope—or his favorite writer, the obscure and
tragic Denton Welch. James’s sense of dislocation is exacerbated by his
willfully self-absorbed parents, a disdainful sister, his Teutonically cryptic
shrink, and an increasingly vague, D-list celebrity grandmother. Compounding
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matters is James’s growing infatuation with a handsome male colleague at the
art gallery his mother owns, where James supposedly works at his summer
job but where he actually plots his escape to the prairie. In the tradition of
The Catcher in the Rye and The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Booklist has
hailed Cameron as “one of the best writers about middle-class youth since
Salinger”), Peter Cameron paints an indelible portrait of a teenage hero
holding out for a better grownup world. Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to
You is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year
95. Sparks: The Epic, Completely True Blue, (Almost) Holy Quest of Debbie
by S. J. Adams (ISBN-13: 9780738726762 ) Ages 14+
Since sixth grade, Debbie Woodlawn has nursed a secret, heart-searing crush
on her best friend, Lisa. But all those years of pretending to enjoy Full House
reruns and abstinence rallies with Lisa go down the drain when her friend
hooks up with Norman, the most boring guy at school. This earth-shattering
event makes Debbie decide to do the unthinkable: confess her love to Lisa.
And she has to do it tonight—before Lisa and Norman go past “the point of no
return.” So Debbie embarks on a quest to find Lisa. Guiding the quest are
fellow students/detention hall crashers Emma and Tim, the founding (and
only) members of the wacky Church of Blue. Three chases, three declarations
of love, two heartbreaks, a break-in, and five dollars worth of gas later,
Debbie has been fully initiated into Bluedaism—but is there time left to stop
Lisa and Norman from going too far?
96. Speaking Out: LGBTQ Youth Stand Up by Steve Berman (ISBN13:
9781602825666) Ages 14+
Speaking Out features stories for and about LGBT and Q teens by fresh voices
and noted authors in the field of young adult literature. These are inspiring
stories of overcoming adversity (against intolerance and homophobia) and
experiencing life after "coming out." Queer teens need tales of what might
happen next in their lives, and editor Steve Berman showcases a diversity of
events, challenges, and, especially, triumphs.
97. Sprout by Dale Peck (ISBN: 9781599901602) Ages 14+
Sprout Bradford has a secret. It’s not what you think—he’ll tell you he’s gay.
He’ll tell you about his dad’s drinking and his mother’s death. The green
fingerprints everywhere tell you when he last dyed his hair. But neither the
reader nor Sprout are prepared for what happens when Sprout suddenly finds
he’s had a more profound effect on the lives around him than he ever thought
possible. Sprout is both hilarious and gripping; a story of one boy at odds with
the expected.
98. Starting From Here by Lisa Jenn Bigelow (ISBN-13: 9780761462330)
Ages 14+
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Sixteen-year-old Colby Bingham’s heart has been broken too many times. Her
mother has been dead for almost two years, her truck driver father is always
away, her almost girlfriend just dumped her for a guy, and now she’s failing
chemistry. When a stray dog lands literally at her feet, bleeding and broken on
a busy road, it seems like the Universe has it in for Colby. But the incident also
knocks a chink in the walls she’s built around her heart. Against her better
judgment, she decides to care for the dog. But new connections mean new
opportunities for heartbreak. Terrified of another loss, Colby bolts at the first
sign of trouble, managing to alienate her best friend, her father, the cute girl
pursing her, and even her dog’s vet, who’s taken Colby under her wing. Colby
can’t start over, but can she learn how to move on?
99. Stir-Fry by Emma Donoghue (ISBN-13: 9781555837235) Ages 14+
Seventeen and sure of nothing, Maria has left her parents' small-town grocery
for university life in Dublin. An ad in the Student Union-"2 ♀ seek flatmate. No
bigots."-leads Maria to a home with warm Ruth and wickedly funny Jael,
students who are older and more fascinating than she'd expected. A poignant,
funny, and sharply insightful coming-of-age story, Stir-fry is a lesbian novel
that explores the conundrum of desire arising in the midst of friendship and
probes feminist ideas of sisterhood and nonpossessiveness.
100. Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg (ISBN-13: 9781555838539)
Published in 1993, this brave, original novel is considered to be the finest
account ever written of the complexities of a transgendered existence.
Woman or man? That’s the question that rages like a storm around Jess
Goldberg, clouding her life and her identity. Growing up differently gendered
in a blue--collar town in the 1950’s, coming out as a butch in the bars and
factories of the prefeminist ’60s, deciding to pass as a man in order to survive
when she is left without work or a community in the early ’70s. This powerful,
provocative and deeply moving novel sees Jess coming full circle, she learns to
accept the complexities of being a transgendered person in a world
demanding simple explanations: a he-she emerging whole, weathering the
turbulence. Leslie Feinberg is also the author of Trans Liberation, Trans
Gender Warriors and Transgender Liberation, and is a noted activist and
speaker on transgender issues.
101. Street Dreams by Tama Wise (ISBN-13: 9781602826502) Ages 13+
Tyson Rua has more than his fair share of problems growing up in South
Auckland. Working a night job to support his mother and helping bring up his
two younger brothers is just the half of it. His best friend Rawiri is falling afoul
of a broken home, and now Tyson's fallen in love at first sight. Only thing is,
it's another guy. Living life on the sidelines of the local hip-hop scene, Tyson
finds that to succeed in becoming a local graffiti artist or in getting the man of
his dreams, he's going to have to get a whole lot more involved. And that
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means more problems. The least of which is the leader of the local rap crew
he's found himself running with. Love, life, and hip-hop never do things by
half.
102. Suicide Notes by Michael Thomas Ford (ISBN-13: 9780060737559) Ages
14+
Fifteen-year-old Jeff wakes up on New Year’s Day to find himself in the
hospital. Make that the psychiatric ward. With the nutjobs. Never mind the
bandages on his wrists, clearly this is all a huge mistake. Jeff is perfectly fine,
perfectly normal—not like the other kids in the hospital with him. They’ve got
problems. But a funny thing happens as Jeff’s forty-five-day sentence drags
on: the crazies start to seem less crazy. . . .Compelling, witty, and refreshingly
real, Suicide Notes is a darkly comic novel that examines that fuzzy line
between “normal” and the rest of us.
103. Suicide Watch by Kelley York Ages 14+
18-year-old Vincent has spent his entire life being shuffled from one foster
home to the next. His grades sucked. Making friends? Out of the question
thanks to his nervous breakdowns and unpredictable moods. Still, Vince
thought when Maggie Atkins took him in, he might've finally found a place to
get his life--and his issues--in order. When Maggie dies, it all falls apart. A year
ago, Vince watched a girl leap to her death off a bridge. He's starting to think
she had the right idea. Through a pro-suicide forum, Vince meets others with
the same debate regarding death: cancer-ridden Casper would rather off
herself than slowly waste away, and there's quiet, withdrawn Adam, whose
mother wouldn't notice if he fell off the face of the planet. As they gravitate
toward each other, Vince searches for a reason to live while coping without
Maggie, coming to terms with Casper's imminent death, and falling in love
with a boy who doesn't plan on sticking around.
104. The Sweet In-Between by Sheri Reynolds (ISBN-13: 9781618580337)
Ages 14+
Kenny Lugo has grown up in a family that’s not really hers. Her mother died of
cancer when Kenny was very young, and Aunt Glo–who is, in fact, her daddy’s
girlfriend–took her in when her father was sent to jail for drug trafficking.
Now, as Kenny approaches her eighteenth birthday and the end of the
government checks Glo has been receiving looms, she is desperate to prove
that this house and these people really do belong to her. But when a
senseless murder occurs next door in their small coastal town, Kenny can’t get
it out of her mind. She has always been consumed by the ways in which she is
different–and inherently unworthy–so the unjust death of a young woman
with everything to live for becomes an obsession. In the end, hers is a story of
an unforgettable young woman whose redemption comes from a source she
never would have imagined.
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105. Swimming in the Monsoon Sea by Shyam Selvadurai (ISBN-13:
9780887768347) Ages 14+
The setting is Sri Lanka, 1980, and it is the season of monsoons. Fourteenyear-old Amrith is caught up in the life of the cheerful, well-to-do household
in which he is being raised by his vibrant Auntie Bundle and kindly Uncle
Lucky. He tries not to think of his life “before,” when his doting mother was
still alive. Amrith’s holiday plans seem unpromising: he wants to appear in his
school’s production of Othello and he is learning to type at Uncle Lucky’s
tropical fish business. Then, like an unexpected monsoon, his cousin arrives
from Canada and Amrith’s ordered life is storm-tossed. He finds himself falling
in love with the Canadian boy. Othello, with its powerful theme of disastrous
jealousy, is the backdrop to the drama in which Amrith finds himself
immersed.
106. Tale of Two Summers by Brian Sloan (ISBN13: 9780689874390) Ages 14+
A ten-year best friendship is put to the test when Chuck and Hal spend their
first summer apart falling for two questionable mates: a sexy Saudi songstress
and a smokin' hot French punk. As Chuck heads off to summer theater camp
and Hal stays in their hometown, learning how to drive, they keep in touch via
blogging, reporting to each other about their suddenly separate lives and
often ridiculous romantic entanglements. As both their relationships take
some unexpected turns, Hal and Chuck struggle to come to terms with their
growing differences while trying to keep their friendship alive.
107. Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz (ISBN-13: 9781442465329) Ages 14+
Be careful what you believe in. Rudy’s life is flipped upside-down when his
family moves to a remote island in a last attempt to save his sick younger
brother. With nothing to do but worry, Rudy sinks deeper and deeper into
loneliness and lies awake at night listening to the screams of the ocean
beneath his family’s rickety house. Then he meets Diana, who makes him
wonder what he even knows about love, and Teeth, who makes him question
what he knows about anything. Rudy can’t remember the last time he felt so
connected to someone, but being friends with Teeth is more than a little bit
complicated. He soon learns that Teeth has terrible secrets. Violent secrets.
Secrets that will force Rudy to choose between his own happiness and his
brothers life.
108. The Thunder in His Head by Gene Gant (ISBN-13: 9781613725726) Ages
14+
Kyle Manning is a tall, strong, openly gay sixteen-year-old who makes decent
grades and plays on his school's basketball team. He's a good kid who cares
deeply about his family and friends. But his life has become a mess. His mom,
Lela, has finally had enough of her husband Joe's serial cheating. Kyle's
parents are headed for divorce, and the collapse of their marriage torments
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him. Divorcing parents is bad enough, but Kyle also has to deal with new
people in his parents' lives. He likes Stephanie, his father's girlfriend, but he
finds himself increasingly attracted to his mother's handsome boyfriend,
Reece. As Kyle struggles with his fear and frustration, he grows angrier and
more erratic. Then he meets Dwight Varley, a buff, attractive athlete from
another school who takes an instant liking to him. Having Dwight around
doesn't solve all Kyle's problems, but it does make life more bearable. As their
relationship develops, Dwight becomes a bright oasis in Kyle's harried life. But
Dwight's life is more complicated than Kyle ever imagined, and just when
things start to get better, Kyle discovers the truth about Dwight-and about his
father.
109. Tomorrow Wendy: A Love Story by Shelley Stoehr (ISBN-13:
9780385323390) Ages 14+
I've discovered that if you wear a big enough hat, no one worries much about
what's going on inside your head. Cary should know. Her head is a mess
behind the floppy Audrey Hepburn hat she wears. Her best friend is a boy
who speaks to her in song lyrics—a boy that only she can see. And no one, not
even Cary's boyfriend Danny, knows about the things inside Cary's head.
Especially the feelings she has for Wendy, a girl with bright green hair and
hard-candy sadness in her eyes. Wendy is sexy and dangerous. Cary thinks
that Wendy could love her the way Danny does. There's just one problem.
Wendy is Danny's sister. Seventeen-year-old Cary seems to have it all-gorgeous body, cool boyfriend, wealthy family, and a great sense of style, but
she also has a serious problem.
110. The Tragedy of Miss Geneva Flowers by Joe Babcock (ISBN-13:
9780786715206) Ages Teens
Like many gay sixteen-year-olds, Erick Taylor dreams of being a star. The
problem is that he's unpopular and stuck in Catholic school, and his parents,
in their own desperate search for sainthood, fail to see that their son is on a
path toward self-destruction. Unable to face his tormentors at school, unsure
of whether he wants to live or die, Erick meets Chloe, "a twenty-six-year-old
self-proclaimed ‘grandiloquent' drag queen." With a glam-rock makeover and
a pair of platform shoes, Erick finally finds the courage to out himself, erasing
his former identity and leaping blindly into Minneapolis's gay nightlife. What
begins as an innocent journey of self-discovery soon turns tragic when Erick's
life as an aspiring drag queen is halted by the unthinkable, and he finds
himself alone, lost in the insanity of a world exploding. With exhilarating style
and dark wit, Joe Babcock—winner of the Best Self-Published Novel awards
from both Writer's Digest and the Lambda Literary Foundation—paints a
provocative, devastating portrait of what it's like to grow up gay.
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111. Tricks by Ellen Hopkins (ISBN13: 9781416950073) Ages 14+
Five teenagers from different parts of the country. Three girls. Two guys. Four
straight. One gay. Some rich. Some poor. Some from great families. Some with
no one at all. All living their lives as best they can, but all searching...for
freedom, safety, community, family, love. What they don't expect, though, is
all that can happen when those powerful little words "I love you" are said for
all the wrong reasons. Five moving stories remain separate at first, then
interweave to tell a larger, powerful story — a story about making choices,
taking leaps of faith, falling down, and growing up. A story about kids figuring
out what sex and love are all about, at all costs, while asking themselves, "Can
I ever feel okay about myself?"
112. Two Parties, One Tux, and a Very Short Film about The Grapes of Wrath
by Steve Goldman (ISBN-13: 9781599902715) Ages 14+
Mitchell Wells may not survive eleventh grade. He really only has one friend,
his best friend, David. His normally decent grade point average is in limbo due
to a slightly violent, somewhat inappropriate claymation film. And girls . . .
well, does hanging out with his sister count? When David tells Mitchell he’s
gay, Mitchell’s okay with it—but it still seems to change things. Since David’s
not out to anyone else, the guys agree to be set up with prom dates. Then,
one of the most popular girls in school decides she must date Mitchell, and
he’s gone from zero to two girlfriends in sixty seconds. From his pending
English grade, to his floundering friendship, to his love life—the one thing
that’s taken a bizarre turn for the better—Mitchell is so confused, he’ll be
lucky if he lasts another week in high school! And then there’s the prom . . .
With a wickedly funny voice and a colorful cast of characters, Steven Goldman
has written a novel for every reader—even those who like high school!
113. The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler (ISBN-13: 9780345498601) Ages
15+
"I was worried about vaginas. I was worried about what we think about
vaginas, and even more worried that we don't think about them. . . . So I
decided to talk to women about their vaginas, to do vagina interviews, which
became vagina monologues. I talked with over two hundred women. I talked
to old women, young women, married women, single women, lesbians,
college professors, actors, corporate professionals, sex workers, African
American women, Hispanic women, Asian American women, Native American
women, Caucasian women, Jewish women. At first women were reluctant to
talk. They were a little shy. But once they got going, you couldn't stop them."
So begins Eve Ensler's hilarious, eye-opening tour into the last frontier, the
forbidden zone at the heart of every woman. Adapted from the awardwinning one-woman show that's rocked audiences around the world, this
groundbreaking book gives voice to a chorus of lusty, outrageous, poignant,
and thoroughly human stories, transforming the question mark hovering over
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the female anatomy into a permanent victory sign. With laughter and
compassion, Ensler transports her audiences to a world we've never dared to
know, guaranteeing that no one who reads The Vagina Monologues will ever
look at a woman's body the same way again.
114. The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burds (ISBN-13: 9780803733404)
Ages 14+
It's Dade's last summer at home, and things are pretty hopeless. He has a
crappy job, a "boyfriend" who treats him like dirt, and his parents' marriage is
falling apart. So when he meets and falls in love with the mysterious Alex
Kincaid, Dade feels like he's finally experiencing true happiness. But when a
tragedy shatters the final days of summer, he realizes he must face his future
and learn how to move forward from his past.
115. Vintage: A Ghost Story by Steve Berman (ISBN13: 9781560236313) Ages
14+
In a small New Jersey town a lonely boy walking along a highway one autumn
evening meets the boy of his dreams, a boy who happens to have died
decades ago and haunts the road. Awkward crushes, both bitter and sweet,
lead him to face youthful dreams and childish fears. With a cast of offbeat
friends, antiques, and Ouija boards, Vintage offers readers a memorable blend
of dark humor, chills and love.
116. Wanted: A Bird Blacker Bounty Hunter Mystery by T. I. Alvarado
(ISBN13: 9781555839451) Ages 14+
Bountyhunter Ladybird "Bird" Blacker has enough to deal with, what with a
partner who is a pacifist, and a business rival who is six feet seven inches tall,
and wears a scowl you couldn't scrape off with a chisel. Then her kid sister,
Ruby, shows up eager to get in on the fugitive-recovery business, and her
latest successful capture turns out to be the son of a powerful crime boss.
When the angry father hires an assassin to take out Bird and rescue his son,
she turns out to be Bird's ex-girlfriend, and things really get interesting! Full of
wry charm, suspense, unforgettable characters, and rich comedy. T.I.
Alvarado's debut is reminiscent of both Elmore Leonard and David Sedaris.
117. Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block (ISBN-13: 9780060736255) Ages 14+
The narrative follows the adventures of the eponymous character Weetzie
and her best friend Dirk, as well as their friends and relations. After being
granted three wishes by a genie, Weetzie discovers that there are unexpected
ramifications. The story is set in an almost dream-like, heightened version of
Los Angeles, aptly referred to as "Shangri-L.A.", in an indefinite time period
evoking both the 1980s punk craze and the sophisticated glamor of 1950s
Hollywood. Block describes issues such as blended families, premarital sex,
homosexuality, and AIDS.
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118. What Happened to Lani Garver? By Carol Plum-Ucci (ISBN13:
9780152050887) Ages 15+
The close-knit residents of Hackett Island have never seen anyone quite like
Lani Garver. Everything about this new kid is a mystery: Where does Lani
come from? How old is Lani? And most disturbing of all, is Lani a boy or a girl?
Claire McKenzie isn't up to tormenting Lani with the rest of the high school
elite. Instead, she befriends the intriguing outcast. But within days of Lani's
arrival, tragedy strikes and Claire must deal with shattered friendships and
personal demons—and the possibility that angels may exist on earth. Sixteenyear-old Claire is unable to face her fears about a recurrence of her leukemia,
her eating disorder, her need to fit in with the popular crowd on Hackett
Island, and her mother's alcoholism until the enigmatic Lani Garver helps her
get control of her life at the risk of his own.
119. What They Always Tell Us by Martin Wilson (ISBN13: 9780385735070)
Age 14+
James and Alex have barely anything in common anymore—least of all their
experiences in high school, where James is a popular senior and Alex is
suddenly an outcast. But at home, there is Henry, the precocious 10-year-old
across the street, who eagerly befriends them both. And when Alex takes up
running, there is James’s friend Nathen, who unites the brothers in moving
and unexpected ways.
120. Wide Awake by David Levithan (ISBN-13: 9780375834660) Ages 14+
In the not-too-impossible-to-imagine future, a gay Jewish man has been
elected president of the United States. Until the governor of one state decides
that some election results in his state are invalid, awarding crucial votes to the
other candidate, and his fellow party member. Thus is the inspiration for
couple Jimmy and Duncan to lend their support to their candidate by deciding
to take part in the rallies and protests. Along the way comes an exploration of
their relationship, their politics, and their country, and sometimes, as they
learn, it's more about the journey than it is about reaching the destination.
Only David Levithan could so masterfully and creatively weave together a plot
that's both parts political action and reaction, as well as a touching and
insightfully-drawn teen love story.
121. Wild Dogs by Helen Humphreys (ISBN13: 9780393328424) Ages 14+
Alice's boyfriend abandons her dog, which joins a feral pack. Every evening,
Alice and five others gather at the forest's edge, trying to call their dogs back.
Most have similar tales of jealousy or vengeance enacted upon them through
their dogs: Jamie is rebelling against his stepfather; Lily, who has suffered
brain damage, is considered irresponsible. Becoming more deeply involved,
Alice moves out to a cabin on land owned by Malcolm, one of the group,
whose motives in having her there are suspicious. As she falls in love with the
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wildlife biologist whose wolf has gained lead of the pack, she feels the tug
between love's wild power and her desire to domesticate it. After a tragic
accident, all members of the group must rethink their lives and find their
places in an untamed world. Wild Dogs strips away the conventions of love
and passion to reveal deeper, richer truths.
122. Wildthorn by Jane Eagland (ISBN-13: 9780330458160) Ages 15+
Seventeen-year-old Louisa Cosgrove has never enjoyed the life of the
pampered, protected life girls of wealth were expected to follow in
nineteenth century England. It was too confining. She would have much
rather been like her older brother, allowed to play marbles, go to school,
become a doctor. But little does she know how far her family would go to kill
her dreams and desires. Until one day she finds herself locked away in an
insane asylum and everyone—the doctors and nurses—insist on calling her
Lucy Childs, not Louisa Cosgrove. Surely this is a mistake. Surely her family will
rescue her from this horrible, disgusting place. But as she unravels the
mystery, she discovers those are the very people she can't trust. So who can
she? There's one person—Eliza. As their love grows, Louisa realizes treachery
locked her away. Love is the key to freedom.
123. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green (ISBN- 13: 9780525421580)
Ages 14+
One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named
Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine,
the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions,
building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s
most fabulous high school musical. Hilarious, poignant, and deeply insightful,
John Green and David Levithan’s collaborative novel is brimming with a
double helping of the heart and humor that have won both of them legions of
faithful fans.
124. The Winter Garden and Other Stories by Hayden Thorne (ISBN-13:
9781475057270) Ages 14+
Strange music from a legendary haunted glade can only be heard by a special
boy. A grieving young man turns to the dark arts to bring his deceased lover
back. A soiled and tired knight protects the innocent from the threat of a
dragon. Young love blooms in a desolate garden. Familiar and original fairy
tales, myths, and legends explore the complexities in a gay teen's coming-ofage through allegory and metaphor. Rain-drenched circuses, old wives' tales
involving candles in windows, water-irises deep in a wood, lonely fairy kings,
and magical Christmas parties not only present valuable lessons, but also
provide an escape into worlds in which a gay teen can see himself as the
amazing, resilient hero of adventures and romance. Contains the stories:
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Clouds' Illusions, Erl-King, Out of the Depths, The Bridge, The Dollhouse, The
Haunted Glade, The Knight, The Water-Irises, and The Winter Garden.
125. With or Without You by Brian Farrey (ISBN-13: 9781442406995) Ages
14+
When are you too far in to get out? Eighteen-year-old Evan and his best
friend, Davis, get beaten up for being loners. For being gay. For just being
themselves. But as rough as things often seem, at least Evan can take comfort
in his sweet, sexy boyfriend Erik —whom he’s kept secret from everyone for
almost a year. Then Evan and Davis are recruited to join the Chasers, a fringe
crowd that promises them protection and status. Davis is swept up in the
excitement, but Evan is caught between his loyalty to Davis and his love for
Erik. Evan has lied to keep his two worlds separate. Now his lies are about to
implode…and destroy the very relationships he’s been trying to protect.
126. The Year of Ice by Brian Malloy (ISBN13: 9780312313692) Ages 15+
It is 1978 in the Twin Cities, and Kevin Doyle, a high school senior, is a
marginal student in love with keggers, rock and roll, and—unbeknownst to
anyone else—a boy in his class with thick eyelashes and a bad attitude. His
mother Eileen died two years earlier when her car plunged into the icy waters
of the Mississippi River, and since then Kevin's relationship with his father
Patrick has become increasingly distant. As lonely women vie for his father's
attention, Kevin discovers Patrick's own closely guarded secret: he had
planned to abandon his family for another woman. More disturbingly, his
mother's death may well have been a suicide, not an accident. Complicating
the family dynamic is the constant meddling of Kevin's outspoken Aunt
Nora—who will never forgive Patrick for Eileen's death—along with Patrick's
inability to stay single for very long. His loyalties divided between his father
and his aunt, between his internal reality and his public persona, Kevin is
forced to accept his gay identity and reevaluate his notions of family and love
as painful truths emerge about both.
D. Non-fiction
1. America’s Boy: A Memoir by Wade Rouse (ISBN13: 9780525949343) In
the tradition of such quirky and smart coming-of-age memoirs as Augusten
Burroughs's Running with Scissors and Haven Kimmel's A Girl Named Zippy,
America's Boy is an arresting and funny tale of growing up different in
America's heartland. Wade didn't quite fit in. While schoolmates had crewcuts
and wore Wrangler jeans, Wade styled his hair in imitation of Robbie Benson
circa Ice Castles and shopped in the Sears husky section. Wade's father
insisted on calling everyone “honey”—even male gas station attendants. His
mother punctuated her conversations with “WHAT?!” and constantly
answered herself as though she was being cross-examined. He goes to school
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with a pack of kids called goat ropers who make the boys from Deliverance
look like honor students. And he both loved and hated his perfect older
brother. While other families traveled to Florida and Hawaii for vacation,
Wade's family packed their clothes in garbage bags and drove to their log
cabin on Sugar Creek in the Missouri Ozarks. And it is here that Wade found
refuge from his everyday struggle to fit in—until a sudden, terrible accident
on the Fourth of July took his brother's life and changed everything. Equally
nostalgic, poignant, funny, and compelling, this is a story of what it is to be
normal, what it means to fit in, and what it means to be yourself.
2. Before Stonewall: Activists for Gay and Lesbian Rights in Historical
Context by John Dececco and Vern L Bullough (ISBN-13: 9781560231929)
Before Stonewall: Activists for Gay and Lesbian Rights in Historical Context
illuminates the lives of the courageous individuals involved in the early
struggle for gay and lesbian civil rights in the United States. Authored by those
who knew them (often activists themselves), the concise biographies in this
volume examine the lives of pre-1969 barrier breakers like Harry Hay, Henry
Gerber, Alfred Kinsey, Del Martin, Phyllis Lyon, Jim Kepner, Jack Nichols,
Christine Jorgensen, Jose Sarria, Barbara Grier, Frank Kameny, and 40 more.
3. Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin (ISBN13: 9780763656119)
Author and photographer Susan Kuklin met and interviewed six transgender
or gender-neutral young adults and used her considerable skills to represent
them thoughtfully and respectfully before, during, and after their personal
acknowledgment of gender preference. Portraits, family photographs, and
candid images grace the pages, augmenting the emotional and physical
journey each youth has taken. Each honest discussion and disclosure, whether
joyful or heartbreaking, is completely different from the other because of
family dynamics, living situations, gender, and the transition these teens make
in recognition of their true selves.
4. Brother to Brother: New Writings by Black Gay Men edited by Essex
Hemphill (ISBN-13: 9780978625115)
Brother to Brother, begun by Joseph Beam and completed by Essex Hemphill
after Beam's death in 1988, is a collection of now-classic literary work by black
gay male writers. Originally published in 1991 and out of print for several
years, Brother to Brother "is a community of voices," Hemphill writes. "[It]
tells a story that laughs and cries and sings and celebrates...it's a conversation
intimate friends share for hours. These are truly words mined syllable by
syllable from the hearts of black gay men. You're invited to listen in because
you're family, and these aren't secrets-not to us, so why should they be
secrets to you? Just listen. Your brother is speaking."
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5. Creating Safe and Supportive Learning Environments: A Guide for
Working with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth
and Families by Emily S. Fischer and Karen Komosa- Hawkins (ISBN-13: 9780415819176)
The importance of creating safe spaces for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,
and questioning (LGBTQ) students in the school environment cannot be
overstated. It is one of the most prominent issues facing school professionals
today, and its success has lasting, positive effects on the entire student body.
Drawing on the expertise of researchers and practitioners, Creating Safe and
Supportive Learning Environments provides a comprehensive examination of
the topics most relevant for school professionals. The first section lays out the
theoretical foundation and background school professionals need to
understand the social and political trends that impact LGBTQ individuals, the
development of sexual orientation and gender identity, risk and resilience
factors, and the intersection of LGBTQ identity with other aspects of diversity.
The second section explores topics critical for the development of safe,
supportive school environments, including understanding legal and ethical
mandates, training school personnel, addressing bullying and harassment, and
developing inclusive classrooms. Special topics related to counseling LGBTQ
students, supporting families of LGBTQ students, becoming an ally and
advocate in the schools, and connecting with community resources are also
covered.
6. Dude, You’re a Fag by C.J. Pascoe (ISBN-13: 9780520271487)
High school and the difficult terrain of sexuality and gender identity are
brilliantly explored in this smart, incisive ethnography. Based on eighteen
months of fieldwork in a racially diverse working-class high school, Dude,
You're a Fag sheds new light on masculinity both as a field of meaning and as
a set of social practices. C. J. Pascoe's unorthodox approach analyzes
masculinity as not only a gendered process but also a sexual one. She
demonstrates how the "specter of the fag" becomes a disciplinary mechanism
for regulating heterosexual as well as homosexual boys and how the "fag
discourse" is as much tied to gender as it is to sexuality.
7. Evolution’s Rainbow: Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and
People by Joan Roughgarden (ISBN-13: 9780520240735)
“This brilliant and accessible work of biological criticism has the potential to
revolutionize the way readers conceive of gender and sexuality in the natural
world. Roughgarden, a professor of biology at Stanford University and a
member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences, argues that the diversity of
gender and sexuality one finds in many species suggests that evolutionary
biologists of a strictly Darwinian bent are often misguided, since, according to
Roughgarden, they erroneously assume a universally applicable gender binary
in all species. The first half of the book brings that sexual diversity to light
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through innumerable examples among birds, reptiles, fish and mammals
provided in highly readable anecdotes. The significance of this first section lies
not only in this startlingly original portrait of nature, but also in how it
suggests that contemporary Darwinian sexual selection theory is in part a
result of cultural bias, since it "predicts that the baseline outcome of social
evolution is horny, handsome, healthy warriors paired with discreetly
discerning damsels." Roughgarden critiques this theory through an expansive
study of biological scholarship, highlighting the frequent contradictions
between such claims and the data used (and, she argues, manipulated) to
prove them. The second and undoubtedly more controversial section
discusses sexual diversity in humans. Taking as a given the presence in our
own species of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, transsexual and intersex
persons, she reads current scientific writing-on a supposed "gay gene," on
gender reassignment and other issues-through a perspective that sees
diversity as an advantage, not a handicap. Readers more accustomed to
traditional categories of gender and sexuality in humans will undoubtedly be
surprised at how different a portrait emerges from Roughgarden's deeply
personal and insistently ethical point of view.” –Publisher’s Weekly
8. Feeling Wrong In Your Own Body: Understanding What It Means to be
Transgender by Jaime A. Seba (ISBN: 9781422218662) Ages 14+
Boys who play with Barbie dolls. Girls who join the football team. What is
gender? What are gender roles? What's the difference between being a
tomboy and being transgender? Is it possible to be in the wrong body?
Explore the answers to these questions with an in-depth look at what it
means to be transgender, based on the personal experiences of the men and
women who have taken steps to transition. Learn from the experiences of
transgender young people who make the significant choice to live openly as
another gender while still in high school. Uncover the reality of this oftenmisunderstood group and how it fits into the gay community.
9. For Colored Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is
Still Not Enough edited by Keith Boykin (ISBN13: 9781936833153)
In 1947, playwright Ntazake Shange published a choreopoem called For
Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf. The
story would go on to inspire legions of women for decades and would later
become the subject and title of a hugely popular feature-length movie. While
the film was selling out movie theaters, young African-American and Latin gay
men were literally committing suicide in the silence of their own communities.
In response, Keith Boykin has put together For Colored Boys Who Have
Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Still Not Enough, addressing
longstanding issues of sexual abuse, suicide, HV/AIDS, racism, and
homophobia in the African-American, Latin, and Asian-American
communities, and more specifically among young gay men of color. The
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inspirational book tells stories of red people growing up gay, seeking love,
finding their own identity, and ultimately creating their own sense of personal
and political empowerment.
10. Free Your Mind: The Book for Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Youth and
Their Allies by Ellen Bass and Kate Kaufman (ISBN-13: 9780060951047) Ages
12+
Free Your Mind is the definitive practical guide for gay, lesbian, and bisexual
youth — and their families, teachers, counselors and friends. For too long, gay
youth have wanted to be themselves and to feel good about it, but most have
been isolated, afraid, harassed, or worse. Their very existence has been
ignored, whispered about, or swept under the rug. But each day more and
more lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth are standing up, speaking out, breaking
down stereotypes, demanding rights and recognition — shining. In this book,
young people share their joy and their pain, their hopes and fears, the
formidable obstacles they have faced and overcome, and the exciting
opportunities they have discovered. Free Your Mind speaks to the basic
aspects of the lives of gay, lesbian and bisexual youth: Self-Discovery; Friends
and Lovers; Family; School; Spirituality; Community. Alive with the voices of
more than fifty young people, rich in accurate information and positive
practical advice, Free Your Mind talks about how to come out, deal with
problems, make healthy choices about relationships and sex, connect with
other gay youth and supportive adults, and take pride and participate in the
gay and lesbian community. Free Your Mind also presents detailed guidance
for adults who want to make the world safer for lesbian, gay and bisexual
youth.
11. Gay America: Struggle for Equality by Linas Aisenas (ISBN:
9780810994874) Ages 14+
Milestones of gay and lesbian life in the United States are brought together in
the first-ever nonfiction book published specifically for teens. Profusely
illustrated with archival images, the groundbreaking Gay America reveals how
gay men and women have lived, worked, and loved for the past 125 years.
Gays and lesbians play a very prominent role in American life today, whether
grabbing headlines over political gains, starring in and being the subject of
movies and television shows, or filling the streets of nearly every major city
each year to celebrate Gay Pride. However, this was not always the case, and
this book charts their journey along with the history of the country. First
touching on colonial times, the book moves on to the Victorian period and
beyond, including such historical milestones as the Roaring ’20s, the Kinsey
study, the McCarthy witch hunts of the 1950s, the Beat generation, Stonewall,
disco, AIDS, and present-day battles over gay marriage. Providing a sense of
hope mixed with pride, author Linas Alsenas demonstrates how, within one
century, gay women and men have gone from being socially invisible to
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becoming a political force to be reckoned with and proud members of the
American public living openly and honestly. The book includes a bibliography
and an index.
12. Gay People of Color: Facing Prejudices, Forging Identities by Jaime A.
Seba (ISBN13: 9781422217481) Ages 12+
What does it feel like to be a minority within a minority? For lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people of color, their experiences coming
out and living openly can be incredibly complicated. They may face
discrimination from their community because of their sexual orientation, and
they may be subjected to racism by their LGBT peers. Learn about the
complicated health and personal issues related to this community, and find
out how role models such as openly gay comedian Wanda Sykes, drag
performer RuPaul, Latino icon Ricky Martin, and openly gay actor B.D. Wong
help provide representations of LGBT people of color.
13. The Gender Book: http://www.thegenderbook.com/#
The Gender Book Project was started in order to educate people of every age
about the LGBTQ community through the easy to understand style of an
illustrated children’s educational book. “The Gender Book,” a 70 page book
about the LGBTQ community, and “The Gender Booklet,” a 6 page booklet
which covers the basics of the topics covered in “The Gender Book,” are both
available for free e-book or PDF download.
14. Gender Outlaws: The New Generation by Kate Bornstein and S. Bear
Bergman (ISBN-13: 9781580053082)
In Gender Outlaws, Bornstein, together with writer, raconteur, and theater
artist S. Bear Bergman, collects and contextualizes the work of this
generation's trans and genderqueer forward thinkers — new voices from the
stage, on the streets, in the workplace, in the bedroom, and on the pages and
websites of the world's most respected mainstream news sources. Gender
Outlaws includes essays, commentary, comic art, and conversations from a
diverse group of trans-spectrum people who live and believe in barrierbreaking lives.
15. Getting Bi edited by Robyn Ochs and Sarah Rowley (ISBN-13:
9780965388153) Teens
Getting Bi: Voices of Bisexuals Around the World, Second Edition, edited by
Robyn Ochs and Sarah Rowley, is the broadest single collection of bisexual
literature available today. Getting Bi collects 220 essays from around the
world that explore bisexual identity. Topics include coming out, relationships,
politics, community, and more. The book also addresses the intersection of
bisexuality with race, class, ethnicity, gender identity, disability and national
identity. Authors from 42 countries discuss bisexuality from personal
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perspectives and their own cultural contexts providing insight into societal
views on bisexuality from countries ranging from Colombia to China.
16. GLBTQ: The Survival Guide for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and
Questioning Teens by Kelly Huegel (ISBN-13: 978-1575423630)
When it was first published in 2003, GLBTQ quickly became the indispensable
resource for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning teens. This
fully revised and updated edition retains all of the straightforward
information and practical advice of the original edition while providing a
contemporary look at society and its growing acceptance of people who are
GLBTQ. Included are updates on efforts to promote equality, including the
current status of legislative initiatives concerning safe schools, gay marriage,
workplace equality, transgender expression, and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Issuesbased information and advice address coming out, prejudice, getting support,
staying safe, making healthy choices, and thriving in school. This frank,
sensitive book is written for young people who are beginning to question their
sexual or gender identity, those who are ready to work for GLBTQ rights, and
those who may need advice, guidance, or reassurance that they are not alone.
17. Hear Me Out: Teens Speaking Out Against Homophobia by Planned
Parenthood (ISBN-13: 9781896764870) Ages 14+
More and more gay teens are speaking out about the realization of their
sexuality, and about the consequences-the reactions of friends and families,
schoolmates and society in general. These heartfelt memoirs, originally
presented orally in schools, speak poignantly about the lives of young gay,
lesbian, bisexual, transgender and transsexual people today.
18. Hear Us Out!: Lesbian and Gay Stories of Struggle, Progress, and Hope,
1950 to Present by Nancy Garden (ISBN13: 9780374317591) Ages 12+
What was it like being young and gay during the closeted 1950s, the
exuberant beginnings of the modern gay rights movement in the 1970s, or the
frightening outbreak of HIV and AIDS in the 1980s? In this unique history,
Nancy Garden uses both fact and fiction to explore just what it has meant to
be young and gay in America during the last fifty years. For each decade from
the 1950s on, she discusses in an essay the social and political events that
shaped the lives of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people
during that era. Then, in two short stories, she explores the emotional
experiences of young gay people coming of age during those times, giving
vivid insight into what it really felt like. Hear Us Out! is a comprehensive and
rich account of gay life, both public and private, from one of the pioneers of
young adult lesbian and gay literature.
19. Hello, Cruel World: 101 Alternatives to Suicide for Teens, Freaks, and
Other Outlaws by Kate Bornstein (ISBN-13: 9781583227206)
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Celebrated transsexual trailblazer Kate Bornstein has, with more humor and
spunk than any other, ushered us into a world of limitless possibility through a
daring re-envisionment of the gender system as we know it. Here, Bornstein
bravely and wittily shares personal and unorthodox methods of survival in an
often cruel world. A one-of-a-kind guide to staying alive outside the box,
Hello, Cruel World is a much-needed unconventional approach to life for
those who want to stay on the edge, but alive. Hello, Cruel World features a
catalog of 101 alternatives to suicide that range from the playful (moisturize!),
to the irreverent (shatter some family values), to the highly controversial.
Designed to encourage readers to give themselves permission to unleash their
hearts' harmless desires, the book has only one directive: "Don't be mean." It
is this guiding principle that brings its reader on a self-validating journey,
which forges wholly new paths toward a resounding decision to choose life.
Tenderly intimate and unapologetically edgy, Kate Bornstein is the radical role
model, the affectionate best friend, and the guiding mentor all in one.
20. Invisible Lives: The Erasure of Transsexual and Transgendered People by
Viviane K. Namaste (ISBN-13: 9780226568102)
Invisible Lives is the first scholarly study of transgendered people—crossdressers, drag queens and transsexuals—and their everyday lives. Through
combined theoretical and empirical study, Viviane K. Namaste argues that
transgendered people are not so much produced by medicine or psychiatry as
they are erased, or made invisible, in a variety of institutional and cultural
settings. Namaste begins her work by analyzing two theoretical perspectives
on transgendered people—queer theory and the social sciences—displaying
how neither of these has adequately addressed the issues most relevant to
sex change: everything from employment to health care to identity papers.
Namaste then examines some of the rhetorical and semiotic inscriptions of
transgendered figures in culture, including studies of early punk and glam rock
subcultures, to illustrate how the effacement of transgendered people is
organized in different cultural sites. Invisible Lives concludes with new
research on some of the day-to-day concerns of transgendered people,
offering case studies in violence, health care, gender identity clinics, and the
law.
21. It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life
Worth Living Edited by Dan Savage and Terry Miller (ISBN-13:
9780452297616)
Growing up isn't easy. Many young people face daily tormenting and bullying,
and this is especially true for LGBT kids and teens. In response to a number of
tragic suicides by LGBT students, syndicated columnist and author Dan Savage
uploaded a video to YouTube with his partner, Terry Miller. Speaking openly
about the bullying they suffered, and how they both went on to lead
rewarding adult lives, their video launched the It Gets Better Project YouTube
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channel and initiated a worldwide phenomenon. It Gets Better is a collection
of original essays and expanded testimonials written to teens from celebrities,
political leaders, and everyday people, because while many LGBT teens can't
see a positive future for themselves, we can.
22. Kicked Out by Sassafras Lowrey (ISBN-13: 9780978597368)
In the U.S., 40% of homeless youth identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender or queer(LGBTQ). Kicked Out brings together the voices of
current and former homeless LGBTQ youth and tells the forgotten stories of
some of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens. Diverse contributors share
stories of survival and abuse with poignant accounts of the sanctuary of
community and the power of creating chosen families. Kicked Out highlights
the nuanced perspectives of national organizations such as The National Gay
& Lesbian Task Force and The National Alliance Against Homelessness and
regional agencies, including Sylvia’s Place, The Circus Project and Family
Builders. This anthology, introduced by Judy Shepard, gives voice to the
voiceless and challenges the stereotypical face of homelessness. To learn
more, visit their website at KickedOutAnthology.com.
23. The Laramie Project by Moisés Kaufman and Tectonic Theater Project
(ISBN-13: 9780375727191)
On October 7, 1998, a young gay man was discovered bound to a fence in the
hills outside Laramie, Wyoming, savagely beaten and left to die in an act of
hate that shocked the nation. Matthew Shepard’s death became a national
symbol of intolerance, but for the people of Laramie the event was deeply
personal, and it’s they we hear in this stunningly effective theater piece, a
deeply complex portrait of a community.
24. The Letter Q: Queer Writers’ Notes to their Younger Selves edited by
Sarah Moon and James Lescene (ISBN-13: 9780545399326) Ages 12+
Life-saving letters from a glittering wishlist of top authors. If you received a
letter from your older self, what do you think it would say? What do you wish
it would say? That the boy you were crushing on in History turns out to be gay
too, and that you become boyfriends in college? That the bully who is making
your life miserable will one day become so insignificant that you won't
remember his name until he shows up at your book signing? In this anthology,
sixty-three award-winning authors such as Michael Cunningham, Amy Bloom,
Jacqueline Woodson, Gregory Maguire, David Levithan, and Armistead
Maupin make imaginative journeys into their pasts, telling their younger
selves what they would have liked to know then about their lives as Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, or Transgendered people. Through stories, in pictures, with
bracing honesty, these are words of love and understanding, reasons to hold
on for the better future ahead. They will tell you things about your favorite
authors that you never knew before. And they will tell you about yourself.
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25. Mama’s Boy, Preacher’s Son: A Memoir of Growing Up, Coming Out,
and Changing America’s Schools by Kevin Jennings (ISBN-13:
9780807071472) Ages 14+
Long before Kevin Jennings began advocating to end anti-LGBT bias in schools,
he was a victim of it. In Mama's Boy, Preacher's Son, Jennings traces the roots
of his activism to his elementary school days in the conservative South, where
"faggot" became more familiar to him than his own name. Mama's Boy,
Preacher's Son is that rare memoir that is both a riveting personal story and
an inside account of a critical chapter in our recent history. Creating safe
schools for all youth is now a central part of the progressive agenda in
American education—and Kevin Jennings is at the forefront of that fight.
26. Mom, I Need to be a Girl by Just Evelyn (ISBN-13: 9781419684388)
This book, written by the single mother of a Transsexual teen-ager, is a true
account of their experiences wending their way through the morass of
roadblocks and confusion in seeking approval for the son to become the
daughter she had always been meant to be. It describes clearly the troubles
that the "system" deliver to maintain the status-quo, and the overwhelming
drive needed by both the child and the parent in overcoming these burdens
and achieving success. This should be required reading for any parent of a
Transgendered person. The writing style is easy and familiar and will make for
a "quick read" ; one you won't want to put down.
27. My Gender Workbook by Kate Bornstein (ISBN-13: 9780415916738) 15+
(Older teens)
Kate Bornstein brings theory down to Earth and provides a practical guide to
living with or without a gender. The workbook includes quizzes and exercises
that determine how much of a man or woman you are, and gives you the
tools to reach whatever point you desire on the gender continuum.
28. My New Gender Workbook by Kate Bornstein (ISBN-13:
9780415538657) 15+ (Older teens)
Bornstein starts from the premise that there are not just two genders
performed in today's world, but countless genders lumped under the twogender framework. Using a unique, deceptively simple and always
entertaining workbook format, complete with quizzes, exercises, and puzzles,
Bornstein gently but firmly guides readers toward discovering their own
unique gender identity. Since its first publication in 1997, My Gender
Workbook has been challenging, encouraging, questioning, and helping those
trying to figure out how to become a "real man," a "real woman," or
"something else entirely." In this exciting new edition of her classic text,
Bornstein re-examines gender in light of issues like race, class, sexuality, and
language. With new quizzes, new puzzles, new exercises, and plenty of Kate's
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playful and provocative style, My New Gender Workbook promises to help a
new generation create their own unique place on the gender spectrum.
29. The Nearest Exit is Behind You by S. Bear Bergman (ISBN-13:
9781551522647)
Alternately unsettling and affirming, devastating and delicious, The Nearest
Exit May Be Behind You is a new collection of essays on gender and identity by
S. Bear Bergman that is irrevocably honest and endlessly illuminating. With
humor and grace, these essays deal with issues from women's spaces to the
old boys' network, from gay male bathhouses to lesbian potlucks, from being
a child to preparing to have one. Throughout, S. Bear Bergman shows us there
are things you learn when you're visibly different from those around you—
whether it's being transgressively gendered or readably queer. As a
transmasculine person, Bergman keeps readers breathless and rapt in the
freakshow tent long after the midway has gone dark, when the good hooch
gets passed around and the best stories get told. Ze offers unique
perspectives on issues that challenge, complicate, and confound the "official
stories" about how gender and sexuality work.
30. Nina Here Nor There: My Journey Beyond Gender by Nick Krieger (ISBN13: 9780807000922)
The next-generation Stone Butch Blues—a contemporary memoir of gender
awakening and a classic tale of first love and self-discovery. Ambitious, sporty,
feminine “capital-L lesbians” had been Nina Krieger’s type, for friends that is.
She hadn’t dated in seven years, a period of non-stop traveling—searching for
what, or avoiding what, she didn’t know. When she lands in San Francisco’s
Castro neighborhood, her roommates introduce her to a whole new world,
full of people who identify as queer, who modify their bodies and blur the line
between woman and man, who defy everything Nina thought she knew about
gender and identity. Despite herself, Nina is drawn to the people she once
considered freaks, and before long, she is forging a path that is neither man
nor woman, here nor there. This candid and humorous memoir of gender
awakening brings readers into the world of the next generation of
transgender warriors and tells a classic tale of first love and self-discovery.
31. No Easy Answers: Bayard Rustin and the Civil Rights Movement by
Calvin Craig Miller (ISBN13: 9781931798433)
Although a leader in the US civil rights movement, Rustin’s arrest,
prosecution, and imprisonment for a homosexual encounter were used to
discredit his work.
32. Out Law: What LGBT Youth Should Know About Their Legal Rights by
Lisa Keen (ISBN13: 9780807079669) Ages 14+
The enormous advances of the civil rights movement have made it easier for
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LGBT youth to be "out," yet their increased visibility has led to myriad legal
issues involving such critical matters as freedom of expression, sexual
harassment, self-chosen medical care, and even their right to privacy within
their own families. In this accessible guide, Lisa Keen illustrates how some
laws limit the rights of LGBT youth and others protect them. Out Law lays out
the basics about federal, state, and local laws that frequently impact LGBT
youth and explains how legal authority and responsibility is often vested in
local officials, such as school principals. Keen explains how laws treating LGBT
people differently came to exist, evolved over time, and are subject to
significant changes even today. Out Law discusses the shifting legal terrain for
such issues as when schools can censor messages on T-shirts or library
computer research into LGBT-related Web sites. It gives youth tips on how to
document efforts to curb their rights and where to turn for help in protecting
those rights.
33. Positively Gay: New Approaches to Gay and Lesbian Life edited by Dr.
Betty Berzon. (ISBN-13: 9781587610950)
When Positively Gay was first published in 1979, it was widely praised for its
practical treatment of a variety of topics affecting the lives of gays and
lesbians. With a list of contributors from diverse backgrounds, disciplines, and
approaches, this important resource, compiled by Dr. Betty Berzon, spotlights
significant but often overlooked topics such as building successful same-sex
partnerships, reconciling religious dilemmas, coming out to one's family,
creating gay families, using voting power to effect change, dealing with legal
and financial issues, and living as a gay person of color. Gay and lesbian
readers will find much to inform and guide them on their journey to selfacceptance. 2001 edition includes introduction by Barney Frank and provides
information on recent developments and debates that have affect the gay
community.
34. Queer: The Ultimate LGBT Guide for Teens by Kathy Belge and Marke
Bieschke (ISBN-13: 9780981973340) Ages 14+
Teen life is hard enough with all of the pressures kids face, but for teens who
are LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender), it’s even harder. When do
you decide to come out? To whom? Will your friends accept you? And how on
earth do you meet people to date? Queer is a humorous, engaging, and
honest guide that helps LGBT teens come out to friends and family, navigate
their new LGBT social life, figure out if a crush is also queer, and rise up
against bigotry and homophobia. Queer also includes personal stories from
the authors and sidebars on queer history. It’s a must-read for any teen who
thinks they might be queer—or knows someone who is.
35. Queer America: A People’s GLBT History of the United States by Vicki L.
Eaklor (ISBN-13: 9781595586360)
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Written in the tradition of Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United
States, Queer America, provides a decade-by-decade overview of major issues
and events in GLBT history including the Harlem Renaissance, changes in
military policy, the Stonewall riots, organizations and alliances, AIDS, samesex marriage, representation in the media, and legal battles. Eaklor brings the
steady hand and perspective of an historian to the task of writing a sweeping
work of narrative nonfiction that is both meaningful and relevant to all
Americans. Queer America includes a rich array of visual materials, including
sidebars highlighting major debates and vignettes focusing on key individuals.
A timeline and further reading sections conclude each chapter; a full
bibliography and black-and-white images enhance the text. Queer America is
destined to become an indispensable resource for students, teachers, and
general readers alike.
36. Restoried Selves: Autobiographies of Queer Asian/Pacific American
Activisits by Kevin K. Kumashiro, Ph.D. (ISBN-13: 9781560234630)
Restoried Selves: Autobiographies of Queer Asian / Pacific American Activists
presents the first-person accounts of 20 activists’ life stories that work against
common stereotypes, shattering misconceptions and dispelling
misinformation. These autobiographies challenge familial and cultural
expectations and values that have traditionally forced queer Asian/Pacific
Americans into silent shame because of their sexual orientation and/or
ethnicity. Authors share not only their experiences growing up but also how
those experiences led them to become social activists, speaking out against
oppression. Many harmful untruths or stories about queer Asian-Pacific
Americans have been repeated so often, they are accepted as fact. Restoried
Selves: Autobiographies of Queer Asian / Pacific American Activists provides a
forum for voices often ignored in academic literature to re-story themselves,
addressing a range of experiences that includes cultural differences and
values, conflicts between different generations in a family or between
different groups in a community, and difficulties and rewards of coming out.
Those giving voice to their stories through narrative and other writing genres
include the transgendered and intersexed, community activists, youths, and
parents. The stories told in Restoried Selves: Autobiographies of Queer
Asian/Pacific American Activists reflect on: personal experiences based on
country of origin, educational background, religion, gender, and age;
populations served by activism, including the working poor, immigrants,
adoptees, youth, women, and families; different arenas of activism, including
schools, governments, social services, and the Internet; issues targeted by
activism, including affirmative action, HIV/AIDS education, mental health,
interracial relationships, and sexual violence; institutions in need of change,
including legal, religious, and educational entities; and much more! Restoried
Selves: Autobiographies of Queer Asian/Pacific American Activists is an
essential read for academics and researchers working in Asian American
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studies, ethnic studies, gender studies, and queer studies, and for LGBTQ
youth and their parents, teachers, and social service providers.
37. Revolutionary Voices: A Multicultural Queer Youth Anthology edited by
Amy Sonnie (ISBN-13: 9781555835583) Ages 12+
Invisible. Unheard. Alone. Chilling words but apt to describe the isolation and
alienation of queer youth. In silence and fear they move from childhood
memories of repression or violence to the unknown, unmentored, landscape
of queer adulthood, their voices stilled or ignored. No longer. Revolutionary
Voices celebrates the hues and harmonies of the future of gay and lesbian
society, presenting not a collection of stories but a collection of experiences,
ideas, dreams, and fantasies expressed through prose, poetry, artwork,
letters, diaries, and performance pieces.
38. The Right to Be Out: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in
America’s Public Schools by Stuart Biegel (ISBN-13: 9780816674589)
Despite significant advances for gay and transgender persons in the United
States, the public school environment remains daunting, even frightening, as
evidenced by numerous high-profile incidents of discrimination, bullying,
violence, and suicide. Yet efforts to protect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgender (LGBT) students and educators, or to enhance curricula to
better reflect the experience of differing sexual orientations and gender
identities, are bitterly opposed in the courtroom, at the ballot box, and
especially in the schools themselves. The Right to Be Out begins with a cogent
history and analysis of the dramatic legal developments concerning the rights
of LGBT persons since 1968. Stuart Biegel then turns to what K-12 schools
should do-and in many cases have already done-to implement right-to-be-out
policies. He examines recent legal and public policy changes that affect LGBT
students and educators in the K-12 public school system. Underlying all of
these issues, he shows, is an implicit tension about the right to be out, a right
that is seen as fundamental within LGBT communities today and, legally,
draws on both the First Amendment right to express an identity and the
Fourteenth Amendment right to be treated equally. Biegel addresses the
implications of asserting and protecting this right within the hotly contested
terrain of America's public schools. This book is a valuable resource for K-12
school administrators, parents, teacher organizations, mental health
professionals and school counselors, LGBT advocacy groups, and the legal
community. A safe and supportive educational environment for all students is
possible, Biegel concludes, if built on shared values and a belief in the
strength of our pluralistic society.
39. Screened Out by Richard Barrios (ISBN-13: 9780415923293) Ages 14+
Rapacious dykes, self-loathing closet cases, hustlers, ambiguous sophisticates,
and sadomasochistic rich kids: most of what America thought it knew about
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gay people it learned at the movies. A fresh and revelatory look at sexuality in
the Great Age of movie making, Screened Out shows how much gay and
lesbian lives have shaped the Big Screen. Spanning popular American cinema
from the 1900s until today, distinguished film historian Richard Barrios
presents a rich, compulsively readable analysis of how Hollywood has used
and depicted gays and the mixed signals it has given us: Marlene in a top hat,
Cary Grant in a negligee, a pansy cowboy in The Dude Wrangler. Such
iconoclastic images, Barrios argues, send powerful messages about tragedy
and obsession, but also about freedom and compassion, even empowerment.
Mining studio records, scripts, drafts (including cut scenes), censor notes,
reviews, and recollections of viewers, Barrios paints our fullest picture yet of
how gays and lesbians were portrayed by the dream factory, warning that we
shouldn't congratulate ourselves quite so much on the progress movies - and
the real world -- have made since Stonewall. Captivating, myth-breaking, and
funny, Screened Out is for all film aficionados and for anyone who has sat in a
dark movie theater and drawn strength and a sense of identity from what
they saw on screen, no matter how fleeting or coded.
40. Smashing the Stereotypes: What Does It Mean to be Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual, or Transgender? By Jaime A. Seba (ISBN13: 9781422218747) Ages
14+
"That's so gay!" Most people have heard that before, but what does it really
mean? Words have power and must be used cautiously. Accepting someone
who is lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) begins with first
understanding what each of those identities means. Consider common
stereotypes of the LGBT community, explore where they come from and what
they mean, and decide if they are actually valid. How can individuals do their
part to reduce hurtful stereotypes and gain a better perspective on diverse
people? Find out about informational resources that are available and how
young people are taking action against stereotypes in their communities.
41. Spit and Passion by Cristy C. Road (ISBN13: 9781558618077) Ages Young
Teens+
At its core, Spit and Passion is about the transformative moment when music
crashes into a stifling adolescent bedroom and saves you. Suddenly, you
belong. At twelve years old, Cristy C. Road is trying to balance the values of a
Cuban Catholic family with her newfound queer identity, and begins a chronic
obsession with the punk band Green Day. In this stunning graphic memoir,
Road renders the clash between her rich inner world of fantasy and the
numbing suburban conformity she is surrounded by. She finds solace in the
closet—where she lets her deep excitement about punk rock foment and, in
that angst and euphoria, finds a path to self-acceptance. Cristy C. Road has
reached cult status for work that captures the beauty of the imperfect. Her
career began with Greenzine, a punk rock zine, which she made for ten years.
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She has since published Indestructible, an illustrated novel about high school;
Distance Makes the Heart Grow Sick, a postcard book; and Bad Habits, a love
story about self-destruction and healing. She has also illustrated countless
album covers, book jackets, and political organization propaganda. She lives in
Brooklyn, New York.
42. Telling Tales Out of School edited by Kevin Jennings (ISBN-13:
9781555834180)
In more than 30 essays, gays, lesbians, and bisexuals look back at their school
days to find that they are still trying to unlearn a basic lesson imparted by the
educational system to homosexuals: "Hate yourself".
43. This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color edited
by Cherrie Moraga and Gloria Anzaldua (ISBN-13: 9780913175033)
This groundbreaking collection reflects an uncompromised definition of
feminism by women of color. 65,000 copies in print.
44. Trans Bodies Trans Selves edited by Laura Erikson-Schroth (ISBN-13:
978-0199325351)
There is no one way to be transgender. Transgender and gender nonconforming people have many different ways of understanding their gender
identities. Only recently have sex and gender been thought of as separate
concepts, and we have learned that sex (traditionally thought of as physical or
biological) is as variable as gender (traditionally thought of as social). While
trans people share many common experiences, there is immense diversity
within trans communities. There are an estimated 700,000 transgendered
individuals in the US and 15 million worldwide. Even still, there's been a
notable lack of organized information for this sizable group. Trans Bodies,
Trans Selves is a revolutionary resource-a comprehensive, reader-friendly
guide for transgender people, with each chapter written by transgender or
genderqueer authors. Each chapter takes the reader through an important
transgender issue, such as race, religion, employment, medical and surgical
transition, mental health topics, relationships, sexuality, parenthood, arts and
culture, and many more. It is a welcoming place for transgender and genderquestioning people, their partners and families, students, professors,
guidance counselors, and others to look for up-to-date information on
transgender life.
45. The Transgender Child: A Handbook for Families and Professionals by
Stephanie A. Brill and Rachel Pepper (ISBN-13: 978-1573443180)
This comprehensive first of its kind guidebook explores the unique challenges
that thousands of families face every day raising their children in every city
and state. Through extensive research and interviews, as well as years of
experience working in the field, the authors cover gender variance from birth
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through college. What do you do when your toddler daughter’s first sentence
is that she’s a boy? What will happen when your preschool son insists on
wearing a dress to school? Is this ever just a phase? How can you explain this
to your neighbors and family? How can parents advocate for their children in
elementary schools? What are the current laws on the rights of transgender
children? What do doctors specializing in gender variant children
recommend? What do the therapists say? What advice do other families who
have trans kids have? What about hormone blockers and surgery? What
issues should your college-bound trans child be thinking about when selecting
a school? How can I best raise my gender variant or transgender child with
love and compassion, even when I barely understand the issues ahead of us?
And what is gender, anyway? These questions and more are answered in this
book offering a deeper understanding of gender variant and transgender
children and teens.
46. Transgender Explained For Those Who are Not by Joanne Herman
(ISBN-13: 9781449029579)
Although Joanne Herman affirmed her true gender in her late 40's, before
increased transgender acceptance and understanding led to gender
affirmations at much younger ages, her non-complicated explanations in
Transgender Explained remain useful in gaining understanding of a
complicated subject. Organized by topic into short, easy-to-read chapters,
Joanne's book serves as a way to quickly get up to speed on what it means to
be transgender.
47. Transgender History by Susan Stryker (ISBN-13: 9781580052245)
Covering American transgender history from the mid-twentieth century to
today, Transgender History takes a chronological approach to the subject of
transgender history, with each chapter covering major movements, writings,
and events. Chapters cover the transsexual and transvestite communities in
the years following World War II; trans radicalism and social change, which
spanned from 1966 with the publication of The Transsexual Phenomenon, and
lasted through the early 1970s; the mid-’70s to 1990—the era of identity
politics and the changes witnessed in trans circles through these years; and
the gender issues witnessed through the ’90s and ’00s. Transgender History
includes informative sidebars highlighting quotes from major texts and
speeches in transgender history and brief biographies of key players, plus
excerpts from transgender memoirs and discussion of treatments of
transgenderism in popular culture.
48. Transparent: Love, Family, and Living the T with Transgender Teens by
Cris Beam (ISBN-13: 9780151011964)
When Cris Beam first moved to Los Angeles, she thought she might put in just
a few hours volunteering at a school for transgender kids while she got
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settled. Instead she found herself drawn deeply into the pained and powerful
group of transgirls she discovered. In Transparent she introduces four of
them—Christina, Domineque, Foxxjazell, and Ariel—and shows us their world,
a dizzying mix of familiar teenage cliques and crushes with far less familiar
challenges like how to morph your body on a few dollars a day. Funny,
heartbreaking, defiant, and sometimes defeated, the girls form a singular
community. But they struggle valiantly to resolve the gap between the way
they feel inside and the way the world sees them—a struggle we can all
identify with. Beam’s careful reporting, sensitive writing, and intimate
relationship with her characters place Transparent in the ranks of the best
narrative nonfiction.
49. Understanding Gay and Lesbian Youth by David Campos (ISBN-13:
9781578862672)
Understanding Gay and Lesbian Youth assists the classroom teacher, school
counselor, and administrator in relating to gay and lesbian youth and creating
accepting and supportive learning climates. David Campos begins with a
discussion of the current state of affairs regarding gay and lesbian youth in
schools, including a discourse on the developmental milestones, and provides
practical strategies for working effectively with these students. The text,
concise, yet comprehensive, features: Two surveys to assess school climates
toward gay and lesbian youth. Quizzes about gay and lesbian issues. Personal
stories by gay and lesbian youth and adults. Perhaps the most salient feature
of Understanding Gay and Lesbian Youth is that each chapter poses a series of
questions relating to today's society, such as: Why are gay and lesbian youth
considered "at risk?” How does the development of gay and lesbian youth
differ from that of heterosexual youth? What do I do if a student tells me he
or she is gay or lesbian?
50. What If Someone I Know Is Gay? Answers to Questions About What It
Means to be Gay and Lesbian by Eric Marcus (ISBN13: 9781416949701) Ages
14+
If you think your friend is a lesbian, can you ask her? How do people become
gay? Is it a sin? is it a choice? No question goes unanswered in this important
book about being gay. All the basics -- and not-so-basics -- are covered in
more than one hundred questions asked by real teens just like you. So the
answers contain all the info you want to know. And just in case you feel like
sharing, there's a new "parents only" chapter to clue them in too. Expert Eric
Marcus has fully updated and revised this essential guide for today's readers.
He candidly and clearly pushes aside the myths and misinformation about
being gay and lesbian, answering all the questions that are on your mind.
51. What’s Wrong with Homosexuality? by John Corvino (ISBN13:
9780199856312)
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For the last twenty years, John Corvino--widely known as the author of the
weekly column "The Gay Moralist" --has traversed the country responding to
moral and religious arguments against same-sex relationships. In this timely
book, he shares that experience--addressing the standard objections to
homosexuality and offering insight into the culture wars more generally. Is
homosexuality unnatural? Does the Bible condemn it? Are people born gay
(and should it matter either way)? Corvino approaches such questions with
precision, sensitivity, and good humor. In the process, he makes a fresh case
for moral engagement, forcefully rejecting the idea that morality is a "private
matter." Corvino blends a philosopher's precision with a light touch that is full
of humanity and wit. This volume captures the voice of one of the most
rational participants in a national debate noted for generating more heat than
light.
52. When I Knew edited by Robert Trachtenberg and Tom Bachtell (ISBN13:
9780060571467)
When I Knew is a collection of smart, hilarious, and often poignant stories
about that revelation for all gay men and women: when they first knew. In
this gorgeously illustrated, cleverly designed, and colorful book, acclaimed
fashion and celeb-rity photographer Robert Trachtenberg brings humor and
style to the EUREKA! moments of more than eighty contributors, including B.
D. Wong, Arthur Laurents, Simon Doonan, Stephen Fry, Marc Shaiman,
Michael Musto, and more. Also mixed in are tales about when parents knew
and when everyone else knew, as well as laugh-out-loud coming-out stories.
Readers will fall in love with these anecdotes, from the seven-year-old who
looked under the television set to sneak a peek under Tarzan's loincloth, to
the inquisitive grandmother who asked her grandson, "You don't like a girl to
get married? You prefer a boy?", to the courageous field trip participant who
passed up the universal favorite burger-and-fry combo in favor of the fruit
plate with cottage cheese. Filled with original art by New Yorker illustrator
Tom Bachtell, historical images, and personal photographs from the
contributors, When I Knew is a vibrant and witty celebration of that
sometimes glorious, sometimes painful, but always captivating moment when
everything suddenly makes sense.
Additionally, there is a book award sponsored by the American Library Association specifically
for works dealing with these issues called the Stonewall Award list. You can look at past winners
and use the list as a guide. http://www.ala.org/glbtrt/award/honored
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X.
Films
A. Comedy
1. The Birdcage (1996)
Comedy; Rated R for language
A gay cabaret owner and his drag queen companion agree to put up a false
straight front so that their son can introduce them to his fiancée's right-wing
moralistic parents.
2. But I’m a Cheerleader (1999)
Comedy/Romance; Rated R for strong language and sexual content involving
teens
This satirical romantic comedy film directed by Jamie Babbit and written by
Brian Wayne Peterson. Natasha Lyonne stars as Megan Bloomfield, an
apparently happy heterosexual high school cheerleader. However, her friends
and family are convinced that she is a homosexual and arrange an
intervention, sending her to a residential inpatient reparative therapy camp to
cure her lesbianism. There Megan soon realizes that she is indeed a lesbian
and, despite the therapy, gradually comes to embrace her sexual orientation.
3. Camp (2003)
Comedy/Musical/Drama
Misfits in their lives back home, a group of young people live it up at musicaltheater camp. While the sports counselor is completely ignored, the kids'
spend all their time in rehearsal for a grueling schedule that involves a new
show every two weeks. Several personal stories come to the fore. Is talented
golden-boy Vlad honest in his feelings about Ellen? Can cross-dressing Michael
have a relationship with his parents? Will one-hit-wonder musical playwrite
and now camp counselor Bert Hanley remain mired in drink and cynicism?
Fireworks are in store when Fritzi, who slavishly serves glamour girl Jill, is
finally told to get a life, and the parents of Jenna, whose jaw has been wired
shut in a compromise to avoid being sent to "fat camp", learn a valuable
lesson at the summer's big end-of-season benefit.
4. D.E.B.S.
Comedy/Action/Romance; Rated PG-13 for sexual content and language
Recruited by the U.S. government for their unique ability to lie, cheat and
fight, Amy, Max, Janet and Dominique join an underground academy of secret
agents known only as D.E.B.S. These crime fighting hotties set out to save the
world and keep their lipstick perfectly applied while doing so. Now the girls
must combine their skills for their most important mission- to capture vexing
vixen Lucy Diamond, the deadliest criminal the world has ever known. When
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D.E.B.S. star player, Amy, falls for Lucy, chaos erupts and the D.E.B.S. loyalty is
put to the test.
5. Saved! (2004)
Comedy/Drama; Rated PG-13 for strong thematic issues involving teenssexual content, pregnancy, smoking and language.
When a girl (Jena Malone) attending a Christian high school becomes
pregnant by her gay boyfriend (Chad Faust), she finds herself ostracized and
demonized, as all of her former friends turn on her and her boyfriend is sent
to a Christian halfway house for homosexuals, teen mothers, and other
“sinful” people.
6. Victor/Victoria (1982)
Comedy/Musical; Rated PG
In 1934 Paris, trained coloratura soprano Victoria Grant, a native Brit, can't
get a job as a singer and is having trouble making ends meet. She doesn't even
have enough money for the basics of food and shelter. Gay cabaret singer
Carole 'Toddy' Todd may befall the same fate as Victoria as he was just fired
from his singing gig at a second rate club named Chez Lui. To solve both their
problems, Toddy comes up with what he considers an inspired idea: with
Toddy as her manager, Victoria, pretending to be a man, get a job singing as a
female impersonator. If they pull this scheme off, Toddy vows Victoria, as her
male alter ego, will be the toast of Paris and as such be extremely wealthy.
That alter ego they decide is Polish Count Victor Grazinski, Toddy's ex-lover
who was disowned by his family when they found out he was gay. The Count
auditions for the city's leading agent, Andre Cassell, who, impressed, gets him
a gig performing in the city's best nightclub. In the audience on the successful
opening night is Chicago nightclub owner and "businessman" King Marchand,
a stereotypical macho male who falls in the love with the woman he sees on
stage, which doesn't sit well with his current girlfriend, Norma Cassady. King is
shocked to learn that that woman is a man named Count Grazinski. While King
tries to reconcile his romantic feelings for "Victoria" (in truth, King doesn't
truly believe the Count is a man), his business associates won't tolerate his
change in sexual orientation. Although feeling emancipated being treated as a
man, Victoria, as herself, in turn falls in love with King. To pursue something
with him as a woman would mean giving up this lucrative career. But the
career may also come to an end in a jail term if the authorities find out that
Victoria and Toddy have committed fraud in this impersonation.
7. To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995)
Comedy; PG-13 for subject matter involving men living in drag, a brief scene
of spousal abuse and some language.
After jointly winning a local drag queen pageant in New York City, Noxeema
Jackson (Wesley Snipes) and Vida Boheme (Patrick Swayze) win the right and
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are given the round trip airfare to compete in the Drag Queen of America
pageant in Hollywood, California. One of their fellow New York contestants,
Chi-Chi Rodriguez (John Leguizamo), is a straight-talking but naive and
inexperienced drag queen. Seeing that Chi-Chi needs some drag queen
confidence (despite her bravada), Vida and a reluctant Noxeema decide to
cash in their plane tickets and buy an older model Cadillac convertible and
drive to Hollywood with Chi-Chi. Their drive takes them through much of the
country where alternate lifestyles are less tolerated than they may be in New
York or Los Angeles.
B. Drama
1. Big Eden (2000)
Drama/Romance; Rated PG-13 for some mature thematic material.
Big Eden is a tiny fictional town in northwestern Montana, as Preston Sturges
or Frank Capra might have envisioned it, timber and cowboy country. This is
the story of Henry Hart, a successful New York Artist, who returns to the town
of his childhood to care for the ailing grandfather who raised him. Back in Big
Eden, Henry must come to terms with his relationship to Dean Stewart, his
best friend from high school, as well as the object of his unrequited love. All
these years Henry has been pining for a dream image of Dean from back then.
This is also the story of Pike Dexter, the shy, unassuming Native American
owner of the town's general store, who is as surprised as anyone to find
himself falling in love with Henry. The people of Big Eden conspire and
attempt to bring Henry and Pike together.
2. Common Ground (2000)
Comedy/Drama; Rated R for language, sexuality and violence
The film contains three short stories about gay Americans during different
time periods (1950, 1970, 2000) in the fictional town of Homer, Connecticut,
and their efforts to find "common ground" or respect from the heterosexual
majority. In the 1950s, Dorothy Nelson (Brittany Murphy) joins the Navy
where she meets the Friends of Dorothy, a code name for gays and lesbians.
Dorothy is eventually found out to be a lesbian and is dishonorably discharged
from the Navy. Returning home to Homer, she tries to restart her life, but is
ultimately shunned by the townspeople. In 1970, Mr. Roberts (Steven
Webber) is the closeted gay French teacher at the local high school. He
suspects one of his students, Toby (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), is on the verge
of coming out and needs a role model in the small town. Roberts struggles
with helping his student and the fear of losing his job. Roberts’s boyfriend
advises him to set a good example for his students and illustrating the
importance of tolerance of people’s differences. In 2000, a gay couple hopes
to hold their commitment ceremony in Homer, and the townspeople and the
father of one of the grooms must come to terms with this. At the same time,
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Amos (James LeGros) must deal with the nervousness of getting married,
going against cultural stereotypes associated with gay men, and his father’s
disapproval.
3. The Family Stone (2005)
Drama/Romance/Comedy: Rated PG-13 for some sexual content including
dialogue, and some drug references.
The Stone family unites in common cause when their favorite son brings his
uptight girlfriend home for the Christmas holiday, with plans of proposing.
Overwhelmed by the hostile reception, she begs her sister to join her for
emotional support, triggering further complications.
4. Far From Heaven (2002)
Drama; Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements, sexual content, brief
violence, and language.
Cathy is the perfect 50s housewife, living the perfect 50s life: healthy kids,
successful husband, social prominence. Then one night she surprises her
husband Frank kissing another man, and her tidy world starts spinning out of
control. In her confusion and grief, she finds consolation in the friendship of
their African-American gardener, Raymond - a socially taboo relationship that
leads to the further disintegration of life as she knew it. Despite Cathy and
Frank's struggle to keep their marriage afloat, the reality of his homosexuality
and her feelings for Raymond open a painful, if more honest, chapter in their
lives.
5. A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story (2006)
Drama; TV-14
Lifetime TV Movie based on the true story of Latina teen Gwen Araujo. When
Gwen's transgender status is discovered by four young men at a local party,
they savagely beat and kill her. The shocking and senseless murder shakes the
community, and Gwen's mother, Sylvia Guerrero, dedicates her life to
bringing her daughter's murderers to justice and advocating for the rights of
all transgender people.
6. If These Walls Could Talk 2 (2000)
Drama/Romance; Rated R for sexuality, language, and some drug content
It follows three separate storylines about lesbian couples living in the same
house over three different time periods. In 1961, Edith (Vanessa Redgrave)
and Abby (Marian Seldes) share their house which they have paid equal parts
of the mortgage on over the years of their relationship. When Abby dies
suddenly, her nephew Ted (Paul Giamatti) inherits the house as her legal nextof-kin, and Edith is forced to move out. In 1972, Linda (Michelle Williams) and
her three friends share the house. When Linda begins a relationship with Amy
(Chloë Sevigny), a butch lesbian, Linda and Amy face ridicule from Linda’s
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friends for reinforcing butch/femme stereotypes and traditional gender roles.
In 2000, Fran (Sharon Stone) and Kal (Ellen DeGeneres) are living in the house
and are trying to start a family together. Originally hoping to receive a sperm
donation from a gay couple, they eventually look into anonymous donors.
7. Imagine Me & You (2005)
Comedy/Drama/Romance; Rated R for language and some sexual content
A British-American comedy-romance film written and directed by Ol Parker. It
centers on the relationship between Rachel (Piper Perabo) and Luce (Lena
Headey), who meet on Rachel's wedding day.
8. The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love (1995)
Comedy/Drama/Romance; Rated R for a strong sex scene involving teen girls,
and for language and some drug use.
An adventurous love story between two young women of different social and
economic backgrounds who find themselves going through all the typical
struggles of a new romance.
9. The Kids are Alright (2010)
Comedy/Drama; Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity, language, and
some teen drug and alcohol use.
This American drama focuses on the lives of Nic (Annette Benning) and Jules
(Julianne Moore), who have created what they feel is the perfect family life.
However, when their 18 year old daughter Joni (Mia Wasikowska) contacts
her biological father (Mark Ruffalo), the sperm donor Nic and Jules used to
conceive Joni and her brother, 15 year-old Laser (Josh Hutcherson), it is the
catalyst that shows maybe their life isn’t as perfect as they’d hoped.
10. The Laramie Project (film-2002): http://www.laramieproject.org/
Rated TV-14
In October 1998, University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard was
kidnapped, severely beaten and left to die, tied to a fence on the outskirts of
Laramie, Wyoming. Five weeks later, Moisés Kaufman and fellow members of
the Tectonic Theater Project went to Laramie, and over the course of the next
year, conducted more than 200 interviews with people of the town. From
these interviews they wrote the play The Laramie Project, a chronicle of the
life of the town of Laramie in the year after the murder. Soon after its success,
HBO commissioned the play be made into a film. Ten years later, Kaufman
and the other member returned to Laramie to conduct follow up interviews
that were made into another play entitled “The Laramie Project: Ten Years
Later.”
11. Latter Days (2003)
Drama/Romance Rated R for strong sexual content and language
This American romantic drama film about a gay relationship between a
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closeted Mormon missionary and his openly gay neighbor touches upon a
variety of themes including coming out, religion, suicide, and reparative
therapy.
12. Milk (2008)
Drama; Rated R for language, some sexual content, and brief violence
A biopic about the life of gay rights activist and San Francisco city supervisor
Harvey Milk (Sean Penn).
13. Pariah (2011)
Drama; Rated R for sexual content and language
This American contemporary drama tells the story of Alike (Adepero Oduye), a
17-year old African-American teenager embracing her identity as a lesbian.
14. The Perks of being a Wallflower (2012)
Drama; Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, alcohol and drug use,
sexual content including references, and a fight- all involving teens
Based on the novel written by Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a
Wallflower is about 15-year-old Charlie (Logan Lerman), an endearing and
naive outsider, coping with first love (Emma Watson), the suicide of his best
friend, and his own mental illness while struggling to find a group of people
with whom he belongs. The introvert freshman is taken under the wings of
two seniors, Sam and Patrick, who welcome him to the real world.
15. Philadelphia (1993)
Drama; Rated PG-13 for some graphic language and thematic material
When Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks) is fired by a conservative law firm
because he is gay and has AIDS, he hires a homophobic small time lawyer
(Denzel Washington) as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit.
Inspired by a true story.
16. Prayers for Bobby (2009)
Drama; Rated
Lifetime movie based on the true story of the life and legacy of Bobby Griffith,
a young gay man who killed himself in 1983 due to his mother's and
community's homophobia.
17. Quinceañera (2006)
Drama; Rated R for language, some sexual content and drug use.
Magdalena is 14 and anxiously awaiting her 15th birthday where she'll
celebrate her quinceanara. Her world starts to crumble when she discovers
her pregnancy after not being able to fit in her gown for her quinceanara.
Soon, she's kicked out of her home, abandoned by her family, and abandoned
by her baby's father. Magdalena is then taken in by her great-granduncle,
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Tomas and her gay, often-in-trouble cousin, Carlos. There she finds a new
family and life.
18. Rent (2005)
Drama/Romance/Musical; Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material
involving drugs and sexuality, and for some strong language.
Originally an off-Broadway and then Broadway musical, this musical drama
deals with the lives of a group of friends as they deal with sexuality, drugs,
paying rent and AIDS over the course of a year between 1989 and 1990 in
New York City’s East Village. Six of the eight main cast reprised their roles
from the original show.
19. Tomboy (2011)
French Drama; NR in US. Similar ratings from other countries comparable to
PG-13
Laure is a 10-year-old girl settling into her new home in Paris. She meets Lisa,
one of the neighborhood's children and introduces herself as Mikäel. Lisa
instantly assumes that she is a boy. With her androgynous look and boyish
dress, it would be extremely difficult to discern that she is biologically a girl.
Lisa then introduces Mikäel to the rest of the neighborhood children stating
that he is the new kid in the apartment complex. It isn't until after a bath
scene that the viewer finds out that Mikäel is a girl; the other children don't
know the truth. At home, she is a girl and goes by Laure, but to all the
neighborhood children she is a boy and goes by Mikäel. Summer leads to the
children in the building playing together a lot and Mikäel eventually attracts
the attention of Lisa who ends up falling in love with him, unaware that
Mikäel is a girl. After a fight between Mikäel and another boy in the
apartment complex the children find out that Mikäel is a girl. After that, her
whole charade seems to fall apart...
20. Transamerica (2005)
Drama; Rated R for sexual content, nudity, language and drug use.
The independent comedy-drama film tells the story of Bree, a transsexual
woman (Felicity Huffman), who goes on a road trip with her long-lost son
Toby (Kevin Zegers).
21. The Truth About Jane (2000)
Drama; Not Rated
Made-for-TV Lifetime movie featuring a young lesbian struggling with her
sexuality, her first relationship, coming out to her family, and bullying from
peers.
22. The Watermelon Woman (1996)
Drama; Rated R for sexuality and language
A young black lesbian working a day job in a video store while trying to make
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a film about a black actress from the 1930s known for playing the
stereotypical "mammy" roles relegated to black actresses during the period.
23. XXY (2007)
Drama; Not rated in US. Similar ratings from other countries comparable to
PG-13
Alex (Inés Efron), a 15-year old intersex person from Buenos Aires lives
secluded with her parents in a fishing village in Uruguay. At birth, her parents
decided not to have her operated on, in order for her to choose her gender.
Therefore she still has both her sexual organs. However, she takes corticoids
and is raised as a girl. Her parents have moved several times before settling
down in Uruguay in order to live a quiet life and keep her from the mockery
Alex previously experienced while living in Argentina. One day, however,
Alex's mother, Suli (Valeria Bertuccelli), invites a couple and their 15-year old
son, Alvaro (Martín Piroyansky) for the week-end. Alvaro and Alex start a
friendly relationship and spend a lot of time together under the scrutiny of
their parents...
C. Romance
1. Cloudburst (2011)
Romance; Not Yet Rated
Cloudburst is a romantic road movie written and directed by Thom Fitzgerald.
Stella (Olympia Dukakis) and Dot (Brenda Fricker) are an aging couple who
escape from a nursing home in Maine and drive to Nova Scotia on a quest to
be legally married. Stella and Dot have been together for 31 years and have
faithfully accompanied one another through life's ups and downs. Now in
their seventies, Stella is hard of hearing and Dot is legally blind. Dotty's
prudish granddaughter, Molly (Kristin Booth), decides the best place for Dot is
a nursing home that will provide all the necessities. This forces Stella and Dot
to make a bold decision: they will leave their hometown and make their way
to Canada, where same-sex marriage is legal. It's a last-gap bid to stay
together. En route to Canada, they pick up a young hitchhiker, Prentice (Ryan
Doucette), a small-town boy turned modern dancer, who is returning to Nova
Scotia to visit his dying mother. Despite his bravado, Prentice is a confused
and wounded soul who has much to learn from Stella and Dot as they wage
their own unexpected battle – after three decades, can they keep their family
together?
2. Make the Yuletide Gay (2009)
Romance/Comedy; Not Rated
An American romantic comedy film about a gay college student who is out at
school, but is afraid to reveal his sexual orientation to his parents
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3. Saving Face (2004)
Drama/Romance; Rated R for some sexuality and language.
Saving Face follows Wilhelmina ("Wil"), a young Chinese American surgeon,
played by Michelle Krusiec as she deals with her unwed mother's pregnancy,
and the obligations of her dancer girlfriend Vivian (Lynn Chen). Wil struggles
with allocating time between her mother Gao (Joan Chen) who is shunned by
the Chinese American community of Flushing for being pregnant and unwed
and thus has come to live with Wil.
D. Documentaries
1. 8: The Mormon Proposition (2010)
An American documentary that examines The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints (LDS Church) and its support of California Proposition 8, stating that
the church has been actively involved in the denial of LGBT human rights.
2. The Adonis Factor (2010)
The Adonis Factor examines body image issues within the gay community.
This documentary can be found at LogoTV.com under Full-Length Docs.
3. After Stonewall (1999)
A documentary film directed by John Scagliotti about the 30 years of gay
rights activism since the 1969 Stonewall riots.
4. The Aggressives (2005):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVdqdbNtg40
A documentary look at women who prefer to dress and act as men and who
participate in NYC's predominantly African-American lesbian drag balls.
5. Anyone and Everyone (2007)
Connected by having a son or daughter who is gay, parents across the country
discuss their experiences in the documentary Anyone and Everyone.
Filmmaker Susan Polis Schutz depicts families from all walks of life, including
such diverse backgrounds as Japanese, Bolivian, and Cherokee, as well as
various religious denominations, such as Mormon, Jewish, Roman Catholic,
Hindu, and Southern Baptist. The parents share accounts of their children’s
coming out, the struggle and pain as their sons and daughters are not
accepted by relatives or friends and are ostracized by religious congregations.
6. Be Like Others: Transsexual in Iran (2008)
This film explores issues of gender and sexual identity while following the
personal stories of some of the patients at a Tehran gender reassignment
clinic.
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7. Beautiful Daughters (2006)
In February, 2004, with the help of Eve Ensler and Jane Fonda, a group of
transgender women put on the first all-transgender production of "The Vagina
Monologues", including a new monologue written by Ensler from their own
experiences.
8. Before Stonewall (1984)
An American documentary film about the LGBT community prior to the 1969
Stonewall riots.
9. Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride (2009)
Before the 30th anniversary, Vancouver's Gay Pride Parade director examines
relevance of Pride celebrations internationally. He travels to places where
Pride is steeped in protest to experience the powerful oppression that still
exists. Pride is more than a parade, it's a giant step on the road to equality
10. Bi the Way (2008)
The film follows the lives of several young bisexual people in the United
States, including former cheerleader Pam from Memphis, TN; Tahj, an African
American hip-hop dancer; 11 year-old Josh from San Antonio who feels his
gay father will reject him for his interest in girls; Taryn, 28, who is
contemplating marriage to her boyfriend but also embarks on a new romance
with a woman; and David, 24, who defies the expectations of his parents and
ex-girlfriends to assert his bisexuality.
11. A Boy Named Sue (2001)
This film shows the life and transition of Theo, a young adult, born intersex,
raised female, involved in a lesbian relationship, who undergoes various
stages of a sex reassignment surgery (including a mastectomy and hormone
therapy) to become male.
12. The Brandon Teena Story (1998)
Documentary about Brandon Teena (aka Teena Brandon), a transgendered
person, who was murdered along with two others in 1993 in rural Nebraska.
The story is told through interviews with people who knew Brandon, recorded
interrogation and trial transcripts, and photographs and file film footage.
13. Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin (2003)
During his 60-year career as an activist, organizer and "troublemaker," Bayard
Rustin formulated many of the strategies that propelled the American civil
rights movement. His passionate belief in Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolence
drew Martin Luther King Jr. and other leaders to him in the 1940's and 50's;
his practice of those beliefs drew the attention of the FBI and police. In 1963,
Rustin brought his unique skills to the crowning glory of his civil rights career:
his work organizing the March on Washington, the biggest protest America
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had ever seen. But his open homosexuality forced him to remain in the
background, marking him again and again as a "brother outsider." Brother
Outsider: the Life of Bayard Rustin combines rare archival footage — some of
it never before broadcast in the U.S. — with provocative interviews to
illuminate the life and work of a forgotten prophet of social change.
14. Bully (2011): http://www.thebullyproject.com/
Rated PG-13 for intense thematic material, disturbing content and some
strong language -- all involving kids.
Bully is a beautifully cinematic, character-driven documentary. At its heart are
those with huge stakes in this issue whose stories each represent a different
facet of America's bullying crisis. Bully follows five kids and families over the
course of a school year. Stories include two families who have lost children to
suicide and a mother awaiting the fate of her 14-year-old daughter who has
been incarcerated after bringing a gun on her school bus. With an intimate
glimpse into homes, classrooms, cafeterias and principals' offices, the film
offers insight into the often cruel world of the lives of bullied children.
15. The Butch Factor: What Kind of Man are You? (2009)
The documentary tackles meanings of masculinity in gay men and culture
through insightful interviews with a great number of diverse gay men and
analytical and expert presentations by writers, teachers, psychologists about
their views of gay culture, masculinity, and its accompanying issues.
16. The Celluloid Closet (1995)
Based on Vito Russo’s 1981 book (revised in 1987), The Celluloid Closet
discusses the roles of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer
characters and individuals throughout the history of the film industry.
17. Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989)
This documentary film that tells the story of the NAMES Project AIDS
Memorial Quilt, focusing on several people who are represented by panels in
the Quilt, combining personal reminiscences with archive footage of the
subjects, along with footage of various politicians, health professionals and
other people with AIDS.
18. Dangerous Living: Coming Out in the Developing World (2003)
This documentary film directed by American filmmaker John Scagliotti about
the issues experienced by gay, lesbian and transgender people in developing
countries was the first documentary film to explore these issues in nonWestern countries. The film focuses in particular on Cairo 52, a group of 52
Egyptian men who were arrested on board a floating gay nightclub in 2001. It
features interviews with gay-rights activists from countries around the world
including Honduras, Namibia, the Philippines, Pakistan and Vietnam
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19. The Education of Shelby Knox (2005)
A 15-year-old girl's transformation from conservative Southern Baptist to
liberal Christian and ardent feminist parallels her fight for sex education and
gay rights in Lubbock, Texas.
20. Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema (2006)
A chronological look at films by, for, or about (or "by, for, and about") gays
and lesbians in the United States, from 1947 to 2005, Kenneth Anger's
"Fireworks" to "Brokeback Mountain." Talking heads, anchored by critic and
scholar B. Ruby Rich, are interspersed with an advancing timeline and with
clips from two dozen films. The narrative groups the pictures around various
firsts, movements, and triumphs: experimental films, indie films, sex on
screen, outlaw culture and bad guys, lesbian lovers, films about AIDS and
dying, emergence of romantic comedy, transgender films, films about
diversity and various cultures, and then mainstream Hollywood drama. What
might come next?
21. Fagbug (2009)
Fagbug is a Volkswagen New Beetle owned by Erin Davies of Troy, New York
who embarked on a trans-American road trip to raise awareness of gay rights
in response to finding the words "fAg" and "U R gay" spray-painted on her car.
She put her studies on hold and embarked upon a video-documented, 55,000
mile (89,000 km) journey through 41 U.S. states, during which she interviewed
500 people and spoke out against hate crimes
22. Family Fundamentals (2002)
What happens when fundamentalist Christian parents have children who are
homosexual? Family Fundamentals is filmmaker Arthur Dong's personal
attempt to answer that explosive question. Armed with a digital camera, Dong
takes viewers into the private and public lives of three families who have
responded to gay offspring by actively opposing homosexuality. Family
Fundamentals is a battlefield report from America's profound and disquieting
culture war over gay issues. Family Fundamentals goes to the heart of today's
debate over homosexuality, where the personal is inextricably — and
dramatically — bound up in the political. In today's contemporary society,
sometimes even the most liberal families must find it discomfiting when gay
children come out. For fundamentalist Christian families, the event can be
polarizing and devastating.
23. Fish Out of Water (2009)
The film showcases the seven Bible verses that are most often used to
condemn homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Director Ky Dickens talked
with ministers on both sides of the debate surrounding homosexuality and the
Bible for the film.
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24. For the Bible Tells Me So (2007)
An American documentary film directed by Daniel G. Karslake about
homosexuality and its perceived conflict with religion, as well as various
interpretations of what the Bible says about same-sex sexuality.
25. Gay Pioneers (2004)
Gay Pioneers is the story of the first organized annual "homosexual" civil
rights demonstrations held in Philadelphia, New York and Washington, DC
from 1965-69. When few would publicly identify themselves as gay, these
brave pioneers challenged pervasive homophobia.
26. Gendernauts: A Journey Through Shifting Identities (1999)
Told through the narration of Sandy Stone, who acts as a sort of tour guide,
the film documents the lives of a group of transgender individuals living in San
Francisco, California.
27. God and Gays: Bridging the Gap (2006)
God & Gays: Bridging the Gap explores the religious struggle reconciling
sexuality and spirituality. It gets into the head, heart and lives of the people
who have found homosexuality and the Bible as their self-defining work. An
interview with Rev. Dr. Mel White, co-founder of SoulForce, talks about Jesus'
perspective. Rev. Deborah L. Johnson discusses that this is a very basic
diversity issue and asks the question: do you love me for who I am or for what
I do? Jason Stuart, an out Jewish comic and actor in Los Angeles describes in
detail the loss of his relationship to his sister and her kids due solely to his
orientation. Some are still in the closet, some have previously attempted
suicide and Mary Lou Wallner, a fundamentalist mother who got her once
wish when her daughter killed herself. Author Darlene Bogle echoes this as
she describes her 15 years in Exodus International before recognizing she was
ultimately numbing her humanity. God and Gays: Bridging the Gap wrestles
through the eyes and experiences of people wanting a relationship with the
very religion that rejects them. No matter the religion, the experience of
oppression and repression is the same. Fortunately, many soon find it's God
that brings them out.
28. How to Survive a Plague (2012)
An American documentary film about the early years of the AIDS epidemic,
and the efforts of ACT UP and TAG.
29. In God’s House: Asian American Lesbian and Gay Families in the Church
(2007)- http://www.ingodshouse.com/
Asian American lesbians and gays have been largely invisible in Christian
churches. Some Asian American churches silence the issue for fear of division
and conflict. Other Asian American church leaders have condemned
homosexuality and publicly protested against same-sex marriage. Yet lesbian
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and gay Asian Americans and their families worship and serve in churches
every day. Where are their voices? This honest and thought-provoking film
tells a story that the church needs to hear: that of Asian American Christian
lesbian and gay people, their pastors, and their parents.
30. In My Shoes: Stories of Youth with LGBTQ Parentshttp://www.colage.org/inmyshoes/
In a time when LGBT families are debated and attacked in the media, courts
and Congress, from school houses to state houses across the country, five
young people give you a chance to walk in their shoes – to hear their own
views on marriage, making change, and what it means to be a family.
31. In the Life Media- http://www.action.itlmedia.org/
A show airing usually on public broadcast depicting issues facing the LGBTQ
community. The program has featured episodes on issues such as LGBTQ
youth in foster care, homelessness, same-sex marriage, athletics, HIV/AIDS,
and much more.
32. It’s Elementary-Talking About Gay Issues in School (1996):
http://groundspark.org/our-films-and-campaigns/elementary
It's Elementary takes cameras into classrooms across the U.S. to look at one of
today's most controversial issues - whether and how gay issues should be
discussed in schools. It features elementary and middle schools where (mainly
heterosexual) teachers are challenging the prevailing political climate and its
attempt to censor any dialogue in schools about gay people.
33. It’s STILL Elementary- Talking About Gay Issues in School (2007):
http://groundspark.org/our-films-and-campaigns/stillelementary
It’s STILL Elementary presents a moving story about the power to ignite
positive social change through documentary film and grassroots organizing. It
examines the incredible impact of It’s Elementary—Talking About Gay Issues
in School over the last decade, and follows up with teachers and students
featured in the first film to see how lessons about LGBT people changed their
lives. It’s STILL Elementary also documents the story behind the controversial
PBS broadcast of It’s Elementary and the infamous right-wing attacks on the
film and its creators. It’s STILL Elementary is a call to action for parents and
educators to continue working for safe, inclusive schools.
34. A Jihad for Love (2007)
A documentary on gay, lesbian, and transgender Muslims across the Muslim
and Western worlds.
35. Jim in Bold (2003)
A documentary focused on the suicide of Jim Wheeler from Lebanon, PA, who
killed himself after years of anti-gay bullying. The film as follows the journey
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of three members of Young Gay America as they embark on a cross-country
road trip interviewing young people about the LGBTQ community,
homophobia, and other issues facing young people.
36. Just Call Me Kade (2002)
The inspiring true story of Kade Farlow Collins 14, FTM (female to male)
transgendered, and living with an incredibly understanding family in Tucson
Arizona.
37. Keeping It Real: The Adventures of Greg Walloch (2001)
Documentary following Greg Walloch’s comedy act discussing his sexuality,
disabilities
38. Last Chance (2012)
A documentary about five LGBT people seeking the right of asylum in Canada
in order to escape persecution or homophobic violence in their homelands.
Subjects in the film include a transgender woman who was institutionalized by
her family in Lebanon, an LGBT person jailed in Egypt, as well as Trudi, a
Jamaican lesbian who was "correctively raped" at gunpoint
39. Lost in the Crowd (2010)
Lost in the Crowd follows a group of LGBT (mostly Transgender) youth living
homeless in the streets of New York City. Shot over eight years, this ground
breaking documentary reveals not only the many trials they must face in their
fight to survive in a world that is hostile to their very existence but also the
dreams and desires that keep them going.
40. The Lost Tribe: http://www.wmm.com/filmcatalog/pages/c667.shtml
This American documentary film highlights Affirmation, one of the only and
the largest conferences of LGBTQ Mormons. The Lost Tribe follows Sue Ann
Post, an ex-Mormon lesbian comedienne, who attends Affirmation each year.
The documentary explores issues of religion, homophobia, and the Mormon
Church’s views on homosexuality.
41. Making the Boys (2011)
On the eve of the 40th anniversary of the Gay Rights Movement, the film
explores the drama, struggle and enduring legacy of The Boys in the Band, the
first-ever gay play and subsequent Hollywood movie to successfully reach a
mainstream audience. Beloved by some for breaking new ground, and
condemned by others for reinforcing gay stereotypes, The Boys in the Band
sparked heated controversy that still exists four decades later
42. Middlesexes: Redefining He and She (2005):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEL5uGhfT6A
Examines the diversity of human sexual and gender variance around the
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globe, with commentary by scientific experts and first-hand accounts of
people who do not conform to a simple male/female binary.
43. One Nation Under God (1993)
Focusing on the contemporary religious Right Wing proliferation of curative
therapies for homosexuality, this riveting documentary offers historical
context as well as a political analysis of this frighteningly large movement.
44. Out in America (2011): http://www.twocatstv.com/outinamerica/
OUT in America is an uplifting collection of unique, transformative stories and
inspiring personal narratives told through the lens of the country’s most
prominent LGBT figures and pioneers, as well as many average, yet
extraordinary, citizens from Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender
communities. The program weaves together diverse stories - from urban and
rural America, from the heartland to New England, from San Francisco to
Harlem. Deeply moving and often humorous, viewers will get a glimpse of
awakenings, first crushes, unlikely soul mates, intimacy and liberation. While
separated by circumstance and upbringing, the film’s subjects are all united in
their shared experiences of self-discovery, coming out, pride and love as well
as a triumph over adversity and a true sense of belonging. Against the
backdrop of historical events, each also traces their own hopes, struggles,
influences and contributions towards advancements in equality and broad
social change.
45. Out in the Silence (2009): http://wpsu.org/outinthesilence/
This film chronicles the chain of events that occur when the severe bullying of
a gay teen draws Wilson and his partner back to the conservative rural
community of Oil City, Pennsylvania where their own same-sex wedding
announcement had previously ignited a controversy. The film focuses on the
widely varying, emotional reactions of the town's residents including the teen
and his mother, the head of the local chapter of the American Family
Association, and an evangelical pastor and his wife. Available on Hulu.
46. The Out List (2013)
Alternately humorous and poignant, The OUT List features a diverse crosssection of accomplished leaders from entertainment, business, sports and
public service sharing intimate stories on childhood, understanding gender
and sexuality, building careers while out and reflecting on the challenges still
facing the LGBT community. Against the backdrop of historic Supreme Court
hearings on same-sex marriage and financial equality, subjects recall joyous
moments of acceptance and romance, along with painful instances of
intolerance and discrimination, offering unique modern perspectives on being
out in America. This HBO Documentary features interviews with Dustin Lance
Black, Lady Bunny, R. Clark Cooper, Wade Davis, Ellen DeGeneres, Twiggy
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Pucci Garcon, Neil Patrick Harris, Larry Kramer, Janet Mock, Cynthia Nixon,
Suze Orman, Christine Quinn, Jake Shears, Wanda Sykes, Lupe Valdez, and
Wazina Zondon.
47. Out of the Past (1998)
In 1995, Kelli Peterson started a gay and straight club at her Salt Lake City high
school. The story of her ensuing battle with school authorities in interspersed
with looks back at various historical people and events affecting the LGBTQ
community.
48. Outrage (2009): http://www.outragethemovie.com/
Outrage argues that several American political figures have led closeted gay
lives while supporting and endorsing legislation that is harmful to the gay
community. The film examines mass media's reluctance to discuss issues
involving gay politicians despite many comparable news stories about
heterosexual politicians and scandals. Outrage describes this behavior as a
form of institutionalized homophobia that has resulted in a tacit policy of selfcensorship when reporting on these issues.
49. Paragraph 175 (2000)
This documentary chronicles the lives of several gay men and one lesbian who
were persecuted by the Nazis under sodomy provision of Germany’s penal
code, known as Paragraph 175.
50. Paris is Burning (1990)
Filmed in the mid-to-late 1980s, it chronicles the ball culture of New York City
and the African American, Latino, gay and transgender communities involved
in it. Many members of the ball culture community consider Paris Is Burning
to be an invaluable documentary of the end of the "Golden Age" of New York
City drag balls, as well as a thoughtful exploration of race, class, and gender in
America
51. Pick Up the Mic (2006):
http://www.pickupthemic.com/Pick_Up_The_Mic/Home.html
This film profiles the underground LGBT hip hop scene and homohop, which is
a subgenre of hip-hop that includes gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
rappers, DJ's and hip-hop artists.
52. Pride Divide (1997)
Examines the apparent divisions between lesbians and gay men in the LGBTQ
rights movement.
53. Pursuit of Equality (2005)
Documents the struggle of same-sex couples for marriage equality in the
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United States. Its focus is mostly on the same-sex marriages performed in San
Francisco from February 12 to March 11, 2004.
54. Red without Blue (2007)
The intimate bond between two identical twin brothers is challenged when
one decides to transition from male to female; this is the story of their
evolving relationship, and the resurrection of their family from a darker past.
55. Saint of 9/11 (2006): www.saintof9-11.com/
Saint of 9/11 presents the turbulent, restless, spiritual and remarkable
journey of Father Mychal Judge. Compassionate champion of the needy and
forgotten, a beloved Fire Department Chaplain, rousing Irish-American
balladeer and iconoclast, Father wrestled with his own private demons while
touching others in powerful and miraculous ways. Mychal Judge knew the
pain of loss and suffering. He struggled with alcoholism and was an outspoken
AA advocate. Father Judge was a gay man who loved his priestly work. Saint of
9/11 portrays Mychal's life as a spiritual adventure and an honest embrace of
life, where alcoholism and sexuality were acknowledged. Saint of 9/11 is the
story of a life's journey interrupted. Inspired by his life, the documentary
embraces Mychal's full humanity.
56. Southern Comfort (2001)
Chronicles the final year in the life of Robert Eads, a female-to-male
transsexual. Eads, diagnosed with ovarian cancer, was turned down for
treatment by two dozen doctors out of fear that treating such a patient would
hurt their reputations. By the time Eads received treatment, the cancer was
too advanced to save his life.
57. Stonewall Uprising (2010):
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/stonewall/
This documentary explores the social climate towards the LGBTQ community
in the days before the Stonewall Riots, ultimately leading up to the
groundbreaking event in June 1969 and concludes with an examination of the
aftermath and energizing of the gay community as a political force.
58. Straightlaced: How Gender’s Got Us All Tied Up (2009)
A powerful documentary about the lives of teens and young adults as seen
through the gender lens. Approaching society's ideas and ideals of gender
through clothes, sexuality, sports, dance, safety, consumerism and emotion,
the film addresses the complexities of conceptions of masculinity and
femininity for Generation Z.
59. The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)
Documents the political career of Harvey Milk, who was San Francisco's first
openly gay supervisor. The film documents Milk's rise from a neighborhood
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activist to a symbol of gay political achievement, through to his assassination
in November 1978 at San Francisco's city hall, and the Dan White trial and
aftermath.
60. This Is Family (2008)
How has the notion of gay families evolved over the past decade? Is there
such a thing as a typical gay family? This entertaining documentary profiles
the diversity of gay households in America. Filmed in a mock “Desperate
Housewives” style, complete with false advertising for ‘gay’ products, it uses
humor to underline its serious message. With the aspirations and way of life
for gay households changing so quickly, is society adapting fast enough to
keep up with them?
61. Training Rules (2009)
Examines how women's collegiate sports, caught in a web of homophobic
practices, collude in the destruction of the lives and dreams of many of its
most talented athletes. It focuses on the women's basketball program at
Pennsylvania State University under head coach Rene Portland and her policy
of discrimination on her players based on their sexual orientation over a 30year period as coach of the university's basketball program, particularly from
the 1980s to the late 1990s.
62. Transgeneration (2005)
A mini-series looking at the lives of four college students undergoing gender
transition.
63. Trembling Before G-d (2001)
An American documentary film about gay and lesbian Orthodox Jews trying to
reconcile their sexuality with their faith.
64. Trinidad (2008)
An American documentary film, Trinidad examines the town of Trinidad,
Colorado and the work of plastic surgeon Dr. Marci Bowers who specializes in
vaginoplasty, working most often with male-to-female trans* people. Over
the course of the film, residents of Trinidad and patients of Dr. Bowers are
interviewed about life and transition in Trinidad, a small ranching community
and the “Sex Change Capital of the World.”
65. Tying the Knot (2004)
A look at the debate over same sex marriage in the USA. The reasons behind it
are illustrated with real life couples that have run afoul of current laws
despite varying levels of planning. Also, the reasons against it are debunked
by proponents.
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66. A Union in Wait (2001)
Documents the fight for same-sex marriage, focusing on a lesbian couple in
North Carolina.
67. We Were Here (2011)
This documentary look back on the AIDS crisis, specifically focusing on San
Francisco. It is the first documentary to take a deep and reflective look back at
the arrival and impact of AIDS in San Francisco. It explores how the City’s
inhabitants were affected by, and how they responded to, that calamitous
epidemic
68. Word is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives (1977)
This documentary intercuts interviews with 26 very diverse people, who speak
about their experiences as gay men and lesbians. The interviewees range in
age from 18 to 77, in location from San Francisco to New Mexico to Boston, in
type from bee-hived housewife to student to conservative businessman to
sultry drag queen, and in race from Caucasian to Hispanic, African-American,
and Asian. The interviewees describe their experiences of coming out; falling
in and out of love; and struggling against prejudice, stereotypes, and
discriminatory laws. The participants deliver their testimony with intelligence,
grace, honesty, and conviction, creating an engaging and moving oral history.
69. Yo Soy Así (2010):
http://www.girlongirlmovie.com/about-yo-soy-asiacute-2010.html
It’s 2009, and Buenos Aires, Argentina is in the wake of one of the world’s
most loaded culture wars. All along the bustling, church-lined streets hang
posters with the phrase, “Los Mismos Derechos, Los Mismos Nombres,” or
“The Same Rights, The Same Names.” This is the battle cry of Buenos Aires’
gay community, directed at the conservative and religious communities who
stand in strong opposition to the ‘radical’ gay marriage legislation that would
soon be up for debate. In the three months leading up to the annual pride
parade, gay Argentines held rallies and protests throughout the nation’s
capital demanding that full marriage rights, and not civil unions, be made legal
in the state.
E. Not LGBTQ-specific, but does touch upon gender and gender issues in American culture.
1. Miss Representation (2012): http://www.missrepresentation.org/
A documentary on the media portrayal of women’s bodies and the issues that
many women and young girls face due to the stereotypes, imagery, and
portrayals via the mass media and how the media’s misrepresentations of
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women have led to the underrepresentation of women in positions of power
and influence.
2. Tough Guise: Violence, Media, and the Crisis in Masculinity (1999)
This film by Jackson Katz systematically examines the relationship between
pop-cultural imagery and the social construction of masculine identities in the
U.S. at the dawn of the 21st century.
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