Bibliography for Gay Teens (June 2000)

A Margaret A. Edwards Trust Leadership Development
Institute on Intellectual Freedom
American Library Association Annual Conference, June 2000, Chicago Illinois

Gay Teens in the 21st Century: Access for the Future

Bibliography

March 2001

Sponsored by:
American Library Association
Ann K. Symons, 1998-99 President
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Transgendered Round Table (GLBTRT) (Now Rainbow Round Table RRT)
Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)
American Association of School Librarians (AASL)
Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS)
 

Fiction

Appelt, Kathi. Kissing Tennessee. Harcourt, 2000. 015202249X.

This ensemble collection of short stories includes some that are less than successful; however, "The Question" stands as stellar in its portrayal of the 8th grade boy who confronts himself about his growing awareness of his gay identity.

Barger, Gary. What Happened to Mr. Forster? Clarion Books, 1981. 0395310210.

A sixth-grade boy is faced with the reality of homosexuality and homophobia when one of his teachers, despite being an excellent educator and positive role model for his students, is condemned by the community and eventually fired from his job because he is homosexual and lives with another man. This is an early novel that deals sensitively with the nature of prejudice, and emphasizes the fact that homosexuals are people who have feelings, emotions, and feel love just as anyone else.

Bantle, Lee F. Diving for the Moon. Macmillan. 1995. 0689800045.

The summer after they finish the sixth grade, Bird discovers that her best friend josh is HIV positive.

Bauer, Marion Dane, ed. Am I Blue?: Coming Out from the Silence. HarperCollins, 1994.

An enthralling anthology of original short stories featuring gay/lesbian teens by such authors as Bruce Coville, M.E. Kerr, William Sleator, Jane Yolen, C.S. Adler, Bauer, Marion Bauer, Francesca Lia Block, Nancy Garden, James Cross Giblin, Ellen Howord, Jonathan London, Lois Lowry, Gregory Maguire, Leslea Newman, Cristina Salat, and Jacqueline Woodson. A Lambda Award and ALA Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Award for Literature winner it was also named to the ALA Best Books for Young Adults, ALA Recommended Books for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, Horn Book Fanfare Honor List.

Bechard, Margaret. If it Doesn't Kill You. Viking. 1999. 0670885479.

Ben was always proud to be a chip off the old block until his dad left his mom for another man.

Bess, Clayton. Big Man and the Burn-out. Houghton, 1985. 0395361737.

Long ago abandoned by his mother who could not tolerate farm life, young Jess works out an uneasy alliance with his unyielding grandmother.

Bledsoe, Lucy Jane. Working Parts. Seal Press, 1997. 187806794X.

Excellent novel about Lori Taylor, a 27-year-old lesbian who finally admits that she cannot read and enrolls in a literacy course. Her developing friendship with her reading tutor, and an increasingly complex relationship with a new girlfriend leads Lori into dangerous emotional territory.

Block, Francesca Lia. Baby Be-bop. HarperCollins, 1995. 0064471764.

Dirk, Weetzie Bat's best pal, doesn't know is how to tell his grandma Fifi he is gay. Publishers Weekly Best Books of 1995, ALA Best Books for Young Adults, Finalist, ALA Gay, Lesbian Bisexual and Transgendered Book Award, and NY Public Library Books for the Teen Age.

Block, Francesca Lia. Girl Goddess #9: nine stores. Harper, 1996. 0060272112.

Collection of short stories about love: gay, straight, familial, and otherworldly.

Block, Francesca Lia. I Was a Teenage Fairy. HarperCollins, 1998. 0060277483.

Griffin Tyler's androgynous beauty and Barbie Marks' supermodel glitz and glamour hide a terrible secret but with the help of a feisty fairy they can head toward healing. An ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers Selection.

Block, Francesca Lia. Missing Angel Juan. Harper, 1993. 0060230045.

In a story filled with pop icons, drag queens, slang, and candid sexuality, Witch Baby follows Angel Juan to New York City and meets the ghost of her almost grandfather Charlie Bat.

Block, Francesca Lia. Weetzie Bat. Harper & Row, 1989. 0060205342.

The classic tale of the adventures of Weetzie, Dirk, Duck, and My-Secret-Agent-Lover-Man in Venice Beach. ALA Recommended Books for the Reluctant Young Adult Reader.

Block, Francesca Lia. Witch Baby. Harper. 1991. 0060205474.

Witch Baby comes to live with Weetzie Bat and My-Secret-Agent- Lover-Man and has wild adventures in Los Angeles as she tries to understand where she belongs in her family which includes gay lovers Dirk and Duck (who she helps to reconcile with his mother).

Boock, Paula. Dare Truth or Promise. Houghton Mifflin, 1999. 0395971179.

Louie and Willa, two New Zealand teen girls from diverse backgrounds meet and fall passionately in love. It is a Lambda Literary Award finalist and won the New Zealand Post Children's Book of the Year fiction prize and supreme award.

Brett, Catherine. S.P. Likes A.D. The Women's Press. 1989. 0889611424.

Thirteen-year-old Stephanie Powell asks a retired lesbian paleontologist for advice on why schoolmate, Anne Delaney, makes her heart beat so fast.

Brown, Forman. Better Angel. Alyson Publications, 1995. 1555832849.

Originally written in 1933, this novel about a young gay man's sexual awakening is one of the first books published in the U. S. to portray male homosexuality in a positive light.

Brown, Rita Mae. Rubyfruit jungle. Bantam, 1988 Daughters, inc. [1973] 0553052845.

The bawdy coming of age tale of lesbian Molly Bolt. It holds the seventeenth spot on the 100 Best Lesbian and Gay Novels from The Triangle, the Association of Lesbians and Gay Men in Publishing.

Brown, Todd D. Entries From a Hot Pink Notebook. Washington Square, 1995. 0671890840

Growing up gay in the Reagan years, Ben Smith struggles with a dysfunctional family, poverty, and his first year of high school, while searching for love and trying to make sense of his chaotic life.

Bujold, Lois McMaster. Ethan of Athos. Baen, 1994. 067165604X.

From a planet founded by gay men and peopled only with men, Dr. Ethan Urquhart, an obstetrician, is sent out into the wider universe to find new ova for their uterine replicators.

Cart, Michael. My Father's Scar. St. Martin's Press, 1996. 031218137X.

College freshman Andy Logan grows from the lonely son of and abusive alcoholic father to a strong and independent man who can enter into a relationship with another man. An ALA Best Book for Young Adults.

Chambers, Aiden. Dance on My Grave. Random House, 1995. 0064405796.

Sixteen-year-old Hal realizes he is gay and has a wonderful summer romance with Barry, in a positive story about homosexuality and falling in love for the first time.

Chbosky, Stephen. The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Pocket, 1999. 0671027344.

Coming-of-age story about Charlie, a high school freshman who encounters the same struggles of many of his peers - how to make friends, the intensity of a crush, family tensions, a first relationship, exploring sexuality, experimenting with drugs, and a friend's suicide. Among the uncharted territory of his life, Charlie finds himself falling madly in love with Samantha, who is inaccessible, helping his sister who needs an abortion, and remaining loyal to his friend, Patrick, who is gay-bashed.

Cooper, Melrose. Life Magic. Dial, 1996. 0805041141.

Crystal's strong family helps her deal with being put in a remedial reading class and discovering that Uncle Joe is dying of AIDS.

Cruse, Howard. Stuck Rubber Baby. Paradox Press, 1995. 1563892162.

An amazing graphic novel about coming of age in the 60's. ALA Gay, lesbian Bisexual and Transgendered Book Award finalist.

Crutcher, Chris. Athletic Shorts. Greenwillow, 1991. 0688108164.

A collection of short stories featuring characters from earlier books by Chris Crutcher. Includes "A Brief Moment in the Life of Angus Bethune" about a boy who has four gay parents, and "In the Time I Get" about a boy who befriends a stranger who has AIDS.

Crutcher, Chris. Ironman: a novel. Greenwillow, 1995. 068813503X. 044021971 X (paper).

Bo learns to cope with the shocking fact that his beloved swimming coach is gay. Runner-up for Evergreen Young Adult Award.

Davis, Deborah. My Brother Has AIDS. Atheneum, 1994. 0689319223.

When her older brother returns home because he is dying of AIDS, thirteen-year-old Lacy deals with changes in her family life, in relationships with classmates, and in her commitment to her swimming team.

Dijk, Lutz Van. Damned Strong Love: the True Story of Willi G and Stephan K. Holt. 1995.

Translated from the German by Elizabeth Crawford. 0805037705. 0805057714 (paper). Novel based on the true story of love between a Polish teenager and a young German soldier during World War II.

Dines, Carol. Talk to Me: stories and a novella. Delacorte, 1997. 0385322712.

Collection of stories about teenagers exploring love and romance, mortality, first jobs, and how to navigate modern family life. Stories include one about growing up in rural Minnesota as the son of a lesbian couple.

Donoghue, Emma. Hood. Alyson Publications, 1995. 0060171103.

The sudden death of her lover, Cara, leaves Penelope shocked, grieving, and reliving their 14-year relationship in a series of flashbacks, from the time the two met in convent school to when they lived together in Cara's father's home. A love story that superbly conveys the complexities and nuances of initimate relationships.

Donoghue, Emma. Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins. HarperCollins, 1997. 0060275766.

Retellings of fairy tales with a feminist & lesbian viewpoint. ALA Popular Paperbacks List.

Donoghue, Emma. Stir-Fry. HarperCollins, 1994. 006017109X.

"Flatmate, own room, no bigots," reads the ad Maria answers when she moves to Dublin for college. Soon her friendship with her new roommates leads her to question her own sexuality.

Donovan, John. I'll Get There: It Better Be Worth the Trip. Dell, 1969. 0440939801.

A poignant story of two boys questioning their sexual identities, this novel is important as the first gay-themed young adult book published in the U.S.

Donovan, Stacey. Dive. Dutton, 1994.0525451544.

Fifteen-year-old V's world begins to fall apart when her dog is hit by a car, her father is hospitalized with a mysterious illness, her best friend ignores her and she meets the captivating Jane.

Durrant, Penny. When Heroes Die. Atheneum, 1991. 0689317646.

Devastated to discover that Uncle Rob, his hero, is dying of AIDS, twelve-year-old Gary, in need of advice and guidance in his life, finds that it is Uncle Rob himself who gives him strength to face the future.

Feinberg, Leslie. Stone Butch Blues. Firebrand Books, 1993. 156341029X.

Woman or man? That's the question that rages like a storm around Jess Goldberg, clouding her life and her identity. Winner of the Lambda Literary Award and an ALA Lesbian/Gay Book Award Finalist.

Ferris, Jean. Eight Seconds. Harcourt, 2000. 0152023674.

A 17-year-old boy who has attributed his sense of "being different" to successful heart surgery he had as a young child comes to realize that, in fact, his sexual identity is not as straight as he had assumed. With setting and motifs drawn from rodeo experiences, the resolution of this novel may feel less than positive for young readers who are no further in their self-acceptance than the protagonist. Straight teens and adults who have lived beyond the period of life at the cusp of self-realization will, however, find this to be a more positive story.

Fox, Paula. The Eagle Kite. Orchard, 1995. 0531087425.

Liam's father has AIDS, and the disease forces Liam to recognize some hard realities about his father's condition, his parents' relationship, and the certain outcome of his life.

Futcher, Jane. Crush. Alyson Publications, 1981. 155583602X.

While in boarding school, seventeen-year-old Jinx falls in love with Lexie and is betrayed by her, yet still manages to gain in confidence and pursue her dream of going to art school.

Garden, Nancy. Annie on my Mind. Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1982. 0374404143.

Liza and Annie meet at an art museum and soon realize that their feelings for each other go beyond friendship. Both face conflicts in accepting their feelings in this story of the magic and intensity of first love. A Booklist Reviewers' choice, nominated for Gay Book Award and Golden Kite Award, ALA Best Books, ALA Best of the Best 1970-1983, Booklist Best of the Best Books for YAs, 1966-1986,Best of the Best renewed, Booklist Best Books of the 1980s, Booksellers' Choice list, ALA Best Books for YAs for past 25 Years.

Garden, Nancy. Good Moon Rising. Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1996. 0374327467.

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. Lambda Book Award, Children's/YA Category, A Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, Children's Book Council and National Council of Social Studies, NY Public Library Books for the Teen Age.

Garden, Nancy. Holly's secret. Farrar, 2000. 0374332738.

When she starts middle school, eleven-year-old Holly decides to become sophisticated and feminine, change her name to Yvette, and hide the fact that her two moms are lesbians.

Garden, Nancy. Lark in the Morning. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1991. 0374343381.

Adventure of seventeen-year-old Gillian who spends her summer vacation with her parents in Rhode Island. Featured is a love story between Gillian and Suzanne which is handled in a positive, authentic, and upbeat manner.

Garden, Nancy. The Year They Burned the Books. Farrar, Straus, Giroux. 1999. 0374386676.

Jamie, a high school newspaper editor, and her best friend Terry (who is openly gay) are the victims of an attack by a group of conservative students not making Jamie's deciscion to come out in the face of her attraction to new girl Tessa any easier. Nominated for Lambda Award.

Gleitzman, Morris. Two Weeks with the Queen. Putnam, 1991. 0399222499.

Sent to live with relatives in England when his younger brother develops a rare form of cancer, Colin tries to see the Queen to help find a cure for his brother.

Greene, Bette. The Drowning of Stephan Jones. Bantam Doubleday, 1991. 0440226953 (paper).

An openly gay couple moves into Carla's town, and Carla comes to see the prejudices held by those she loves.

Griffin, Adele. Split just Right. Hyperion, 1997. 0786803479, 0786822880.

After living her life in her actress mother's world of make-believe, ninth-grader Dandelion comes to realize that it is better to face reality.

Griffith, Nicola and Stephen Pagel, eds. Bending the Landscape: Fantasy. White Wolf, 1997.

Lesbians and gay men, straight writers, those who usually work in the mainstream and those who concentrate on genre were asked to re-imagine the world, to bend their personal landscape a little, and to show the reader lesbian and gay characters in a world outside reality, where not everything is classified, pigeon-holed, and explained.

Griffith, Nicola and Stephen Pagel, eds. Bending the Landscape: Sf. Overlook Press, 1998. 0879517328.

Addresses the universal themes of otherness, love, and loss. ALA Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Award for Literature finalist.

Grima, Tony, ed. Not The Only One: Lesbian and Gay Fiction for Teens. Alyson, 1995. 155583275X.

A collection of 21 short stories portraying gay and lesbian teenagers at different moments in their lives.

Grimsley, Jim. Dream Boy. Algonquin, 1995. 1565121066.

Story of a gay teenager growing up in the South.

Guy, Rosa. Ruby. Viking, 1976. 0670206288.

Ruby and Daphne, both seniors in high school, develop a strong relationship and must deal with the uncertainty and confusion concerning themselves and their sexuality. Focuses on the situations, thoughts, feelings, and questions of same-sex attraction that young adults are faced with.

Hall, Lynne. Sticks and Stones. Follett, 1977. 0695802372.

A seventeen-year-old teenager's life is nearly destroyed when a rumor that he is homosexual is started in his new high school.

Hamilton, R. J. Who Framed Lorenzo Garcia? Alyson Publications, 1995. 1555836089.

Mystery in which Ramon and the Pride Pack must clear the name of gay police sergeant, Lorenzo Garcia.

Hanlon, Emily. The Wing and the Flame. Bradbury, 1981. 0878881689.

As a rare friendship develops between two teenage boys, one of them inspires a reclusive sculptor to work for the first time since his family was tragically killed.

Hautzig, Deborah. Hey, Dollface. Greenwillow, 1978. 0688801706.

Two 15-year-old classmates are loving and devoted "best friends," but the time comes when they must ask themselves a hard question about their relationship.

Hines, Sue. Out of the Shadows. Random House (Australia), 1998. 0091837650. Avon, 2000. 0380811928.

Closeted Jodie loves the anguished Rowanna, whose lesbian mother was recently killed by a drunk driver. Nominated for The Children's Book Council of Australia Children's Book of the Year Award.

Holland, Isabelle. The Man Without a Face. Lippincott, 1972. 0397312865.

A fatherless fourteen-year-old boy develops an unusual relationship with the man living near his summer home who helps him prepare his entrance exams to boarding school.

Homes, A.M. Jack. Vintage Books, 1990. 0679732217.

Fifteen-year-old jack's cqnfused feelings for his father, who left him and his mother four years earlier, are further complicated when he finds that his father is gay.

Jenkins, A.M. Breaking Boxes. Bantam, 1997. 0385325134.

When loner Charlie begins a friendship with Brandon he has no idea that a basic reality about his brother Trent can have repercussions if told. Winner of the Delecorte Prize and an ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers selection.

Kaye, Marilyn. Real Heroes. Harcourt, 1993. 0152005633.

When his father joins other parents in demonstrating against a teacher who is HIV-positive, Kevin is torn between his loyalty to his father whom he has always considered a hero and his admiration for his favorite sixth grade teacher.

Kerr, M.E. Deliver Us From Evie. HarperCollins. 1994. 0064471284.

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. ALA Best Books for Young Adults, ALA Recommended Books for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, The Horn Book Fanfare Honor List, NY Public Library Books for the Teen Age, Michigan Library Association Best Book Honor Award.

Kerr, M.E. Hello, I Lied. HarperCollins, 1997. 0060275308.

Summering in the Hamptons on the estate of a famous rock star, seventeen-year-old Lang tries to decide how to tell his longtime friends that he is gay, while struggling with an unexpected infatuation with a girl from France. M. E. Kerr was awarded the 1993 Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing young adult books by the American Library Association and the Bill Whitehead Award for Lifetime Achievement awarded by the Association of Lesbians and Gay Men in Publishing.

Kerr, M. E. I'll Love You When You're More Like Me. Harper, 1977. 0O6023136X.

Two teenagers resist pressure to lead lives their parents have fashioned for them.

Kerr, M. E. Night Kites. Harper, 1986. 0060232536.

Seventeen-year-old Erick's comfortable and well-ordered life begins to fall apart when he is forced to keep two secrets: the identity of his new girlfriend and the nature of his brother's debilitating disease.

Ketchum, Liza. Blue Coyote. Simon and Schuster, 1997. 0689807902.

Alex Beekman from Twelve Days in August jumps at the chance to return to California so he can try to find his best friend in the world, Tito Perone, who has disappeared. When the two friends are reunited Alex comes to accept his own gay identity and sexuality. A Lamda Literary Award finalist, a "Project 21" Book, and a New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age.

Koertge, Ron. The Arizona Kid. Joy Street/Little, Brown, 1988. 0316501018. Avon Books, 1989. 0380707764.

Billy learns a lot about life while spending the summer with his gay uncle, Wes.

Lackey, Mercedes. Last Herald Mage Trilogy: Magic's Pawn, Magic's Promise, Magic's Price. DAW, 1989, 1990, 1990. 0886773520, 0886774012, 0886774268.

An ancient age in the history of Valdemar comes to life -an age when the kingdom was ravaged by the ungoverned fury of bandit warlords, ferocious ice dragons, the wild magic of wizards, and homosexuality is not regarded as anything out of the ordinary. The final book in the trilogy is a winner of the lambda Award.

Larson, Rodger. What I Know Now. Henry Holt, 1997. 0805048693.

A gentle thoughtful story set in 1957 California where a fourteen-year-old gay boy finds a friend and mentor in the wise, handsome, sensitive, sophisticated, affectionate, and accomplished, man who has come to build a garden at the home he shares with his recently separated mother.

Lee, Sharon and Steve Miller. Partners in Neccesity. Meisha Merlin 2000. 1892065010.

Science fiction adventure featuring bisexual characters.

Lynch, Chris. Dog Eat Dog (v. 3 of The Blue-Eyed Son series). Harper, 1996. 0064471233.

Mick seeks revenge on his sadistic brother who participates in the illegal sport of dogfighting.

McClain, Ellen Jaffe. No Big Deal. Puffin, 1997. 0140380469.

When rumors that fourteen-year-old Janice's favorite teacher is gay begin to circulate at school and in the community, she decides to stand up for him even in the face of her mother's opposition.

Maguire, Gregory. Oasis. Clarion, 1996. 0395670195.

Following his father's death from a heart attack, thirteen-year-old Hand blames himself and his mother, who has recently returned after leaving the family years ago.

Meyer, Carolyn. Elliott and Win. Atheneum, 1986. 0689503687.

Fourteen-year-old Win hopes to receive support and guidance in self-acceptance from his adult friend Elliott, despite another boy's insistence that Elliott is homosexual.

Miller, Isabel. Patience and Sarah. Fawcett Books, 1969. 0449210073.

Early in the 19th century, in a puritanical New England town, two women fell in love with one another. And with nothing and no one to guide or support them, Patience and Sarah tried to follow their hearts. First ever winner of ALA's GLBT Award and number 24 on the 100 Best lesbian and Gay Novels from The Triangle, the Association of lesbians and Gay Men in Publishing.

Moore, Lisa C., editor. Does Your Mamma Know? An Anthology of Black Lesbian Coming Out Stories. Redbone, 1997. 0965665909.

Forty-nine stories, poems, interviews, letters, and essays that celebrate the coming out process for Black lesbians.

Morrow, Bruce and Charles H. Rowell eds. Shade: An Anthology of Fiction by Gay Men of African Descent. Avon Books, 1996. 0380783053.

Twenty-two bold and spirited stories by award-winning authors and newcomers the first anthology devoted exclusively to fiction by Black gay men.

Mosca, Frank. All-American Boys. Alyson, 1983. 0932870449.

"I've known I was gay since I was thirteen. It was the most natural thing in the world. I thought everyone was. At least until I hit high school the next year. That's when I finally realized all those faggot and dyke jokes referred to people like me." Finally, at age nineteen, Neil comes out of the closet when Paul, openly gay, moves into the neighborhood.

Mowry, Jess. Babylon Boyz. Simon & Schuster, 1997. 0689808399.

Three inner-city teenagers- Dante a "crack baby" who badly needs a heart operation, rook, a gay, athletic, street fighter, who dreams of going to medical school, and Wyatt, fat enough to smuggle a gun under his belly fat -are confronted with a difficult choice when they stumble upon a cache of cocaine thats sale would give them their dreams but contribute to the demise of their community.

Mullins, Hillary. The Cat Came Back. Naiad Press, 1993. 156280040X.

Stevie Roughgarden begins to accept herself and her love for classmate, Andrea, after reading Rubyfruit jungle.

Murphy, Timothy. Getting off Clean. St. Martin's Press, 1997. 0312151322.

Working class high school senior Eric Fitzpatrick is determined to fit in, be popular, and go to college but he is secretly gay and having an affair with Brooks Tremont, a rich sophisticated Black student who attends a prestigious prep school outside of town It is a coming-of-age debut novel that movingly limns young gay love in the racially charged setting of a Massachusetts small town.

Murrow, Liza Ketchum. Twelve Days in August. Holiday House, 1993. 0-8234-1012-9.

Twelve days in August change a sixteen-year-old soccer player's perceptions of himself, his family, girls, and gays. ALA Books for the Reluctant Young Adult Reader; A "Project 21" Book, 1996; New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age, Oklahoma Sequoyah Award, National Conference of Christians and Jews "Human Family, Learning to Live Together" list.

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. Alice on the Outside. Atheneum, 1999. 0689803591.

Eighth-grader Alice has lots of questions about sex, relationships, prejudice, and change.

Nelson, Theresa. Earthshine. Orchard Books, 1994. 0531068676. (Laurel-Leaf Books, 1994 (paper). 0440219892.)

This well-written and poignant novel relates twelve-year-old Margery's last months with her gay father who is dying of AIDS. Best Books for Young Adults, Notable Books for Children, Quick Picks.

Nolan, Han. A Face in Every Window. Harcourt, Brace, 1999. 0152019154.

After the death of his grandmother, who held the family together, teenage JP is left with a mentally challenged father and a mother who seems ineffectual and constantly sick, and he feels everything sliding out of control.

Rees, David. In the Tent. Alyson, 1979. 0932870759.

Seventeen-year-old Tim must confront his homosexual inclinations when he is stranded with three friends during a cross-country hike.

Revoyr, Nina. The Necessary Hunger. St. Martin's Press, 1998. 0312181426.

African American Raina and Japanese American Nancy are both high-school basketball stars in a racially divisive Los Angeles neighborhood who end up living together when Nancy's father and Raina's mother move in together, and are faced with the challenge of negotiating their already intense rivalry and friendship. As Nancy's love for Raina grows and both prepare to leave the inner city neighborhood that has nurtured them, they find themselves looking toward a future that is no longer easily defined.

Roscoe, Will, editor. Living the Spirit: A Gay American Indian Anthology. St. Martin's Press, 1989. 031203475X.

Includes short stories, poems, and excerpts from novels and various media that celebrate the lives of gay and lesbian Native Americans.

Scoppettone, Sandra. Happy Endings Are All Alike. Harper & Row, 1978. Dell, 1979. Alyson Publications, 1991. 155583177X (paper).

This novel explores the issues of bigotry, rape, and homophobia through the lesbian relationship of eighteen-year-old Janet Tyler and Peggy Danziger. ALA Best Books for Young Adults.

Scoppetone, Sandra. Trying Hard to Hear You. Harper and Row, 1974 reprinted by Alyson, 1996. 1555833675.

In this heartbreaking tale of love and prejudice, one single summer changes the lives of an entire community when a sixteen-year-old is faced with the revelation that her best friend is a homosexual.

Selvadurai, Shyam. Funny Boy. Harvest Books, 1997. 015600500X.

This haunting novel about a boy growing up within an extended upper-middle-class family in Sri Lanka employs gentle humor and an uncommon compassion and insight into human nature. Arjie's understanding of the world around him -and his own gay identity- is placed against the backdrop of growing racial tension and civil unrest. Number 93 on the 100 Best Lesbian and Gay Novels from The Triangle, the Association of Lesbians and Gay Men in Publishing, ALA Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Award fof Literature finalist.

Shannon, George. Unlived Affections. Harper Collins, 1989. 0060253045. Alyson Publications, 1995. 1555832997.

Through a box of letters written to his now-deceased grandmother, Willie Ramsey discovers that the father he thought was dead was actually forced out of the family because he was gay.

Sinclair, April. Ain't Gonna be the Same Fool Twice. Hyperion, 1996. 0380727943.

Stevie from Coffee Will Make You Black is a bright African American college student in southern Illinois struggling with issues that are compounded by her sexual identity and race.

Sinclair, April. Coffee Will Make You Black. Hyperion, 1994. 0380724596.

Coming of age during the 1960s, Stevie Stevenson's struggles with her parent's traditional values and her own awakening sexuality are further complicated by her high school's increasing political awareness and demonstrations for civil rights. ALA Best Books for Young Adults.

Springer, Nancy. Looking for Jamie Bridger. Dial Books for Young Readers, 1995. 0803717733.

Fourteen-year-old Jamie Bridger is determined to find out who her real parents were in spite of opposition from the grandparents who raised her, but her search ends in a bittersweet discovery. Edgar Award Winner for best juvenile mystery.

Stark, Elizabeth. Shy Girl. Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1999.0374263523.

The story of Alta Corral's journey to self-acceptance of her sexual identity and an understanding of how keeping secrets or remaining silent about one's sexuality leads only to trouble.

Stinson, Susan. Fat Girl Dances with Rocks. Spinster's Ink, 1994. 1883523028.

A bittersweet story of teen love between 17-year-old Char and her best friend, Felice.

Stoehr, Shelly. Tomorrow Wendy: a Love Story. Delacorte,1998. 0385323395.

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 best friend that only she can see and feelings for her boyfriend's twin sister Wendy, a girl with "bright green hair and hard-candy sadness in her eyes."

Swados, Elizabeth. Flamboyant. St. Martin's Press, 1999. 0312204086.

When Chana landau begins her job as a teacher at Harvey Milk High School, she leaves the protection of her traditiona Orthodox Jewish enclave in Brooklyn for a school that embodies everything she has been forbidden to experience. In a hostile class- room filled with sexually "different" teens, street kids, and drug addicts, Chana's one support is Flamboyant, a 15-year-old prostitute and an accomplished writer whose brash exterior hides a secret.

Sweeney, Joyce. Face the Dragon. Delacorte Press, 1990. 0385301642.

Best friends since childhood, Eric and Paul face their personal dragons as Paul finds the courage to come out to his friend, and Eric defends Paul against the remarks of a cruel teacher.

Taylor, William. The Blue Lawn. Alyson, 1999 US. 1994 New Zealand. 1555834930.

In rural New Zealand, a fifteen-year-old boy acknowledges his attraction to an older rugby teammate, as he also begins to break out of the preconceived notions his family and oth- ers have about him. 1995 AIM Children's Book Award for Senior Fiction, nominated for a Lambda Literary Award.

Taylor, William. Jerome. Alyson, 1999. 1555835120.

As they try to cope with the suicide of a close friend, two teenagers discover new aspects of themselves, their friendship, and their relationships with other people.

Torres, Laura. November Ever After. Holiday House, 1999. 0823414647.

In the aftermath of her mother's death, sixteen-year-old Amy finds solace in the company of her best friend Sara, but then she is shocked to discover that Sara is romantically involved with another girl and has kept it a secret from her.

Ure, Jean. You Win Some, You Lose Some. Dell, 1984. 0385294344.

Jamie's decision to leave school and become a ballet dancer brings him problems but strengthens his character.

Van Dijk, Lutz. Damned Strong Love. Henry Holt, 1995. 0805037705.

Translated from German, this tale of a love affair between a German soldier and a young Jewish man is based on a true story of forbidden wartime romance. ALA Best Books for Young Adults top ten.

Velasquez, Gloria. Tommy Stands Alone. Arte Publico Press, 1995. 1558885147X.

Tomas Montoya attempts suicide when he is outed at school, but with the help of best friend, Maya, and counselor, Ms. Martinez, he learns to stand up against his peers' meanspiritedness.

Walker, Kate. Peter. Houghton, 1993. Gp.

An ordinary fifteen-year-old Australian kid, who enjoys riding his dirt bike and wants to be a photographer, becomes confused about his sexuality when he finds he is attracted to a gay friend of his older brother. ALA Best Books for Young Adults, ALA Recommended Books for the Reluctant Young Adult Reader.

Walker, Paul Robert. The Method. Gulliver/HBJ, 1990. 0152005285.  (Harcourt Brace & Company paperback published in 1996: 0152012605)

An intensive summer workshop on method acting brings fifteen-year-old Albie insight on sexual expression, identity, and conduct of life.

Watts, Julia. Phases of the Moon. Niaid, 1997. 1562801767.

Glenda Mooney rocks, in the early days of rock 'n roll. Wersba, Barbara. Crazy Vanilla. Harper, 1986. 0060263687. Story of a 14-year-old boy who has no friends until he meets Mitzi, a streetwise girl. Through his friendship with her, he leams to cope with his chaotic home life and to accept his gay brother Cameron.

Wersba, Barbara. Just Be Gorgeous. Harper, 1988. 0060263598.

Feeling unattractive, untalented, and misunderstood by her parents, a New York City teenager realizes that she is someone special through her friendship with a homeless street performer.

Wersba, Barbara. Whistle Me Home. Henry Holt, 1997. 0805048502.

Independent and alcoholic, seventeen-year-old Noli has her own style that the new guy, the gorgeous Tj finds fascinating but is it because she is a girl or because she looks like a guy? Lambda Award, ALA Best Books for Young Adults, ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.

Wieler, Diana. Bad Boy. Delacorte, 1992. 0888990839.

A.j. Brandiosa becomes the bad boy of the Cyclone hockey team, and learns that his best friend is gay, as he tries to cope with his own sexuality during his senior year in high school. Winner of the Governor General's Award for Literature (Children's Literature), the Ruth Schwartz Award, and the Canadian Library Association young adult book of the year, ALA Best Books for Young Adults, ALA Recommended Books for the Reluctant Young Adult Reader.

Williams, Bett. Girl Walking Backwards. St. Martin's Press, 1998. 0312194560.

A raw, disturbing story about Skye, a young lesbian who triumphs in a world of drugs, wild parties, and destructive parents and friends.

Winterson, Jeanette. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit. 1985. 0802135161.

Jeanette, a bright and rebellious orphan is adopted into an evangelical household becoming a child preacher, only to be later cast out for her burgeoning 'deviant' sexuality. Winner of England's Whitbread Award.

Wittlinger, Ellen. Hard Love. Simon & Schuster, 1999. 0689821344.

John is involved in the 'zine scene, writing his own 'zine and admiring the 'zines of others particularly Marisol who he contrives to meet on one of his lonely weekends in the city with his dad. They mesh, having quite a bit in common even outside of 'zines. Although Marisol is a professed lesbian, John falls in love with her. The angst of unrequited love and the disaster of a "just friends" prom ring achingly true. Winner of the Printz honor award, a Lambda Literature award finalist, ALA Best Books for Young Adults, ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.

Wittlinger, Ellen. What's in a Name? Simon & Schuster, 2000. 068982551 X.

Ten interrelated stories told from the viewpoints of several teenaged characters at a suburban high school. The stories deal with the complex issues of class, family, race, and sexual orientation. The story of O'Neill, the younger brother of the high school football hero, successfully reflects the coming out process of a teen who stops lying to himself and publicly admits he's gay.

Woodson, Jacqueline. The Dear One. Delacorte, 1991. 0606025898. Dell, 1992.0440214203 (paper).

Sparks fly when Rebecca, a street-smart girl from Harlem, comes to spend the last months of her pregnancy in Feni's suburban home, but her presence soon teaches Feni about the difficult choices women face.

Woodson, Jacqueline. From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun. Scholastic, 1995. 0590458809.

Thirteen year old Melanin Sun struggles to come to terms with his mother's relationship with Kristin, a pretty white lawyer. A lambda Literature Award winner, Coretta Scott King Honor Book, winner of the Jane Addams Peace Award, and ALA Best Book for Young Adults.

Woodson, Jacqueline. The House You Pass on the Way. Bantam, 1997 0385321899.

Fourteen-year-old racially mixed Staggerlee feels set apart in her African American community, and as she longs for a friend she relives the past summer when her her growing feelings for her visiting cousin confirmed her own suspicions that she might be gay. lambda Award.

Wright, Bil. Sunday You Leam How to Box: a novel. Scribner Paperback Fiction, 2000. 0684857952.

Set in mid 70s Connecticut, this is the story of an African-American teen coming to terms with his homosexuality while being hassled constantly by his peers in his housing project and finding an unlikely ally (and crush) in Ray Anthony Robinson, a local "hoodlum."

Yamanaka, Lois-Ann. Name Me Nobody. Hyperion, 1999. 0786804521.

Fourteen year old Emi-lou Kaya is an awkward outsider whose greatest support is her longtime best friend, Yvonne, but she feels abandoned when Yvonne discovers a girl called Babes. Nominated for a Lambda award.

Zalben, Jane Breskin. Unfinished Dreams. Simon & Schuster, 1996. 0689800339.

Jason, a nine-year-old Jewish boy, pursues his dream of becoming a great violinist even as he deals with disappointments and deaths of loved ones, especially his supportive principal, Mr. Carr, who is dying of AIDS. Jason gradually learns more about AIDS and about tolerance.
 

Non-Fiction

Boylan, Jennifer Finney. She's Not There: a Life in Two Genders. Broadway Books, 2003. 076791404X.

The exuberant story of a man named James who became a woman named Jenny. With wit, compassion and before-and-after photos, this is both a painful and a very funny look at one personÕs need to just be herself.

Harris, E. Lynn. What Becomes of the Brokenhearted: a Memoir. Doubleday, 2003. 0385502648.

From his childhood in Arkansas as a closeted gay boy through his struggle to gain acceptance as a writer to his rise as a New York Times best-selling author, E. Lynn Harris shares with readers an extraordinary life. Knowing both loneliness and depression, Harris triumphs as a small-town dreamer who is able through writing to make his dreams--and more--come true.

Heugel, Kelly. The GLBT Survival Guide for Teens. Free Spirit Publishing, 2003. 1575421267.

Discovering that you, or someone you love, might be GLBTQ is a revelation. Accepting it is a process. Information can help that process. This book can't answer all of your questions or counter all of the misinformation, misconceptions, myths, half-truths, and outright lies you might have heard about being GLBTQ, but it's a start.

Marcus, Eric. What If Someone I Know Is Gay?: Answers to Questions About Gay and Lesbian People. Price Stearn Sloan, 2000. 0843176113.

Answers commonly asked questions about gay and lesbian issues. Intended for GLB teens and allies.

Nycum, Benjie. The XY Survival Guide. XY Publications, 2000. 0970321341 (paper).

Compiled by staff members at XY Magazine, this book is intended to be a guide to life for gay male teens.

Manahan, Nancy, ed. On My Honor: Lesbians Reflect on Their Scouting Experience. Madwoman Press, 1997. 1886231028.

An anthology of adult lesbians reflecting about their experiences in the Girl Scouts as Scouts or troop leaders.