The Misfits by James Howe

(image via goodreads.com)

Citation

Howe, James. The Misfits. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001. Print.

Awards

•          ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults

Annotation

Four outcast friends run for student council as the No Name Party as a protest against bullying in school.

Booktalk

Loser. Fatty. Dweeb. Geek. Fag. What names have you been called?

Middle school is tough, especially when you aren’t popular. Bobby Goodspeed lives in a trailer with his dad, and even though he is only 12, works as a tie salesman at the local department store to make ends meet. Addie, Joe, and Skeezie have been his best friends as long as he can remember. Even though there are only four of them, they call themselves the Gang of Five – it sounds cooler. They are used to being outcasts, but when student council elections come around, Addie decides that it’s time for a change. In order to start a third party, they have to prove that they are representing a group of students that isn’t covered by Democrats or Republicans. Bobby thinks of the names he gets called every day for being fat – Lardo, Fatass, Dough Boy. The others quickly join in. Joe’s been called Faggot, Sissy,Twinkle Toes, Fairy; Skeezie gets Retard and Slimeball; Addie is Beanpole, Know-it-all, Big Mouth. Combined with the usual Loser, Geek, Dweeb, and Nerd, they fill a page in no time. This is their angle. They will be the No Name Party. Will the rest of the school stand behind their push to eliminate name calling and bullying?

“Sticks and stones may break our bones, but names will break our spirit.” (142)

Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez

(image via goodreads.com)

Citation

Sanchez, Alex. Rainbow Boys. New York: Simon & Shuster, 2001. Print.

Awards

•            Abraham Lincoln Book Award Master List (IL)
•           ALA Best Books For Young Adults
•            Children's Literature Choice List

Annotation

Three high school boys deal with coming out, their senior year of high school, and their plans for the future.

Booktalk

Jason loves his girlfriend Debra, but he can’t get boys off the brain. When he goes to the Rainbow Youth group meeting, he sees Kyle and Nelson from his high school. Great. He knew it was a mistake. Now everyone at school will know he’s – what, exactly? Jason isn’t even sure himself. Kyle couldn’t believe Jason, basketball superstar and his biggest crush, might be into guys. Does he even stand a chance? Nelson isn’t sure why seeing the way Kyle reacted to Jason is making him so emotional. Nelson and Kyle are gay, and they’re best friends, but it’s not like they’re in love with each other. Right?

Jason, Kyle, and Nelson take turns narrating chapters as they go through their senior year of high school, figure out who they are and who they love, and deal with coming out to their families and classmates. What will the future hold for these Rainbow Boys?

(Be sure to check out the back of the book for resources on starting a Gay-Straight Alliance, support lines, and sexual health.)

Teen perspective:

“[The book is] based on 3 teens who are my age, just starting to go to uni, having new life experiences, probably one of the most informative LGBTQ books I've read in the past.” – Sam, 17.

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

(image via goodreads.com)

Citation

Levithan, David. Boy Meets Boy. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2003. Print.

Awards

•   2003, Lambda Literary Award, Children/Young Adult
•   ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults
•   ALA Quick Pick

Annotation

Paul meets Noah, the new boy at his high school, and their initial affection blossoms slowly into love.

Booktalk

Paul is a high school sophomore, and has been out since his kindergarten teacher wrote that he was “definitely gay and has a very good sense of self” on his report card. He has a loving family, and a fantastic group of friends. There’s Joni, his best friend since first grade, Tony, who is living his life despite his Christian parents disapproval, and Infinite Darlene, the sassy star quarterback and homecoming queen. When he meets Noah, a senior, sparks fly. It’s like a movie, how easily they understand each other, and how much they enjoy each other’s company. The record skips a beat when Paul’s ex, Kyle, says hello in the hall after months of silence. What does he want? What does it all mean? Things aren’t always easy when Boy Meets Boy.

Am I Blue? Coming Out from the Silence by Marion Dane Bauer (ed.)

(image via goodreads.com)

Citation

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

Awards

• ALA Best Books for Young Adults
• ALA Recommended Book for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
• ALA Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual Book Award for Literature, 1995
• Lambda Literary Award for Children and Young Adults, 1995
• Minnesota Book Award for older children, 1995

Annotation

In a collection of short stories, edited by Marion Dane Bauer, Am I Blue? explores the experience of gay and lesbian life through the eyes of young adults.

Booktalk

Am I the only one? At times, growing up, it can feel that way.

The characters in this book come from a myriad of backgrounds. They span different races, religions, forms of family. Some are questioning their sexuality. Some are coming out as gay or lesbian. Some are learning more about a gay friend or parent. They all find comfort in the fact that they are not alone. The authors are able to tell many different types of tales, and in doing so, illustrate that being gay or lesbian is not one sole experience.

Sharing their stories helps illuminate things that are often kept quiet or left unsaid. Learn more about these stories in Am I Blue? Coming Out from the Silence.

Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block

image via goodreads.com

Block, Francesca Lia. Weetzie Bat. New York: Harper Collins, 1989. Print.

Awards

•          2009 Phoenix Award, Children’s Literature Association
•          ALA Best of the Best Books for Young Adults
•          ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
•          ALA Best Book for Young Adults
•          Parents' Choice Gold Award

Annotation

A blonde punk princess from Los Angeles navigates her glitter-filled, fairy tale city with an ever-expanding motley crew in Weetzie Bat, the book that shares her name. This is the first book in Francesca Lia Block’s Weetzie Bat series.

Review

Lanky lizards! Weetzie Bat is not your average teen novel. Although our heroine mentions high school on the first page, we do not spend time in the classroom. Instead, we follow her on adventures across Los Angeles (with a brief pit stop in New York) with her gay best friend Dirk, his grandmother Fifi, Dirk’s partner Duck, and her beau, My Secret Agent Lover Man. A genie pops out of a lamp to grant wishes. A Witch Baby appears on the doorstep. In this surreal world, anything seems possible. 


And yet – the book feels very real. Weetzie has surrounded herself with people she loves, and who love her. Everyone speaks honestly about their emotions, passions, and fears. The book reads almost like poetry and is filled with lush descriptions and catchy slang. Block has created a vibrant, eclectic, surreal world, and I am excited that there are more books in the series to experience it. 

(video by starwarsbuffyccg at youtube.com)