At times, the messages about being gay, while strongly positive, are a little didactic. The uncle’s story is a backdrop to the boy’s story, but it’s very well handled, and the uncle is extremely likeable. What the boy discovers is that there are an amazing variety of shades of blue.Ī straight teenage boy spends the summer living with his gay uncle in Arizona while working at a horse ranch and experiencing his first love relationship. The title story by Bruce Coville tells of a gay teenage boy who receives a gift from Melvin, his “fairy godfather”: For the boy’s eyes only, Melvin turns every gay person blue for a day so that the boy can see he’s not alone. The stories cover the gamut of “takes” on gayness. Participating in a special after-school counseling class with other troubled students, including a sensitive gay classmate, helps Susan, an overweight tenth grader, develop a better sense of herself.Īm I Blue? Coming Out from the Silence, edited by Marion Dane Bauer (Harper)Ī collection of short stories written by 16 respected young adult authors, this is an essential book to put in the hands of any teenager dealing with his or her own sexuality or having a gay parent or friend. Could he be gay?Īlt Ed by Catherine Atkins (Penguin Putnam Books, 2003) However, he's not thinking about girls when he's thinking about sex. Steve is a 16 year old with two things on his mind: sex and getting his driving license. For a more up-to-date list, visit the popular blog: I'M HERE, I'M QUEER, WHAT THE HELL DO I READ? at Īlso, below is a bibliography, compiled with the help of James Howe, author of The Misfits and Totally Joe with some of the best teen novels, poetry anthologies, and nonfiction books with LGBT characters and themes.Ībsolutely Positively Not by David LaRochelle (Scholastic, 2005) Since then, every year has brought more and more books. Many of you ask: what are some good books about LGBT teens in addition to my own?

Crush by jane futcher