Peck, Dale. Sprout. 2009. 277 p. Bloomsbury. $16.99. (978-1-59990-160-2). Gr. 9-12.

Teenager Sprout has a secret. And it’s not his green hair (duh). And it’s not the fact that he’s gay, though his English teacher, the redoubtable – and occasionally inebriated — Mrs. Miller, who is coaching him for the Kansas State Essay Contest, wishes it were. No, it’s – oh, heck, just read this offbeat, occasionally over-the-top but always engaging gay coming-of-age-in-conservative-Kansas story to find out. You may be surprised.  – Michael Cart