Macho Man
Posted by: Laurie on: October 29, 2009
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Jones, Randy and Mark Bergo. Macho Man: The Disco Era and Gay America’s Coming Out. 2009. 232 p. Praeger, $31.96 (9780275999629). Gr. 10-12.
Whether at a wedding, bar mitzvah or weekend party, most people have danced the Y.M.C.A. Jones, the original cowboy of the Village People, and Bergo, an accomplished journalist/biographer, share their eyewitness accounts of the rise of disco in America beginning with a historical overview of famous pop icons from ancient history. Their personal dialogues and experiences interwoven with research keeps the story of changing sexual values readable. What Sister Wendy did for great art, Jones and Bergo do for this important period of cultural history. It truly does take a “Village…and a Cowboy and an Indian…and the Navy and the Y.M.C.A” to tell the story of America’s coming out. – Laurie Spurling
(re)cycler by Lauren McLaughlin
Posted by: blogando on: October 26, 2009
- In: 2009
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McLaughlin, Lauren. (re)cycler. 2009. 273 p. Random House. $8.99
(978-0-375-85195-7). Grades 8-12.
There’s no other way to describe Jack and Jill’s relationship other than to say “it’s complicated.” Four days (or so) each month, Jill morphs into Jack with all the male body parts and some of the “male” personality traits. After Jill’s nightmarish prom experience and graduating from high school, Jack/Jill move to New York City to be closer to Jack’s girlfriend. Jill works temp jobs and pays the bills as she tries to figure out if her bisexual boyfriend Tommy loves her or not. Sounds like an odd premise, but somehow it works out to be an intriguing story about finding out who you really are, even when you are sometimes male and sometimes female. –Arla Jones
Love Is the Higher Law
Posted by: John on: October 25, 2009
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Levithan, David. Love Is the Higher Law. 2009. 176 p. Knopf. $15.99. (978-0-375-83468-4). Gr. 8-12.
What meaning did the tragic events of the 9/11 bombing of New York’s Twin Towers have for teenagers who lived through them? And what significance and emotional resonance might they have for teens today? These are the questions that Levithan explores through the eyes and interactions of Claire, Peter, and Jasper. But it is their growing friendship and – in the case of the two boys, who are gay – their emerging romantic relationship that provide the answers and the lasting emotional resonance. – Michael Cart
Sprout
Posted by: John on: October 25, 2009
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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
Newsgirl
Posted by: John on: October 25, 2009
Ketchum, Liza. Newsgirl. 2009. 327 p. Viking. $17.99 (978-0-670-01119-3). Gr. 5-8.
1851. California. Twelve-year-old Amelia, her mother, and her mother’s friend Estelle have journeyed to San Francisco in search of fortune and a place where women can be independent, own property, and fashion a new life together. For Amelia, however, it is the disheartening discovery that if she is to become a newsgirl she must first pretend to be a newsboy! This well-researched historical novel offers an insightful view of gender roles and alternative families in the context of Gold Rush America. – Michael Cart
Bait
Posted by: John on: October 25, 2009
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Sanchez, Alex. Bait. Simon & Schuster. 2009. $16.99 (9-781416-937722). Gr 7-12.
How boring it would be if books were perfect; they’d leave nothing for the reader to discuss and debate. Fortunately Sanchez’ latest – about a teenage boy who has been sexually abused by his stepfather — is not perfect and, accordingly, it invites a lot of discussion, not all of it positive. There are still too few books about boys who are the victims of male sexual abuse so this book deserves consideration, especially since the protagonist’s probation officer turns out to be – well, read it for yourself. – Michael Cart
Evil?
Posted by: John on: October 24, 2009
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Carter, Timothy, Evil? 2009. 256 p. Flux, $9.95, (9780738715391). Gr. 9-12.
Stuart is a gay teen in a small, conservative Canadian town, but that’s not a problem. He summons a demon in his spare time to learn the real deal about God, but that’s not a problem either. But, when his brother discovers Stuart committing the Sin of Onan in the shower and his parents find out, the town gets caught up in an anti-masturbation crusade fueled by the self-righteous indignation of fallen angels so it’s up to Stuart, his demon friend, and the priest to save the town and reestablish reason. With laugh-out-loud humor on nearly every page, Evil? is a funny and subversively scathing critique of the motivations behind some purveyors of modern North American morality. –John Andrews
Almost Perfect
Posted by: John on: October 24, 2009
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Katcher, Brian. Almost Perfect. 2009. 360 p. Delacorte. $17.99 (9780385736640) Gr. 10-12
When outgoing and cute Sage moves to his small Missouri town, high school senior Logan is intrigued and surprised. Still reeling from the end of his three-year relationship, he finds himself attracted to Sage even as he becomes troubled and curious about her secret home life. Unable to date like her younger sister, Sage offers Logan friendship, but the two are unable to stop it from deepening. When Logan learns that Sage is transgendered, he embarks on an emotional roller coaster of fear, anger, empathy, and finally acceptance. Unfolding entirely from Logan’s point of view, the story is frequently humorous and almost always heart-wrenching. The writing is clear and engaging, and Logan’s voice is believable and authentic. –John Andrews
Beautiful Americans
Posted by: John on: October 24, 2009
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Silag, Lucy. Beautiful Americans. 2009. 308 p. Razorbill, $16.99. (9781595142221). Gr. 10-12.
Beautiful Americans, the first novel in a planned trilogy, offers up a slice of Americana, teen soap opera style: drama, a spoiled rich girl, parties, drama, the happy-go-lucky gay guy, drama, a mysterious girl with a scandalous past, parties, drinking, and plenty of drama. Set in Paris, the book follows the exploits and intrigues of a group of American students enrolled in a French-language study program. –John Andrews
Ash
Posted by: John on: October 24, 2009
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Lo, Melinda. Ash. 2009. 264p. Little Brown, $16.99. (9780316040099). Gr. 8-12.
Aisling, better known as Ash, is a haunting and engaging Cinderella in Malinda Lo’s new spin on the fairy tale set in a medieval realm in the twilight of its magical past. Ash spends her days acting as servant to her family while finding reasons to live in her feelings for Kaisa, the King’s huntress. Torn between her emerging love for the King’s mysterious huntress and the ethereal draw of the world of the fairies and its connection to her mother, Ash ultimately discovers the strength of her own identity. All of the characters feel real, and Ash in particular is as believable as her cartoon counterpart is not. Her strength and motivation, along with her mistakes and hesitation, work to reveal a very full and rich character.–John Andrews