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Ten LBGTQ Books In My Classroom Library by Chris Kervina
At Airline Park Elementary, Mariah didn’t quite fit in with our 2nd grade class. She was…different somehow. A bit brash and more of a tomboy than many of us, she seemed to draw the attention of the class bullies, and she got in trouble when she reacted angrily to their teasing.
Mariah may have gone to my school for only a short time. I remember her in the 2nd grade, but not after. We weren’t really friends, but she still lives in my memory because of one particular day.
While rehearsing for the 2nd grade play, where I made my one and only stage appearance as a haystack, some of the other kids teased her as we waited around. They started by singing “They Called The Wind Mariah” when she walked by on the stage. As usual, she started to get aggravated. Then one boy called her a name I’d never heard before.
“Lesbian!”
The boy spat that unfamiliar word at her, and she screamed back at him. I didn’t know what that meant, but I knew it must have been bad. The boy said it like he would have said one of the bad words adults use sometimes when they are angry. I thought that being a lesbian, whatever that was, must be awful.
Looking back, I wonder if Mariah was a lesbian. If she was, she probably didn’t find the refuge I did in books. During middle and high school, the books I read on my own, and certainly the ones I read in school, wouldn’t have reflected her. There were plenty of boys and girls falling in love to mirror the experiences of my peers, but they didn’t have female characters that suddenly discovered they had crushes on each other. If Mariah questioned her sexuality in the age before the Internet, she didn’t have any models or mirrors that kids need.
One of the courses I took to prepare to switch from working in the government contracting world to teaching was an elective called Young Adult Literature in Multicultural Settings, taught by Dr. Linda Hanrahan. Linda required us to explore YA books that represented the diversity we might encounter in our own classes. Perhaps inspired by Mariah, my friends from college, and my own experiences, I took on a study of gender and sexual identity in YA as my culminating project.
That class was the start of what has become my classroom library. Though some of those books have disappeared over the years (Love Rules, One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies), half remain in my classroom library today. Others have joined them. They deal with many issues faced by gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) teens, their friends, and their families.
Here are 10 LBGTQ books I have in my classroom library. This is by no means an exhaustive list. However, these 10 (+1 bonus!) have been a good start toward ensuring that my high school classroom has books for every reader.
Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden (1992-L)
When 17-year-olds Liza and Annie meet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, they form an instant friendship that turns romantic. Liza struggles to understand her feelings after she and Annie are discovered together by a school administrator.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (1999-G)
High school freshman “Charlie” writes to an anonymous person about his first year in high school. He befriends Sam and her step-brother Patrick, who is gay. One subplot involves Patrick’ secret relationship with Brad, the football team’s quarterback. Perks is #16 on NPR’s 2012 “Best-Ever Teen Novels.”
Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez (2001-G, Q)
Senior and popular athlete Jason begins to question his sexuality and goes to a meeting for gay youth. There he meets Kyle, a swimmer who is coming to accept his sexuality, and Kyle’s best friend Nelson, a flamboyantly gay senior. As they bond over their fears about coming out, Kyle and Jason become more than friends. The book also deals with casual sex, meaningful relationships, and HIV.
Luna by Julie Anne Peters (2004-T)
In this 2004 National Book Award finalist, the fifteen-year-old narrator, Regan, has always known her brother Liam’s secret: he cannot stand who he pretends to be during the day. At night, Liam transforms himself into Luna with the help of his sister’s clothes and makeup. Regan alternately fears Liam/Luna will harm or reveal himself. When Liam/Luna considers openly embracing her identity as a woman, can Regan support her?
Out of the Pocket by Bill Koningsberg (2008-G)
Senior football star Bobby Framingham knows he’s gay, but keeps his sexual orientation secret from his teammates and coach. Tired of hiding, he confides in “friend” Finch Gozman,. Finch, a high school reporter who desperately wants to be a journalist, writes a news story that outs Bobby, who must deal with the fallout.
.
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan (2010-G)
Will Grayson has been best friends with Tiny Cooper since grade school. The only thing tiny about Tiny Cooper is his name; he’s out, outrageous, and lovable. When Will Grayson accidentally encounters another Will Grayson, the lives of all three are changed. Both funny and poignant, this was the first gay themed YA to debut on NYT Bestseller list and is #34 on NPR’s 2012 “100 Best-Ever Teen Novels.”
Shine by Lauren Myracle (G-2011)
Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award winner Shine starts in the aftermath of a brutal hate crime. After Peter’s attack leaves him in a coma, his former best friend, sixteen-year-old Cat, thinks someone in their rural Southern community is responsible and feels compelled to seek justice for Peter. The book immediately calls to mind the real life murder of Matthew Shephard and is a gut-wrenching, beautiful story of friendship and healing.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by emily m. danforth (2012-L, G, T, Q)
Cameron Post lives in rural Montana. The day after her first kiss with her best friend Irene, twelve-year-old Cam’s parents die, and her conservative Aunt Ruth and her grandmother move in to care for her. As a teen, Cam begins to accepts her sexuality and identify as a lesbian. She falls for the beautiful Coley Taylor in high school, and they have a secret relationship. When her aunt discovers the truth, she sends 17-year-old Cam to God’s Promise, a fundamentalist church camp that promises to “cure” her.
Every Day (2012-L? G? B? T?)
Every day, A wakes up in a new body. A’s hosts are male, female, all races, and all social classes. The only common threads: each is A’s chronological age and fairly close by. Mostly, A tries not to disturb their lives, until A wakes up as Justin and falls in love with Justin’s girlfriend Rhiannon. The next day brings a new body. But the love A feels for Rhiannon remains, and A wants to see her. This book defies definition and makes the reader question…everything.
Ask the Passengers by A.S. King (2012-L, Q) 2012
Senior Astrid Jones hates that her mother moved them to a small Pennsylvania town. She feels attracted to other women, but doesn’t know if she is a lesbian. Her best friend pressures her to come out of the closet, her mother domineers, her sister tries to be perfect, and her father escapes into pot. With no one to talk to, Astrid examines her life through her imaginary friend Frank Socrates and sends her love to the passengers of the planes that fly overhead.
October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shephard by Leslea Newmann (2012-G, Hate crimes)
Since it’s National Poetry Month, I’d be remiss if I left out October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shephard by Leslea Newmann. While Newmann’s book isn’t young adult literature, it, too, holds a place in my class library. October Mourning’s poetry responds to and explores the impacts of the brutal murder of Matthew Shephard in 1998. I graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1997. Some of my best friends there were in the LGBTA, one of whom was its president at the time. Newmann’s book and Myracle’s Shine are windows into the darker places I hope my kids never go. But I keep them and will include other “dark books” because putting blinds over the windows doesn’t make the bad things go away. For the kids in 213, the right book might just be the one that rips down the blinds.
Chris Kervina teaches English and journalism, and relentlessly adds books to her classroom library in northern Virginia. A long time sufferer of helium hands, she also advises the literary magazine, works at basketball games, and belongs to an educational sorority. She can no longer claim to be just a “Nerdy groupie.” Chris blogs inconsistently at http://mrskervina.blogspot.com. You can also find her on Twitter as @ckervina.
Nerdy Book Club 
Chris, Thank you for sharing this list. I’ve found some new books I’m going to read. Have you read Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe? It’s one of those books that just stays with you and I think it would make a nice addition to this list.
I just finished Aristotle and Dante and immediately shared it with coworkers and friends as a must add to classroom libraries. Thank you for taking on this topic that even in 2013 is still taboo in some communities. It is so important to have a diverse set of characters represented in our classroom libraries as for some students, books are their only refuge. Looking forward to reading the titles you shared.
Thank you, Gretchen. To be honest, I was nervous to include these books in my library at first. But I have seen some kids quietly check them out. A couple haven’t come back, so I suspect they were needed at home more,
I don’t know that I was nervous to include books like these on my shelves, but I have seen students check them out and come back to me a day or two later and tell me what they’re about. They are watching for a reaction of some sort that will tell them if they are really allowed to read it. I nod and ask them if they need a different book. The answer has always been no. The books get read, they get shared, and no one makes a big deal about it. Because I don’t.
It’s actually in my library. I picked up a copy at ALAN, but it’s still on the TBR pile. I suspect I will move it to my next book as I’ve heard so much about it. I know the author had me in tears at ALAN.
As a mom of a gay daughter I am pleased to see this list on the Nerdy Book Club. As a second grade teacher, I was touched by the memory you shared. Even though I teach younger students I enjoy and read a lot of young adult and teen novels. I have read several of the books on your list. I loved Every Day, and want to read more from David Levithan. And now I have a few more books for my TBR list. As teachers we are always looking for the right book to put in the hands of our students. Even as a primary teacher, when I read a new series or find an interesting non fiction book, I often think about a particular student who would just love the book. Thank you for doing the same for our LGBT teens. I wish my daughter had been in your class. And I hope you have inspired other teachers to do the same. Most of all let’s remember-a good book is a good book, regardless of gender specifics.
Thank you, Debra. I’m seeing more and more title recommendations here in the comments, too. I’m so glad I could share this list as a starting point for conversation.
The Letter Q edited by Sarah Moon is a potentially life saving book. It is a collection of letters from 64 LGBT and questioning authors’ letters to their younger selves. Notable names include Jacqueline Woodson, David Levithan, Brian Selznick, Arthur Levine, Gregory Maguire, Christopher Rice, and Bruce Coville. The advice they give their younger selves has made me laugh out loud and shed many tears. Although I ended up marrying a wonderful man, this book would have been a priceless comfort while growing in a rural small town as a kid who, much like Mariah, just wasn’t quite like everyone else.
The Letter Q edited by Sarah Moon is a potentially life saving book. It is a collection of letters from 64 LGBT and questioning authors to their younger selves. Notable names include Jacqueline Woodson, David Levithan, Brian Selznick, Arthur Levine, Gregory Maguire, Christopher Rice, and Bruce Coville. The advice they give their younger selves has made me laugh out loud and shed many tears. Although I ended up marrying a wonderful man, this book would have been a priceless comfort while growing in a rural small town as a kid who, much like Mariah, just wasn’t quite like everyone else.
Brandi, thank you for bringing this title to my attention! It sounds like a fantastic addition to my library and will fit nicely with another title, Dear Bully, which I hope you’ve had a chance to check out.
I have just recently heard of Dear Bully and have it on my To Be Read pile. It is definitely near the top of this very large list. Thanks for the suggestion!
Don’t neglect Raina Telgemeier’s latest Graphic Novel (set in middle school, but still terrific for older readers) in which an important secondary character is gay, but this is treated in a very matter-of-fact way.
Thank you for reminding me of this title. I’m kicking myself for not picking up Drama at NCTE this year. I put it back at ALAN because it was more middle school-focused. Rookie mistake.
Did you catch that one of our fellow Nerdies interviewed Rania last fall?https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/tag/raina-telgemeier/
I sure did, and other fantastic interviews, in print and social media. I can’t wait until I have a chance to see/hear her in person- bound to happen sooner or later!
Because I don’t have a classroom, I don’t have a classroom library. (I’m in four different rooms. I have a xerox box with rotating inventory.) But my students always have at least one book going. The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Will Grayson x 2 are always in someone’s hands. Every Day has being showing up lately too.
One of my all-time favorite student reading adventures was the girl who had brought a beat-up copy of Perks to class. When I asked if I could look at it, she showed me that it was full of writing. She and a friend had been passing it back and forth for months, annotating it and responding to each other’s comments.
I’m glad these books exist for the students who need them for validation, but I’m also pleased that so many students choose them just because they are such good stories.
Thanks, Chris, for bringing some new titles to my attention, and for spotlighting such an important YA genre.
I love the annotation as conversation, Gary! How cool!
So far, none of the students who have checked out these titles have given me a specific reason for their choices. I think all of them are great stories, and I hope that speaks to kids, too.
Thanks for your continuing encouragement, Gary. I always look forward to our conversations.
What a great list, Chris. Thanks for writing this. Most of these are in my junior high library, where they definitely find a readership. Along with some of your other commenters, I encourage you to read Aristotle and Dante as soon as possible — SO good. I’ve also really liked Levithan’s BOY MEETS BOY, Perry Moore’s HERO, Sanchez’s SO HARD TO SAY, and James Howe’s TOTALLY JOE.
Gregory, thank you for adding more titles! I have had Boy Meets Boy on my TBR list for a while, but I didn’t know about the others.
It was hard to narrow down my list to 10. I’d originally had The Mortal Instruments series, Sonya Sones; One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies , and and Love Rules, too (The last 2 I snuck in anyway!). I have a couple of other titles in the library on the recommendations of others that I haven’t read like Sanchez’s Boyfriends with Girlfriends and Hartinger’s The Geography Club. Apparently, The Geography Club has been made into a movie (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2235902/). There’s a poster out there, but no identified release date, yet.
Aristotle and Dante is #1 on my TBR now. I may even have to get the ereader version to make sure I have the book at home and at school.
You’ve got to add Ellen Wittlinger’s Hard Love to this list!!!
I actually have a copy of this that I picked up at a book sale and forgot about! I will have to read it ASAP. Thank you for adding to the list, Chelsea. 🙂 I love the new titles I’m getting here.
So glad to see Annie on My Mind here. An oldie, but a great book–and to me, the best description of falling in love in YA fiction for every teenager, straight or gay. I hope we get to that place, one day, where the love story is JUST somebody else’s love story. That’s really why I loved Annie on my Mind all those years ago.
It is a wonderful story, isn’t it? I was pleased when one of my boys picked it up this year. He didn’t say much, but he read it.
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You know, I had a conversation with a friend of mine early this year about LGBTQ books for youth. He made the comment that it seems like there’s no good LBGTQ literature out there meant for teens. It has been my mission ever since to locate every LGBTQ book for youth I can find, read it, and find the worthwhile reads out of the bunch. Thanks for this post!
Feel free to add titles! I think it’s out there, but it’s still undercover to a degree. The books seem more visible to me than they did when I took the class in 2004, though.
Last year, I read and reviewed for PSLA and shared with students 2 powerful books: The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd and Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher. My life was changed when I read October Mourning! Students and teachers loved this book. I also am so glad you included Ask the Passengers, a great list, thank you.
I love A.S. King. I’m pretty sure she could rewrite the phonebook in an engaging way. Thank you for sharing these two titles, too. I will have to check them out.
Chris, Let me know what you think of the 2 books when you read them:) Happy reading:)
love so many of these authors and titles. i love just about everything that david levithan writes. i think every day should be read by every one. and it’s not just that his insight into humanity is so great, his humor is fantastic. a.s. king is a phenomenon all on her own. ask the passengers has just the right amount of self-struggle versus world-struggle. great list!
I’ve become a fan of Levithan and will likely read through as many of his books as I can. Every Day was just an amazing idea and I was engaged from cover to cover.
A.S. King? Well…I don’t think I’ll ever wait for her books to come out in paperback again. I devoured her eBook of short stories over winter break.
Thanks for joining the conversation!