I was just killing time at work (shhhh) reading over the American Library Association's listing of The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books from 1990-2000 and I was agog at how many are gay and lesbian titles, especially youth titles. For example No. 2 is Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite, No. 11 is Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman, No. 48 is Nancy Garden's Annie on My Mind, No. 74 Jack by A.M. Homes, No. 94 The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene, etc. The discovery seemed especially odd to me because children's and young adult titles with gay and lesbian content seem to be coming out with a greater frequency than ever before. In fact, I had even been commenting on the fact to a friend earlier in the day saying that such fiction didn't really exist when I was coming of age (don't be mean!).
As you may have guessed, in addition to gay and lesbian titles the ALA Frequently Challenged Books List tends to weigh heavily in the areas of feminism and women's rights, racial equality, and sexual awareness (in fact both What's Happening to My Body books for boys and girls appear on the list at No. 61 and No. 40 as well as Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole, #54).
Check the list out, www.ala.org . It's guaranteed to raise your blood pressure.
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One of the most popular young adult titles in recent memory was last year's Rainbow Boys (Simon and Schuster) by Alex Sanchez. The novel found such a large and enthusiastic audience that Simon and Schuster, smelling the sweet green of success, quickly moved towards publishing Mr. Sanchez's sequel. Rainbow High is due this November. Last week I got a chance to touch base with Alex and ask a few general questions about his popular young adult series.
Owen: What did you want to achieve when you wrote Rainbow Boys?
Alex: As Rainbow Boys took shape it became apparent I was writing the book I desperately wanted and needed to read when I was a teen—one that would've told me: 'You don't have to hate yourself for being gay. It's OK to be who you are.' But never in my wildest dreams did I imagine with book would go beyond that—inspiring teens across the country to come out and to start Gay-Straight Alliances.
Owen: Is Rainbow Boys making it into a lot of junior high and high school libraries?
Alex: Yes and no. The bad news is that repeated challenges to a wide variety of books in a wide variety of school libraries (including the Harry Potter books) have had a chilling effect. Because of a few vocal individuals and organizations wishing to control teen access to information, some librarians shy away from ordering books that may prove controversial. Gay-themed books top the list. On the other hand, the good news is that most librarians are free-speech champions who want more books for teens struggling with issues, including sexuality. Thanks to those individuals, books like Rainbow Boys continue to make their way into schools. I've been pleasantly surprised by how many e-mails I receive from gay and straight teens who say they found Rainbow Boys in their school library. Librarians are awesome!
Owen: That's great. So, the upcoming Rainbow High continues the saga ... will there be a third installment?
Alex: I'm happy to say it's under contract and I've already started writing the third book to complete the trilogy. The story will be set during the summer after high school senior year. And it will be as fun, sexy, and inspiring as the first two Rainbow books.
(In case you are wondering that 'horrid influence on children'—The Harry Potter Series by 'the devil's handmaiden' J.K. Rowling—is No. 7! ... And the No. 1 most frequently challenged book, in case you ever get this question in Trivial Pursuit, is The Scar Story Series by Alvin Schwartz.)
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In this little venture into teen talk, there are a couple new lesbian teen novels worth mentioning. First off is Keeping You a Secret (Little Brown and Company) by Julie Anne Peters. This one is for high school age readers. It concerns the repercussions and (of course) drama which develop when high school senior Holland Jaegar meets out and proud sapphist and fellow senior Cece Goddard. In no time Holland is smitten and her world turns upside down as she turns Cece any which way but loose. Keeping You A Secret is an interesting exploration of many of the challenges faced by teens coming to terms with sexual identity as well as the social ramifications of being gay in high school and in many families.
The hormones, high drama, and high school combination is also given fine treatment in Gravel Queen by Tea Benduhn (Simon and Schuster), another coming-of-age/sexual identity/coming out novel. This time the setting is a hot and steamy North Carolina summer between junior and senior year when bored Aurin falls hard for new girl Neila ... so much for boredom. Drama ensues.
Briefly: The Geography Club is the moniker of a secret club created by the gay and lesbian students at Goodkind High School in Brent Hartinger's new novel from Harper Tempest. The Geography Club meets to discuss their problems and concerns over being gay and the problems that poses in high school. Things go smoothly for a bit ... and then complications begin to arise which threaten to unravel every bit of progress that has been made by the group. The Year of Ice (St. Martin's Press) by Brian Malloy is the story of 17-year-old Kevin Doyle—his homosexuality and sexual awakening are secondary. Kevin discovers that his father's marital infidelity was at the root of his mother's suicide/auto accident.
And all these titles have been released since the start of this calendar year. Amazing.
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No discussion of gay/lesbian-themed books for children would be complete without touching base with Leslea Newman, the esteemed lesbian author who, because of the groundbreaking 1989 Alyson Wonderland book Heather Has Two Mommies, was verbally attacked by Jesse Helms on the Senate floor! Leslea's most recent release is The Best Short Stories of Leslea Newman by Alyson Publications.
Owen: You have written and edited more than 40 books. If you were to put three of yours into a time capsule which three would you choose?
Leslea: Heather Has Two Mommies since it was the first picture book to portray a family of two lesbian moms and their child in a positive way; A Loving Testimony: Remembering Loved Ones Lost to AIDS because it showcases a variety of voices responding to the AIDS epidemic in a very personal way; and My Lover Is a Woman: Contemporary Lesbian Love Poems, because it shows a diversity of experience and includes the best lesbian poets of our time.
Owen: It must be very gratifying to see how far publishing has come since Heather Has Two Mommies. Would you care to comment on the emerging popularity of gay/lesbian youth and teen fiction?
Leslea: I am thrilled that there are so many books being published with gay characters in them for teen readers. Things are not so great on the picture book front, however. It is still just as difficult to get a picture book featuring a gay character published as it was when a friend and I first brought out Heather in 1989. There are exceptions (King and King, The Sissy Ducking) but these are few and far between. Two Lives Publishing, who just published my book about lesbian adoption Felicia's Favorite Story is a new publisher that is trying to remedy this, but they are quite small, and can't do it all.
Owen: What are you working on now?
Leslea: I am putting the finishing touches on Hachino Waits, a middle-grade novel inspired by the true story of the famous Akita who waited 10 years for his master's return, and rewriting Jailbait, a teen novel about a 15-year-old girl who thinks she knows it all but really may be too smart for her own good.
Owen: What lesbian/gay books have you been recommending lately and why?
Leslea: Alt Ed by Catherine Atkins, 8 Seconds by Jean Ferris, Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden, and Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger, all of which have very strong gay or lesbian teenage characters.
Leslea mentioned a couple recent picture books, so I'll elaborate a wee bit.
King and King by Ten Speed Press is a sort of Cinderfella story by Dutch author Linda De Haan and illustrator Stern Nijland. This one is recommended for ages 5-7. Briefly, the plot concerns a prince soon to be crowned king who is prompted/nudged/pushed by his mother to search high and low for the perfect queen (any quip is just too easy) and discovers instead that his perfect match is instead another prince. A cute and colorful tale.
And sissy pride never sounded quite so ... ummmm ... froggy ... as it does in Harvey Fierstein's The Sissy Duckling (Simon and Schuster, ages 4-8). Multiple Tony Award-winning actor/playwright (Hairspray, Torch Song Trilogy, La Cage aux Folles) Fierstein creates the charming little character of Elmer, a wispy feathered duckling with a pink daisyed backpack who prefers baking cookies, making sand castles, playing house, and putting on puppet shows to typical duckling behavior. Poor Elmer is taunted for his perceived weaknesses, although he sees them as the things that make him special. Smart duck! The Sissy Duckling is also fabulously illustrated by Henry Cole.
And it seems one of the true defining elements of any bona fide trend is the involvement of Madonna. Madonna's first of five (!) children's books, The English Roses, is scheduled for release by Viking/Penguin Sept 15 (ages 4-8). Although the content isn't necessarily gay it will probably be a pretty popular gift from gay uncles and dads. I'm just guessing. The English Roses is being called 'a colorful tale of slumber parties, friends, jealousy, and fairy godmothers.' Didn't Madge's Sex book contain all those elements as well. Speaking of Sex and to bring this column full circle—Madonna's Sex is also on the ALA list of most challenged books 1990-2000 at No. 19.
Gay and Lesbian teen drama! Toddler Gay and Lesbian awareness! Bring it on.
We're not just 'adults only' anymore.
