ALA Rainbow Books Bibliography

2011 Fiction
* Indicates these titles were found to be exceptional and highly recommended. *Agell, Charlotte. The Accidental Adventures of India McAllister. 2010. 160p. Henry Holt & Co. (9780805089028). Gr 5-8. An illustrated diary-like account of things that India McAllister loves like her dog Tofu, her best friend, Colby, and other things... well, shes not so sure about, like Amanda the Rodent and Richard, her dads boyfriend. Beale, Elaine. Another Life Altogether. 2010. 416p. Spiegel & Grau. (978-0385530040). Gr 9+. Due to challenges at home, Jessies family decides to move to Yorkshire for a "new start", and she struggles to fit in and find her own voice in her new town. On top of all this, she must also figure out her confusing new crushes. Bergman, S. Bear. The Nearest Exit May Be Behind You. 2009. Arsenal Pulp Press. (978-1551522647). Gr. 10+. A collection of personal essays from a transmasculine perspective, featuring topics such as coming out, family, identity and religion. Boyd, Maria. Will. 2010. 304p. Knopf Books for Young Readers. (978-0375862090). GR 9-12. High school jock and all-around popular guy Will Armstrong moons a bus full of girls and is assigned community service which includes joining the school band and helping out with the musical. While serving his time, he is befriended by a gay boy and is forced to reconsider his own stereotypical views of what it means to be a man. Cohn, Rachel. Very LeFreak. 2010. 320p. Knopf Books for Young Readers. (978-0375857584). Gr 9+. With a playlist for every moment, and the need for her tech buzzing in her veins, can Very unplug enough to discover what her heart really wants before its too late and take a chance at real love? Cruse, Howard. Stuck Rubber Baby. 2010. 224p. DC Comics. (978-1401227135). Gr 10+. While fighting for civil rights in the 1960s South, Toland fights the realization that he is gay, and has to deal with the idea and the change in his own thoughts and personal identity. de Rossi, Portia. Unbearable Lightness. 2010. 320p. Atria. (978-1439177785). Gr 9+. Coming to terms with coming out and the damaging perceptions of commercial beauty, she shares her story of recovery from her eating disorder and her self-acceptance. Diaz, Alexandra. Of All The Stupid Things. 2009. 272p. EgmontUSA. (978-1606840344). Gr 10+. When Tara learns that her boyfriend may be gay, she is devastated. But thenwhen she finds herself attracted to a new girl, Rileyshe is forced to examine her own sexuality. Diersch, Sandra. Out. 2010. 136p. Lorimer. (978-1552774229). Gr 9+. Canadian teenager Alex must confront his latent homophobia when his younger brother comes out to him. * Eagland, Jane. Wildthorn. 2010. 352p. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. (978-0547370170). Gr 9+. Louisa Cosgrove, a high-spirited young lady in nineteenth century England, loves her cousin Grace and longs to be a doctor. A plot devised by someone close to her puts her in an insane asylum, doubting her own identity. Fakhrid-Deen, Tina with COLAGE. Lets Get this Straight: The Ultimate Handbook for Youth with LGBTQ Parents. 2010. 208p. Seal Press. (978-1580053334). Gr 6+. Reaching out through the voices of youth in GLBTQ households, this handbook gives kids the tools to deal with the uniqueness of living with LGBTQ parents, including how to deal with the bigotry and hatred of others, overcoming discrimination, and building self-esteem. * Green, John and David Levithan. will grayson, will grayson. 2010. 304p. Dutton Juvenile. (9780525421580). Gr 9+. On a cold Chicago night, two sixteen-year-oldsone gay and one notmeet and discover they have one big thing in common, their name. From then on, their lives, their friends and their loves intertwine and culminate in the staging of one of the funniest high school musicals ever. Hodel, Page. Monday Hearts for Madalene. 2010. 112p. Stewart, Tabori & Chang. (978-1584797784). Gr 7-12. Whether spoken, written or shared in beautiful heart-shaped collages, Page Hodel reminds us love begets love and she lets her hearts tell her story.

 * Horner, Emily. A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend. 2010. 272p. Dial. (978-0803734203). Gr 9+. Following the death of her best friend Julia, Cass finds herself involved in a project to produce the musical Julia wrote. Betrayed loyalties and school bullies set Cass off on a journey where she finds selfawareness and acceptance. Hyde, Catherine Ryan. Jumpstart the World. 2010. 192p. Knopf Books for Young Readers. (9780375866654). Gr 9+. Teenage Ellie falls in love with her next-door neighbor Frank, and then, to her dismay, discovers that he is transgender. * Ignatow, Amy. The Popularity Papers: Research for the Social Improvement and General Betterment of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang. 2010. 208p. Amulet Books. (978-0810984219). Gr 6-8. Best friends, Julie and Lydia, try to determine the secrets to popularity and record their observations and schemes in a secret notebook. The result is a hilarious, delightfully illustrated guide to surviving middle school and figuring out what friendship really means. * Kemp, Anna. Dogs Dont Do Ballet. 2010. 32p. Simon & Schuster Childrens Publishing. (9781416998396). Pre-K -2. Girl loves dog, dog loves girl, and they both love ballet. Will the unlikely ballerina ever get his moment on the stage? Klise, James. Love Drugged. 2010. 312p. Flux. (978-0738721750). Gr 10+. What if there were a drug that could "cure" homosexuality? Deeply closeted teen Jamie is about to find out what could happen! This is a fast-paced novel with an intriguing premise. * Lowrey, Sassafras. Kicked Out. 2010. 224p. Homofactus Press. (978-0978597368). Gr 9+. Homeless lgbt-q youth share their stories of surviving on the streets and finding places of sanctuary in creating their own chosen families and community. Lurie, April. The Less Dead. 2010. 240p. Delacorte Books for Young Readers. (978-0385736756). Gr 9+. When Noahs friend Will is murdered by a killer targeting homeless gay teens, Noah sets out to find the murderer. Martin, Ricky. Me. 2010. 304p. Celebra Hardcover. (978-0451234155). Gr 9+. Not the usual celebrity biography with glamour shots, Martin instead keeps it real and shares his experience of coming out as gay Latino and the importance of self-acceptance and community service. * McCaughrean, Geraldine. The Death-Defying Pepper Roux. 2010. 336p. HarperCollins. (9780061836657). Gr. 5-8. Embarked on a dangerous voyage on the high seas, fourteen-year-old Pepper is befriended by a kindhearted, cross-dressing steward with the improbable name of Duchesse. Adventures abound! Poole, Eric. Wheres My Wand?: One Boys Magical Triumph Over Alienation and Shag Carpeting. 2010. 272p. Einhorn/Putnam. (978-0399156557). Gr 9+. Pooles witty memoir of growing up as a gay, Bewitched-obsessed boy in 1970s St. Louis recalls David Sedaris unfailingly funny takes on family wackiness. Rainfield, Cheryl. Scars. 2010. 250p. Westside Books. (978-1934813324). Gr 9+. Fifteen-year-old Kendra is a budding artist who has far too many secrets. Not only does she cut herself, she is grappling with her childhood sexual abuse and her burgeoning sexuality. Rucka, Greg. Art by J.H. Williams III; color by Dave Stewart; letters by Todd Klein. Batwoman: Elegy. 2010. 192p. DC Comics. (978-1401226923). Gr 10+. As Batwoman, Kate must battle the most dangerous criminals in Gotham while as Kate Kane, Batwoman must deal with coming to grips with her own sexual identity and fight her own personal war while dealing with the new super-criminal Alice, whos determined to take her down. * Sheng, Jeff. Dont Ask, Dont Tell. 2010. 40p. Jeff Sheng Studios. (978-0984447411). Gr 9+. A poignant photographic essay dedicated to the brave LGBTQ military personnel who serve under "Dont Ask, Dont Tell". Each persons face is artfully hidden, helping to express their feelings of isolation and loneliness. Shrya, Vivek. God Loves Hair. Self-published, 2010. 90p. (978-0986551208). Gr 10+. Vignettes tell the tale of Vivek, a young man who struggles with his sexuality, preferring to wear his mothers beautiful sari and lipstick. He endures physical, emotional and verbal abuse in school, only to be saved by his faith... when things are bad during the week, he knows that Sunday will come and no matter what, his gods love him and appreciate all that he is. Skeers, Linda. Tutus Arent My Style. 2010. 32p. Dial. (978-0803732124). Gr 1-2. Tomboy Emma is dismayed when she receives a gift from her favorite uncle and opens it to discover a frilly pink tutu. Ultimately, she discovers that there are lots of different ways to be a ballerina and that her uncle really does know her after all.

 Soehnlein, K.M. Robin and Ruby. 2010. 288p. Kensington Publishing Corporation. (978-0758232182). Gr 10+. Aspiring actor Robin has just left his lover, Peter, when his sister, Ruby, goes missing. Robin searches for her, accompanied by his long-time friend, George, to whom, Robin discovers, he is becoming romantically attracted. Stuart, Sebastian. The Hour Between. 2010. 260p. Alyson Books. (978-1593501266). Gr 10+. Arthur McDougals friendship with the charming but troubled Katrina Felt at the Spooner School for the disciplinary challenged helps him come to terms with his sexuality. * Various Authors. The Gallups Modern Guide to Gay, Lesbian & Transgender Life (Series, 15 titles). 2010. Mason Crest Publishers. Gr 7+. A series of informative non-fiction titles which discuss celebrations and challenges of living as an lgbt person. Wilson, Jacqueline. Kiss. 2010. 256p. Roaring Book Press. (978-1596432420). Gr 6-9. Sylvie has always imagined spending her life with her best friend, Carl, first as a couple and then as husband and wife. As she realizes Carl is gay and will never really become her boyfriend, she must reconsider her feelings and her friendship with him.

2010 Fiction
Burd, Nick. The Vast Fields of Ordinary. 2009. 309p. Dial/Penguin, $16.99. (9780803733404) Gr. 9+. During his last summer before college, Dade juggles his divorcing parents and dysfunctional closeted boyfriend until he meets Alex and gains the courage to declare his sexuality. Carter, Timothy. Evil? 2009. 256p. Flux/Llewellyn, $9.95. (9780738715391). Gr. 9+. Being gay and summoning demons dont provide Stuart with any problem in his small, conservative Canadian town, but everyone gets caught up in an anti-masturbation crusade when Stuart commits the sin of Onan. Collins, Pat Lowery. Hidden Voices: The Orphan Musicians of Venice. 2009. 345p. Candlewick, $17.99. (9780763639174). Gr. 7+. In a 1700s Venetian orphanage famous for its musical training, teenage Anetta suffers from her unrequited love for the ethereal Luisa. Crutcher, Chris. Angry Management. 2009. 246p. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, $16.99. (9780060502478). Gr. 7+. Anger and rage, both internal and external, provide the common thread for three stories dealing with high school injusticebeing black, gay, overweight, or simply a high school student. Ehrenberg, Pamela. Tillmon County Fire. 2009. 175p. Eerdmans, $9.00 (9780802853455). Gr. 7+. Eight teens give their perspectives about an anti-gay hate crime that ignites fear, homophobia, grief, and loss. Frazer, Megan. Secrets of Truth & Beauty. 2009. 347p. Disney/Hyperion, $15.99. (9781423117117). Gr. 9+. At age seven, Dara was a darling pageant winner; at 17, she has gained too much weight and anger, leading her to discover her runaway sister on a farm commune for lesbians and others rejected by their families, including a gay high school senior. Garsee, Jeannine. Say the Word. 2009. 360p. Bloomsbury, $16.99. (97815999903330). Gr. 9+. The perfect Shawna Gallagher finds her life turned upside down when she turns 17, her estranged lesbian mother dies, and she discovers a family in the mothers partner and two sons, a family that her controlling father tries to destroy. Going, K.L. King of the Screwups. 2009. 310p. Harcourt/Houghton Mifflin, $17.00. (9780152062583). Gr. 7+. When Liam Geller screws up once too often, his father throws him out of the house, and Liam finds his true self when he goes to live with his fathers brother, Aunt Pete, a gay glam-rocker disc jockey living in a trailer in upstate New York. Gonzlez, Rigoberto. The Mariposa Club. 2009. 216p. Alyson, $14.95. (9781593501068). Gr. 8+. During their senior year, the Fierce FoursomeMaui, Trini, Isaac, and Libdecide to leave their legacy by creating their high schools first LGBT organization, an action that brings out both support and opposition from their families and their community. Hopkins, Ellen, Tricks. 2009. 627p. Margaret K. McElderry/Simon & Schuster, $18.99. (9781416950073). Gr. 9+. Five teens find themselves selling their bodies in Las Vegas due to circumstances and decisions, both within and well beyond their control. * How Beautiful the Ordinary: Twelve Stories of Identity. Ed. Michael Cart. 2009. 350p. HarperTeen/HarperCollins, $16.99. (9780061154980). Gr. 9+. The tales in this collection present not only the variety of identities in the LGBTQ communitytransgendered, lesbian, bisexual, questioning, and

gaybut also the variety of experiences of being humanlove, regret, betrayal, discovery. (Note: As an ALA Rainbow Project committee member, Michael Cart recused himself from all discussion.) Hurwin, Davida Wills. Freaks and Revelations. 2009. 234p. Little, Brown/Hachette Group, 16.99. (9780316049962). Gr. 10+. Actual events inspired this narrative of two teensJason, a gay thirteen-yearold surviving on the streets after being rejected by his family, and Doug, a seventeen-year-old skinhead punk rockeras their lives intersect in a violent hate crime that forever changes them. Katcher, Brian. Almost Perfect. 2009. 360p. Delacorte/Random House, $17.99. (9780385736640). Gr. 9+. Beautiful newcomer Sage is perfect for Logan until he discovers that she is transgendered. Ketchum, Liza. Newsgirl. 2009. 327p. Viking/Penguin, $17.99. (9780670011193). Gr. 5-8. When ambitious and strong-willed Amelia moves to San Francisco in 1851 with her two mothers, she must masquerade as a boy to realize her dream of first hawking newspapers and then working as a reporter. Levithan, David. Love Is the Higher Law. 2009. 167p. Knopf/Random House, $15.99. (9780375834684). Gr. 8+. Three teenage New YorkersClaire, Peter, and Jaspersearching for the meaning of the 9/11 bombing find it in new friendships and the emerging romantic relationship between the two boys. * Lo, Malinda. Ash. 2009. 264p. Little Brown/Hachette Book Group, $16.99. (9780316040099). Gr. 8+. Torn between her emerging love for the Kings mysterious huntress and the ethereal draw of the world of the fairies, Ash discovers the strength of her own identity. Marino, Peter. Magic and Misery. 2009. 293p. Holiday House, $17.95. (9780823421336). Gr. 8+. With frank discussions of relationships and sex, heterosexual and homosexual, Toni Jo, who befriends new student Pan (short for Pansy) in the hopes that he will be her boyfriend, gives a humorous portrayal of high school life. Park, Judith. YSquare Plus. 2008 (Dec.). 183p. Yen Press/Hachette Group, $10.99. (9780759529274). Gr. 9+. Yagate has his heart set on Ra-Myun, the man of his dreams, but when he discovers that Chana does too, he turns to his friend Yoshitaka to help him win Ra-Myuns affections. Peck, Dale. Sprout, or My Salad Days, When I Was Green in Judgment. 2009. 277p. Bloomsbury, $16.99. (9781599901602). Gr. 7-10. Its not easy having green hair in conservative Kansas, but teenage Sprout manages while also prepping for the Kansas State Essay Contest and falling in love with the intriguing new boy in school. Peters, Julie Anne. Rage: A Love Story. 2009. 293p. Knopf/Random House, $16.99. (9780375852091). Gr. 10+. When the wildly divergent lives of Johanna and Reeves collide, all the Romantic, Alluring, Gorgeous, and Exciting expectations turn to painful RAGE. Polito, Frank Anthony. Drama Queers! 2009. 416 p. Kensington, $15.00. (9780758231642). Gr. 9+. Julliard, thespians, homecoming, and a certain gorgeous football player all come together as Band Fag Bradley Dayton is out to make his senior year his most exciting evereven if his best friend Jack wont admit that he, too, is gay. Rapp, Adam. Punkzilla. 2009. 244p. Candlewick, $16.99. (9780763630317). Gr. 8+. Fourteen-year-old Jamie (aka Punkzilla)AWOL from military schoolembarks on a cross-country odyssey to find his older brother, a dying gay playwright, and share with him his journal of his sometimes frightening, sometimes heartwarming adventures along the way. Roth, Matthue. Losers. 2008 (Oct.). 186p. Push/Scholastic, $8.99. (9780545068932). Gr. 8-10. Russian immigrant and freshman Jupiter navigates the high school social world and works to improve his popularity while trying to connect with the cute girl at the record store and finding an unexpected friend in the schools closeted bully. Ruff, Shawn Stewart. Finlater. 2008 (Jul.). 292p. Quote Editions, $15.50 (9781604023954). Gr. 10+. This deeply affecting and openly sexual story of two boys in loveCliffy Douglas and Noah Baumgartenplays out among the disparities of home life and background during the 1970s homophobia and racial tension. Ryan, P. E. In Mike We Trust. 2009. 321p. HarperTeen, $16.99. (9780060858131). Gr. 7-10. Garth finds the confidence to come out to his mother when wheeling-and-dealing Uncle Mike, his late fathers identical twin, moves in and puts him to work as a budding con man. Sanchez, Alex. Bait. 2009. 239p. Simon & Schuster, $16.99. (9781416937722). Gr. 7+. Sexually abused San Diego teenager Diego, in trouble for his violent temper, finds understanding and reasons for selfacceptance in the wise and caring counsel of his gay parole officer Mr. Vidas. Satyal, Rakesh. Blue Boy. 2009. 276p. Kensington, $15.00 (9780758231369). Gr. 9+. Can Kiran Sharma, a sexually confused twelve-year-old Indian American boy who secretly puts on his mothers

make-up, plays with dolls, and practices ballet, really be the reincarnation of the gender-bending Hindu god Krishna? Stevenson, Robin. Inferno. 2009. 229p. Orca, $12.95. (9781554690770). Gr. 9+. When Dante meets Parker, she thinks that she has found a soul mate but is instead drawn into a dangerous and destructive relationship. * Urrea, Luis Alberto. Into the Beautiful North. 2009. 342p. Little, Brown, $24.99. (9780316025270). Gr. 9+. When all the young men and fathers leave the bucolic Sinaloa village of Tres Camarones to find jobs in the United States, three young women and their gay friend Tacho sneak across the border to recruit seven police officers and soldiers (the Magnificent Seven!) who will return home and rescue them from the drug-dealing banditos who threaten their good life. Walliams, David. The Boy in the Dress. Il. Quentin Blake. 2009. 231p. Razorbill/Penguin, $15.99. (9781595142993). Gr. 3-6. Dennis finds his family, friends, and townspeople initially resistant to his desire to wear dresses, but they become his biggest fans on and off the soccer field. Whatling, Michael. A Vigil for Joe Rose: Stories of Being Out in High School. 2009. 201p. iUniverse, $15.95. (978144017855-9). Gr. 9+. The fictional notebooks belonging to Joe Rose, a young gay man killed in 1989 by a gang of hateful young men, is the thread that stitches together the stories of seven out gay high school students in Montreal.

Non-Fiction
Bechdel, Alison. The Essential Dykes to Watch Out for. 2008 (Nov.). 392p. Houghton Mifflin, $25.00. (978-0-618-96880-0). Gr. 10+. With the help of her extended family Mo, a neurotic lesbian, makes her way from youth to middle age through the countercultural adventures selected from comic strips published during the past 25 years. Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social, and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay in America. Ed. Mitchell Gold with Mindy Drucker. 2008 (Sept.). 369p. Greenleaf Book Group Press, $23.95. (9781929774104). Gr. 9+. Stories of coming out and finding acceptance from 40 Americans many of them activists and politiciansshow that attitude, not homosexualityis the problem in our society. Drummond, Mara Christine. Transitions: A Guide to Transitioning for Transsexuals and Their Families. 2009. 127p. Lulu.com, $16.50. (9780557052615). Gr. 10+. These practical, accessible definitions and descriptions of incongruent gender identity as well as the emotional, financial and physical implications of transitioning show the journey that transgendered people take. Ginoli, Jon. Deflowered: My Life in the Pansy Division. 2009. 300p. Cleis Press, $16.95. (9781573443432). Gr. 10+. As a founding member of the Pansy Divison, the first out punk band to make it on the national scene, the author describes his coming-out experience and adventures in the homophobic music industry. Hart, Melissa. Gringa: A Contradictory Girlhood. 2009. 276p. Seal Press, $16.95. (9781580052948). Gr. 8+. Harts memoir shares her freedom ride as a young White girl who shifts between living with an angry well-to-do father, who has custody of her, and a homosexual mother, who seeks to belong to the Latino culture in 1970s Southern California. Milk: A Pictorial History of Harvey Milk. Int. Dustin Lance Black; Fwd. Armistead Maupin. 2009. 144p. Newmarket Press, $29.95. (9781557048295); pbk $19.95. (9781557048288). Gr. 8+. This illustrated companion book to the film Milk features archival materials about the life and murder of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay American to be voted into a major public office in the United States. Rothschild, Matt. Dumbfounded: A Memoir. 2008. (Aug.). 320p. Crown/Random House. (9780307405425). Gr. 9+. Left by his mother to grow up with his Jewish grandparents on the Manhattans Upper East Side, Rothschild describes his childhood and teen years as he remained continually in trouble both at home and at school because of his extravagant behavior. Shepard, Judy with Jon Barrett. The Meaning of Matthew: My Sons Murder in Laramie and a World Transformed. 2009. 273p. Hudson/Penguin, $25.95. (978-1-59463-057-6). Gr. 9+. Judy Shepard offers her personal account of the heartrending and still relevant 1998 murder of her gay son Matthew in Laramie, Wyoming, a tragedy that inspired the powerful play The Laramie Project and led to federal antihate legislation.