# Books recommendations for gay and lesbian teens **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 6, 2001, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-recommendations-for-gay-and-lesbian-teens/79959 "2001-09-06T00:56:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![foxfiregrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3da27b/32.png) [@foxfiregrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foxfiregrrl)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-recommendations-for-gay-and-lesbian-teens/79959/1 "2001-09-06T00:56:56Z")
Long time reader here. Just thought I’d post this question, since I know the SDMB has a healthy amount of gay and lesbian posters. I’ve been looking into this a lot before, and I’d like to see what you all have seen out there. So, what books have you read that would appeal to gay and lesbian teens. And, I do mean teens and young adults. There’s a lot of books out there that do have gay and lesbian in them, but really just don’t appeal to younger audience. And, also, there’s adult books out there that younger people might like, but aren’t exposed to because they’re marketed as adult books. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-recommendations-for-gay-and-lesbian-teens/79959/2 "2001-09-06T01:30:15Z")
“Trying Hard to Hear You” by Sandra Scoppetone. Out of print, unfortunately, and a bit overdramatic, but it was pretty advanced for its day (1974). I also like the fact that one of the characters is based on me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![toshirodragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e68b1a/32.png) [@toshirodragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toshirodragon)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-recommendations-for-gay-and-lesbian-teens/79959/3 "2001-09-06T01:36:04Z")
Steven Saylor’s Sub Roma series. I think I read that Saylor himself is gay, but his books have many gay characters in them. And they are great mysteries to boot ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-recommendations-for-gay-and-lesbian-teens/79959/4 "2001-09-06T05:22:55Z")
Diary of a Rock Lobster Annie on my Mind All-American Boys One Teenager in Ten Two Teenagers in Twenty are some aimed at younger readers that I can remember off the top of my head. I have about 500 books I’d like to offer but won’t for space and time considerations. Insight Out ([www.insightoutbooks.com](http://www.insightoutbooks.com)) is an online GLBT-themed bookseller. They may have a “young readers” section; I haven’t spent a lot of time there. If there’s a GLBT community center in your city it may have a library or at least a reading list. The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network ([www.glsen.org](http://www.glsen.org)) may also have a reading list. ---
**Author:** ![foxfiregrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3da27b/32.png) [@foxfiregrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foxfiregrrl)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-recommendations-for-gay-and-lesbian-teens/79959/5 "2001-09-06T13:58:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > \*\*“Trying Hard to Hear You” by Sandra Scoppetone. Out of print, unfortunately, and a bit overdramatic, but it was pretty advanced for its day (1974). I also like the fact that one of the characters is based on me. 🙂 \*\* I’ve actually read this one, a while ago, and liked it quite a lot. What character was based on you, if I might ask? 🙂 **Otto** , thanks a bunch for the links, they look like they’ve got a lot of good info. ---
**Author:** ![SqrlCub](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SqrlCub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SqrlCub)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-recommendations-for-gay-and-lesbian-teens/79959/6 "2001-09-06T15:58:20Z")
For good, easy reading try the Tales of Two Cities series by Amistad Maupin (sp?). It starts pre-AIDS and reads like a soap opera with all its twists and turns. I believe it was originally a serial in a newspaper that got made into a book. Mouse rules! 🙂 There is an innocence about the series and it doesn’t really lose it throughout the 6 books. If however, there becomes a seventh book I don’t think I would read it because it wouldn’t read as nostalgia as much since it would basically be set in modern day. HUGS! Sqrl ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-recommendations-for-gay-and-lesbian-teens/79959/7 "2001-09-06T16:06:45Z")
Tales of THE City. A Tale of Two Cities is Dickens, who I don’t think was gay (although he may have been a little nell). Author is Armistead Maupin. You’re correct, it did start out as a newspaper series. Maupin has steadfastly refused to do anything beyond the six books with the characters, although he has integrated at least one character from the Tales series (Anna Halcyon-Day, Dee-Dee and D’or’s daughter) into his most recent book, The Night Listener. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-recommendations-for-gay-and-lesbian-teens/79959/8 "2001-09-06T16:21:01Z")
A lot of gay fiction is really depressing, but/so it’s good if you are bummed out and you need to wallow. (You know what I’m talking about.) Anyway, the good ones for this are **Entries from a Hot Pink Notebook** by Todd Russell (?) and **The Front Runner** by Patricia Nell Warren. For something completely different, there are some fabulous queer comic strips out there. Might I recommend Alison Bechdel’s incredible **Dykes to Watch Out For** , of which many collections have been published; it’s also online at [http://www.planetout.com](http://www.planetout.com) in the Entertainment section. Also, go check out **Boy Meets Boy** at [http://boymeetsboy.keenspace.com](http://boymeetsboy.keenspace.com) . Finally, there’s good old XY magazine. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-recommendations-for-gay-and-lesbian-teens/79959/9 "2001-09-06T16:22:49Z")
I should have mentioned that DTWOF is great fun for all queer folk, not just lesbians. I’ve been reading (and loving) it since I came out. (And I got to meet Alison when I was 16!) ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-recommendations-for-gay-and-lesbian-teens/79959/10 "2001-09-06T16:25:55Z")
Finally, if you can, see if you can find what collection of Lynn Johnson’s **For Better or for Worse** contains Lawrence’s coming out sequence (I think it’s _Growing Like a Weed_, but check to make sure). It was really comforting to me when I was coming out to see a supportive story about a gay teenager in a mainstream comic strip that I was familiar with. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-recommendations-for-gay-and-lesbian-teens/79959/11 "2001-09-06T16:27:43Z")
Sorry - the FBOFW collection is actually _There Goes My Baby_. (…must… …stop… …posting! must… go… to … grocery …store!!!) ---
**Author:** ![SqrlCub](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SqrlCub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SqrlCub)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-recommendations-for-gay-and-lesbian-teens/79959/12 "2001-09-06T17:53:16Z")
Whoops. Otto is correct. Tales of Two Cities is awful just like anything else Dickens wrote. Bleh. Tales of the City is fabulous. HUGS! Sqrl ---
**Author:** ![andygirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@andygirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andygirl)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-recommendations-for-gay-and-lesbian-teens/79959/13 "2001-09-06T21:19:25Z")
My kind of thread. 🙂 I just finished a short term job at a gay bookstore. Merry fun, and I made a point to go through the youth section. Many of the titles already recommended in this thread are excellent- have a boatload more. Very broadly speaking, the books by male authors tend to have gay male characters and the women authors lesbians. I haven’t read about a quarter of these, but the ones in bold are those that I particularly liked. \*\*For queer teens \*\* By Nancy Garden: \*\*Annie on My Mind, Good Moon Rising \*\*(those two are her best), The Year They Burned the Books, Lark In the Morning **Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger** Tommy Stands Alone by Gloria Velasquez By M.E. Kerr: Hello I lied, Deliver Us From Evie, Night Kites. **Am I Blue? Coming out of the Silence** is a great anthology edited by Marian Dane Bauer. **Revolutionary Voices** by Amy Sonnie is another excellent anthology. By Jacqueline Woodson: I Hadn’t Meant to Tell You This, **From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun,** The House You Pass on the Way. By Marian Zimmer Bradley: **The Catch Trap, Mists of Avalon,** Thendara House Blue Coyote by Liza Ketchum **The Left Hand of Darkness** by Ursula Le Guin **Foxfire** by Joyce Carol Oates **A House Like A Lotus** by Madeline L’engle Dive by Stacey Donovan and Crush by Jane Futcher are neither particularly good, but I’m including them for the sake of being thorough. Most anything by Francesca Lia Block Patience and Sarah by Isabel Miller Love Rules by Marilyn Reynolds **Dare Truth or Promise** by Paula Boock Empress of the World by Sara Ryan **What I Know Now** by Rodger Larson Desire Lines by Jack Gantos (this one is quite disturbing.) **People with parents who are gay and younger readers** Jack, by A. M. Homes **If It Doesn’t Kill You** by Margaret Bechard Earthshine by Theresa Nelson Eagle Kite by Paula Fox Out of the Shadows by Sue Hines **Out of the Ordinary** ed. Noelle Howey (An essay book by people with GLBT parents) Unlived Affections by George Shannon **Heather Has Two Mommies** by Leslea Newman Holly’s Secret by Nancy Garden My Bicycle Trip by Monna Dingman **Box Girl** by Sarah Withrow When Heroes Die by Penny Durant **The Skull of Truth** by Bruce Coville \*\*Resources \*\* Coming Out to Parents : A Two-Way Survival Guide for Lesbians and Gay Men and Their Parents by Mary V. Borhek The Final Closet : The Gay Parents’ Guide for Coming Out to Their Children by Rip Corley **XY Survival Guide** by Benjie Nycum Joining the Tribe : Growing Up Gay and Lesbian in the 1990’s by Linnea A. Due **Out on Fraternity Row : Personal Accounts of Being Gay in a College Fraternity** by Shane L. Windmeyer \*\*Secret Sisters: Stories of Being Lesbian and Bisexual in a College Sorority \*\*by Shane L. Windmeyer Out & About Campus : Personal Accounts by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender College Students by Kim Howard When the Drama Club Is Not Enough : Lessons from the Safe Schools Program for Gay and Lesbian Students by Jeff Perrotti Coming Out Young and Faithful by Leanne McCall Tigert **Telling Tales Out of School** by Kevin Jennings ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-recommendations-for-gay-and-lesbian-teens/79959/14 "2001-09-06T23:02:29Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve actually read this one, a while ago, and liked it quite a lot. What character was based on you, if I might ask? All the characters in the book were roughly based on friends of mine; Sandra directed a production of “Anything Goes” and used that as the background of the novel. Walt Feinberg (an peripheral character) was based on me. The two main (gay) characters were based on a couple of guys in the play; most of the people in my home town didn’t know that they were gay, so the book “outed” them Sandra insists that the characters were just characters, but, come on – Walt Feinberg is described as being a grandson of the owner of Feinberg’s Department Store, who had known Einstein; I’m the grandson of the owner of Rothman’s Department Store, and my grandfather had known Einstein. However, though the backgrounds of the characters are the same, the actions are purely fictional. ---
**Author:** ![foxfiregrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3da27b/32.png) [@foxfiregrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foxfiregrrl)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-recommendations-for-gay-and-lesbian-teens/79959/15 "2001-09-07T14:01:57Z")
Hey, thanks for all the great responses, guys. I really appretiate it. ---
**Author:** ![Skijumper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3e96dc/32.png) [@Skijumper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skijumper)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-recommendations-for-gay-and-lesbian-teens/79959/16 "2001-09-07T16:14:45Z")
One of my personal faves is Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson. It tells the story of a young girl who grows up in a strict Christian household and realises that she’s fallen in love with a girl in her hometown. It’s very witty and touching all at the same time. I read it when I was 18 and it was instrumental in my coming out to my parents.