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Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block
Title: Weetzie Bat Author: Francesca Lia Block Original Publication Date: 1989 Original Publisher: HarperCollins Page Length: 128 Queer Representation: 2 gay male primary characters The first modern queer young adult fairy tale and a novel that helps readers to believe in magic and happy endings. Memorable Quote: “She knew they were all afraid. But love and disease are both like electricity, Weetzie thought. They are always there — you can’t see or smell or hear, touch or taste them, but you know they are there like a current in the air. We can choose, Weetzie thought, we can choose to plug into the love current instead.” REVIEW: In the first…
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Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
Title: Boy Meets Boy Author: David Levithan Original Publication Date: September 1, 2003 Original Publisher: Knopf Page Length: 185 Queer Representation: Gay male protagonist, multiple lesbian, bi, trans, queer + secondary characters Levithan offers readers a hopeful look into a utopian world where being queer is not only normal, but may even be better than being straight. Memorable Quote: “I find my greatest strength in wanting to be strong. I find my greatest bravery in deciding to be brave. I don’t know if I’ve ever realized it before,[…] I think we both realize it now. If there’s no feeling of fear, then there’s no need for courage.” The idea…
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Happy Endings Are All Alike by Sandra Scoppettone
Title: Happy Endings Are All Alike Author: Sandra Scoppettone Original Publication Date: 1978 Original Publisher: Page Length: 200 Queer Representation: 2 teenage lesbian protagonists An early queer young adult book that moves beyond the two romantic leads to show the supposed impact of being queer on an entire small town. Memorable Quote: “And so what if happy endings didn’t exist? Happy moments did.” REVIEW: The heart of this novel lies in the Scoppettone’s ability to make dynamic and interesting characters. Jaret and Peggy initially disliked each other, but when their mutual friend forced them into the same room, they quickly became inseparable. It was not long after that they realized they were…
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I’ll Get There. It Better be Worth the Trip by John Donovan
Title: I’ll Get There. It Better be Worth the Trip Author: James Donovan Original Publication Date: June 1969 Original Publisher: Harper & Row Page Length: 199 Queer Representation: 2 possibly gay teenage boy protagonists Widely regarded as the first ever novel to explicitly address themes of queerness meant for a young adult audience, I’ll Get There, is certainly worth the read, even if some of the elements now seem outdated and problematic. Memorable Quote: “Then Father talks a lot about how hysterical people sometimes get when they discover that other people aren’t just what they are expected to be. He tells me there are Republicans who are always secretly disappointed when friends…
