As the pursuit of equal rights for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning) individuals has become more prominent on the public conscience, publishers have taken note. Within the past two decades, the number and variety of young adult books featuring LGBTQ characters and experiences has greatly expanded, giving libraries more options when building diverse and inclusive collections. Top 250 LGBTQ Books for Teens: Coming Out, Being Out, and the Search for Community, by Michael Cart and Christine A. Jenkins, offers a clear bibliography of recent and notable fiction, non-fiction and graphic novels containing LGBTQ themes.
Readers who have previously explored young adult offerings featuring LGBTQ characters may already be familiar with Michael Cart and Christine A. Jenkins, as this volume expands upon their previous offering: The Heart Has Its Reasons: Young Adult Literature with Gay/Lesbian/Queer Content, 1969-2004 (Cart and Jenkins, 2006). Additionally, Michael Cart is the author or editor of 20 books including a coming-of-age novel featuring a gay character, has been President of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), won awards for his contributions to young adult literature and has taught young adult literature in higher education. Christine A. Jenkins has extensive experience as a youth services librarian and has published articles on youth librarianship, children’s and young adult literature and intellectual freedom for youth.
When compiling a bibliography and before applying any selection criteria, an author is already limited to choosing from among the existing pool of published books. While this may seem like an obvious statement, Top 250 LGBTQ Books for Teens thoughtfully explains the history of LGBTQ representation in young adult literature so that the reader has a clear context for understanding the strengths and potential limitations of the selections. For example, the authors remind us of the dangers of “tokenism” when portraying LGBTQ or minority characters, which forces them to become cardboard cutouts representing the entire group instead of multifaceted characters with depth and development equal to their cisgendered and/or heterosexual peers. It’s also noted that many of the protagonists are white, middle class and male. Again, this is not a fault of the author’s selection process but a reflection of the published books available. While this may seem discouraging, Cart and Jenkins explain that beginning in the nineties, the selection and variety of LGBTQ characters and stories has expanded significantly and that the audience does not need to be limited to questioning teens, but could include parents, peers and anyone interested in young adult literature. These books will appeal to readers “regardless of their current orientation (or lack thereof)”.
The 250 bibliographic entries are well-organized and concise. Each entry features a clear plot synopsis and cover image. The majority of the featured titles are included under the Fiction heading and are then listed alphabetically by author. However, within that heading, they represent varied genres. Speaking Out: LGBTQ Youth Stand Up (2011) is a short-story collection. The Replica trilogy, by Jenna Black, would be of interest to science fiction enthusiasts. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (2012), by Benjamin Alire Saenz, is historical fiction which tells the story of two Mexican-American teenagers living in 1980s Texas. Perry Moore’s Hero (2007) is a fantasy tale featuring a gay teenage protagonist who also has superpowers.
As “fiction” is an extremely broad heading, each of these entries also includes codes that place the book “in the larger continuum of young adult literature with LGBTQ content”, and will be helpful when using this volume to make purchasing decisions. For example, the code HV or Homosexual Visibility indicates that the story relates to the coming-out experience. All of the fiction selections feature cohesive narratives; effective setting, language and plot; and originality; and are those which best avoid caricature and stereotypes. An appendix is included to provide detailed explanations of the meaning of each code.
In addition to the fiction entries, this volume also includes a lesser number of nonfiction books and graphic novels. Nonfiction offerings cover various topics including general definitions and explanations of sexual identity, such as in Eric Marcus’ What If? Answers to Questions about What It Means to Be Gay and Lesbian (2013); HIV/AIDS, such as in AIDS (2011) by Carol Sonenklar; the struggle for equality, such as explained in Gay Power!: The Stonewall Riots and the Gay Rights Movement, 1969 (2011) by Betsy Kuhn; and biographies of public figures, such as No Compromise: The Story of Harvey Milk (2009) by David Aretha. Graphic novels have increasingly been taken more seriously by readers, educators and librarians. These have been evaluated similarly to the other entries, although the art and illustrations also played a role in the evaluation process. Graphic novels can be either fiction, such as A+ E 4EVER (2011) by Ilike Merey, or nonfiction, such as Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic (2006) by Alison Bechdel.
Top 250 LGBTQ Books for Teens is especially valuable to public and school media librarians looking to create more inclusive library collections. Academic librarians working with LGBTQ courses and/or gender studies programmes, juvenile literature, library schools and teacher preparation programmes will also find this to be a useful reference resource. As the authors remind us, this genre is continuing to expand. More books are needed which represent LGBTQ persons of colour, featuring same-sex parents and for middle grades. Hopefully in a few more years, we can look forward to a more complete and representative volume from Cart and Jenkins as authors and publishers continue to integrate more LBGTQ characters in mainstream and young adult literature.
