Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
ISBN: 0-375-92400-0
Levithan, D. (2003). Boy meets boy.  New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Plot Summary
Paul has known he was gay since childhood, and his teachers and friends know it too.  He’s had a few boyfriends here and there, but when he sees Noah in a bookstore something is different.  Paul finds out they go to the same school and agree to see each other the next day.  There is also Joni, Paul’s best friend, and Tony, his other best friend.  Tony is also gay, but his ultra-conservative Christian parents are not accepting.  Kyle has not spoken to Paul in months, but suddenly decides to mend fences.  A kiss between Paul and Kyle spreads and Noah hears about it.  Afraid of being hurt again, Noah decides to distance himself from Paul.  The school dance is coming up and Tony wants to go, but knows his parents won’t let him.  Paul wants to take Noah, but Kyle wants to take Paul.  Joni has a date and new boyfriend, but no one likes him.  Paul decides he is going to get Noah back, and Kyle is going to the dance no matter what.

Critical Evaluation
Hailed as one of the first positive teen novels about gay relationships, Boy Meets Boy is a modern classic of LGBT literature.  The setting is wonderfully accepting, nearly utopic, of all sexual orientations, dressing preferences, and relationships.  Some characters, including a boy’s Christian parents, are not accepting of homosexuality, but they are the exception to the rule.  The accepting surroundings allow the characters to explore not their sexuality, but relationships with other people.  There is no need to ‘find themselves’ or struggle with ‘coming out’ because they are already free to do so.  At its heart, Boy Meets Boy is a sweet book.  There is no rampant use of crude language, sexual situations are limited to mild kissing, and relationships are honest and mean well.  Even the homophobic Christian parents act as they do because they are sincerely afraid of their son’s soul, and want him to live a good life.  Infinite Darlene is the most outwardly different character, but she lives her life as she is most comfortable, and is happy with the choices she makes.  As with other young adult novels, Paul and his friends can sometimes act more mature than their years, and speak as if they are college graduates.  However, this is a minor criticism to a book that is otherwise well-written and important for young adults who want equality and acceptance in their lives.

Reader’s Annotation
Paul has fallen in love, but a single kiss with someone else might ruin the whole relationship. 

About the Author
David Levithan’s first novel Boy Meets Boy started as a kind of Valentine’s Day present for his friends.  Levithan wrote Boy Meets Boy as a book he wished he would receive as an editor.  The gay characters in the novel are not outcasts or ostracized for being gay.  He has authored or co-authored a total of sixteen books including collaborations with Rachel Cohn and John Green.  The Lover’s Dictionary is his first book written specifically for adults, although Levithan says all his books are also for adults.

David Levithan was born in 1972, graduated from Brown University in 1994, and published his first book in 2003.  He had a happy childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.  Levithan also works at Scholastic as a publisher and editorial director and was the founding editor of PUSH.  He had edited or published many well-known authors including Suzanne Collins, Garth Nix, and Gordon Korman.  He has also edited over 100 Star Wars books.  In 2001, Levithan decided to take one photograph a day for a year, he still is.

Genre
Social Issues

Curriculum Ties
Social Issues-Gender Identity

Booktalking
What would you do to convince someone you love him?  Paul is going to find out.

Reading Level/Interest Level
RL: 5th grade
IL: 9th grade and up

Challenge Issues
Possible challenge issues include relationships, including homosexual relationships, are a major focus of the novel.

In my defense file, I would include the following:
1) Library Mission Statement
2) Library Selection Policy approved by any or all of the following individuals—principal, school board, district librarian OR library manager, city council, mayor.
3) Library Bill of Rights adapted from CSLA Bill of Rights, AASL Bill of Rights and/or ALA Bill of Rights
4) Reviews, both positive and critical, from respected sources such as School Library Journal, VOYA, Booklist
5) Rationale for book inclusion for titles anticipated to be controversial, frequently challenged, or created when a book is challenged including: summary, audience, purpose, controversial issues and how they are handled
6) How the book fits within Common Core Standards or State Standards
7) Reconsideration form for challenger to complete—include a section asking which part was of particular concern, if the entire book was read, and what other similar titles are suggested instead
8) Student reviews from those who have read the book and either enjoyed or disliked the book and why.

Why Included
I read Boy Meets Boy for class and enjoyed it.  Also felt it was important to add an LGBT novel.

Others in the Series
N/A

References
Levithan, D. (2013). You probably think this page is about me.  Retrieved from http://www.davidlevithan.com/about/

Happy Families by Tanita S. Davis
ISBN: 978-0-375-86966-2
Davis, T. (2012). Happy families. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Plot Summary
Twins Ysabel and Justin have a wonderful life.  Their parents are happily married and successful, Justin is headed to a great college after graduation, and Ysabel is a genius at art.  Their lives suddenly change when their father Christopher admits he is a transgender individual.  Christopher sometimes enjoys dressing in women’s clothing and being called Christine.  He moves across state and lives in an apartment while the twins deal with their new lives.  Justin quits debate team, breaks up with his girlfriend, and throws his five-year plan in the trash.  Ysabel stops speaking with her best friend and becomes even more immersed in their art.  Their mother then informs them that their spring break will be spent with their father.  Both are outraged and determined to have a terrible time.  The week includes attending daily counseling and therapy sessions with a transgender specialist, and attending special events with other transgender families.  As the week progresses, Justin and Ysabel find themselves asking more questions and trying to make sense of their father’s lifestyle.  Their interactions with other children of transgendered individuals are also helpful.  After a particular difficult day, Justin goes missing, and the entire family finds themselves united again as they wait for Justin’s return.

Critical Evaluation
A realistic portrayal of a family going through a major life change.  Father Christopher reveals he occasionally dresses as a woman and goes by the name Christine.  Twins Ysabel and Justin tell their story in alternating chapters as each tries to digest and absorb what has happened to their family.  Their conflicting emotions of confusion, dislike, mistrust, and love are very real.  Those in similar situations will be able to connect as the twins struggle through their feelings.  Even those looking in from the outside will feel empathy and sympathize.  The twins are understandably hurt, upset, conflicted, and angry.  They really are trying to make sense of the situation.  At the core is their underlying love for their father, just temporarily hidden.  Some typical teen behaviors including listening to loud music, forgetting a cell phone and hiding out for a bit, and angrily yelling at parents are here.  The introduction of new friends serves as a reminder of how all families are different.  The main unrealistic aspect is the span of time.  Only a week passes where Ysabel and Justin begin to come to terms with their father and his chosen lifestyle.  The timeline seems rushed as the twins shift from defiant anger to burgeoning understanding.  Also, the Ivy League intelligence of Justin and art prodigy status of Ysabel make them stand out.  Most teens are not that extraordinary.  The novel ends on an uplifting note, but explains more time is needed to heal and fully accept their new situation. 

Reader’s Annotation
Justin and Ysabel have a great life with great parents.  This suddenly changes when they discover their father is a transgender individual.

About the Author
Tanita Davis has written three novels for young adults.  Many of her characters are African American, reflecting Davis’ own ethnic background and that of her readers.  Her novel Mare’s War was a Coretta Scott King Honor Book.  Happy Families was selected for ALA’s 2013 Rainbow Project List.  Davis is an active blogger and poet, often blogging about current events or her thoughts, and then turning them into poetry.

Tanita Davis was born in San Francisco, California.  She was the youngest child for several years, but always the most talkative and a born performer.  Davis’ mother told her to write whatever she was thinking instead of singing, dancing, or storytelling around the house.  Her family moved to the suburbs when Davis was five, and adopted two younger children, making Davis the middle child.  After attending Mills College and earning an MFA, Davis moved to Scotland and began writing as she married her boyfriend and waited for him to finish his PhD.  She and her husband are back in Northern California, living close to her family.

Genre
Contemporary Realistic Fiction/Social Issues

Curriculum Ties
Social Issues-Gender Identity

Booktalking
A father admits to his family that he likes dressing as a woman, how will they deal?

Reading Level/Interest Level
RL: 5th grade
IL: 8th grade and up

Challenge Issues
Possible challenge issues include transgender and transsexual characters.

In my defense file, I would include the following:
1) Library Mission Statement
2) Library Selection Policy approved by any or all of the following individuals—principal, school board, district librarian OR library manager, city council, mayor.
3) Library Bill of Rights adapted from CSLA Bill of Rights, AASL Bill of Rights and/or ALA Bill of Rights
4) Reviews, both positive and critical, from respected sources such as School Library Journal, VOYA, Booklist
5) Rationale for book inclusion for titles anticipated to be controversial, frequently challenged, or created when a book is challenged including: summary, audience, purpose, controversial issues and how they are handled
6) How the book fits within Common Core Standards or State Standards
7) Reconsideration form for challenger to complete—include a section asking which part was of particular concern, if the entire book was read, and what other similar titles are suggested instead
8) Student reviews from those who have read the book and either enjoyed or disliked the book and why.

Why Included
This is a book I would not normally have read.  It deals with issues I am okay with in a hypothetical sense, but when presented more tangibly in a novel, made me question and rethink.

Others in the Series
N/A

References
Davis, T. (2013). Tanita s. davis. Retrieved from http://tanitasdavis.com/tanita.shtml