Across the Page: Young Adults

I literally just read Annie on My Mind - I stayed up all night reading because I just could not put it down. I didn't realize that the book was so old, so was baffled by the scandal Liza and Annie's relationship caused. But even though a lot of the book is outdated, I wish someone would've recommended it to me when I was a teenager and really could've used someone to identify with. I'm lucky to live in a time and society where being gay just isn't that big of a deal (I think it's probably a lot easier to be gay here, than in the USA). I knew my friends and family probably wouldn't mind at all - and yet, because I didn't know just what being gay meant, I spent way too many years trying to figure it out, instead of just being.

I really enjoy YA literature, so I'll keep my eyes open for those other two books!

the day I went to library and checked out 'Annie on my Mind.'  I remember not being able to put it down but always looking over my shoulder: "Can anybody see me?"  "Will they know?"
It really was an awakening for me, life changing in a way - to know that beyond what felt like the four walls of my hometown - that there were people like me out there who were also struggling to find their way.

I'm going to reccommend these to my teenage sister.  She's really into gay/lesbian fiction right now and she's having a hard time finding things to read.  I read a lot of it too so we definitely have something else that connects us (she's 16 and openly bi).  I'm sure I'll be reading them too.  I wish I had known about stories like these when I was in high school, but then again, I may not have had the courage to buy them unlike her.  Thanks for the review!

I'm pretty sure her name in Annie on My Mind is Kenyon, not Kenton.  Lit geek that I am, I always remember the literature insta-analyzer in my head reading her flowing name as indicative of her nature in the book hence the soft 'y' instead of the hard 't'.  Yes, I think these things while I read...it's a curse! 

Also, doesn't the cover on the book Rules for Hearts look like Idgie and Ruth's hands during that one scene where they are playing cards?  Just me then...

I can honestly say that Annie on My Mind was the first lesbian book I checked out of the library.  I was so scared because it had the two characters on the front holding hands and staring lovingly into each other's eyes and I just KNEW that the librarian was going to know everything about me and probably put me on some list or something.  Ha! 

And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.  - Nin

...brings back memories of a long ago time. High school. When I was young, innocent and confused and I happened to find a copy of Annie on my mind at the local library. Such a great book....

i think that was the name of the first lesbian book i had ever read . i too couldnt put it down nor told anyone what it was about lol .

and keeping you a secret to me was almost like sexualy fustrating lol and i dont know why .

the best book i have read so far is "same sex in the city", its a great book but some girl stole it from me last year!

This is possibly one of the best gay books I have ever read, in fact I still read this to my G/F every few years and we are well into our 30's.

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"Thanks to: un-encouraging parents everywhere for giving their children the will to show them up, and to the white macho-american male for reminding the small percent who are capable of recognizing injustice

As a librarian, I can tell you that not only was Annie challenged then but it remains one of the most challenged books to this day.  I love YA books and am pleased to see the evolution of YA fiction. YA fic with GLBT characters and themes are much easier to get a hold of now then in the past. If you like GLBT YA books try these too: David Levithan's books, Absolutely Positively Not (LaRochelle), The Bermudez Triangle (Johnson), Alex Sanchez's books, Totally Joe (Howe), My Heartbeat (Freymann-Weyr), Talk (Koja), A Really Nice Prom Mess (Sloan), to name a few. Some are better than others and we definitely need more YA fic for young lesbians (with lesbians as the characters), but it has come a long way.  And one of the funniest books to "come out" (get it?) in awhile is When I Knew edited by Robert Trachtenberg. Check it out, you won't be sorry.

Oh and while you're at the library check out these picture books for children: And Tango Makes Three - one of the most controversial books of the last couple of years (Richardson), Antonio's Card (Gonzalez), King and King (de Haan), Molly's Family (by Nancy Garden!) and of course the classics, Heather has Two Mommies and Daddy's Roommate. Happy reading!

the thing that really set annie on my mind apart from other books for me was that there was so much to the backstory. as a very confused younger girl, i sought out lots of young adult gay fiction and read quite a bit. unfortunately, the genre is still very limiting and so while some of the books are truly remarkable, some are lacking in general writing skills or consist of thin plots. annie on my mind really took the time to paint details into the story, like the trial over the ear piercing to the wild imaginations of the two girls. of course the book wouldn't be the same if it wasn't gay, but the story seemed elaborate enough to me that if it was a book about two heterosexual friends, i still would have enjoyed it. it is the "class" that smashley references that makes annie the number one on my list. 

i also highly reccomend david levithan's boy meets boy for a touching gay love story. he throws convention out the window to create a world where prejudice and fear are barely even afterthoughts, and the setting really allows the story to take off without the usual complications that make young gay reading somewhat homogenous.