Gay Young Adult Books

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Simon Says; Elaine Marie Alphin

Charles Weston won't play games. Even as a child he refused to play the schoolroom game of Simon Says. Not for fun, and not in life. Now an aspiring young artist, Charles enrolls in a private arts high school, not because he thinks he can learn anything from the teachers but because he wants to meet the "famous" Graeme Brandt, a student whose recently published novel touches a chord deep within him.

Bleeding Hearts; by Josh Aterovis

When Killian's new friend Seth is brutally murdered and he is seriously injured in the process the police think it's just a random mugging. Killian thinks there may have been a darker motive and, with Seth's father, sets out to uncover the truth behind the possible hate crime. Before his investigation is over he will uncover hatred and corruption in small town America.

Reap the Whirlwind; by Josh Aterovis

"Nothing can stay the same forever. We get in trouble in life when we think it can and will. Everything changes, or as King Solomon said in the Bible and The Byrds sang in the 60’s, to everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven. It’s not a particularly easy lesson to learn, or a fun one for that matter. I learned it the summer between high school and college, and my life would never be the same."

Alt Ed; by Catherine Atkins

Susan Callaway, whose weight has kept her a shy, lonely outcast, narrates the story. Only Brendan, a gay classmate in the group, knows what landed her there. Susan is more than the sweet girl everyone thinks she is. She's had to cope with a lot more than anyone realizes. When the crank calls start-a male voice asking her to go out on a date-she's sure the calls were made by one of the guys in the group. But why is her brother never home when the calls come?

When Jeff Comes Home; by Catherine Atkins

Two years ago, Jeff Hart was kidnapped at knifepoint. Now his kidnapper is releasing him to return home. But when Jeff finds his family, he feels shell-shocked and unable to tell anyone what happened. He can't believe that anyone-not even his family or friends-will understand what he went through. Jeff isn't the same person he was before, and he never will be again. 

Girl From Mars; by Tamara Bach

Fifteen-year-old Miriam is having stupid arguments with her mother, is bored to death in class, and is trying to get excited by the same old parties with the same old friends in the same old town. She wishes she lived in a big city where she could meet new people and experience new things.

Go Tell It on the Mountain; James Baldwin

Baldwin chronicles a fourteen-year-old boy's discovery of the terms of his identity as the stepson of the minister of a storefront Pentecostal church in Harlem one Saturday in March of 1935.

No Castles Here; A C E Bauer

Augie Boretski Knows how to get by. If you're a scrawny loser in the destitute city of Camden, New Jersey, you keep your head down, avoid the drug dealers and thugs, and try your best to be invisible. Augie used to be good at that, but suddenly his life is changing...

Am I Blue?; edited by Marion Dane Bauer

Original stories by C. S. Adler, Marion Dane Bauer, Francesca Lia Block, Bruce Coville, Nancy Garden, James Cross Giblin, Ellen Howard, M. E. Kerr, Jonathan London, Lois Lowry, Gregory Maguire, Lesléa Newman, Cristina Salat, William Sleator, Jacqueline Woodson, and Jane Yolen.

If It Doesn't Kill You; Margaret Bechard

Ben just started high school-and it's tough but exciting. The sophisticated new girl who has just moved into the house across the street thinks he's a cat murderer. At school Ben's freshman football team is the worst ever, but the coach thinks Ben is so good he just might skip JV and go straight to varsity.

Gravel Queen; Tea Benduhn

Aurin has no intention of throwing off their established equilibrium. But when Neila joins their circle, Aurin realizes that she and Neila are becoming more than friends. Aurin and Neila are happy in their developing relationship, but Kenney feels left out.

Vintage: A Ghost Story; by Steve Berman

In a small New Jersey town a lonely boy walking along a highway one autumn evening meets the boy of his dreams, a boy who happens to have died decades ago and haunts the road. Awkward crushes, both bitter and sweet, lead him to face youthful dreams and childish fears. With a cast of offbeat friends, antiques, and Ouija boards, Vintage offers readers a memorable blend of dark humor, chills and love.

Baby Be-Bop (Weetzie Bat); by Francesca Lia Block

Dirk MacDonald, a sixteen-year-old boy living in Los Angeles, comes to terms with being gay after he receives surreal storytelling visitations from his dead father and great-grandmother.

Beautiful Boys : Two Weetzie Bat Books; by Francesca Lia Block



Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys; by Francesca Lia Block

Cherokee Bat danced and sang. Witch Baby, Cherokee's almost-sister, pounded the beat on her drums. Raphael played the guitar, and Angel Juan kept the rhythm on his bass. They made music that sparkled like fireworks, and audiences loved them.

Weetzie Bat (10th Anniversary Edition); by Francesca Lia Block

Ten years ago Francesca Lia Block made a dazzling entrance into the literary scene with what would become one of the most talked-about books of the decade: Weetzie Bat.

Dare Truth or Promise; Paula Boock

When Louie and Willa first meet, they don't know their lives will soon be changed forever. Self-assured Louie is gearing up for another successful year in high school, starring in a production of Twelfth Night and running the Comedy Club. Kicked out of her last school and still stinging from a past relationship, Willa wants only to get through her final year at school quietly so she can graduate and become a chef.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants; by Ann Brashares

Carmen got the jeans at a thrift shop. They didn’t look all that great; they were worn, dirty, and speckled with bleach. On the night before she and her friends part for the summer, Carmen decides to toss them.

Black Rabbit Summer; by Kevin Brooks

Thoughtful Pete, tough Pauly, twins Eric and Nicole, strange Raymond: As kids they were tight; now they've grown up--and apart. They agree to get together one last time, but, twisted by personal histories and fueled by pharmaceuticals, old jealousies surface.

Misik Lake; by Martha Brooks

Seventeen-year-old Odella is haunted by family secrets. Why doesn’t her great-aunt Gloria visit anymore? Why does her mother, Sally, drink so much? Sally’s tragic car accident on a frozen lake when she was sixteen seems to have cast a spell over her life that no one can break.

Debbie Harry Sings in French; by Meagan Brothers

Johnny’s had kind of a tough life so far, and he’s always been a bit of a freak. His goth look usually includes black nail polish and a little mascara. When he discovers Debbie Harry, the lead singer of Blondie, he not only likes her music but realizes that he kind of, sort of, wants to BE her.

Rubyfruit Jungle; Rita Mae Brown

Born a bastard, Molly Bolt is adopted by a dirt-poor Southern couple who want something better for their daughter. Molly plays doctor with the boys, beats up Leroy the tub and loses her virginity to her girlfriend in sixth grade.

Sugar Rush; by Julie Burchill

"Oh, I'm not your friend." My savior looked surprised. "It's just that this is MY school. I'm Maria Sweet -- Sugar. If you get bullied, it'll be when I say so."

Bloodsong; by Melvin Burgess

Fifteen-year-old Sigurd, son of King Sigmund, is the last surviving member of the Volson clan. His father's kingdom -- the former city of London -- is gone. And his father's knife, a gift from Odin himself, has been shattered to dust.

Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You; by Peter Cameron

It’s time for eighteen-year-old James Sveck to begin his freshman year at Brown. Instead, he’s surfing the real estate listings, searching for a sanctuary—a nice farmhouse in Kansas, perhaps. Although James lives in twenty-first-century Manhattan, he’s more at home in the faraway worlds of Eric Rohmer or Anthony Trollope—or his favorite writer, the obscure and tragic Denton Welch.

Love & Sex; by Michael Cart

Ten of today's finest authors of adult and young-adult literature lend their talent and their voices to take a hard, clear look at love and sexuality. From balancing abstinence and desire, to learning the difference between love and lust, to fulfilling a childhood obsession, each of these stories depicts characters exploring a world of new feelings and sensations that is opening up before them.

My Father's Scar; by Michael Cart

Eighteen year-old Andy Logan has finally made it to his first year of college, but not without some struggle. As he tries to settle in this new environment, he cannot help but recall the events and experiences that have led him there.

Dance On My Grave; by Aidan Chambers

In this revelatory, groundbreaking novel, the love of sixteen-year-old Hal Robinson for self-confident Barry Gorman is revealed through Hal’s own observations, press clippings, and the scattered notes of a social worker. These various perspectives contribute to an extraordinarily sensitive portrait of the intensity of first love.

Postcards from No Man's Land; by Aidan Chambers

What happens to Jacob Todd when he visits his grandfather's grave at the annual commemoration of the Battle of Arnhem is paralleled in time by events of the dramatic day in World War 2 when retreating troops were sheltered by the family of Geertrui Van Riet. Geertrui, now an old lady, reveals secrets to Jacob in contemporary Amsterdam which completely overturn his view of himself and his country, and lead him to question his very place in the world.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower; by Stephen Chbosky

This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares.

Cupcake; by Rachel Cohn

When Cyd Charisse moves from San Francisco to start a new life in New York City, she leaves behind her family -- and her true love, Shrimp. She wants to find a cool job, the city's best caffeination and most perfect cupcake, and a hot new love. But the reality of CC's new life hits some unexpected obstacles, including a broken leg that renders her immobile; the joy and aggravation of sharing an apartment with a roommate who's also an older brother; and a tasty selection of guys -- none of whom measure up to Shrimp.

Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List; by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Naomi and Ely are best friends. Naomi loves and is in love with Ely, and Ely loves Naomi, but prefers to be in love with boys. So they create their "No Kiss List" of people neither of them is allowed to kiss. And this works fine - until Bruce.

Odder Than Ever; by Bruce Coville

Beloved for his hilarious and unexpectedly moving novels, Bruce Coville is also a master of the short story. In this follow-up to Oddly Enough, he again presents a collection of unusual breadth and emotional depth.

Athletic Shorts : Six Short Stories; by Chris Crutcher

In six tense, exciting short stories, athletes face up to more than sports in tales of love and death, of bigotry and heroism, of real people doing the best that they can, even when that best is not enough.

My Side of the Story; by Will Davis

Jarold, aka, Jazz, is a typical sixteen year old boy. He lives at home with his two remarkably un-divorced parents, his holier-than-thou sister, and his overbearing grandmother. It’s a life straight out of a TV show. Or so it seems…

A Seahorse Year; by Stacey D'Erasmo

In contemporary San Francisco, an extended family is transformed by the emerging breakdown of a troubled adolescent boy. The lives of Christopher's mother, Nan; her lover, Marina; his gay father, Hal; and Hal's new love interest are pushed to the edge by Christopher's strange behavior, by something new in him that mystifies them all.

Navajo Summer; by Jennifer Dewey

Upset at her parents' impending divorce, twelve-year-old Jamie runs away from home to live with a Navajo family that she befriended on earlier trips to the desert country with her father.

My Bicycle Trip; by Monna Dingman

On a hundred-mile bike trip, Drew Collins leaves everything that hurts her behind in a spray of dirt from a back tire. Amid the quiet laps of waves, a cool ocean mist, and freshly rolled reefers, Drew meets Kate in the orange light of a beech party campfire and unleashes a sweltering romance.

Down to the Bone; by Mayra Lazara Dole

Here's what it means to be a tortillera. It means you're a girl who loves girls. Which means you get kicked out of Catholic school faster than Mother Superior Sicko can say "immoral." Which means your wacko Mami finds out. Which means you're kicked to the curb with nowhere to go, and the love of your life is shipped off to Puerto Rico to marry a guy. But this is Miami, and if you have a bighearted best friend and a loyal puppy at your side, and if your broken heart is still full of love, you just might land on your feet.

Common Sons; Ronald L Donaghe

Set in a small town in the middle of nowhere in the mid-1960s, Common Sons not only anticipates the coming gay revolution, but delineates its fields of battle in churches, schools and society, pitting fathers against sons, straight teens against gay teens, and self-hatred against self-respect.

The Salvation Mongers; by Ronald L. Donaghe

A broken-hearted and enraged Kelly decides to pose as a recruit at Lion’s Mouth Christian Ranch to discover why his beloved William committed suicide after experiencing religious conversion. In the isolated high mountains of the desert, where there is no way out, Kelly soon discovers the awful truth.

Dive; by Stacey Donovan

Sometimes questions have no answers. Fifteen-year old Virginia Dunn discovers this after her dog is run over, her dad is diagnosed with a mysterious illness, and her mom’s drinking worsens. The people she has known forever are suddenly strangers. Into this mystery walks Jane, and Virginia soon realizes that she has become a stranger to herself as well.

Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skin; by Emma Donoghue

Thirteen tales are unspun from the deeply familiar, and woven anew into a collection of fairy tales that wind back through time. Acclaimed Irish author Emma Donoghue reveals heroines young and old in unexpected alliances--sometimes treacherous, sometimes erotic, but always courageous.

Big Big Sky; by Kristyn Dunnion

Rustle is a young scout in a tight-knit female warrior group of five. They're trained to be aggressive, quick thinking, obedient-though for what exact purpose they couldn't quite tell you. But somehow the group is falling apart now. The leader Shona turns out to be a traitor to them. Roku has disappeared. Rustle has failed to show her killing skills in a crucial test of courage, and is feeling quite separate from the others. Loo is a true warrior, ready and able for action of the most extreme kind, though Rustle's private yen for her has not dimmed. Solomon, the healer of the group, is a steady hand, but not even her stability can save them.

Mosh Pit; by Kristyn Dunnion

Juliet meets her Juliets in this raw look at punk, young love and the sometimes cloudy road to adulthood. Mosh Pit, a compelling story of rebel girls in the modern city, stars Simone - torn between her loyalty to her rebellious heart - throb Cherry and her feelings for Carol, streetwise and distant enough to be alluring.

Blackbird; by Larry Duplechan

First published by St. Martin's in 1986, Blackbird is a funny, moving, gay coming-of-age novel about growing up black and gay in Southern California. The lead character, Johnnie Ray Rousseau, is a high school student upset at losing the lead role in the school staging of Romeo and Juliet; if that weren't enough, his best friend has been beaten badly by his father, and his girlfriend is pressuring him to have sex for the first time.

Manstealing for Fat Girls; Michelle Embree

This off-kilter novel centers on three girls who are definitely not part of the in crowd: one’s fat, one’s a dyke, and one is missing a breast. Nicknamed “Lezzylard” by her classmates, Angie is seduced by the prettiest girl in school, an anorexic who just wants to make imaginary grocery lists. Inez, the school’s pot dealer, can’t shoplift because security guards are mesmerized by her single enormous breast.

Touching Snow; by M Sindy Felin

Karina has plenty to worry about on the last day of seventh grade: finding three Ds and a C on her report card again, getting laughed at by everyone again, being sent to the principal -- again. She'd like this to change, but with her and her sisters dodging their stepfather's fists every day after school, she doesn't have time to do much self-reflecting.

Eight Seconds; by Jean Ferris

Each ride on the bucking bull is a lesson in pain. Each landing on the packed dirt is a jarring reminder of reality. Rodeo camp is a tough way to spend a summer, but John is having the time of his life. No clingy girlfriends, no nagging moms, no annoying sisters. Just him and the guys and the biggest bulls he's ever seen.

The Boys on the Rock; by John Fox

Written with uncanny precision and wild humor, this is the story of Billy Connors, high school student in the Bronx, member of the swim team, and all-around regular guy, who in his sixteenth year has to face the fact that he's a little different from everyone else, a little "weird."

Fruit; by Brian Francis



My Heartbeat; by Garret Freymann-Weyr

Ellen loves Link and James. Her older brother and his best friend are the only company she ever wants. She knows they fight, but she makes it a policy never to take sides.

In the Garage; by Alma Fullerton

Barbara Jean (BJ) Belanger has always suffered from low self-esteem: she has a portwine birthmark on her face, she feels overweight, and has repeatedly suffered the taunts of others her age for which she is a natural target, a victim. One of the very few who have treated her with respect, understanding and affection is Alex, who becomes her best friend. And what's ripping her apart as the story opens is that she knows she has betrayed him in the worst possible way.

Crush; by Jane Futcher

In her final year at a prestigious boarding school, reserved, artistic Jinx is badly hurt by the treachery of the rich, pretty girl she has considered her best friend.

Desire Lines; by Jack Gantos

When sixteen-year-old Walker gets caught up in a witch-hunt against homosexuals, he is left to stand by and watch as a tragedy unfolds.

Annie on My Mind; by Nancy Garden

Liza never knew that falling in love could be so wonderful . . . and so confusing.
"'Liza,' Mom said, looking into my eyes, 'I want you to tell me the truth, not because I want to pry, but because I have to know. This could get very unpleasant... Now--have you and Annie--done any more than the usual experimenting...'

The Case of the Stolen Scarab (Candlestone Inn Mystery #1); by Nancy Garden

When the Taylor-Michaelson family - Nikki and Travis and their two moms - buy an old inn in Vermont, they don't expect their first visitor to be the local sheriff with news of a robbery - and their second to be a bedraggled hiker with amnesia!

Holly's Secret; by Nancy Garden

Dear Diary,

...Until today I was Holly Lawrence-Jones. But starting tomorrow I'm going to be Yvette Lawrence-Jones. My family doesn't know that yet, but I'll tell them tomorrow, and that's the name I'll tell the people at school, too.

The Year They Burned the Books; by Nancy Garden

Jamie Crawford is the senior editor of the "Telegraph," her high school's newspaper, but the publication of her editorial in favor of the school's new policy to distribute condoms happens to coincide with the election of a new, highly conservative school board member. As a result, Jamie suddenly finds her editorial voice gagged.

Hello, Groin; Beth Goobie

Dylan discovers that friendship can get in the way of love.

Singing the Dogstar Blues; by Alison Goodman

Seventeen-year-old Joss is a rebel--the daughter of a famous newscaster and a sperm donor; a wild girl who can play a mean harmonica; a student of time travel at the prestigious Centre for Neo-Historical Studies. This year, for the first time, the Centre has an alien student--Mavkel, from the planet Choria. And Mavkel has chosen Joss, of all people, as his roommate and study partner.

City/Country; by Nick Gray

When Cody heads off to rural Georgia for the gay version of the popular reality TV show, City/Country, he has no idea that things are going to be so disorganized. What starts out as a legitimate offer from network TV dissolves into a farce where Cody and the other four guys who agreed to do the show are being used as guinea pigs for a doctoral thesis.

Dream Boy; by Jim Grimsley



Is He or Isn't He?; by John Hall

In the glittering world of New York City's richest and most famous prep school, best friends Paige and Anthony become equally entranced by the enigmatic, ever–so–cute new guy Max, but in order to snag him, they must first use their charms and wit to discover the truth–is he or isn't he?

The Last Exit to Normal; by Michael Harmon

It’s true: After 17-year-old Ben’s father announces he’s gay and the family splits apart, Ben does everything he can to tick him off: skip school, smoke pot, skateboard nonstop, get arrested. But he never thinks he’ll end up yanked out of his city life and plunked down into a small Montana town with his dad and Edward, The Boyfriend.

I Kiss Girls; by Gina Harris

Joanie’s got all of the problems of an almost seventeen year old girl. She’s trying to get her driver’s license, her mom and dad are pressuring her about going to prom, and she never can seem to make it to the bus on time. Even worse, Joanie likes girls, not boys, and all of the girls in her hometown are pretty darned straight.

Geography Club; by Brent Hartinger

Russel Middlebrook is convinced he's the only gay kid at Goodkind High School. Then his online gay-chat buddy turns out to be none other than Kevin, the popular but closeted star of the school's baseball team.

The Order of the Poison Oak; by Brent Hartinger

Summer camp is different from high school. Something about spending the night. Things happen. Geography Club's Russel Middlebrook is back, and he and his friends are off to work as counselors at a summer camp.

Split Screen; by Brent Hartinger

It's a horror-movie extravaganza in this companion to Brent Hartinger's Geography Club! Two books in one recount the stories of best friends Min and Russel who sign up to be extras on the set of a zombie film – then learn that there's nothing scarier than high school romance!

Beautiful Thing; by Jonathan Harvey

The play of the classic movie.

Out of the Shadows; by Sue Hines

Ro thinks her family is totally unlike anyone else's. Jodie is afraid of herself. So they spend a long time stepping carefully around the truth, hiding secrets that they know are too terrible to reveal.

Jack; by A. M. Homes

In Jack, A. M. Homes gives us a teenager who wants nothing more than to be normal -- even if being normal means having divorced parents and a rather strange best friend. But when Jack's father takes him out in a rowboat on Lake Watchmayoyo and tells his son he's gay, nothing will ever be normal again.

The Misfits; by James Howe

Sticks and stones
may break our bones,
but names
will break our spirit.

Totally Joe; by James Howe

"Everybody says you and Colin were kissing." "What? That's ridiculous!" "For heaven's sake, Joe, if you and Colin want to kiss, you have every right to." "We did not kiss," I told her. Addie shrugged. "Whatever." What was it with my friends?

5 Miles to Empty; by Jarold Imes

When Franklin Dell lived in Denver Colorado he and his group of friends sold candy in their middle school, fought gang violence and enjoyed a nearly peaceful seventh grade year. Franklin has always bragged about Winston-Salem, North Carolina was his dream home. He enjoyed the predominantly African American city and wants nothing more than to leave the thuggish, ruggish gangster ways of Denver behind. Upon arriving in Winston-Salem, he finds that the city is nothing how he imagined it being from his summer visits from Denver.

Country Girl; City Girl; by Lisa Jahn-Clough

Phoebe Sharp has long red braids. She wears old beat-up sneakers and clothes from Goodwill. She lives with her father and brother on a small farm in Maine, where she reads fairy tales to her goats and snaps pictures with her Instamatic camera. Phoebe doesn't have a single friend, never mind a boyfriend—that is, not until she meets Melita.

Freak Show; by James St James

Billy Bloom is gay, but it’s mostly theoretical, as he hasn’t had much experience. When he has to move to Florida, he can’t believe his bad luck. His new school is a mix of Bible Belles, Aberzombies, and Football Heroes, none of which are exactly his type.

Breaking Boxes; by A. M. Jenkins

Charlie is a teenage loner. His parents are gone, and except for his older brother, he doesn't need anyone, especially friends. But when Charlie ends up suspended after a school fight, he meets Brandon, and things begin to change. Even though Brandon hangs with the rich kids, Charlie discovers a real person underneath the phony exterior.

The Bermudez Triangle; by Maureen Johnson

"Their friendship went so far back, it bordered on the Biblical-in the beginning, there was Nina and Avery and Mel." So says high school senior Nina Bermudez about herself and her two best friends, nicknamed "The Bermudez Triangle" by a jealous wannabe back on Nina's eleventh birthday. But the threesome faces their first separation when Nina goes away the summer before their senior year. And in ten short weeks, everything changes.

Tips on Having a Gay (Ex) Boyfriend; by Carrie Jones

Dylan is Belle's true love—maybe even her soulmate. Until one day when Dylan drops the ultimate bomb: he's gay. Where, Belle wonders, does that leave her? And how will the rest of their small town deal with an openly gay Homecoming King?

Another Kind of Cowboy; by Susan Juby

For Alex Ford, dressage is an oasis. In the stable, he can slip into his riding pants, shed the macho cowboy image, and feel like himself for a change.

Carcass of the Caterpillar; by E. Layne Kelly

To climb the water tower, to dive off the bridge into the Santeetlah River, Chad McClain is unrivaled in his tough country-boy antics. Growing up in a small North Carolina town, Chad at eighteen is coming to grips with the fact that perhaps his future will not include college. That his horizons will not be stretching any farther than the same small-town streets and hay fields that he has been around his entire life.

Desert Sons; by Mark Kendrick

Scott Faraday is sixteen and has no idea that his world is about to radically change. Scott is fun-loving, in a small-town rock band, and out—but only to a select few. Isolated in a high desert town, Scott doesn’t know anyone else who is gay. When Ryan St. Charles, a troubled 17-year-old, moves to Yucca Valley, Scott’s world tilts on its axis.

Deliver Us from Evie; by M. E. Kerr

Told by her brother Parr, this is the story of 18-year-old Evie, her Missouri farm family, and the turmoil created by Evie's love for the local banker's daughter.

Night Kites; by M. E. Kerr

What do you do when your best friend's girlfriend makes a pass at you? Erick Rudd isn't sure how it happened -- he did nothing but look. It was Nicki who made the first move. And if that doesn't complicate things enough, Erick is about to get some news that will blow his safe world apart: Pete, his older brother and idol, has fullblown AIDS.

Blue Coyote; by Liza Ketchum

"Tito doesn't live here anymore." Alex Beekman's best friend Tito has disappeared, and his parents won't say where he's gone--or why. To solve the mystery, Alex joins his father on a summer trip to Los Angeles. As he searches, Alex uncovers clues--Tito's surfboard, abandoned on a beach; the turtle design they once painted on their surfboards, now on display at a tattoo shop--but everyone who knew Tito clams up when Alex demands answers about his missing friend.

Twelve Days in August; by Liza Ketchum

When Alex Beekman and his twin sister, Rita, move to town, Alex threatens sixteen-year-old Todd O'Connor's position on the varsity soccer team, as well as that of Randy Tovitch, the star striker. Randy starts a name-calling campaign, calling Alex "a fag" in order to force him from the team. As team members choose sides, Todd faces the loss of his girlfriend and learns a painful family secret from his beloved uncle.

Equinox; by Monte Killingsworth

Autumn and her parents live on a small island in the state of Washington. The slow, natural pace of her island home has always meant a great deal to Autumn, so when her father tells her that they must move to the commercial mainland, Autumn is devastated. Autumn sets out to prove to her parents how important it is for them to stay.

One Butt Cheek At a Time; by Amber Kizer

Gert Garibaldi isn't one of those people who believe high school is the best part of life. She has a whole notebook full of rants about high school, and she's fully aware of how ridiculous the experience is, thank you very much.

The Arizona Kid; by Ron Koertge

I was in the West. The Old West. The Wild West! A whole summer in a new place: a place away from my parents, a place so hot the girls probably wore bikinis to church, a place where I'd take a giant step toward my dream: becoming a vet. A place where — who knows? — anything might happen.

Boy Girl Boy; by Ron Koertge

Larry, Teresa, and Elliot are so tight, there's no room in their circle for more than three: boy, girl, boy. And when they graduate, they plan to move to California to start their real lives—together.

Talk; by Kathe Koja

Kit Webster is hiding a secret. Carma, his best friend, has already figured it out, and pushes him to audition for the high school play, Talk. When he's cast as the male lead, he expects to escape his own life for a while and become a different person. What he gets instead is the role of a lifetime: Kit Webster.

Northridge High Football Camp; by S. Joseph Krol

Two star football players discover their attraction to each other while on football camp.

Ten Out of Ten: Ten Winning Plays; by Wendy Lamb

A collection of nine outstanding plays that were highlights from previous anthologies and one that appears in print for the first time represent the best plays from the first ten years of the acclaimed Young Playwrights Festival.

Absolutely Positively; by Not David LaRochelle

Steven's a 16-year-old boy with two obsessions: sex and getting his driving license. The problem is, Steven's not thinking girls when he's thinking sex. Could he be -- don't say it -- gay? Steven sets out to get in touch with his inner he-man with Healthy Heterosexual Strategies such as "Start Hanging Out with the Guys," and "Begin Intensive Dating." But are Steven's tactics going to straighten him out, or leave him all twisted up?

My Worst Date; by David Leddick

In Miami, where the sun always shines and the people are always fabulous, sixteen-year-old Hugo is ready for something more than school and hanging out. When he meets Glenn Elliot Paul, he thinks that, maybe, he had found something to look forward to. Hugo gets more than he bargained for, however, when he realizes that the man of his dreams is also dating his mother.

Absolute Brightness; by James Lescesne

Darkness: Where light is not. Light: Brightness or illumination from a particular source. Absolute brightness: The mystery of Leonard Pelkey. This is the story of a luminous force of nature: a boy who encounters evil and whose magic isn't truly felt until he disappears.

Boy Meets Boy; by David Levithan

In this delightful young adult novel, high school sophomore Paul says, "There isn’t really a gay scene or a straight scene in our town. They got all mixed up a while back, which I think is for the best." And, as he observes at the end of the story, "It's a wonderful world."

How They Met and Other Stories; David Levithan

Here are 18 stories, all about love, and about all kinds of love. From the aching for the one you pine for, to standing up and speaking up for the one you love, to pure joy and happiness, these love stories run the gamut of that emotion that at some point has turned every one of us inside out and upside down.

Realm of Possibility; by David Levithan

Enter The Realm of Possibility and meet a boy whose girlfriend is in love with Holden Caulfield; a girl who loves the boy who wears all black; a boy with the perfect body; and a girl who writes love songs for a girl she can’t have.

Wide Awake; by David Levithan

In the not-too-impossible-to-imagine future, a gay Jewish man has been elected president of the United States. Until the governor of one state decides that some election results in his state are invalid, awarding crucial votes to the other candidate, and his fellow party member. Thus is the inspiration for couple Jimmy and Duncan to lend their support to their candidate by deciding to take part in the rallies and protests.

Dramarama; by E Lockhart



Killing Darcy; by Melissa Lucashenko

Angry young Koori Darcy Mango is on parole, and looking for his mob in Northern New South Wales. Befriending the Menzies family wasn't at all what he had in mind, but then neither was the old house hidden in the bush near Desperation Creek.

All the Old Haunts; by Chris Lynch

A kid visited by memories of his dead cousin and tortured by his decision not to take a leap. A twin tormented by his monstrous brother. A couple blown apart by an unintended pregnancy. A personal discovery that threatens disaster. A bitter anger whose object is beyond the reach of revenge. A longing to live a forbidden life.

Sonny's House of Spies; by George Ella Lyon

Set in Alabama 1950s, 13-year-old Sonny has a dawning awareness of what segregation means.

Twelve Long Months; by Brian Malloy

Please believe Molly Swain when she tells you: "Never fall in love with a gay boy. And whatever you do, don't move to New York and invite said gay boy to live with you, to make a fresh start in a new city. After all, that was what I was trying to do. Yeah, I'm only eighteen, which is, as my father says, not old enough to know your head from your ass, but still, I should have known better. After all, I was valedictorian."

The Year of Ice; by Brian Malloy

It is 1978 in the Twin Cities, and Kevin Doyle, a high school senior, is a marginal student in love with keggers, rock and roll, and-unbeknownst to anyone else-a boy in his class with thick eyelashes and a bad attitude. His mother Eileen died two years earlier when her car plunged into the icy waters of the Mississippi River, and since then Kevin's relationship with his father Patrick has become increasingly distant.

Chinese Garden; by Rosemary Manning

The Bampfield School for Girls is housed in a crumbling country estate where "the physical standards are those of Dartmoor, the religion perverted, and the games mistress a sadist"-and where love between students is the ultimate crime. Into this world comes sixteen-year-old Rachel, a young woman who loves the round symmetries of Latin verse and the melancholy beauty of the Somerset countryside.

Pretty Things; by Sarra Manning

Brie is in love with Lancôme Juicy Tubes, Louis Vuitton accessories, and her gay best friend Charlie, who is in love with 1960s pop art, 1980s teen movies, and serial heartbreaker Walker, who has ever only been in love with his VW Bug, until he meets Daisy . . . who is too busy hating everyone to know what love is.

Letters from the Inside; by John Marsden

Through the mail, Mandy and Tracey become fast friends. They share news about their boyfriends, their siblings, and their pets. They trade stories about school and home. They confide their every hope and fear. Or do they? What are the secrets hidden between the lines of their cheerful letters?

A Perfect Snow; by Nora Martin

Ben Campbell, 17, is angry. Angry at having to live in a broken-down trailer park. Angry that his unemployed dad isn't a respected ranch boss any more. Angry at having to defend his exasperating younger brother, David. Most of all, angry at the rich kids at school who seem to get away with everything. Only when he's out with Chuck and Travis, burning a Jew lawyer's car or shooting up a synagogue, does he feel powerful and in control again.

Clay's Way; Blair Mastbaum

Set against the dazzling backdrop of Hawaii's Oahu and Kauai islands, Clay's Way seethes with energy and hormonally charged nihilism. For 15-year-old Sam, a wanna-be punk rocker who writes bad haiku poetry, his middle-class suburban life feels like a prison. Mistaking lust for fate, Sam becomes obsessed with Clay, a 17-year-old surfer, outwardly cool but equally adrift.

The Folded Leaf; by William Maxwell

The story of two boys finding one another in the Midwest of the 1920s, when childhood lasted longer than it does today and even adults were more innocent of what life could bring. 

No Big Deal; by Ellen Jaffe McClain

When rumors that Janice's favorite teacher is gay begin to circulate at school and in the community, she decides to stand up for him even in the face of her mother's opposition.

Adam; by Anthony McDonald

Adam is the 16-year-old most parents would love to have: he doesn't do drugs, comes top at school and regularly practices his cello. But there is another side to him, which comes to the fore when he falls for laborer Sylvain and gets sexually involved with two friends. The results are explosive in this passionate story of illicit romance and teenage angst -- a combination that is eternally popular with gay readers.

Shockproof Sydney Skate; by Marijane Meaker

Sydney Skate has dubbed himself "Shockproof": He decoded his mother's gossip with her glamorous lesbian girlfriends at age eight (but has never let on to her that he knows she's gay). He easily shrugs off his father's demands to skip college and join him in the exciting world of swimming pool sales for suburbanites.

Fat Hoochie Prom Queen; Nico Medina

Margarita "Madge" Diaz is fat, foxy, and fabulous. She loves herself, and is adored by almost everyone else...except queen bee/student-body president Bridget Benson. These two girls have a history that's uglier than a drag queen after last call. During a heated argument, they decide there's only one way to end their rivalry: be named prom queen and the other backs off -- for good.

The Straight Road to Kylie; by Nico Medina

Life is fabulous for Jonathan Parish. He's seventeen, out and proud, and ready to party through senior year with his posse of best girlfriends. But the year starts off with the wrong kind of bang when Jonathan -- in an inebriated lapse of judgment -- sleeps with a friend of his...a girl friend!

Talking in the Dark; by Billy Merrell

This is a memoir that is lived in moments. The moments you know - when you see your parents' marriage dissolving, when you realize you're a boy who likes boys, when you speak the truth and don't know if it will be heard.

Hero; by Perry Moore



Dancing in the Arms of Orion; by Stephen R Moore



Sons; by Alphonso Morgan

Set in 1990's Brooklyn, Sons is the story of a teenage boy's struggle with his sexuality in the age of Hip-hop. In relentless prose, the novel moves from light to dark, through race, culture, class and religion to its tragic climax.

Kissing Kate; by Lauren Myracle

Lissa thought that she and Kate, her beautiful and charismatic best friend, would always be close. Then one summer night Kate kissed Lissa-and Lissa kissed her back. Now Kate acts as if nothing happened and as if Lissa doesn't exist.

The Shell House; by Linda Newbery

Greg’s casual interest in the history of a ruined mansion becomes more personal as he slowly discovers the tragic events that overwhelmed its last inhabitants. Set against a background of the modern day and the First World War, Greg’s contemporary beliefs become intertwined with those of Edmund, a foot soldier whose confusion about his sexuality and identity mirrors Greg’s own feelings of insecurity.

Crashing America; by Katia Noyes

When her best friend dies, Girl, the 17-year-old street-punk narrator of Crashing America, leaves San Francisco for the heartland in search of a place where she can breathe again. Torn between her innate restlessness, an overwhelming longing for a sense of home, and a desperate fear of impending death, Girl seeks to link herself to almost anyone she crosses paths with: a bored housewife in Salt Lake City casting a net for illicit thrills, a born-again Christian punk rocker and his girlfriend, a teenage waitress in a small town with a horizon so endless Girl is terrified to leave her hotel room.

Small Avalanches and Other Stories; by Joyce Carol Oates

When the sky blue ball comes soaring over the fence, a high-school girl is confronted with the haunting memory of her childhood. A jealous teen lets her cousin go off alone with a dangerous capricorn, aware of the terrifying possibilities. A vulnerable young girl cunningly outwits a menacing stranger and exults in her newfound power, surviving the first of many small avalanches.

Staged Life; by Lija O'Brien

Nancy Dodd grew up privileged, at least for the early nineteen hundreds, until her father died, leaving an overbearing uncle as her only choice of a legal guardian. Instead of going to live with her mother’s brother, Nan is spirited away by her father’s less-acceptable family to become a player on vaudeville, staying in hiding until she reaches adulthood. Joining a troupe called the Five Larks, Nan begins her new life.

Lucky; by Eddie De Oliveira

Sam is a teen boy who's attracted to both boys and girls. He doesn't know what to call himself or where he fits in. Then he meets Toby, another boy who likes both boys and girls. Are they destined to be just friends, more than friends, or less than friends?

At Swim, Two Boys; by Jamie O'Neill

Set during the year preceding the Easter Uprising of 1916 -- Ireland's brave but fractured revolt against British rule -- At Swim, Two Boys is a tender, tragic love story and a brilliant depiction of people caught in the tide of history. Powerful and artful, and ten years in the writing, it is a masterwork from Jamie O'Neill.

M Or F?; by Lisa Papademetriou and Chris Tebbetts

Frannie and her best friend Marcus are both "boyfriend virgins," but Marcus has an excuse—eligible gay boys are hard to come by in their small Illinois town.

Get a Clue (Sweet Valley High Senior Year); by Francine Pascal

Tia Ramirez’s to do list: 1. Haircut, 2. Study for French, 3. Call Andy, 4. Pick up cheese for mom’s enchiladas, 5. Decide what to do with the rest of my life

Belinda's Obsession; by Patricia Penny

When Belinda sees her mom walking arm in arm with a man who is not Belinda's father, her parent's marriage suddenly becomes the focus in her life. Obsessed with the affair that could break up her family, Belinda ignores the people closest to her.

Between Mom and Jo; by Julie Anne Peters

Nick has a three-legged dog named Lucky, some pet fish, and two moms who think he's the greatest kid ever. And he happens to think he has the greatest Moms ever, but everything changes when his birth mom and her wife, Jo, start to have marital problems. Suddenly, Nick is in the middle, and instead of having two Moms to turn to for advice, he has no one.

Far From Xanadu; by Julie Anne Peters

Every day in Coalton is pretty much the same. Mike pumps iron in the morning, drives her truck to school, plays softball in the afternoon, and fixes the neighbors' plumbing at night. But when an exotic new girl, Xanadu, arrives in the small Kansas town, Mike's world is turned upside down.

grl2grl; Julie Anne Peters

In this honest, emotionally captivating short story collection, renowned author and National Book Award finalist Julie Anne Peters offers a stunning portrayal of young women as they navigate the hurdles of relationships and sexual identity.

Keeping You a Secret; by Julie Anne Peters

In her trademark, darkly humorous voice, Julie Anne Peters has written a moving, compelling, and witty love story between two girls. Keeping You a Secret is a contemporary, worthy successor to classic YA coming out novels.

Luna; by Julie Anne Peters

Liam has decided he is ready to transition into Luna. Liam/Luna's sister Regan may not be able to deal with the consequences.

What Happened to Lani Garver; by Carol Plum-Ucci

The close-knit residents of Hackett Island have never seen anyone quite like Lani Garver. Everything about this new kid is a mystery: Where does Lani come from? How old is Lani? And most disturbing of all, is Lani a boy or a girl?

Breathe; by Blaire R Poole

BREATHE is the story of a teenage boy's struggle to keep his sexuality a secret from his devout religious family and homophobic friends. BREATHE, which is set against the backdrop of contemporary city life and hip-hop culture, is written with a passion and verve reminiscent of James Earl Hardy.

Pins; by Jim Provenzano

Acclaimed sports columnist and fiction writer Jim Provenzano's novel PINS tells the story of bigotry in athletics, and one very short boy who stands up to it. Set in Little Falls, New Jersey in 1993, PINS weaves the classic story of a Catholic saint into a compelling modern life -and near-death- account of Joey Nicci, a fifteen-year-old Italian-American wrestler.

Metes and Bounds; by Jay Quinn

In this unusual coming-of-age novel, author Jay Quinn surveys the expanding emotional and sexual boundaries of Matt, an eighteen-year-old surfer in coastal North Carolina. Set against the broad skies and beaches of North Carolina's Outer Banks, Matt's story of claiming his place as a surfer and as a gay man in the small and large worlds of construction sites, fishing piers, and surf breaks, is a triumph of storytelling.

Bend, Don't Shatter; edited by T Cole Rachel and Rita D Costello

This new poetry anthology navigates the rocky waters of teenage sexuality and confusion with insight, clarity, and understanding. The poems were written by adults who keenly remember the turmoil and excitement of their own adolescent sexual explorations but now have the perspective and sense of self that come with growing up. They employ concrete details — reaching across car seats, the electric touch of fingertips — as well as more ephemeral concepts, such as facing desire as powerful as a thunderstorm.

A Secret Edge; by Robin Reardon



Thinking Straight; by Robin Reardon

I know God doesn't make mistakes, and if I'm gay it's because that's what he wanted. What you wanted. And I think the challenge is to get everyone else to see that. This is their test, not mine.

Tripping to Somewhere; by Kristopher Reisz

Life is going nowhere fast...until the night some freak wanders into the convenience store where Sam and Gilly are hanging out. He lets them in on a secret: The Witches' Carnival is nearby. If they travel fast, they might catch it.

The Necessary Hunger; by Nina Revoyr

As a star basketball player in her last year of high school, Nancy Takahiro's life is about to change forever. Faced with the college recruitment process and unsure of where her skill will take her, Nancy is not prepared for meeting Raina Webber, an All-State shooting guard whose passion for basketball is matched only by her talent.

Love Rules; by Marilyn Reynolds

This novel portrays the widespread effects of a young lesbian's decision to come out of the closet and live openly and honestly while still in high school. The story line revolves around Kit Dandridge-a young lesbian struggling to be herself in a repressive environment-her best friend Lynn, and their families and friends.

Heart Sense; KL Richardsson

The only son of a traveling merchant, Katjin spends his summer in the clan lands with his grandparents. He wishes his father, his apa, would take him along, but despite the promises that someday he’ll get to go, Katjin is left behind while his apa heads away on business that seems more and more suspicious the older Kat becomes.

Water Seekers; by Michelle Rode

Nuclear devastation is the past. The need for water is the present. Can they survive to find a future? I watch the sun coming up on my right as I walk. We’ve only got about three hours now before it gets too hot and we have to stop. We’ve learned not to leave it too long, learned not to wait until the last minute to put up our tents and hide within their dubious shelter.

A Better Place; by Mark A. Roeder

What do the poorest boy in town and the captain of the football team have in common? More than you might think. Casper has nothing, but a trio of bullies who hound him, a distant father and an older brother who makes his life a living hell. Brendan has it all; muscles, money, fame and popularity. The boys come from different worlds, but both share a constant desire.

Altered Realities; by Mark A Roeder

Marshall only wanted to help his friends, to undo the pain of the past, but a few moments of thoughtless action changed everything. Altered Realities is the tale of a changed world. All bets are off. Nothing is as it was and what is to be is transformed too. Mark, Taylor, Ethan, Nathan, Brendan, Casper and nearly the entire cast of the Gay Youth Chronicles come together in a tapestry of tales as they all try to deal with the consequences of Marshall’s actions.

Ancient Prejudice, Break to New Mutiny; by Mark A. Roeder

Mark is an eighteen-year-old boy who wants what we all want: to love and be loved. His dreams are realized when he meets Taylor, the boy of his dreams. The boys struggle to keep their love hidden from a world that cannot understand, but ultimately, no secret is safe in a small Midwestern town.

Dead Het Boys; by Mark A Roeder

Marshall’s experiences with ghosts and the supernatural are legendary, but when a boy a hundred-years dead turns up in his bedroom with the cryptic message “Blackford Manor,” Marshall realizes his adventures with the other side have only began. As more specters appear to Marshall, he begins to assemble the pieces of a puzzle that lead him to Graymoor Mansion and a set of crimes more heinous than those of modern day serial killers.

Disastrous Dates & Dream Boys; Mark A Roeder

Disastrous Dates & Dream Boys is the story of teenaged boys who want what we all want, to love and be loved. The boys from A Better Place are back. Shawn yearns for a boyfriend, but fears his father’s wrath if he discovers the truth. Dane, too, is seeking a soul mate and trying to leave his checkered past behind. He yearns for Billy, but if he approaches him will the result be happiness or disaster?

Do You Know That I Love You?; by Mark Roeder

In Do You Know That I Love You, Ralph, a young gay teen living on a farm in Indiana, has an aching crush on a rock star and wants nothing more than to see his idol in concert. Meanwhile, Jordan, the rock star, is lonely and sometimes confused with his success, because all he wants is someone to love him and feels he will never find the love he craves.

Keeper of Secrets; by Mark A. Roeder

Sixteen year old Avery is in trouble, yet again, but this time he’s in over his head. On the run, Avery is faced with hardships and fear. He must become what he’s always hated, just to survive. He discovers new reasons to hate, until fate brings him to Graymoor Mansion and he discovers a disturbing connection to the past.

Masked Destiny; by Mark A. Roeder

Masked Destiny is the story of Skye, a high school athlete determined to be the Alpha male. Skye's obsessed with his own body, his Abercrombie & Fitch wardrobe, and keeping those around him in their place. Try as he might, he's not quite able to ignore the world around him, or the plight of gay boys who cross his path.

Outfield Menace; by Mark A Roeder

Outfield Menace is the tale of Kurt, a fifteen-year-old baseball player, living in a small, 1950s, Indiana town. During a confrontation with Angel, the resident bad boy of Blackford High School, Kurt attacks Angel, earning the wrath of the most dangerous gang in town. When Angel finally corners Kurt, however, something happens that Kurt wouldn't have imagined in his wildest dreams.

The Perfect Boy; by Mark A Roeder

A specter from the past haunts the halls of Blackford High School, terrorizing anyone who preys on the weak. Rumors say that a Goth/skater boy controls the ghost, but can the rumor be true? A mysterious new boy catches the eye of Toby and his new friend, Daniel Peralta as well. The new boy seems too perfect to be real. Is he or will be become the boy of Toby's or Daniel's dreams?

Phantom World; by Mark A. Roeder

Toby Riester is sixteen, gay, and searching for his first boyfriend. He discovers many potential candidates--Orlando, a cute sixteen year old boy of Latin ancestry who works with Toby at the Phantom World amusement park--C.T., a blond, seventeen year old who is obviously gay--and Spike, a well-built sixteen year old from the internet. Each boy has his own seductive qualities and each is more than his seems.

The Soccer Field Is Empty; by Mark A Roeder

The Soccer Field Is Empty is the story of teen love, steamy romance, friendship, loyalty, understanding, and ancient prejudice. Here is a tale that breaks the stereotypes of the ignorant and peers into the soul of two boys who want what we all want; to love and be loved. The story of Mark and Taylor, two sixteen-year-old high school athletes, is a tale of love and happiness torn asunder by a world that understands too late.

Someone Is Killing the Gay Boys of Verona; by Mark A Roeder

Someone is killing the gay boys of Verona, Indiana, and only one gay youth stands in the way. He finds himself pitted against powerful foes, but finds allies in places he did not expect.

Someone Is Watching; by Mark A Roeder

Someone Is Watching. Someone Knows. It was a nightmare come true for seventeen-year-old Ethan. It's hard hiding a secret. It's even harder keeping that secret when someone else knows. Who is the mysterious note-writer, the secret tormentor? Who is the enemy that hides among Ethan's friends and teammates?

The Summer Of My Discontent; by Mark A. Roeder

"The Summer of My Discontent" is a tapestry of tales delving into life as a gay teen in a small Midwestern town. Dane is a sixteen-year-old runaway determined to start a new life of daring, love, and sex--no matter the cost to himself, or others. His actions bring him to the brink of disaster and only those he sought to prey upon can save him.

This Time Around; by Mark A. Roeder

This Time Around follows Jordan and Ralph as they become involved in a struggle with Reverend Wellerson, a TV evangelist, over the fate of gay youth centers. Wellerson is willing to stop at nothing to crush gay rights and who better to halt his evil plans than the most famous rock star in the entire world? While battling Wellerson, Jordan seeks to come to terms with his own past and learn more about the father he never knew.

The Vampire's Heart; by Mark A. Roeder

Graham Granger is intrigued by the new boy in school. Graham’s heart aches for a friend, and maybe a boyfriend, but is Josiah the answer to his dreams? Why is Bry Hartnett, the school hunk, taking an interest in Graham as well? When strange happenings begin to occur at Griswold Jr./Sr. High, Graham’s once boring life becomes more exciting than he can handle.

17: A Novel in Prose Poems; by Liz Rosenberg

The first day of Stephanie’s junior year is a step into the underworld. Led into desire, depression, and alienation by the intoxicating yet strangely distant figure of Denny Pistill, Stephanie must cope with a series of fears and crises. Denny and Stephanie are drawn to each other through writing and reading poetry, and author Liz Rosenberg’s own poetic sense gives truth to Stephanie’s ability to make art out of the darkest things.

Drama! 1: The Four Dorothys; by Paul Ruditis

Spawned from Hollywood's A-list glitterati, nearly every student at the exclusive Orion Academy is a singer, dancer, model, or actor -- with the ego to match. So how do you fit so many budding stars into one school musical? Multi-cast, of course. It's a Wizard of Oz like no other: four Dorothys, two Scarecrows, two Glindas, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Every "star" gets a moment in the spotlight.

Drama! 2: Everyone's a Critic; Paul Ruditis

School's out, but the drama never stops at the superposh Orion Academy. Hartley Blackstone -- the famous director, producer, choreographer, and genuine Broadway icon -- has chosen Orion to hold auditions for one lucky guy and girl to attend his summer theater program in New York City.

Naturally, every wannabe-It girl and boy at Orion is going mad, prepping to win Blackstone's approval. With any luck, it could be Bryan and his BFF, Sam, stepping onto a Broadway stage.

Drama! 3: Show, Don't Tell; by Paul Ruditis

The Renaissance Faire has come to town! Okay, so the exclamation point doesn't make it any cooler, but Sam is overjoyed to reunite with her former faire folk (say that ten times fast). Bryan, on the other hand, can do without all the "thees," "thous," and -- oh yes -- man tights. But he'd best take part in the festivities lest he lose his head...with Sam doing the chopping.

Drama! 4: Entrances and Exits; by Paul Ruditis

It's time for the Fall One-Act Festival, and Hope gets the honored privilege of debuting her very first original play! With Bryan directing and Jason and Sam as the leads, it seems as if nothing could go wrong with this dream team of talent. But where's the fun in that?

Enter Sam and Jason's onstage chemistry that's so hot, it's working overtime offstage! Course, Sam's real-life beau, Eric isn't so cool with that.

Saints of Augustine; by P E Ryan



Empress of the World; by Sara Ryan

Nicola Lancaster is spending the summer at the Siegel Institute Summer Program for Gifted Youth-a hothouse of smart, articulate, intense teenagers, living like college students for eight weeks. Nic's had theater friends and orchestra friends, but never just friend friends. And she's certainly never had a relationship.

The Rules for Hearts; by Sara Ryan

Battle Hall Davies is sure of some things: she’s going to Reed; she loves girls; and her older brother, Nick, is cooler than she could ever be. Nick ran away when Battle was in high school, and four years later, he’s tracked her down.

Far from Maddy; by C. C. Saint-Clair

When Maddy returned with a bottle of brandy and two plastic tumblers and found the wooden picnic table empty, she simply assumed that Jo must have decided to have a look around to stretch her legs. So Maddy bridged the few steps to where, come high tide, the sea would just about meet the grass of the esplanade.

Morgan in the Mirror; by C. C. Saint-Clair

Saint-Clair’s latest novel, Morgan in the Mirror, moves away from her usual lesbian contexts, and tackles the issue of transgenderism – a most relevant matter for the health and survival of humankind because fear of the unfamiliar is part of the global problem of discrimination against ‘the other’.

Getting It; by Alex Sanchez

Fifteen-year-old Carlos Amoroso is a virgin -- and he isn't happy about it. He'd love to hook up with gorgeous Roxy, but she has no idea he's alive. Watching a TV show one night gives Carlos an idea: What if he got a makeover from Sal, a senior at his school who's gay?

The God Box; Alex Sanchez

High school senior Paul has dated Angie since middle school, and they're good together. They have a lot of the same interests, like singing in their church choir and being active in Bible club. But when Manuel transfers to their school, Paul has to rethink his life.

Rainbow Boys; by Alex Sanchez

Jason Carrillo is a jock with a steady girlfriend, but he can't stop dreaming about sex...with other guys. Kyle Meeks doesn't look gay, but he is. And he hopes he never has to tell anyone -- especially his parents. Nelson Glassman is "out" to the entire world, but he can't tell the boy he loves that he wants to be more than just friends.

Rainbow High; by Alex Sanchez

Nelson Glassman may have been exposed to the HIV virus and is terrified of testing positive...but what if being positive is the only way to keep the guy of his dreams? Kyle Meeks finally has the guy of his dreams and is ready to do anything to stay by his side...but will "anything" include sabotaging his own future?

Rainbow Road; by Alex Sanchez

Jason Carrillo came out to his basketball team and lost his university scholarship. Now that he's graduated, he's been asked to speak at the opening of a gay and lesbian high school across the country -- but what is he going to say?

So Hard to Say; by Alex Sanchez

Frederick is the shy new boy, and Xio is the bubbly chica who lends him a pen on the first day of class. They become fast friends -- but when Xio decides she wants to be more than friends, Frederick isn't so sure. He loves hanging out with Xio and her crew, but he doesn't like her that way. Instead he finds himself thinking more and more about Victor, the captain of the soccer team.

Funny Boy; by Shyam Selvadurai

Arjie is a 'funny boy' who prefers dressing as a girl. This novel follows the life of his family through Arjie's eyes as he struggles to come to terms both with his own homosexuality and with the racism of the society in which he lives.

Swimming in the Monsoon Sea; by Shyam Selvadurai

The setting is Sri Lanka, 1980, and it is the season of monsoons. Fourteen-year-old Amrith is caught up in the life of the cheerful, well-to-do household in which he is being raised by his vibrant Auntie Bundle and kindly Uncle Lucky. He tries not to think of his life “before,” when his doting mother was still alive.

Unlived Affections; by George Shannon

After his grandmother's death, eighteen-year-old Willie finds a box of old letters which explain many family secrets. 

Hookup Artist; Tucker Shaw

Lucas is a genius matchmaker, a hook-up artist, and everyone at Thomas Jefferson High School seems to need his expertise. When it comes to finding his own true love, things aren't so easy. He's had his heart broken and the prospects aren't promising.

Changelings; by Jo Sinclair

Set in the1950s, in a white neighbourhood, Judy falls in love with a young black girl. 

Growing Up Gay/Growing Up Lesbian: A Literary Anthology; by Bennett L. Singer

Growing up Gay, Growing up Lesbian is a literary anthology geared specifically to gay and lesbian youth. It includes more than fifty coming-of-age stories.

A Really Nice Prom Mess; by Brian Sloan

Cameron doesn't want to go to prom. Not with his boyfriend, Shane, and definitely not with his fake date, Virginia. Sure, it's senior prom, it's the end of high school, and Virginia's drop-dead gorgeous. But none of that matters to Cam, who's never liked any high school dance. Ever.

Tale of Two Summers; by Brian Sloan

A ten-year best friendship is put to the test when Chuck and Hal spend their first summer apart falling for two questionable mates: a sexy Saudi songstress and a smokin' hot French punk. As Chuck heads off to summer theater camp and Hal stays in their hometown, learning how to drive, they keep in touch via blogging, reporting to each other about their suddenly separate lives and often ridiculous romantic entanglements.

The World of Normal Boys; by K. M. Soehnlein

"The time is the late 1970s - an age of gas shortages, head shops, and Saturday Night Fever. The place, suburban New Jersey. At a time when the teenagers around him are coming of age, Robin MacKenzie is coming undone. While "normal boys" are into cars, sports, and bullying their classmates, Robin enjoys day trips to New York City with his elegant mother, spinning fantastic tales for her amusement in an intimate ritual he has come to love.

Revolutionary Voices; Amy Sonnie

Invisible. Unheard. Alone. Chilling words but apt to describe the isolation and alienation of queer youth. In silence and fear they move from childhood memories of repression or violence to the unknown, unmentored, landscape of queer adulthood, their voices stilled or ignored. No longer.

Center of the World; by Andreas Steinhofel

Seventeen-year-old Phil has felt like an outsider as long as he can remember. All Phil has ever known about his father is that he was Number Three on his mother’s long list—third in a series of affairs that have set Phil’s family even further apart from the critical townspeople across the river. As for his own sexuality, Phil doesn’t care what the neighbors will think; he’s just waiting for the right guy to come along.

Becoming Bobbie; by R. J. Stevens

Growing up as a bona fide tomboy in the shadow of her fashionable, ladylike mother, Bobbie lives for three things: cars, music, and time with her uncomplicated, mechanic dad. She doesn't need much in the way of friends. Her best girlfriends are on the radio—women with names like Aretha, Janis, and Diana. And she loves the cool logic of working on engines—the simple joy of finding the part that doesn't work, of fixing what's broken. But what's broken beneath the shiny facade of her family is something beyond Bobbie's control, a shattering secret that tears her family apart and sends Bobbie into a spiral of anger and defiance that she finds echoed only in the electric pain of rock 'n' roll.

Tomorrow Wendy; by Shelly Stoehr

I've discovered that if you wear a big enough hat, no one worries much about what s going on inside your head, says Cary. And no one, not even her boyfriend, Danny, knows about the things inside Cary s head. Especially the feelings she has for Wendy, a girl with bright green hair and hard-candy sadness in her eyes.

The Blue Lawn; by William Taylor

David is 15 and the star player of his school's rugby team. Sixteen-year-old Theo is an outsider, attractive but not altogether likable, and not particularly interested in making friends. In this award-winning novel set in New Zealand, initial hostility between the boys turns into an unlikely friendship- which masks a growing attraction that neither boy understands.

Jerome; by William Taylor

Marco and Katie, devastated by the death of their friend Jerome and separated by thousands of miles, turn to each other for comfort and answers. Marco, in New Zealand, and Katie, in America as a foreign-exchange student, converse through a series of online chats, faxes, and email messages. As they explore the nature of their respective relationships with Jerome, denial gives way to truth.

Rose of No Man's Land; by Michelle Tea

Fourteen-year-old Trisha Driscoll is a gender-blurring, self-described loner whose family expects nothing of her. While her mother lies on the couch in a hypochondriac haze and her sister aspires to be on The Real World, Trisha struggles to find her own place among the neon signs, theme restaurants, and cookie-cutter chain stores of her hometown.

The Foul Line; by F. Thibou

A genuine look at teenage life as seen through the eyes of a seventeen year old basketball phenomenon, Ashley Scheid, whose homosexuality creates a world of conflict. Feuding with family, testing friendship and succumbing to love prove that it is always a long shot at The Foul Line.

Banshee; by Hayden Thorne

Nathaniel, or Natty as his family calls him, is a young man at a crossroads. His mother wants him to spend time with her family, far better off than his father, who is a poor vicar. His father would rather he do just about anything else, and his cousins have no interest in getting to know him. So what’s a young man with very few prospects to do?

Icarus in Flight; by Hayden Thorne

James Ellsworth is a bit jaded, especially for his young age. He hates school, and longs for his parents’ estate, where life is far more pleasant. Meeting new schoolmate Daniel Courtney is a much-needed distraction, one that will prove more and more engrossing as James and Daniel grow older.

Masks: Rise of Heroes; by Hayden Thorne

Strange things are happening in Vintage City, and high school goth boy Eric seems to be right in the middle of them. There’s a new villain in town, one with super powers, and he’s wreaking havoc on the town, and on Eric’s life. The new super hero who springs up to defend Vintage City is almost as bad, making Eric all hot and bothered, enough so that he almost misses the love that’s right under his nose.

7 Days At The Hot Corner; by Terry Trueman

This should be the best year of Scott's life: It's his last season of varsity ball, his team is about to go to the city championship, and a pro career is on the line. Instead, everything he always counted on comes crashing down at the same time, and his whole life is like one blazing hot corner—full of deadly line drives and crazy "bad hops."

November Ever After; by Laura Torres

In the aftermath of her mother's death, sixteen-year-old Amy finds solace in the company of her best friend Sara, but then she is shocked to discover that Sara is romantically involved with another girl and has kept it a secret from her.

Fat Tuesday; by Susan Vaught

What does Rusty Quinn do when her mom loses touch with reality, her best friend's dad explodes over a kiss, her other best friend gets committed to a psych ward, and the sanest person she knows is an egotistical Finnish exchange student who swears in a language nobody understands? She could write a soap opera, of course - or go to Mardi Gras. In fact, she could do both!

Tommy Stands Alone (Roosevelt High School); by Gloria Velasquez

The third novel in the Roosevelt High School Series focuses on the difficult issue of a young man's struggle with his sexual orientation--a conflict made more difficult by his family's traditional Hispanic expectations. 

Breathing Underwater; by Lu Vickers

In 1970s Chattahoochee, Florida, where the main employer is a mental institution, it's sink or swim for Lily. When her mama, a former beauty queen who once dreamt of being Miss Florida, takes Lily and her siblings fishing one morning, Lily nearly drowns while her mother looks on, "weighing her gains against her losses."

Peter; by Kate Walker

Pressured by his peers and society to conform to the stereotyped macho image, fifteen-year-old Peter feels both confused and repelled. His confusion and his horror increase when he finds himself attracted to his brother's best friend, David, who is gay.

Erik & Isabelle: Freshman Year at Foresthill High; by Kim Wallace

Erik & Isabelle Freshman Year at Foresthill High by Kim Wallace introduces two best friends who share their thoughts and feelings with one another as they experience romantic crushes, family drama, growing pains, and personal victories. Sounds like every other teenager, doesn’t it? The clincher is, they’re both gay.

Sevens, Week 1: Shattered; by Scott Wallens

Meena was babysitting Trace Clayton, the son of her parents' best friends, when a fire broke out in the living room. Meena was able to save Trace, but nothing more. No one really knows how it happened. Except Meena.

Sevens, Week 2: Exposed; by Scott Wallens

Jeremy's life was perfect. He was the running back of the football team. He had been dating Tara, the most beautiful girl in school, for two years. Then he met Josh.

Sevens, Week 3: Pushed; by Scott Wallens

Danny doesn't understand why he needs to be on medication. The drugs make his mind fuzzy. They dull his creativity. So Danny stops taking his meds. And he starts to feel like his old self. Then Danny's history teacher pushes him a little too far.

Sevens, Week 4: Meltdown; by Scott Wallens

Jane's lying on her bed. It's covered in a sheet of books and papers and notebooks and pens. Magna Carta, carbolic acid, carte blanche . . . She pulls the unopened SAT envelope from the pocket of her dirty jeans. Jane knows the score. She barely got the 200 for signing her name.

Sevens, Week 5: Torn; by Scott Wallens

Karyn's mom moves from man to man in an attempt to feel wanted, loved. But Karyn doesn't have to try. Her boyfriend, T. J., worships the ground she walks on. Too bad his brother Reed is the one she really loves. 

Sevens, Week 6: Betrayal; by Scott Wallens

Reed has promised himself that he will always look out for his brother T. J. After all, he owes T. J. But last week, T.J.'s coach at Boston College called and offered Reed the starting quarterback spot for the fall-the position T. J. thinks will be his.

Sevens, Week 7: Redemption; by Scott Wallens

Peter has always felt as though his accident was punishment for what happened seven years ago. Recently, all of his old friends have come back into his life, and things are looking up. But when the group is reunited and they finally face the details of that tragic day, he has to wonder if he's been forgiven.

Billy's Boy; Patricia Nell Warren

The powerful story of a teenage boy's odyssey, "Billy's Boy" has already been a #1 bestseller on the "Lambda" and "Advocate" lists in hardcover, and has garnered rave reviews from "Library Journal, Lambda Book Report", and "The Washington Blade".

Words Like Weeds, Book One: Ring Around the Moon; by Anya Weinstein

See the town. The town is quiet and small. The town is full of good, happy people. See the house. The house is pretty and blue. It has big front windows. See the windows shine. Shine, windows, shine.

Whistle Me Home; by Barbara Wersba

Noli, a smart, boyish teenage girl has fallen in love with T. J., the new boy at school. Cute, sensitive, and attentive, T. J. appears to be her soul mate, but much to Noli's dismay their intense relationship never becomes sexual.

Bad Boy; by Diana Wieler



Girl Walking Backwards; Bett Williams

Skye wants what all teenagers want--to survive high school. She lives in Southern California, though, which is making that difficult. Her mother has fallen victim to the pseudo-New Age culture and insists on dragging her to consciousness-raising workshops and hypnotists. As if this weren't difficult enough, Skye falls in love with Jessica, a troubled gothic punk girl who cuts herself regularly with sharp objects.

Hard Love; Ellen Wittlinger

Since his parents' divorce, John's mother hasn't touched him, her new fiancé wants them to move away, and his father would rather be anywhere than at Friday night dinner with his son. It's no wonder John writes articles like "Interview with the Stepfather" and "Memoirs from Hell." The only release he finds is in homemade zines like the amazing Escape Velocity by Marisol, a self-proclaimed "Puerto Rican Cuban Yankee Lesbian."

Love and Lies: Marisol's Story; by Ellen Wittlinger

Marisol Guzman has deferred college for a year to accomplish two things: She will write a novel and she will fall in love. How hard could that be? She gets her very own apartment (with her high school best friend as roommate) and a waitressing job at a classic Harvard Square coffeehouse.

Parrotfish; by Ellen Wittlinger

Last week I cut my hair, bought some boys' clothes and shoes, wrapped a large ACE bandage around my chest to flatten my fortunately-not-large breasts, and began looking for a new name.

What's in a Name; by Ellen Wittlinger

There's something brewing in the town of Scrub Harbor and it's not just about changing the name from Scrub Harbor to Folly Bay. O'Neill has a secret. Adam is starting over. Christine has a crush. Gretchen has a cause. You'll get an earful getting to know them!

True Believer; by Virginia Euwer Wolff

LaVaughn is fifteen now, and she's still fiercely determined to go to college. But that's the only thing she's sure about. Loyalty to her father bubbles up as her mother grows closer to a new man. The two girls she used to do everything with have chosen a path LaVaughn wants no part of. And then there's Jody. LaVaughn can't believe how gorgeous he is...or how confusing. He acts like he's in love with her, but is he?

After Tupac & D Foster; by Jacqueline Woodson

The day D Foster enters Neeka and her best friend’s lives, the world opens up for them. D comes from a world vastly different from their safe Queens neighborhood, and through her, the girls see another side of life that includes loss, foster families and an amount of freedom that makes the girls envious. Although all of them are crazy about Tupac Shakur’s rap music, D is the one who truly understands the place where he’s coming from, and through knowing D, Tupac’s lyrics become more personal for all of them.

From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun; by Jacqueline Woodson

Melanin Sun's mother has some big news: she's in love with a woman. Now he has many decisions to make: Should he stand by his mother even though it could mean losing his friends?

The House You Pass on the Way; Jacqueline Woodson

Staggerlee doesn't feel like she belongs in her own home town. She's a loner by nature, and her family is set apart by her parents' interracial marriage and by her celebrity grandparents' tragic deaths. Staggerlee claims her dog and harmonica are all the company she needs, but she yearns to have a friend who understands her.

Orphea Proud; by Sharon Dennis Wyeth

Welcome to a stage, where a soaring painting takes shape before your eyes, a big-booty poet stands at the mike, and there’s a seat right in front, just for you.

Leave Myself Behind; by Bart Yates













List of gay and lesbian teen books.