This document provides a list of fiction books that explore GLBTQ (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) themes and characters for teenage readers. It includes over 20 books across various genres that deal with topics like coming out, self-acceptance, relationships, and identity. Brief descriptions are provided for each book highlighting their central characters and storylines focused on GLBTQ experiences as teenagers navigate high school and personal lives. The list was compiled by a teen librarian to recommend fiction representing diverse sexual orientations and identities for teenage readers.

1. Fiction
GLBTQ for
Teens
Benduhn, Tia. Gravel Queen. All Aurin wants to do the summer before her
senior year in high school is hang out with her friends Kenney and Fred, but
when she falls in love with Neila, everything changes.
Block, Francesca Lia. Baby Be-Bop. 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.
De Oliveira, Eddie. Lucky. A coming-of-age tale about a student in England
trying to deal with his feelings of attraction to both girls and boys while dealing
with a new friendship that has the possibility of turning into something more.
Dole, Mayra Lazara. Down to the Bone. Laura, a seventeen-year-old Cuban
American girl, is thrown out of her house when her mother discovers she is a
lesbian, but after trying to change her heart and hide from the truth, Laura
finally comes to terms with who she is and learns to love and respect herself.
Freymann-Weyr, Garret. My Heartbeat. As she tries to understand the closeness
between her older brother and his best friend, fourteen-year-old Ellen finds her
relationship with each of them changing.
Garden, Nancy. Annie on My Mind. Liza puts aside her feelings for Annie after
the disaster at school, but eventually she allows love to triumph over the
ignorance of people.
(This classic was the first novel written for teens to explore GLBTQ ideas. Yes, it’s old
(published in the Mesozoic era of 1982!) but still worth reading.)
Hartinger, Brent. The Geography Club. A group of gay and lesbian teenagers
finds mutual support when they form the "Geography Club" at their high school.
Howe, James. Totally Joe. As a school assignment, a thirteen-year-old boy
writes an alphabiography--life from A to Z--and explores issues of friendship,
family, school, and the challenges of being a gay teenager.
Johnson, Maureen. The Bermudez Triangle. Nina, Mel, and Avery are best
girlfriends, but a romance between two of them threatens to shatter the triangle.

2. Levithan, David. Boy Meets Boy. High school sophomore Paul lives in a
present-day gaytopia, where boys come out of the closet to become class
president, and the Gay-Straight Alliance has more members than the football
team. The cheerleaders ride Harleys, and the cross-dressing homecoming queen
is also the star quarterback. But even here, love can be scary!
Levithan, David. Wide Awake. In the not-too-distant future, when a gay
Jewish man is elected president of the United States, sixteen-year-old Duncan
examines his feelings for his boyfriend, his political and religious beliefs, and
tries to determine his rightful place in the world.
(The incomparable Mr. Levithan is not only one of the best writers for teens, period, but
one of the best at exploring GLBTQ issues and characters. Really, just read anything he
writes!)
Lockhart, E. Dramarama. Spending their summer at Wildewood Academy, an
elite boarding school for the performing arts, tests the bond between teens Sadye
and her best friend Demi.
Moore, Perry. Hero. Thom Creed, the gay son of a disowned superhero, finds
that he, too, has special powers and is asked to join the very League that rejected
his father, and it is there that Thom finds other misfits whom he can finally trust.
Myracle, Lauren. Kissing Kate. Sixteen-year-old Lissa's relationship with her
best friend changes after they kiss at a party and Lissa does not know what to do,
until she gets help from an unexpected new friend.
Peters, Julie Anne. Keeping You a Secret. As she begins a very tough last
semester of high school, Holland finds herself puzzled about her future and
intrigued by a transfer student who wants to start a Lesbigay club at school.
Peters, Julie Anne. Luna. Fifteen-year-old Regan's life, which has always
revolved around keeping her older brother Liam's transsexuality a secret,
changes when Liam decides to start the process of "transitioning" by first telling
his family and friends that he is a girl who was born in a boy's body.
(Another terrific writer for teens who is brilliant at exploring GLBTQ issues and
characters, and worth exploring her whole catalog.)
Revoyr, Nina. The Necessary Hunger: A Novel. Nancy’s crush on Rania, a fellow
basketball player, accelerates when her Japanese-American father falls in love
with Raina’s African-American mother.

3. Sanchez, Alex. Rainbow Boys. Three high school seniors, a jock with a
girlfriend and an alcoholic father, a closeted gay, and a flamboyant gay rights
advocate, struggle with family issues, gay bashers, first sex, and conflicting
feelings about each other.
Sanchez, Alex. So Hard To Say. Thirteen-year-old Xio, a Mexican American girl,
and Frederick, who has just moved to California from Wisconsin, quickly
become close friends, but when Xio starts thinking of Frederick as her boyfriend,
he must confront his feelings of confusion and face the fear that he might be gay.
(Like Levithan and Peters, Alex Sanchez is one of the best in this area – check out his
many great books!)
Sloan, Brian. A Really Nice Prom Mess. Gay high school senior Cameron Hayes
endures a disastrous prom night when forced to take a girl as his date, and after
fleeing the dance in disguise, he finds himself involved in a surprising on-stage
performance, a high-speed police chase, and unexpected revelations.
St. James, James. Freak Show. Having faced teasing that turned into a brutal
attack, Christianity expressed as persecution, and the loss of his only real friend
when he could no longer keep his crush under wraps, seventeen-year-old Billy
Bloom, a drag queen, decides the only way to become fabulous again is to run for
Homecoming Queen at his elite, private school near Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
(The utterly fabulous James St. James was a legend among the N.Y. ‘Club Kid’ scene in
the late ‘80’s/early ‘90’s – this novel is, of course, equally FAB!)
Stoehr, Shelley. Tomorrow, Wendy. Seventeen-year-old Cary seems to have it
all -- gorgeous body, cool boyfriend, wealthy family, and a great sense of style,
but she also has a serious problem.
Trueman, Terry. 7 Days at the Hot Corner. Varsity baseball player Scott Latimer
struggles with his own prejudices and those of others when his best friend
reveals that he is gay.
Wittlinger, Ellen. Hard Love. After starting to publish a zine in which he writes
his secret feelings about his lonely life and his parents' divorce, sixteen-year-old
John meets an unusual girl and begins to develop a healthier personality.
Wittlinger, Ellen. Parrotfish. Grady, a transgendered high school student,
yearns for acceptance by his classmates and family as he struggles to adjust to his
new identity as a male.
List compiled by Ken Petrilli, Teen Services Librarian, New Rochelle Public Library
914-813-3735 nrplteens@wlsmail.org