YA Fiction with Lesbian/Bi/Gay or Transgendered Characters
----------------------------------------------------------
compiled by Shawna Hellenius (shellenius@yahoo.com), University of
 British Columbia
from suggestions made by contributors to YALSA-BK, GLBT Librarian and
 LEZBRIAN, May 2000


FICTION AND AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Am I Blue: Coming Out From the Silence
Bauer, Marion Dane, editor
Harper, 1994
This exciting collection of short stories includes
authors M.E. Kerr, Francesca Lia Block, Lois Lowry and
others. They address important topics such as growing
up gay or lesbian, or having gay or lesbian parents.
The stories are both touching and humorous and address
serious subject matter with humour.

Bargar, Gary W
What happened to Mr Forster?

Bechard, Margaret
IF IT DOESN'T KILL YOU - 1999
High school freshman Ben should be enjoying playing football, meeting girls,
and going to parties, but he's too busy trying to cope with his father's
moving out to live with another man.

BENDING THE LANDSCAPE: FANTASY
BENDING THE LANDSCAPE: SF
- Short story anthologies edited by Nicola Griffith

Berendt, John
MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL - Remember The Lady Chablis?

Bledsoe, Lucy Jane
WORKING PARTS (1997)

Block, Francesca Lia
Baby Be-Bop
Harper, 1995
16-year-old Dirk is afraid to reveal he's gay lest it
disappoint his Grandma Fifi. To cover his feelings for
other boys, Dirk styles his hair into a Mohawk, turns
punk and throws his emotions into the violent mosh
pit. When Dirk is visited by apparitions of his
ancestors, who tell him their life stories and
unconditionally accept Dirk's sexuality, he gains the
strength to tell his own story. A beautifully moving
post-modern fairy tale woven in Block's characteristic
lyrical voice.
"DRAGONS IN MANHATTAN" - short story in GIRL GODDESS
#9 featuring a transsexual character
I WAS A TEENAGE FAIRY (1998) - A feisty, sexy fairy helps 
a young girl heal traumas of her past.
WEETZIE BAT - 1990

Bono, Chastity
Family outing - 1998

Boock, Paula
Dare Truth or Promise
Longacre Press (New Zealand), 1998.
Willa and Louie could not be more different. But when
they meet working at Burger Giant, they are
immediately attracted to each other and fall
frantically in love. Their relationship feels like
destiny, though they face intolerance from peers and
parents. They endure a painful separation, but with
the help of Willa's tough bartender mother and an
accepting young priest, the girls find strength to
stay together.
Book, Rick
Necking with Louise - 1999

Brown, Todd
LETTERS FROM A HOT PINK NOTEBOOK

Bujold, Lois McMaster
ETHAN OF ATHOS - A squeaky-clean young man from
conservative backwater Athos is out in the wild wicked
galaxy having adventures, dealing with (gasp) women
(there aren't any on Athos, it's against their
religion).  It's rather implied that he finds True
Love by the end of the novel but, again, it's the
people, not their genital configurations that drive
the plot.
- I am currently reviewing an audio version of a book
titled Ethan of Athos by Bujold. Athos is a planet
populated only by men (and they fear women). They
populate their planet with test tube babies and raise
their children (only boys, of course) with 2 gay
(apparently) dads. I haven't listened to the entire
tape yet but the storyline is certainly intriguing.

Cart, Michael
MY FATHER'S SCAR
Simon and Schuster, 1996
While in his college freshman year, Andy recollects
the isolation he felt as a teen and begins to come t
terms with the formative years of his adolescence. A
a teen, Andy is shy, overweight and can never please
his abusive, alcoholic father. When Andy confesses t
his parents that he has been in a relationship with
another boy, he suffers their intolerance and leaves
for university, never to return. At university, he
meets Stevenson, who eventually breaks through Andy'
hard outer shell and offers companionship.

Carter, Raphael
THE FORTUNATE FALL

Chambers, Aiden
DANCE ON MY GRAVE - 1982

Chbosky, Stephen
PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER - 1999.  The main character has a
friend who is gay, and also explores his own confusing
sexual feelings.

Cruse, Howard
STUCK RUBBER BABY - amazing graphic novel about coming
of age in the 60's... don't miss it!

Donoghue, Emma
KISSING THE WITCH - retellings of fairy tales with a
feminist & lesbian viewpoint.

Donovan, Stacey
Dive - 1994
Fifteen-year-old Virginia's world begins to fall apart when her dog is hit
by a car, her father is hospitalised with a mysterious illness, and her best
friend ignores her.

Feinberg, Leslie
STONE BUTCH BLUES - transsexual protagonist, excellent award-winner

Fox, Paula
The eagle kite : a novel -1995
Liam's father has AIDS, and his family cannot talk about it until Liam
reveals a secret that he has tried to deny ever since he saw his father
embracing another man at the beach.

Gantos, Jack
DESIRE LINES (1997)- small-town homophobia causes a
double-murder/attempted suicide by two lesbian teens.
Not recommended.

Garden, Nancy
ANNIE ON MY MIND
Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1982
This lesbian teen romance novel has set the standard
for all others. During her freshman year at MIT, Liza
reflects on her high school relationship with Annie.
An unfortunate, yet maturing, incident forces Liza out
of the closet and results in the firing of a lesbian
couple who are both teachers at Liza's school. Moving
and believable, this is a well-written story about the
survival of love.

Garden, Nancy
GOOD MOON RISING
Farrar Straus Giroux, 1996
Jan returns from summer acting school excited to
audition for the lead role of the high school
production of The Crucible, but is shocked to find the
lead role has gone to newcomer Kerry. As they work
together on the role, Kerry and Jan fall in love,
which they attempt to keep secret. Kent, the arrogant
male lead, grows suspicious and attempts to expose
them.

Garden, Nancy
LARK IN THE MORNING

Garden, Nancy
THE YEAR THEY BURNED THE BOOKS
Farrar Straus Giroux, 1999
Jamie, a high school senior and editor of the school
paper, is coming to terms with being a lesbian and her
growing feelings for Tessa, a new girl in school. When
she writes an editorial in favour of a new health
curriculum that includes handing out condoms and
discussion groups about homosexuality, she encounters
opposition from a group called Families for
Traditional Values (FTV). FTV threatens to shut down
the newspaper and hold a book burning ceremony. This
is an issue-packed novel that takes a hard look at
censorship, prejudice and homophobia.

Greene, Bette
THE DROWNING OF STEVEN JONES - 1991

Griffith, Nicola
Bending the landscape

Grima, Tony
Not the only one (short stories)

Hamilton, R.J.
THE CASE OF THE MISSING MOTHER (LA: Alyson, 1995)
WHO FRAMED LORENZO GARCIA? (LA: Alyson, 1995)
- excellent mystery series reminiscent of the Hardy
Boys that sparked an attempted "Pride Pack" series.
Good depiction of a gay community being central to gay
survival and acceptance.

Hart, Ellen
Faint praise - 1995

Hilton, Nette
CLOUDED EDGES : five teenagers, five stories, five lives take shape - 1997
SQUARE PEGS - 1991
After joining a dance class in order to be near Bethany Edwards, Denny makes
friends with flamboyant, witty, theatrical Stephen and is the exposed to the
homophobia of his fellow students and family.

Holland, Isabelle
The man without a face - 1972
A fatherless fourteen-year-old boy develops an unusual relationship with the
man living near his summer home who helps him prepare his entrance exams to
boarding school.

Homes, A. M.
Jack -1989
Fifteen-year-old Jack's confused feelings for his father, who left him and
his mother four years earlier, are further complicated when he finds that
his father is gay.

Jenkins, A.M.
BREAKING BOXES (1997)
When in the course of an unusual friendship Charlie reveals something
confidential about his brother, he must decide if he can accept the risks of
caring.

Jennings, Kevin ed.
Becoming visible - 1994

Kerr, M.E.
DELIVER US FROM EVIE - Sweet, thoughtful.
- Has its sad but realistic parts and in the end she
gets the girl as I recall.

Kerr, M.E.
"HELLO," I LIED 
Harper, 1997
"I knew that I'd always think of it as the summer that
I loved a girl" is how seventeen-year-old Lang
describes his vacation. Although still in the closet,
Lang feels secure in his relationship with his
boyfriend, until he begins to have feelings for the
charismatic Huguette. Meanwhile, he struggles with
coming out to his longtime friends. Skillfully
written, this novel challenges assumptions on
bisexuality.

Kerr, M.E.
NIGHT KITES

Ketchum, Liza
Blue coyote - 1997

Klein, Norma
Breaking up : a novel - 1980
While she is visiting her father and stepmother in California, 15-year-old
Alison learns her mother is a lesbian.

Koertge, Ronald
Tiger, Tiger, burning bright

Lackey, Mercedes
MAGIC'S PAWN
Daw Books, 1989
15-year-old Vanyel, heir to his father's throne and
royal pain-in-the-butt, is sent far away from the
kingdom for training. There, he meets the young Mage
trainee Tylendel. Tylendel awakens a love in Vanyel
that he has never known to be possible. They form a
lifelong bond, until a cataclysmic event tears them
apart. Now Vanyel alone, young and unsure of his
control over his great power, must battle the evil
forces threatening the land. Book one of The Last
Herald Mage fantasy trilogy.

Larson, Rodger
WHAT I KNOW NOW, 1997

Lynch, Chris
Mick - 1999

McBride, Andrew
THE ARIZONA KID - 1988
Sixteen-year-old Billy spends the summer with his gay uncle in Tucson and
works at a racetrack where he falls in love with an outspoken horse
exerciser named Cara Mae.

McCaffrey, Anne
THE POWERS THAT BE - The main character's sister
Sinead is gay and plays an important part in the whole
series.  Also, the parents of one of the younger
characters is a gay couple.  His mom and dad divorced
and dad is now involved with another man.  His mom
feels that they are better able to take care of her
son than she is.
In the DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN series, esp DRAGONSDAWN,
there are gay dragonriders in many secondary character
positions.
These books don't focus on the gay/lesbian characters
or any issues like that, but they are all treated as
normal and accepted by most of the other characters in
the books, which is good to see.

McClain, Ellen Jaffe
No big deal - 1997
When rumours that Janice's favourite 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.

McCauley, Stephen
The object of my affection
For mature young adult readers

Miller, Steve, and Sharon Lee
CONFLICT OF HONOURS - Science fiction adventure. Both
the heroine and hero are bisexual. Of course, being
SF, the characters sexual relationships are pretty
much taken for granted and the "romance" is about two
*people* finding a way to love each other rather than
two genders doing so in a PC-kinda-edgy way.
(NB the book is back in print as PARTNERS IN
NECCESSITY by Steve Miller and Sharon Lee)

Moore, Terry
STRANGERS IN PARADISE - Graphic novel series. Very
Melrose-Placey plots. Beautifully drawn, lots of heart
and fairly suspenseful in an X-Files kind of way.
Various individual titles:
COMPLETE STRANGERS IN PARADISE, Vol. 1, 2, 3 etc.
STRANGERS IN PARADISE: I DREAM OF YOU

Mowry, Jess
BABYLON BOYZ - A multicultural title. There are
several main characters, one of them black and gay,
and he's portrayed in a positive light.

Murrow, Liza Ketchum
TWELVE DAYS IN AUGUST (Holiday House, 1993)
Twelve days in August change a sixteen-year-old soccer 
player's perceptions of himself, his family, girls, and gays.
BLUE COYOTE (S&S , 1997) - sequel to Twelve Days in
August

Murphy, Timothy
GETTING OFF CLEAN (1997)

Nelson, Theresa
Earthshine - 1994

Pausacker, Jenny (?)
Hide and seek
Stories about being young and gay/lesbian.

Puttock, Simon
Same difference - 1998
A collection of short stories with lesbian or gay characters.

Reid, John (pseudonym)
THE BEST LITTLE BOY IN THE WORLD (1973)

Revoyr, Nina
THE NECESSARY HUNGER 
Simon & Schuster, 1997
Two high school basketball competitors search for love
in the aggressive gymnasiums and mean streets of South
Central L.A. Basketball star Nancy Takahiro has always
admired her rival, shooting guard Raina Webber, from
afar. When Raina's mother moves in with Nancy's
father, Nancy's fascination turns into a complicated
friendship and finally becomes a fierce love. But
Raina already has a girlfriend, and loves the game of
basketball more than anything, or anyone, else. A
well-crafted lesbian love story that also deals with
race, class, interracial relationships, women's
basketball and the passion of being 17 without the
guilt or the closet.

Ryman, Geoff
THE CHILD GARDEN - The main character believes herself
to be the only lesbian on the planet...as genetic
engineering has "solved" many of the world's
"problems".  However things are far from perfect, for
when a way is found to eliminate cancer, humanity also
looses its ability to age past 30 or so.  The key for
reviving humanity looks to be in the genes of the
biologically natural/untampered hero of the book.
Lots of other great stuff involving music and the arts
too.  I can't recall if it would be good for YAs or
not, but for fans of the genre I would say it is a
must read.  Winner of Arthur C. Clarke Award, John W.
Campbell Memorial Award, and nomination for British
Science Fiction Association Award, all in 1990.

Salvatore, Diane
BENEDICTION (Naiad Press) - An adult novel with YA
protagonists.   Two girls fall in love at a NYC
Catholic high school. They separate when one partner,
Meg, rejects her gayness. With the help of a straight
friend, who assists her in contacting a slightly older
gay alumna, Grace accepts hers. The book ends with
Grace alone, but hopeful and expectant.

Scott, Melissa
- Just about anything by Melissa Scott (who I believe
once said that all of the characters in her books
should be considered gay barring any other
information)

Scoppettone, Sandra
HAPPY ENDINGS ARE ALL ALIKE: A NOVEL - Two girls fall
in love, one is raped, non graphically. They split
apart but end up back together.   The family of the
rape victim is very supportive, perhaps a little too
good to be true. An uplifting and affirming book.
TRYING HARD TO HEAR YOU - 1996
Faced with the revelation that her best friend is a homosexual, a
sixteen-year-old tries to cope with her own and her friends' reactions
toward him.

Selvadurai, Shyam
Funny Boy

Shannon, George
Unlived affections

Sinclair, April
COFFEE WILL MAKE YOU BLACK - bisexual protagonist
AIN'T GONNA BE THE SAME FOOL TWICE - bisexual protagonist

Singer, Bennett
Growing up gay: a literary anthology

Springer, Nancy
LOOKING FOR JAMIE BRIDER - 14 year old Jamie is
determined to find out who her real parents are. It
turns out one is gay.

Stoer, Shelley
TOMORROW, WENDY: A LOVE STORY - 1998

Swados, Elizabeth
FLAMBOYANT
Picador, 1998
A 15-year-old African-American transgendered
streetwalker named Flamboyant and her Orthodox Jewish
teacher, Chana, develop an unlikely friendship that
causes each to accept one another's backgrounds. Set
in a Manhattan alternative school for street kids,
where most of the students and teachers are gay, the
book's dark humour twists stereotyping on its head.
The narrative alternates between Flamboyant's diary
entries, addressed to Chana, and Chana's own narrative
voice.

Taylor, William
THE BLUE LAWN
HarperCollins (New Zealand), 1994
Alyson Books (Los Angeles), 1999
David is an obedient 15-year-old star player of the
school rugby team. Newcomer Theo is a chain-smoking,
fast-driving 16-year-old. The two have an instant
attraction for one another and develop a relationship,
which is sometimes tender and loving, other times
brutish and hostile as they try to sort out their
common desire. 

Taylor, William
JEROME - 1999
Marco and Kate, devastated by the death of their friend Jerome and separated
by thousands of miles, turn to each other for comfort and answers. Kate, in
America as a foreign-exchange student, and Marco in New Zealand, converse
through a series of online chats, faxes and e-mail messages. As they explore
the nature of their relationships with Jerome, denial gives way to truth.

Torres, Laura
November ever after -1999
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.

Van Dijk, Lutz
DAMNED STRONG LOVE - Translated from German. Nice
cross-cultural feel to the story, a universality.

Walker, Kate
PETER
Omnibus Books (Australia), 1991
Houghton Mifflin, (New York), 1993
Peter struggles through the macho environment, peer
isolation, and ridicule common to the life of a
15-year-old. His life gets even more complicated when
he finds himself attracted to his older brother's gay
friend David. With David's help, Peter learns to get
past the macho labels imposed upon him and accept his
sexuality.

Walker, Sarah
Camphor Laurel - 1998
The year of freaking out - 1997

Watts, Julia
PHASES OF THE MOON (1997)

Welford, Sue
Ghost in the mirror - 1993
Jayce's father's decision that they can't afford to have her stay on at
school seems to end all her hopes for the future. But then she finds her
great-grandmother's journal, and nothing is the same again.

Wersba, Barbara
WHISTLE ME HOME - 1997
Seventeen-year-old Noli feels as if she has found her soul mate when
handsome, sensitive TJ moves to Sag Harbor, but even as their feelings
deepen, individual secrets threaten their relationship.

Wieler, Diana
BAD BOY - 1992 - The main character finds out over time that
his best friend is gay.  It has a hopeful (not sugary
or pat) ending, but there are a lot of realistic hurts
and misunderstandings on the way.
- One of the things about that particular book is that
the story is told from the points of view of both the
main character (AJ) and his friend (Tully) who turns
out to be gay.  I can remember the author telling us
that the publisher wanted her to tell it from just one
point of view (AJ), but that she felt it was very
important to get Tully's side of the story from Tully
himself, not just through his friend.  I just love all
of Diana Wieler's books, and it's great when I see
them recommended.
- Homosexuality in a male athlete, difference between
love for a friend and being in love with that friend
-- not often examined. Wonderful book that can make
you cry.

Williams, Bett
GIRL WALKING BACKWARDS (1998)

Winterson, Jeanette
THE PASSION - Takes place partially during the
Napoleonic war. Mature reading for older high school
students.

Wittlinger, Ellen
HARD LOVE - Two high school students, John and
Marisol, share a love of 'zines.  John falls in love
with Marisol, and Marisol loves John, but not the same
way...she's a lesbian and knows it...this is a great
book!!  It discusses those questions we all have:  how
can I like someone of the opposite sex so much and
still be gay?  Great story line that just sucks you in
-- Don't miss out!
- Includes a lesbian (who's also Puerto Rican by
birth) as a main character.
- She is healthy and fairly together. Winner of the
Printz honor award and a Best Book 2000 winner.

WHAT'S IN A NAME? - 2000 - features one character who comes
out and includes some interesting reactions.
Interesting format, where each chapter is narrated by
a different teen.

Womack, Jack.
RANDOM ACTS OF SENSELESS VIOLENCE

Woodson, Jacqueline
FROM THE NOTEBOOKS OF MELANIN SUN - 1995. Deals with a young
boy whose mother falls in love with another woman.
A WAY OUT OF NO WAY - Growing up black in America
THE HOUSE YOU PASS ON THE WAY - 1997
When fourteen-year-old Staggerlee, the daughter of a racially mixed
marriage, spends a summer with her cousin Trout, she begins to question her
sexuality to Trout and catches a glimpse of her possible future self.

Yamanaka, Lois Ann
NAME ME NOBODY - has some lesbian characters and the
Hawaiian protagonist is struggling with her loyalty to
her lesbian friend and her attraction to boys

Youngblood, Shay
SOUL KISS - About a young girl's abandonment by her
mother, her yearning to be with her father and her
developing erotic feelings. This is an adult book
which would appeal to older YAs.


MOVIES

The Incredibly True Adventures of 2 Girls In Love
Directed by Maria Maggenti, 1994
A touching and comic story of first love between two
senior high school girls. Randy is a cute and "out"
tomboy who lives with her two lesbian aunts. Evie is
smart, pretty and part of the popular crowd at school.
When the two become unlikely friends, Evie is
surprised to find herself falling for Randy. When
Evie's mother catches the couple in bed together the
adventures begin, and Randy and Evie must decide how
to face their families and friends.

Trevor
Drected by Peggy Rajiski, 1994.
18 minutes
Thirteen-year-old Trevor's parents barely recognize
their son exists, despite the fact that he fakes his
death daily for their benefit. When word gets out
about Trevor's crush on the most popular boy in
school, he has to deal with the lack of acceptance he
faces from schoolmates. He decides to take his own
life, this time for real. Fortunately, an aspirin O.D.
doesn't do the trick and Trevor finds that he has the
strength to carry on - with the help of a cute candy
striper boy and inspiration from Diana Ross. This
Academy Award winning short inspired The Trevor
Project <http://www.trevorproject.com> which provides
an educational package to use with the film and
sponsors a 24-hour suicide prevention hotline aimed at
gay or questioning youth. Trevor Hotline:
1-800-850-8078