CCBC-Net Archives
GLBT Literature for Children and Young Adults
- Contemporary messages sorted: [ by date ] [ by subject ] [ by author ]
From: Cynthia Grady <gradyc>
Date: Wed, 9 Jun 2004 16:49:13 -0400
Of recent books, Geography Club by Hartinger is quite well done and popular. It has been in circulation with our middle schoolers since we put it on the shelves. Our short story collections that happen to have a gay character within seem to circulate quite a bit too. . . . I don't have the titles handy right now though . . . Some students do come up to me to tell me that they are concerned that such books are in the library. Usually a short conversation puts them at ease. We have gay parents and out teachers at our school. It's usually the younger (5th graders) that tend to question the relevance and appropriateness of these books on the shelves.
Our school participates in the National Day of Silence and during the month I feature all of our titles with gay characters and themes, fiction and nonfiction. Most get read fairly openly. A few kids gets the giggles, but for the most part, it's a relaxed atmosphere. Those that circulate the most are probably Paula Fox's Eagle Kite, Am I Blue? edited by Bauer, Hello I Lied, by Kerr, Eight Seconds by Ferris. Another book, not in our collection that I think is well done is Arizona Kid by Koertge and James Howe is doing some fine work in this area.
grady
Message----From: Megan Schliesman [mailto:Schliesman at education.wisc.edu] Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2004 5:25 PM To: Subscribers of ccbc-net Subject: [ccbc-net] GLBT Literature for Children and Young Adults
This month on CCBC-Net, we're looking at books for children and young adults that feature gay, lesbian, bisexual, and/or trangender characters, and also the climate in which those books are created and shared.
When we consider literature for young adults, it's easy to look back at even the past few years and see how much has changed, and how many more books are available that are beginning to offer a range of GLBT experiences. (Although of course it's still just a handful in the overall scope of pulishing.) But when we consider fiction for younger children, and picture books for young children and families, it's much more difficult to point at a wide body of work--every book published still feels to me like a groundbreaker.
What do you see as hallmaks in GLBT publishing for youth? What do you consider utstanding and notable GLBT books of the past and the present?
In addition to looking at the books themselves, we also want to look at the climate in which GLBT literature for youth has been written, published, and made available over the years. We're hoping we can hear from many perspectives--writers, editors, publishers, librarians, teachers, and others, to find out what is happening in your world today as you create, edit, publish, or purchase and make GLBT books available to chidren, teens and famlies. Is the climate in which you do your work--whatever that work is--different than it was in the past? iF so, how?
Megan
Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education, UW-Madison 600 N. Park St., Room 4290 Madison, Wi 53706 608&2?03 schliesman at education.wisc.edu 608&2?03 schliesman at education.wisc.edu
~ ~ ~ To send a reply to the entire CCBC-Net community,click on...
mailto:ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu To send a request to remove your address from the mailing list, click on...
mailto:ccbc-net-unsub at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
Received on Wed 09 Jun 2004 03:49:13 PM CDT
Date: Wed, 9 Jun 2004 16:49:13 -0400
Of recent books, Geography Club by Hartinger is quite well done and popular. It has been in circulation with our middle schoolers since we put it on the shelves. Our short story collections that happen to have a gay character within seem to circulate quite a bit too. . . . I don't have the titles handy right now though . . . Some students do come up to me to tell me that they are concerned that such books are in the library. Usually a short conversation puts them at ease. We have gay parents and out teachers at our school. It's usually the younger (5th graders) that tend to question the relevance and appropriateness of these books on the shelves.
Our school participates in the National Day of Silence and during the month I feature all of our titles with gay characters and themes, fiction and nonfiction. Most get read fairly openly. A few kids gets the giggles, but for the most part, it's a relaxed atmosphere. Those that circulate the most are probably Paula Fox's Eagle Kite, Am I Blue? edited by Bauer, Hello I Lied, by Kerr, Eight Seconds by Ferris. Another book, not in our collection that I think is well done is Arizona Kid by Koertge and James Howe is doing some fine work in this area.
grady
Message----From: Megan Schliesman [mailto:Schliesman at education.wisc.edu] Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2004 5:25 PM To: Subscribers of ccbc-net Subject: [ccbc-net] GLBT Literature for Children and Young Adults
This month on CCBC-Net, we're looking at books for children and young adults that feature gay, lesbian, bisexual, and/or trangender characters, and also the climate in which those books are created and shared.
When we consider literature for young adults, it's easy to look back at even the past few years and see how much has changed, and how many more books are available that are beginning to offer a range of GLBT experiences. (Although of course it's still just a handful in the overall scope of pulishing.) But when we consider fiction for younger children, and picture books for young children and families, it's much more difficult to point at a wide body of work--every book published still feels to me like a groundbreaker.
What do you see as hallmaks in GLBT publishing for youth? What do you consider utstanding and notable GLBT books of the past and the present?
In addition to looking at the books themselves, we also want to look at the climate in which GLBT literature for youth has been written, published, and made available over the years. We're hoping we can hear from many perspectives--writers, editors, publishers, librarians, teachers, and others, to find out what is happening in your world today as you create, edit, publish, or purchase and make GLBT books available to chidren, teens and famlies. Is the climate in which you do your work--whatever that work is--different than it was in the past? iF so, how?
Megan
Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education, UW-Madison 600 N. Park St., Room 4290 Madison, Wi 53706 608&2?03 schliesman at education.wisc.edu 608&2?03 schliesman at education.wisc.edu
~ ~ ~ To send a reply to the entire CCBC-Net community,click on...
mailto:ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu To send a request to remove your address from the mailing list, click on...
mailto:ccbc-net-unsub at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
Received on Wed 09 Jun 2004 03:49:13 PM CDT
