From: Kathleen T. Horning <horning_at_education.wisc.edu>
Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 14:45:24 -0500

I had the privilege of serving on the ALA's Rainbow List (co-sponsored by GLBTRT and SRRT) last year, and one of the best novels we read was a self-published book by a young African-American writer named Shawn Stewart Ruff. It's called "Finlater" and it deals with a 13-year old African-American boy from the projects in Cincinnati who falls in love a classmate, a white Jewish boy. On the outside, the two boys don't seem to have much in common, but they find they are true kindred spirits who quickly learn that they also have a strong physical attraction for each other. It's set in the 1970s and is very true to the times. The writing is superb, and it is unlike any other YA GLBT book I have ever read. In some ways, it reminded me a bit of Claude Browne's "Manchild in the Promised Land," in that the story deals with a lot of harsh realities and adult situations, but it's told through the eyes of an observant kid with a lot of heart. Ruff is a very gifted writer and I hope we see more from him. He has a website a t http//www.finlater.com if you want to read an excerpt from the book.

KT

Kathleen T. Horning Director Cooperative Children's Book Center 4290 Helen C. White Hall 600 N. Park St Madison, WI 53706

Phone: 608-263-3721 FAX: 608-262-4933

horning_at_education.wisc.edu http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
Received on Mon 24 May 2010 02:45:24 PM CDT