Because June is LGBT Pride Month, I wanted to post something really special on the BookKids blog. I wanted to post as many reviews for queer-themed books as possible. Alas, there are so many fabulous titles out there, and I’ve only read a fraction! And what about the ones I haven’t heard of yet? How could I represent those? Luckily for us, there are some wonderful writers out there who have written these books focusing on gay characters and LGBT issues. So I asked them – what are your favorite books about gay teens, gender, and LGBT pride? Here’s the first of several installments with what the YA community has to say!
MEAGAN BROTHERS on WEETZIE BAT by Francesca Lia Block
My favorite teenish, queerish book is Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block. It was one of the firs
t books I remember reading where the gay characters are treated with respect and love and, really , the w hole gay thing is kind of no big deal. The poetry of the writing made me want to live in Weetzie’s punk LA world – it’s instantly transporting, almost magical. All of the books in the series are great (as well as Block’s short story collection Girl Goddess #9), but this is the starting point!
Meagan Brothers is the author of Debbie Harry Sings in French
KATHE KOJA on SOMEDAY THIS PAIN WILL BE USEFUL TO YOU by Peter Cameron
You’ve never met anyone quite like James, but you know him from the first sentence of this fleet, sweet, aching 
novel of a boy both so distanced from and deep in his longing that he can’t decide if he should reach for what he wants, or just disappear entir
ely. Peter Cameron gets it just right here. You’ll read this book more than once.
KATHE KOJA on THE DRUNKEN BOAT by Arthur Rimbaud
And a bonus shout-out to Arthur Rimbaud, THE young adult writer for all time, who was never afraid to live his truth, sexually or artistically. Le Bateau Ivre/The Drunken Boat is for every reader – but especially, especially teenagers – who’s ever been deliriously lost in the sea of self.
Kathe Koja is the author of many young adult novels, including Talk, Kissing the Bee, and her latest, Headlong.
DAVID LAROCHELLE on FREAK SHOW by James St. James
James St. James‘ Freak Show is both hilarious, and ultimately very moving. Billy Bloom, the main 
character, is a wildly flamboyant teenage drag queen at a conservative high school. His campaign to become Homecoming Queen and his crush on the football team’s quarterback had me laughing and crying. The narrator’s voice is original and unforgettable, and the story will resonate with anyone who has ever felt like an outsider, or anyone who has ever been in love. For a ride unlike any you’ve ever taken, I heartily recommend this title!
David LaRochelle is the author of many books for young readers, including his first YA novel, Absolutely, Positively Not…
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