Katie Coburn

Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Acceptance (�Coming Out�)

If there is one thing above all others that teenagers and the youth of today strive for and desire more than anything, it is to feel that they are accepted and fit in, that they belong somewhere. In the face of bullying and discrimination, unfortunately this is often easier said than done, and more so for gay and lesbian teens or teens questioning their sexuality, because this often adds a whole new layer to their feelings of alienation and shame. It is vital for youths to feel that it is okay for them to explore their sexuality if they need to do so, and for them to realize that they are not alone in this desire, that it is not alien or anything to be ashamed of. The need for acceptance is a common theme in young adult literature, and this bibliography takes that theme and uses it to focus around those youth who deal with a special hardship, whether it be racism or homophobia. All these stories center around some kind of coming-out experience, about sexuality or otherwise, and about its consequences.

The centerpiece work here is Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, a touching novel about a young girl who has endured such abuse that she believes her life would be better if she could change the color of her eyes. Novels that deal more with issues of sexuality include The Misfits, Boy Meets Boy, Rubyfruit Jungle, and Luna, one of the few popular novels about transsexuals for young adults. Also included are a children's book, a graphic novel, and a collection of short stories, to demonstrate how broad this genre actually is and how popular it is becoming among young adults.

Annotated Bibliography

Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. Vintage International, 2007.

This, Toni Morrison's first novel, views the life of a young black girl named Pecola Breedlove through several different perspectives. Pecola's entire family is described as being �ugly� for one reason or another, and Pecola herself, who is subjected to humiliation and ridicule and raped, loves Shirley Temple and decides that her life would be better if she could only have blue eyes. Over the course of the novel, she sets out on a quest for blue eyes that is really a quest for acceptance.

Howe, James. The Misfits. http://www.amazon.com/Misfits-James-Howe/dp/0689839561/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305050588&sr=1-1

Howe, best-known for the Bunnicula stories, branched out with this novel about four friends (Bobby, Addie, Joe, and the Skeeze) who are too fat, too tall, too greasy, or too gay to be accepted by their peers. They form the Gang of Five and decide to run for student council as the �No-Name Party.� The book addresses some complex issues and will cause all readers to rethink name-calling. It is especially valuable because, unlike in much GLBT fiction, Joe (who is gay) is a fundamentally good guy, with a supportive family and a boyfriend; he is possibly the most stable character in the novel.

Richardson, Justin and Parnell, Peter. And Tango Makes Three. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2005.

This children's book is based on a true story about two penguins in Central Park Zoo who are �a little bit different.� When the other male penguins notice females, they notice each other. They try to do everything like the other penguin couples, even sharing a nest, but they just can't seem to hatch an egg, so they find an egg-shaped rock and try to raise that. Eventually the zookeeper finds an abandoned egg and gives it to the penguin pair, who become doting fathers and raise little Tango together. This story is a cute way of teaching kids that there are many kinds of families.

Peters, Julie Anne. Luna. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2006. http://www.amazon.com/Luna-Julie-Anne-Peters/dp/0316011274/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305050530&sr=1-1

�Yeah, I loved her. I couldn't help it. She was my brother.� If there's one thing YA literature is short on, it's stories about transgender teenagers, and Luna does a great job of filling this gap. It's the story of Regan, a dedicated sister who does everything she can to help her older brother, Liam, or Luna by night. She allows him to change in her room and is always ready to give him emotional support. However, when Regan meets a boy, she starts wondering if she will ever have a life outside of Luna – meanwhile, Luna begins a change of her own. It is a story of a young boy who is determined to live for himself and of his family, who must accept Luna for who she really is.

Crutcher, Chris. Whale Talk. Greenwillow Books, 2009.

This story centers around T. J. Jones (literally The Tao) and his quest to gain acceptance for himself, a man of mixed race, and a band of other high school students. T.J. attends a school where athletic ability reigns supreme and the jocks hold all the power, and when he sees the football players bullying brain-damaged Chris Coughlin for wearing his dead brother's letter jacket he hatches a great plan; he's going to pick the most unlikely outsiders he can find, create a swim team, and get them all lettered. The most important things, however, are the long bus rides the team members take, where they trade confidences and learn to accept each other and themselves.

Bauer, Marion Dane. Am I Blue?: Coming Out From the Silence. HarperCollins, 1994. http://www.amazon.com/Am-Blue-Coming-Out-Silence/dp/0060242531/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305050506&sr=1-1

This is the first-ever anthology of YA fiction solely devoted to gay and lesbian themes, and it features a host of stories from popular and award-winning young adult authors that center around teens who deal with their sexuality in a quest for acceptance. Lois Lowry's �Holding� is the story of a high school student who finally tells his best friend that his father is gay. In �Winnie and Teddy,� by Francesca Lia Block, a teenage boy comes out to his girlfriend while they take a road trip to San Francisco. Lastly, Gregory Maguire's �The Honorary Shepherds� is about two mixed-race students collaborating on a video project. These stories will move any reader, while reminding teenagers that they're not alone.

Bechdel, Alison. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. Mariner Books, 2007.

This is a graphic novel telling the story of a girl growing up with a closeted gay father who is an English teacher and runs a local funeral parlor; her father enjoys dressing up the corpses and also fills their own home with gilt and lace, imagining himself to be a 19th-century aristocrat. He is so dedicated to keeping his secrets that the stress drains his wife of energy and personality and overshadows his daughter's adolescence and emerging identity. His daughter fights, however, and goes off to college to learn about herself and embrace her own personality.

Levithan, David. Boy Meets Boy. Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Meets-David-Levithan/dp/0375832998/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305050484&sr=1-1

This novel, unlike the others, does not feature a quest for acceptance; it is centered around an idealistic high school where students can all express themselves freely without fear of shame or embarrassment, and the characters, both gay and straight, live in a world where sexuality is not a problem because it's just as �normal� to be one as the other. As Paul, the narrator, says at the end, �It's a wonderful world.� It's a humorous story about the rise and fall of high school relationships that will make readers think about what tolerance really is and how to embrace it in our everyday lives.

Brown, Rita Mae. Rubyfruit Jungle. Bantam, 1983. http://www.amazon.com/Rubyfruit-Jungle-Rita-Mae-Brown/dp/055327886X/ref=pd_sim_b_1

Rita Mae Brown takes on a serious topic here with humor; it is the story of Molly Bolt, a girl from rural Pennsylvania who manages to grow up lesbian in New York City and live happily ever after. She is a witty, intelligent combination of artist and prankster who comes of age and isn't afraid to tackle the difficult issues of mother-daughter relationships and discrimination. Like the other stories, it is the tale of one character's quest for acceptance and self-knowledge.

Proulx, Annie. Brokeback Mountain. Scribner, 2005.

Though not technically YA fiction, this short story is a masterpiece; the writing is beautiful and haunting, and the characters are poignant and will stay with readers long after the last page. It's the story of two men who meet while herding sheep and fall into something that they can't identify and are afraid to name because they know they will never be accepted for it; instead, each one does the acceptable thing, marrying and having children, but they keep their relationship going in secret for decades because it is the only important thing in their lives.