Original stories by C. S. Adler, Marion Dane Bauer, Francesca Lia Block, Bruce Coville, Nancy Garden, James Cross Giblin, Ellen Howard, M. E. Kerr, Jonathan London, Lois Lowry, Gregory Maguire, LeslEa Newman, Cristina Salat, William Sleator, Jacqueline Woodson, and Jane Yolen Each of these stories is original, each is by a noted author for young adults, and each honestly portrays its subject and theme--growing up gay or lesbian, or with gay or lesbian parents or friends.

Reviews

For the first-ever anthology of YA fiction devoted to lesbian and gay themes, Bauer ( On My Honor ) has assembled original stories by a stellar list of popular children's and YA authors, among them M. E. Kerr, Nancy Garden, William Sleator, Jane Yolen, C. S. Adler and Bruce Coville. With subjects ranging from first love to coming out, self-discovery to homophobia, the collection offers an eclectic mix of voices. Newbery winner Lois Lowry, for example, contributes ``Holding,'' a poignant tale of a high school student who confides in his best friend after the death of his gay father's lover, while Francesca Lia Block weighs in with the wonderfully quirky ``Winnie and Teddy,'' in which a teenager comes out to his girlfriend during a momentous road trip to San Francisco. Perhaps the book's most powerful moments are provided by Jacqueline Woodson's shimmering ``Slipping Away,'' a painful look at one girl's discovery that there are some tests that a friendship simply cannot withstand; and Gregory Maguire's ``The Honorary Shepherds,'' which deftly employs the language of a film treatment to describe two mixed-race students who collaborate on a school video project. Honest, well-written and true to life, these stories will do much to address the gap in gay literature for teens. Part of the proceeds from the book will be donated to Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. Ages 12-up. (June)

"When a book that sets out to do good turns out to be as good as this one, we are all winners."-- Katherine Paterson in "The Washington Post""The question we all ask, 'Who am I?, ' is answered in this warm, wise, wonderful bundle of stories that should be read only by males, females, gays and straights. The answer, of course, is, 'You are not alone.' This book can mend families and save lives." -- Robert Lipsyte"We are grateful to Marion Dane Bauer for bringing us these moving stories by distinguished writers: stories showing us that whatever our individual differences may be, they can be celebrated. And just as important, showing us that at the very core, we are more alike than different." -- Patricia MacLachlan""Am I Blue?" is a brave, new spaceship of short stories about love and loving. A millennium work, on the journey to glimpse our full humanity."-- Paul Zindel

Gr 7 Up-This collection of 18 short stories by recognized children's and young adult authors explores the various meanings of gay/lesbian identity in the lives of teenagers. The book begins and ends with thoughtful commentaries by Bauer, and each story is followed by an afterword by its author that ranges from ho-hum to fascinating; the best tell the ``story behind the story'' and reveal the ways in which gay/lesbian issues or individuals have touched the authors' lives. Most feature white, middle-class, suburban/urban milieus, although several stories have a more diverse cast than is generally found in YA fiction. All seek to convey the very mixed emotions that accompany the acceptance of sexual difference at an age that places a high value on conformity to an established norm. Although the title story is a humorous fantasy featuring a camp fairy godfather who comes to the aid of a gay-bashing victim, most of the tales are realistic portrayals of contemporary YAs. In Nancy Garden's ``Parents Night,'' an unexpected reconciliation occurs between a young lesbian and her father, while in Bauer's ``Dancing Backward,'' the trauma of two young women's boarding school expulsion is offset by the revelation of their love. In Lois Lowry's ``Holding,'' a young man returns from the funeral of his father's partner and finally tells his best friend that his father is gay, while James Cross Giblin's ``Three Mondays in July'' captures the isolation of small-town life in the early `50s. As is the case with most short story collections, the overall quality is uneven, but the best stories are memorable. They speak of survival and hope; they say, like the man on the beach in Giblin's story, ``You're not alone.''-Christine Jenkins, University of Illinois, Champaign