genrequeery-blog

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#selznickdcpl, our history, and our fiction

Note from Katelyn: I wrote this post almost a month ago, and it’s been sitting in our drafts. Since then, I’ve learned more about a couple of brand-new books that acknowledge the legacy of AIDS in queer communities, including Bill Konigsburg’s The Porcupine of Truth. It’s also impossible for me to talk about this without mentioning the appearance of the AIDS Quilt in Singing the Dogstar Blues, but this post is more about historical fiction. It’s not quite the post I wanted to write, but I think it’s the best draft I’ve got right now. I’d love to hear of other YA historical fiction involving HIV/AIDS and AIDS activism.

Back on May 8th, I got to attend Brian Selznick’s magnificent Arbuthnot lecture on “queerness and families in children’s books” at the DC Public Library. Kelly Dickinson wrote up the full lecture for The Hub; you can get all the details from her post. The whole lecture is online here, and you should probably just watch it if you’ve got a couple of hours.

I left the library that night with a lot on my mind, and it’s not all stuff I want to hash out publicly on the internet. I left feeling deeply grateful for the lecture and for the experience as a whole, but since we’re all about YA genre fiction here, let’s focus on that.

I want to talk about historical fiction for a minute. We don’t have a lot of it tagged yet, and even less that’s set during the 1980s and 1990s. 

I know because I went straight into research mode right away. Selznick mentioned that half of his upcoming book, The Marvels, is set in the winter of 1990, and that he made the decision to call AIDS by name when it makes its appearance in the story.

Selznick talked about Weetzie Bat at length, and how amidst all the love and death and immense queerness of Weetzie’s world, the terms “HIV” and “AIDS” never actually appear. (Neither does “rape” or “heroin”, Francesca Lia Block told him, because readers in 1989 would know, and because she wanted to maintain that fantasy veneer that makes the Weetzie books what they are.)

For me, the face of AIDS-crisis-era teen lit was a pair of Lurlene McDaniel books, Baby Alicia Is Dying (about a baby born HIV+) and Sixteen and Dying (about a girl who gets a transfusion of HIV+ blood). As a tween/teen, I read other books, almost all published in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, about uncles with AIDS and teachers who turned out to be gay. I live in Washington, DC, where HIV/AIDS continues to be a major public health issue.

Yet by 2011, when Michael Cart reviewed Brian Farrey’s With or Without You for Booklist, he lauded it for even existing in “a time when AIDS fiction has become almost nonexistent.” Historical fiction that addresses the AIDS crisis is even rarer--I couldn’t find a single mention of HIV or AIDS in the text of any of our ‘80s/’90s historical fiction books. I did find one 2015 book, Skyscraping, that takes place in 1993 and appears to draw heavily from the AIDS crisis. (Christie also mentioned the Greek-chorus narrators of Two Boys Kissing, which is not in and of itself historical fiction, but is certainly relevant here.)

It can’t be that the AIDS crisis, and the activist organizations that fought against ignorance and political indifference, are too recent for historical fiction--we’ve been awash in 9/11 novels for over a decade. Adult fiction has books like Tell the Wolves I’m Home (which, by the way, is one of my favourite books of recent years). I did some pretty intense NoveList searching and I couldn’t find anything--where are the YA historical novels about ACT UP members, or set in the frantic days of GRID?

(I think there are related questions here about how sexual queer YA books can be, and why it always seems to be a father or an uncle or a teacher who gets sick.)

Brian Selznick’s discussion of Weetzie Bat, and of ACT UP, and of our queer history in general, was put into the greater context of his own childhood--growing up completely isolated from any real acknowledgement that anyone else had ever felt the same way he did--and of a conversation with a young man who wasn’t sure about the labels and trappings of queer community.

“Having a history doesn’t take anything from you,” Selznick argued. “It gives you scaffolding. It builds you up.” 

I argue passionately for the importance of queer YA historical fiction, fantasy, and science fiction because I believe it is important to reinforce that kind of permanence--that background assumption that queer folks were and will be everywhere, in every time.

Speaking to his young friend (or at least to the idea of him), Selznick also said, “You are what everyone’s been fighting for.” What a weighty burden to live up to! But also, hand in hand with that obligation, is the reminder that we have always been fighting. We need our fiction--and our nonfiction--to document that.

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Book Database Updates!

Hey everyone,

I am going to be adding another batch of books to our tagged collection of queer YA genre fiction. I’m all over this list from Rachel Manija Brown and these suggestions from fuckyeahlesbianliterature.  Do you have suggestions for titles we should add?

Some parameters: --titles should be published for the YA and/or middle-school market (not adult books with YA interest) --they should fall into one or more of our major genres (mystery, horror, SF, fantasy, historical fiction, romance, verse novels, OR arts/sports-focused contemporary fiction). --they should have a queer MAIN CHARACTER. We love side characters, queer parents, etc., but right now our book posts feature MAIN CHARACTERS. --books should exist in WorldCat, be readily available to libraries and bookstores through major distributors, and have been reviewed in some of the major library trade journals. (If you’re not sure, check its WorldCat record; lots of libraries = a good sign for distribution/reviews.)

The best way to submit suggestions is to e-mail genrequeery at gmail. You can also drop stuff in our ask.

If you have other suggestions about the navigability of the database or whatever else about GenreQueery, they’re welcome, too!

--Katelyn.

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Girl at Midnight

CHRISTIE RECOMMENDS!:

If you go by the publisher’s description, The Girl at Midnight would not be on your Genre{Queer}y radar at all: 

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.   Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.   Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, though if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.   But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

BUT, trust me, not only is the book wonderful for those who love contemporary fantasies, but also there is a HUGE secondary story with Dorian and Jasper.

Dorian is the second of the Drakhain prince, and has sworn his life (and his heart) to him, while the prince is completely straight. During their flight from death at the hands of the prince’s seizure of the kingdom, Dorian and the rest land at the doorstep of Jasper’s hideaway. Jasper, who is of the Avicen yet claiming no side in their battle with the Drakhain, is a thief by profession, and wants nothing to do with the trouble that’s landed on his doorstep- especially when they bring both sides of the war with them. Yet once he sees Dorian, Jasper knows that there’s one challenge he won’t back down from, even if Dorian may not see it yet.

The Girl at Midnight fits Genre{Queer}y for being contemporary fantasy/fiction. It was published April 28, 2015 by Delecorte Press, ISBN  978-0385744652. It’s YA fantasy, placed grades 9 and up by School Library Journal, and has gotten starred reviews from both Booklist and Kirkus. 

It is Melissa Grey’s first book.

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I’m a little late to update this post, but the 2014 Tiptree Award winners were recently announced! (Here’s a more permanent link to SF Signal, which also lists the winners, honor list, and extended “worthy of attention” list.) While both of the winning books are novels published for adults, there are some YA titles in the lists:

--Kaleidoscope, an anthology of diverse SFF YA stories that includes queer and trans characters, was featured on the Honor List

--Otherbound (fantasy; also a Bisexual Book Awards finalist), Shadowplay (fantasy; see linked post for more details), and The Cure for Dreaming (historical fiction--no queer characters, but lots of feminism) were featured on the “worthy of attention” list.

I haven’t read most of the books recognized yet--am I missing any YA titles from this year’s list?

Pictured: several young adult books that have been shortlisted for the James Tiptree, Jr., Award; The Knife of Never Letting Go (center) was also named a winner in its year.

The James Tiptree, Jr., Award

Fans of queer SFF (YA and otherwise) should definitely know about the Tiptree Award, named after landmark sci-fi author Alice B. Sheldon. Under the pseudonym James Tiptree, Jr., Sheldon wrote groundbreaking and well-regarded science fiction. “Tip” had an effective cover story, and “his” true identity was not discovered for decades. 

As the award’s website details, “The discovery [that Tiptree was a woman] led to a great deal of discussion of what aspects of writing, if any, are essentially gendered. The name “Tiptree” was selected to illustrate the complex role of gender in writing and reading.”

Not all Tiptree titles feature characters who fit into LGBT identities, but the authors’/artists’ deep engagement with gender will likely be of interest to many GenreQueery readers.

About the Award

From Tiptree.org:

In February of 1991 at WisCon (the world’s only feminist-oriented science fiction convention), award-winning SF author Pat Murphy announced the creation of the James Tiptree, Jr. Award, an annual literary prize for science fiction or fantasy that expands or explores our understanding of gender. (To read her speech go to PatMurphy.pdf.) Pat created the award in collaboration with author Karen Joy Fowler. The aim of the award is not to look for work that falls into some narrow definition of political correctness, but rather to seek out work that is thought-provoking, imaginative, and perhaps even infuriating. The Tiptree Award is intended to reward those women and men who are bold enough to contemplate shifts and changes in gender roles, a fundamental aspect of any society.

[Want to know more? Julie Philips’s James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon is one of my all-time favourite biographies. 

While the award’s website provides more information on each year’s titles and their juries, I find the Wikipedia list of winners & shortlisted titles to be the quickest look at what’s been recognized. –katelyn] 

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Lambda Literary Finalists

Genre{Queer}y congratulates ALL the Lambda Literary Finalists, but especially the Children’s/Young Adult category finalists.

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, Susan Kuklin, Candlewick Press (a Genre{Queer}y book [Trans])

Double Exposure, Bridget Birdsall, Sky Pony Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing (a Genre{Queer}y book [Trans] )

Five, Six, Seven, Nate!, Tim Federle, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (a Genre{Queer}y book [happy ending] )

Forgive Me If I’ve Told You This Before, Karelia Stetz-Waters, Ooligan Press (a Genre{Queer}y book [1990′s historical fiction, first generation immigrants]

Lies We Tell Ourselves, Robin Talley, Harlequin Teen (a Genre{Queer}y book [1960′s civil rights historical fiction])

Pukawiss the Outcast, Jay Jordan Hawke, Dreamspinner Press/Harmony Ink Press (a Genre{Queer}y book [First Nations main character])

This is Not a Love Story, Suki Fleet, Dreamspinner Press/Harmony Ink Press (a Genre{Queer}y book [mute main character]

When Everything Feels like the Movies, Raziel Reid, Arsenal Pulp Press

- See more at: http://www.lambdaliterary.org/features/news/03/04/the-27th-annual-lambda-literary-award-finalists/#sthash.IcS2Okil.dpuf 

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Reading the Rainbow: notes from the NTTBF Session

In light of the laws that have just been passed in Indiana, it should be extremely heartening to QUILTBAG teens that the session at NTTBF was so full of teens and librarians/educators that the authors gave up their chairs and sat on the tables in order to make more room for attendees, and even then it was standing room only and then some. 

Authors were Sarah Rees Brennan, David Levithan,Alex London, and Lauren Myracle. The session was wonderful, and the authors were great--it was full of positive energy, and it was awesome to see.

please note that author’s answers are in bold and paraphrased.

First Question: In light of needing diverse books, is there a rush with publishing to fit the category? 

The bar right now is set very high, and we’re exploring the complexity of diversity--a diversity within diversity. We also need socio-economic and racial diversity within QUILTBAG/GLBTQ, and to connect with all readers- Brown Girl Dreaming does that.

I really want lesbians to be the new vampires. We should be everywhere. QUILTBAG books should be the next huge thing, taking over YA literature. Right now you have kids thinking that “gay” is “so binary” when they’re exploring more aspects of QUILTBAG because there are more freedoms open to them.

The default right now is straight and white, and oftentimes male. The challenge right now is finding authentic markers to identify non-default characteristics.

What is the difference between an issue book vs a genre book? 

We definitely need to move away from issue books and more towards genre books. Issue books are important but as a whole QUILTBAG books need to be more than, oh, I’m gay/I’m trans, how does X,Y,Z handle it, and go towards A is kicking ass in dystopia future and by-the-way is QUILTBAG. 

QUILTBAG will always matter but will not always define you, and that’s the difference between issue and genre. It’s the difference between talking about something and taking something for granted- character development beyond being defined by being gay or trans. Some define themselves that way, for others it’s just the way they are.

What are some resources for finding QUILTBAG books?

The Stonewall award- it comes out every year and lists 4-5 books. Even better is the Rainbow List- it’s created every year and has a complete list of books for all ages, created by librarians, and it has books for all ages on it.

What drew you into writing about six controversial issues?

A sense of social justice, about reaching out to the unheard.  To write the book you want to see in the world.  Everyone deserves to see themselves as a hero. We want to write about people like ourselves, want to rewrite own history.  

Actually, I started wanting to write Harry Potter fan fiction!

ENDER'S GAME thought it was gay novel by gay novelist?!  Completely disillusioned in 20's.

Have you ever dealt with Isolation?  Have any QUILTBAG friends family?  

uncle, none, great aunt Denise (formerly great uncle Father Dennis).

Even in big cities you can feel very isolated, you need to remember that everyone feels that way and you’re not the only one feeling that way.

How do you feel about cruelty?  

I really think it stems from great sadness, and I try to understand.

I actually priced out mercenaries to deal with the cruelty from the family of a friend who ended up becoming my husband.  Things change, and they came around.

How to deal with patents who don't accept?  

It’s so hard to change people's minds.  Time.  Gain your own freedom, own control, and distance makes it easier to create a good life.  Most parents come around eventually, given the ultimatum accept or goodbye.  It does get better.

Advice for young writers who’re compassionate and want to write QUILTBAG?  

Killer robots.  Be honest.  Just do it.  Messed up books still have real value.

What about Christianity/religious friction / pressure?  

Remember it's a label.  Find someone else to talk to who is not unaccepting for guidance.  It’s Ok not to tell them (for a while).

Opinion on fan fiction?  

Love it...but don't want to get involved

Character crush?  

Nox.  Scott Pilgrim.

How to deal with pressure of writing naturally?  

Don't listen to criticism, stay true to characters

Movie conversion?  Do characters lose their identity? 

 Nick & Norah's ok, queercore band no problem.  Every Day is in discussion, and I’m holding on to having a different actor every day.

What about asexual books?  

Hard question!  Leakycon?  Up and coming topic, needs exploration.  Guardian of the dead, one other example.

Coming out coming of age risk of reaching all?  

Write emotional truth, and readers will hopefully connect.  The work is everything that is the case.

Is the focus on friendships vs relationships important?  

Yes, friendships are how most live our lives.

There were tons of questions and the session was out of time. All the authors were open to having teens reaching out to them via email/twitter/other options.

Christie’s Note: I completely apologize for getting this out so late--the North Texas Teen Book Festival was March 7, and obviously this is posted today. Life exploded.

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Pictured: several young adult books that have been shortlisted for the James Tiptree, Jr., Award; The Knife of Never Letting Go (center) was also named a winner in its year.

The James Tiptree, Jr., Award

Fans of queer SFF (YA and otherwise) should definitely know about the Tiptree Award, named after landmark sci-fi author Alice B. Sheldon. Under the pseudonym James Tiptree, Jr., Sheldon wrote groundbreaking and well-regarded science fiction. “Tip” had an effective cover story, and “his” true identity was not discovered for decades. 

As the award’s website details, “The discovery [that Tiptree was a woman] led to a great deal of discussion of what aspects of writing, if any, are essentially gendered. The name “Tiptree” was selected to illustrate the complex role of gender in writing and reading.”

Not all Tiptree titles feature characters who fit into LGBT identities, but the authors’/artists’ deep engagement with gender will likely be of interest to many GenreQueery readers.

About the Award

From Tiptree.org:

In February of 1991 at WisCon (the world’s only feminist-oriented science fiction convention), award-winning SF author Pat Murphy announced the creation of the James Tiptree, Jr. Award, an annual literary prize for science fiction or fantasy that expands or explores our understanding of gender. (To read her speech go to PatMurphy.pdf.) Pat created the award in collaboration with author Karen Joy Fowler. The aim of the award is not to look for work that falls into some narrow definition of political correctness, but rather to seek out work that is thought-provoking, imaginative, and perhaps even infuriating. The Tiptree Award is intended to reward those women and men who are bold enough to contemplate shifts and changes in gender roles, a fundamental aspect of any society.

[Want to know more? Julie Philips’s James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon is one of my all-time favourite biographies. 

While the award’s website provides more information on each year’s titles and their juries, I find the Wikipedia list of winners & shortlisted titles to be the quickest look at what’s been recognized. --katelyn] 

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Queer Women in Historical Fiction

It's Women's History Month in the US, the UK, and Australia. (My native Canada will celebrate in October, so Canadian readers, consider this advance notice to start stocking your shelves!)

If you're a librarian or bookseller with some YA historical fiction out to celebrate, make sure you include some of these queer titles (and read Christie's post about displays if you're still unsure):

Wildthorn (19th century UK)

Silhouette of a Sparrow (1920s US)

Secret City (1940s US)

Lies We Tell Ourselves (1950s US)

Moon at Nine (1980s Iran)

The Miseducation of Cameron Post (1990s US)

...And that's all we've got! What historical titles are we missing that feature queer girls/women as main characters?

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{Queer}y: Being Subversive with Displays

{Queer}y: I work in a very conservative area/community, and any time I put together a display focused on GLBTQ materials, they either get checked out and never returned, or someone makes complaints about the materials. I want to make sure that my patrons/students know the materials are there, but I can't replace them if they're taken by patrons for censorship means. How can I make displays with my GLBTQ materials?

Answer: First, I am SO sorry people are taking your materials and keeping them in order to make sure that they're not available because of their narrow viewpoint. I've been in that situation, and it is completely miserable. You know who does it because the material is on their card, yet you can't restrict them from checking the material out because they pay off the lost materials. And you can't replace the materials because more than likely, the "lost material" money goes into a general fund instead of actually paying for a replacement copy.

As to how to make sure that your QUILTBAG kids find the books and materials in your library and in your displays, there are multiple ways. If you are able to, go through your ILS and make sure that the subject headings will point them to the materials. If the kids can search for them and easily find them on their own, it will make things a lot easier.

Also, since obvious displays aren't welcome in your community, be subversive and sneaky. Instead of doing a "We're Here, We're Queer" display, start doing genre displays and put in QUILTBAG materials that fit in with the genre. Do a fairy tale display and along with Cress and Scarlet put in Ash and Tithe. Put up a romance display and throw in Pink and I'll Give You The Sun. Pull together a Spring Break Happy Reading display and put in Sparks, Drama, and Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy. 

Have a {queer}y? http://genrequeery.tumblr.com/ask

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Lesbian/Bi:• The Color Purple by Alice Walker (1982) • Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson (1985) • Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown (1973) • Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters...

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"I'm a feminist because people still say that asexual, biseuxal, and trans folk don't exist."

Why I’m A Feminist

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This looks like a great resource for fans of SFF--Rachel Manija Brown has compiled a list of existing YA SFF titles that feature LGBTQ+ characters. Many of these books are also in our fantasy and science fiction tags, but I can see that we've still got work to do...

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In Praise of Side Characters (or, yet another post in which Katelyn cribs off of her master's thesis)

When we look for representation in fiction, and when we choose books to discuss here at GenreQueery, we focus a lot on protagonists and major characters. And let's be clear: major characters matter a lot. I am not suggesting that we don't need more of them.

But today, I want to take a moment to talk about minor characters and what I'll term queer worldbuilding. I'm particularly interested in what happens in historical fiction (the past), fantasy (the alternate present), and science fiction (the future), because I think they are genres where we see an author's assumptions about humanity come most starkly into play. 

I keep going back to a passage in Brian Attebery's Decoding Gender in Science Fiction where he borrows an observation from Joanna Russ, that "visions of future society well into the 1960s have space-suited men coming home to the wife and kids in an orbiting suburbia." We see in other worlds and other times what we assume to be normal and eternal.

I know that I am not alone in being taught that queer identities were a new-fangled invention of a corrupt modern age. Queerness was explained away as sinful and impermanent and ultimately contrary to the better nature of mankind.

Every piece of fiction that imagines our future, or that re-envisions our past, or that sets up an alternate humanity in a fantasy world, has the power to to double-down on that idea or to combat it.  (It should be evident that this is also true of every other kind of human variance: either you include it, or you explain where it went, or you are aligned with its impermanence and with the idea of a "default human" that is, most frequently, white, able-bodied, neurotypical, cis, straight, etc., etc., etc.) The responsibility for accurate representation doesn't go away when a character's role gets smaller, either, for this very reason.

So while I will continue to celebrate books that center queer narratives, I want to remember the importance of queer worldbuilding, of background stories that remind readers that queerness has a long past and will likely have a long future. 

Pictured Above:

The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking #1) by Patrick Ness (science fiction)*

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (historical fiction)

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman (fantasy)

A Brief History of Montmaray (The Montmaray Journals #1) by Michelle Cooper (historical fiction)

Bitterblue (Graceling Realm #3) by Kristin Cashore (fantasy)*

*Chaos Walking and the Graceling Realm series are both interesting cases in that characters and relationships that are kind of ambiguous in the first book get more textually queer by the end of the series.

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Queer Your Love Stories!

As you're restocking your Valentine's Day displays, don't forget these love stories and rom-coms featuring bisexual, gay, and lesbian characters! (If you need more ideas, Teen Services Underground has a list of 8 more love stories--and a poster!--even if some of them are about straight folks.)

Pink by Lili Wilkinson: After switching schools, Ava gets involved with the theatre program and starts crushing on a boy. At her last school, she dressed in black and dated a girl... so why does she want pink and boys now?

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz: Despite their different backgrounds, Ari and Dante discover a deep friendship and heartfelt love. 

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour: Emi finds a mysterious letter at an estate sale and follows it all the way to Ava.

Fan Art by Sarah Tregay: Jamie's crush on his best friend, Mason, is also the subject of his friends' 'shipping. They trip through many rom-com/fanfic tropes  while Jamie tries to sort out his feelings.

The Difference Between You and Me by Madeleine George: An activist weirdo and a preppie popular girl have nothing in common... except their secret make-outs in the library. In public, they find themselves on opposite sides of a battle over a big box store.

How They Met by David Levithan: This is my (Katelyn's) favourite David Levithan book, and perfect for your Valentine's display: a series of short stories the author wrote for his friends, in many different years, for Valentine's Day. Not all perfect romances, not all queer, but a lovely collection.

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A few of the upcoming 2015 QUILTBAG releases that I hope will be awesome, and are also genre books!

None of the Above: But Kristin's first time isn't the perfect moment she's planned—something is very wrong. A visit to the doctor reveals the truth: Kristin is intersex, which means that though she outwardly looks like a girl, she has male chromosomes, not to mention boy "parts."Dealing with her body is difficult enough, but when her diagnosis is leaked to the whole school, Kristin's entire identity is thrown into question. As her world unravels, can she come to terms with her new self? (genrequeery qualification: intersex character)

The Art of Being Normal: David Piper has always been an outsider. His parents think he's gay. The school bully thinks he's a freak. Only his two best friends know the real truth - David wants to be a girl. On the first day at his new school Leo Denton has one goal - to be invisible. Attracting the attention of the most beautiful girl in year 11 is definitely not part of that plan. When Leo stands up for David in a fight, an unlikely friendship forms. But things are about to get messy. Because at Eden Park School secrets have a funny habit of not staying secret for long ... (genrequeery qualification: trans* character)

Carry On: if you haven't read Fangirl, go read it now then come back. You won't get it unless you read it. We'll wait. (genrequeery qualification: fanfiction, magical fantasy)

The Girl at Midnight: Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.   Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.   Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, though if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.   But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire. (genrequeery qualification: magical contemporary fantasy)

Vanished: Kalah knows better than to fall for Beth Taylor . . . but that doesn't stop her from falling hard and falling fast, heart first into a sea of complications.Then Beth vanishes. She skips town on her eighteenth birthday, leaving behind a flurry of rumors and a string of broken hearts. Not even Beth's best friend, Britney, knows where she went. Beth didn't even tell Kalah good-bye.One of the rumors links Beth to Britney's boyfriend, and Kalah doesn't want to believe the betrayal. But Brit clearly believes it—and before Kalah can sort out the truth, Britney is dead.When Beth finally reaches out to Kalah in the wake of Brit's suicide, Kalah wants to trust what Beth tells her. But she's swiftly realizing that nothing here is as it seems. Kalah's caught in the middle of a deadly psychological game, and only she can untangle the deceptions and lies to reveal the unthinkable truth. (genrequeery qualification: suspense mystery)

Hold Me Closer: Watch out, ex-boyfriends, and get out of the way, homophobic coaches. Tiny Cooper has something to say—and he’s going to say it in song.  Tiny Cooper is finally taking center stage . . . and the world will never be the same again. (genrequeery qualification: musical theater)

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2015 Stonewall Youth Awards:

Winner

This Day In June- In a wildly whimsical, validating, and exuberant reflection of the LGBT community, This Day In June welcomes readers to experience a pride celebration and share in a day when we are all united. Also included is a Reading Guide chock-full of facts about LGBT history and culture, as well as a Note to Parents and Caregivers with information on how to talk to children about sexual orientation and gender identity in age-appropriate ways.

Honor Books:

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out- Author and photographer Susan Kuklin met and interviewed six transgender or gender-neutral young adults and used her considerable skills to represent them thoughtfully and respectfully before, during, and after their personal acknowledgment of gender preference.

I'll Give You The Sun- Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world. Also the 2015 Printz Award Winner.

Morris Macklewhite and the Tangerine Dress- Morris is a little boy who loves using his imagination. But most of all, Morris loves wearing the tangerine dress in his classroom’s dress-up center. The children in Morris’s class don’t understand. Dresses, they say, are for girls. And Morris certainly isn’t welcome in the spaceship some of his classmates are building. Astronauts, they say, don’t wear dresses. One day when Morris feels all alone and sick from their taunts, his mother lets him stay home from school. Morris dreams of a fantastic space adventure with his cat, Moo. Inspired by his dream, Morris paints the incredible scene he saw and brings it with him to school. He builds his own spaceship, hangs his painting on the front of it and takes two of his classmates on an outer space adventure. With warm, dreamy illustrations, Isabelle Malenfant perfectly captures Morris’s vulnerability and the vibrancy of his imagination.

[genrequeery-blog]

Five, Six, Seven, Nate! is an Odessey Honor Award winner, recognized for one of the top audiobooks for youth. If you haven't listened to the series (Better Nate Than Ever is the first), or read it, it's wonderful. What's even better about the audiobook is that it's narrated by Tim Federle, who wrote the books, and has been on Broadway.

And, BTW, they're wonderful GenreQueery books for MG.