Resource List for Teens
FictionNonfiction Internet and Community Resources Internet Resources
The following books feature characters who are gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or tansgender and can be found at the Sacramento Public Library. For more titles, please ask a librarian. (Many of these books deal with issues of sex and sexuality and might be appropriate for more mature teens.) (Links to Sacramento Public Library Catalog open in a new window).
Am
I Blue? : Coming Out From the Silence/ edited by Marion Dane Bauer.
YA
fic ss AM
A collection of short stories about homosexuality by such authors as Bruce
Coville, M.E. Kerr, William Sleator, and Jane Yolen.
Baby
Be-Bop by Francesca Lia Block
fic Block
Dirk MacDonald, a sixteen-year-old boy living in
Los Angeles, comes to terms with being gay after he receives surreal storytelling
visitations from his dead father and great-grandmother.
Dare Truth or Promise by Paula Boock
YA fic Boock
Louie Angelo, a Woodhaugh High prefect who plans
to be a lawyer, falls in love with a girl who lives in a pub and just
wants to get through her exams so she can become a chef.
My
Father’s Scar by Michael Cart
fic Cart
As he enters into his first relationships as a gay man, a college freshman
recalls the aching loneliness of life with his alcoholic physically abusive
father in a community prejudiced against homosexuals.
My
Heartbeat by Garret Freymann-Weyr
YA fic Weyr
As she tries to understand the closeness between her older brother and
his best friend, fourteen-year-old Ellen finds her relationship with each
of them changing.
Annie
on My Mind by Nancy Garden
YA fic Garden
Liza puts aside her feelings
for Annie after the disaster at school, but eventually she allows love
to triumph over the ignorance of people.
Deliver
Us From Evie by M. E. Kerr
YA fic Kerr
Sixteen-year-old Parr Burrman and his family face some difficult times
when word spreads through their rural Missouri town that his older sister
is a lesbian, and she leaves the family farm to live with the daughter
of the town's banker.
Hello,
I lied by M. E. Kerr
YA fic Kerr
Summering in the Hamptons on the estate of a famous rock star, seventeen-year-old
Lang tries to decide how to tell his longtime friends that he is gay,
while struggling with an unexpected infatuation with a girl from France.
Empress
of the World by Sara Ryan
YA fic Ryan
While attending a summer institute, fifteen-year-old Nic meets another
girl named Battle, falls in love with her, and finds the relationship
to be difficult and confusing.
Rainbow
Boys by Alex Sanchez
YA fic Sanchez
Three
high school seniors, a jock with a girlfriend and an alcoholic father,
a closeted gay, and a flamboyant gay rights advocate, struggle with family
issues, gay bashers, first sex, and conflicting feelings about each other.
Whistle
Me Home by Barbara Wersba
fic Wersba
Seventeen-year-old Noli feels as if she has found her soul mate when handsome,
sensitive TJ moves to Sag Harbor, but even as their feelings deepen, individual
secrets threaten their relationship.
From
the Notebooks of Melanin Sun by Jacqueline Woodson
YA fic Woodson
Fourteen-year-old Melanin Sun's comfortable, quiet
life is shattered when his mother reveals she has fallen in love with
a woman.
Free
Your Mind : the book for gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth--and their
allies
by Ellen Bass and Kate Kaufman
305.235
B317 1996
Addresses numerous aspects of the lives of gay, lesbian, and bisexual
youth including self-discovery, friendships, family, spirituality, and
community.
Coming
Out to Parents : a Two-way Survival Guide for Lesbians and
Gay Men and Their Parents by Mary V. Borhek.
306.874 B734 1993
Deals with numerous issues related to coming out to parents and includes
discussions about AIDS and religious concerns.
Lesbian
and Gay Voices : An Annotated Bibliography and Guide to Literature
for Children and Young Adults by Frances Ann Day ; foreword by Nancy Garden.
RJ016.8108 D273 2000
A guide to over 275 recommended titles. Covers a wide range of books including
picture books for small children, fiction and non-fiction for teens, and
books for adults. Also features profiles of leading gay and lesbian authors
of books for youth and teens.
Two
Teenagers in Twenty : Writings by Gay & Lesbian Youth edited by
Ann Heron
305.90664 T974 1994
Gay and lesbian teens from a wide variety of backgrounds discuss their
experiences as gay teens
The
Shared Heart: Portraits and Stories Celebrating Lesbian, Gay, and
Bisexual Young People. Photographs by Adam Mastoon.
305.235 M423 1997
In their own words, gay, lesbian and bisexual teens and young adults discuss
issues of coming out, relating to family and friends, and making their
way in the world.
Different
Mothers : Sons and Daughters of Lesbians Talk About Their Lives
Edited by Louise Rafkin.
306.874 D569 1990
Children ranging in age from 5 to 25 talk about their experiences as children
of lesbian mothers.
Community Resources in the Sacramento Area
Lambda
Community Center
916-442-0185
1927 L Street, Room C
Sacramento, CA 95814
Provides numerous support services for gay and lesbian teens including
men’s and women’s coming out support groups and counseling services.
The center also provides specialized services to people of color.
For
Youth By Youth, GLBTQ Youth Support Group
Phone: (916) 876-5552
This support group is for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning
youth ages 14-19. The group topics include identity issues for GLBT youth,
social pressure, self-esteem, building healthy relationships, health issues,
and coping skills.
Contact: Nate Bender, Youth Advocate
Gay
Straight Alliance Network
www.gsanetwork.org/
Includes
a state-wide directory of Gay-Straight Alliances and clubs addressing
LGBT issues in California schools. The site provides information on how
to start a GSA as well as a form that groups can use to register online.
One feature is the list of information resources on numerous topics ranging
from conducting school-wide surveys to organizing social events.
GLSEN
(Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network)
www.glsen.org
GLSEN (pronounced “glisten”) is a national network of parents,
students, educators and others working to end discrimination based on
sexual orientation and gender identity/expression in K-12 schools. Their
website features current news stories from around the country on issues
related to sexual orientation in schools as well as a nationwide directory
of local chapters.
outProud
www.outproud.org/
Web site for OutProud, The National
Coalition for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Youth. An excellent
all-around site that provides lots of services and information including
coming-out stories from other teens, a forum and a collection of online
brochures that deals with issues ranging from coming out to online safety.
Soc.support.youth.gay-lesbian-bi
www.ssyglb.org/
A moderated usenet hosting discussions on topics of interest to GLBT youth.
The site moderators strive to ensure “a safe and supportive environment
for sexual minority youth.”