Sample Booktalks
Librarians serving GLBTQ youth cannot expect library users to actively seek out GLBTQ materials on their own. As such, we must go out of our way to tout their well-deserved place in our collections. Booktalks represent one of the many ways to go about sharing amazing GLBTQ literature with teens. Booktalks serve to amplify our humanity, while working to establish a genuine connection amongst teens and these captivating stories, as well as amongst teens and librarians.
In his article, "Opening the Gate," Alexander F. Parks provides sample booktalks “that deal with a diverse spectrum of issues for LGBTQ youth, including race and ethnicity, friendship and acceptance, religion, sexuality and gender expression, health, and cultural conflicts” (Parks, 23).
The titles cross genres and are not just good for GLBTQ books, but good books overall that non-GLBTQ teens will also enjoy.
Without further ado, please enjoy Mr. Parks booktalks, which are sure to appeal to a wide range of GLBTQ teens in your very own library!!
"Down to the Bone by Mayra Lazara Dole (Harper Teen, 2008)
Imagine one of the worst nightmares for a high school student: seventeen-year-old Laura gets caught reading a love letter in class. Her teacher, a nun the students call Fart Face, confiscates the note, reads it aloud to the class, and promptly calls Laura’s mother let her know that her daughter is being kicked out of school for immorality. Laura’s Cuban mother promptly throws her out of the house, separating Laura from her devoted little brother. Why would Laura’s school and mother be so upset about a stupid love letter? You see, Laura is a tortillera—a girl who loves other girls. Set against the vibrant backdrop of Miami, Down to the Bone follows the story of Laura Sofa Lorena as she navigates her way through life after “the Incident.” As Laura questions her own feelings and tries to find a way to make peace with her mother, she must also decide how to live her life honestly and openly. With the help of her crazy best friend, Soli, and Soli’s New Age mother, Vivi, Laura has to learn who to turn to, who to trust, and who to be in order for everything to be right again after “the Incident.” But will things ever be the same again? Find out what happens to Laura as she meets a whole new group of friends and chosen family, tries to find a way to support herself, and ultimately embraces the awesome young woman she is becoming—even if some people call her a tortillera—in Mayra Lazara Dole’s Down to the Bone" (Parks, 25).
"Sprout by Dale Peck (Bloomsbury, 2009)
I have a secret, and everyone knows it. But no one talks about it, at least not out in the open. No, it’s not that my hair is green—anyone within a mile radius can clearly see that. And no, it’s not the fact that I’m gay—I’ve already told anyone who will listen about that. My alcoholic dad moved us from Long Island to the middle-of-nowhere–Kansas four years ago when I was twelve, after my mom died. (That’s the secret nobody talks about.) And even though people think I might be weird because I’m from New York and because our house is completely—and I do mean completely—covered in vines and bushes, I’m just . . . well, me.
But I have a secret that none of my friends, classmates, or family knows about. I haven’t even told it to my crazy tutor for the state essay contest, Mrs. Miller (she’s probably too drunk to even notice), haven’t told it to my BFF Ruthie, or even to my boyfriend (oops—he is kind of a secret, but only because his family would literally kill him if they found out). I’m pretty much on my own here in Kansas—with dad being out of it all the time with his drinking and crazy obsession with the vines covering our house. Ruthie, my BFF, is starting to do her own thing, which kind of sucks. But I’ve got my writing to focus on and it isn’t easy keeping up with dyeing my hair green every few days. You might’ve noticed how I steered the conversation away from my secret. I’m slick that way — you’d better watch me" (Parks, 26).
"Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger (Simon and Schuster, 2007)
Did you really have to cut your hair that short, Angela? Mom asks.
I replied like any self-assured teenager would: I could have shaved an American flag on the side of my head.
I just don’t see what point you’re trying to prove. Your father and I have always wanted the best for you and your sister and tried everything to make sure you have a normal life, Mom continues on.
Just leave me alone if you don’t approve of my “normal” life—I don’t need your approval anyway. I’m outta here next year, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me. I’m practically grown, I retort, knowing full-well that I did need her support.
Whatever, Mom throws in. Just be sure to be ready for the kids at school to tease you for that haircut. You’re asking for it with the way you act and that outfit.
My outfit!?! I had been dressing this way for over two years now. Mom seriously had to get a grip—Dad has been handling this much, much better than she is. I decide to hit her where it hurts: I know it’s hard for you to understand and accept, but Angela is dead. Your baby girl exists only in your imagination. My name is Grady now, Mom. I’m a boy. How else can I communicate to everybody how I feel on the inside? It’s not as if I had a choice . . .maybe if you had given birth to a boy instead of a girl and all this was fixed while I was in your stomach . . .
But Mom had already left the room in tears. She was having a much harder time with all this than anybody . . . well, things haven’t been exactly easy for me either since I decided to go ahead and transition from a girl to a boy at the beginning of my senior year of high school. If Mom was having so much trouble understanding all this, how will my friends and classmates at school react? Uhhh—why can’t everyone just be cool and understand that I’m not trying to act like anything . . . I’m just being me" (Parks, 26).
"Orphea Proud by Sharon Dennis Wyeth (Delacorte Press, 2004)
Greetings and blessings to you all! And thank you all for coming out tonight to Club Nirvana—our little intimate diner and performance space right here in Queens, New York. Some of you might have come out tonight for some delicious food and let me tell you, we serve it up just like grandma did! Others of you might have come to hear some poetry, which just happens to be one of my specialties. And I bet a few of you might be wondering to yourselves just what this whole thing is about . . . and probably wondering about that blond-haired boy behind me painting those horses on the wall. That’s Raynor Grimes, and he is a vivacious young painter who just happens to be my cousin. That’s right! That blond-haired painter and I are cousins. Hard to believe, isn’t it? I mean, I’m dark-skinned and we don’t really resemble one another. But it’s true—cousins and connected even deeper through our art. But Raynor’s only a part of my story, although an important part. My story involves love and loss, coming to terms with all the death I have experienced in my short seventeen years, and sorting out who I am.
You might think I was just born a poet and performer—have been practicing all my life to be up on this stage, but things didn’t happen quite so easily. No, if my best friend and love of my life, Lissa, were here, she would be shocked to ever see me up on a stage performing in front of a live audience. But Lissa’s not here . . . I’m here and can’t wait to tell you about all the love I have experienced and how I came to be up on this stage. So, get cozy, have some of our delicious food, and get ready.
My name is Orphea Proud, and this is my story. . .
Source:
Parks, Alexander F. "Opening The Gate." Young Adult Library Services 10.4 (2012): 22-27. Web. 2 Nov. 2012.
Librarians serving GLBTQ youth cannot expect library users to actively seek out GLBTQ materials on their own. As such, we must go out of our way to tout their well-deserved place in our collections. Booktalks represent one of the many ways to go about sharing amazing GLBTQ literature with teens. Booktalks serve to amplify our humanity, while working to establish a genuine connection amongst teens and these captivating stories, as well as amongst teens and librarians.
In his article, "Opening the Gate," Alexander F. Parks provides sample booktalks “that deal with a diverse spectrum of issues for LGBTQ youth, including race and ethnicity, friendship and acceptance, religion, sexuality and gender expression, health, and cultural conflicts” (Parks, 23).
The titles cross genres and are not just good for GLBTQ books, but good books overall that non-GLBTQ teens will also enjoy.
Without further ado, please enjoy Mr. Parks booktalks, which are sure to appeal to a wide range of GLBTQ teens in your very own library!!
"Down to the Bone by Mayra Lazara Dole (Harper Teen, 2008)
Imagine one of the worst nightmares for a high school student: seventeen-year-old Laura gets caught reading a love letter in class. Her teacher, a nun the students call Fart Face, confiscates the note, reads it aloud to the class, and promptly calls Laura’s mother let her know that her daughter is being kicked out of school for immorality. Laura’s Cuban mother promptly throws her out of the house, separating Laura from her devoted little brother. Why would Laura’s school and mother be so upset about a stupid love letter? You see, Laura is a tortillera—a girl who loves other girls. Set against the vibrant backdrop of Miami, Down to the Bone follows the story of Laura Sofa Lorena as she navigates her way through life after “the Incident.” As Laura questions her own feelings and tries to find a way to make peace with her mother, she must also decide how to live her life honestly and openly. With the help of her crazy best friend, Soli, and Soli’s New Age mother, Vivi, Laura has to learn who to turn to, who to trust, and who to be in order for everything to be right again after “the Incident.” But will things ever be the same again? Find out what happens to Laura as she meets a whole new group of friends and chosen family, tries to find a way to support herself, and ultimately embraces the awesome young woman she is becoming—even if some people call her a tortillera—in Mayra Lazara Dole’s Down to the Bone" (Parks, 25).
"Sprout by Dale Peck (Bloomsbury, 2009)
I have a secret, and everyone knows it. But no one talks about it, at least not out in the open. No, it’s not that my hair is green—anyone within a mile radius can clearly see that. And no, it’s not the fact that I’m gay—I’ve already told anyone who will listen about that. My alcoholic dad moved us from Long Island to the middle-of-nowhere–Kansas four years ago when I was twelve, after my mom died. (That’s the secret nobody talks about.) And even though people think I might be weird because I’m from New York and because our house is completely—and I do mean completely—covered in vines and bushes, I’m just . . . well, me.
But I have a secret that none of my friends, classmates, or family knows about. I haven’t even told it to my crazy tutor for the state essay contest, Mrs. Miller (she’s probably too drunk to even notice), haven’t told it to my BFF Ruthie, or even to my boyfriend (oops—he is kind of a secret, but only because his family would literally kill him if they found out). I’m pretty much on my own here in Kansas—with dad being out of it all the time with his drinking and crazy obsession with the vines covering our house. Ruthie, my BFF, is starting to do her own thing, which kind of sucks. But I’ve got my writing to focus on and it isn’t easy keeping up with dyeing my hair green every few days. You might’ve noticed how I steered the conversation away from my secret. I’m slick that way — you’d better watch me" (Parks, 26).
"Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger (Simon and Schuster, 2007)
Did you really have to cut your hair that short, Angela? Mom asks.
I replied like any self-assured teenager would: I could have shaved an American flag on the side of my head.
I just don’t see what point you’re trying to prove. Your father and I have always wanted the best for you and your sister and tried everything to make sure you have a normal life, Mom continues on.
Just leave me alone if you don’t approve of my “normal” life—I don’t need your approval anyway. I’m outta here next year, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me. I’m practically grown, I retort, knowing full-well that I did need her support.
Whatever, Mom throws in. Just be sure to be ready for the kids at school to tease you for that haircut. You’re asking for it with the way you act and that outfit.
My outfit!?! I had been dressing this way for over two years now. Mom seriously had to get a grip—Dad has been handling this much, much better than she is. I decide to hit her where it hurts: I know it’s hard for you to understand and accept, but Angela is dead. Your baby girl exists only in your imagination. My name is Grady now, Mom. I’m a boy. How else can I communicate to everybody how I feel on the inside? It’s not as if I had a choice . . .maybe if you had given birth to a boy instead of a girl and all this was fixed while I was in your stomach . . .
But Mom had already left the room in tears. She was having a much harder time with all this than anybody . . . well, things haven’t been exactly easy for me either since I decided to go ahead and transition from a girl to a boy at the beginning of my senior year of high school. If Mom was having so much trouble understanding all this, how will my friends and classmates at school react? Uhhh—why can’t everyone just be cool and understand that I’m not trying to act like anything . . . I’m just being me" (Parks, 26).
"Orphea Proud by Sharon Dennis Wyeth (Delacorte Press, 2004)
Greetings and blessings to you all! And thank you all for coming out tonight to Club Nirvana—our little intimate diner and performance space right here in Queens, New York. Some of you might have come out tonight for some delicious food and let me tell you, we serve it up just like grandma did! Others of you might have come to hear some poetry, which just happens to be one of my specialties. And I bet a few of you might be wondering to yourselves just what this whole thing is about . . . and probably wondering about that blond-haired boy behind me painting those horses on the wall. That’s Raynor Grimes, and he is a vivacious young painter who just happens to be my cousin. That’s right! That blond-haired painter and I are cousins. Hard to believe, isn’t it? I mean, I’m dark-skinned and we don’t really resemble one another. But it’s true—cousins and connected even deeper through our art. But Raynor’s only a part of my story, although an important part. My story involves love and loss, coming to terms with all the death I have experienced in my short seventeen years, and sorting out who I am.
You might think I was just born a poet and performer—have been practicing all my life to be up on this stage, but things didn’t happen quite so easily. No, if my best friend and love of my life, Lissa, were here, she would be shocked to ever see me up on a stage performing in front of a live audience. But Lissa’s not here . . . I’m here and can’t wait to tell you about all the love I have experienced and how I came to be up on this stage. So, get cozy, have some of our delicious food, and get ready.
My name is Orphea Proud, and this is my story. . .
Source:
Parks, Alexander F. "Opening The Gate." Young Adult Library Services 10.4 (2012): 22-27. Web. 2 Nov. 2012.