Ash
Malinda Lo
ISBN 978-0-316-04009-9
264 pages
Little, Brown, & Co., 2009
Genre: Fairy Tale; LGBT
Readers Annotation
In a retelling of Cinderella, Ash strikes a bargain with a male fairy and falls in love with Kaisa, the King's Huntress.
Plot Summary
Set in an unnamed kingdom a long time ago, most people dismiss fairy tales and magic as cautionary tales meant to scare people and keep children safe. Only few women known as greenwitches remember the truth: that fairies are real--and dangerous. Ash's mother was one of them and passed along a few of these traditions to her daughter,despite her husband's disapproval. After Ash's mother dies suddenly, Ash's father quickly remarries a woman with two step-daughters, then dies suddenly himself. Lady Isobel, who believed she had married a wealthy man, is shocked to discover her late husband is deeply in debt and forces Ash to become a servant to her and her daughters to pay it off. Consumed with grief at the sudden loss of both her parents, Ash can do little but accept her fate. She wanders the woods by her house alone, half-remembering fairy tales that her mother told her, and wanting to disappear into their world. She encounters a fairy named Sidhean, who warns her of the dangers of the forest and gives her a cloak to protect her.
During her walks in the woods, she encounters Kaisa, the King's Huntress. They slowly and cautiously form a friendship, with Kaisa teaching Ash to ride whenever her stepmother and stepsisters are out of town. Ash asks Sidhean to grant wishes that will allow her to get closer to Kaisa, but Sidhean warns her that as payment, she will belong to him. It seems a preferable fate to a lifetime suffering the cruelties of her stepmother, so Ash agrees. However, as Ash realizes that she is falling in love with Kaisa, she begins to regret her promise.
Critical Evaluation
Ash is a beautifully written book; its prose has a poetic, haunting quality. While it is a retelling of Cinderella, it is mostly a story about grief. The first half of the book shows how a grief-stricken Ash walks around the world, numb, wishing desperately to return to the comfort of her mother. Through her wanderings in the woods, Ash has seen the human girls captured and enchanted by fairies, and how they are driven to a sort of madness. However, even before she strikes the bargain with Sidhean, she wishes to be one of them, because it would be preferable to the pain she experiences in the human world. Ash's romance with Kaisa is notable because Kaisa reawakens in Ash the desire to live. She begins to see the beauty in the human world and realizes that the fairies must resent the humans because fairies can never experience the same warmth and joy that humans can.
Though there is a plot involving the prince holding a ball to seek a bride from all eligible girls in the kingdom, and Ash does attend the ball and dance with the prince, there is a never a hint of romance between Ash and the prince. The romance in the book is solely between Ash and Kaisa. It's interesting to note that lesbian relationships are acknowledged and accepted in the kingdom; at the ball, Ash notices several women trying to catch Kaisa's eyes. The story of fairy's influence, too, is changed. Rather than a benevolent fairy godmother, Sidhean's presence is complicated. Though he protects Ash from fairies who wish to do her harm, he also extracts from her the promise that she will turn himself over completely to him. In a confession late in the book, we find out Sidhean's history and motivations. The book's conclusion is quite moving. The book reminded me of Beauty by Robin McKinley, in that our appreciation of the original fairy tale broadens after the author shows us what the heroine's complicated emotions might have been.
About the Author
Ash is the first novel by Malinda Lo, who previously worked as managing editor of the site AfterEllen.com, an entertainment news site for lesbian and bisexual women. She was awarded the Sarah Pettit Memorial Award for Excellence in LGBT journalism.
Curriculum Ties
Ash might be used in a high school English class to discuss the way that fairy tales can be altered and changed to remain relevant.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Sell the book as a lesbian Cinderella, focusing on the budding romance between Ash and Kaisa.
2. Talk about the book's focus on grief; Ash is so numb and hurt after her parents' death that she is willing to give up her life to escape the pain.
3. Focus on the complicated relationship between Ash and Sidhean. What does he want from her? What does she want from him?
Reading Interest/Level
The book's writing is fairly complex, making it most appropriate for high school readers.
Challenge Issues
While the book has no graphic or objectionable content, the mere fact that it is about two girls who fall in love may cause some people to challenge its presence. If it were challenged, the librarian should ideally read the book to best be able to respond to the challenge; if not possible, the librarian should read reviews of the book in professional journals and look at sites like Common Sense Media to familiarize herself with any potentially controversial topics. She should also be able to explain and defend the library's selection policy and explain how Ash fits into that policy. She could point to the numerous positive reviews that Ash received, including a starred review in Kirkus, to defend its worth.
Selection Criteria
Ash received a glowing review on a YA blog I read (A Chair, A Fireplace, & A Tea Cozy), which intrigued me. I realized that I knew the author (Malinda Lo) from college, so I was doubly intrigued!
Showing posts with label lgbt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lgbt. Show all posts
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Kissing Kate by Lauren Myracle
Kissing Kate
Lauren Myracle
ISBN 0-525-46917-6
198 pages
Dutton, 2003
Genre: LGBT, Contemporary Life
Readers Annotation
Lissa and Kate have been best friends forever, but after they share a romantic kiss at a party, their relationship is strained.
Plot Summary
Lissa and Kate have been best friends forever. Kate, a beautiful gymnast, has always had confidence enough for both of them. After they share a romantic kiss at a party, their relationship is strained. Though Kate initiated the kiss, she stops speaking to Lissa. Lissa finds herself starting her junior year without a group of friends, since her previous friends were really Kate's friends. Through her weekend job at a restaurant delivery service, Lissa gets to know Ariel, a girl from school she'd previously dismissed as too kooky. Ariel sets up a social outing with their boss, an overweight, middle-aged single woman, whom Lissa had previously dismissed as sort of pathetic, and introduces her to Finn, a cute, funny boy who has a birth defect. Lissa realizes that she has been prejudging people and pushing them away without really getting to know them.
At the same time, she struggles with the realization that she is in love with Kate. Kate wants them to return to their old friendship, without even acknowledging what happened between them. When pressed, Kate admits she has feelings, too, but is too concerned with what her family and classmates would think if she came out as a lesbian. Meanwhile, Lissa's younger sister's new friend makes pronouncements on everything--including how gross gay people are--and Lissa's uncle, who has been their guardian since their parents died in a car accident, has the courage to start a new romance and change and grow as a person. Lissa observes all of these people's different reactions to change and being different and wonders whether she should patch things up with Kate and pretend that nothing has happened or take ownership of her new identity.
Critical Evaluation
Though Kissing Kate is very much about Lissa's eventual realization that she can't and won't deny her romantic feelings for Kate, its themes are broader than LGBT. Lissa's acceptance of her sexual identity, whatever it is (Ariel warns her not to be to quick to put a label on herself: maybe she's lesbian, maybe she's bisexual, or maybe she loved Kate the person), is part of a larger self-acceptance that's common to the adolescent experience. Lissa is a realistically flawed person who has been hiding herself her entire life, yet judging people who put themselves out there. While she's presented with a number of previews of how difficult life as a gay person might be, she decides the greater crime is to live a lie, a half-formed life.
There is a running subplot throughout the book about Lissa's attempts to engage in lucid dreaming that I did not think was very successful. While Lissa's interest and success in this new-age topic, despite her previous identity as a skeptic, is meant to show her growth as a person and provides the context for Ariel and Lissa's friendship, I felt like it took up too prominent space in the plot long after it had served its useful purpose.
I very much enjoyed Lissa's relationship with her younger sister. Lissa is both a sister and a mother to her sister, who was only two when their parents died; she realizes that her sister is developing a toxic friendship, but she handles it very well, subtly showing her sister her new friend's true colors and letting her come to that realization on her own. One can see that Lissa wishes her own mother were still alive, helping her work out her own issues with Kate.
About the Author
Lauren Myracle is perhaps known for her "IM Girl" series that started with ttyl, reviewed in this blog. She is a young adult author whose work has been frequently challenged: ttyl for its adult themes and Kissing Kate for its lesbian content. Her latest offering for middle school readers, Luv Ya Bunches, recently made headlines when it was banned from Scholastic Book Fairs because one of its four main characters had same-sex parents.
Curriculum Ties
The book could be used in a school setting to discuss identity and/or lesbian and gay themes.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Explain Kate and Lissa's history and current strained relationship.
2. Discuss Lissa's new friendship with Ariel and how it helps her reevaluate herself.
3. Explore Lissa's family and her relationship with her sister. Is it easier to see other people making mistakes than to see those mistakes in ourselves?
Reading Interest/Level
This book would be of interest to both junior high and high school students.
Challenge Issues
Though there is some alcohol involved--Kate is drunk when she first kisses Lissa, and Lissa later gets drunk after school with Finn and Ariel--this book's main challenge issue is the fact that it's centered around two teenage girls who are romantically involved. I personally do not think there is anything in this book that wouldn't be appropriate for junior high or high school students, but it is a frequently challenged book.
Should it be challenged, the librarian should be able to explain and defend her library's collection policy to the challenger and show how Kissing Kate meets those criteria. S/he could point to the book's numerous positive reviews as proof of its worth.
Selection Criteria
Kissing Kate was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults.
Lauren Myracle
ISBN 0-525-46917-6
198 pages
Dutton, 2003
Genre: LGBT, Contemporary Life
Readers Annotation
Lissa and Kate have been best friends forever, but after they share a romantic kiss at a party, their relationship is strained.
Plot Summary
Lissa and Kate have been best friends forever. Kate, a beautiful gymnast, has always had confidence enough for both of them. After they share a romantic kiss at a party, their relationship is strained. Though Kate initiated the kiss, she stops speaking to Lissa. Lissa finds herself starting her junior year without a group of friends, since her previous friends were really Kate's friends. Through her weekend job at a restaurant delivery service, Lissa gets to know Ariel, a girl from school she'd previously dismissed as too kooky. Ariel sets up a social outing with their boss, an overweight, middle-aged single woman, whom Lissa had previously dismissed as sort of pathetic, and introduces her to Finn, a cute, funny boy who has a birth defect. Lissa realizes that she has been prejudging people and pushing them away without really getting to know them.
At the same time, she struggles with the realization that she is in love with Kate. Kate wants them to return to their old friendship, without even acknowledging what happened between them. When pressed, Kate admits she has feelings, too, but is too concerned with what her family and classmates would think if she came out as a lesbian. Meanwhile, Lissa's younger sister's new friend makes pronouncements on everything--including how gross gay people are--and Lissa's uncle, who has been their guardian since their parents died in a car accident, has the courage to start a new romance and change and grow as a person. Lissa observes all of these people's different reactions to change and being different and wonders whether she should patch things up with Kate and pretend that nothing has happened or take ownership of her new identity.
Critical Evaluation
Though Kissing Kate is very much about Lissa's eventual realization that she can't and won't deny her romantic feelings for Kate, its themes are broader than LGBT. Lissa's acceptance of her sexual identity, whatever it is (Ariel warns her not to be to quick to put a label on herself: maybe she's lesbian, maybe she's bisexual, or maybe she loved Kate the person), is part of a larger self-acceptance that's common to the adolescent experience. Lissa is a realistically flawed person who has been hiding herself her entire life, yet judging people who put themselves out there. While she's presented with a number of previews of how difficult life as a gay person might be, she decides the greater crime is to live a lie, a half-formed life.
There is a running subplot throughout the book about Lissa's attempts to engage in lucid dreaming that I did not think was very successful. While Lissa's interest and success in this new-age topic, despite her previous identity as a skeptic, is meant to show her growth as a person and provides the context for Ariel and Lissa's friendship, I felt like it took up too prominent space in the plot long after it had served its useful purpose.
I very much enjoyed Lissa's relationship with her younger sister. Lissa is both a sister and a mother to her sister, who was only two when their parents died; she realizes that her sister is developing a toxic friendship, but she handles it very well, subtly showing her sister her new friend's true colors and letting her come to that realization on her own. One can see that Lissa wishes her own mother were still alive, helping her work out her own issues with Kate.
About the Author
Lauren Myracle is perhaps known for her "IM Girl" series that started with ttyl, reviewed in this blog. She is a young adult author whose work has been frequently challenged: ttyl for its adult themes and Kissing Kate for its lesbian content. Her latest offering for middle school readers, Luv Ya Bunches, recently made headlines when it was banned from Scholastic Book Fairs because one of its four main characters had same-sex parents.
Curriculum Ties
The book could be used in a school setting to discuss identity and/or lesbian and gay themes.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Explain Kate and Lissa's history and current strained relationship.
2. Discuss Lissa's new friendship with Ariel and how it helps her reevaluate herself.
3. Explore Lissa's family and her relationship with her sister. Is it easier to see other people making mistakes than to see those mistakes in ourselves?
Reading Interest/Level
This book would be of interest to both junior high and high school students.
Challenge Issues
Though there is some alcohol involved--Kate is drunk when she first kisses Lissa, and Lissa later gets drunk after school with Finn and Ariel--this book's main challenge issue is the fact that it's centered around two teenage girls who are romantically involved. I personally do not think there is anything in this book that wouldn't be appropriate for junior high or high school students, but it is a frequently challenged book.
Should it be challenged, the librarian should be able to explain and defend her library's collection policy to the challenger and show how Kissing Kate meets those criteria. S/he could point to the book's numerous positive reviews as proof of its worth.
Selection Criteria
Kissing Kate was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Luna by Julie Anne Peters
Luna
Julie Anne Peters
ISBN 0-316-73369-5
248 pages
Little, Brown & Company, 2004
Genre: LGBT; Issue Novel
Reader's Annotation:
Regan's life has revolved around her brother Liam's struggles with his female identity, but lately she finds herself struggling to define her identity as a person separate from her brother.
Plot Summary:
High school senior Liam has known his whole life that he was born in the wrong body, and his younger sister Luna has known his secret her whole life. At night, Liam emerges as Luna, his female identity. Luna has kept her secret from everyone, but now feels ready to emerge from her cocoon. Regan adores and supports Luna, yet at the same time struggles with her own identity; her complicated family life has made having friends difficult, and at school she feels like an invisible loner. The possibility of romance with a new boy in school forces Regan to rethink her identity as more than just Luna's sister, while Luna struggles with the reality that her family, friends, and high school community may not be accepting of her true self.
Critical Evaluation:
I really enjoyed this book and was amazed during our class Elluminate session how deeply layered it was. There's a lot packed into its 248 pages! I was especially intrigued by the whole family's dysfunctional dynamic; the parents are struggling with their own identities and have a hard time seeing their teenage children as they really are. I would have loved to read a book just from the viewpoint of the mother, who seemed completely clueless throughout but obviously knew more than she chose to let on.
I thought the relationship between the teens were really believable. The friendship and then romance between Chris and Regan was funny and touching, and I liked how it helped Regan see herself in a new light; I also loved the dynamic of their war against their chemistry teacher. I also liked the friendship between Aly and Liam/Luna; the resolution of that seemed quite realistic to me. In general, I really liked how frank and honest Peters was about the relationships in the book. Regan's loss of her babysitting job and surrogate family was quite upsetting, yet exactly what would happen in reality, as was the treatment of Luna when she decided to appear in public as a woman.
About the author:
Peters has written a number of award-winning young adult and children's novels. Many of her YA works feature LGBT themes. Her most recent work, Rage, centers around domestic abuse in a lesbian relationship. Her work has been noted by LGBT organizations for her thoughtful and realistic portrayal of gay teens.
Curriculum ties:
LGBT issues, transgendered people, bullies
Booktalking ideas:
1. Talk about the sibling dynamic between Regan and Liam/Luna
2. Talk about Luna's identity as a transgendered woman
3. Talk about the relationship between Regan and Chris, how he helps her form an identity outside of her family
4. Talk in character as Regan, giving a quick summary of Luna and her parents
Reading/Interest Level:
9th grade and up
Challenge Issues:
Its LGBT subject matter may be challenged by some who find it morally problematic.
If challenged, the librarian should be aware of the library's selection policy and be able to explain and defend it to the challenger. He or she could provide the challenger with the number of positive reviews and awards that Luna has won, as well as some statistics on teens and transgender identity, or perhaps a clipping about Fred Martinez Jr., the murdered transgendered boy who inspired the story.
Selection Criteria:
This was an assigned reading for our class, but the long list of accolades it's received would also make a strong case for its worthiness of inclusion.
Julie Anne Peters
ISBN 0-316-73369-5
248 pages
Little, Brown & Company, 2004
Genre: LGBT; Issue Novel
Reader's Annotation:
Regan's life has revolved around her brother Liam's struggles with his female identity, but lately she finds herself struggling to define her identity as a person separate from her brother.
Plot Summary:
High school senior Liam has known his whole life that he was born in the wrong body, and his younger sister Luna has known his secret her whole life. At night, Liam emerges as Luna, his female identity. Luna has kept her secret from everyone, but now feels ready to emerge from her cocoon. Regan adores and supports Luna, yet at the same time struggles with her own identity; her complicated family life has made having friends difficult, and at school she feels like an invisible loner. The possibility of romance with a new boy in school forces Regan to rethink her identity as more than just Luna's sister, while Luna struggles with the reality that her family, friends, and high school community may not be accepting of her true self.
Critical Evaluation:
I really enjoyed this book and was amazed during our class Elluminate session how deeply layered it was. There's a lot packed into its 248 pages! I was especially intrigued by the whole family's dysfunctional dynamic; the parents are struggling with their own identities and have a hard time seeing their teenage children as they really are. I would have loved to read a book just from the viewpoint of the mother, who seemed completely clueless throughout but obviously knew more than she chose to let on.
I thought the relationship between the teens were really believable. The friendship and then romance between Chris and Regan was funny and touching, and I liked how it helped Regan see herself in a new light; I also loved the dynamic of their war against their chemistry teacher. I also liked the friendship between Aly and Liam/Luna; the resolution of that seemed quite realistic to me. In general, I really liked how frank and honest Peters was about the relationships in the book. Regan's loss of her babysitting job and surrogate family was quite upsetting, yet exactly what would happen in reality, as was the treatment of Luna when she decided to appear in public as a woman.
About the author:
Peters has written a number of award-winning young adult and children's novels. Many of her YA works feature LGBT themes. Her most recent work, Rage, centers around domestic abuse in a lesbian relationship. Her work has been noted by LGBT organizations for her thoughtful and realistic portrayal of gay teens.
Curriculum ties:
LGBT issues, transgendered people, bullies
Booktalking ideas:
1. Talk about the sibling dynamic between Regan and Liam/Luna
2. Talk about Luna's identity as a transgendered woman
3. Talk about the relationship between Regan and Chris, how he helps her form an identity outside of her family
4. Talk in character as Regan, giving a quick summary of Luna and her parents
Reading/Interest Level:
9th grade and up
Challenge Issues:
Its LGBT subject matter may be challenged by some who find it morally problematic.
If challenged, the librarian should be aware of the library's selection policy and be able to explain and defend it to the challenger. He or she could provide the challenger with the number of positive reviews and awards that Luna has won, as well as some statistics on teens and transgender identity, or perhaps a clipping about Fred Martinez Jr., the murdered transgendered boy who inspired the story.
Selection Criteria:
This was an assigned reading for our class, but the long list of accolades it's received would also make a strong case for its worthiness of inclusion.
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