Am I Blue?: Coming Out from the Silence [Paperback]

Marion Dane Bauer (Editor), Beck Underwood (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: April 15, 1995

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, Lesléa 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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

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.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 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
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen; Reprint edition (April 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064405877
• ISBN-13: 978-0064405874
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #68,649 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A book for any teen... December 29, 2000

By R. Michael

Format:Paperback

What an awesome book! "Am I Blue?" is a collection of sixteen stories dealing with what it's like to grow up as a gay or lesbian teenager. The story that came closest to me personally was M.E. Kerr's "We might as well all be strangers" because it talks about a Jewish girl who comes out to both her mother and her grandmother. Surprisingly, her grandmother is much more accepting of the girl's sexuality since she had visited Nazi Germany under Hitler and knew what it was like to feel excluded. And in a twist of irony, the girl's mother says that her grandmother would be upset if she found out - perhaps just an indication that we don't know our parents quite as well as we think that we do! As it is my family, tolerance has appeared to have skipped a generation from grandparents to grandchildren, making the generation inbetween "strangers" in the family. To quote the book... "strangers take a long time to become acquainted, especially when they come from the same family."

Another story that I liked was "Am I Blue?" by Bruce Coville since it has let me see the world in shades of blue rather than black and white. Editor Marion Dane Bauer's contribution, "Dancing Backwards", is not only well-writen, but also has a good moral: don't look to others for direction - trust yourself. Finally, "Three Mondays in July" by James Cross Giblin was just the most fascinating story in the entire book. It helped me put a good perspective on what it would have been like to grow up gay in 1951.

Overall, as I said, the book was excellent. And the best part is that you don't have to be gay to read the book or to appreciate the stories - I'd bet that straight readers would get just as much out of the book as the intended gay audience! If you're thinking about reading it - don't hesistate! It will please even the most cynical readers :)

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars We need more books like this one... October 13, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

This is a wonderful book. It's funny, it's involving, it's moving, it's just fabulous. Not only that, it can do so much good. These stories are honest and this book is one no teen should go without reading. I can honestly say this book is one of the best I've ever read and it's probably going to be the first thing I give my parents when I come out to them, yes I know, it's time already! Hey, I'm only 15, give me a few more years!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too April 18, 2006

By TeensReadToo

Format:Paperback

Written over ten years ago, AM I BLUE? is still as important today as it was then. A short-story collection dealing with GLBT (gay/lesbian/ bisexual/transgender) issues by some of 1995's top authors, this book is a true gem for teens searching for their identity--or just looking for a good read. With stories ranging from contemporary paranormal, to ones set in the 1950's, to one based during the Vietnam War, and even one in another world of Amazon warriors, there's something here for everyone.

Stories include:

AM I BLUE? by Bruce Coville

WE MIGHT AS WELL ALL BE STRANGERS by M. E. Kerr

WINNIE AND TOMMY by Francesca Lia Block

SLIPPING AWAY by Jacqueline Woodson

THE HONORARY SHEPHERDS by Gregory Maguire

RUNNING by Ellen Howard

THREE MONDAYS IN JULY by James Cross Giblin

PARENTS' NIGHT by Nancy Garden

MICHAEL'S LITTLE SISTER by C. S. Adler

SUPPER by Leslea Newman

HOLDING by Lois Lowry

BLOOD SISTER by Jane Yolen

HANDS by Jonathan London

50% CHANCE OF LIGHTNING by Cristina Salat

IN THE TUNNELS by William Sleator

DANCING BACKWARDS by Marion Dane Bauer

It's hard to pick a favorite from this collection, as each story has something different to offer. From allowing everyone in the world to see who is gay, to wondering what it would have been like to have two gay shepherds at the birth of Christ, to manning a booth about gays and lesbians at a school parents' night, each short story has an engaging story to tell.

The only thing that would make this book better is to have a part two--another AM I BLUE? published in 2006 with some of today's best GLBT authors like Julie Anne Peters, Brent Hartinger, David Levithan, and more.