Am I Blue?: Coming Out from the Silence (Paperback)

by Marion Dane Bauer (Editor), Beck Underwood (Illustrator) "It started the day Butch Carrigan decided I was interested in jumping his bones..." (more)
Key Phrases: false tunnel, academy for young women, dark sister, New York, Mary's Academy, Miss Brown (more...)

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.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (April 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064405877
• ISBN-13: 978-0064405874
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #80,192 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	R. Michael - See all my reviews

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 :)

6 of 6 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

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!

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Should be Required Reading in All Classrooms!, January 19, 2004

By	Leeann (Birmingham, MI, USA) - See all my reviews

_Am I Blue?_ is a brilliant YA anthology that should be required reading in every classroom! Dealing with homosexuality in teenagers and their parents and friends, these stories will move any reader--gay, straight, questioning, or bisexual. This anthology helps gay kids understand that they are not alone, while shining a light on what it feels like to be homosexual for straight readers. The stories have similar themes, but range in genre, giving every reader something to thoroughly enjoy. I can't recommend it strongly enough!

My only complaint is that there were no stories that really focused on a bisexual character.