The 57 Bus--"I am not a thug, gangster, hoodlum, nor monster." OR "He's a sixteen-year-old kid and sixteen-year-old kids are kind of dumb."

Title: The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime that Changed Their Lives

Author:  Dashka Slater


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Sasha is an agender nonbinary teenager who attends a private school for academically gifted students. Richard attends Oakland High School, is turning his life around, and is determined to graduate. One day they are both on the bus, and Richard is joking around with a lighter and sets Sasha's skirt on fire. Sasha spends months in the hospital, and Richard is arrested, charged as an adult, and could face life in prison if convicted.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): When I was a teenager, I watched the movie Twelve Angry Men, a story of jurors serving on a murder trial. A lot of damning evidence is presented at the trial, and eleven of the jurors want to immediately come to a guilty verdict. But one juror decides that they need to reexamine the evidence, and in the process, they discover enough reasonable doubt that each juror eventually changes his vote to not guilty.

Girl Mans Up--"I don't feel like I'm something I shouldn't be. Only other people make me feel like there's something wrong with me."

Title: Girl Mans Up

Author: M-E Girard


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer):  Pen is not trying to be a boy; she is being herself: a boyish-looking girl who likes gaming (and girls). Pen's old-world-Portuguese parents want her to show respect by acting "like a girl." Pen's friend Colby wants her to prove her loyalty by doing whatever he says, even if it means getting him out of some trouble and getting herself into questionable situations. Luckily, Pen's brother Johnny is on her side.


What I think (with lots and LOTS of spoilers): I discussed terrible YA parents in the second half of the review of Better Nate Than Ever (and I think I'm going to pull the parent stuff out and make it its own post one of these days), and if there were an award for the worst parents in YA books, Pen's parents would take the top prize. They are terrible.

Just Between Us--"I am not my disease. I am a human being."

Title: Just Between Us
  

Author: J.H. Trumble


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Curtis is home from his freshman year of college, working as a band tech for his old high school band, when he meets band member Luke, and the two are instantly attracted to each other. But just when Curtis decides to act on his feelings for Luke, Curtis takes an HIV test: and it's positive. Depressed and ashamed, Curtis tries to push Luke away, but Luke is determined to be a part of Curtis's life.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer):  Luke appears as a young, pitiable sophomore in Don't Let Me Go but a mature, confident senior in Where You Are--such a drastic difference; I couldn't wait to read what happened in the year between.

NEW: Trans Student FAQ

I have created a new section under the pages tab above called Supporting Trans FAQ in which I give resources for school and public libraries to support trans and gender nonconforming students.

Click on the tab above or click on these links:

• Supporting Trans FAQ
    
• Q: What does it mean to be transgender, gender nonconforming, and/or gender nonbinary?
    
• Q: Can young people really be transgender? What do science and psychology say?
    
• Q: There aren't many trans people. Why should we have resources for them?
    
• Q: What do I say to students/patrons who are scared of transgender people using the bathrooms?
    
• Q: What are some resources for supporting transgender youth in my library? 

The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy--"I'd rather write my own legends. Or be the story someone else looks to someday."

Title: The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy

Author: Mackenzi Lee


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Felicity escapes to London for two reasons: to avoid marrying Callum the baker and enroll in medical school; however, men are the ones in charge and they will not admit women to their schools.  Felicity then finds out her childhood friend, Johanna, is marrying a famous doctor, so Felicity plans to crash the wedding and meet the doctor. This leads to Felicity and Joanna involved in an adventure of medicine, pirates, petticoats, and sea dragons.


What I think:  Pirates and Petticoats is the companion book to Vice and Virtue.  I didn't love Felicity's voice as much as I loved Monty's, but I definitely enjoyed her story.

Dress Codes for Small Towns--"There is more than one way to add color to the world. More than one way to crown a queen"

Title: Dress Codes for Small Towns

Author:  Courtney Stevens


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): After Billie and her group of friends nearly burn down their church, Billie is determined to prove that she is not a bad girl and that her father deserves to remain the church's minister. At the same time, Big T, the town's sponsor of the annual Harvest festival, dies.  Billie and her friends work to rise above prejudice and work to save the festival, while exploring their own identities and love interests along the way.


What I think: Dress Codes was one of those books that I thought was going to be about something else entirely.  I thought the plot, even as I was reading, was going to go something like this:

1. Tomboy-ish girl (Billie, who might be gay) experiences prejudice from small town rednecks
2. Boy-who-wears-makeup (Davey, who might be gay) also experiences prejudice
3. They both tell off the hypocritical church people
4. Their friends and family members, who are "set in their small-town ways" reject them, and
5. They move away to a big city to live glamorous lives (also come out of their respective closets)

I've read this story before, I thought smugly.

With or Without You--"I always have a story. The only thing worse than needing one is when I don't."

Title: With or Without You

Author: Brian Farrey



What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Tired of being bullied for their sexual orientation, Evan and Davis go to a meeting of the Chasers, a group that promises to teach them "how to be gay" and stand up to bullies. Davis is immediately swept away in the promises of the Chasers, while Evan remains skeptical but determined to protect Davis. Meanwhile, Evan also deals with his apathetic family, his secret boyfriend, and honing his artistic talent through glass-painting.


What I think: Poor Evan has the lowest self-esteem of any main character I've read in a long time. But is it any wonder: Evan and Davis are physically and verbally bullied at school so often, they don't even both letting anyone know; bullying is so much a part of their daily routine. They manage to scrape through their senior year of high school together, remembering that this time the next year, they will be in college in Chicago.