Michigan Association of Teacher Educators Student/Intern Teacher of the Year Second Place Winner 2009-2010

GLBTQ In Children's Literature Wrap-Up

What makes topics like GLBTQ so difficult sometimes is the fact that it is not obvious when looking at someone if they fall into that category. People are often very afraid to admit they are gay/lesbian because of the backlash of negative attention it can bring. But, the truth of the matter is GLBTQ is all around us, whether people like to admit it or not. Why should we hide from it? Why should we make anyone feel less adequate than someone else for the way they were born? Especially children who were born into a situation they cannot help; children should not have to feel their family is wrong if their parents are gay. It is important to get these books more mainstream so that children do not feel along anymore.

The three books I chose did not accomplish my original intention. Originally, I was going to find books dealing with children whose parents are gay. But, my search in numerous libraries and book stores rendered few quality books. I ended up finding three books that dealt with male gay characters. I am not sure why this is the case that male gay characters are more common than female gay characters. In fact, it surprised me. I am not sure why I have always thought this, but I have felt like society has found it easier to talk about a woman being a lesbian than a man being gay. Perhaps a sign that times are changing? (hopefully)

The Harvey Milk Story by Kari Krakow is one that can inspire. Young children can look to Harvey's story and know that they, too, can succeed and be who they want to be and do what they want to do. They should not let their sexuality or anything else bring them down just because others may not agree. So Hard To Say by Alex Sanchez is about the confusion a young boy goes through while figuring out he is not attracted to girls. Plus, it is unique in the sense it gives the perspective of the boy's best friend who is unaware of what he is going through. Not to mention, it deals with the negative connotatoin that goes with the term 'gay' and addresses how young adults use it as an insult. Lastly, Mini Mia and Her Darling Uncle by Pija Lindenbaum shows the innocence of a four year old wishing to have her uncle all to herself and her anger towards having to share him with his boyfriend. She is not upset that her uncle is gay, in fact, that is not even mentioned, she is just the typical four year old expressing her jealousy. All three of these books were written through different perspectives. The Harvey Milk Story was from the outside looking in; someone talking about Harvey Milk. Mini Mia was written from the perspective of the four year old girl. And So Hard To Say was a mixture of both. This is why I chose all these books to show the different and unique viewpoints.

All three of these books are exceptional in their own right and are quality pieces of literature, not just GLBTQ literature. They should be in every library and book strore so children can have access to them and learn from them.

"Heather and Her Critics" by Leslea Newman

Heather and Her Critics is written by Leslea Newman, a lesbian author who wrote Heather Has Two Mommies. Newman speaks about the outrageousness of banning GLBTQ literature in schools and libraries. She explains about writing her controversial book, "my goal was simply to tell a story." She had run into a lesbian couple who recently adopted a child and wished there was literature out there that they could read to their child that would reflect their family. So Newman did. She goes on to write, "Is it important for children to see their own image reflected back to themselves within the culture at large? Speaking from personal experience, my answer is a resounding YES." Personally, I would have to agree. Not every family is the same; these days the 'normal' family seems to be one that is not so typical. The traditional mom, dad, brother and sister family is becoming less and less common. So why should children's literature not reflect the changes in society?

What I like about Newman's article was that when she defended the statement she made about representing all families in children's literature is she did so using her religion, not her sexuality. That way it can give readers another perspective. She expressed that she was a young Jewish girl who grew up in a very Jewish community, surrounded by families similar to hers. yet, she still longed for a Christmas tree and an Easter egg hunt like she had seen and read about. She had never been able to see herself in the books she read, which made her feel like her family was wrong. Newman's feelings as a young girl show that there needs to be much more diversity in children's literature to represent the numerous different types of people and families today.

Newman also discusses the controversy her book has caused and points out that her book along with others in the GLBTQ category do not deal with sex, they deal with families. Furthermore, children do not perceive sex from those stories. It is the adults, who feel the GLBTQ books need to be banned, that perceive sex from the text. But, GLBTQ literature for children are not about sex they are about people who are in love with each other and their families. What is the harm in that? Her conclusion sums it up best,

"What leads you to believe that every child sitting in your child's classroom or library comes from a home with a mother and father? Why do you think that htere are no children in your child's classroom or library with lesbian or gay parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, neighbors and friends. What messages are you giving to all children, when you pretend there is only one type of family, and render the rest invisible?"

Mini Mia and Her Darling Uncle

Mini Mia and Her Darling Uncle by Pija Lindenbaum is a quality piece of literature about a girl named Ella, nick-named Mini Mia be her favorit Uncle Tommy for her love of soccer. (After soccer great Mia Hamm.) Mini Mia adores spending time with her Uncle Tommy and is thrilled when her parents go out of town and she gets to spend time with him. But, now Uncle Tommy's friend Fergus joins them and Mini Mia does everything she can do to get rid of him and have her uncle to herself again. She is insanely jealous of Fergus and it is not until Uncle Tommy gets sick one day and cannot play with her that her and Ferfus must spend time together and she finds out that he is not so bad afterall. What I like about Lindenbaum's book is that there is no mention that Uncle Tommy and Fergus are a gay couple, it is just evident from the pictures when they make eye contact and look like a couple in love. I like that because in books about heterosexual couples it is not always mentioned that they are a couple, it is evident from the illustrations showing the same characterisics, so why should a homosexual couple be any different? Secondly, the fact that they are a gay couple is not the main focus, it is seen through a four year old's innocent jealousy and the un-biased love she has for her uncle regardless of his sexuality. The book is an excellent depiction of a four year old longing to have her favorite person all to herself and the angry feelings she feels towards the man taking that person away from her, a typical experience young children go through. It just so happens that her special person is gay.

One issue with the book I have is one page of illustrations. Uncle Tommy and Fergus take Mini Mia to the pool and she goes to the Women's locker room alone to get changed. It shows a naked rear end on the side of the page; which some may deem inappropriate. It is not necessary to the story, so I do not understand why it needed to be included. However, the quality of the story remains the same and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

So Hard To Say

So Hard To Say by Alex Sanchez is wonderful. It follows best friends Xio and Frederick and is written in a unique way. First the readers hears from Xio's point of view, then the next chapter is from Frederick's point of view and so on. Therefore, for many major parts of the story the reader can hear how Xio saw the event take place and how Frederick saw the event take place. This is pivotal seeing as Xio has developed a very big crush on Frederick and Frederick does not like her that way, in fact, he is wondering if he is gay. But, as most teen boys who are gay feel, he is afraid to admit it and is not sure why he feels different around his friend Victor. The story follows Xio and Frederick as their actions confuse themselves and each other. It put a smile on my face as everyone can remember instances from their adolescence when they are trying to find themselves and end up in awkward situations.

The novel also addresses how being called 'gay' is an insult. There is a point during lunch when one of the girls asks Frederick if he is gay, Frederick immiediately goes on the defensive and Xio stands up for him getting very angry with the girl who asked.

"I'd never really seen him mad before, but I couldn't blame him. Everyone knows calling somebody gay is just about the worst thing you can say to them. And asking someone if they're gay is like telling them you think they are gay" (Sanchez 84).

You will have to pick up So Hard To Say and read it yourself to hear what Frederick thought about the situation!

The Harvey Milk Story

As some people may know there is a movie, Milk, coming out that is about politician Harvey Milk. When I was at my local library I came across this book. I, personally, had not heard of Harvey Milk until I saw previews for the movie. I think it is great they are doing a movie about such a brave man. Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man elected as a city official in the United States. He lived in San Francisco and many people were thrilled with the results, but many were not, and Harvey Milk was assassinated by a fellow politician. The Harvey Milk story written by Kari Krakow is a wonderful biography story of this ground breaking man. The illustrations by David Gardner are vibrant and do not depict any stereotypes that could be deemed offensive. The story is told from when Harvey was a young boy, which I enjoy as it establishes more of a connection with Harvey. Krakow also does not mention he was gay right away, and then explains why Harvey was afraid to tell people he was gay, despite how popular he was with all his friends.

"Like so many people of his time, he was afraid of what would happen to him if others knew he was gay. Fears that he would be beaten up at school and abandoned by his friends and family troubled his sleep and tormented his days" (Krawkow).

The Harvey Milk Story would be a wonderful addition to any classroom library. It shows children a person, who happened to be gay, who accomplished what he wanted to do. It is a great example of someone standing up for what they believe in. It is a well written and illustrated biography that could inspire many young children.

Follow Up to Dennis Leary Discussion

In case anyone was still interested, I found this article online today that has Dennis Leary's apology and explanation about the chapter in his book dealing with autistic children. He said his comments were taken out of context in the book and directed towards parents of children who receive help but do not really need it, therefore, those who really do need the help are pushed aside and neglected. It's definitely worth checking out and also the comments posted are interesting, as well.

Boston Herald Article