The least controversial way for schools to show support for LGBTQ students is to subsume everything under the umbrella of an all-inclusive anti-bullying policy. But is that enough? The editors of this book (all professors of secondary education) would undoubtedly argue that it is not. The collection they have curated is rich with examples of queer-themed YA literature that can be used within the context of a middle school or high school English language arts (ELA) classroom, strengthened by specific pedagogical approaches that clearly address requisite language arts and literacy standards. A real strength of the book is its organization. The first essays provide historical perspective, and the rest offer specific examples. This reviewer particularly applauds the inclusion of essays focused on the middle school curriculum, which is often neglected. . . this is a valuable resource for teachers, librarians, and educational leaders seeking to create more-inclusive ELA classrooms.



Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates; graduate students; professionals.

Choice Reviews

Greathouse, Eisenbach, and Kaywell have assembled a rich, engaging, provocative and forward-leaning text that speaks to the importance and urgency for our educational system to recognize the coexistence of students as the embodied practice of literacy learning. Drawing from highly engaging queer-themed YA texts, these authors show examples about methods that introduce, teach, and challenge assumptions that lock in approaches to reading texts through lenses which recenter and privilege cisgender and heteronormative identities. They lead readers into a position where binaries are disrupted and move us into a complex and contextually grounded engagement with the binary. Together, they move us move beyond and away from the binary and through this, collectively lift the LGBTQ out of margin and into center.

SJ Miller Ph.D, deputy director, Center for Research on Equity in Teacher Education

Cogent and comprehensive, this is an informative and indispensable guide to using queer adolescent literature in the classroom as a complement to the curriculum. From history to collaboration with school librarians and from textual analysis to encouraging reader empathy, this splendid book is encyclopedic in its life-changing and possibly life-saving content. It clearly belongs in every library and every English language arts classroom.

Michael Cart

This book is a 'must have' for all educators seeking to create a more inclusive school environment. The reference sections alone are invaluable.

Shannon Hitchcock, author, “Ruby Lee & Me and One True Way”