October 17 is Spirit Day
Millions of people wear purple on Spirit Day to show support for LGBT youth who are victims of bullying and to show respect for deceased victims of bullying. Many websites, including this one, mark the occasion by adding purple to their design.
This booklist will provide reading material for youth who are struggling with bullying and for compassionate readers everywhere.
Booklist for Spirit Day:
Fiction
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Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher
• Audiobook
• eAudiobook
• eBook
Logan is attracted to a new girl at school and is stunned when she reveals that she is biologically male, in transition to become female.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
• eAudiobook
Two loners become friends as they make the transition to adulthood in a book Publishers' Weekly called "a tender, honest exploration of sexuality and identity".
Ask the Passengers by A. S. King
• eAudiobook
• eBook
Astrid's small town life is complicated when she falls in love with another girl. A "thoughtful, breathtaking achievement" raves Booklist.
The Difference Between You and Me by Madeleine George
Out and proud Jesse is having a secret romance with straight-laced Emily but find their relationship complicated by external forces.
Fat Angie by e. E. Charlton-Trujillo
Angie is bullied at school and made miserable by her dysfunctional family. Can she find romance with the beautiful new girl at school?
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Fruit by Brian Francis
A funny, honest, gay coming-of-age novel set in Sarnia, Ontario.
Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz
Lio and Craig's relationship is complicated by the anxiety of live in post-9/11 America.
I am J by Cris Beam
• eBook
J was born a girl but has always felt like a boy. As he approaches adulthood, he decides it is time to become who is really is in spite of opposition from family and society.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
• eBook
Gay teenager Cameron is sent to a conversion therapy school when her sexuality becomes too much for her conservative town.
Money Boy by Paul Yee
• eBook
After his father kicks him out for being gay, Ray considers turning to prostitution.
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Pink by Lili Wilkinson
• eBook
Ava's paren'ts threw her a coming out party, her girlfriend Chloe is hip and political but Ava finds herself secretly yearning for a more mainstream life.
Silhouette of a Sparrow by Molly Beth Griffin
In the summer of 1926, a young woman staying at a resort hotel begins a relationship with Isabella, a beautiful dancer.
Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
• eBook
As two young men try to break the Guinness World Record for kissing, a chorus of AIDS victims observes the changes that have taken place in society in the past 30 years.
Non-Fiction
It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living edited by Dan Savage and Terry Miller
• eBook
This collection of essays was written to encourage LGBT youth who may be struggling with bullying and other issues.
The Letter Q: Queer Writers' Notes to their Younger Selves edited by Sarah Moon
These letters from gay, bisexual and lesbian writers was collected in response to a rash of suicides by LGBT youth.
Please ask library staff for more suggestions.
Many thanks to Helena and Cameron for suggesting the titles on the booklist.
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