It is a rainy day at the Metropolitan Art Museum
when Liza and Annie first meet. It was
Liza’s singing that caught her attention.
They begin to talk and hang out.
Soon, they become best friends with such different worlds. Liza lives in an up-scaled neighborhood with her
parents and brother. She attends a
private school and wants to go to MIT.
Annie lives with her parents and grandmother in a rough neighborhood in
Manhattan. Annie wants to go to the
University of California to become a singer. Their friendship begins to develop
into something more. The thought of
being gay frightens them but they cannot deny their love for one another. They try to keep their love hidden and their
relationship is discovered and it almost gets Liza kicked out of her private
school. Liza ends up feeling guilty and
confused and she ends the relationship and the girls go their separate ways and
colleges. Liza spends lots of time
writing Annie letters that she does not send.
She ends up calling Annie and they decide to meet up over Christmas
break.
This realistic fiction introduces readers to a
love that was not easily accepted when the book was first written in 1982. Times are slowly changing about sexual orientation
but it still a difficult time for many.
This novel is appropriate for readers that are 14 years old and up. Young adults need to read about characters
who are struggling with and dealing with sexual orientation and identity.
Young Adult Literature in Action, A Librarian's
Guide states "school
and public libraries need to include gay-themed fiction and nonfiction books in
their collections if they are intent on serving all young adults. Young adults
find identity, safety, and comfort in reading about characters with similar
sexual orientation."
Chance, R. (2014). Young adult literature in action: A librarian's guide. 2nd ed. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.
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