Top 250 LGBTQ books for teens

For Immediate Release
Wed, 02/04/2015

Contact:

Rob Christopher

Marketing Coordinator

ALA Publishing

American Library Association

312-280-5052

rchristopher@ala.org

CHICAGO — Written by experts on the subject and addressed to teen book buyers, “Top 250 LGBTQ Books for Teens,” identifies titles that address the sensitive and important topics of coming out, being out and the search for community. Spotlighting the best gay, lesbian, bi, transgender and questioning books written for teens, Michael Cart and Christine A. Jenkins cover fiction of all kinds, as well as graphic novels and general nonfiction aimed at readers in middle school and high school, and include recent publications as well as classics that continue to be read and enjoyed by 21st-century teens. Information on how to find library programs, services and additional resources for LGBTQ teens is also provided, making this a one-stop sourcebook for LGBTQ teens, their families, friends and classmates, as well as teachers and librarians. The book is published by Huron Street Press, a trade publishing imprint of the American Library Association available through Independent Publishers Group as well as numerous traditional retail outlets in both print and e-book editions.

A columnist and reviewer for Booklist magazine, Cart is the author or editor of numerous books, including “The Heart Has Its Reasons: Young Adult Literature with Gay/Lesbian/Queer Content, 1969-2004,” which he co-authored with Jenkins. A past president of both YALSA and ALAN, he is the recipient of the 2000 Grolier Award and first recipient of the YALSA/Greenwood Publishing Group Service to Young Adults Achievement Award. He previously taught young adult literature at UCLA.

Jenkins is associate professor in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Recipient of several teaching awards, she has a decade of experience as a school librarian/media specialist. She has published many articles on historical and contemporary children's and young adult literature and librarianship; intellectual freedom for youth; and online education.

In line with ALA’s mission to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all, Huron Street Press, a publishing imprint of the American Library Association, harnesses the expertise of the Association and encourages library use among the public. Huron Street Press is administered through ALA Editions, which publishes resources used worldwide by tens of thousands of library and information professionals to improve programs, build on best practices, develop leadership, and for personal professional development. ALA authors and developers are leaders in their fields, and their content is published in a growing range of print and electronic formats. Contact ALA Editions at (800) 545-2433 ext. 5052 or editionsmarketing@ala.org.