Read, Write, Repeat.

I often interview authors on my blog.

But today, I’m interviewing a teacher with a commitment to providing inclusive books to her students.

Meet Abigail Swetz, a mother, teacher, dog owner and (lesbian) wife who lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

During her first year teaching, Abigail taught anti-bullying lessons, integrated lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) books into her curriculum and helped found the Indian Mound Middle School Gay Straight Alliance (GSA).

The GSA raised awareness about anti-LGBTQ bullying by participating in the Day of Silence, when students across the nation take a voluntary vow of silence for a day to commemorate and honor all those throughout history who have been silenced by hatred and discrimination. Students could choose to wear a black ribbon and be silent, wear a rainbow ribbon in support, or not participate at all. Between students and staff, the GSA handed out more than 400 ribbons.

Today, Abby is an eighth-grade reading/language arts/social studies teacher at Georgia O’Keeffe Middle School in Madison.

And, I’m thrilled to have her visit Read, Write, Repeat and share her views on building an inclusive classroom or school library.

Why is it important for teachers and librarians to make sure their collections are as diverse and inclusive as possible?

I think Bonnie Augusta, who used to be the LGBTQ Resource Teacher for the Madison Metropolitan School District, said it best. Her argument was that students must see themselves reflected in the curriculum for them to learn. For example, if a primary school teacher is teaching a unit on families and only reads books with families that have two heterosexual married parents, then that teacher is ignoring the experiences of many of his or her students.

What about students with divorced parents who share custody? Or parents who aren’t married? Or single parents? Or same-sex couple parents? When a student see him or herself reflected in the curriculum, it creates an automatic buy-in.

The, “Wow! That’s exactly how I feel!” factor is, I believe, even more important during the middle-school years, when all kids are going through identity transformations and need to know there are all kinds of people out there in the world, and the world will accept you for whomever you figure out yourself to be.

What process should a teacher or librarian interested in developing a more inclusive collection follow? What resources should they consult?

There are a great many resources out there, I am happy to report, from the Cooperative Children’s Book Center and the American Library Association. Here are two links.

• CCBC’s list for Elementary School Children and Adolescents.
• ALA’s Rainbow List.

These lists are a great place to start. But I would make sure that adults who are looking to suggest books to children and young adults really consider how the LGBTQ aspect of the book is being presented before they do so, especially if a young person is questioning.

Some of these books are really quite brilliant; some of them are also quite heavy. Many books with LGBTQ characters deal with their struggle, and that’s accurate and I’m thankful those books exist. I’m also thankful that other, more positive, books exist. We don’t want to mislead adolescents into thinking life is all rosey, but if every “gay” book you have in your library includes anti-gay violence, then it’s time to add some different books.

What makes a library collection inclusive? How would a teacher or librarian know they’ve succeeded?

Covering the entire LGBTQ acronym (with more than a single book for each letter). When a student comes asking you for another suggestion after having read one of the books, you know you’re on your way.

How willing are children and teens to read about characters different than themselves?

Very willing! This might sound contrary to my previous statements about students needing to see themselves in the curriculum, but this is really just the flip side of that coin. When you think about it, reading a novel or memoir is really just legal identity theft. For a few hours while you read that book, you get to become someone else! Without any of the consequences of actually living that life? How amazing! And also, how important for adolescents trying to figure themselves out.

Are there any pitfalls to watch out for?

Yes, like I said before, try to avoid being overly negative.

Thanks, Abigail!

*******

Here is Abigail’s list of starter books she thinks well-equipped libraries should have on hand. All are appropriate for high school, and many for middle school. The letter in parentheses corresponds to the part of the LGBTQ acronym that the book represents.

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan (G, with a bit of T)
The adorable story of a boy meeting a boy, courting that boy, messing up and losing that boy, and then gaining that boy back again. It’s so sweet that it almost smells like bubblegum, but don’t let that fool you, there’s some deep stuff in here about trust and friendship and what it feels like to be falling in love. Levithan is an inspired author. I routinely laugh out loud when reading his books, or I can be found scrambling for a pencil, wanting to copy down some amazing turn of phrase he’s made. Best for both middle and high school. (Editor’s note: This book was also featured on my blog as a GLEE-ful read recommendation for Kurt Hummel. Full review here.)

Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger (L)
Another book with an alternative structure, Hard Love intersperses its chapters with articles from the characters’ zines. (I described these to my students as “blogs before the Internet.”) The story follows Marisol, a “rich spoiled lesbian private-school gifted-and-talented writer virgin,” and Gio, whose name is really John but he was trying to impress Marisol so he changed it to sound more foreign and interesting. Marisol expands Gio’s world; Gio provides Marisol support. And falls for her in the process. Best for both middle and high school. (This book has a sequel, but I wouldn’t recommend it.)

Hero by Perry Moore (G)
In Moore’s world, superheroes exist. They form The League, an arm of the police force designed to deal with the supervillans who also exist. A coming-of-age story, Hero follows Thom as he discovers two key facts about himself — he is gay, and he has superpowers. Neither of which would make his father too happy, if he were to find out about them that is. Action-packed, and appropriate for both middle and high school.

Luna by Julie Anne Peters (T)
Luna tells the story of a transgender teen through the eyes of sister Regan. Liam is a senior, seemingly on his way to the Ivy League with fame and fortune to follow. But all he wants is to be Luna, the woman he truly is at heart. Regan has seen Liam dress as a woman for years in the privacy of their shared basement. This is the year Luna decides to climb the stairs for the rest of the world to see. Sad and yet hopeful, this book is appropriate for both middle and high schools.

So Hard to Say by Alex Sanchez (Q, with a bit of G)
Frederick is the new kid in eighth grade. He’s also the short kid and the kid with asthma … and he definitely doesn’t want to add “the gay kid” to that list. But what if it’s true? As his relationships with Xio, his best friend who wants to be his girlfriend, Victor, the school’s gorgeous soccer star, and Iggy, whose brother even calls him the F-word, all develop, they lead Frederick down a questioning road. Will he ever figure himself out? Or let himself admit it? Best for middle school or an easy (and sweet) high school read.

The Misfits by James Howe (G)
The story of a lovable group of seventh-grade outcasts — the fat kid, the smart girl, the gay boy and the troublemaker — who try to make their school a better place by running for student council on the “No Name Calling Ticket.” This book was actually the inspiration for Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) No Name Calling Week, a nationwide event that promotes acceptance and builds anti-bullying allies at the beginning of the school year. Best for middle school.

Totally Joe by James Howe (G)
Joe is “the gay boy” from The Misfits, and this is the sequel to the other book, picking the story up after the group loses the election but succeeds in creating a No Name Calling campaign in their school with the help of staff. It chronicles Joe’s first (secret) relationship and his journey towards coming out. Best for middle school.

Wide Awake by David Levithan (G, with a bit of L)
The time is the very near future. America has just elected her first gay Jewish president. Plausible, right? Actually, the way Levithan writes it, seems so. No summary could do this story justice, so I’ll just say that if you need to restore your faith in humanity and people power, this is a truly brilliant read. Best only for high school.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green (G)
Each chapter of this book switches back and forth between two characters, both of who are named Will Grayson. Sound confusing? It’s not. The two writers have such skill and the two characters have such voice that the story of these two Wills who meet by happenstance unfolds seamlessly. The two young men share a friendship with Tiny, a very large gay high school actor/football player, who, in one fell swoop, shatters all gay stereotypes. Hilarious, and best for high school.

Two books I’d add to the list — with Abigail’s blessing — are:

Absolutely, Positively Not by David LaRochelle (Q and G)
Steven, 16, likes square dancing, his male health teacher and keeping International Male catalogs under his bed. But he is determined that he is absolutely, positively, not gay. To prove this, he tries to buy a Playboy magazine, tries mingling with the meathead jocks and has a series of disastrous dates with girls in his school. When Steven finally outs himself to his best friend, Rachel tells her entire family and urges him to form a gay-straight alliance. This book won the Sid Fleischman Humor Award the year it was published. Best for high school.

Geography Club by Brent Hartinger (G, with a little bit of L)
Russel Middlebrook is a sophomore at Goodkind High School. He has a secret crush on Kevin Land and soon discovers Kevin is also gay. The boys become friends and set up the “Geography Club” with three other gay students, one of whom is Russel’s closest friend, Min. Eventually, however, peer pressure and insecurity take their toll. Russel’s relationship with Kevin ends, but the “Geography Club” becomes the “Goodkind High School Gay-Straight-Bisexual Alliance,” and the protagonist gains new insight into himself and his place in the world. Best for high school.

*******

I hope this list gets you started reading and exploring. And, if you’re looking for more resources on LGBTQ literaure, I’d recommend:

• Lee Wind’s blog I’m Here. I’m Queer. What the Hell Do I Read?
• This forum, blog and fansite: Gay YA: GLBT Characters and Pairings in YA Fiction.

If Finn Hudson’s life had a soundtrack, it would probably include The Lovin’ Spoonful’s 1966 hit “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?”

Remember how it goes?

Did you ever have to finally decide?
Say yes to one and let the other one ride?
There’s so many changes and tears you must hide.
Did you ever have to finally decide?

Because for everything the Glee character has going for him — starting quarterback on the William McKinley High School football team, co-captain of the Glee Club, homecoming king candidate — his laid-back attitude tends to get him into trouble.

The most obvious example is with girls.

In season one, Finn dated Quinn and made eyes at Rachel. Then, he dated Rachel and looked longingly at Quinn. Then, he dated Quinn and gazed at Rachel. And in the last episode of season two, he kissed Rachel.

What’s odder still is that both Quinn and Rachel continued liking Finn in … um … that way, even when he dated the other one. Maybe it was because he said things to them like, “Just because I can’t be with you doesn’t mean I don’t believe in you.” And, as he was breaking up with Quinn, “I still love you.”

Dude … seriously.

So, if I were a librarian at William McKinley High School, I’d give Finn, who’s convincingly played by Cory Monteith, the book Struts and Frets by Jon Skovron (Amulet Books, 2009).

Why?

Because it’s about Sammy Bojar, a fatherless boy with a guitar who has to make some decisions.

Like, how to keep his struggling band together. How to survive school when he’s really only interested in music. What to do about a girl he likes in … um … that way and another girl who likes him and he might actually like, too. And what to do about his grandfather who’s no longer the warm, smart, supportive person he used to be and seems to be falling deeper and deeper into dementia.

And then, there’s what may be Sammy’s biggest worry. He knows he can play the guitar, and he’s happy with the original songs he’s written recently, but he worries that he doesn’t have enough confidence or charisma to be the lead singer for a band. I think Finn could relate to that fear, especially after his encounter with Jesse St. James last season.

I’d give Finn the book and ask him to read it all, paying special attention to the scene that starts on page 99 where Sammy realizes how he truly feels about Jen5, the scene that starts on page 221 where he talks about relationships with his best friend Rick, who’s gay, and page 273 when he realizes the difference between being in a band that doesn’t work and being in one that does.

Seeing how Sammy makes his decisions might help Finn make some important ones in his own life.

Like, how he wants to spend his senior year. What he wants to do after graduation. And where, if anywhere, Rachel and Quinn fit into his plans.

Another good thing about this book that makes it a GLEE-ful read is a playlist of songs that served as the soundtrack as Skovron wrote. Artists include Jane’s Addiction, The Pixies, Camper Van Beethoven, Mercury Rev and more.

If you’d like to see which books I’ve recommended to other Glee characters, they are:

• Finn Hudson – Struts & Frets by Jon Skovron.
• Sam Evans – Guitar Boy by MJ Auch.
• Quinn Fabray – Beauty Queens by Libba Bray.
• David Karofsky – Dairy Queen and The Off Season both by Catherine Gilbert Murdock.
• Rachel Berry – Theater Geek by Mickey Rapkin.
• Kurt Hummel – Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan.

As I watched much of Glee’s second season, I had one recurring thought.

“Sam Evans needs a haircut.”

Now before you think I’m out-of-touch or unhip, I have to say that, generally, I quite like longer hair on men.

But as the season progressed, Sam’s blond coiffure — that had been favorably compared to Justin Bieber’s famous hairdo in early episodes — got more and more unkempt.

Because several episodes also showed Sam in the background looking glum, I thought he might be mourning the fact that he had been nicknamed “Trouty Mouth” by his then-girlfriend Santana Lopez. She even wrote a song about the size of his mouth that made the normally easy-going Sam take a stand.

While Sam, who is portrayed by Chord Overstreet, does indeed have a large mouth, that’s certainly not the most interesting thing about him. And, in the last few episodes, Glee’s writers explained why he’d been looking a little run-down.

It turns out Sam’s father lost his job.

Then, after their house was repossessed, the family was living in a motel on the outskirts of Lima where Sam watched his younger brother and sister in the evenings while his parents looked for work.

To help his family out, Sam took a job delivering pizzas and had to pawn his guitar. He also borrowed clothes from Kurt and Finn.

So … if I were a librarian at William McKinley High School, I’d suggest that Sam read Guitar Boy by MJ Auch (Christy Ottaviano Books, 2010).

Why? It tells the story of another guitar-playing teen with family troubles.

Travis Tacey is 14 and lives in a rural mountain community. After his mother is injured in a car accident and is unable to return home, his father loses his job and falls apart. He throws Travis out of the house after the two argue, and forces Travis’s older sister to drop out of school and care for his younger brother and sister.

On his own without even a pair of shoes, Travis only has a hand-made guitar that’s been in his family for generations. He hopes he can support himself by singing and playing on street corners, but when his guitar is stolen he doesn’t know what to do next.

I’d suggest that Sam read the whole book, paying special attention to page 150 where Travis watches a guitar being made and page 224 where Travis solos on “Turkey in the Straw.”

I’d also recommend that Sam visit this website to read about how author MJ Auch watched her very own guitar being built from scratch, which inspired her to write this book. I’d even let him use the computer in the library because he probably doesn’t have access to one outside of school.

Things look hopeful for Travis and Sam …

I’d hope Sam would see that even though Travis’ situation is worse than his, Travis still has hope. He follows his love of music and helps get ready for a guitar-picking competition. There, he meets some like-minded people who help him get back on his feet and start reconnecting with his family.

And if Sam looks, he has reasons to hope, too. His friends chip in to get him his guitar back and encourage him to stay in Glee Club. They even come up with a “prom on a budget” plan so he can attend. And things start looking up even more in the last episode when it’s revealed he and Mercedes are dating.

And just so I don’t look shallow, I’d like to point out one thing.

As soon as filming for the second season of Glee was over, Chord Overstreet cut his hair. So he must have been getting sick of it, too. It will be interesting to see what Sam Evans looks like in Season Three if he comes back to McKinley High.

If you’d like to see which books I’ve recommended to other Glee characters, they are:

• Sam Evans – Guitar Boy by MJ Auch.
• Quinn Fabray – Beauty Queens by Libba Bray.
• David Karofsky – Dairy Queen and The Off Season both by Catherine Gilbert Murdock.
• Rachel Berry – Theater Geek by Mickey Rapkin.
• Kurt Hummel – Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan.

Being a school librarian can be a tough job. You might know the perfect book for a student, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you can get the kid in question to read it.

Some high schoolers are very concerned about what their peers think and don’t want to be seen with a book that sends the wrong message. They might read Star Trek novels, for example, but would draw the line at carrying them around school.

So if I were the librarian at William McKinley High School, I’d have to approach David Karofsky very carefully.

First, some background …

If you watch Glee, you know Karofsky, who’s portrayed by the exceptional Max Adler, started the season as the school bully, throwing slushies at Glee Club members. The football player also targeted Kurt Hummel, slamming him into lockers and generally terrorizing him.

As the season progressed, it became clear Karofsky was struggling with his own sexual orientation. He kissed an unexpecting Kurt and then threatened to kill him if he told anyone. By the final episode – with a little help from Santana Lopez – Karofsky had become Kurt’s defender. But he still wasn’t ready to accept himself or share his feelings with his friends or family.

That’s where these books could help.

I’d give Karofsky two books by Catherine Gilbert Murdock – Dairy Queen (Houghton Mifflin, 2006) and The Off Season (Houghton Mifflin, 2007). I’d have to be a little careful, because different editions of the books feature different cover art, some of which is quite feminine. And Karofsky doesn’t strike me as the type of guy who’d want to carry around a book with a picture of a cow wearing a tiara on the cover.

But once he got started, I think Karofsky would really get into the story of D.J. Schwenk, who lives on a struggling dairy farm in Wisconsin with her sports-loving family. Both her older brothers are hometown heroes for their accomplishments on the field and now play college football.

D.J., who’s over six feet tall and very strong, is something of a success story herself. She plays linebacker for her high school team (and does a much better job of it than the Glee girls who played for McKinley High during the Super Bowl episode.)

But D.J.’s life is far from easy. Nearly all her free time is spent keeping the farm running. She’s failing English and won’t be able to play if she can’t bring her grades up. Her parents are preoccupied with financial and health issues. Her best friend and younger brother have been acting funny, and she’s got a … well … complicated relationship with the starting quarterback from an opposing football team.

But here’s the kicker.

Nearly every character struggles with figuring out who they really are and deciding how to live their lives.

D.J. is used to going along with whatever her family and friends want rather than speaking up for herself. Will she find her voice? And if she does, what will she say?

Curtis, D.J.’s younger brother, pretends to like sports to keep the peace, but dreams of being a dentist and sneaks off to enter the science fair because he doesn’t think his parents would support his interests.

Amber, D.J.’s best friend, eventually admits she’s a lesbian, even though it makes things awkward with D.J. and damages Amber’s relationship with her mom.

And Win, D.J.’s older brother, gets injured and has to reassess what his life might be like if he’s no longer a football player.

This could get Karofsky thinking.

Who is he really underneath his tough facade? What does he want his life to be? How could he achieve that? And, what’s stopping him from being honest with himself – not to mention with his family and friends?

If I were Karofsky’s librarian, I’d give him both books and tell him to pay special attention to Chapter 19 in The Off Season when Curtis admits who he really is and D.J.’s sort-of boyfriend shows his true colors.

If you’d like to know more about Catherine Gilbert Murdock, these books, or the final installment of the series, Front and Center (Houghton Mifflin, 2009), visit her website.

And finally, if you’d like to see which books I’d recommend to other Glee characters, they are:

• David Karofsky – Dairy Queen and The Off Season both by Catherine Gilbert Murdock.
• Rachel Berry – Theater Geek by Mickey Rapkin.
• Kurt Hummel – Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan.

The Glee Club at William McKinley High School has more than its fair share of divas.

But no matter how diva-ishly delicious Mercedes, Kurt and Santana can be at times, Rachel Berry always manages to eclipse their efforts.

As En Vogue memorably sang , “And now it’s time for a breakdown”

Rachel temporarily defected from the Glee Club after Mr. Schuster had Tina sing a “West Side Story” song instead of her.

She showed up at Glee Club rehearsal with duct tape covering her mouth to protest Mr. Schuster’s attempts to “silence her voice” after he gave a solo to someone else.

And, she encouraged Sunshine Corazon to join Glee Club so Sunshine could sing back-up. But when it became clear Sunshine was a phenom, Rachel gave her directions to a crack house instead of the auditorium where auditions were really being held.

Sure Rachel, who’s portrayed with neurotic perfection by Lea Michele, occasionally shows flashes of humanity. But ultimately, she always reverts to her true beliefs. That no one else in the Glee Club can hold a candle to her talent.

And, she may be right.

Finn, Rachel’s on-again, off-again boyfriend, believes she’s destined for stardom far beyond Lima, Ohio. And Quinn, Rachel’s best frenemy, has flat-out said, “You don’t belong here, Rachel. And you can’t blame me for helping send you on your way.”

And Kurt Hummel, who’s often battled Rachel for time in the spotlight even admitted, “She may be difficult, but boy can she sing. Bravo!”

Yet Rachel seems stuck in Lima, with the Glee Club the only outlet for her burning passion to perform.

So … if I were the librarian at William McKinley High School, I’d try to expand Rachel’s horizons and help her see some opportunities that exist outside Ohio.

I’d start by giving her Theater Geek (Free Press, 2010) by Mickey Rapkin. Rapkin spent a summer at Stagedoor Manor, a summer theater camp in the Catskills with a reputation for taking in theater-loving misfits and turning out high-quality performances and stars like Natalie Portman, Jon Cryer and Mandy Moore.

Rapkin’s day job is a senior editor at GQ, which I’m sure Rachel and Kurt would find fascinating.

But that’s not why Rachel needs to read this book.

This book would help Rachel in two ways.

First, it would show her a place she could belong. Stagedoor Manor prides itself on offering a home for talented theater kids who feel they don’t fit into their real life. As Jeff Blumenkrantz, a Stagedoor alum who went on to write the music to “Urban Cowboy” said, “I always felt other than. Let’s put it this way. I used to survive the school year, and the reward was Stagedoor Manor.”

Rachel would thrive in an environment where popularity is based on talent. One student who was not popular in his high school was a star at Stagedoor. When another girl from his school came to Stagedoor, she was floored. “For her, it was like ‘The Twilight Zone,’ ” the student said. “She couldn’t figure it out. Why is David Quinn the most popular person here?”

Rachel could go from being a slushie target to someone who mattered in a heartbeat.

Second, it just might help her see she’s not the only talented kid in America. Lots of kids with talent and theater dreams come to Stagedoor Manor and find themselves in supporting roles. (Case in point. Lea Michele, who plays Rachel on Glee, attended Stagedoor and never had a lead role. Not that she’s complaining now.)

Rachel would be a much nicer person if she had a dose of humility that she’d no doubt get after spending three weeks with kids who not only get subtle Sondheim references but have the vocal chops to execute “Sweeney Todd” and, perhaps, even beat her in a sing-off.

So I’d give Rachel the hardcover book, telling her to pay special attention to the anecdote about Courtney Love’s altercation with a hot dog vendor on page 13 and Chapter 7, appropriately titled “Hell Week.”

And, if Rachel liked the book, she could learn more about Mickey Rapkin at this website.

Rapkin has also written Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory (Gotham Books, 2008) which I’m sure Warblers’ front man Blaine Anderson would be interested in perusing. (And for all you Glee fans out there, this book also focuses heavily on the Tufts Beelzebubs, who provided the background vocals for Season Two’s Warblers’ songs.)

But perhaps that’s a recommendation for another day.

My recommendations for Glee characters so far:

• Rachel Berry – Theater Geek by Mickey Rapkin.

• Kurt Hummel – Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan.

William McKinley High School needs a librarian.

It already has a library. It’s where Noah Puckerman famously asked Lauren Zizes out for a pre-Valentine’s Day date. It’s where Artie, Tina, Kurt, Mercedes and Brittany performed “You Can’t Touch This,” an M.C. Hammer tribute complete with parachute pants. And, it’s where Finn and Rachel had a shelf-clearing lovers’ quarrel.

But the only librarian I’ve ever seen is a stereotypically stodgy woman who periodically appears to shush any Glee kids who get carried away.

Nothing against actress Jean Sincere who plays the role, but if there’s ever been a school that could benefit from a tuned-in, turned-on librarian who really knows young adult literature, it’s William McKinley High.

Because – brilliant singing voices aside – the kids there have issues. And, sometimes, the best way to cope with whatever issue is troubling you at the moment isn’t bursting into song. It’s reading about someone facing a similar situation.

That’s why so many young adult books feature characters who feel left out, unaccepted, abused or lacking in some vital way.

What teen hasn’t felt that way at least once? What Glee teen hasn’t felt that way at least once per episode?

A librarian could recommend the perfect book for each character.

I’m not officially a librarian, but I could play one on TV. And if I did, the first book I’d recommend to a Glee cast member would be David Levithan’s Boy Meets Boy to Kurt Hummel, who is beautifully portrayed by Golden Globe winner Chris Colfer.

If you watch Glee, you know Kurt has had two stressful seasons. He’s come out as gay, seen his father nearly die after a heart attack and formed an uneasy alliance with his new stepbrother, Finn. Through all this, he’s endured escalating bullying from closeted football player Dave Karofsky that had Kurt briefly transfer to another, more accepting, school. There, he met, sang with – and ultimately kissed – a boy named Blaine.

Boy Meets Boy (Alfred A. Knopf, 2005) paints the picture of a much more accepting world than anything Kurt has encountered so far. As Paul, the main character, says on the first page, “There isn’t really a gay scene or a straight scene in our town. They got all mixed up a while back, which I think is for the best.”

And Paul’s high school reflects that. Paul is gay. His best friend, Joni, is straight. The school’s quarterback is a 6-foot-3 drag queen named the Infinite Darlene who also is the homecoming queen. There’s also Ted, Joni’s on-again, off-again boyfriend. And Kyle, Paul’s ex-boyfriend, who’s a bit confused. And Noah, the new boy in town who’s caught Paul’s eye.

It’s kind of like Kurt’s new school, Dalton Academy, might be if it were co-ed and no one wore uniforms.

The best thing about this book is its simple charm.

It’s mainly a love story between Paul and Noah, who meet in the self-help section of a bookstore in this scene:

“I am aware of my breathing. I am aware of my heartbeat. I am aware that my shirt is half untucked. I take the book from him and say thanks. I put it back on the shelf. There’s no way that Self-Help can help me now.”

Paul and Noah meet, connect and date with help and some well-intentioned hindrances from Paul’s friends. (Besides being a drag queen, the Infinite Darlene is a bit of a drama queen.)

The book’s appeal also lies in the fact that while it focuses on gay relationships, it’s a sweet, romantic story that would work just as well if it were about a heterosexual couple. The characters’ sexual orientation is beside the point.

Because their struggles are universal.

How do you stay connected to someone you love? What do you do when you don’t like the person your best friend loves? How do you apologize when you’ve made a mistake? How do you forgive someone who has hurt you?

If I were Kurt’s librarian, I’d hand him the paperback version of this book and tell him to read it all, paying special attention to Paul’s alphabetical list of why he doesn’t know what to do about Noah on page 156 and the very romantic kissing scene on page 178.

I’d also point out that The Bulletin gave this a starred review and said, “In a genre filled with darkness, torment and anxiety, this is a shiningly affirmative and hopeful book.”

Which is just what Kurt Hummel and many of the other students at William McKinley High School need to read.

So hey, Ryan Murphy. If you think Glee needs one more librarian … give me a call.

When I was a child, my sister and I spent our summers reading.

Sometimes, we’d hop on the city bus and go to the main library, but mostly we’d walk to Congress Park – a rundown playground near our house with monkey bars that would be deemed unsafe by today’s standards. 

There, we’d wait for the bookmobile to chug its way around the corner. Once it arrived, we’d check out as many books as we could carry, stagger home, and start reading. I don’t remember being especially discriminating. If the book had two covers and pages inside, it was all right by me.

Once we had each read our books, we’d swap stacks and begin again. But in a day or two were were always back — waiting for the bookmobile.

We were such frequent visitors, the bookmobile librarian didn’t think we actually could have read the books were were claiming on our summer reading club sheets.

But after she’d quizzed us and realized we truly had, she became concerned and wanted to speak to our mother about getting us adult library cards instead of our children’s versions. We obviously weren’t being sufficiently challenged.

I still remember my mother’s response.

“It won’t make any difference,” she said. “They’ll read the adult books just as fast.”

And she was right.

When I became a parent myself, in another city, I was thrilled to live near a bookmobile stop — also by a park as it happens — and giddily took my daughters. (One even followed in my footsteps by completing her reading sheet on the third day of summer vacation.)

They came home with stacks of books, but I usually left empty-handed. The bookmobile was big on cookbooks and romance novels for adults, which, while nice, weren’t my preferred subject matter.

Then I found out I could request books that the bookmobile would have on hand the next time it stopped. Bingo! I’d hit paydirt.

Once, I was even interviewed by a newspaper reporter who was getting citizen input on whether my suburb needed its own library. I said no, because we had the bookmobile.

Now, we are getting a lovely library within biking distance from my house. And I cannot lie. I am excited. I’m sure I will want to move in once it opens.

But I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for the brightly colored, diesel-fueled bookmobiles that fed my need to read as a child.

So in that spirt, I recommend Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile by Gloria Houston (HarperCollins, 2011).

It’s the true story of librarian Dorothy Thomas who started a bookmobile for rural families. And, it’s altogether lovely. From the moving story of Miss Dorothy’s devotion to books to how she shared that passion with her neighbors, young and old, and how that passion influenced their lives, the book exudes nothing but love.

And the illustrations by Susan Condie Lamb are killer.

So check it out when you get the chance. And if it happens to be from your local bookmobile, so much the better.

Lists of books always get me excited. I have a running list of requests at the library, and I’m always adding more to my to-be-read stack.

My daughters’ school helped me out recently by providing the list for its annual Battle of the Books. Students read books on the list on their own time and then are assigned to multi-grade teams. The teams compete to see which one can correctly answer the most questions about the books on the list.

This is the first year my youngest daughter can participate, so she’s been reading the books at her age level with a vengeance. Her teacher is encouraging the class by having them read books from the list and then do creative book reports.

So far, my daughter has gone to school dressed as Molly from Barbara Cohen’s Molly’s Pilgrim and done a flip book of a key scene in Gertrude Chandler Warner’s The Boxcar Children.

I was pleased to see the list contained some books my daughter had already read on her own — like Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney, The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams and Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

But there are a lot for her to still explore — even if she sticks to her grade level. Books like Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater, Freckle Juice by Judy Blume and Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Cleary.

I even got some new titles. I’d never heard of or read A Lion to Guard Us by Clyde Robert Bulla until it came home in my daughter’s backpack. And, somehow, I’d missed reading Roald Dahl’s classic James and the Giant Peach. (Although, in my defense, I’ve read both Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Glass Elevator.)

The list also had some of my all-time favorites. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (which may be the book that made me want to be a writer), Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles and My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett.

Here’s the rest of the list. See how many you’ve read and which ones would make good additions to your personal reading list!

Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty Birney
Tornado by Betsy Byars
Wanted … Mud Blossom by Betsy Byars
Muggie Maggie by Beverly Cleary
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr
Magic School Bus: “Inside the Earth” by Joanna Cole
Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville
Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech
The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Daglish
The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog by John Erickson
The Million Dollar Shot by Dan Gutman
Running Out of Time by Margaret Haddix
Ida B by Katherine Hannigan
Regarding the Fountain by Kate Klise
Worth by A. LaFaye
Fables by Arnold Lobel
All About Sam by Lois Lowry
Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
The Best School Year Ever by Barbara Robinson
Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman
Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
When the Circus Came to Town by Laurence Yep

Which are your favorites?

Jessica Doyle, the first lady of Wisconsin, has a statewide book club for students and book-lovers.

It’s called Read On, and here’s how it works.  

Mrs. Doyle picks books for readers of different ages using input from educators, librarians and the students themselves. Then, through the club, students, teachers, and parents can read and discuss the books in and out of the classroom.

And every month, there are Reading Days at the Residence at the governor’s mansion in Madison, Wisconsin.

There’s also a handy website that features different books on the list each month. It has a web log where readers can share their thoughts on the books and suggest other titles for consideration.

I always like a good list — especially if it’s a list of good books. So here are the books from Mrs. Doyle’s list. I’ve added comments after some of the titles I’m familiar with. And some of these titles will be reviewed on this blog later in the school year.

Preschool (Ages 0-4)

• My Garden (By Wisconsin author Kevin Henkes, who was once described as the Mick Jagger of children’s literature.)
• Boo to You!
• What Can You Do With A Paleta?
• What Will You Be, Sara Mee?
• Yes Day!
• I Can Help!
• Pouch!
• Never Smile at a Monkey
• A Beach Tail (Watch for a kid review of this title.)
• Dog’s Colorful Day

Primary (Grades K-2) 

• Shark vs. Train
• Z is for Zombie
• The Village Garage
• Horse Song: The Naadam of Mongolia
• Tiger and Turtle
• Beautiful Moon / Bella Luna (Illustrated by Wisconsin artist Bonnie Leick.)
• My People
• Book Fiesta!
• A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk, a Forest of Poems
• What If?
• Pigs to the Rescue (Watch for a kid review of this title.)

Intermediate (Grades 3-5) 

• Justin Case: School, Drool, & Other Daily Disasters (Watch for a kid review of this title.)
• American Chillers: Wisconsin Werewolves
• Going Home, Coming Home
• Odd and the Frost Giants
• Dream
• Dr. Kate: Angel on Snowshoes (Watch for an interview with the author of this title.)
• Looking Like Me
• Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel
• Trickster: Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection
• Hip Hop Speaks to Children
• Top of the Order
• Volcano Wakes Up

Middle School (Grades 6-8)

• One Crazy Summer
• Wednesday Wars (A 2008 Newbery Honor selection that is one of my all-time favorite reads.)
• Boys Without Names (Excellent book by Wisconsin author Kashmira Sheth.)
• Out of My Mind
• Red Glass
• The Reinvention of Edison Thomas (This author was interviewed earlier.)
• My Life With the Lincolns
• Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie (A really good story about a family facing the illness of a child.)
• Shooting the Moon
• All the Broken Pieces
• More About Boy
• Albert Einstein

High School (Grades 9-12) 

• Hate List
• The Latehomecomer: A Memoir
• Stitches
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
• Rush
• Funny in Farsi
• Bruiser
• Shooting Star
• Liar (Good book, which generated much discussion in the book world over its cover.)
• Partly Cloudy
• Crossing Stones
• Marcello in the Real World (Touching and moving.)
• Candor
• Shiver

Which of these have you read? Share your favorites in the comments.