TWO BOYS KISSING by David Levithan. Knopf 2013.

Craig and Harry are going for the world record for longest kiss. Their friends are helping them, filming, providing water and protection and support. Some family members are there for support; others are noticeably absent. Before long, the news of the Craig and Harry's efforts spreads drawing approval from some and jeers from others. This kiss is set against the backdrop of the lives of other young men who are coming out, coming to terms, and moving on. Levithan combines the stories effortlessly, moving back and forth among the various strands of stories, always focusing on the essential element of acceptance: acceptance of self, acceptance of the other. Lyrical, magical, real: this book is one to be savored a bit at a time, prolonged to ensure appreciation of the incredible voice Levithan brings to the novel.

Winger

WINGER by Andrew Smith. Simon and Schuster, 2013.

Ryan Dean is 14, sort of scrawny, and a better than average winger (rugby). He lives in Opportunity Hall, the boarding school dorm for kids who have had some "trouble" adjusting to life and to the rules. His best friend, Annie, is someone he would prefer be more than a friend. And his roommate is a bit of a bully. Smith tells readers just enough of Ryan Dean's past as he propels them further into the very comic and sometime tragic present that is Ryan Dean's life. Honest (lots of talk of bodily functions), irreverent (Ryan Dean and his pals know how to manipulate adults fairly well), charming (the budding romance); this is a book that makes you lower your guard and then packs a walloping punch. WINGER is a book that will haunt long after the reading ends.

The Trevor Project

TREVOR by James Lecesne. Seven Stories Press, 2012.

This novella is based on the play and movie THE TREVOR PROJECT developed by Lecesne. Trevor is a teen struggling against the perceptions of others. His parents seem to have become inured against his sometimes dramatic faking of his death. His friends split into two camps. One camp tells him not to be so "gay," while another group urge him to come out and admit his homosexuality. School is torture after his best friend Pinky no longer wants to have anything to do with Trevor. Now someone has etched the word "faggot" into his locker. This brief glimpse into the heart and mind of Trevor offers no easy answers. Instead, it demonstrates the concerns, hopes, and thoughts of one young man facing the prejudices of others. An appendix lists resources for LGBTQ teens.