The Lambda Literary Foundation has announced its list of finalists for the 20th annual Lambda Literary Awards, to be held May 29. In the Children’s/Young Adult category, the finalists are:
- Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You
, Peter Cameron
(Farrar, Straus and Giroux) - Freak Show
, James St. James (Dutton Children’s/Penguin)
- Hero
, Perry Moore (Hyperion)
- Saints of Augustine
, P.E. Ryan (HarperTeen)
- Parrotfish
, Ellen Wittlinger (Simon & Schuster)
These are all young adult books, and it is gratifying to see such a quality selection of novels for this age range. While most of the books focus on a teen coming out as LGBT, Saints of Augustine includes a protagonist who also has a gay dad. I have to hope, however, that the number and quality of books for younger children goes up in the next year.
Yes, there are a number of good books out for the younger set, but when one compares them on purely on literary and artistic merits to those of, say, Caldecott and Newbery winners, it is clear there is room for improvement. One could say the same about most children’s books, of course; but I’d like to think that some books with LGBT themes could at least be in contention. This is not to say you shouldn’t have them on your bookshelf. They are invaluable because of the subject matter they cover, even if some are a bit rough around the edges. The soon-to-be-published Uncle Bobby’s Wedding
Be sure to browse the Lambda list for finalists in other categories, too. There’s lots of interest for those rare occasions when we have time for some grown-up reading.
