Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan is the story of young love and a high school play of epic proportions.

Will Grayson has been friends with Tiny Cooper since they were very young. Now, in high school, they are still friends but have different interests. Tiny plays football and is a founding member of his school's gay-straight alliance. Will's is interested in not being noticed, but with Tiny as a friend it is not always possible. For example, Tiny has written a musical about his life and there is a character in it called Gil Wrayson.

Across Chicago, in another suburb, is another Will Grayson. He is also in high school. The highlight his day is when she is online chatting with Isaac. They have been chatting for almost a year. And they are finally going to meet. Will is going to make his way into Chicago and finally meet the guy who has been filling his thoughts.

After getting a fake ID to attend a concert, Will joins Tiny and a new friend Jane, in Chicago. But after not being allowed in due to a math problem, Will goes across the street to the only store that is open - and inside meets the other Will who is looking for Isaac.

Green and Levithan have joined together to write the story of two Wills. The story has many twists and turns as the Wills meet and Tiny works on his play - coming together at the end to create a story about love and appreciating those great people in life.

Green, John and David Levithan. (2010). Will Grayson, Will Grayson. New York: Dutton.

Boy Meets Boy

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan is a fantasy novel! Okay, not really, it just takes place in a town that is filled with open-minded people where gay kids do not have to fight to fit in. It is a nice fantasy and hopefully a near future reality.

Paul has known he was gay since he read his Kindergarten report card. His teacher wrote, "Paul is definitely gay and has very good sense of self." He didn't know what it meant at the time.

Now Paul is in high school - a school where the quarterback of the football team is a drag queen, there are quite a few gay and lesbian couples, and Paul is about to meet the boy of his dreams.

Levithan, David. (2003). Boy Meets Boy. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Wide Awake

David Levithan's Wide Awake takes place in one possible future. It is set "a few decades after 9/11" during a presidential election. For the first time in United States history a gay Jewish man is going to be elected president.

Duncan proud to work for a candidate whose campaign offices welcome the work of those not yet old enough to vote. Duncan and his boyfriend Jimmy, along with a few other friends from his high school volunteer most of their free time to helping the Stein-Martinez campaign.

When the last votes are in, it looks like Abraham Stein will become the new president of the United States of America. But if something has worked once it will likely work again, and the governor of Kansas, where Stein won by 1000 votes, calls for a recount.

Will the same thing happen to presidential hopeful Stein as happened to Al Gore? Not if Abraham Stein can help it. He will not concede an election he knows he won. The popular vote nationwide has him ahead by millions of votes. Instead, he call on all of his supporters to come to Kansas! If the people are in Kansas watching the governor how can he continue this blatant attempt to control the election?

But what sane parent would let there sixteen year old go to Kansas, all the way from Jersey, to protest? And if Duncan can get to Kansas, will having Stein supporters on his front lawn make the governor of Kansas any more or less moral than he already is?

Levithan, David. (2006). Wide Awake. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.