Author Dee Michel will give a presentation on Nov. 14 on books for kids younger than adolescents.
“Books for Gay Boys,” a talk by author Dee Michel, of Northampton, will be presented Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. in the Community Room of Forbes Library in Northampton.
For a few decades now GLBT young adults have been able to see images of themselves in young adult novels from “Annie on My Mind” (1982) to “Parrotfish” (2007).
But are there any books for kids younger than adolescents that have representations of gay adults or gay kids in them?
Equally important are stories that don’t have explicit gay images, but have themes that would resonate with a gay child who feels different, or doesn’t fit the typical gender mold. These might be less threatening and more accessible for kids, parents, librarians, and teachers.
Michel has a doctorate in library and information science and has written a book about the appeal of “The Wizard of Oz” for gay men and boys.
After corresponding with dozens of experts in children’s literature, and interviewing more than 100 gay male adults, Michel has come up with a list of children’s stories with “subterranean gay content,” as well as those that have gay adults in them.
Participants will have the opportunity to see sample books and pick up a reading list/bibliography of books for gay boys.
In the course of his research he’s talked to children’s literature experts about other stories that gay boys might relate to in a special way.