Sunday, April 26, 2020

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

Title: Two Boys Kissing
Author: David Levithan
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 27, 2013

Format: eBook
Price: $9.99
Page Count: 208
ISBN-13: 9780307975645

Reading Level: Grades 7 and up (ages 12+)
Lexile: 780
Interest Level: Grades 9 and up (ages 14+)

Annotation: Harry and Craig try to break the Guinness World Record for longest kiss and, while it is happening, figure out their feelings for each other.

Plot and Content Summary: Based on a true story, Two Boys Kissing follows Harry and Craig, two boys who are no longer together, hoping to break the Guinness World Record for longest kiss. While this is happening, we get a peek into the life of other boys—one who is coming out to his family, one who is figuring out his identity, and one who is trying to find satisfaction through gay hookup apps. It is narrated by a Greek chorus of gay men who died due to AIDS.

Evaluation: Two Boys Kissing was very lyrical and poetic. Although I personally did not feel connected to the stories, I know this is a necessary book for many. It follows multiple perspectives, allowing readers to get a peek into the lives of a few gay boys. Each one encounters and deals with something different, but all of their experiences are authentic. We see the way they struggle with how they are treated by family members and strangers, emphasizing how far we, as a society, still have to go to be kind to people.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: The identities and sexualities that show up in Two Boys Kissing are ones that tend to be marginalized in America. Those who pick up this book and identify similarly can feel represented, knowing that someone out there understands how they feel and what they are going through.

"If you see that book in your library ... you know that there is part of you that belongs there, and is accepted ... I know there's worry about kids who might be ashamed of being seen with an 'out' book with an 'out' cover—but that is far outweighed by the kids who take pride in it, or find some sort of meaning through it" — David Levithan (Pekoll, 2017)

Issues Present: Two Boys Kissing, as the title already implies, is themed around the controversial topic of sexuality. The cover shows exactly what is happening throughout the book, and adults may not like how explicit it is. It reflects viewpoints that some people do not want to support—but this is exactly the reason why we need it: "A balanced collection attempts to represent all sides of controversial issues ... The race, religion, nationality, or political views of an author or creator; offensive language; depictions or descriptions of violence or sexually explicit activity; controversial content of an item; or endorsement or disapproval by an individual or group in the community does not cause an item automatically to be included or excluded from the library's collection" (American Library Association, 2018).

Book Talk Ideas: I think it would be valuable to go through each boy's storyline and discuss what they are going through. One feels lost, one is new to his relationship, etc.—how do their friends and family impact their lives?

Genre/Subgenres: Contemporary romances; LGBTQ+ fiction; Realistic fiction

Readalikes: I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson; Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian; Ask the Passengers by A. S. King; Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

References
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