What If?

January 1, 2008
Gr 7 Up-Since the first edition of this book appeared in 2000, the LGB (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual) world of Marcus's thoughtful, original guide for teens has expanded, if not exploded. Statistics prove that the current generation of teens may be the most tolerant yet, and descriptors like "genderqueer," "queerboi," "lesbigay," "intersexed," and "trans" rip through both the media and the lives of teens across the United States. In this world, the framework around which Marcus's work is constructed can't help but feel dated. Perhaps the most blinding omission is relegation of T and Q (Transgendered and Questioning, respectively) from the LGBTQ/GLBTQ moniker that has come to describe this community to the resource chapter at the end of the book. That said, the content still stands strong, and readers will appreciate Marcus's gentle tone and the careful candor that he uses to describe the sometimes-rocky LGB experience. Helpful information about gay-straight alliances and marriage and partnership issues are all addressed, and the addition of a chapter for parents makes for a great starting block on which to build conversations."Hillias J. Martin, New York Public Library"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2007
When first published in 2001, Marcusquestion-and-answer guide was described by Booklist as detailed and reader friendly. The same adjectives apply to this newly revised and updated version. Although its not being called a new edition, its new publisher has given it a more sophisticated design, which will appeal to older teens, and Marcus has supplied enough significant new material to warrant replacing the earlier version. The most apparent expansion is his addition of a new chapter For Parents. But the careful reader will also find a number of less obvious but important updates, revisions, and additions, including new stories drawn fromMarcus interviews with teens and adults. The tone is also slightly more outspoken.Here'sone example: to the sentence, Gay boys are not allowed to join the Boy Scouts, Marcus has added, in the new version, a parenthetical (how stupid is that?). But he remains, as always, scrupulously fair and, perhaps best of all, laudably commonsensical.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)