Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Knopf Books for Young Readers (2006), Paperback, 288 pages
Description
LGBTQIA+ (Nonfiction.) Sociology. Young Adult Nonfiction. HTML:Teens are more aware of sexuality and identity than ever, and they're looking for answers and insights, as well as a community of others. In order to help create that community, YA authors David Levithan and Billy Merrell have collected original poems, essays, and stories by young adults in their teens and early 20s. The Full Spectrum includes a variety of writers�gay, lesbian, bisexual, straight, transitioning, and questioning�on a variety of subjects: coming out, family, friendship, religion/faith, first kisses, break-ups, and many others. This one of a kind collection will, perhaps, help all readers see themselves and the world around them in ways they might never have imagined. We have partnered with the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and a portion of the proceeds from this book will be donated to them.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member messelti
The Full Spectrum is a great collection of short stories and poems on sexual identity by LGTBQ teens. Many are funny, some heartbreaking, and most are well-written. Styles vary, from poetry to journal entries all are written in the first person and relate personal experiences regarding the
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development of a sexual identity. Many stories moved beyond the “gay revelation” theme, moving through the different levels of confusion that generally come with adolescent self-discovery and sexuality, showing “the full spectrum” of experiences-some embarrassing, all enlightening. This is a great resource for any LGBTQ teen, especially those who are questioning their feelings and feeling a bit alone. Highly recommended for YA non-fiction collections in any public library, but language and explicit sexual scenarios require care when selecting for school libraries. Show Less
LibraryThing member lawral
The pieces in this anthology tackle a myriad of topics: coming out, religion, first love, unaccepting parents/peers, religion, supportive parents/peers, the Boy Scouts, the military, religion(!); in a variety of settings: high school, New Your City, college, junior high, Egypt. They are written by
As a collection, The Full Spectrum is ambitious. It strives to present a multitude of experiences and identities, and it does. The mix of guys and girls, trans or not, is great. The mix of topics is also expansive, and given how much religion is mentioned, the mix of opinions on it is also widely variant. Also the mix of poetry, prose, letters, and diary entries was great. I never felt bogged down in too much angsty poetry or journal writing; all was in balance. This mix of writing styles will, hopefully, make this book accessible and attractive to readers of all stripes.
My main problem was with the editing. Some of these pieces are beautiful bits of polished writing. Some of them are not. I imagine this has a lot to do with the state they were in when they were submitted. Many of these pieces were written by young people about the most traumatic periods of their lives! Everything is in their writing and everything is raw. Everything. It is completely understandable that some of them lack polish. These pieces could have used the guidance of a good editor, and it is a shame that they didn't get it. That said, these stories are compelling, each and every one. If I, an almost-30-year-old, engaged, queer woman had such a strong reaction to this book, I cannot even begin to imagine how much solace and revelation this book could provide for someone still going through the experiences described there in. I saw myself in these stories. I saw my friends. Everyone deserves to be able to see themselves in stories like these too.
Book source: I bought it
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young people who fall under the umbrella term "queer," but identify as gay, bi, trans, lesbian, gender-variant, and more. Some of the pieces are positive and affirming, some speak of overcoming unbearable hardship and hate, some end as hopeless as they began. All of them are important and valid, just like the young people who wrote them.As a collection, The Full Spectrum is ambitious. It strives to present a multitude of experiences and identities, and it does. The mix of guys and girls, trans or not, is great. The mix of topics is also expansive, and given how much religion is mentioned, the mix of opinions on it is also widely variant. Also the mix of poetry, prose, letters, and diary entries was great. I never felt bogged down in too much angsty poetry or journal writing; all was in balance. This mix of writing styles will, hopefully, make this book accessible and attractive to readers of all stripes.
My main problem was with the editing. Some of these pieces are beautiful bits of polished writing. Some of them are not. I imagine this has a lot to do with the state they were in when they were submitted. Many of these pieces were written by young people about the most traumatic periods of their lives! Everything is in their writing and everything is raw. Everything. It is completely understandable that some of them lack polish. These pieces could have used the guidance of a good editor, and it is a shame that they didn't get it. That said, these stories are compelling, each and every one. If I, an almost-30-year-old, engaged, queer woman had such a strong reaction to this book, I cannot even begin to imagine how much solace and revelation this book could provide for someone still going through the experiences described there in. I saw myself in these stories. I saw my friends. Everyone deserves to be able to see themselves in stories like these too.
Book source: I bought it
Show Less
LibraryThing member tiffanylewis0519
I read Boy Meets Boy by the author, so I am somewhat familiar with Levithan's work. This collection of essays written by gay youth under 24 is a mixture of humor and and an exploration of how brutal people can be to those who identify with something other than the mainstream. Although each's
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author's story is unique, there are some common themes. It appears that many of the author's were religious/spiritual which was difficult to reconcile with their church's stance on homosexuality, and most of those who were profiled had been bullied at some point. It is sad to read about people being mistreated. But also as I was reading I knew there was no way I could use this text in my middle school class without losing my job. Far too many people confuse discussion with indoctrination. Show Less
LibraryThing member MattRaygun
"We are the summation of our places: the total worth of the borders we define for ourselves." (p.129)
David Levithan and Billy Merrell have put together a collection of inspirational, heartbreaking, and ultimately illuminating stories about the GLBTQ experience in modern America. Mr Levithan has
"The Full Spectrum" pulls from a wide range of sources and as a result has many voices it speaks through. The unifying theme is one of confusion for the authors. Every author in this book is under the age of 24 and their youth speaks volumes.
Many of the stories are not the most detailed or even the most well-written. What they are is honest and straightforward. This book's fearlessness about fear is its greatest quality. The author's are already out and are writing from a position of strength they all obviously fought hard to reach. There is a wisdom in every story that comes from a harsh lesson learned.
Being a book about the American LGBT experience, there are plenty of stories concerning the inner torment the author experienced concerning their belief in God. This wear's a little thin in places, but the fact this theme is so common in this book says a lot about the ubiquity of religion in our culture, as well as the fear of losing the religion the author obviously cherishes as much as their "normal" counterparts.
This book is an excellent guide to what LGBT youth experience firsthand. That makes it a great choice for any teacher attempting to educate students on homophobia, bullying, and alternative lifestyles. In addition, it also makes this book invaluable for any young person that has ever questioned their identity, lives in fear, or has lost hope.
Recommended for ages 12&UP, along with the campaign "It Gets Better" by Dan Savage.
David Levithan and Billy Merrell have put together a collection of inspirational, heartbreaking, and ultimately illuminating stories about the GLBTQ experience in modern America. Mr Levithan has
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been in the editing business with the Scholastic Publishing company for years and his experience has served him well in the construction of this book."The Full Spectrum" pulls from a wide range of sources and as a result has many voices it speaks through. The unifying theme is one of confusion for the authors. Every author in this book is under the age of 24 and their youth speaks volumes.
Many of the stories are not the most detailed or even the most well-written. What they are is honest and straightforward. This book's fearlessness about fear is its greatest quality. The author's are already out and are writing from a position of strength they all obviously fought hard to reach. There is a wisdom in every story that comes from a harsh lesson learned.
Being a book about the American LGBT experience, there are plenty of stories concerning the inner torment the author experienced concerning their belief in God. This wear's a little thin in places, but the fact this theme is so common in this book says a lot about the ubiquity of religion in our culture, as well as the fear of losing the religion the author obviously cherishes as much as their "normal" counterparts.
This book is an excellent guide to what LGBT youth experience firsthand. That makes it a great choice for any teacher attempting to educate students on homophobia, bullying, and alternative lifestyles. In addition, it also makes this book invaluable for any young person that has ever questioned their identity, lives in fear, or has lost hope.
Recommended for ages 12&UP, along with the campaign "It Gets Better" by Dan Savage.
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LibraryThing member Kathdavis54
David Levithan and Billy Merrell have put together an anthology full of emotion and honesty. There are essays, journal entries, poems, and photographs that give the reader a look in to the life of a LGBTQ teen. Even though I have read stories and watched movie and television shows that involve
Younger readers could handle most of the content. I think I would use individual essays in class and with students. The whole book would be overwhelming for a reader of any age. My favorite story was one consisting of five letters that the author wrote to different people in her life. Some were meant to be read, some weren't. I would show these to students. They could easily turn this idea in some reflecting writing for themselves.
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LGBTQ teens I don't think I have ever felt the same emotions that I felt while reading this book. The stories are sad--even the ones told with humor. Many of the stories are not great writing, but they give a real glimpse into someone's life. Younger readers could handle most of the content. I think I would use individual essays in class and with students. The whole book would be overwhelming for a reader of any age. My favorite story was one consisting of five letters that the author wrote to different people in her life. Some were meant to be read, some weren't. I would show these to students. They could easily turn this idea in some reflecting writing for themselves.
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LibraryThing member scnelson
A hard-hitting collection of LGBTQ coming-of-age stories, this book shows the many aspects of dealing with their differences from "normal" kids. Each entry is different and many are heart-wrenching, but what really comes out of these stories is that teens are basically the same and go through many
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of the same difficulties at that age, whether they're LGBTQ or not. This book would be good to aid in teaching acceptance of those who might be different from you by showing kids that inside, they're really not all that different after all. Everyone at that age is trying to find out who they are and to be accepted for that on their own terms, and these kids are no different. The writing ranges from high art to diary scribbling, but that is what makes much of the book so effective. Show Less
LibraryThing member Michelle_Bales
Levithan's collection illuminates a lot of the challenges faced by GLBTQ youth as they strive to find themselves in an often unaccepting world. Some people's stories are heartbreaking while others seem to have an easier time. Some of the writings are artfully done. Perhaps these are contributions
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from budding writers of the future. The only problem I have with this collection is that it is often depressing. I agree with the suggestion made in class that this collection would work better if combined with the website itgetsbetter.org. Show Less
LibraryThing member kmcinern
I feel like this book may have been published more for the writers than for readers. It was obvious from the emotional contributions that each writer was passionate about sharing his or her story. However, some of the writers' tale were exceptionally tough to read, not because of the writing, but
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because of the content. I went into reading the text with expectations and this was certainly my mistake. Rather than reading about uplifting tales of success, I found this text depressing. While it wasn't my favorite book, I think it was an important read though as all current and future educators should be aware that the troubles of the contributing authors are indeed very real challenges that any of our students may be facing. Show Less
LibraryThing member mrcmyoung
Very few gems in this collection of 40 stories that together make up a valentine to teenage angst and self-pity. The editors celebrate their LGBT authors' youth, but I'd rather check in with them in twenty years.
LibraryThing member agiffin
The Full Spectrum provides a haunting, personal look into the struggles and triumphs of LGBTQ youth as they and their loved ones come to terms with their sexuality. The variety of mediums of expressing their stories, whether they were journal entries, narratives, poems, or photographs helped to
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further exemplify the personalities of the authors. As a teacher, I read these stories and it made me wonder if any of my students are facing these same challenges and how I can help to provide a safe environment for them both in my classroom and in our school as a whole. In terms of the readability of the book, while I loved that so many people were able to share their story, I did feel that the book became a bit long and overwhelming from an emotional standpoint. Show Less
LibraryThing member abbrown1
Going in to this book, I expected to be reading the triumphant stories of young people who have struggled with their sexuality and come to some sort of light at the end of the tunnel. After reading the introduction by the authors, I was sure this was going to be an enlightening book about the LGBT
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communities struggles but ultimately one with a happy ending. This was not the case. There was one story that I could remember that was inspiring. The rest seemed to dwell on the hardships of "coming out" or family acceptance. The book is a compilation of young adults' stories. Reading all the stories at one time was overwhelming and did not leave me with the greatest view of the book. I understand the author's efforts of trying to bring light and interest to the lives of these teens and young adults but the tone the book sets was unappealing and left me emotionally week and dissatisfied. Show Less
LibraryThing member ChloePalmer
Wow! What a book! At times funny, but mostly heartbreaking, The Full Spectrum reveals a world rarely seen, the world of queer youth. As a teacher, I would only use this book when with children of an appropriate age, at least 9th grade. I would use it during the national GBLT awareness week, to help
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children learn about acceptance. I would definitely use this book to teach students about primary sources as it contains letters and diary entries. Lastly, I would assign this book for a book review. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kimberly.Danielle
This is my first entry into what has been termed the queer theory of education with nonfiction literature by gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered youth. Queer theory refers to the inclusion of others who have been traditionally outside of the dominant discourse of conversations and the
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curriculum. Each story is filled with an array of emotions from laughter to tears. These young people open up about their experiences with coming to terms with their identities and the struggles they faced from their families, their peers, and even with themselves. Show Less
LibraryThing member Jmmott
I really enjoyed this collection despite the fact that it was emotionally painful to read at times. I thought it did a really good job of presenting the experiences of gay and lesbian youth. The use of multiple authors rather than simply the experiences of one person makes the book a lot more
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universal than it would be other wise. Memoir-anthology hybrids can either be tedious to read or engaging. This one, I couldn't put down. Show Less
LibraryThing member ArynO
This is a collection of short stories, essays, and poems written by LGBTQ young adults about their experiences. It covers everything from romance, coming out, finding their identities, and just living their day to day lives. The reading is sometimes powerful, sometimes emotional, sometimes painful
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or joyful, and always very honest. This book would be excellent for young LGBTQ people to learn of other people having experiences similar to theirs, to show them that they are not alone. It would be excellent for anyone as a window into lifestyles that are not well understood by many people outside of it. Show Less
LibraryThing member AngelReadsThings
This beautiful collection really lives up to its title. The editors' dedication to showcasing more than one narrative of the queer experience is undeniable throughout this collection as is their dedication to sharing emotive, authentically written works. While there were so many aspects of this
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anthology which I loved, I was most impressed with the the willingness to include pieces that dealt with religion and queerness in more than just negative ways. As an affirming Christian, it was beautiful to see a queer work actively speak against the forced dichotomy between queerness and Christianity. Show Less
Awards
Lambda Literary Award (Winner — Children's/Young Adult — 2006)
ALA Rainbow Book List (Selection — Young Adult Nonfiction — 2008)
CCBC Choices (2007)
Original publication date
2006
Physical description
288 p.; 8.01 inches
ISBN
0375832904 / 9780375832901