Everything Grows by Aimee Herman

Eleanor was bullied by James. She didn't know him other than from the torment he gave her. One day, James commits suicide. So Eleanor cuts her hair and dyes it. Eleanor also starts writing to James in her journal. She tells him everything that is happening in her life - and it's a lot.

Eleanor's mom tried to commit suicide about a year ago. She fears her mom will try it again. Eleanor goes to group therapy to help deal.

Eleanor is also exploring her own sexuality. She knows she's gay, but it feels like there is more. She hasn't come out to anyone...yet. Although her mom's friend Flora seems like a good place to start since she is gay, too.

She loses an old friend. Gains new ones. Meets James' parents. And tries to find who she really is and who she is supposed to be. As readers, we take some big steps with Eleanor, but is only just the beginning for her.

Eleanor's story is a positive one for young people struggling with identity, particularly LGBTQ teens.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Unslut: A Diary and a Memoir by Emily Lindin

Emily Lindin was 11 years old when her reputation as a slut began. She was slut shamed all the way through eighth grade by her classmates and older students. Girls (including her friends) shunned and bullied her. Boys expected her to 'put out.' She was called names by everyone. Her reputation was an open invitation for boys to touch her wherever and whenever they wanted.

This book contains a reprint of Emily's actual junior high diary - the words appearing just as she wrote them. She details her life navigating through crushes and romances while being constantly reminded of her reputation. She blames herself in some cases for things that were in no way her fault. She cuts herself and even contemplates suicide.

In the margins, Emily responds to and clarifies her diary entries. We know that Emily has changed and learned and grown since her diary was written. And that is ultimately part of her message: that girls can get past this and grow into successful adults.

Emily chose to share her diary (first online) and founded the Unslut Project to reach girls having similar experiences and to make adults more aware of these situations. It is a compelling read that will hopefully make a difference.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog.

Zero Fade by Chris L. Terry

Kevin wants a lot of things. First, he wants a haircut - not the ragged haircut he gets from his mother, but a fade. Next, he wants a girlfriend - Aisha, the girl in his science class, is his first choice. Also, he wants to see the new Jim Carrey movie, The Mask. He and his best friend David love the TV show, In Living Color, so they cannot wait to see Jim Carrey in a movie.  

You know, seventh graders do not always understand how the world works. For example, Kevin thinks that once Aisha agrees to go to see a movie with him that she is his girlfriend. Having once been a teen boy myself, I understand the desire to have a girlfriend and making assumptions about how relationships work. Didn't work for me - doesn't work for Kevin.

Kevin is also worried about perception. When his Uncle Paul takes him to get a haircut, Kevin is pretty sure the barber is gay. He worries that his new haircut may be gay or that people saw him being touched by the guy so they might think he is gay. Maybe everyone in the whole barber shop was gay! Kevin is a ball of confusion. What he doesn't know is that his beloved uncle who he looks up to is gay. And uncle Paul is concerned about what Kevin will think when he tells him the truth.

This book is a humorous slice of Kevin's life - coping with a bully, fighting with his best friend, dealing with his sister and mother - all things made a bit more difficult due to Kevin's immature and developing view of the world. He will learn.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog.