Twelve short stories—ten in prose, two in graphic novel form—explore gay, lesbian, and transgender experience. David Levithan’s beautiful, breathtaking opening piece features contemporary teens unafraid of being themselves who are watched—and watched over—by the caring spirits of those who lived and loved in much more frightening times. But the singular collection is especially notable for its transgender content. Jacqueline Woodson offers an arresting, affirming portrait of a young transgender child, while Jennifer Finney Boylan describes the day a teen takes the first courageous step into the outside world as his—her—true self. Not every offering is a literary standout, but all offer realistically hopeful looks at GLBTQ life in a collection that features protagonists ranging from child to adult, and stories that are often intensely emotional and sometimes explicitly sexual. (Age 15 and older)

A girl thought to be a boy steals her sister's skirt, while a boy thought to be a girl refuses to wear a cornflower blue dress. One boy's love of a soldier leads to the death of a stranger. The present takes a bittersweet journey into the past when a man revisits the summer school where he had "an accidental romance." And a forgotten mother writes a poignant letter to the teenage daughter she hasn't seen for fourteen years.

Poised between the past and the future are the stories of now. In nontraditional narratives, short stories, and brief graphics, tales of anticipation and regret, eagerness and confusion present distinctively modern views of love, sexuality, and gender identification. Together, they reflect the vibrant possibilities available for young people learning to love others—and themselves—in today's multifaceted and quickly changing world.