Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

Paul lives in a world where the cheerleaders gun Harleys at pep rallies, the quarterback is a drag queen, and Paul's own kindergarten teacher states on his progress report that he is gay. This high school sophomore's life is easy and angst-free until he meets Noah, the artsy new kid in town, who is completely crush-worthy.

Generally, it wouldn't be a problem, except there's Paul's angry ex, Kyle, who is suddenly reaching out to him; there's his depressed best friend Tony, whose religious parents refuse to accept that he's gay. And then there's his other best friend, Joni, who is swept up in a relationship with a difficult, controlling jock.

Suddenly, life's not so easy anymore. How can Paul connect with Noah when his life is a roiling mess. And, soon enough, he's asking himself if he'll ever truly connect with anyone.

With a main character who is completely comfortable with his homosexuality, Boy Meets Boy is a book about friendship, family, and romance.

Fanciful yet full of humorous day-to-day teen drama, this is a lighthearted book with serious issues at its core.

Bibliotherapeutic value:  Imagining a world in which gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual people are accepted highlights the harsh realities (and unfairness) of what GLBTQ teens go through every day. This book creates a pleasant fantasy world in which everyone is accepted, no matter what. Boy Meets Boy is full of hope -- with a strong central character who is very self-assured -- and it's a reminder of how far we are from a world in which everyone is accepted.

Levithan, David. Boy Meets Boy. New York: Knopf/Borzoi, 2003.

ISBN 0-375-92400-0. $17.99.