Book Annotations

summary/highlight + justification for inclusion

This book takes the unusual plot twist in that the protagonist just wants to be, as the title states, openly straight. He has a loving family, friends, and community who accept his sexuality yet he feels stifled by the label “gay.” He just wants to be Rafe, and this leads him to a private school back east where no one knows his past. He doesn’t tell his family why he wants to transfer nor does he share his intent to wipe his history clean and essentially, go back in the closet as his best friend Claire Olivia succinctly puts. He starts his junior year in Natick, an all-boys boarding school, and is immediately accepted into a group of jocks for his ability to play sports well. He feels the initial elation of being accepted into a group for his ability to play pick-up football, softball, and later on, soccer. When he befriends a fellow teammate, he continues his facade of the straight kid, newly arrived from Boulder, Colorado.

Konigsberg writes humorous scenes with quick-witted lines and often raw, cringe-worthy awkward scenes that could make one wish they could “un-read” it in sympathy for the character.

Sports is the vessel that allows Rafe to feel accepted but ironically, it is also what teaches him that he should not hide his true self unless he wants to be permanently miserable.

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Additional resources for teachers:

• Read this interview with the author, Bill Konigsberg: https://scbwi.blogspot.com/2014/06/bill-konigsberg-on-openly-straight-2014.html. He is just as funny and self-effacing as Rafe.

• Read this Harper’s Bazaar article on the The 20 Best LGBTQ Books of 2019 https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/art-books-music/g29444050/best-lgbtq-books-2019/

summary/highlight + justification for inclusion:

Written in 2006, Dairy Queen will surprise you with its funny, down-to-earth protagonist DJ, a soon to be 16 year old farm girl who realizes she really loves football so she goes out for the team and makes it. The problem is she is now playing against her friend Brian who is the quarterback of the opposing team.

This book goes beyond the rivalry as it explores family ties, the silence that breeds miscommunication and social destruction, the gender stereotypes and inequalities, LGBTQ issues, socio-economic inequities and urban vs rural divide.

This story is told from a limited, first person point of view and the protagonist’s voice will draw you into the plot. She also explores weight issues and how we define beauty (for example, she gets called a cow by the opposing team and while this is hurtful, she manages to deal with the insults without becoming bitter or hateful). Her love of football and her willingness to try out and be part of the team despite the obvious unusualness of the situation endears DJ to the reader who roots for her success.

Note: this book is first in a series although it easily stands alone.

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Additional resources for teachers:

• Read this article from the Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/forgotten-history-womens-football-180958042/

• Read this quick interview with author, Catherine Murdock: https://www.catherinemurdock.com/dairy-queen.html

If you love a story that will give you hope, look no further. This is a true story about refugee boys who played soccer under the coaching guidance of Luma Mufleh, a Jordanian-born American. The Fugees, as they named themselves, were a rag-tag team of refugees from around the world who all happened to be resettled in a nondescript town in Georgia. They have escaped untold horrors of war and violence in their home countries and are finding their lives in the U.S.has its own challenges. Soccer is the one aspect of their lives that becomes their home in many ways. You will hear the stories of various families, from Benin, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Serbia, Syria, Liberia and more. The author, Warren St. John, a reporter for the New York Times, followed the Fugees and gives us first-hand account of the team and its players and Luma, who is not only their soccer coach but also their surrogate parent and teacher.

The struggles of the team to find a place to practice, get decent soccer gear, and most importantly, come together despite their disparate cultural backgrounds and language barriers reminds readers of the powerful benefit of sports. Soccer was the means to bridge the cultural barrier, soccer was the language they spoke, and soccer helped them survive their daily travails and transcend their tragic pasts.

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Additional links for teacher's use:

• Brief presentation of Warren St. John: https://youtu.be/GyGv0QAUEQ4

• Luma Mufleh’s inspiring TED talk: https://youtu.be/6wNif5SlN08

• CNN Hero Luma Mufleh: From refugee to Fugees

• Read this article CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING Helping Refugee Students Feel Safe https://www.edutopia.org/article/helping-refugee-students-feel-safe

summary/highlight + justification for inclusion:

This graphic novel is impressive, starting with its cover which is bright orange and feels like a basketball. Reading this book is a visual as well as a tactile treat. This book is a memoir as well as a history of basketball. It is also the story of the high school basketball players in the private Catholic school where Yang was a teacher and their individual stories: their personal challenges and their success in the court and the effect of basketball in their lives.

Yang wove basketball history into the story and used the literal “taking a step” and crossing over as a metaphor for the choices we make in life. He becomes just one of many characters in the book and basketball is the medium by which characters find their strength or learn about themselves. It is the framework for understanding the seeming crazy drive to win the high school state championship and basketball seems almost like a character itself changing, shifting, adapting to the situation.

At 400+ pages, it’s hefty, but finishing it is its own reward. You won’t regret picking this up. And you might even read it twice or thrice.

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If you loved this graphic novel, read these ADDITIONAL BOOKS with similar theme:

Graphic Novel: Crossover by Kwame Alexander

• fiction published 2014; twin protagonists; basketball players and family legacy; sports as glue (there's also a non-graphic novel version)

Non-fiction: Eagle Blue by Michael D'Orso

• published 2007; Fort Yukon Eagles, Alaska Native basketball team