Levithan, David. BOY MEETS BOY. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2003. ISBN 0375824006.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Paul is a sophomore in high school. He’s known he is gay for as long as he can remember, but it was confirmed when his kindergarten teacher made a note on his report card to that effect: “PAUL IS DEFINITELY GAY AND HAS VERY GOOD SENSE OF SELF.” Many of his friends carry the same self-confidence as he does, and some do not; some have understanding families like Paul’s, while another gay friend has a family trying to pray their child from Satan’s grip while grounding him to his room. However, some of Paul’s self-assurance is shaken when Noah - his new boyfriend, Kyle - his ex-boyfriend, and Tony and Joni - his best friends, intersect in his world in unexpected ways. Will it all work out?
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Paul is a dynamic character. Almost too self-assured at the beginning of the novel, his life reads like a gay-rights activist’s resume. Aside from the note from his kindergarten teacher on his report card, he 1) is the first openly gay class president in the third grade, 2) asks Cody to the fifth-grade semi-formal, 3) forms the first gay-straight alliance in sixth grade with several friends, and 4) in eighth grade has a gay food column in the local paper called “Dining OUT.” However, by the end of the novel, Paul has had to figure out how to help his friend Tony whose parents have freaked out after his revelation that he’s gay. He has also had to grapple with feelings he has for an ex-boyfriend while experiencing the excitement of falling for a new guy at his school. Paul shows courage in sticking by Tony and helping Tony face his family, and he grows through the painful experience of losing his longest-standing friend over her choice of a boyfriend.
The back cover says Paul is “at a high school like no other,” and it’s true. This is obviously a fantasy setting which creates a world more as it should be, not as it is; a world where teenagers are just teenagers, accepted no matter what they are like or how they express themselves. Students who are truly this self-confident in who they are rarely exist in the real world. Much of the self-confidence is really bravado used to hide the fear, confusion, and doubt that tends to run rampant at this stage of life. However, Paul is absolutely comfortable with who he is, as are many of his other friends including other gay students, as well as the straight students who are truly their friends. This high school, as well as the community, includes a group of “Joy Scouts” who left the Boy Scouts when they decided that gays had no place in their organization (p. 66). The community also has P-FLAG – Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays – that “is as big a draw as the PTA” (p. 115). The school’s quarterback is 6’5” and nicknamed Infinite Darlene, a cross dresser who is both the star quarterback and the homecoming queen this year.
While Paul says that Infinite Darlene “doesn’t have it easy,” and he mentions the time he himself was tackled by wrestlers who were actually insulting him when they called him queer and faggot, this story displays very little of the angst that kids who are gay or transsexual have to put up with from their peers. Tony’s parents and people from their church completely lose their objectivity when they think Tony and Paul are a couple, but the rest of the community seems to be completely at peace with the gay and cross-dressing community.
Nevertheless, the kids deal with some serious issues, but humor infuses the story with lighted-heartedness that makes this a fun read. The gay-straight alliance was formed to help the straight kids learn to dance. The cheerleaders ride Harleys. But even with the levity, the kids in the story are facing issues such as learning how to handle shifting relationships, how to support each other during difficult experiences, and how to confront each other when they believe their friends are making serious mistakes.
While the high school and community are idealized, this story will still be meaningful to high school students who are trying to figure out who they are and how they fit into the social schema around them.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Booklist: “Though at times arch and even precious, this wacky, charming, original story is never outrageous, and its characters are fresh, real, and deeply engaging. In its blithe acceptance and celebration of human differences, this is arguably the most important gay novel since Nancy Garden's Annie on My Mind; it certainly seems to represent a revolution in the publishing of gay-themed books for adolescents.”
*Kirkus: “With wry humor, wickedly quirky and yet real characters, and real situations, this is a must for any library serving teens.”
*Children’s Literature: “This touching story focuses upon the emotions and humor involved in teenage relationships. If the book did not start with an introductory chapter filled with gay stereotypes, it would have a strong appeal to any teenager. The stereotypes serve to de-humanize the characters rather than present them as ordinary teens with human problems. Positively, the story progresses with strongly developed characters that carry the rich storyline, making the book an enjoyable read.”
*CCBC (Cooperative Children’s Book Center): “David Levithan constructs a remarkable and hopeful fantasy: a world where gay teens and straight teens are all just teens. By the third chapter of this remarkable novel, that world feels like something that seems quite possible.”
5. CONNECTIONS
• Make this book available to students by placing it on classroom or library bookshelves for students to pick up to read. Perhaps do a book talk so students know it is there. This book would be a great read aloud for high school teachers who feel like their classes can handle the subject matter.
• Have students keep journal entries as they read the story documenting their connections to the story; whether they are gay or straight, they are likely to relate to the characters in this novel who are grappling with normal teenage issues.
• Display this book among others in a rotating display of multicultural literature in the classroom or the library.
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