Luna by Julie Anne Peters
Peters, Julie Anne. Luna. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2004. 248 pages. $7.99 ISBN 0316011274
Readers Annotation: Regan just wants to have a normal family, but her brother just wants to be recognized as the girl he's been forced to hide.
Plot Summary: Regan has always been there for her brother Liam. Since they were little she knew he was different, but she never realized how different. Over the years she has watched her brother morph into a more feminine boy, and has seen him struggle with the feelings he has about who he really is. Their parents are either too busy or too involved in their own femininity or masculinity to realize what is going on with their children. And if they do realize what Liam is going through, they ignore it. Regan is the only one who understands, and even she has trouble giving Liam what he needs. Liam wants, needs, to be Luna. Luna is his female form and his true self. Luna feels that she was born as a female in a boy's body and is determined to come out to herself and her family. Throughout this metamorphosis, Regan desperately wants to be there for Luna but also just wants to be a normal teen, focusing on her normal teen problems. In the end, Regan's love for her sister usually comes first.
Critical Evaluation: Luna is a phenomenal novel. Peters does an excellent job describing the individual struggles of both Regan and Luna/Liam. In contrast to the open-minded teens, Peters presents their parents as extremely closed-minded feminist/sexists characters. Their mother seems to be all for women out in the work force and is a work-a-holic, often ignoring her children. Their father is a sexist man who believes that cooking and cleaning are a woman's job. They are a strange, and sometimes unbelievable combination, but I think their sharp contrast to Regan and Luna makes their characters stand out even more. I think this novel is a great representation of the struggles transgendered teens face, and a struggle that should be acknowledged.
Information about the Author: Julie Anne Peters has written seven books for GLBT teens, with two more coming out in the fall. She has also published eight books for elementary and middle school kids. Many of her teen novels have been on best books lists and honored with awards, including Luna, which was a National Book Award Finalist.
Genre: GLBT
Age Level: Ages 12 and up
Curriculum Ties: A great addition to a human rights study. Also benefical when talking about sexuality and self-esteem.
Book talking ideas: Discuss how it would feel to be trapped in another body, or if they were trapped in the body of someone of the opposite sex.
Challenge Issues: The idea of being transgendered may be unwelcome by some people who do not agree with GBLT lifestyles. However, there are many teens who need books like this to help them get through their transition and help them feel like how the feel is valid.
Why I included it: I included this book not only because we read it for class, but also because it has been honored by many libraries and groups. It touches on some issues that are often overlooked, but are necessary in order to represent all teens.
Peters, Julie Anne. Luna. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2004. 248 pages. $7.99 ISBN 0316011274
Readers Annotation: Regan just wants to have a normal family, but her brother just wants to be recognized as the girl he's been forced to hide.
Plot Summary: Regan has always been there for her brother Liam. Since they were little she knew he was different, but she never realized how different. Over the years she has watched her brother morph into a more feminine boy, and has seen him struggle with the feelings he has about who he really is. Their parents are either too busy or too involved in their own femininity or masculinity to realize what is going on with their children. And if they do realize what Liam is going through, they ignore it. Regan is the only one who understands, and even she has trouble giving Liam what he needs. Liam wants, needs, to be Luna. Luna is his female form and his true self. Luna feels that she was born as a female in a boy's body and is determined to come out to herself and her family. Throughout this metamorphosis, Regan desperately wants to be there for Luna but also just wants to be a normal teen, focusing on her normal teen problems. In the end, Regan's love for her sister usually comes first.
Critical Evaluation: Luna is a phenomenal novel. Peters does an excellent job describing the individual struggles of both Regan and Luna/Liam. In contrast to the open-minded teens, Peters presents their parents as extremely closed-minded feminist/sexists characters. Their mother seems to be all for women out in the work force and is a work-a-holic, often ignoring her children. Their father is a sexist man who believes that cooking and cleaning are a woman's job. They are a strange, and sometimes unbelievable combination, but I think their sharp contrast to Regan and Luna makes their characters stand out even more. I think this novel is a great representation of the struggles transgendered teens face, and a struggle that should be acknowledged.
Information about the Author: Julie Anne Peters has written seven books for GLBT teens, with two more coming out in the fall. She has also published eight books for elementary and middle school kids. Many of her teen novels have been on best books lists and honored with awards, including Luna, which was a National Book Award Finalist.
Genre: GLBT
Age Level: Ages 12 and up
Curriculum Ties: A great addition to a human rights study. Also benefical when talking about sexuality and self-esteem.
Book talking ideas: Discuss how it would feel to be trapped in another body, or if they were trapped in the body of someone of the opposite sex.
Challenge Issues: The idea of being transgendered may be unwelcome by some people who do not agree with GBLT lifestyles. However, there are many teens who need books like this to help them get through their transition and help them feel like how the feel is valid.
Why I included it: I included this book not only because we read it for class, but also because it has been honored by many libraries and groups. It touches on some issues that are often overlooked, but are necessary in order to represent all teens.
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