A Queer History of the United States for Young People

In this adaptation of his 2011 book for adults, Bronski suggests that the Stonewall riots were precipitated by a great many LGBTQ Americans making their own strides toward liberty. Bronski opens with a discussion of the gender fluidity embraced by some indigenous North American tribes before providing brief biographies of queer individuals from history, along with discussion of changing views on sexuality throughout time. Some figures--Emily Dickinson, Jane Addams, Harvey Milk--will be familiar to readers. More obscure subjects include Jazz Age blues singer Gladys Bentley; 19th-century actor Charlotte Cushman; activist Kiyoshi Kuromiya; and Jose Sarria, the first openly gay candidate to run for public office in the U.S., in 1961. Chavet's adaptation includes chapters devoted to modern coming-out stories, profiles of contemporary activists, and a look into "the future of queer history." Readers seeking role models from the past will find an edifying resource and invitation for further exploration into untold stories. Ages 12-up. (June)

Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 7 Up--This adaptation for teens of the author's 2012 Stonewall Award-winning A Queer History of the United States is doubly valuable; it serves well as a general read and fills a clear curricular need. Each carefully selected profile bolsters the case for queer leadership and activism as a driving force of progress. Captioned photos, helpful sidebars, and short chapters encourage browsing. Bronski is definitive about relationships being romantic or sexual only when there is evidence for that having been the case; he carefully avoids imposing current terminology or concepts on the featured individuals. Without diminishing the risk involved in challenging societal norms, the author shows how there were, even within other eras, cultural messages/spaces that allowed for what the status quo would now consider non-heterosexual behavior. Heartbreak, aging, and blind spots, in theory, are addressed as thoroughly as successes and legacies. There are a few flaws in the glossary: the use of "sex-reassignment" surgery (rather than gender confirmation) in relation to transgender individuals, and a definition of asexuality that equivocates about whether it is a sexual orientation or a temporary feeling. The explanatory tone and frequent definitions in this edition may feel awkward at times to the intended audience of older teens but could increase its usefulness for slightly younger readers. A good companion to Pénélope Bagieu's Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World and Sarah Prager's Queer, There and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World. VERDICT An overall successful adaptation of an important work, rich with content relevant to all disciplines and beyond.--Miriam DesHarnais, Towson University, MD

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"Readers will find a straightforward, documented, nonsensational celebration of the contributions of LGBTQ people in the US . . . No previous knowledge is assumed: definitions are provided, context is established, and quaint contemporary mores are explained . . . Above all, there is continuous reassurance that the definition of 'normal' has always been in flux, that numerous LGBTQ people have been important figures in American history, and that young LGBTQ people of today will make crucial contributions to future queer history."
—Booklist, Starred Review

"This adaptation for teens of the author's 2012 Stonewall Award-winning A Queer History of the United States is doubly valuable; it serves well as a general read and fills a clear curricular need. Each carefully selected profile bolsters the case for queer leadership and activism as a driving force of progress."
—School Library Journal, Starred Review

"Alongside watershed moments like the 1969 Stonewall uprising and the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, the text brings to light less well-known people, places, and events: the 1625 free love colony of Merrymount, transgender Civil War hero Albert D. J. Cashier, and the 1951 founding of the Mattachine Society, to name a few."
—Kirkus Reviews

"Readers seeking role models from the past will find an edifying resource and invitation for further exploration into untold stories."
—Publishers Weekly

"With its focus on individuals who dared to fight for their rights, A Queer History of the United States for Young People will serve as a touchstone for LGBTQ readers seeking proof of the greatness that preceded them and confidence in the success that awaits in their future."
—Shelf Awareness

"Bronski's A Queer History of the United States for Young People is a necessary, comprehensive, and accessible primer for queer history. In a political climate that seeks to disappear LGBTQ people and our contributions to society, it's more important than ever to cultivate a relationship with our queer past. Taking guidance from the LGBTQ forebears profiled in this book gives us permission to imagine otherwise and strive beyond the status quo."
—Alok Vaid-Menon, gender non-conforming artist and author of Femme in Public

"It's no easy task to craft a nuanced story of queer history for young readers, but Michael Bronski and Richie Chevat have pulled it off. Weaving together stories of diverse historical and contemporary figures, this book peoples the queer past and present, with hope for the future."
—Leila J. Rupp, author of Understanding and Teaching U.S. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History

"This volume is both timely and timeless: a deep, scholarly dive into our history. It should sit at the table next to Zinn's People's History—required, essential reading for all people."
—Saundra Mitchell, editor of All Out and Out Now, and author of All the Things We Do in the Dark