Hartinger, Brent. Geography Club. New York: HarperTempest, 2003. Print.
240 pages. ISBN-10: 0060012218; ISBN-13: 978-0060012212
Russel is gay, and he knows he better keep it secret, or he'll be a total outcast in his small-town high school. But then he discovers that there are others like him--including Min, his longtime best friend, and her lesbian lover, as well as gorgeous, popular jock star Kevin. Seven of them form a support group (the "Geography Club" is their cover-up name), and for a short time, life is blissful. Russel has friends with whom he can be himself, and he also makes love with Kevin. Then things fall apart. Russel refuses to have sex with a girl, and word gets out that he's gay. Kevin can't come out, so he and Russel break up. Things are settled a little too neatly in the end, but there's no sermonizing. With honest talk of love and cruelty, friendship and betrayal, it's Russel's realistic, funny, contemporary narrative that makes this first novel special. The dialogue is right on; so is the high-school cafeteria; so is the prejudice. http://www.amazon.com/Geography-Club-Brent-Hartinger/dp/0060012218
This would be good in middle school to help students who may be struggling with the idea of homosexuality, and maybe open the eyes of some who do not understand it or may be interested in learning more. I of course do not want bullying to occur, and I think that the first step to that is to make sure everyone has the opportunity to learn about someone a little different than themselves. This book would provide that opportunity for my students.
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