Out in the Mountains children’s Books: Reading for the New American Family Deborah Lashman The lesbian and gay baby boom has re- sulted in a growing number of children’s books aimed at this new family; in fact, so many that the Gay and Lesbian Par- ent’s Coalition has published an annotat- ed bibliography. While a number of publishers, both large mainstream houses and the smaller les- bian and gay presses, have printed an oc- casional title, the leader in “alternative” children’s publishing is Alyson Press in Boston. Alyson has established an entire division, Alyson Wonderland to handle and promote children’s titles. Among their titles are books for kids of lesbian and gay parents, as well as sto- ries in which a variety of family al- ternatives are presented. Leslea New- man’s Heather Has Two Mommies (originally published by In Other Words) and Gloria Goes to Gay Pride, feature preschool daughters of lesbian couples. In another Newman title, Belinda’s Bou- quet, the title character’s friend has two lesbian parents whom we meet naturally in the course of the story. Other Alyson Wonderland titles include How Would You Feel if Your Dad Was Gay?, Dad- dy's Roommate, and The Generous Jef- ferson Bartleby Jones, all featuring kids with gay fathers. One of their newest ti- tles, The Duke Who Outlawed Jelly Beans by Johnny Valentine, is a collec- tion of original fairy tales, featuring kids with lesbian and gay parents and a va- riety of racial backgrounds. The title sto- ry revolves around what happens when a Duke outlaws all families that aren’t like his: the traditional mother/father set-up. Alyson even publishes a coloring book, Families: A Coloring Book , showing a variety of families and their activities. There are a number of books showing that families come in all types; one of the earliest still in print is Little Brown’s 1981 title Families by Marylin Hafner. The lead character, Angie, describes the different types of families her friends have, including Susie who “lives with her mother and godmother. When I asked where her father lived, she said she didn’t have any father.” While most of the newer books are aimed at younger children, preschool through 6th grade, there are some titles for teen- agers. Betty Greene, perhaps best known for her first teen book, Summer of My German Soldier, has written a novel Monday—Friday 8:00-5:00 Quality Home Child Care A child centered, stress free environment promoting ethnic, family and lifestyle diversity. An alternative to the chaos and frenzy of large day care centers. Free Trial Day or Half Price Trial Week Carol Altobelli 655-9807 ’ - Gay—Lesbian Affirmative - Nutritional Meals & Snacks - Indoor/Outdoor Activities - Vermont State Registered - References Available - Lots of Tlfl (additional hours negotiable) Conveniently located off I-89 near four—comers Winooski Openings: Ages 2 and up. Howard Russell, M.A. Individual, Couples, & Group Counseling Some insurance accepted — Sliding fee scale 2 Church St., Burlington, VT 482-2335 Therapeutic Massage Certified Massage Therapist 802-864-0903 Member VT Massage Guild Graduate Florida School of Massage loosely based on the gay bashing mm. der of a gay man in Bangor, Maine, bya gang of teenage boys several years ago, The Drowning of Stephen Jones, pub lished by Bantam, is told through the’ eyes of the girlfriend of the leader of the gang. Another new teen novel Bad Boy, by Diana Wieler (Delecorte), describes what happens when one of the players on a high school hockey team discovers that his best friend and one of the star players is gay. Among the non-fiction titles describing diverse families are Families: A Cel- ebration of Diversity from Houghton Mifflin, based on an exhibit at the Bos- ton Children’s Museum and Tabor Sa- rah's Chag Sameach (Happy Holidays), which is an introduction to the Jewish holidays featuring diverse family back- grounds, including a family with two lesbian parents. There are any number of children’s books, fiction and non-fiction about AIDS. One of the most sensitive I’ve read is Losing Uncle Tim by Mary Kate Jordan, Albeit Whitman Co. While it’s not as easy to find as the mainstream literature, there is a growing wealth of books out there for our kids. Ask your bookstore, school, and local li- brary to carry these titles and more like them. . For more information on these titles you can contact the publishers or: Alyson Wonderland, 40 Plympton St, Boston, MA 02118, (617) 542-5679. Gay and Lesbian Parents Coalition In- temational, PO Box 50360, Washing- ton, D.C. 20091. V V Pamela Gale Burlington, VT Glft Certificates/Slldlng Fee Scale J