Age: 10th-12th grade
Awards: 2010 Lambda Literary, 2010 Stonewall Honor

Sprout. An interesting name for a kid. But don't think this protagonist will tell you 'Why Sprout?' until he wants to. With his cheeky, cynically poignant observations, Sprout's not one to elaborate on his own life story. When the advanced English teacher singles Sprout out as the next Kansas State Writing Champion, his subject material is anything but himself. When Sprout reveals he's gay ("Betcha didn't see that coming, did ya?") his teacher warns him against writing about it. While homosexuality does not define Sprout, he avoids disclosure because he fears that that's all people will see him as. He soon meets the boy of his dreams, someone who physically expresses but never vocalizes his attraction to Sprout.

This novel describes a character's journey towards his identity which hides behind humor. Instead of a plot-driven, triumphant winning story, Sprout gives the reader a journey with a nerdy teen into what "gay" means on a personal level.




**SPOILER The greatest part about this book was the ability to experience Sprout's journey of self-discovery, because the journey is the most important part. He does not tell us his big secret because he doesn't know it himself. For me, this realization--that can finally lead him towards self-satisfaction--was the climactic "ah-ha" of the book.