Lauren Geiger
EDRL 524
October 21, 2016
LGBTQ Reader Book
Review
Book: Annie On My
Mind by: Nancy Garden
Annotation: The
book, “Annie On My Mind,” is a story about two girls who live in New York in
upscale, more conservative areas. These two girls first find friendship between
on another and later see their friendship blossom into love. The story follows
the protagonist in the story named Liza. Liza is a high school student who is
very involved in school and stands as the student president. Once word gets out
that she is gay and has a girlfriend, teachers and administrators try to take
her position as president away from her. Her family and friends seem to lack
acceptance and she finds herself only able to lean on her girlfriend, Annie. Eventually,
they follow their own paths into college and connect with more accepting and
tolerant groups of people. They rekindle their love through letters.
Opinion: I
enjoyed reading this book for its ability to represent multiple sides of
discrimination that people in the LGBTQ community face. Not only were these
girls subject to discrimination from their peers, but also their schools, administrators
and families. The people who are supposed to protect these girls were turning
their backs on them and making them feel like outcasts. Although I have only
experienced minor forms of discrimination for my sexuality, I can see how
impactful these situations can be. It is important to dig deeper into why
others are threatened by another’s sexual preference or sexual identity. I like
that this novel brings up topics that no one wants to talk about, while also
exposing and showing how normal and similar these girls are to every other girl
in the world; emphasizing that sexuality is quite small in the large scheme of
things. I related to this book and enjoyed reading it front to back.
Question for future
readers: Why do you think this book is banned from multiple schools? As
educators, what is our role in a situation like this?
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