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?