Two Boys Kissing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 First edition cover | |
| Author | David Levithan |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young adult fiction |
| Published | 2013 |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 224 |
| ISBN | 9780307931900 |
Two Boys Kissing is a 2013 young adult novel written by American author David Levithan. The book follows two 17-year-old boys who set out to break a Guinness World Record by kissing for 32 hours. The book includes a "Greek chorus" of the generation of gay men who died of AIDS. Throughout the narrative, the book discusses topics such as relationships, coming out, gender identity, and hook-up culture.
Two Boys Kissing was named a 2014 Stonewall Honor Book for Children's and Young Adult books,[1] and landed on the 2013 National Book Award Longlist for Young People's Literature.[2]
Awards
In 2013, Two Boys Kissing received the following awards and accolades:
- Lambda Literary awarded it a Lammy in Children/Young Adult Literature.[3] This is awarded based on a book's literary merit and content related to LGBT+ lives.[4]
- The National Book Foundation placed it on the 2013 National Book Award Longlist for Young People's Literature.[2] Judges bestow this honor upon books they deem "the best literature in America" and which "have a prominent place in American culture."[5]
- Readers nominated it for a Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult Fiction.[6] Goodreads Choice Awards are the only awards chosen by readers.
In 2014, Two Boys Kissing received the following awards and accolades:
- The American Library Association named it a 2014 Stonewall Honor Book for Children's and Young Adult books.[1] This award is given to "English-language works of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience."[1]
- State Library Victoria nominated it for the Silver Inky Award.[7]
- The Milwaukee County Federated Library System Young Adult Services Committee (MCFLS YASC) nominated it for the Milwaukee County Teen Book Award.[8] This award is provided to quality books published for teen readers.
- The New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA) named it a 2014 NAIBA Young Adult Book of the Year.[9] This award recognizes an author who lived in the New Atlantic or a book that takes place in the region. Booksellers nominate and vote upon titles and award one book the Book of the Year Award in five categories (fiction, nonfiction, young adult, middle grade, and picture).
Challenges
Two Boys Kissing has frequently been challenged. According to the American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom, Two Boys Kissing was the 18th-most banned and challenged book in the United States between 2010 and 2019.[10] Additionally, it topped the organization's top ten list three times: 2015, 2016, and 2018 because of homosexual and sexually-explicit content, as well as because it condones public displays of affection.[11]
In 2014, a parent of a child at Fauquier County High School appealed for Two Boys Kissing to be removed from the school district's libraries because of the cover artwork, which shows two boys kissing, which violates the school's rules against public displays of affection,[12] as well as because the book has 117 references to words like "sex" and "kiss."[13] A public hearing with the Fauquier County School Board led to a committee unanimously deciding that the book would remain on the shelves.[13][14]
On October 19, 2018, religious activist Robert Dorr borrowed four LGBT+ books from the Orange City Public Library in Orange City, Iowa (including Levithan's Two Boys Kissing) and proceeded to burn the books while streaming the video on social media.[15] Dorr claimed he was "exercis[ing] his freedom of speech and the freedom of [his] Biblical faith."[16] In 2019, Dorr was convicted of fifth-degree criminal mischief for destroying library property.[15]
In 2022, Two Boys Kissing was listed among 52 books banned by the Alpine School District following the implementation of Utah law H.B. 374, “Sensitive Materials In Schools,"[17] 42% of which “feature LBGTQ+ characters and or themes.”[18][17] Many of the books were removed because they were considered to contain pornographic material according to the new law, which defines porn using the following criteria:
- "The average person" would find that the material, on the whole, "appeals to prurient interest in sex"[19]
- The material "is patently offensive in the description or depiction of nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, sadomasochistic abuse, or excretion"[19]
- The material, on the whole, "does not have serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value."[19]
References
- 1 2 3 Amundsen, John L. (January 28, 2014). "2014 Stonewall Book Awards announced". American Library Association News. Archived from the original on September 23, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- 1 2 "National Book Awards 2013". National Book Foundation. Archived from the original on July 28, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- ↑ "Previous Winners". Lambda Literary. Archived from the original on March 24, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- ↑ "Submission Guidelines - Lambda Literary Awards". Lambda Literary. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- ↑ "National Book Foundation - How the Awards Work". National Book Foundation. Archived from the original on March 20, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- ↑ "Goodreads Choice Award Winners". www.goodreads.com. Archived from the original on December 17, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- ↑ "Subjects 2014 Inky Awards - Inside a Dog". insideadog.com.au. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- ↑ Milwaukee County Teen Book Award. "Nominees". Tumblr. Archived from the original on January 26, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- ↑ "NAIBA Book of the Year Awards". New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- ↑ "Top 100 Most Banned and Challenged Books: 2010-2019". Advocacy, Legislation & Issues. September 9, 2020. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
- ↑ American Library Association (March 26, 2013). "Top 10 Most Challenged Books Lists". Advocacy, Legislation & Issues. Archived from the original on May 11, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- ↑ Pekoll, Kristin (April 13, 2017). "Spotlight on Censorship: 'Two Boys Kissing'". Intellectual Freedom Blog. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- 1 2 Chung, Sandy. "Request to Ban 'Two Boys Kissing' from Virginia High School Library Denied". School Library Journal. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- ↑ Emerson, Lawrence (April 24, 2014). ""Two Boys Kissing" remains in Fauquier High library". Fauquier Now. Archived from the original on March 6, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- 1 2 Tom (August 6, 2019). "UPDATE: (with comments from Dorr)- Dorr Found Guilty, Fined For Burning Library Books". KIWA Radio. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- ↑ Aviles, Gwen (August 7, 2019). "Religious activist convicted for burning LGBTQ library books". NBC News. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- 1 2 "Ban on 52 Books in Largest Utah School District is a Worrisome Escalation of Censorship". PEN America. August 1, 2022. Archived from the original on August 5, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
- ↑ "School District Removes 52 Books From Libraries". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on August 5, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
- 1 2 3 Mullahy, Brian (July 28, 2022). "Alpine School District pulls dozens of books from school library shelves". KUTV. Archived from the original on August 5, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
See also
| Novels |
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Related | |||||
| Adaptations |
| ||||
