About the Author

Sarah Moon is a teacher, writer, and translator. She lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

James Lecesne is an actor, writer, and activist. His Academy Award-winning short film, "Trevor," inspired the founding of The Trevor Project (www.thetrevorproject.org).

Reviews

In a thoughtful, humorous, and moving collection of letters and comics (not all seen by PW), 64 queer authors and artists tell "their younger selves what they could do to make their lives a little better, a little lighter." Though largely hopeful, these correspondences often include painful references to bullying, self-harm, feelings of isolation, and thoughts of suicide. Readers may be surprised by entries from contributors like Marion Dane Bauer and editor Arthur Levine, who remember growing up in a world that depicted gay people as perverts ("I may as well be one of those inverts you once saw pictured in an old psychology book," writes Richard McCann). But the stories are also frequently funny, as the authors tell of successful careers ("you get to be friends with some of your heroes," writes Gregory Maguire. "Like oh not to name names but like Maurice Sendak! I know!"), friendships, marriages, sex lives, and repaired relationships with parents. Read together, the letters become a powerful refrain. Jacqueline Woodson concludes hers by writing, "The world is big-and there is so much love in it. I promise you-you will find it." Ages 14-up. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gr 9 Up-This anthology features 64 LGBTQ authors and illustrators, both well-known and not, who send letters to their younger selves. Whether it's Paige Braddock's graphic-style note or Brent Hartinger's letter to his teenage self, the message is clear: it gets better; you will find love; don't give up. Read on an individual basis, these missives can range from boastful to witty to extremely touching. Unfortunately, when read as a whole, they become somewhat monotonous; thus, the letters seem most suitable for classroom use on LGBTQ issues or bullying when paired separately with a story from a good collection such as Michael Cart's How Beautiful the Ordinary (2009) or Marion Dane Bauer's Am I Blue? (both, HarperCollins).-Betty S. Evans, Missouri State Univ., Springfield, MO (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

"The letter Q stands for 'queer, ' of course, and in this lovely, often funny, and always heartfelt book, more than five dozen celebrated writers send letters to their teenage selves. Each note, in its own individual way, promises the author's younger self hope that, in the future, life will get better.... The assembled authors, actors, playwrights, and illustrators are a veritable who's-who of the LGBT creative world, and whose audiences include both young adults and adults." -- Booklist, starred review

"A thoughtful, humorous, and moving collection of letters and comics... Read together, the letters become a powerful refrain." -- Publishers Weekly

"With its repeated exhortations to relax more and worry less, this book might be a life-saver for some -- and could function as an author list, as well, for teens wanting to read more about People Like Us." -- Horn Book