Annie On My Mind

Garden, N. (1982). Annie on my mind. NY: FSG

Summary: Liza falls in love with a girl named Annie that she meets at the museum. Liza attends a private school and Annie goes to a public school. Liza gets suspended when she fails to report her friend's ear piercing business. Annie shows Liza how crazy a public school could really be when she sneaks her in to experience it. Annie admits that she is gay and in love with Liza. Liza does not know if she is gay yet, but she knows that she does love Annie. Liza is asked to cat sit for two of her teachers which she then discovers are gay. When she is discovered by a teacher and her friend Sally, Liza is forced to come out to her parents. Her mother does not take the news well, but her father is supportive. He goes to the school hearing with her and her case is quickly dismissed. Her teachers, however, are dismissed and they tell her they will move away to their country home and retire. Liza and Annie go their separate ways for college, but eventually agree to meet up again.
Commentary: This book was published in 1982 when the theme of LGBTQ was very much something new. The author sends power messages about homophobia, intolerance and same-sex love. The themes of friendship and love are also well established in this book. The two characters are very different and have very different lives. When they meet, their lives are intertwined and they both continue to grow and develop with each other's help.
Connections: Teaching Resources, Book Talk, Book Trailer
Similar Books: Dare Truth or Promise by Paula Boock; Am I Blue? Coming Out from the Silence; Empress of the World by Sara Ryan; grl2grl by Julie Anne Peters
Textbook Connections: Annie On My Mind reminded me that social development for students can depend on things like where they go to school and how their parents handle LGBTQ issues.