Luna

Luna

Luna by Julie Anne Peters, ISBN 978-0316011273, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 2006

Plot Summary:

Luna is the story of Regan, a sixteen year old girl who is helping keep her older sibling’s biggest secret. Liam pretends to be an average high school senior boy during the day, but only Regan knows that at night, Liam becomes Luna, the girl he truly feels he is. Luna is transgender, and her sister is initially the only person Luna can trust with her true identity. When Luna asks for Regan’s help in transitioning, she begins to cut herself off from other people because she’s scared she’ll let the secret slip and she’s worried about Luna’s safety. She avoids people while at school because she’s afraid she’ll let the secret slip. She meets a boy named Chris who seems to be interested in her, but Regan pushes him away as well. Little by little, Luna begins to come out and their father comes to Regan with his fears that his son is a homosexual. Together, both sisters must learn who they truly want to be and find the courage to make their true selves known.

Critical Evaluation:

Told partly in the present and partly in flashback, Luna is mostly a novel about staying true to who you really are. It’s not a difficult read and the language used by the teenagers in the story rings true to young adulthood. Luna as a character can come off pretty selfish, but that can be defended in some ways; given the violence that some transgendered teens face, she can be forgiven for assuming that she can only trust one person. On the other hand, she’s burdened Regan by making her the only ally in her transition, and it's caused Regan to withdraw from her own life. I’m a little let down that Regan only seems to recognize this when a boy starts paying attention to her, but her acceptance that she cannot always put her needs behind Luna’s is beautiful regardless. Regan and Luna’s parents, while not perfect by any stretch, are developed in a way that is true to their experiences. It’s not hard to imagine that in a real life scenario, any average parents might react in the same fashion they do. The development of both sisters’ “true selves” is the central theme of the novel, and Peters clearly wants the reader to come away with the awareness that self acceptance and self love are the first steps to true happiness.

Reader’s Annotation:

Regan has kept Luna’s secret for years. Now that Luna’s ready to share her secret with everyone else, what place does Regan have in the world?

Information about the Author:

From the author’s website:

To the utter amazement and absolute shock of everyone I know -- including me -- I became an author. An author? I never wanted to be an author. I thought authors were

just a bunch of dead people. Okay, sometimes I'm brain-dead (does that count?). As a child I wasn't a reader. You’ve heard of reluctant readers? I was a recalcitrant reader. You couldn’t make me read. Reading was boring. I never read a book for fun until seventh grade when I discovered the Beany Malone books by Lenora Mattingly Weber. I loved them. Beany was real; she was alive, and she even had freckles. Every week I would rush to the Clear Lake Junior High library to check out the next book in the Beany Malone series, and if somebody else already had it I would reread one of the Beany books I'd already read -- over and over again. When you discover the joy of reading, your mind opens to a world of wondrous discoveries and infinite possibilities. My greatest joy is when I hear from young people who say they've never been readers until they found my books.

Genre:

Coming of age, family drama, LGBT

Curriculum Ties:

Sibling relationships, LGBT acceptance and awareness

Challenge Issues:

This book could be challenged because of it’s gender identity themes.

Creating a Defense:

• Make sure you have thorough knowledge of the library’s selection policy as well as a copy on hand. Your insight as well as pointing out specific portions of the policy will be helpful in discussion with the patron.
• Always have the library Bill of Rights close to show the patron your library’s commitment to providing all kinds of information.
• Have some reveiws on hand, both good and bad, from respected sources like YALSA or Amazon so both you and the patron can gain an understanding of both sides of the issue.
• Make sure you’re familiar with the books that might be challenged. Be prepared to discuss the book’s intended audience, its educational significance, purpose, and also some alternative titles to read.
• Don’t get defensive. The librarian can’t take the challenge personally and either party getting upset will cause the discussion to devolve into a fight.
• LISTEN. Even if you don’t agree with the patron, their views are as valid as yours and should be respected.

Reading Level:

Grades 9-12

Booktalking Ideas:

Have you ever helped a friend or sibling keep a secret? How did that affect you?

Why is the material included?:

With the increasing awareness of and activism for the LGBT community, this personal story will help young adults see the struggle from a different point of view. 

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