Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 14 Oct 2006
Written over ten years ago, AM I BLUE? is still as important today as it was then. A short-story collection dealing with GLBT (gay/lesbian/ bisexual/transgender) issues by some of 1995's top authors, this book is a true gem for teens searching for their identity--or just looking for a good read. With stories ranging from contemporary paranormal, to ones set in the 1950's, to one based during the Vietnam War, and even one in another world of Amazon warriors, there's something here for everyone.



It's hard to pick a favorite, as each story has something different to offer. From allowing everyone in the world to see who is gay, to wondering what it would have been like to have two gay shepherds at the birth of Christ, to manning a booth about gays and lesbians at a school parents' night, each short story has an engaging story to tell.

The only thing that would make this book better is to have a part two--another AM I BLUE? published in 2006 with some of today's best GLBT authors like Julie Anne Peters, Brent Hartinger, David Levithan, and more.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

An array of short stories for the open minded., 11 Dec 2000
I am usually inclined to think that short stories are too short, I like a long book with an, if not happy then conclusive ending. This book had many short but generally conclusive stories on the subject of Homosexuality wether it be the storyteller, the parents or the friends. The book touched on sensitive issues and i think was aimed towards younger readers to maybe understand and accept.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 14 Oct 2006
Written over ten years ago, AM I BLUE? is still as important today as it was then. A short-story collection dealing with GLBT (gay/lesbian/ bisexual/transgender) issues by some of 1995's top authors, this book is a true gem for teens searching for their identity--or just looking for a good read. With stories ranging from contemporary paranormal, to ones set in the 1950's, to one based during the Vietnam War, and even one in another world of Amazon warriors, there's something here for everyone.



It's hard to pick a favorite, as each story has something different to offer. From allowing everyone in the world to see who is gay, to wondering what it would have been like to have two gay shepherds at the birth of Christ, to manning a booth about gays and lesbians at a school parents' night, each short story has an engaging story to tell.

The only thing that would make this book better is to have a part two--another AM I BLUE? published in 2006 with some of today's best GLBT authors like Julie Anne Peters, Brent Hartinger, David Levithan, and more.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

An array of short stories for the open minded., 11 Dec 2000
I am usually inclined to think that short stories are too short, I like a long book with an, if not happy then conclusive ending. This book had many short but generally conclusive stories on the subject of Homosexuality wether it be the storyteller, the parents or the friends. The book touched on sensitive issues and i think was aimed towards younger readers to maybe understand and accept.

A bitter-sweet read, 28 Nov 1998
This is a book that is always well-received by the pupils I teach. It explores relevant issues but doesn't talk at the reader. Instead, we are invited to experience the joys and sorrows of all the characters as they tell us their stories. It isn't as bleak as some of Cormier's others works but there are melancholy undertones in many of the short tales. My pupils love this book as I did too when I discovered it as a bored teenager (or thereabouts). It's a book I can keep going back to and from which I get something 'new'each time . I think there's a little bit of Mike, Holly, Jane and Mr Croft in all of us.

Beautiful. Just beautiful., 02 Nov 1998
It wasn't the stories themselves that interested me so much as the introductions. I learned some interesting things about Cormier and feel all the better for having read the book. As for the stories, I liked them. They display a Robert Cormier of a very different kind. Yes, he CAN write humor, yes he CAN write happy endings! I have been looking for a weakness but have not yet found one.

Nine poignant short stories that show Cormier's gentler side, 29 May 1998
Robert Cormier is best known for his starkly realistic and uncompromising novels about the darker side of life. In "8 Plus 1" we see a gentler Cormier, although some of the stories do have their painful parts. As always, Cormier's writing is superb. An added bonus is the introductions he wrote for each story, in which he writes about how a story came to be written or about some aspect of the writing. This book is great bedside reading, and fascinating for the reader who also loves to write. Cormier's insights and family anecdotes make this book a true gem for Cormier fans.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 14 Oct 2006
Written over ten years ago, AM I BLUE? is still as important today as it was then. A short-story collection dealing with GLBT (gay/lesbian/ bisexual/transgender) issues by some of 1995's top authors, this book is a true gem for teens searching for their identity--or just looking for a good read. With stories ranging from contemporary paranormal, to ones set in the 1950's, to one based during the Vietnam War, and even one in another world of Amazon warriors, there's something here for everyone.



It's hard to pick a favorite, as each story has something different to offer. From allowing everyone in the world to see who is gay, to wondering what it would have been like to have two gay shepherds at the birth of Christ, to manning a booth about gays and lesbians at a school parents' night, each short story has an engaging story to tell.

The only thing that would make this book better is to have a part two--another AM I BLUE? published in 2006 with some of today's best GLBT authors like Julie Anne Peters, Brent Hartinger, David Levithan, and more.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

An array of short stories for the open minded., 11 Dec 2000
I am usually inclined to think that short stories are too short, I like a long book with an, if not happy then conclusive ending. This book had many short but generally conclusive stories on the subject of Homosexuality wether it be the storyteller, the parents or the friends. The book touched on sensitive issues and i think was aimed towards younger readers to maybe understand and accept.

A bitter-sweet read, 28 Nov 1998
This is a book that is always well-received by the pupils I teach. It explores relevant issues but doesn't talk at the reader. Instead, we are invited to experience the joys and sorrows of all the characters as they tell us their stories. It isn't as bleak as some of Cormier's others works but there are melancholy undertones in many of the short tales. My pupils love this book as I did too when I discovered it as a bored teenager (or thereabouts). It's a book I can keep going back to and from which I get something 'new'each time . I think there's a little bit of Mike, Holly, Jane and Mr Croft in all of us.

Beautiful. Just beautiful., 02 Nov 1998
It wasn't the stories themselves that interested me so much as the introductions. I learned some interesting things about Cormier and feel all the better for having read the book. As for the stories, I liked them. They display a Robert Cormier of a very different kind. Yes, he CAN write humor, yes he CAN write happy endings! I have been looking for a weakness but have not yet found one.

Nine poignant short stories that show Cormier's gentler side, 29 May 1998
Robert Cormier is best known for his starkly realistic and uncompromising novels about the darker side of life. In "8 Plus 1" we see a gentler Cormier, although some of the stories do have their painful parts. As always, Cormier's writing is superb. An added bonus is the introductions he wrote for each story, in which he writes about how a story came to be written or about some aspect of the writing. This book is great bedside reading, and fascinating for the reader who also loves to write. Cormier's insights and family anecdotes make this book a true gem for Cormier fans.

A collection of stories that are easy to relate to., 12 Apr 1999
Though the stories like "Blonde" and "Knuckles" read like childish stories, I found the rest of the book to be pretty interesting and easy to relate to. It's nice to know that I'm not alone in my dislike for Asian foods ("Fortune Teller") or my lack of knowledge of my ethnic language ("Summer of My Korean Soldier"). My favorites were "Fortune Teller," "Singing Apples," and "Summer of My Korean Soldier." The references to the different cultures were a learning experience. And the stories don't have happy endings, which is a life lesson in itself.

a pointless collection, 25 Jul 1998
I bought this book knowing that it is a collection of short stories by Asian writers that is intended for young adults. However, I was not expecting a book written by young adults. That's what the story of this book reads like. The themes explored in this book are pretty cliched: do we really need another story about Chinese kids being embarassed by the ethnic food her mother packs for them for lunch? Not only are the topics cliched, their treatments can't be more standard. I believe that some of these stories could have been written by non-Asians who owns a Chinese-English dictionary.

I think the major problem with the stories in this collection is that they are too short. The book is only about 140+ pages, and it contains ten stories. A better collection would leave out some of the more sophomoric works, such as _Blonde_ or _Home Now_, and expand the excerpted novels.