Debbie Harry Sings in French
Publisher
Henry Holt and Company
Publication Year
2008
ISBN
9781627790567
Pages
234 pages
Genre
realism
Format
novel
Item Type
Fiction
Annotation
When Johnny completes an alcohol rehabilitation program and his mother sends him to live with his uncle in North Carolina, he meets Maria, who seems to understand his fascination with the new wave band Blondie, and he learns about his deceased father's youthful forays into "glam rock," which gives him perspective on himself, his past, and his current life.
Grade Level
6-8; 9-12
Lexile Measure
560L
Diversity Topics
Family Relationships; LGBTQ (Gender and Sexuality); Disability and Health; Single parent; Family member death; Kinship care; Gender noncomformity; Addiction; uncle raising nephew; death of a father; single mother; boy who dresses as a girl; gender roles; alchoholism; rehabilitation
Main Character
male teenager
Race/Ethnicities
White
Family Formation
mother and uncle
Awards
Cybils Awards, 2008, Finalist, Young Adult Novels
Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, 2009, Honor Book
Booklist Best Books for Young Adults, 2009 Fiction
Gay and Lesbian Themes and Topics in Selected Children's and Young Adult Books, 2009 General Books about GLBTQ Issues: Fiction
Middle and Junior High Schoool Library Catalog, Ninth Edition Supplement 2008, 2008
Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, 2008
Rainbow List, 2009 Young Adult Fiction
Stuff for the Teen Age, 2009 Love
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 2009 Fiction
Keywords
alcohol; self-acceptence; Tampa; Florida; small town; high school; bullying; music; drag; South Carolina; Blondie; goth
Diversity Impact
direct
STARS Citation
Brothers, Meagan, "Debbie Harry Sings in French" (2008). Diverse Families. 1475.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/1475