Freak Show
Publisher
Puffin Books
Publication Year
2008
ISBN
9780142412312
Pages
304 pages
Genre
realism
Format
novel
Item Type
Fiction
Annotation
Meet Billy Bloom, new student at the ultra-white, ultra-rich, ultra-conservative Dwight D. Eisenhower Academy and drag queen extraordinaire. Actually, ?drag queen? does not begin to describe Billy and his fabulousness. Any way you slice it, Billy is not a typical seventeen-year-old, and the Bible Belles, Aberzombies, and Football Heroes at the academy have never seen anyone quite like him before. But thanks to the help and support of one good friend, Billy?s able to take a stand for outcasts and underdogs everywhere in his own outrageous, over-thetop, sad, funny, brilliant, and unique way.
Grade Level
9-12
Lexile Measure
600L
Diversity Topics
LGBTQ; Gay/Lesbian; Gender nonconformity; gay; gay / lesbian family member; gay child; same sex relationship; boys who dress as girls; gender expression; gender identity; gender roles
Main Character
male teenager; gender neutral teenager
Race/Ethnicities
White / Caucasian
Awards
Children's Literature Council of Southern California Award, 2008, Winner, Young Adult
Lambda Literary Award, 2007, Finalist
Peggy Miller Award for Young Adult Literature, 2008, Winner
Thumbs Up! Award, 2008, Honor Book
Keywords
friendship; allies; makeup; school; bullies
Diversity Impact
direct
STARS Citation
St. James, James, "Freak Show" (2008). Diverse Families. 2273.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/2273