Alan Cole Doesn’t Dance

Since twelve-year-old Alan revealed at school that he was gay he suffers bullying but is afraid to tell his parents that he’s gay. When his father insists that Alan take his boss’ daughter to the school dance, Alan and his new classmate, who is also bullied, develop a friendship that evolves into a romance and the two use kindness, creativity, and artistic vision to stand up for themselves against the bullies. This powerful story for grades 6-8 is suitable for a read-aloud, literature circle, or whole class novel study, will help students gain insight into challenges faced by gay and other marginalized youth, and can launch discussion about bullying and prejudice and how to fight them in non-violent ways.