The Rainbow Kite

We hear that it's okay to be different, but how okay is it if others equate being different with being peculiar? How really okay is it if being different means being miserable? Fifteen-year-old Bennett is facing the harsh reality of a world that doesn't practice what it preaches. Acknowledging his homosexuality -- both to himself and his family -- he strives to fit in, mostly by opting out As seen through the eyes of his little brother, Bennett's increasing isolation, his withdrawal from sports and the stamp club and eventually even from speaking, proves one thing. Bennett has failed to recognize how much he is accepted and loved for simply being Bennett. Though hard-hitting and sometimes disturbing, the book is relieved by the tongue-in-cheek observations of Matthew, a likable and perceptive sixth-grader. Always thought-provoking, it is a remarkable achievement, bringing out into the open a topic once consigned to the closet.