Luna by Julie Anne Peters

Peters, J.A. (2004). Luna. New York: Little Brown and Company. ISBN: 0316733695

Plot Summary: Regan is constantly being woken up in the middle of the night to the sounds of her brother. He spends hours upon hours in the early morning dressing up in women's clothes and putting on make-up. Although this is not a big deal for Regan, she starts to realize the severity of her brother's issue when Liam, a.k.a. Luna, attempts to kill himself. Regan tries to help him by allowing unlimited access to her room to dress as she pleases. However, being stuck in a man's body becomes unbearable for Luna. Luna slowly comes out of her cocoon and goes down a path of self-discovery. Eventually, both Luna and Regan become aware of the steps she needs to take to become the person she wants to be.

Critical Evaluation: I enjoyed how Regan has flashbacks to scenes that explain her present situation. The story was constantly getting better as Luna goes through her metamorphosis. Although this book contains a very controversial subject matter, the author presents the characters in a very real manner. The story is very emotional and will give readers a whole new perspective on what it must be like to live in a body that doesn't feel like your own. Both teens and adults have a tendency to find a man who dresses in women's clothing as awkward. But Peters tells the story so well, that readers will sympathize and understand the situation of both Luna and Regan. I would highly recommend this story to anyone who is open to learning about the issues a transsexual people and their experiences.

Information about the Author: Julie Anne Peters has written several books for kids of all ages. She has a few novels coming out within the next two years, Rage: A Love Story and By the Time You Read This, I'll be Dead. She currently lives in Colorado with her partner, Sherri.

Annotation: Regan must deal with the fact that her brother is a transsexual and helps him through the process of morphing into the woman he wants to be.

Genre: Transsexuality and identity

Curriculum Ties: human sexuality

Booktalking Ideas: Read the first chapter in the book. It will definitely catch the attention of teens and adults.

Reading Level/Interest Age: 9th-12th grade

Challenge Issues: transsexuality

Reason for Inclusion: Having read Luna for the class discussion, I though it was a very well written story that should be included in the database. Luna was also a National Book Award finalist.