Can't get enough of Nico Di Angelo and his Boyfriend Will Solace

Let's play name that book. Here's a fabulous quote. Can you guess what book it is from? 

"Will had kissed Nico for the first time in a moment of impulsiveness, something Nico didn't know Will had in him. The kiss had been just like this one, short and sweet. Then Will had pulled away, worry on his face, an apology tumbling from his lips."

So, of course, we've had so many great books from Rick Riordan since the first Percy Jackson book.

In my opinion, the books have just got better.

We had the first series: 5 Percy Jackson books from his POV.

Then we got 5 more and how exciting were they? Answer: very exciting! But I was so sad to see it all end. Because we thought that was it.

But RR didn't disappoint us. I remember the excitement when the new series was launched. And I have my favourite funny passages from the next 5 books - The Trials of Apollo.

Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed dipping into the other worlds created by Rick as well.

But, you know, the great joy of going back into the land of Percy Jackson. And seeing more of the amazing character that is 

Nico Di Angelo 

So

the answer

to 

the question

above

is below:

The Sun and the Star

What did you think of the latest book?

Are you hoping for more?

I am!

Nico's first romantic kiss

Well as RR is done with the Percy Jackson world we have to leave the rest to our imaginations.

I like this bit of fan fiction.  This is how I imagine things would go.
http://archiveofourown.org/works/2493254

More to say on the final book itself soon....

National Coming Out Day October 11th, just a few days after Nico Comes Out in Blood of Olympus

What is National Coming Out Day about?

It is NOT about making Gay people come out.
It IS about raising awareness of the issue of Coming Out...

Our society still mostly assumes people are Heterosexual unless there is some big obvious sign to say they are not.
If you are Queer, in any sense of the word, you never stop facing the issue of coming out.  When you meet new people or are in new situations, should you tell people from the start so as to avoid problems in the future? It is not fair, straight people don't have to worry about this over and over again but that is how it is.

Some think gay people shouldn't come out because who they have sex with is is private.  They are trying to be liberal - as in everyone is equal, its OK to be gay these days, they've got gay friends, etc. etc..  I think they have no appreciation of the problem.

I have children in school. Homophobic comments in schools are common place.  I also hear that for many L&G&Bi teenagers this is a particularly difficult time.  The reasons are obvious, surely.  Being a teenage is difficult anyway, plus pressures to conform, to fit in, to get a girl/boyfriend, as well as really having a crush on someone that perhaps you shouldn't fancy.  Do they fancy you or will they find the very idea repulsive?
The issues are well covered in House of Hades and Blood of Olympus, in addition to other books.

Coming Out Day may be an opportunity to raise awareness I would be interested to know what more can be done to help and support queer identifying people in our communities.  Myself, I have always taught my children about diversity, that includes Lesbian and Gay families, even from a very young age.

Nico Di Angelo Coming Out Day

In the Hero's of Olympus books Nico struggles with feelings of isolation and a fear that no one could like him, common feelings that teenagers can identify with.  Nico comes out in the last two books, he is lucky that he meets no hostility - but lets face it who would be brave enough or foolish enough to mock one of the most powerful demi-Gods, a demi-god who can summon a Zombie army, the son of Hades.
Instead Nico is surprised to realise people like him.

What happens to Nico in Blood of Olympus?

So many questions - is Nico Gay in this book? Does he tell Percy how he feels about him?
Do other people find out?
Does Nico find romantic interest with someone else?
There will be no Blood of Olympus spoilers on my website in the very month the book is published so I am going to tell you that I enjoyed the way RR wrote about Nico and how things ended for him.

Blood of Olympus is a good book.
To fully appreciate Nico's story you really need to go back to when his character first appeared, in the Percy Jackson books.  By the time the Hero's of Olympus series begins Nico is already established as a great hero in the Greek camp, as important as Percy.
He is a son of one of the big three God's and just as powerful as Percy& Jason (perhaps the most powerful of all).
As readers we like him.

The story about growing up and feelings changing.  This book is also totally suitable for the age group of children who have read the other books, age 9+.

The House of Hades and now the Blood of Olympus are ground breaking books.

Less than 24 Hours to Go

then I will be reading my new copy of the latest and final installment.
Blood of Olympus

I have been rereading the earlier books to remind myself of the back story to the many main characters.
I am so excited.

The Final Installment

Less than one month to go before I get my hands on the final book in the series, The Blood of Olympus. I still recall reading the very first Percy Jackson book and I do hope there will be more.

The books have fueled my interest in Greek Mythology, which is still relevant and influential today.  I can most highly recommend the book Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, it was as good and as funny as the other books by Rick Riordan.

James Howe and the 4 Misfits Books

At last another book in the series from James Howe.

My 12 year old son greatly enjoyed the Misfits (as did I).  Interestingly he doesn't identify with their group - he's quite popular and e goes to a selective school - so all the kids are bright.  He has just read Totally Joe and is about to start on Addie on the Inside.  Several times he has asked me if there is or will be a book from Skeezies point of view.
And now there is.

Personally I was Addie when I was at school so I know how well her character was written.

Also Know As Elvis by James Howe was published recently but I've not read it yet.
http://parents.simonandschuster.com/9781442445109

Alec & Magnus Bane a gay love story within main stream Young Adult Fiction

I have been enjoying the Immortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare (but I might not admit it to anyone I wanted to impress).

In my honest opinion this is romantic trash fiction for teenagers (age 14+) and no where near as good as the Percy Jackson books — but books do not have to be that good to still be enjoyable. I am enjoying the writing of Ms Clare but it is a bit too racy and too romantic for younger readers.

I wanted to tell readers of this blog that gay/bi sexuality is really marvellously handled in these novels, it is all just normal, as it should be.  Alec is scared of coming out, which is understandable.  There is homophobia is the world but such views are held by the minority.

If you want to tuck into a series similar to the Percy Jackson books with a gay story thread throughout then I would recommend the Immortal Instruments, starting with City of Bones.

I was delighted to find online that the author has a treat for fans of Magnus & Alec, their first kiss.  It would have taken place within the City of Bones (book 1) story but it is not in that book, you can read it on her website here:
http://www.cassandraclare.com/my-writing/excerpts-extras/kissed/

By the way, there are a series of films based on the books, I've not seen the films so can't comment on those.

A good source for "gay-friendly" children's books

I just discovered that the British website of the campaigning organisation Stonewall has an excellent comprehensive list of books to recommend for all ages.
Type books into the search box of the home page.
http://www.stonewall.org.uk/what_we_do/at_school/3730.asp

Some of the books for younger children are not about sexuality as such but celebrate diversity.

And
This article lists a load of new books that I've not seen:
http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2014/may/15/top-ten-lgbt-books-for-pre-teens-susie-day

Counting down the months unitl the next installment

Just over six months to go until we read the final book in this series - I have days blanked out in my diary so I can sit and enjoy the book and then engage online with people who want to discuss it. I hope the author will eventually write more as we love these characters and they are still so young. I am, however, also looking forward to meeting the new characters in his new books about Norse mythology. I am hoping for gay/bi characters to be written in the same way as Nico was developed: I have been reading many other styles and genres lately. I am a gown-up of course, so I have been reading grown up books too. I have come across nothing new that I could recommend to readers of this blog though I feel sure writers out there somewhere must be inspired and encouraged by House of Hades.

Gay teenagers Know or Suspect by the time they are 13

It is important that gay characters show up in modern literature for kids because kids themselves are aware of sexuality and recent research supports what many already were saying: Most kids know they are gay or are questioning their sexuality by the time they enter the teenage years. Unfortunately, the research also shows what a difficult time kids have: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/mental-health-crisis-looms-for-gay-teenagers-9053688.html

Banned Books & Gay Characters

I've been reading some books for older people just lately (perhaps more my own age) but on my list of books to read soon I am including something by Tim Federle after reading his interesting article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tim-federle/book-for-kids-raises-eyebrows-over-young-gay-character_b_3976264.html Tim Federle has written Better Nate than Ever. Now I like musicals as much as the next woman, and I grew up with them as people my age did (there was only 3 TV channels and two of them were probably showing sport of war films so I call that no choice). Books about people who love musicals would not be my first choice but I'll give this a go.

How Many kids got Percy Jackson & Heroes of Olympus Books For Christmas?

I have no idea but one would think that more kids will discover these books after seeing the films. I spoke to a ten year old boy today who has just read the Sea of Monsters and he thought it was much better than the film.

Nico is not the typical gay boy in children's fiction

One of the things that is so exciting about Nico being a gay teenage character in fiction for the pre-teen age group is that he is not a typical gay boy, no-one could have predicted with certainty that he would be gay. None of his peers in the books suspect his secret. This is in contrast to the very few other books written for this age group that includes gay boys. The gay boys in books like the Misfits and Stitches (see tab above - LGBT literature for children) have themes about bullying of boys who are different and "girlie". Nico is different, of course, he is a loner and a son of one of the big three Gods. But, he is certainly not feminine, no-one would call him a sissy and I can't imagine him the victim of bullying. He is one of the most powerful demigods and you would want him on your side in any fight. I have known many gay teenagers and talked with adult gay men about their teenage lives. Strangely enough one of my best friends was very much like the boy in Stitches - as a teenager he liked sewing dolls clothes, too. So there is certainly a place for stories about queer boys who identified and picked on for being different. However, There are other gay boys that you would never guess are gay, I've known them too, if anything there are more of those boys. Into all the stuff most boys are into. Nico is a powerful hero in these books so lets celebrate that at last boys who want to be powerful heroes have a gay role model to identify with. I can't wait for the next book and more stories with characters like Nico.

Tom Daley - swimmer

British young man and role model "comes out" on you tube:
He is 19 and an Olympic swimmer.

What do Reviews Say about House of Hades book in the Heroes of Olympus Series?

The reviews are overwhelmingly positive about this book, no surprise there, I've read it and it's wonderful!

 I read this interesting review today: http://bookriot.com/2013/11/19/percy-jackson-new-world-kid-lit/
Like many (including myself) the writer cannot resist a comparison with the Harry Potter series.

If you really want to find negative comments then you will need to look for those who left 1-star reviews at Amazon.com and you will find a minority upset by the Nico story line.

The critics are upset that a teenage boy can have romantic feelings for another boy in the book - and yet they have been happy to read the entire series up to this point, which has included plenty of girl-boy romance along with death and danger.  I hate to imagine the lives of lesbian and gay young people growing up in families like these and strongly recommend they watch the film "Prayers for Bobby" - see tab at top, or here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayers_for_Bobby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys5TyY8RaxI

 On Amazon dot co dot UK there are no 1 or 2 star reviews, there are few readers of the books here, perhaps more liberal attitudes and perhaps less readers with extreme homophobic views: I speculate.

Author Talks about Percy Jackson books

This was recorded in 2010 around the time of the Lost Hero.



Includes why many of the characters are ADHD and that girls are as likely to read the books as boys.

Using the word "gay" as an insult or to generally describe something in a negative way

This is common in the UK among school children and even young adults these days.

Though I would be very surprised to here proper grown up people use the word in this way (by which I mean those over about the age of 30).

There is a campaign to tackle this in schools but I am not sure to what extent this is taken as a serious problem by schools.  You can find a press release about the campaign here:
http://www.stonewall.org.uk/media/current_releases/9326.asp

Why the use of the word "gay" to mean all things negative and bad should be stopped.
It is so obvious that we do not call people names related to disability or race (anymore) - the same applies here.
If you use the word gay to mean something you do not like then you are saying you would not like gay people just as much.

All of the young people growing up in an environment where unpleasant things are described as gay (such as home work, a TV game, a teacher, a child you do not like) then the message that
GAY = UN-likeable
is being repeatedly reinforced.
No wonder that attempted suicides among gay youth are shockingly high.

This use of language is unacceptable if we do not want that for our own kids (if they turn out to be gay), and we do not want to live in a society where people are disliked, hated, bullied just for who they love.

Could Nico & Percy become boyfriends - is this consistent with the story so far?

Yes I think it could and RR is an excellent writer who could carry this off.  I don't want to speculate about what the author might do in future stories but as I am old enough to be Nico's mum I wonder what I'd say if asked

Does Nico stand a chance with Percy?

I'd look at the facts.
1) In the real world, where boys are boys and not demigods with super powers, boys rarely stick with their first teenage girlfriend so Annabeth and Percy are likely to split up soon.

2) Percy doesn't seem to be interested in boys, in that way, yet.  BUT
I've known many gay & lesbian people who dated members of the opposite sex first, and were perhaps late teens or in their twenties when they feel in love with someone of their own sex.  My best friend at school had a couple of boyfriends and then, half way between her 16th & 17th birthday she met the girl of her dreams.  She said to me,
"being a lesbian had just never crossed my mind before."
As we were at school in the 1980s lesbians dating each other caused much outrage.

3)  Most boys are not gay so when if it comes down to statistics Nico should not pin all his hopes on this, even if Percy & Annabeth finish.

Would Percy getting with Nico be consistent with the back story?

Given points 1 and 2 above it is certainly possible but given point 3 above - my guess it this is an unlikely route for the story.

Dealing with the facts we know Percy is thinking of a long term future with Annabeth and has said they shouldn't be parted again.  Percy is growing up though, not yet 17, so young to make such life plans.

Re-reading the story you can see that Percy's great feelings towards Annabeth could be due to their close friendship over many years.  His love and affection for her could be as a friend rather than a boyfriend. Annabeth is in love with Percy and keeps saying so but that sentiment is not returned.

We often here the world "confused" applied to young people and their romantic feelings, a story in which Percy is confused fits well with all that has gone before.
The girls who may have been interested in Percy as boyfriend material have all been more aware of the situation than he has.

Personally, I hope this does happen or that the story is left open ended to suggest it might. What a great turn of events to this fantastic story if the central Hero turns out to be gay.

Gay Teenagers in Kids Fiction: House of Hades & The Misfits

James Howe's book The Misfits is totally different to the fast paced non-stop action of Rick Riordhan's books nevertheless I think anyone with a sense of humour would enjoy reading The Misfits, almost every page is very funny.  It contains profound messages but doesn't feel as if the readers are being lectured.

The Misfits is perfect for children of about 10-13 years of age.

As a gay character Joe is a stereotype, which I found a little annoying at first: he loves Madonna, fashion and musicals, for example.  There are plenty of boys, however, who are just like Joe, different from most, perhaps girlie and perhaps gay - though not necessarily so.

Nico - seems very different to Joe.  No one would suspect Nico was gay or call him names like "fairy."  The two characters are similar in that they

•  both know they are gay,
•  they both name a boy they fancy,
•  they both have a lot of self confidence and do not try to fit in with the crowd,
•  they are both Misfits, outsiders who are excluded from the large popular groups because of their behaviour/ personalities,
• they both have just few core people they trust and consider friends. 

Jealousy figures in both stories.

As we join the story Joe is in 7th grade (so between 12-13 years of age), his closest friends know he may be gay.  One of his friends asks him how he knows he likes boys and not girls.

"How do you know you like girls?" Joe throws back at him.
....
"I just do. I don't have to think about it."
"Well," says Joe, "that's how it is with me and boys. I don't have to think about it." (J Howe)

The reader enjoys the scene in chapter 12 when Joe confirms who he is interested in (and has been since the end of 5th grade).
The next thing Joe tells his friends reminds me of Nico's pain and jealousy at the end of House of Hades.

What does a gay boy of 12/13 want more than anything in the whole world.

"What I want more than anything is to hold hands with someone I like."

.....
"Right. Can you see me walking down the hall holding hands with (xxx) the way Brittney holds hands with Will, or Sara with Justin? Not that I'm saying (xxx) would want to or anything, but it's not fair." (J Howe)

The Misfits is just one book with happy ending for all characters, just what we want! I hope Nico will also find happiness in the much anticipated The Blood of Olympus (Oct 2014).