This book, written in 1986, intertwines the stories of two brothers who both have secrets from the family and must deal with the consequences of their actions. One thing the brothers had in common were some “family rules” they were taught to live by. One of those family “rules” taught by Dad was that young adulthood was a time to sew your oats and experience all you could. Both boys heard this advice, but had very different results due to sexual preferences. Erick, a heterosexual, is at the beginning of his sexual experiences, having his first long-term relationship and sexual encounter before high school graduation. His older brother, a homosexual, has had many partners and experiences but no lasting relationships. This scenario mirrors the research stating that homosexual youth tend to have much higher rates of high-risk sexual experimentation compared to their heterosexual peers (that is, the number of partners, overall percentage, and age of first intercourse) (Tamashiro, 2005). While this statistic is sobering, it does emphasize the need for more support systems for young people of all sexual preferences. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN), the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the Human Rights Watch (HRW), the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) are all valuable agencies that provide help to struggling young people. (Snively, 2005).
Library Implications: This book can have far-reaching implications in the library setting if used appropriately. It could be used in a partnership with healthcare professionals to educate older students concerning the topics of AIDS, safe sexual experiences, or even discrimination and violence. One caution for a librarian would be to avoid character teaching or morals training. These topics can very easily become a soapbox to push your own ideals or personal agenda.
References:
Snively, Carol A. (2005). Gay-Straight Alliances. Chicago: GLBTQ, Inc.
Tamashiro, Dustin. (2005). Adolescence: glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual,
Transgender, and Queer Culture. Chicago: GLBTQ, Inc. ( )

In Night Kites, M.E. Kerr brings us a realistic story that many families and teens will relate to. Kerr's gift for authenticating contemporary issues; such as, AIDS, gender relationships, in a work of fiction will piques the reader's interest and sustain him/her with her full characterization in this book.

The main character is Erick; his personal and family life become difficult and complicated when his best friend's girl makes a pass for him and he discovers that his older brother, whom Erick has always admired, has full blown AIDS as a result of his secret sexual preferences. The safe and secure family life that Erick has known is rocked as his family confronts the issues, stigma, and prejudices of his brother being gay.

Unlike his brother Pet, and Nicki; a Night Kite, Erick has never felt the longing to be different until now; the price, the risk has always been too high. Kerr allows full character development in Erick; bringing him into adulthood with understanding, acceptance, and love.

This is a great read for upper middle school and high school students. The discussion points and writing points are endless. Even though this book was written in the late 1980's and generally, our society is more tolerant of gendered issues today, it is still important for families who may go through similar life changes. From the literature perspective, this book is important as a resource to explore and learn about character development. ( )