Close to Spider Man by Ivan E. Coyote

Remember the days of skinned knees, sliding across hardwood floors in socks, and playing with the kids next door? In the stories of Close to Spider Man, Ivan E. Coyote sets those memories of childhood innocence against both the harsh, desolate landscape of the Yukon and the expectations of society that girls will be--should be--girls. Her coming-of-age stories are told from the perspective of young girls and women--often ones who feel they should be boys--as they become painfully aware of their sexual identity.

The innocence of her female characters is endearing. In 'No Bikini,' the six-year-old protagonist undertakes a 'sex change' by pretending to be a boy all summer during swim classes, naturally feeling more comfortable sporting only her bikini bottom. According to her insightful six-year-old's reasoning, as a boy 'it was easier not to be afraid of things, like diving boards and cannonballs and backstrokes, when nobody expected you to be afraid.' In the title story, Coyote recalls the crazy things teenagers do for love when her unnamed main character scuttles across the roof of a building in order to break into the apartment of a love interest she believes to be in danger. The most touching story, 'Red Sock Circle Dance,' grants the protagonist, also named Ivan, the remarkable opportunity to come face-to-face with a younger version of herself when she meets a lover's three-year-old son, who has yet to learn that the world looks harshly on boys who wear tube tops. --Leah Eichler