Totally Joe

The novel Totally Joe (Howe, 2005) may be a challenged book for middle school students because the main character, twelve- year old Joe Bunch, is a homosexual. Throughout the novel, Joe Bunch is slowly learning how to feel comfortable with his
sexuality. He has a boyfriend named Colin, who he develops a close relationship with. Joe eventually accepts the fact that he is gay and decides to come out to his friends and family. This novel by James Howe proves to be a great story that any middle school student would enjoy reading. Students will greatly benefit by reading this book and being able to put themselves in Joe Bunch’s place will help them become more understanding and accepting of others regardless of their sexuality.