Sprout by Dale Peck

Daniel Bradford, nicknamed Sprout after dyeing his hair green, is certainly different. He's gay, his mother is dead, his father is an alcoholic, and he is a budding writer. Transplanted from Long Island to a small town in Kansas after his mother's death, Sprout stands out. Dale Peck's book is about his loneliness, and his growth.

Sprout doesn't focus on one goal or ultimate resolution. It's not about Sprout being gay as much as it is about his journey, the ups and downs of being different in a small, conforming town, and discovering who he is. There are mature themes throughout the book, but the sex, for example, is never graphic. At first glance, there are many elements in the book that would seem to be a cliché (Sprout uses writing as a release, he carries a dictionary), but Peck pulls them off quite well without making these aspects seem tired or overused. Sprout is a novel full of drama, discovery, humor, loss, and redemption that is compelling to readers of all ages.

Cover Comments: I've always liked white covers, and this one is no exception. It's simple, yet it conveys the contents of the book pretty well. Good cover.