Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill

To fix his life, bullied and closeted fifteen-year-old Wyatt goes public with real historical evidence that Abraham Lincoln was in love with another guy—triggering a backlash and media firestorm that might destroy everything he cares about.

Wyatt is fifteen, and nobody in his homophobic small town of Lincolnville, Oregon, knows that he's gay. Not even his best friend (and accidental girlfriend) Mackenzie. Then he discovers a secret from actual history: Abraham Lincoln was in love with another guy! Since everyone loves Lincoln, Wyatt's sure that if the world knew about it, they would treat gay people differently and it would solve everything about his life. So Wyatt outs Lincoln online, triggering a media firestorm and conservative backlash that threaten to destroy everything he cares about. Now Wyatt has to pretend more than ever that he's straight (because no one will believe a gay kid saying Lincoln was gay). Only then he meets Martin, who is openly gay and who just might be the guy Wyatt's been hoping to find. Will Wyatt stay closeted to change the world, or will he let Abraham Lincoln's gay romance fade back into history and take his own chance at love? This nineteenth- and twenty-first-century coming-of-age, coming out story was inspired by real historical evidence that Abraham Lincoln was in love—romantic love—with another man. QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL asks LGBTQ teens (and everyone else), What if you knew a secret from history that could change the world?

Lee Wind is the founding blogger and publisher of I'm Here. I'm Queer. What The Hell Do I Read?, an award-winning website about books, culture, and empowerment for Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Questioning and Queer youth, and their Allies. For over 11 years, readers from 100-plus countries have racked up 2.6 million page views—and counting! QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL is Lee's debut novel, and readers describe it as "a love letter for history geeks" that "perfectly captures teen angst," "had my heart racing," and helped them feel "less alone." In his "Clark Kent" jobs, Lee is the director of marketing and programming at the Independent Book Publishers Association and the official blogger for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Lee's "Superhero" job is writing. Fans of QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL say, "I felt a magical bond with the story", "I absolutely loved this book," and that Lee Wind's "can't-put-it-down" writing "gripped me emotionally" and "will pull you in and have you wondering about the truth of history." Lee lives in Los Angeles with his husband and their teenage daughter. He loves featuring fan art, #queerhistoryiseverywhere snapshots, and photos of GSAs and book clubs reading and discussing #queerasafivedollarbill Visit him online at: www.leewind.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/leewind Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leewind Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamleewind