TIME  Magazine’s Top Ten Children’s Books of 2015 " Tiny Cooper stole our hearts ." — Entertainment Weekly   Especially for those of us who ordinarily feel ignored, a spotlight is a circle of magic, with the strength to draw us from the darkness of our everyday lives.   Watch out, ex-boyfriends, and get out of the way, homophobic coaches. Tiny Cooper has something to say—and he’s going to say it in song. Filled with honesty, humor, and “big, lively, belty” musical numbers, Hold Me Closer is the no-holds-barred (and many-bars-held) entirety of the beloved musical first introduced in Will Grayson, Will Grayson , the award-winning bestseller by John Green and David Levithan.   Tiny Cooper is finally taking center stage . . . and the world will never be the same again. “Tiny  will have readers falling out of their chairs laughing . . . . It's big. It's gay. It's outrageous and hilarious.” — Kirkus Reviews  ★"Levithan has turned in another star turn with a book that is  witty, wise, and well worthy of an encore ."  — Booklist ,  starred  review ★"Tiny’s passion for composing a big, beautiful life and a big, beautiful show overflows in this thoroughly magical  book.”  — BCCB , starred review  ★"Tiny Cooper . . . gets his own star turn." — Publishers Weekly , starred review Gr 10 Up—Written as a two-act musical complete with stage directions and 25 provocatively titled songs, such as "The Ballad of the Lesbian Babysitter" and "Summer of Gay," this companion to John Green and Levithan's award-winning Will Grayson, Will Grayson (Dutton, 2010) shines a spotlight on the larger-than-life Tiny Cooper, who was born "big-boned and happily gay." Accepted by his supportive parents, Tiny suffers no angst over his sexual orientation, despite having to contend with schoolmate bullies and a homophobic coach. Phil, his straight BFF, offers advice through Tiny's unsuccessful relationships with 18 different boyfriends, helping him eventually to realize that love is painful but worth it. Replete with laugh-out-loud one-liners ("sort of like a gay dance club has opened on Sesame Street"), in-your-face language (faggot and the invented term dickstracting), and showcasing Will and Tiny's "onstage" kiss, this edgy, au courant novel tackles a potentially difficult subject head-on, while giving sound, if liberal, counsel on sexual issues for gays and straights alike. Its solid story line and realistic, "colorful" dialogue will appeal to high school readers. VERDICT A welcome addition to progressive library collections, this unapologetic gem will encourage teens' discussion of a sensitive topic and potentially broaden their understanding of the meaning of "tolerance."—Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, formerly at LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI TIME  Magazine’s Top Ten Children’s Books of 2015 ALA Rainbow List Selection 2016 “Tiny will have readers falling out of their chairs laughing . . . . It's big. It's gay. It's outrageous and hilarious.” — Kirkus Reviews  ★"Levithan has turned in another star turn with a book that is witty, wise, and well worthy of an encore ." — Booklist , starred review ★"Tiny’s passion for composing a big, beautiful life and a big, beautiful show overflows in this thoroughly magical book.” — BCCB , starred review  ★"Tiny Cooper . . . gets his own star turn." — Publishers Weekly , starred review "[ Hold Me Closer ] is able to stand on its own as a story of coming out, looking (and looking and looking) for love, and valuing and trusting one’s friends." — Horn Book Praise for Will Grayson, Will Grayson : New York Times Bestseller New York Times Book Review  Editor's Choice ALA Stonewall Honor Book Children’s Choice Book Award Winner – Teen Choice Book of the Year Indie’s Choice Young Adult Honor Book ALA Rainbow Project Reading List “ Will Grayson , Will Grayson is a complete romp . [It is] so funny, rude and original that by the time flowers hit the stage, even the musical-averse will cheer.” — The New York Times Book Review “[It] will have readers simultaneously laughing , crying and singing at the top of their lungs.” — Kirkus Reviews , starred review “A terrific high-energy tale.” — Booklist , starred review “It is such a good book. [Green and Levithan] are two of the best writers writing today .” —NPR’s The Roundtable “A brilliant novel.” — Seattle Times “ A winning combination infused with wit, sarcasm, and plenty of musical references.” — Chicago Tribune “This novel has serious buzz .” —EntertainmentWeekly.com “One of the best books of the year.” — Bookpage David Levithan is the Margaret A. Edwards Award–winning and New York Times  bestselling author of many novels including,  Every Day and its sequel, Another Day; Will Grayson, Will Grayson  (with John Green); and  Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist  (with Rachel Cohn). His novel  Two Boys Kissing won a Lambda Literary Award. He lives in Hoboken, New Jersey.   AN INTRODUC