Michael Willhoite, the author of Daddy's Roommate, will be speaking at Wiliam Hall library on June 7 as part of their celebration of LGBTQ Pride month and GLBT Book Month in June.

Published in 1990, Daddy's Roommate was one of the first children's books to depict a family with two dads.

This program will take place on June 7th from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the William Hall Library. William Hall Library is located at 1825 Broad Street in Cranston. This program is free and open to the public.

Michael Willhoite is an artist and writer who is best known for his children's books depicting families with gay parents. His book Daddy's Roommate (1990) was the second most challenged book in American libraries in the decade of 1990-1999, according to the American Library Association. He is originally from Oklahoma but now lives in Cranston. 

Willhoite began work on his best-known book in 1990, when his publisher, Sasha Alyson, started a new line of children's books, Alyson Wonderland, to depict families with gay and lesbian parents. Alyson invited Willhoite to submit a book. After some thought about how to present such content, Willhoite produced Daddy's Roommate.

The book soon became a subject of heated controversy. It was one of many titles included in a reading list for New York City's "Children of the Rainbow" curriculum, where it was widely attacked. Because of good reviews in Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal, many libraries purchased the book for their collections, and it often faced challenges from library users who objected to it. The American Library Association reported that it was the most challenged book in the country in 1993 and 1994.

Willhoite followed this with Daddy's Wedding (1996). Willhoite won a Lambda Literary Award in 1991 for Daddy's Roommate (Small Press Award). His novel The Venetian Boy appeared in 2011. His novel The Goddess of Destructionappeared in 2014.

GLBT Book Month is held annually in June and honors the authors and writings that reflect the lives and experiences of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. GLBT Book Month is coordinated through the American Library Association’s Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table.

For more information visit www.cranstonlibrary.org.