“All young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential.”
Harvey Milk
June marks Pride month for the LGBTQIA+ community. If you’re prepping book displays, looking for titles to support lessons and curriculum, or are simply seeking books that reflect LGBTQIA+ experiences, we’ve got several stellar picks below!
Queer, 2nd Edition: The Ultimate LGBTQ Guide for Teens
- Interest Level: Grade 6 – Grade 12
- Reading Level: Grade 6
Teen life is hard enough, but for teens who are LGBTQ, it can be even harder.
When do you decide to come out? Will your friends accept you? And how do you meet people to date? Queer is a humorous, engaging, and honest guide that helps LGBTQ teens come out to friends and family, navigate their social life, figure out if a crush is also queer, and challenge bigotry and homophobia. Personal stories from the authors and sidebars on queer history provide relatable context. This completely revised and updated edition is a must-read for any teen who thinks they might be queer or knows someone who is.
“A delightful collection of trustworthy and accurate information that tweens and teens need today, all told in a sort of quirky, sometimes goofy, and always approachable tone…a fun, easy to read, and occasionally hilarious guide that should be available on a shelf in every high school library.”
—Diane Anderson-Minshall, Editorial Director, The Advocate magazine
“Not every queer kid has easy access to a family member, teacher, counselor, or friend who can help them through the coming-out process. Even when they do, NEWSFLASH, most of us don’t have all the answers! Queer is a great way for a teen, or someone who is trying to mentor or understand a queer teen, to gain some knowledge from a thoughtful, cute perspective.”—Honey Mahogany, Activist, RuPaul’s Drag Race Alumnus, Cofounder of the Compton’s Transgender Cultural District
My Mommies Built a Treehouse
- Interest Level: Preschool – Grade 3
- Reading Level: Grade 2
Building a treehouse is a big project. But when your mommies are there to help you, there’s nothing that can stop you!
When one boy sets out to build the treehouse of his dreams, there’s so much to consider – from finding the perfect tree to drawing up the plans. There are certainly challenges along the way, and a lot of spilled paint! But one thing is for sure – he won’t go too far wrong with his two mommies to support him.
“The strength of this title depends on its colorful, dynamic digital illustrations and its multiracial LGBTQIA+ representation. This sweet, rhyming STEAM story is a pleasing read.” — School Library Journal
Roads to Family
All the Ways We Come to Be
- Interest Level: Grade 6 – Grade 12
- Reading Level: Grade 6
Examine—and appreciate—the many ways in which people can create a family. This informative compendium goes beyond the basics of sexual reproduction to examine the diversity of medical and societal methods people use, including in-vitro fertilization, surrogacy, adoption, and more. Through scientific research, diagrams, and interviews with families, author Rachel Ginocchio provides a thoughtful and thorough examination of the possibilities available.
★ “Within each chapter, Ginocchio tells engaging, lengthy stories, based on interviews, of several racially and ethnically diverse parents, from same-sex relationships to individuals who wanted to be parents to heterosexual couples struggling with infertility, and how they brought children into their lives. . . . Supplemental facts and figures as well as enlightening graphics enhance this much-needed and inclusive resource.” — starred, Booklist
Torch
- Interest Level: Grade 8 – Grade 12
- Reading Level: Grade 8
Three teens struggle to carve out futures for themselves under a totalitarian regime.
Czechoslovakia, 1969
Štěpán finds his Olympic hockey ambitions jeopardized and must conceal his sexual orientation from authorities who could use it against him. Tomáš has already been accused of “antisocial” behavior because he struggles to follow the unwritten rules of everyday interactions, and now he must work even harder to meet the expectations of his father, the regional leader of the communist party. And aspiring film director Lída, Pavol’s girlfriend, is pregnant with his child, which brands her a traitor by association and upends all her plans.
★ “A masterful, taut, and emotionally rich historical novel that is heartrending and essential reading for our present political climate.” — starred, School Library Journal
★ “[T]his story of revolutionary hope confronts dehumanizing forces through its resilient characters’ deeply held friendships. An astonishing and gripping read.” — starred, Booklist
★ “Miller-Lachmann deftly balances moments of happiness and hope within an ominously rendered narrative marked by fear and potential catastrophe. This captivating political thriller is perfect for Ruta Sepetys fans.” — starred, Publishers Weekly
★ “Equally terrifying and captivating.” — starred, Kirkus Reviews
No Way, They Were Gay?: Hidden Lives and Secret Loves
From the Series Queer History Project
- Interest Level: Grade 6 – Grade 12
- Reading Level: Grade 6
Join author Lee Wind for this fascinating journey through primary sources—poetry, memoir, news clippings, and images of ancient artwork—to explore the hidden (and often surprising) Queer lives and loves of two dozen historical figures.
“Entertaining, illuminating, and an accessible antidote to dominant histories.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Using primary sources to frame an alternative historical narrative, and asking readers to form their own conclusions, Wind sets out to fill some of those gaps, focusing primarily on the same-sex relationships or nonbinary identities of 12 well-known public figures.” — Publishers Weekly
Life on Earth
- Interest Level: Grade 9 – Grade 12
- Reading Level: Grade 7
In this sci-fi-tinged YA graphic novel trilogy from acclaimed cartoonist MariNaomi, a group of teenagers struggles with early romances and fraying friendships against the backdrop of a classmate’s possible alien abduction and mysterious return. The headstrong Emily, the aloof Brett, the insecure Nigel, and the awkward Paula are all learning how to deal with life’s challenges—and an alien presence might be affecting them too. Different chapters focus on different characters, and MariNaomi adopts a distinct visual style with each change in point of view.
“MariNaomi skillfully weaves webs of intrigue, and fans of suspenseful graphic novels will be interested in how events play out.” — School Library Journal
Artie and the Wolf Moon
- Interest Level: Grade 7 – Grade 9
- Reading Level: Grade 6
“A heartfelt, magical family drama you can really sink your teeth into.” —Nilah Magruder, M.F.K.
★ “This vibrant, fast-paced werewolf tale rejuvenates the genre with themes of Black family, community, and history, offering accessible dialogue and reimagining the folklore of werewolves with a striking premise that has a tremendous payoff.” — starred, Publishers Weekly
Just Ash
- Interest Level: Grade 8 – Grade 12
- Reading Level: Grade 8
Ashley “Ash” Bishop has always known who he is: a guy who loves soccer, has a crush on his friend Michelle, and is fascinated by the gruesome history of his hometown—Salem, Massachusetts. He’s also always known that he’s intersex, born with both male and female genitalia. But it’s never felt like a big deal until his junior year of high school, when Ash gets his first period in front of the entire boys’ soccer team. Now his friends and teachers see him differently, and his own mother thinks he should “try being a girl.”
★ “There are few books and even fewer authors who have endeavored to give readers a real glimpse into the life of an intersex teen, which is just one reason Santana’s debut is so unique. . . . Santana—who is intersex herself—has written a smart and deeply introspective main character with whom readers will easily sympathize.” — starred, Booklist
“A page-turning, harrowing, but ultimately empowering tour-de-force…a must read for all humans.” — I. W. Gregorio, author of None of the Above and This is My Brain in Love
“A tough, powerful, necessary read, especially as Intersex Awareness Day approaches.” — BuzzFeed
When Dogs Heal
Powerful Stories of People Living with HIV and the Dogs That Saved Them
- Interest Level: Grade 8 – Grade 12
- Reading Level: Grade 8
Three well-known leaders in their fields—award-winning dog photographer Jesse Freidin, adolescent HIV+ specialist Dr. Robert G arofalo, and LGBTQ advocate and journalist Zach Stafford—offer a refreshing, beautiful, and unique portrait of HIV infused with a deep message of hope. Each extraordinary profile shows the power of the incredible bonds between humans and their canine companions, whether that means combating loneliness and stigma, discovering the importance of unconditional love, overcoming addiction, or simply having a best friend in a time of need.
★ “[D]eals affectingly with a subject that remains too absent in books for young readers. It deserves the widest possible readership.” — starred, Booklist
★ “A unique collection that is unflinchingly honest and infused with hope. These valuable lessons of empathy, self-care, and acceptance will inspire all readers . . .” — starred, School Library Journal
“[T]he stories are uplifting and well written . . . connecting a range of HIV-positive queer experiences with dog ownership.” — Kirkus Reviews
Just Julian
From the Series Lorimer Real Love
- Interest Level: Grade 9 – Grade 12
- Reading Level: Grade 4
After years of bullying at school, 19-year-old Julian is depressed. He sees a glimmer of hope after meeting the similarly out-of-place Romeo at a party and sharing a kiss with him. The only problem: Romeo has always identified as straight and he hangs out with a group of intolerant guys. But as the two begin to fall in love, Julian finds strength he never knew he had.
When Romeo’s old friends come after the couple, a vicious fight puts both Julian and Romeo in the hospital. The two boys decide to take a stand for their right for respect.
Just Julian provides insight into the struggle against homophobia, reminding LGBTQ readers that they are not alone.
“These modern romances. . . .effectively tie in contemporary themes like bullying and social media while presenting relatable characters embracing their sexuality.” — School Library Journal
The Love Code
From the Series Lorimer Real Love
- Interest Level: Grade 9 – Grade 12
- Reading Level: Grade 4
Astrid is a teen who has lost everything: her girlfriend to a guy and her social status when her parents lose their jobs. Determined to make her way into university, she joins a robotics club hoping to make contacts and win a scholarship but also finds the love of her life.
The Love Code tells the story of a relatable teen navigating the contemporary world of women working in STEM careers within a changing economy.
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