Pride Month Picks: Books to Celebrate LGBTQIA+ History and Rights

June marks Pride month for the LGBTQIA+ community, and June 28 marks the anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion in 1969 that is recognized as a pivotal moment in the fight for LGBTQIA+ rights in the United States. 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!

Plus, check our the recording of our webinar “LGBTQ+ History in Children’s Lit” to hear from children’s & YA book creators discussing their books and the importance of queer history in literature for today’s young readers.

The Button Box is a new middle-grade novel about cousins, one Jewish and one Muslim, who travel back in time to ancient Morocco. Below, co-authors Bridget Hodder and Fawzia Gilani-Williams discuss their hopes for the book, what inspired them, and more.

On April 4, during National Library Week, ALA released a list of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2021. The YA novel Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez ranked at #4.

Previously on the Lerner blog, Ashley contributed a guest post ahead of Banned Books Week titled “The Right to Read.” In the post she detailed her experience as the author of a challenged book and offered ways educators, parents, and students can resist such challenges.

Since that post there have been more challenges against books in school and public libraries—but there has also been a growing effort to provide librarians, educators, parents, and students with resources to resist these bans. Below, we’ve collected recent coverage of challenges against Out of Darkness, articles on the subject from Ashley Hope Pérez, additional media coverage, and resources from the ALA and others on fighting book challenges in your community.

Click here to see the ALA’s full Top 10 list of banned books and to learn ways of resisting book challenges and embrace the freedom to read.

A House Divided, a series of fantasy graphic novels full of humor and intrigue, is the result of a longstanding collaboration between writer Haiko Hörnig and artist Marius Pawlitza. The project has spanned years of active creation and has origins years before that work started, in the duo’s longtime friendship. To celebrate the release of the climactic, heartfelt final volume, The Lost Daughter, the Lerner Blog spoke with Hörnig and Pawlitza about how far they have come with the series and surprises along the way.

Cheers to 90 years! Lerner Publishing Group is honored to celebrate Founder and Chairman Harry Lerner’s 90^th birthday. Family and friends gathered together at a party to toast Harry and honor his legacy and the impact he has made on the children’s book publishing industry. Check out photos from the celebration below!

Lerner Books’ first release was in 1959 with a series of medical books designed to help guide children through childhood illnesses like the chickenpox and mumps. Today, Lerner Publishing Group is one of North America’s largest independent book publishers for children and young adults. Harry Lerner remains chairman of the company, and his oldest son, Adam Lerner, is the Publisher and CEO. In 2019 Lerner Publishing Group celebrated its 60th anniversary.

All of us at Lerner Publishing Group are proud of our company’s history and none of it would be possible without Harry’s support, drive, and leadership. Happy 90th birthday, Harry!

Read the full press release here.