FICTION
The Accidental Adventures of India McAllister by Charlotte Agell
This book explores love, loneliness, adventure, racism, identity and relationships through the eyes of an adopted and only child of divorce reconciling huge changes in her family life. India negotiates her challenges with thoughtful aplomb and delightful humor.
Obie is Man Enough by Schuyler Bailar
This is a coming-of-age story about transgender tween Obie, who didn’t think being himself would cause such a splash.
Alan Cole Is Not a Coward by Eric Bell
Hoping to keep his older brother Nathan silent about his secret crush on another boy at their school, 12-year-old Alan agrees to a ruthless sibling competition involving nearly impossible tasks – from standing up to their demanding father to getting a first kiss.
Hazel’s Theory of Evolution by Lisa Jenn Bigelow
Hazel goes to a new school and struggles with maybe losing her friend, finding new friendships, and the fact that one of her moms is pregnant again after losing her last two babies, Miles and Lena.
A High Five for Glenn Burke by Phil Bildner
After researching Glenn Burke, the first major league baseball player to come out as gay, sixth-grader Silas Wade slowly comes out to his best friend Zoey, then his coach, with unexpected consequences.
Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake
Twelve-year-old Ivy Aberdeen's house is destroyed in a tornado, and in the aftermath of the storm, she begins to develop feelings for another girl at school.
Zenobia July by Lisa Bunker
The critically acclaimed author of Felix Yz crafts a bold, heartfelt story about a trans girl solving a cyber-mystery and coming into her own.
Hurricane Child by Kheryn Callender
Born on Water Island in the Virgin Islands during a hurricane, which is considered bad luck, 12-year-old Caroline falls in love with another girl – and together they set out in a hurricane to find Caroline's missing mother.
King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender
In a small but turbulent Louisiana town, one boy’s grief takes him beyond the bayous of his backyard to learn there is no right way to be yourself.
The Pants Project by Cat Clarke
Eleven-year-old Liv fights to change the middle school dress code requiring girls to wear skirts and, along the way, finds the courage to tell his moms he is meant to be a boy.
Star Crossed by Barbara Dee
When Mattie is cast as Romeo in an eighth-grade play, she is confused to find herself increasingly attracted to Gemma, a new classmate who is playing Juliet.
Five, Six, Seven, Nate! by Tim Federle
Now on Broadway as second understudy for E.T., Nate Foster keeps in close contact with his best friend, Libby, as he faces nemesis Jordan Rylance and his own insecurities as the cast member with the least training and experience. This is the sequel to Better Nate Than Ever.
Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart
Lily is a transgender teen who is taking small steps to embrace who she truly is: a girl with male anatomy. Dunkin is a boy who misses his father and deals daily with his bipolar disorder
Melissa by Alex Gino
Melissa, published as George until April 2022, is a novel about a young transgender girl. It tells the story of Melissa, a fourth-grade girl who is struggling to be herself to the rest of the world. The rest of the world sees Melissa as George, a boy.
Rick by Alex Gino
Rick needs to explore his own identity apart from his jerk of a best friend. Rick's never questioned much. He's gone along with his best friend Jeff, even when Jeff has acted like a bully and a jerk.
The Other Boy by M.G. Hennessey
Twelve-year-old Shane Woods is a regular guy who likes baseball, graphic novels, and hanging out with his best friend. But when a classmate threatens to reveal his trans status, Shane has to find the courage to show the world he’s the same guy he was before.
The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Shannon Hitchcock
The Fletcher Family consists of two fathers and four adopted, fun-loving, rambunctious but thoughtful boys. Their lives are filled with adventure, friendship, warm family interactions, schools, pets, sports, art, mistakes, love and sensitivity to those around them.
The Whispers by Greg Howard
Eleven-year-old Riley's mom has disappeared and Riley knows that if he leaves tributes for the whispers, magical fairies that grant wishes, his mom will come back to him.
Beetle and the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne
Twelve-year-old goblin and witch-in-training Beetle enlists her former best friend, Kat Hollowbones, to help stop Kat’s sorceress aunt from demolishing the mall where Beetle’s friend Blob Ghost is trapped.
This Would Make a Good Story Someday by Alison Dana Levy
Sara finds herself crisscrossing the country with a gaggle of wild Texans. As they travel from New Orleans to Chicago to the Grand Canyon and beyond, Sara finds herself changing along with the landscape outside the train windows. And she realizes that she just might go home reinvented.
This is Our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, and Us by Katherine Locke
Featuring contributions from Eric Bell, Katherine Locke and A.J. Sass, this first LGBTQA+ anthology for middle-grade readers presents stories of queer fantasy, historical and contemporary stories for every letter of the acronym.
Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff
In the wake of his uncle's death, a transgender boy on the cusp of middle school grapples with grief, friendship and identity.
The Insiders by Mark Oshiro
Twelve-year-old Héctor Muñoz, fleeing from bullies, discovers a magical closet that not only provides him sanctuary, but also unites him with two other kids facing similar problems at their own schools, helping them find friendship and strength in each other.
The Best at It by Maulik Pancholy
Twelve-year-old Rahul Kapoor, an Indian-American boy growing up in small-town Indiana, struggles to come to terms with his identity, including that he may be gay.
The Best Man by Richard Peck
Archer has four important role models in his life – his dad, his grandfather, his uncle Paul, and his favorite teacher, Mr. McLeod. When Uncle Paul and Mr. McLeod get married, Archer's sixth-grade year becomes one he'll never forget.
P.S. I Miss You by Jen Petro-Roy
Evie is heartbroken when her strict Catholic parents send her pregnant sister, Cilla, away to stay with a distant great-aunt. All Evie wants is for her older sister to come back. Forbidden from speaking to Cilla, Evie secretly sends her letters.
Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky
Grayson, a transgender 12-year-old, learns to accept her true identity and share it with the world.
The Boy in the Dress by David Williams
His mother left two years ago, his truck driver father is depressed, his brother is a bully and, worst of all, "no hugging" is one of their household rules. But one thing Dennis does have is soccer – he's the leading scorer on his team. Oh, and did we mention his secret passion for fashion?
NON-FICTION
People of Pride: 25 Great LGBTQ Americans by Chase Clemesha
Featuring people from a variety of occupations and backgrounds, this collection of 25 short biographies demonstrates the diversity, accomplishments and pride within the American LGBTQ community.
From Prejudice to Pride: A History of the LGBTQ+ Movement by Amy Lame
From Prejudice to Pride looks at the rise and achievements of the LGBTQ+ movement and the different communities, pioneers and stories of heartbreak and courage that have marched alongside it.
Rainbow Revolutionaries: 50 LGBTQ+ People Who Made History by Sarah Prager
Filled with exciting, inspiring and heartbreaking stories, this is a wonderful reminder of LGBTQ+ peoples’ contributions to history.
Stonewall: A Building, an Uprising, a Revolution by Rob Sanders
This story is narrated by the Stonewall Inn, the location of a raid that would spark an uprising that marked the beginning of the gay liberation movement in the United States.
Pride: Celebrating Diversity and Community by Robin Stevenson
What is Pride anyway? Answer that question with this lively book that covers how Pride came to be and what it means to the people who celebrate it.
What was Stonewall? by Nico Medina
How did a spontaneous protest outside of a New York City bar 50 years ago spark a social movement across America? Find out about the history of LGBTQ rights in this Who HQ title.
Gay & Lesbian History for Kids by Jerome Pohlen
From ancient China to the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision on marriage equality, this narrative history reference gives context to the challenges and achievements of both queer individuals and the broader quest for civil rights.
Transgender Rights by Marty Erickson
This book explores the history of transgender rights and how it has evolved, including how people and laws are addressing it today.
What is the AIDS Crisis? by Nico Medina
This history of the AIDS crisis in the early 1980s spotlights the heroic efforts of AIDS activists who fought for medical research and new medicines, for proper health care for patients, and for compassionate recognition of people with AIDS.
The Stonewall Riots: Making a Stand for LGBTQ Rights by Archie Bongiovanni
Three teenagers - Natalia, Jax, and Rashad - are magically transported from their modern lives to the legendary Stonewall Inn in the summer of 1969. Escorted by Natalia's eccentric abuela (and her pet cockatiel, Rocky), the friends experience the police raid firsthand and are thrown into the infamous riots that made the struggle for LGBTQ rights front-page news.
Drawing on Walls: Story of Keith Haring by Matthew Burgess
Truly devoted to the idea of public art, Haring created murals wherever he went. Often seen drawing in white chalk on the matte black paper of unused advertising space in the subway, Haring's iconic pop art and graffiti-like style transformed the New York City underground in the 1980s.
Who was Harvey Milk? by Corinne Grinapol
Learn about one of the most influential leaders in the fight for gay rights. Although he started out as a teacher without aspirations to be an activist or politician, Harvey Milk found himself captivated by the history-making movements of the 1960s.
