Today is “Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.) Day,” when families are encouraged to enjoy books together in honor of beloved author Beverly Cleary’s birthday. I’m therefore highlighting some chapter book series, since that was Cleary’s sweet spot—but these all have LGBTQ inclusion!
Click the titles or images for full reviews of each series—and check my Database of LGBTQ Family Books to see what’s new in early readers/chapter books, including some standalone titles that aren’t part of a series!
Monster and Me, by Cort Lane, illustrated by Ankitha Kini (Little Bee Books). This early reader series stars science-loving Freddy von Frankenstein, monster big brother, F.M., and were-cat sister, Riya, who live on a supernatural mountain in Nepal. It conveys gentle social-emotional lessons about being oneself, embracing differences, formed families, and more. While there is no clear LGBTQ inclusion in the first two volumes, a trans character is introduced in volume three (though not known to be trans until volume four).
Popcorn Bob, by Maranke Rinck, illustrated by Martijn Van Der Linden (Levine Querido). A fun and fantastical series about a girl and a piece of popcorn that comes to life (with a curmudgeonly, trouble-making personality). Oh, and the girl has two dads, but that’s happily incidental to the tale. The light themes about friendship don’t weigh down the inspired silliness.
Mermicorn Island, by Jason June, illustrated by Lisa Manuzak Wiley (Scholastic). Lucky is a mermicorn—half mermaid, half unicorn, who lives in an undersea world full of magic. The third and fourth books include the two dads of one of Lucky’s friends. While the overt queer content in the first two volumes is slight, the sparkly aesthetic conveys a definite flamboyant queer vibe. And Lucky, who likes to draw and appreciates when his mane has “just the right swirl,” feels at the very least somewhat gender creative. Readers LGBTQ and not will also appreciate the series’ messages of finding oneself and supporting one’s friends.
Max and Friends, by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Luciano Lozano (Reycraft). This cheery series from Stonewall Award winner and Newbery honoree Lukoff centers a transgender boy, Max. The first volume focuses on his experience as a transgender boy navigating his first day of school. The second two volumes are more about his interactions with friends (one of whom is a gender creative boy) and not his gender identity per se, although we see when being a trans boy gives him a particular outlook or response to something. The volumes are produced in a picture book format with a large cover and full illustrations, but are broken into (short) chapters, so they slide into early chapter book territory.
Wednesday Wilson, by Bree Galbraith, illustrated by Morgan Goble (Kids Can Press). Wednesday Wilson wants to be an entrepreneur. Each volume of this series focuses on her enthusiastic (but occasionally misguided) attempts to find entrepreneurial gold. She also has two moms, and while their family structure isn’t the focus of the books, she notes in the first volume, “Some people ask which one is my real mom, because I’m mixed race and I don’t look exactly like either one of them. Lately I’ve stopped answering, because clearly they’re both real! And really, it’s no one’s business, right?” Wednesday also wears a button-down shirt and tie, offering gender creative representation as well.
Jordan and Max, by Suzanne Sutherland, illustrated by Michelle Simpson (Orca). Friends Jordan and Max (not the same Max as above) aren’t always understood by the other students in their class, but they have each other! Jordan has long hair and loves to dress up (including in dresses); he also has anxiety. Max is a self-declared “triple threat” as an actor, singer, and dancer. Neither overtly identifies as queer, but they are definitely coded that way. Themes of friendship and inclusion are lightly handled in both volumes.
Riley Reynolds, by Jay Albee (Stone Arch Books). Fourth-grader Riley is a kid who loves lots of things: their parents, cousins, friends, all kinds of animals, making cool stuff (as well as messes), and being nonbinary, though their nonbinary identity is incidental to the plots. The series offers gentle lessons about friendship, helping, and cooperation, and importantly, a nonbinary child being unconditionally accepted by family and friends.
The Unbelievable Oliver, by Pseudonymous Bosch, illustrated by Shane Pangburn (Puffin). Eight-year-old Oliver wants to become a professional magician, but his performances always end up involving him in some mysterious caper or other. His best friends also happen to have two dads, and the second volume of the series involves a performance at their wedding.
The Magic Misfits, by Neil Patrick Harris. Don’t let Harris’ celebrity authorship fool you. Harris can write—and he was president of the Academy of Magical Arts from 2011 to 2014, which makes the theme of this series fitting. In the first volume, he sets the stage as an orphaned street magician teams up with five friends (one of whom has two dads) to defeat an evil carnival boss. Harris weaves in lots of hijinks and puzzles to make each volume engaging and interactive (and the second volume centers the two-dad family).