This past week has been full of news about awful anti-LGBTQ bills and policies, many (if not all) of which harm children. These books won’t cure that, but they offer a dose of queer joy and perhaps will give some affirmation and support to young people who need this now more than ever.
Click the titles or images below for more details and full reviews. These books are either newly out or will be published in the next week or two and can be preordered. (And stay tuned—there are even more to come soon!)
Many if not all of these books will likely face bans—and are already blocked in schools by “Don’t Say Gay/LGBTQ” laws in eight states—but now you know they exist. Recommend or buy them for anyone you know who may appreciate or need them—queer youth, their families, allies, and those who could become allies.
I’ll also note: The books below all deal very directly with LGBTQ identities and themes, and this approach can be an important and affirming pedagogical tool. This isn’t the only way to include LGBTQ characters in books, however. Sometimes the characters’ LGBTQ identities are incidental to the stories—and you can also find books in my database with such “incidental queerness.” You’ll likely find yourself (and your kids) wanting each type of book at different times.
Gender Identity and Expression
The Fairest in the Land, by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Joshua Heinsz (Abrams). The author of the classic Heather Has Two Mommies (and more than 70 other books), here brings her award-winning poetic skills to bear in a delightful rhyming tale about gender expression. Friends Annabelle and Benjamin are playing dress-up, but both want to be the princess! Can they find a solution that allows them both to express themselves? Spoiler: yes—and soon, several other friends of various gender expressions come to join them for a dance at their royal court.
Flower Girl, by Amy Bloom, illustrated by Jameela Wahlgren (Norton). When Nicki’s “coolest aunt” is getting married, she asks Nicki to be the flower girl. Nicki is excited—until her aunt and mother try to help her find a dress. Nothing feels right, and she decides she doesn’t want to have the role anymore. Finally, she expresses, “I’m not really a dress kind of girl,” and is able to find a solution both wedding-appropriate and reflective of her self.
ABC-Deconstructing Gender, by Ashley Molesso and Chess Needham (Running Press). This simple book is less concerned with LGBTQ-specific terminology, and more with concepts related to how people move in the world. “Mohammad likes to do makeup and get beautiful with his sister,” for example. We see girls who are courageous, energetic, intelligent, and tough; boys who are humble, loving, nurturing, and vulnerable; and nonbinary children who are gentle and joyous, among other things. The sentence or two for each letter offers a mini story for readers to reflect on and maybe even develop further via discussion.
Pride and LGBTQ History
Grandad’s Pride, by Harry Woodgate (Little Bee). The follow-up (but standalone) book to the Stonewall Award-winning Grandad’s Camper is as warm and joyous as the first volume. Young Milly is again visiting Grandad for the summer. When she finds an old rainbow Pride flag in his attic, he explains to her what Pride is, and she motivates him to help her start a Pride parade in his small town. Soon many neighbors are volunteering their time and products for the event. A sweet and lovely story about intergenerational wisdom and community spirit. Woodgate’s illustrations are again outstanding—vibrant and cheerful, with lots of little details for readers to discover.
Gender Heroes: 25 Amazing Transgender, Non-Binary and Genderqueer Trailblazers from Past and Present! from Jessica Kingsley Publishers, illustrated by Filipa Namorado. This bright and celebratory book profiles 25 amazing transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people from the U.S. and U.K. Within the pages are historical figures like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera; actors and entertainers like Laverne Cox, Elliott Page, Chella Man, and Alok Vaid-Menon; activists (accidental or intentional) like Gavin Grimm, Charlie Craggs, Freddy McConnell, Jazz Jennings, and Pidgeon Pagonis; politicians like Sarah McBride and Mauree Turner; and more.
A Child’s Introduction to Pride: The Inspirational History and Culture of the LGBTQIA+ Community, by Sarah Prager, illustrated by Caitlin O’Dwyer (Black Dog & Leventhal). Prager is the author of several excellent collective biographies of LGBTQ people throughout history, for elementary, middle grade, and teen readers. In this book, however, she takes a broader, more systematic approach to LGBTQ history and concepts for middle grade readers. The volume showcases Prager’s usual clear and engaging prose and her thoughtful takes on LGBTQ people, cultures, and communities. It could either be read right through or happily browsed at random; the layout is bright and engaging, with lots of side boxes containing quotes, questions to ponder, and entertaining additional tidbits. There’s also a fun pull-out poster with a timeline of important events. This is bound to be a go-to volume for schools and libraries, but should find a welcome place on many home bookshelves as well.
Trans Youth
You Need to Chill! by Juno Dawson, illustrated by Laura Hughes (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky). Dawson is probably best known for her much-loved though often-banned young adult title, This Book Is Gay. In this debut picture book, however, she shows a girl wittily answering peers who wonder what happened to her brother, and who shows herself to be an informed and fervent ally to her sibling, who has transitioned to her true identity as a trans girl. If only someone would mail copies not only to every school and library, but also to every politician who could use a little chill time….
Joy, to the World, by Kai Shappley and Lisa Bunker (Clarion). This middle-grade novel is a fictional story heavily shaped by Kai’s real life as a transgender girl and activist growing up in Texas. When Joy’s school principal says she can’t be on the school cheerleading team because she’s not a girl, she decides to challenge him, and later to speak out against anti-trans legislation in the state. Kai and her family left Texas in 2022 because of the state’s increasingly harsh anti-trans laws, but her deep familiarity with life there for trans youth makes this a resonant, empowering book that trans youth in anti-trans states may particularly appreciate. The book’s storyline of a determined young person fighting for her rights with the help of her family and friends, however, should have an even wider appeal.
Dotson: My Journey Growing Up Transgender, by Grayson Lee White, illustrated by Stephanie Roth Sisson (West Margin Press). “Why did God make me a girl?” Grayson Lee White asked his mother at age 2, insisting, “I am supposed to be a boy.” In this early middle-grade memoir, he takes us on his transition journey from then to the present. He is now 13, a young man who plays video games, rides his bike, and likes snowboarding, though he admits to sometimes being socially awkward. Through a trans youth’s own words, it shows how trans youth can thrive when they have support and affirmation.