9 Exciting New LGBTQ-Inclusive Kids’ Books Out Today

Once Upon My Dads’ Divorce, by Seamus Kirst, illustrated by Noémie Gionet Landry (Magination). A boy named Grayson deals with the changes in his life after his dads’ divorce, in the only picture book entirely about a child of two divorced dads. The story is straightforward, with a clear pedagogic goal, but fulfills that goal nicely and deserves much credit for addressing a gap in the literature.

Books Make Good Friends, written and illustrated by Jane Mount (Chronicle Books). A multilayered book giving us the story of a shy girl learning to make friends, woven with the message of how books can be a source of both self-comfort and connection. Plentiful suggestions for diverse reads form a key part of the illustrations and storyline. There are no clearly queer characters, but the illustrations show the meticulously drawn spines of dozens of real books, including LGBTQ-inclusive ones and others diverse in many ways. These books can be for any reader, the book seems to convey.

Monster and Me 5: The Impossible Imp, by Cort Lane, illustrated by Ankitha Kini (Little Bee). The fifth volume in this early reader series once again stars science-loving Freddy von Frankenstein, monster big brother, F.M., and were-cat sister, Riya, who live in a palace on a supernatural mountain in Nepal. It conveys gentle social-emotional lessons about being oneself, inclusion, and more, and as in the fourth volume, offers clear trans representation via Freddy’s friend Binsa. Her trans experience is clearly acknowledged, but not dwelt on as the plot driver.

The Apartment House on Poppy Hill: Book 1, by Nina LaCour, illustrated by Sonia Albert (Chronicle). Nine-year-old Ella lives with her two moms in a small, old apartment house in San Francisco. Each illustrated chapter offers a connected vignette in Ella’s life and reveals a little more about this close-knit community and the confident, inquisitive, spunky protagonist. A delightful early chapter book with themes of family and community, and the start of a promising series.

You Owe Me One, Universe, by Chad Lucas (Amulet). The sequel to Thanks a Lot, Universe continues the story of eighth graders Brian (a rising basketball star who has social anxiety and depression) and Ezra (newly out, but with an awkward crush on the boy who formerly bullied Brian). Lucas once again offers a nuanced, thoughtful look at each boys’ feelings as they navigate this time of transition and growth in their lives. Secondary characters, too, feel well-developed. Laced with humor, but never at the expense of any of the challenging topics addressed, this is a well-paced, compelling, hopeful read. Content warning: Depression; inquiry about suicidal ideation.

Forsooth, by Jimmy Matejek-Morris (Carolrhoda Books). Theater kid Calvin finds inner strength after a series of mishaps and navigates changing friendships and crushes. While the earnest but anxious Calvin’s social awkwardness leads to various misadventures (such as accidentally setting his priest on fire), Matejek-Morris thoughtfully shows us Calvin’s evolution against the moving targets of middle school social currents and multiple crushes. Calvin’s wry and humorous observations are often funny and sometimes bittersweet, and his eventual coming out is affirmed in unexpected ways.

Almond, Quartz, and Finch, by Lisa Bunker (New Wind). Almond and Quartz are on the cusp of adulthood in a culture where all children are genderless until they choose a gender at a coming-of-age ceremony. They are also refugees in a land with far different values about gender, and become caught up trying to save the land from a plot to overthrow the legitimate heir, whose secret only Almond knows. The story not only includes gender diverse characters, but also centers a culture whose belief in gender diversity is tied to the fundamental texts of its religion, which are interspersed with the narrative. This imaginative and affirming tale, written in a style that evokes older fantasy tales, both looks back to its inspiration and envisions a world that could be.

Snow and Sorcery (Cardboard Kingdom #3), by Chad Sell (Knopf). A third volume in the terrific graphic novel series gives us another ode to friendship, imagination, community, and personal growth. In this volume, members of the original Cardboard Kingdom are playing together over winter break, until kids from the Parkside neighborhood want in on the fun. Members of each group rub each other the wrong way, however, and soon, the two communities are at odds. The interconnected stories in the volume explore group dynamics as well as familial and personal ones. Sell’s bold, colorful art lends verve to the tales, which capture both the imagination of childhood and the challenges of growing up. 

Sir Callie and the Dragon’s Roost, by Esme Symes-Smith (Labyrinth Road). In this second volume of this fantasy series, the 12-year-old, nonbinary Callie is hopeful for change in the Kingdom of Helston. Yet opposition to change is fierce and tension with the neighboring land of Dumoor, home to dragons, is on the rise. Soon, Callie must leave their two dads and flee with their friends, finding refuge in Dumoor, where they learn things that contradict all they have long been taught. But who is right? And who can they trust as war looks imminent? The broader themes of marginalization, privilege, and social justice never overwhelm the thoughtfully drawn personalities of each character, though, or the evolving relationships among them. Content warning: Childhood physical abuse and trauma.