This Sunday marks Transgender Day of Visibility, so let’s showcase some middle grade and picture book titles from 2023 and 2024 with transgender protagonists, great to read all year ’round!
While the number and range of trans-inclusive kids’ books has grown tremendously over the past few years, there are still many more stories to be told. From my (admittedly cisgender) perspective, we could still use more trans protagonists of color; more books where the person’s trans identity doesn’t drive the plot, but isn’t ignored; more books starring kids with trans parents; and more kids’ biographies of trans people throughout history and today. Trans readers may have many additional ideas. Some of the books below chip away at those needs, but there is still far to go.
Click images below for reviews, and please visit my full Database of LGBTQ Family Books and filter by the various tags for even more books about different trans identities.
May these books inspire us to keep working towards a vision of inclusion, equality, and affirmation.
A touching, elegantly crafted, and unique novel in verse about an autistic, transgender boy moving through grief to find friendship, growth, and belonging.A story about family change of many types, a possibly haunted house, and one trans boy navigating it all.A first-person middle-grade novel about a transgender boy making a new friend who only knows him as the boy he is.A readable and informative middle-grade biography of transgender icon Sylvia Rivera.A fictional story heavily shaped by author Kai Shappley’s real life as a transgender girl and activist growing up in Texas.A fantasy novel that explores gender identity, cultural differences, growing up, and belonging.An engaging novel of historical fiction with a young trans protagonist of color, set in New York City at the time of the Stonewall Riots.Two friends (one transgender; one autistic) must save their town after one accidentally summons the mysterious spirit Ojja-Wojja,.A warm-hearted story about LGBTQ kids supporting each other and making change in their community.This joyful book adds to the small number of books featuring trans parents, and the even smaller number featuring pregnant transgender men.A bright and affirming story about a nonbinary child who learns to overcome their fears so they can attend Pride with their nonbinary grandparent.A bright and celebratory book profiling 25 amazing transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people from the U.S. and U.K.A thoughtful and informative biography of Admiral Rachel Levine.A warm and inspiring biography of Senator Sarah McBride.
