Moving tales of self-growth and finding family, epic adventures of magic and mystery, sweet stories of friendships and crushes, and combinations of the above: the LGBTQ-inclusive middle grade novels of 2024 are a wide-ranging lot. Here are some favorites.
Author, illustrator (if relevant), and publisher are listed after each title. An asterisk (*) indicates a sequel (check out the whole series!) and a carat (^) indicates a graphic novel.
Many tales embrace the supernatural. Benji Zeb Is a Ravenous Werewolf (Deke Moulton, Tundra) is a smart, layered tale about a gay, Jewish werewolf and his family. Vampires feature in Blood City Rollers^ (V. P. Anderson, Tatiana Hill, Labyrinth Road), about a paranormal roller derby team; and The Vanquishers: Rise of the Wrecking Crew* (Kalynn Bayron, Bloomsbury), where lines of good and evil blur. For ghosts and monsters, try Jasmine is Haunted (Mark Oshiro, Starscape), with many queer characters; The Ghostkeeper^ (Johanna Taylor, G. P. Putnam), with a two-man romance; Wishbone (Justine Pucella Winans, Bloomsbury), with a transgender demiboy protagonist; The School for Invisible Boys (Shaun David Hutchinson, Labyrinth Road), with a gay protagonist; Camp Twisted Pine (Ciera Burch, Margaret K. McElderry), a mystery with a first (two-girl) crush, and Hart & Souls (Lisa Schmid, Carolina Vazquez, Andrews McMeel), which weaves LGBTQ history into its mystery.
Mysterious buildings feature in Scrimshaw: A Deephaven Novel,* (Ethan M. Aldridge, Quill Tree), about a nonbinary student at an exclusive boarding school; Puzzleheart (Jenn Reese, Henry Holt), with a nonbinary protagonist and a house full of deadly puzzles; The Curse of Eelgrass Bog (Mary Averling, Razorbill), a twisty tale starring a queer girl; The House on Yeet Street (Preston Norton, Union Square Kids), which blends a contemporary gay coming out story with a historical mystery; and Night of the Living Zed* (Basil and Kevin Sylvester, HarperCollins), with a flamboyant nonbinary protagonist.
Other spooky adventures include The Pale Queen^ (Ethan Aldridge, Quill Tree), where a queer girl is drawn into a fairy bargain; Lulu Sinagtala and the City of Noble Warriors (Gail D. Villanueva, HarperCollins), with a bisexual protagonist and influences from Tagalog myths; Jaden Powers and the Inheritance Magic (Jamar J. Perry, Bloomsbury), about a queer boy at a West African-influenced magical boarding school; The Lumbering Giants of Windy Pines (Mo Netz, Clarion), with a gender non-conforming protagonist who uses a wheelchair; Nightmares in Paradise* (Aden Polydoros, Inkyard), with a gay protagonist and creatures drawn from Jewish folklore; and the Doomsday Archives series, The Wandering Hour and The Heart-Stealer Mask* (Zack Loran Clark and Nick Eliopulos, Zando), with several queer (or queer-parented) characters. Two titles are set during an apocalypse: The Flicker (H.E. Edgmon, Feiwel & Friends), with nonbinary, trans, and gay characters; and Alex Wise vs. the Cosmic Shift (Terry J. Benton-Walker, Random House), with a gay protagonist as reluctant hero.
Find sword-swinging adventure with nonbinary protagonists (and other queer and diverse representation) in Splinter & Ash (Marieke Nijkamp, Greenwillow); and Sir Callie and the Witch’s War* (Esme Symes-Smith, Labyrinth Road). Magic and queerness also abound in The Ghostwing’s Lie* (Rebecca Mix, Balzer + Bray), a return to a deeply imagined fairy world; and House of Elephants* (Claribel Ortega, Scholastic), continuing the Dominican-inflected Witchlings series.
For magic and silliness, try Nell of Gumbling: My Extremely Tiny Forest Adventure*^ (Emma Steinkellner, Labyrinth Road), set in an offbeat magical land; PetWizards^ (Kirk Scroggs, Union Square), about a glam-rock loving queer tween who can control (some) animals; and Unicorn Boy^ (Dave Roman, First Second), about a unicorn-horned boy and his nonbinary best friend.
Additional adventures include Paige Not Found (Jen Wilde, Scholastic), a techno-thriller with a queer, autistic protagonist; The Swifts: A Gallery of Rogues* (Beth Lincoln, Claire Powell, Dutton/Penguin), an art-theft mystery starring a hilariously eccentric family; and Lunar Boy^ (Jes and Cin Wibowo, HarperCollins), about a trans boy in a future Indonesian-based society.
Performing arts provide a backdrop in Stand Up!^ (Tori Sharp; Little, Brown), about two queer, neurodivergent best friends; Upstaged^ (Robin Easter; Little, Brown), a drama camp story with a nonbinary protagonist; and Camp Prodigy^ (Caroline Palmer, Simon & Schuster), about a nonbinary tween at orchestra camp.
Queer characters and friends create social change in Jamie (L.D. Lapinski, Little Bee), with a nonbinary protagonist; and Not Another Banned Book* (Dana Allison Levy, Delacorte), which includes a gay boy and another with two dads.
Foster families feature in Gooseberry (Robin Gow, Amulet), where a nonbinary, autistic tween finds a kindred spirit in a shelter dog; and My So-Called Family (Gia Gordon, Farrar, Straus and Giroux), where a gender non-conforming girl seeks safety and belonging.
Numerous titles explore other aspects of family, friendships, and sometimes crushes:
One centering queer cis girls include Winnie Nash Is Not Your Sunshine (Nicole Melleby, Algonquin); Mallory in Full Color (Elisa Stone Leahy, HarperCollins); Noah Frye Gets Crushed (Maggie Horne, Clarion); Emma and the Love Spell (Meredith Ireland, Bloomsbury); Crushing It (Erin Becker, Penguin Workshop); The House on Sunrise Lagoon: Halfway to Harbor* (Nicole Melleby, Algonquin); Falling Hard* and Perfect Revenge* from the Saddlehill Academy series; How It All Ends^ (Emma Hunsinger, Greenwillow); Turning Twelve*^ (Kathryn Ormsbee, Molly Brooks, Random House); and Crush*^ (Tegan and Sara Quin, Tillie Walden; Farrar, Straus and Giroux).
Ones centering queer cis boys include The Truth About Triangles (Michael Leali, Sunbird); and Sink or Swim*^ (Veronica Agarwal, Lee Durfey-Lavoie, Random House).
For nonbinary protagonists, try Just Shy of Ordinary, (A.J. Sass; Little, Brown); Asking for a Friend (Ronnie Riley, Scholastic); and the novel in verse Murray Out of Water (Taylor Tracy, Quill Tree).
Additionally, Linus and Etta Could Use a Win (Caroline Huntoon, Feiwel & Friends) stars a trans boy and a goth girl; A for Effort* (Jarad Greene, HarperCollins), has an asexual boy protagonist; and The Ribbon Skirt^ (Cameron Mukwa, Scholastic), stars a two-spirit Anishinaabe youth.
For full reviews, further details on representation, plus nonfiction titles and more, visit my Mombian Database of LGBTQ Family Books.
Please also see my “Holiday Gift Guide to 2024’s Best LGBTQ Picture Books” for some of the year’s best books for younger readers.
Originally published as my Mombian newspaper column.