Two brand-new chapter book series star nonbinary protagonists and aren’t “about” being nonbinary. One features a witch-in-training at a magical bakery, while the other centers a kid who wants to create positive change for their friends, their school, and themself.
Click the cover images for full reviews of each volume in the series.
Witchycakes
In this delightful series by Kara LaReau, illustrated by Ariane Moreira (Random House), witch-in-training Little Blue helps out their Mama Moon at the magical Witchycakes bakery. Each chapter takes Blue and their familiar, Gully, on a gentle adventure in their seaside town, as Blue delivers chowder potpies, sandy-witch bread, and more. Blue’s magic may not yet be as strong or reliable as Mama’s, but Blue is always willing to try and use their magic to help others in the neighborhood, such as Jib, whose two dads run a local café.
Blue’s nonbinary identity is incidental to the plots and never remarked on; readers of many identities should enjoy the sweet series, although it may particularly resonate with nonbinary ones seeking tales with nonbinary protagonists that aren’t “about” gender or being nonbinary. (Those are important topics, to be sure, but not the only stories to be told, since being nonbinary is only one part of a person’s identity.)
Bucket and Friends
A kid named Bucket stars in this cheery series by Tom Rademacher, illustrated by Esther Hernando (Stone Arch), about taking action to make positive changes, big or small. The stories are told in engaging, first-person, stream-of-consciousness narratives, whose often-breathless sentences reflect Bucket’s personality. “I’m not always good at staying focused,” Bucket tells us—and readers who feel similarly may see themselves reflected. Even if one has to hang on through Bucket’s frequent tangents, though, all readers should appreciate their irrepressible personality and kind heart.
Bucket’s nonbinary identity is mostly incidental to the plots, though it comes up briefly in one scene in the third volume, when they are happy to meet a teacher who is also nonbinary, “like me.” In an introduction common to all volumes, however, after Bucket introduces themself and their friends, they explain that they use “they” and “them” pronouns, which “fit lots better” than “he” or “she.” One friend, they note, “used to struggle” with using “they,” but because she “would just fix it and move on and not make a big deal about it,” Bucket was okay with that (and the friend eventually always got it right). It’s a clear teaching moment, but remains separate from the main stories.
Backmatter includes Author’s Notes that further expand each volume’s themes, Questions for Readers, and related activities for solo readers and groups.
And More
If you’re looking for more fun chapter books with nonbinary protagonists, try the Batcat and Riley Reynolds series (and Hocus and Pocus, which includes a nonbinary secondary character), plus the standalone Ghost Girl. For even earlier readers moving on from picture books, try the Mermaid Days and Whale, Quail, Snail series.