To mark this year’s Trans Rights Readathon, here are six recent trans-inclusive chapter book and middle grade titles, including the second volume in a magic-school series with a transgender boy protagonist, and another about a trans girl who discovers she’s a witch—perfect if you’re seeking alternatives to She Who Must Not Be Named.
Click links or images for full reviews—and for even more trans-inclusive titles, see my Database of LGBTQ Family Books and filter by the desired identity.
The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class: Sebastian Metzger Solves a Sticky Situation, by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Kat Fajardo (Little, Brown). Each volume in this multi-author chapter book series focuses on a different protagonist in the same third-grade class. This one, by Newbery Honoree, National Book Award Finalist, and two-time Stonewall Book Award winner Kyle Lukoff, features Sebastian Metzger, who loves learning about animals, wearing a bow tie, and talking with his imaginary chipmunk friend, Jimothy. The heart of the tale involves how he must own up and make amends when a library book in his care gets damaged. Sebastian is also a transgender boy, and although the book isn’t “about” him being trans, it does tell us something about his social transition and his feelings about his gender along the way.
Lukoff is one of the most talented writers of LGBTQ-inclusive books for young people. While this story is part of a lighthearted chapter book series, it still showcases his skill with character development and with presenting trans people as full human beings, neither ignoring the ways their trans identities have shaped their lives nor failing to show that they are more than just their transness.
The Ink Witch, by Steph Cherrywell (Little, Brown). Rarely does a book knock it out of the park with such pitch-perfect pacing, brilliantly realized characters, rip-roaringly hilarious dialogue, and captivating worldbuilding. The Ink Witch, however, brings to mind classic tales from Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket while at the same time being sparklingly original. The story centers on a child at the brink of puberty who suddenly realizes she’s a witch. But unlike the series-that-shall-not be-named, this one doesn’t take place at a magical school—and its protagonist is a transgender girl.
On one level, the book is a chaotically exuberant adventure, with top-notch worldbuilding and several surprising twists. The characters are quirky and fun. Cherrywell also thoughtfully explores the importance of being seen for oneself and what it means to be part of a group even as one forges one’s own identity. Becca’s transness is not the focus, but nor is it ignored. Rather, Cherrywell brings it up in ways that feel authentic for the character. They also give us one of the strongest affirmations of chosen names I’ve ever seen, weaving their power into the plot itself. I’ll say no more for fear of spoilers, except that I think it’s brilliant.
The Frozen Curse (Ice Apprentices #2), by Jacob North (Simon & Schuster): Trans boy Oswin leads this immersive and creatively imagined sequel set on a harsh ice world where magic holds the key to survival. This volume picks up as Oswin starts his second year as an Ice Apprentice, learning how to wield magic in order to survive in the frigid land and contribute to society. Oswin is an original protagonist, irrepressibly curious and questioning, with a quirky sense of humor, yet still struggling with his sense of worth. There’s a definite message about belonging here, but refreshingly, it doesn’t center around queer identities (though we do see how being trans impacts Oswin in other ways). Once again, North has created a compelling and original world that keeps the story from feeling like a tired rehash of the “magic school” trope. (Start with: Ice Apprentices.) Content warning: Parental emotional and physical abuse.
Saber-Tooth, by Robin Gow (Amulet). Jasper, an autistic, transgender, eighth-grader, had always been close with his older brother, his only friend. Now, Casper is away at college and didn’t take Jasper on the fossil dig he said he would. ignoring Jasper’s texts, Jasper feels lonely and angry. He decides to dig for fossils on his own, in his backyard. As he does so, however, he begins to hear the voice of a saber-toothed tiger buried deep in the earth. The tiger urges Jasper to dig, promising friendship and understanding. But the tiger, once unearthed, is not as it seemed, and endangers not only Jasper and two new friends, but also the world around them.
Told through Jasper’s first-person perspective, this novel in verse balances a nuanced exploration of his feelings with the dramatic tension of the tiger’s growing threat. An original, compelling, and insightful look at change, friendship, anger, and how we process and share our feelings.
Clementine H. Hopeful Is Not a Hero, by Noah Corey (Labyrinth Road). Combine the madcap imagination of Alice in Wonderland, the wild children of Peter Pan, and the dark edges of A Series of Unfortunate Events, and you might get something akin to this novel. The gender creative and neurodivergent-cued Clementine knows “Clementine’s a boy’s name if a boy has it. And I’m a boy. And I have it.” He also has the ability to speak with “angels,” what others might call monsters, living in the nearby woods. He knows he doesn’t fit in with his peers, but when a mysterious boy named Bug breaks into his room one night, Clementine sees a potential friend—and is soon whisked off on wild, magical adventures.
Clementine begins to uncover secrets that tie in to the disappearance of his older sister, however. And when he’s offered a bargain to change the world, he must weigh the cost, including his friendship with (and crush on) Bug. Is it better to be a hero and protect the world as it is, or become a villain and try to make things better? The tale offers an imaginative, darkly entertaining, and pointed look at what makes a hero, villain, or monster, the experience of growing up queer in today’s world, and the cost of creating change. Unique and highly recommended. Content warning: Parental transphobia and verbal abuse.
The Ghosts Behind the Door, by Jen Wilde (Scholastic). Twelve-year-old Maggie has relocated with her mom (who is queer) and her parent Moe (who is trans and nonbinary) from Brooklyn to her Nana’s house in a small town upstate. Everyone in the town, however, sees Maggie and her mom as just two more of the Havercroft witches, who have long had a reputation for being different and causing trouble. Maggie soon realizes that parts of the stories are true: Nana’s house is haunted, with the ghosts of the family’s ancestors trapped there by an old curse. Maggie’s mom, however, doesn’t want to acknowledge the spooky goings-on.
Maggie, who is autistic and has ADHD and anxiety, is now dealing with bullies of her own, who see her only through the lens of her family’s purported oddness. She finds a friend, however, in goth girl Ivy, who is trans and is also the subject of peer bullying. Maggie resolves to break the family curse, and with Ivy’s help, dives into the family’s heritage of witchcraft that her mom had kept from her—but will the girls’ efforts be enough to stop the threats both supernatural and real? Wilde, who is queer and autistic her/themself, gives us a spooky story about facing the past, confronting oppression, and finding our own “magick.” It manages to be empowering without feeling saccharine, though, wrapping its messages in a ghost story that’s also a just a shivery good read.