Artemis II is making its moon flyby today—so I’m rounding up some LGBTQ-inclusive picture, chapter, and middle grade books involving astronomy and/or space. (I was an astronomy major, so this was particularly fun for me.) Share them with the young people in your life who dream of the stars!
Let’s take a moment to celebrate, too, that there are now enough LGBTQ-inclusive kids’ books that we can create themed roundups like this. LGBTQ people and their families are in kids’ books of many subjects and genres, and that’s a great thing.
I also encourage you to visit my Database of LGBTQ Family Books and filter by the STEM tag to find other LGBTQ-inclusive books with STEM themes.
Sally Ride is of course the big star (!) of the nonfiction titles here, and while there are numerous children’s biographies of her, I am only featuring those that also mention her queerness and relationship with partner Tam O’Shaughnessy.
Click images for full reviews!
Picture Books
A lovely story of a girl, her two parents (a dad and one of ambiguous gender), and a gentle message about our place in the universe.
A maiden and a princess (who has an interest in astronomy) fall in love with the support of their families in this empowering fairy tale.
A nonbinary child finds inspiration and self-acceptance by dreaming they are traveling to the moon and planets.
A boy is upset that he can no longer see the stars after he and his two moms move to the city–until he goes on a magical journey one night to find the North Star.
A cheery biography (though told in a relatable first-person narrative), kept simple for the age group but still packing a lot in.
A simple picture book biography of astronaut Sally Ride.
Early Reader and Chapter Books
A biography geared towards newly independent readers and thus fairly simple and straightforward, but that covers the highlights of Ride’s life well, with bold illustrations enhancing the narrative.
A good biography of Ride for those ready for something a little more substantial than the picture-book biographies, but still at a reasonably easy reading level.
A solid biography and part of the chapter book series inspired by bestselling She Persisted, by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger.
Middle Grade
A delightful graphic novel centering a girl with two divorced moms, living in space.
A girl with two moms and a love of space science works to save the family cafe and to shine in her school’s Space Expo.
A dual-perspective middle grade story of two girls with a love of engineering and a crush on each other, who are also each struggling with different family difficulties.
A lovely novel in verse about a queer tween who loves both space science and her school’s Rainbow Club, and is learning to trust herself even if she gets anxious sometimes.
A girl with two dads and a love of astronomy must use her STEM skills to figure out the mystery of her summer camp in this quirky and fun graphic novel.
A girl named Pluto, who has a love of astronomy, must navigate her new diagnosis of depression and anxiety, along with other people’s expectations of her in this thoughtful middle grade novel.
The first in a space-themed series influenced by Korean mythology, with several nonbinary characters.
The second in a space-themed series influenced by Korean mythology, with several nonbinary characters.
The third in a space-themed series influenced by Korean mythology, with several nonbinary characters.
The first in a space adventure series with unexpected heart and a shapeshifting, nonbinary protagonist.
The second in a space adventure series with unexpected heart and a shapeshifting, nonbinary protagonist,
This middle grade biography stands out for being written by Ride’s partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy, and being full of photographs of Ride’s life, as well as lovely domestic details about their life together.
