children’s books

“The Girls” and “The Boys” Show the Power of Lifetime Friendships Across Difference

One of my favorite LGBTQ-inclusive picture books from the past few years has largely flown under the radar here in the U.S., so I’m mentioning it again just as a follow-up book comes out. The first book looks at the power of female friendships as it follows the intertwined stories of four girls from childhood into adulthood; the second follows four boys and gives us insight into not only male friendships, but also societal pressures around masculinity. There are queer characters in both, along with a message of unconditional allyship.

My Shadow Is Pink - Scott Stuart

“My Shadow Is Pink” Shows the Love of a Dad

A young child, assigned male at birth but whose “shadow is pink,” finds acceptance and love from his burly, masculine, blue-shadowed dad in a new picture book inspired by the author and his child’s real-life story.

George - Number 1 Challenged Book of 2020

Children’s Book with Transgender Protagonist Tops Most-Challenged List Again, Though Challenges to Antiracist Books Rise

For the third year in a row, George, a book about a transgender girl, topped the American Library Association’s (ALA’s) annual list of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books, and LGBTQ-themed books remained dominant among all the censorship attempts tracked by the ALA. Unlike in the previous few years, however, books with themes of race and racial justice, not LGBTQ themes and characters, made up the majority of books in the top 10. That’s still awful.

Picture books with transgender and/or nonbinary characters

25 Recent Picture Books with Transgender and Nonbinary Characters

Today is the Transgender Day of Visibility, so I’m celebrating by rounding up 25 (!) picture books with transgender and/or nonbinary characters that have been published in 2020 and 2021 alone. (I’ll also show you how to find older trans-inclusive kids’ books and ones for and about trans parents.)

Sam Is My Sister

“Sam Is My Sister” Shares a Boy’s Perspective of Having a Trans Sibling

In a new picture book by the real-life mother of a transgender daughter, a young boy isn’t quite sure what’s happening when his younger sibling, whom he thought was a boy, begins to want long hair and to wear dresses. The whole family learns together in this story that adds to the small number of picture books about transgender children and their siblings.

The Little Library

“The Little Library” and Its Nonbinary Librarian Are a Big Delight

I’ve long said we need more LGBTQ-inclusive kids’ books where the characters’ LGBTQ identities are incidental to the plot. A new picture book in a popular series takes just that approach with a delightful tale of a boy who “is a slow and careful reader” and a librarian (who happens to be nonbinary) helping him find just the right book for his interests.

What You Don't Know

A Gay, Black Boy Finds a Liberated Childhood

Life can be scary for a young, gay, Black boy growing up in a society full of fear and intolerance. The star of a new graphic novel, however, has the love of family, friends, and educators to help him navigate the challenges as he finds his empowered voice.

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