children’s books

Kid Activists

New Middle-Grade Book Tells Childhood Stories of LGBTQ and Other Social Justice Activists

Every social justice hero was once a child. Some became activists as children; others did so as adults because of things they experienced when they were young. A new middle-grade book from the prolific Robin Stevenson explores the childhoods of activists in the LGBTQ, racial, disability, labor, immigrant, and women’s civil rights’ movements, among other areas, offering young readers both information and inspiration.

Julian Is a Mermaid

Author of “Julián Is a Mermaid” Wins Major U.K. Book Prize

Jessica Love, whose picture book Julián Is a Mermaid tells the story of a gender creative child and his grandmother, has won the 2019 Klaus Flugge Prize for “the most exciting and promising newcomer to children’s picture book illustration.”

Michaels Girls

Queer Children’s Comic Book Is a Time-Traveling Adventure

A new children’s comic book now being crowdfunded follows four sisters as they travel back in time to 1980s Paris on a mission to save their dads and the city itself in an alternate universe where love has become a crime.

Ghost's Journey

New Picture Book Tells Story of Two Gay Refugees–and Their Cat

In some parts of the world, being LGBTQ can mean being jailed or worse. That’s a weighty topic, but in a new children’s book, we learn of the struggles and resilience of a same-sex couple who fled Indonesia for fear of persecution. The secret to telling the tale in a compelling, age-appropriate manner? Their cat. Here’s a sneak peek.

Writing the Rainbow - Highlights Foundation

Want to Create LGBTQIA+ Picture Books? Learn from Luminaries in the Field!

Ever wanted to write or illustrate a children’s book with LGBTQIA+ characters or themes? Created one before, but want to improve your skills? I know some—perhaps many—of my readers can answer “yes”! Learn from two of the most prominent authors in the genre, Rob Sanders and Lesléa Newman, along with rising writer and entrepreneur medina, at an upcoming workshop hosted by the Highlights Foundation.

Orca Books

Creating Inclusive Children’s and Young Adult Books: One Publisher Shows How

Orca Book Publishers of British Columbia, Canada, is an independent publisher that has produced two of my recent favorite LGBTQ-inclusive children’s books: Pride Colors, by Robin Stevenson, a bright board book for the youngest tots, and A Plan for Pops, by Heather Smith and Brooke Kerrigan, a poignant story about a two-grandfather couple and their gender-ambiguous grandchild. Publisher and owner Andrew Wooldridge was kind enough to speak with me recently about the 35-year-old company and its goal of offering “reading material that represents the diversity of human experience to readers of all ages.”

LGBTQ Back-to-School Books

New LGBTQ Picture Books for Back-to-School

For back-to-school time, here are some new and soon-to-be-published picture books with LGBTQ and gender creative characters, all involving schools and classmates.

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