Just because June is over, it doesn’t mean that Pride is! Celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community is a year-round event, and the conversations on the history, culture, and lives of queer and trans folks should not be confined to a single month. In that spirit, we wanted to highlight a few excellent new and recently-released books for children and teens that explore queer stories and the LGBTQIA+ community. Read on to help fill your young readers’ TBRs with a little bit of Pride!
Picture Books
Make Your Own Rainbow: A Drag Queen’s Guide to Color by Lil Miss Hot Mess, Illustrated by Olga de Dios
The wonderful team behind The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish and If You’re a Drag Queen and You Know It are back with this vibrant look at the rainbow beyond the standard ROYGBIV. Featuring a diverse collection of drag performers (many of whom fans of the previous books will recognize), the book delves into the hues between colors such as cobalt, marigold, and onyx, while imparting the welcome lesson that people, like colors, are each their own shade of fabulousness.
The Big Day: A GIANT Celebration of Love by Rachel Plummer, Illustrated by Forrest Burdett
When a child receives a wedding invitation from two betrothed giants, they are surprised yet excited. Attending the blessed event means meeting all sorts of mystical and magical creatures, partaking in delicious fairy tale snacks, and enjoying the happy occasion of the couple tying the knot. Still, the kiddo is puzzled: why invite them? One of the grooms is happy to explain. A charming ode to love in all its forms (and sizes), this one will leave readers with the warm fuzzies.
O.K. Is Gay by Vincent X. Kirsch
Olivio Kipling — who goes by O.K. — is anxious yet delighted to tell all of his friends his big news: he and George are in love. However, each time he approaches a pal to come out (“I am gay and…”), they interrupt him with a fun fact they know about him, from his love of badminton to his pet tarantula, Hairy. O.K. is frustrated that his friends won’t let him declare his love for George, but he’ll quickly discover that his friends were finding a way to show their support all along.
Middle Grade
Mountain Upside Down by Sara Ryan
Just as 13-year-old Alex Eager works up the courage to tell her lifelong bestie PJ that she likes her as more than a friend (which PJ reciprocates), everything in Alex’s life seems primed to fall apart. Her grandmother is becoming increasingly forgetful, her beloved local library is facing funding cuts, and PJ announces that her family is moving away. A tale of family secrets and growing up is infused with a tender queer love story for a coming-of-age title that will appeal to any youngsters approaching their teenage years.
A Year of Pride and Joy: LGBTQ+ Voices Share Their Life Passions, ed. by Simon James Green, Illustrated by Ruth Burrows
Providing role models for young queer and trans folks is one of the best ways to help them better understand their identities and community, and this fantastic compendium of letters from LGBTQIA+ icons is here to do just that. Speaking directly to readers, queer folks from all walks of life — athletes, artists, scientists, entrepreneurs, advocates, and more — discuss the things that bring them joy, from the love of knitting to pet care to helping others.
The Queens’ English: The Young Readers’ LGBTQIA+ Dictionary of Lingo and Colloquial Phrases by Chloe O. Davis
Adapted from Davis’s adult title of the same name, this deep dive into the terms and colloquialisms of the LGBTQIA+ community provides an alphabetized list of both the definitions and origins of hundreds of words and phrases. While slang dictionaries are apt to age quickly, this collection provides valuable insight into the histories behind words like “queer,” “drag,” “femme,” and “enby,” while also acting as a resource for information on sadly persistent issues such as bi/pan erasure, acephobia, and discrimination.
Tales from Beyond the Rainbow: Ten LGBTQ+ Fairy Tales Proudly Reclaimed by Pete Jordi Wood
The fairytales presented to children are often those that paint a heteronormative world, something that this collection for middle grade readers seeks to rectify. Collecting and retelling stories from a variety of global cultures — including India, Germany, Cape Verde, Canada, and China — Wood tells tales of adventure, courage, cunning, and identity that center queer and trans characters, with each tale accompanied by illustrations from an artist whose heritage reflects the folktale’s origin.
Athlete Is Agender: True Stories of LGBTQ+ People in Sports, ed. by Katherine Locke and Nicole Melleby, Illustrated by Jess Vosseteig
Those looking for queer and trans sports role models need look no further than this fantastic collection, which combines profiles of groundbreaking LGBTQIA+ athletes such as Billie Jean King and Carl Nassib with first-person essays by current stars such as CeCé Telfer and Adam Rippon, as well as reflections by contributors such as em dickson and Erik J. Brown on how athletics can help affirm gender identity and create queer joy. Including information on Title IX, discrimination in sports, and resources for aspiring LGBTQIA+ athletes, this title is a can’t-miss for any young sports fan.
Who Is Amy Schneider? Questions on Growing Up, Being Curious, and Winning It Big on Jeopardy! by Amy Schneider
As an eighth-grader, Amy Schneider was voted “Most Likely to Appear on Jeopardy”; years later, she walked away from a forty-show Jeopardy winning streak with $1.3 million. With an encouraging and approachable tone, Schneider speaks to young readers about her journey along the way: her love of (and knack for) learning, the adjustments of her ADD diagnosis, the complex emotions of her gender transition, and the euphoria of paving the way as a visible trans icon on national television, in this young reader’s adaptation of her autobiography, In the Form of a Question.
Teen
Trans History: From Ancient Times to the Present Day by Alex L. Combs and Andrew Eakett
How long have trans people been around? A lot longer than many might be aware. With this in mind, trans artists Combs and Eakett present a beautifully illustrated and thoroughly researched look at trans history, from ancient times to the modern day. Historical figures such as Antonio de Erauso, Lili Elbe, and Christine Jorgensen are given profiles, while trans theory and history overall are explored, asking important questions like “What does the story reveal about the point of view of whoever recorded it?”
Generation Queer: Stories of Youth Organizers, Artists, and Educators by Kimm Topping, Illustrated by Anshika Khullar
In an age in which activism and advocacy have become a daily conversation, many young readers are wondering how they can get involved with the issues important to them. This wonderful title acts as both a guidebook for young activists as well as a biographical look at thirty queer and trans organizers, artists, and educations who paved — and are paving — the way for the next generation. This encouraging title explores the many ways that young LGBTQIA+ folks can contribute to advocacy, from art to civic engagement to visibility.
The Art of Drag by Jake Hall, Illustrated by Helen Li, Sofie Birkin, and Jasjyot Singh Hans
It’s an art, it’s a culture, it’s a lifestyle, it’s a community; drag is all these things and so much more. A deep dive into the history of drag, from its ancient origins, ties to global theatrical art forms, ballroom culture, activism, all the way to RuPaul’s Drag Race and beyond. Showing drag’s deep ties to both the LGBTQIA+ community and the history of humankind in general, colorful illustrations and fascinating text illuminate the fact that drag has always been here, and always will be.
We hope that you and the young readers in your life enjoy these books and that they inspire you to keep the celebration of Pride and the LGBTQIA+ community going year-round! Happy reading!
Looking for more Pride-ful books for young bookworms? Check out our article on Picture Books That Will Get Little Readers Excited for Pride.
For all of our reading recommendations for mini bookworms, check out our Bookshop bookshelf.
