We want to take a second to highlight some great books with trans characters by trans authors. Since books with trans representation are often the target of banning books, it’s important that we uplift trans authors and their works to keep their stories heard and circulating.
Light from Uncommon Stars By Ryka Aoki
Katrina Nguyen is the last piece of the puzzle Shizuka Satomi needs to complete her deal with the devil to deliver seven souls of violin prodigies in order to escape total damnation. When Shizuka hears Katrina playing, she knows she’s the seventh candidate. Then she meets Lan Tran, an interstellar refugee working at a donut shop, and now she must reassess her priorities. Shizuka is finding new value in a soul as Katrina is trying to navigate a hostile world that doesn’t see her as a woman. Full of delicious food, heartwarming connections, and equal amounts of heartbreak, Aoki delivers a beautiful ode to queer and Asian communities.
“With no need for a beginning, nor any reason to end, the music continues. And so, no matter who you are, where you came from, what sins you have committed or hurt you have endured… when you are alone and there is no universe left to remember you. You can always, always rewrite your song.”
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
Determined for his traditional Latinx family that is struggling to accept his real gender to see him as a real brujo, Yadriel performs a ritual to summon the ghost of his murdered cousin. Instead, he accidentally summons Julian Diaz, the resident bad boy, who isn’t going to go quietly. Yadriel agrees to team up to find out what happened and tie up Julian’s loose ends, but the more time he spends, the more he doesn’t want Julian to leave. This wholesome, heartwrenching YA novel with a brilliantly crafted romance is irresistible.
Mark Oshiro, author of Anger is a Gift
“This stunning debut novel from Thomas is detailed, heart-rending, and immensely romantic. I was bawling by the end of it, but not from sadness: I just felt so incredibly happy that this queer Latinx adventure will get to be read by other kids. Cemetery Boys is necessary: for trans kids, for queer kids, for those in the Latinx community who need to see themselves on the page. Don’t miss this book.”
A World Worth Saving by Kyle Lukoff
Lukoff gives us a fresh, action-packed take on Jewish mythology starring a young trans boy in his new middle-grade fantasy novel. In it, we follow A, who’s at the lowest point in his life after coming out as trans during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. What he dreads most isn’t online school but the Save Our Sons and Daughters (SOSAD) meetings every week that his parents drag him to, where they constantly deadname him and talk about the “transgender craze.” When one of his friends at the meeting, Yarrow, vanishes, he discovers a shocking secret: SOSAD is run by actual demons who feed off the pain and misery of kids like him! Now, A must save his friend and the world. While it’s a middle-grade adventure novel, it touches on themes of transphobia, climate change, and Jewish identity that would appeal to readers of all ages.
“This MG/YA cusp is perfect for middle schoolers who like a certain amount of banter, humor and whimsy in their fiction, but also need something immediate, thoughtful, tuned-in and political to meet them where they are as growing young minds.”
Hal Schrieve, Goodreads
If I Can Give You That by Michael Gray Bulla
Please See TW/CWs for this as it features content related to suicide.
This YA coming-of-age novel about a trans boy is perfect for fans of Mason Deaver and Kacen Callender. Gael is used to keeping to himself, but when his best friend convinces him to go to his town’s local LGBTQ+ teen support group, he agrees, even though he knows he won’t share much. But there, he meets Declan, along with a friend group that makes it easy for him to open up. As he finds himself growing closer to Declan, his estranged father returns, and his mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse. After tragedy strikes, Gael must ask himself if he can risk letting his walls down to let in the people he loves.
Quiet and understated, If I Can Give You That is an incredibly important book about self-acceptance, learning to trust others, and coping with the extreme stress of growing up with a parent with severe depression and suicide ideation.
Lily Heron, Goodreads
Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker & Illustrated by Wendy Xu
Mooncakes is the perfect graphic novel for anyone wanting a queer, feel-good, cozy witch fantasy! When a young witch follows a white wolf into the forest, the last thing she expects is to see her childhood friend fighting a horse demon. Nova, the young witch, lives with her grandmothers, who are also witches, after her parents passed. And Tam is a nonbinary werewolf who’s run away from their less-than-accepting family. They are being pursued by a dark force bent on taking the magic of wolves, so Tam has no choice but to turn to Nova for help. For those seeking a diverse story filled with intersectional identities and great friends-to-lovers romance, this is for you!
“Mooncakes is spellbinding. It had everything I love in a story–magic that felt inventive, characters that became my friends, and a romance that felt truly authentic. It was one of those books that I was sad to see end. Luckily, I can always reread.”
Tillie Walden, author of On a Sunbeam and Spinning
Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars by Kai Cheng Thom
Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl’s Confabulous Memoir is a coming-of-age memoir about a young Asian trans girl who strikes off on her own after running away from her abusive home. On her journey, she meets a group of trans femmes who become her new home. Thom deconstructs the memoir in this fictionalized account full of ghosts, spells, mermaids, and killer bees. At its heart, Fierce Femmes is about finding and learning to fight for yourself.
“A fairy tale, a love story, and a love letter from one trans woman of colour to other trans women and femmes of colour.”
GUTS
Master of One by Jaida Jones & Dani Bennett
If Six of Crows and The Cruel Prince had a child, Master of One would be their book baby. We follow Rags, a thief who’s been caught by the Queensguard and charged with finding an ancient relic for the Queen’s sorcerer. During his quest, he forms a ragtag group, including an ex-Queensgaurd, a trans actress, a banished former court lady, a disabled prince, and a fae warrior. This book is filled with sorcery, adventure, and of course, a queer slow-burn romance.
“By the end, readers will be itching for more… A captivating and satisfying queer fantasy.”
Kirkus Reveiws
Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa
Most Ardently is a part of the Remixed Classics series from Macmillan and a Stonewall Honor, which reimagines Pride and Prejudice with Oliver Bennet, a young trans boy who feels trapped in the endless social scene of London in 1812 and the increasing pressure of entertaining suitors. By day, people know him as someone named “Elizabeth,” but at night, he sneaks out of his family’s home dressed as a gentleman. During one of these outings, he meets Darcy, a handsome young man who’s been rude to “Elizabeth.” As Oliver spends more time as his true self and with Darcy, he thinks a life of love and as man may be possible. But suitors are growing bolder, and as the pressure to get engaged reaches a boiling point, Oliver must decide if he will choose the safety and security of pretending to be someone he’s not or risk it all to embrace his true self and finally be free.
“This triumphant queer and trans retelling of Pride and Prejudice holds and cares for its readers, offering a gentle story during an especially difficult period in history for those outside the norm. The relationship between Darcy and Oliver is tender and rooted in mutual compassion. For every reader who fell in love with Pride and Prejudice but wished it was a little more queer.”
Booklist
These books aim to normalize trans experiences and individuals, and by reading them, you also support trans authors! The eight titles cover a myriad of genres and topics and even some award winners, so there is something for everyone!
For recommendations for books with trans women protagonists, click here!
Be sure to check out our LGBTQ Voices shelf on Bookshop for more!
