Our extensive selection of new and forthcoming LGBTQ books for young readers, published in honor of Pride Month in June, includes a wide range of voices and genres, including a picture book about a transgender child’s journey; a middle grade novel about a girl who is grappling with her faith and sexuality; the conclusion to a YA graphic novel duology about a college hockey player; and many others.
Picture Books
Auntie Uncle
Ellie Royce, illus. by Hannah Chambers. POW Kids, May. Ages 3–7.
Told from the perspective of an adoring nephew, this book spotlights a courageous drag queen who saves the day by bringing two communities together.
Be Amazing: A History of Pride
Desmond is Amazing, illus. by Dylan Glynn. FSG, May. Ages 3–6.
The 12-year-old social justice advocate offers an introduction to the history of the fight for LGBTQ rights, as well as a call to action on embracing your own uniqueness.
Ellen DeGeneres (People of Pride series)
Little Bee Books, illus. by Victoria Grace Elliott. Little Bee Books/GLAAD, Mar. Ages 2–5.
This board book celebrates the accomplishments of LGBTQ activist and comedian DeGeneres.
The Fighting Infantryman
Rob Sanders, illus. by Ali Nabi. Little Bee Books, June. Ages 6–9.
This timely story shows a transgender soldier's personal bravery as he faced daring challenges on the battlefield and privately fought the restrictions and confines of gender.
The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish
Lil Miss Hot Mess, illus. by Olga de Dios. Running Press, May. Ages 4–8.
Playing off “The Wheels on the Bus,” this nursery rhyme book from a founder of Drag Queen Story Hour is a freewheeling celebration of being your most fabulous self. For our close-up on drag queen stories for young readers, click here.
I’m Not a Girl: A Transgender Story
Maddox Lyons and Jessica Verdi, illus. by Dana Simpson. Roaring Brook, May. Ages 3–7.
This picture book is based on the true transgender identity journey of a boy who is determined to be himself and get the haircut he has always wanted.
Mayor Pete: The Story of Pete Buttigieg
Rob Sanders, illus. by Levi Hastings. Holt, May. Ages 4–8.
This picture book biography tells the story of Pete Buttigieg, the first openly gay man to run for the Democratic presidential nomination and the first millennial ever to enter the race.
My Maddy
Gayle Pitman, illus. by Violet Tobacco. APA/Magination, May. Ages 4–8.
This picture book celebrates gender diverse parents, including nonbinary and transgender people.
Papa, Daddy, and Riley
Seamus Kirst, illus. by Devon Holzwarth. APA/Magination, May. Ages 4–8.
When Riley’s classmate asks her which of her fathers is her real one, Riley is confused because she doesn’t want to pick one or the other.
Fran Manushkin, illus. by Kate Alizadeh. Dial, Apr. Ages 2–5.
Two mothers spend a sunny day with their toddler in this rhyming picture book celebration of family.
Pride 1 2 3
Michael Joosten, illus. by Wednesday Holmes. Little Simon, May. Ages 2 and up.
This counting book that teaches kids about the Pride Parade features a diverse cast of characters and families, celebrating the LGBTQ community and standing up for who you are.
The One and Only Dylan St. Claire
Kamen Edwards, illus. by Jeffrey Ebbeler. Doubleday, May. Ages 3–7.
Dylan is getting ready to audition for the school play and he’s got his sights set on playing the star. But when he ends up being cast as a squirrel, the real theatrics begin.
Uncle Bobby’s Wedding
Sarah Brannen, illus. by Lucia Soto. Little Bee Books/GLAAD, May. Ages 3–6.
Chloe's favorite uncle is getting married, and she's not happy about it. But after a magical day with Uncle Bobby and his boyfriend, Jamie, Chloe realizes she's not losing an uncle, but gaining one.
Were I Not a Girl: The Inspiring and True Story of Dr. James Barry
Lisa Robin, illus. by Lauren Simkin Berke. Ages 4–8
This unique picture book biography tells the story of Barry, born female, who lived as a man from age 18 to his death.
Zero Local: Next Stop: Kindness
Ethan Murrow and Vita Murrow. Candlewick, Apr. Ages 4–8.
Train riders are accustomed to stressful delays on the Zero Local line. But when a new nonbinary passenger shows gratitude to the driver on their daily commute, tensions begin to ease.
Middle Grade
Beetle & the Hollowbones
Aliza Layne. Atheneum, July. Ages 8–12.
From the nonbinary Blob Ghost to a tender crush between witches, this LGBTQ-positive story is set in the eerie town of ’Allows, where some people get to be magical sorceresses, and others have their spirits trapped in the mall for all eternity.
Doodleville
Chad Sell. Knopf, June. Ages 8–12.
An eccentric group of young artists, including a nonbinary and a gender non-conforming character, must work together when one of their own creations becomes a monster.
A High Five for Glenn Burke
Phil Bildner. FSG, Feb. Ages 10–13.
Bildner's novel weaves the real history of Los Angeles Dodger and Oakland Athletic Glenn Burke, the first professional baseball player to come out as gay, into the story of a middle-school learning to be himself.
In the Role of Brie Hutchens...
Nicole Melleby. Algonquin, June. Ages 10 and up.
Middle schooler Brie wrestles with her Catholic faith and sexual identity, turning to soap operas and searching for reliable role models while developing her first crush on a girl. To see our Q&A with Melleby, click here.
Proud to Play
Erin Silver. Lorimer, May. Ages 10 and up.
A collection of profiles about the accomplishments of LGBTQ athletes in Canada, addressing the topic of homophobia in professional sports.
Rainbow Revolutions: Power, Pride, and Protest in the Fight for Queer Rights
Jamie Lawson, illus. by Eve Lloyd Knight. Interlink, May. Ages 11 and up.
This book charts the dramatic rise of the LGBTQ rights movement, and celebrates the courageous individuals who stood up and demanded recognition.
Alex Gino. Scholastic Press, Apr. Ages 8–12.
This standalone companion to George tells the story of a boy named Rick who needs to explore his own identity apart from his jerk of a best friend.
Second Dad Summer
Benjamin Klas, illus. by Fian Arroyo. Red Chair/One Elm, May. Ages 9–13.
Jeremiah just wants to have a normal summer with his father. But when his dad moves in with his new boyfriend Michael, Jeremiah feels invisible. Jeremiah soon learns that family comes in many surprising forms.
Songs Only I Can Hear
Barry Jonsberg. Simon & Schuster, Apr. Ages 8–12.
When Rob starts getting mysterious text messages from an unknown number with challenges designed to push him out of his comfort zone, he has to decide: stay under the radar, or risk having his gender identity exposed in a way he’s not prepared for.
The Derby Daredevils: Kenzie Kickstarts a Team
Kit Rosewater and Sophie Escabasse. Abrams, Mar. Ages 8–12.
Kenzie develops a crush on another girl on the roller derby team and unintentionally reveals her true feelings.
The List of Things That Will Not Change
Rebecca Stead. Wendy Lamb, Apr. Ages 8–12.
When Bea’s father tells her that he and his boyfriend are getting married, Bea learns that making a new family brings questions, surprises, and joy. Bea’s family may change, but their love for each other does not.
Young Adult
A Wicked Magic
Sasha Laurens. Razorbill, July. Ages 14 and up.
Modern witches Dan and Liss set out to save teens who were stolen by an ancient demon. Along with newcomer Alexa, a lesbian girl with secrets of her own, they must attempt to put an end to the darkness they’ve awakened.
Again Again
E. Lockhart. Delacorte, June. Ages 12 and up.
After a near-fatal family catastrophe and an unexpected romantic upheaval, Adelaide Buchwald finds herself catapulted into a summer of wild possibility, while finally confronting secrets and ideas about love.
All Boys Aren’t Blue
George M. Johnson. FSG, Apr. Ages 14–18.
In a series of personal essays, journalist and LGBTQ activist Johnson explores his childhood and adolescence growing up as a gay black man. To see our Q&A with Johnson, click here.
Always Human
Ari North. Little Bee Books/Yellow Jacket/GLAAD, June. Ages 12 and up.
North's graphic novel is about a developing relationship between two young women in a near-future, sci-fi setting.
Burn Our Bodies Down
Rory Power. Delacorte, July. Ages 14 and up.
A twisty thriller about a queer girl whose past has always been a mystery, until she decides to return to her mother's hometown—where history has a tendency to repeat itself.
Camp
L.C. Rosen. Little, Brown, May. Ages 14 and up.
Randy Kapplehoff loves spending the summer at Camp Outland, a camp for queer teens where he takes to the stage in the big musical. This year, Randy is determined to get his crush to notice him, even if it means reinventing himself as ‘Del’—buff, masculine, and on the market.
Cemetery Boys
Aiden Thomas. Swoon Reads, June. Ages 13–18.
In this LGBTQ paranormal YA novel, a trans boy determined to prove his gender to his conservative Latinx family summons a ghost who refuses to leave.
Cinderella Is Dead
Kalynn Bayron. Bloomsbury, July. Ages 13–up.
Two hundred years after Cinderella found her prince, teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball to be wed to a man of the kingdom, but Sophia would rather marry her best friend Erin. When Sophia accidentally runs into the last known descendant of Cinderella, together they vow to bring down the king.
Kevin van Whye. Random House, Apr. Ages 14 and up.
Everyone knows about the dare: each week, Bryson Keller must date someone new—the first person to ask him out on Monday morning. Until a boy asks him out, and everything changes.
Kacen Callender. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, May. Ages 14 and up.
A YA novel about a transgender teen grappling with identity and self-discovery while falling in love for the first time. To see our Q&A with Callender, click here.
Free to Be Me: An LGBTQ+ Journal of Love, Pride, & Finding Your Inner Rainbow
Dom&Ink. Penguin Workshop, Apr. Ages 12 and up.
Features color illustrations timed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Pride march, alongside activities paired with stories of LGBTQ history from antiquity to the present.
Katie Heaney. Knopf, Apr. Ages 12 and up.
This queer romance from the author of the adult memoirs Never Have I Ever and Would You Rather is about falling in love and never quite falling out of it—heartbreak, unexpected new crushes, and all. To see our Q&A with Heaney, click here.
Melissa Bashardoust. Flatiron, May. Ages 12–18.
Bashardoust’s YA coming-of-age fairy tale puts a modern spin on the Persian epic the Shahnameh. Cursed from birth, Soraya must decide whether she’s ready to accept her own destiny, all while falling for female div Parvaneh and deciding what price she’s willing to pay for freedom.
Heart of Flames
Nicki Pau Preto. Simon Pulse, Feb. Ages 12 and up.
Veronyka, posing as a boy named Nyk, begins to fall for the general’s pansexual son Tristan, while along with Sev must stop the advancing empire from destroying the Phoenix Riders, in this sequel to Crown of Feathers.
Heartstopper
Alice Oseman. Graphix, May. Ages 12 and up.
This coming-of-age story explores friendship, love, and coming out.
Hello Now
Jenny Valentine. Philomel, Mar. Ages 12 and up.
Valentine tells the metaphysical love story of Novo—a boy who defies logic and time itself—and a genderless protagonist named Jude.
Home Home
Lisa Allen-Agostini. Delacorte, May. Ages 14 and up.
A girl on the verge of losing herself goes to live with her aunt and her partner on the unlikely journey to recovery after she is removed from everyone she knows to be home.
I Kissed Alice
Anna Birch, illus. by Victoria Ying. Imprint, May. Ages 14–18.
An #OwnVoices LGBTQ romance that’s not a coming-out story but a lighthearted rom-com about two girls falling in love.
Ironspark
C.M. McGuire. Swoon Reads, Aug. Ages 13–18.
Teen outcast Bryn must work together with new friends to keep her family and town safe from murderous Fae while also dealing with panic attacks, family issues, and a lesbian love triangle.
Kelly Quindlen. Roaring Brook, Apr. Ages 12–18.
Every young wallflower has imagined starting over as the life of the party, and lesbian teen Codi Teller gets a taste of that dream—until she finds out that it’s more complicated than she expected.
Look
Zan Romanoff. Dial, Mar. Ages 14 and up.
When “It” girl Lulu meets Cass, Cass isn’t interested in looking at Lulu’s life, only in living in it. But just because Lulu has stepped out of the spotlight doesn’t mean it’ll stop following her every move.
Pocket Change Collective: Beyond the Gender Binary
Alok Vaid-Menon. Penguin Workshop, June. Ages 12 and up.
Poet, artist, and LGBTQ rights advocate Vaid-Menon reimagines the gender binary and challenges the world to see gender not in black and white, but in full color.
Pocket Change Collective: The New Queer Conscience
Adam Eli. Penguin Workshop, June. Ages 12 and up.
Voices4 Founder and LGBTQ activist Eli offers a candid and compassionate introduction to queer responsibility.
Short Stuff
Ed. by Alysia Constantine. Duet, June. Ages 12 and up.
A YA anthology featuring four LGBTQ romance tales by authors Alysia Constantine, Julia Ember, Kate Fierro, and Jude Sierra.
Some Kind of Animal
Maria Romasco-Moore. Delacorte, Aug. Ages 14 and up.
A story about two girls with a secret no one would ever believe, sexuality that is in question, and the wild, desperate lengths they will go to protect each other from the outside world.
Somebody Told Me
Mia Siegert. Lerner/Carolrhoda Lab, Apr. Ages 13–14.
After an assault, bigender Aleks/Alexis is looking for a fresh start, which prompts them to move in with their Catholic priest uncle. In their new home, the teen accidentally overhears another priest’s confession of sexual abuse.
Sticks and Scones (Check, Please! #2)
Ngozi Ukazu. First Second, Apr. Ages 14–18.
In the conclusion of this graphic novel duology about Bitty, the figure skater turned collegiate hockey player finds the love of his life and friendships of a lifetime during his time on the Samwell University hockey team.
Stuck Rubber Baby (25th Anniversary Edition)
Howard Cruse. First Second, May. Ages 16 and up.
This reissued graphic novel draws on Cruse’s experience coming of age and coming out in 1960s Birmingham, Ala.
Sullivan Sisters
Kathryn Ormsbee. Simon & Schuster, May. Ages 12 and up.
From the author of Tash Hearts Tolstoy comes a novel starring a queer character, about sisterhood, coming of age, and learning that it’s never too late to reconnect with those you love.
The Black Flamingo
Dean Atta. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, May. Ages 14 and up.
A fierce coming-of-age verse novel about identity and the power of drag, from U.K. poet and performer Dean Atta. To see our Q&A with Atta, click here.
The Boy in the Red Dress
Kristen Lambert. Viking, May. Ages 12 and up.
In New Orleans’s French Quarter circa 1929, Millie, a bisexual teen, races against the clock to prove that her best friend—and star drag performer—is innocent of murder.
The Circus Rose
Betsy Cornwell. Clarion, June. Ages 12 and up.
In this queer retelling of “Snow White and Rose Red,” twins battle religious extremists to save their loves and circus family.
TJ Klune. Tor Teen, May. Ages 13–18.
A queer coming-of-age story about Nick Bell, a fanfiction writer with ADHD, and the superheroes he loves.
The Fell of Dark
Caleb Roehrig. Feiwel and Friends, July. Ages 13–18.
What’s a boy to do—in this YA paranormal romance with LGBTQ themes—when his crush is a hot vampire with a mystery to solve?
The Friend Scheme
Cale Dietrich. Feiwel and Friends, May. Ages 13–18.
Part thriller, part romance, this #OwnVoices YA novel is about the spark between the son of a mobster and the son of the police commissioner, who carries a secret.
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea
Maggie Tokuda Hall. Candlewick, May. Ages 14 and up.
In a world divided by colonialism and threaded with magic, a desperate orphan-turned-pirate named Flora and a rebellious imperial lady find a romantic connection on the high seas.
The Summer of Everything
Julian Winters. Duet, Aug. Ages 12 and up.
Comic book geek Wes Hudson looks to save his beloved Santa Monica indie bookstore while juggling the stresses of his upcoming first year of college, sibling stress, and a crush on his best friend Nico.
The Queer Eye Guide: How to Love Yourself the Fab Five Way
Illus. by Dale Edwin Murray. Penguin Workshop, May. Ages 12 and up.
This detailed guide aims to help LGBTQ middle schoolers and high schoolers survive adolescence, with tips from The Fab Five.
This Coven Won’t Break
Isabel Sterling. Razorbill, May. Ages 12 and up.
In the sequel to These Witches Don’t Burn, Hannah must work alongside her new girlfriend to take down the Hunters desperate to steal her magic.
You Brought Me the Ocean
Alex Sanchez, illus. by Julie Maroh. DC, June. Ages 14 and up.
Jake hasn’t swum since his father drowned, yet he yearns for the ocean and is determined to leave his hometown. But Jake is full of secrets, including glowing blue markings on his skin and a crush on Kenny, the swim team captain.
You Should See Me in a Crown
Leah Johnson. Scholastic Press, June. Ages 12–18.
In a last-ditch effort to get out of her small town, Liz Lighty pursues her school’s prom queen scholarship. But falling for the competition brings a new set of complications.
Jennifer Dugan. Putnam, Apr. Ages 12 and up.
Dugan’s sophomore novel is told in the dual points of view of two bisexual teens who meet at a comic convention “prom,” and fall in love in an indie comic book shop. To see our Q&A with Dugan, click here.
When You Get the Chance
Tom Ryan and Robin Stevenson. Running Press, May. Ages 13 and up.
Cousins Mark and Talia are stuck in a family lake house in the country after not seeing each other in years. They have almost nothing in common, except for the fact that they’re both queer and would rather be at a big-city Pride parade.
Sarah Gailey. Simon Pulse, Mar. Ages 14 and up.
High school senior Alexis learns that keeping her magic a secret is hard, but being in love with her best friend Roya is harder.
Where We Go from Here
Lucas Rocha, trans. from the Portuguese by Larissa Helena. Scholastic/Push, June. Ages 14 and up.
Rocha’s debut novel is about three gay friends in Brazil whose lives become intertwined in the face of HIV.
For more of our LGBTQ children’s book coverage, click here.
