All Ages
16 Great LGBTQIA+ Books for Kids and Teens
by Denise Schipani
There was a time when LGBTQIA+ parents and children had a hard time finding their family’s faces and feelings in the pages of children’s and young adult books. No more. Ever since Heather Has Two Mommies appeared on shelves in 1989, more books, geared to everyone from the youngest tots to questioning tweens and teens (not to mention to their parents), are filling the gap and helping families grow in understanding.
And of course, these books aren’t just for families with a direct connection to LGBTQIA+ issues; everyone can use these books’ messages of unconditional love and acceptance.
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My Two Moms and Me
Also available from:This sweet board book features a diverse array of families with lesbian mothers going about their daily routines, including playdates, pool-dates, and bedtime reading. Published in 2019 with artwork by an acclaimed fashion illustrator, it’s a welcome follow-up to Heather Has Two Mommies. Don’t miss My Two Dads and Me by the same creators!
(Ages 0 – 3)Also available from: -
Daddy, Papa, and Me
Also available from:Like the above author-illustrator duo, Leslea Newman and Carol Thompson add their unique touch to the rainbow-family compendium with Daddy, Papa, and Me and Mommy, Mama, and Me. Rhythmic text and charming illustrations make these board books a must-have for all families.
(Ages 0 – 3)Also available from: -
Auntie Uncle
Also available from:This moving picture book is narrated by a young boy who adores his auntie uncle, who goes to work as Uncle Leo and performs drag as Auntie Lotta. When Auntie Lotta saves the day during a Pride parade and isn’t sure how to present while accepting a medal from the mayor, the narrator helps his auntie uncle find a look that honors both sides of their beloved self.
(Ages 3 – 7)Also available from: -
The Adventures of Honey & Leon
Also available from:Theater and film star Alan Cumming and his husband Grant Shaffer were inspired to chronicle the adventures of their rescue dogs during their dads’ travels. It turns out, Honey and Leon tail their dads and rescue them at every turn. Their adventures continue in the Scotland-based sequel, Honey & Leon Take the High Road.
(Ages 3 – 7)Also available from: -
Julián Is a Mermaid
Also available from:This gorgeous Stonewall Award-winning picture book stars Julián, a child coming to understand their gender nonconformity after a joyful encounter with three women dressed as shimmering mermaids. Julián fantasizes about dressing up like a mermaid too, and wonders what his Abuela will make of it in this celebration of self-love and individuality.
(Ages 4 – 8)Also available from: -
I Am Jazz
Also available from:With clarity and insight, Jazz Jennings shares her story of realizing at a very young age that, though she was being raised as a boy, she was truly a girl. An essential read for children and families of all experiences, I Am Jazz has an empowering message of celebrating what makes us unique and respecting everyone’s differences.
(Ages 4 – 8)Also available from: -
Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag
Also available from:Young readers can now learn the momentous and inspiring story of the Gay Pride Flag, created in 1978 by social activist Harvey Milk and designer Gilbert Baker. More than a history, Pride vibrantly illuminates the reach and timelessness of the rainbow flag, a global symbol of equality and inclusion.
(Ages 5 – 8)Also available from: -
Stonewall: A Building, an Uprising, a Revolution
Also available from:Pride author Rob Sanders adds another title to the LGBTQ+ historical canon with Stonewall, the moving story of the 1969 police raid and ensuing protests that played a crucial role in the gay civil rights movement. Narrated by the Stonewall Inn itself, this accessible and empowering book is an essential piece of pride history.
(Ages 5 – 8)Also available from: -
The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher
Also available from:The Fletchers are no different from any modern American family — four brothers, various pets (some possibly imaginary), soccer, plays, and pesky neighbors. The fact that the fathers are gay and a few of the brothers are adopted? That’s just background, showing readers without telling them that there as many definitions of family as there are families.
(Ages 8 – 10)Also available from: -
Zenobia July
Also available from:Zenobia July is a hacking and coding prodigy who’s attending a new school as a girl for the first time. Though she’s recently lost her family of origin, she creates a chosen family in the LGBTQ+ community. Bunker’s also the author of Felix Yz, an imaginative story with several characters who are queer and gender fluid.
(Ages 10+)Also available from: -
The Whispers
Also available from:A fantastical coming-of-age story about loss, friendship, and identity, The Whispers centers around 11-year-old Riley, who believes in wish-granting fairies known as the whispers. Riley embarks on a journey with his friend Gary to find the whispers and ask for his mom to return, and maybe also for his crush Dylan to like him back.
(Ages 10+)Also available from: -
Middle School’s a Drag, You Better Werk!
Also available from:Another excellent middle grade novel from the author of The Whispers, this one follows entrepreneurial 12-year-old Mikey Pruitt as he starts his own talent agency and represents clients in the leadup to the big talent show. Among his roster is eighth-grader Julian Vasquez — drag queen name Coco Caliente — who helps Mikey see that he, too, can be openly gay at school.
(Ages 10+)Also available from: -
To Night Owl From Dogfish
Also available from:This epistolary novel co-written by two powerhouse authors captures the budding friendship between bookish Avery Bloom and fearless Bett Devlin, whose dads fall in love and send them to sleepaway camp to get to know each other. Witty and heartwarming, To Night Owl From Dogfish subtly portrays two modern families on their way to becoming one.
(Ages 10+)Also available from: -
We Are Okay
Also available from:Marin left her old life in California for college in New York without a word to anyone who knew her. Then a visit from Mabel, her former best friend and maybe-something-more, forces Marin to confront the sad and painful memories that led to her leaving everything behind.
(Young Adult)Also available from: -
Darius the Great Is Not Okay
Also available from:Darius, a lonely half-Persian boy with an affinity for Star Trek, travels to Iran to meet his mother’s family for the first time. There, he falls in love: with the city of Yazd, his grandparents, and his new friend, Sohrab.
(Young Adult)Also available from: -
Hot Dog Girl
Also available from:In this quirky and queer rom-com novel set in an amusement park, Lou falls head over heels for Nick the Diving Pirate. Too bad Nick has a girlfriend who is the princess of the park and Lou is, well, a giant dancing hot dog. Things get messy when Lou concocts a scheme to break up the couple, dragging her best friend Seely down with her.
(Young Adult)Also available from:
