LGBTQ+ library
"Books are a critical part of proving to our LGBTQ students that we recognize and value them, and that we don’t question their right to exist in school or anywhere else. An individual teacher may not be able to change curriculum to include LGBTQ lives and learning, yet one teacher can choose books for a classroom or school library... The more difficult problem, for me, was where to put the books in our “genre-fied” library. Student input was key, as always. While students wanted the books to be visible, they didn’t want the books segregated in a separate section or stickered with a rainbow. LGBTQ is not a genre."
Vanessa Perez NCTE Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Advisory Committee. |
Books of Notable Mention...
Stonewall: The Definitive Story of the LGBTQ Rights Uprising that Changed America by: Martin Duberman
Unbound: Transgender Men and the Remaking of Identity by: Arlene Stein
And She Was by jessica verdi
When We Rise: My Life in the Movement by: Cleve Jones
A Quick & Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns by: Archie Bongiovanni
New Releases: LGBTQ+ Teen Books

Pumpkin: This year. Prom's a drag. By Julie Murphy
"Genuine, romantic, and with a dash of Texan charm, this is a novel that celebrates being who you are while also acknowledging that it’s incredibly difficult to do.” Ages: 13-17
"Genuine, romantic, and with a dash of Texan charm, this is a novel that celebrates being who you are while also acknowledging that it’s incredibly difficult to do.” Ages: 13-17

Felix Ever After By Kacen Callender
"From its stunning cover art to the rich, messy, nuanced narrative at its heart, this is an unforgettable story of friendship, heartbreak, forgiveness, and self-discovery, crafted by an author whose obvious respect for teen readers radiates from every page." Ages: 14-17
"From its stunning cover art to the rich, messy, nuanced narrative at its heart, this is an unforgettable story of friendship, heartbreak, forgiveness, and self-discovery, crafted by an author whose obvious respect for teen readers radiates from every page." Ages: 14-17

More Happy than Not By Adam Silvera
"A beautiful debut novel [that] manages a delicate knitting of class politics through an ambitious narrative about sexual identity and connection that considers the heavy weight and constructive value of traumatic memory . . . Aaron's Bronx universe [is captured] with a precision that feels at once dreamy and casually reportorial . . . Mandatory reading." Ages 14-17
"A beautiful debut novel [that] manages a delicate knitting of class politics through an ambitious narrative about sexual identity and connection that considers the heavy weight and constructive value of traumatic memory . . . Aaron's Bronx universe [is captured] with a precision that feels at once dreamy and casually reportorial . . . Mandatory reading." Ages 14-17

All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto By George M Johnson
"An exuberant, unapologetic memoir infused with a deep but cleareyed love for its subjects. Johnson lays bare the darkest moments in his life with wit and unflinching vulnerability, from the bullying he suffered as a child to the losses of his cousin—an early model for him of what a joyful queer life could look like—his fraternity brother and his grandmother, who died as Johnson was working on the book and whose presence looms largest in it."
Ages 14-18
"An exuberant, unapologetic memoir infused with a deep but cleareyed love for its subjects. Johnson lays bare the darkest moments in his life with wit and unflinching vulnerability, from the bullying he suffered as a child to the losses of his cousin—an early model for him of what a joyful queer life could look like—his fraternity brother and his grandmother, who died as Johnson was working on the book and whose presence looms largest in it."
Ages 14-18

You Should See Me in a Crown By Leah Johnson
"Johnson puts a fresh spin on this novel with an unlikely romance, heartwarming friendships, and the tension of being Black, poor, and queer in a small town. A feel-good title for sure." Ages 12-18
"Johnson puts a fresh spin on this novel with an unlikely romance, heartwarming friendships, and the tension of being Black, poor, and queer in a small town. A feel-good title for sure." Ages 12-18

Simon vs. the Homo Sapien Agenda By Becky Albertalli
"Rife with realistic, high school relationships and drama, with a laugh or two at every turn, this is a coming-of-age, coming-out, and defying-the-odds story with which many teens will identify."
Ages 14-17
"Rife with realistic, high school relationships and drama, with a laugh or two at every turn, this is a coming-of-age, coming-out, and defying-the-odds story with which many teens will identify."
Ages 14-17

Yesterday is History by Kosoko Jackson
"In a novel with exciting representation of a gay Black teen where identity isn't the issue, readers will appreciate the realistic nuance of Andre's frankness when talking about the White privilege Blake and his family exhibit that makes them unable to see how different and potentially dangerous time traveling is for a 17-year-old Black boy... A skillful and engrossing time-travel adventure." Ages 14-18
"In a novel with exciting representation of a gay Black teen where identity isn't the issue, readers will appreciate the realistic nuance of Andre's frankness when talking about the White privilege Blake and his family exhibit that makes them unable to see how different and potentially dangerous time traveling is for a 17-year-old Black boy... A skillful and engrossing time-travel adventure." Ages 14-18

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe By Benjamin Alire Saenz
"Ari’s first-person narrative—poetic, philosophical, honest—skillfully develops the relationship between the two boys from friendship to romance." Ages 12-17
"Ari’s first-person narrative—poetic, philosophical, honest—skillfully develops the relationship between the two boys from friendship to romance." Ages 12-17