Staff Picks
Teen Books for Celebrating Pride Month
- Alex B.
- Wednesday, June 01, 2022
Collection
Great news: June is LGBTQIA+ month! Better news: queer representation in young adult literature flourishes year round. From gay time travel romance to LGBTQ+ history, queer representation can take many forms so there's something for everyone in the rainbow. Reading's a great way to feel affirmed in your identity. There's nothing so magical as seeing yourself represented in media.
Ace of Spades
Published in 2021
At Niveus Private Academy, Devon and Chiamaka are the only students chosen to be Senior Prefects who are also black, which makes them targets for a series of anonymous texts revealing their secrets to the entire student body. Both students were on track toward valedictorian and bright college futures, but this prank quickly turns into a very dangerous game and they are at more than one disadvantage as it looks like things could turn deadly.
Kings, Queens, and In-betweens
Published in 2019
Perpetually awkward Nima Kumara-Clark is bored with her insular community of Bridgeton, in love with her straight girlfriend, and trying to move past her mother's unexpected departure. After a bewildering encounter at a local festival, Nima finds herself suddenly immersed in the drag scene on the other side of town. Macho drag kings, magical queens, new love interests, and surprising allies propel Nima both painfully and hilariously closer to a self she never knew she could be--one that can confidently express and accept love. But she'll have to learn to accept lost love to get there. From debut author Tanya Boteju comes a poignant, laugh-out-loud tale of acceptance, self-expression, and the colorful worlds that await when we're brave enough to look.
A Quick & Easy Guide to Queer & Trans Identities
Published in 2019
A guide to queer and transgender life, in graphic format, covers essential topics ranging from sexuality and gender identity to coming out and navigating gender-diverse relationships.
The Henna Wars
Published in 2020
Nishat doesn't want to lose her family, but she also doesn't want to hide who she is, and it only gets harder once a childhood friend walks back into her life. Flávia is beautiful and charismatic, and Nishat falls for her instantly. But when a school competition invites students to create their own businesses, both Flávia and Nishat decide to showcase their talent as henna artists. In a fight to prove who is the best, their lives become more tangled--but Nishat can't quite get rid of her crush, especially since Flávia seems to like her back. As the competition heats up, Nishat has a decision to make: stay in the closet for her family, or put aside her differences with Flávia and give their relationship a chance.
The Extraordinaries
Published in 2020
Nick would rather write fanfiction about the feats of heroism and romantic entaglements he imagines for the very real superheroes who inhabit his city. When he meets Nova City's biggest hero (and his biggest crush), however, he resolves to become a superhero himself.
Ready when You Are
Published in 2022
"It's a hot summer, and life's going all right for Jackson and his family on the Mish. It's almost Christmas, school's out, and he's hanging with his mates, teasing the visiting tourists, avoiding the racist boys in town. Just like every year, Jackson's Aunty and annoying little cousins visit from the city--but this time a mysterious boy with a troubled past comes with them. As their friendship evolves, Jackson must confront the changing shapes of his relationships with his friends, family, and community. And he must face his darkest secret--a secret he thought he'd locked away for good"-- Provided by publisher.
Continuum
Published in 2021
Offers advice and insight into cultivating self-acceptance and supporting inclusivity through the experiences of Chella Man, a deaf, transgender, and Jewish artist, activist, and actor.
It Goes Like This
Published in 2021
"Eva, Celeste, Gina, and Steph used to think their friendship was unbreakable. After all, they've been though a lot together, including the astronomical rise of Moonlight Overthrow, the world-famous queer pop band they formed in middle school. But after a sudden falling out leads to the dissolution of the teens' band, their friendship, and Eva and Celeste's starry-eyed romance, nothing is the same"-- Provided by publisher.
Perfect Ten
Published in 2017
Sam Raines performs a love spell with his Wiccan best friend after breaking up with the only other gay guy at school and finds himself pursued by three seemingly perfect suitors.
Evelyn Hooker and the Fairy Project
Published in 2021
"This biography tells the story of Evelyn Hooker, the woman behind the research, advocacy, and allyship that led to the removal of the "homosexuality" diagnosis from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders"-- Provided by publisher.
Orpheus Girl
Published in 2019
When sixteen-year-old, mythology-obsessed Raya and her true love, Sarah, are sent from their conservative Texas town to a re-education camp, Raya assumes the role of Orpheus to save them.
Cold
Published in 2022
"This is the story of a boy who died--and a girl who wants to know why. Todd Mayer is dead. Now he's some sort of ghost, hovering over his body, which has just been found in the town park, naked and frozen in the snow. As detectives investigate Todd's homicide, talking to the very people who are responsible for how he died, Todd replays the events that lead him to his end in the park. Georgia didn't know Todd. But she can't stop thinking about him. Maybe it's because they're both outcasts at their school, or because they're both queer. It might also be because Georgia has a feeling she's seen Todd somewhere before, somewhere he wasn't supposed to be. In the vein of The Lovely Bones, this dual narrative is told through the voices of Todd in his afterlife and Georgia as she uncovers the truth behind his death, resulting in an immersive, emotional, and provocative read."-- Provided by publisher.
Cemetery Boys
Published in 2020
Yadriel, a trans boy, summons the angry spirit of his high school's bad boy, and agrees to help him learn how he died, thereby proving himself a brujo, not a bruja, to his conservative family.
Spin Me Right Round
Published in 2021
"Luis just wants to go to prom with his boyfriend, but when a hit on the head knocks him back to 1985, he meets his parents' closeted classmate"-- Provided by publisher.