The following books are great resources about LGBTQ+ culture. All titles are available for free at the Cottonwood Lending Library.
And Tango Makes Three
Author: Justin Richardson
Grade Level: K-2
Topic: non-fiction
Summary: The true story of two penguins, Ron and Silo, at Central Park Zoo who were a bit different from the others. Together they raised a baby penguin, Tango. Rainbow List 2008
Resources: And Tango Makes Three Lesson Plan
The Family Book
Author: Todd Parr
Grade Level: K-2
Topic: fiction
Summary: Celebrates all different kinds of families big and small with all types of parents and guardians.
Resources: What is a Family? Lesson Plan
For Spacious Skies: Katerine Lee Bates & the Inspiration for “America the Beautiful”
Author: Nancy Churnin and Olga Baumert
Grade Level: K-3
Topic: non-fiction
Summary: Katherine Lee Bates wrote the lines to “America the Beautiful” after a visit to Pikes Peak. During her life, she broke many of conventions expected of women.
Resources:
Great Big Book of Families
Author: Mary Hoffman
Grade Level: K-2
Topic: fiction
Summary: Features all types of families and their lives. Shows a diversity of familiesa round the world. Kids will want to pour over these fun illustrations over and over again.
Resources: Great Big Book of Families Discussion Guide
Harriet Gets Carried Away
Author: Jessie Sima
Grade Level: K-2
Topic: fiction
Summary: Harriett loves to dress up. When she goes out in her penguin costume shopping for party hats, she gets carried away with a group of real penguins. Can she make it back to her dads in time
Resources: Harriet Gets Carried Away Activities
Ho’onani: Hula Warrior
Author: Heather Gale
Grade Level: K-2
Topic: non-fiction
Summary: Celebrates identity, Hawaiian culture, and acceptance. The true story of a girl who wants to lead the boys-only hula group. Rainbow List 2020
Resources: Ho’onani Teachers Guide
In Our Mothers’ House
Author: Patricia Polacco
Grade Level: 1-3
Topic: fiction
Summary: Marmee, Meeme, and the kids are just another block on the family, but other families in the neighborhood don’t accept them.
Resources: In Our Mothers’ House Lesson Plan
Introducing Teddy: A Gentle Story About Gender and Friendship
Author: Jessica Walton
Grade Level: K-2
Topic: fiction
Summary: Errol & Thomas are best friend teddy bears. Thomas tells Errol that he would rather be a girl teddy bear than a boy teddy bear. Rainbow List 2017
Resources: Introducing Teddy Teacher Guide
Looking Like Me
Author: Walter Dean Myers
Grade Level: K-5
Topic: fiction
Summary: When you look in the mirror, what do you see? A book that celebrates each person’s individuality.
Resources: Looking Like Me and Writing “I Am” Poems
Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress
Author: Christine Baldacchino
Grade Level: K-4
Topic: fiction
Summary: Morris loves to use his imagination. He also loves to play dress-up in the dress-up corner at school. Stonewall Award 2015.
Resources: Morris Mickelwhite Lesson Plan
Red: A Crayon’s Story
Author: Michael Hall
Grade Level: K-2
Topic: fiction
Summary: A book about having the courage to be your true self. A blue crayon is mislabeled as a red crayon and has an identity crisis. Rainbow List 2016.
Resources: Red: A Crayon’s Story Teacher Guide
Sharice’s Big Voice: A Native Kid Becomes a Congresswoman
Author: Sharice Davids
Grade Level: K-5
Topic: non-fiction
Summary: Autobiography of Sharice David, first Native American congresswoman and first LGBTQ woman elected in Kansas.
Resources:
Ana on the Edge
Author: A. J. Sass
Grade Level: 3-5
Topic: fiction
Summary: Ana-Marie is a US figure skating champion, but she’s not a frilly dress kind of girl. When a new boy on the ice mistakes her as a boy, she decides not to correct him and discovers she enjoys this new identity. Rainbow List 2021
Resources: Ana on the Edge Discussion Questions
Cattywampus
Author: Ash Van Waterloo
Grade Level: 3-5
Topic: fiction
Summary: Delpha finds her family’s secret book of hexes and is itching to use it to banish her mother’s money problems. Rainbow List 2022
Resources: Cattywampus Classroom Resources
The Derby Daredevils: Kenzi Kickstarts a Team
Author: Kit Rosewater
Grade Level: 3-6
Topic: fiction
Summary: Kenzie and Shelly have just one week to convince three other friends that roller derby is cool so they can start a team.
Resources: Derby Devils Kit
Goldie Vance: The Hotel Whodunnit
Author: Lilliam Rivera
Grade Level: 3-6
Topic: fiction
Summary: There’s a new detective in town. Meet Goldie Vance. She works at a hotel and wants to be a detective. Follow her adventures as solves the what happened to a missing diamond-encrusted missing swimming cap that disappeared from a movie set.
Resources:
How to Become a Planet
Author: Nicole Melleby
Grade Level: 4-7
Topic: fiction
Summary: Pluto loves outer space and loves summer. She just turned 13 and she was just diagnosed with depression. Her dad wants to move her into the city. Pluto comes up with a plan to make her feel like her old self again.
Resources: How to Become a Planet Discussion Guide
I Am Jazz
Author: Jessica Herthel & Jazz Jennings
Grade Level: K-5
Topic: non-fiction
Summary: First person story of Jazz Jennings, a transgender girl
Resources: I Am Jazz Teacher’s Guide
Magical Misfits
Author: Neil Patrick Harris
Grade Level: 3-7
Topic: fiction
Summary: Meet Carter, a street magician who teams up with five other illusionists. Join them as they use teamwork and magic on their adventures.
Resources: Magic Misfits Resources
Misadventures of the Family Fletcher
Author: Darva Alison Levy
Grade Level: 3-5
Topic: fiction
Summary: Two fathers, four adopted boys, and a variety of pets makes for their way through the school year with many fun adventures along the way.
Resources: Misadventures of the Family Fletcher Discussion Questions
The Moon Within
Author: Aida Salazar
Grade Level: 3-7
Topic: fiction
Summary: Celi Rivera’s life is going through so many changes – her changing body, her first crush, her best friend’s exploration with gender fluidity. Written in prose.
Resources: The Moon Within Teacher’s Guide
Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk & the Rainbow Flag
Author: Rob Sanders & Steven Salerno
Grade Level: 3-7
Topic: non-fiction
Summary: The empowering true story that traces the history of the gay pride flag.
Resources: Pride Educator’s Guide
Rainbow Revolutionaries: 50 LGBTQ+ People Who Made History
Author: Sarah Prager and Sarah Papworth
Grade Level: 3-6
Topic: non-fiction
Summary: This is a diverse collection of 50 influential queer people throughout history that have left their mark on the world.
Resources:
Riding Freedom
Author: Pam Munoz Ryan
Grade Level: 3-5
Topic: historical fiction
Summary: A fictionalized account of the life of Charlie “Charlotte” Parkhust, who ran away from an orphanage and lived as a boy, eventually becoming a famous stagecoach driver.
Resources: Pam Munoz Ryan Discussion Guide
Better Nate Than Ever
Author: Tim Federle
Grade Level: 6-8
Topic: fiction
Summary: Nate Foster wants to be a Broadway star, but how is he going to do that living in Pennsylvania? Nate and his best friend Libby plan an adventure to New York City. A coming of age story. Also available on made into a movie on Disney+. Stonewall Honor Book 2014.
Resources: Better Nate Than Ever Curriculum Guide
Darius the Great is Not Okay
Author: Adib Khorram
Grade Level: 7-8
Topic: fiction
Summary: Growing up biracial, Darius doesn’t feel like he is enough of anything – not Persian enough, not white enough. He goes to Iran and meets a new friend Sohrab, who makes him feel better than okay. Rainbow List 2019.
Resources: Darius the Great Learning Guide
Drama
Author: Raina Telgemeier
Grade Level: 6-12
Topic: fiction
Summary: Callie loves theater, but the upcoming school production is a musical and she can’t sing! Stonewall Honor Book 2013. Rainbow List 2013.
Resources: Drama Discussion Questions
From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun
Author: Jacqueline Woodson
Grade Level: 6-8
Topic: fiction
Summary: Melanin Sun has a lot to say. When he isn’t sure how to express himself, he writes about it. One day Melanin’s mom tells him she is gay and he feels like his world has turned upside down.
Resources: Notebooks of Melanin Sun Discussion Guide
A Home for Goddesses and Dogs
Author: Leslie Connor
Grade Level: 5-8
Topic: fiction
Summary: Lydia is grieving the death of her mother. She goes to live with her aunts, who adopt a dog the day after she arrives. Rainbow List 2021
Resources: Home for Goddesses and Dogs Discussion Guide
Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World
Author: Ashelby Herring Blake
Grade Level: 5-8
Topic: fiction
Summary: After a tornado rips through her town, 12-year-old Ivy finds her notebook, which is filled with pictures of girls holding hands, has disappeared. She starts receiving anonymous notes from someone encouraging her to open up about her identity. Stonewall Honor Book 2019. Rainbow List 2021.
Resources: Ivy Aberdeen Educator Discussion Guide
Me, My Dad, and the End of the Rainbow
Author: Benjamin Dean
Grade Level: 6-8
Topic: fiction
Summary: When Archie discovers his dad is gay, he and his friends go on an adventure to understand him better.
Resources: Me and My Dad Suggested Activities
The Other Half of Happy
Author: Rebecca Balcarcel
Grade Level: 6-8
Topic: fiction
Summary: Quijana is struggling for where she fits in, one-half Guatemalan, one-half American; one-half child, one-half adult; one-half friend, one-half crush.
Resources: The Other Half of Happy Discussion Guide
The Parker Inheritance
Author: Varian Johnson
Grade Level: 3-7
Topic: fiction
Summary: Candice finds a letter in the attic that leads to a mystery. With the help of Brandon next door, they begin to decypher the clues.
Resources: The Parker Inheritance Discussion Guide
Pride: Celebrating Diversity & Community
Author: Robin Stevenson
Grade Level: 4-8
Topic: non-fiction
Summary: A history of the Pride movement. How did Pride come to be? What does Pride mean? Stonewall Honor 2017.
Resources: Pride Teacher’s Guide
The Stars Beneath Our Feet
Author: David Barclay Moore
Grade Level: 6-8
Topic: fiction
Summary: A 12-year-old boy navigates a safe path through the projects of Harlem following the death of his brother.
Resources: Stars Beneath My Feet Discussion Guide
This is Our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, and Us
Author: Katherine Locke and Nicole Melleby
Grade Level: 6-8
Topic: fiction
Summary: The first LGBTQ anthology for middle school students. Includes sci-fi, fantasy and more. Rainbow List 2022.
Resources:
The 57 Bus: The True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives
Author: Dashiki Slater
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: non-fiction
Summary: The true story of an agender teen who was set on fire by another teen while riding a bus in Oakland CA. Stonewall Award 2018
Resources: The 57 Bus Instructional Guide
Anger is a Gift
Author: Mark Oshiro
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: fiction
Summary: Sometimes Moss wishes he could be someone else – someone who’s father was alive, someone who didn’t have panic attacks. Rainbow List 2019.
Resources: Anger is a Gift Reading Group Guide
Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out
Author: Susan Kuklan
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: nonfiction
Summary: The author interviews six transgender and gender-neutral teens. An honest look at their lives, loves, and struggles. Stonewall Honor 2015
Resources: Beyond Magenta Discussion Guide
Heartstopper series
Author: Alice Oseman
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: fiction
Summary: Charlie and Nick have never met until one day they are forced to sit together at school. Rainbow List 2021
Resources: Heartstopper Teaching Notes and Activities
The Henna Wars
Author: Adiba Jaigirdar
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: fiction
Summary: Nishat doesn’t want to hide who she is, but she also doesn’t want to lose her family. She and her friend (and secret crush) Flavia and highlighting their talents as henna artists at a school
Resources: The Henna Wars Discussion Questions
The Imitation Game: Alan Turing Decoded
Author: Jim Ottaviani
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: nonfiction
Summary: The life story of Alan Turing, the mathematician who helped break the German Enigma code during WWII.
Resources: The Imitation Game Teacher Resources
Last Night at the Telegraph Club
Author: Melinda Lo
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: fiction
Summary: Two young women in the 1950s in Chinatown fall in love. Stonewall Award 2022. Rainbow List 2022. Asian/ Pacific American Award 2022.
Resources: Last Night at the Telegraph Club Teacher’s Guide
Lumberjanes
Author: ND Stevenson
Grade Level: 5-12
Topic: fiction
Summary: Five rad ladies fight monsters with the power of friendship. A series of graphic novels.
Resources: Lumberjane’s Teacher’s Guide
A Queer History of the United States for Young People
Author: Michael Bronski
Grade Level: 6-12
Topic: nonfiction
Summary: Explores the contributions of LGBTQ people to our country for the past 400 years.
Resources: Queer History Teacher’s Guide
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Author: Becky Albertalli
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: fiction
Summary: 16-year-old Simon isn’t exactly openly gay. When an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret becomes public knowledge.
Resources: Simon Discussion Guide
Symptoms of Being Human
Author: Jeff Garvin
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: fiction
Summary: Riley is many things: snarky, rebellious, and gender fluid. With Riley’s dad is running for election in conservative Orange County, things are heating up in Riley’s life.
Resources: Symptoms of Being Human Discussion Guide
Troublemaker for Justice: The Story of Bayard Rustin
Author: Jacqueline Houtman
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: nonfiction
Summary: Biography of Bayard Rustin, an early activist for Black and gay rights.
Resources: Troublemaker for Justice Teacher’s Guide