Pride Month Queer Book Recommendations
Pride Month is nearly over, but you can read queer books all year long! Here are some of our favorite books with LGBTQ+ representation from children’s books all the way to adult books. Let us know what books you end up picking up.
Picture Books
Prince & Knight (Achillean Romance)
by Daniel Haack and Stevie Lewis
A prince and a knight in shining armor find true love in each other’s embrace after fighting a dragon together.
What Are Your Words? (Gender Identity)
by Katherine Locke and Anne Passchier
Ari knows a lot of words for neighbors, including the pronouns each prefers, and with help from Uncle Lior, who always asks “What are your words,” figures out which pronouns–and other words–fit best today.
My Maddy (Non-Binary Parent)
by Gayle Pitman and Violet Tobacco
A child celebrates her Maddy, who is neither mommy nor daddy but a little bit of both, like so many things in nature.
From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea (Non-Binary MC)
by Kai Cheng Thom, Wai-Yant Li, and Kai Yun Ching
A magical gender variant child brings transformation and change to the world around them thanks to their mother’s enduring love. In this captivating, beautifully imagined picture book about gender, identity, and the acceptance of the differences between us, Miu Lan faces many questions about who they are and who they may be. But one thing’s for sure: no matter who this child becomes, their mother will love them just the same
When Aidan Became A Brother (Trans Boy MC)
by Kyle Lukoff and Kaylani Juanita
Aidan, a transgender boy, experiences complicated emotions as he and his parents prepare for the arrival of a new baby
Middle Grade Books
Gracefully Grayson (Trans Girl MC)
by Ami Polonsky
Grayson, a transgender twelve-year-old, learns to accept her true identity and share it with the world
Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston (Non-Binary MC)
by Esme Symes-Smith
Trapped in a rigid hierarchy where girls learn magic and boys train as knights, twelve-year-old nonbinary Callie, who dreams of becoming a knight, and their new friends find themselves embedded in an ancient war, but in order to defeat the threats outside the kingdom they must first defeat the bigotry within.
Hurricane Child (Sapphic MC)
by Kacen Callender
Born on Water Island in the Virgin Islands during a hurricane, which is considered bad luck, twelve-year-old Caroline falls in love with another girl–and together they set out in a hurricane
The Beautiful Something Else (Non-Binary MC)
by Ash Van Otterloo
When Sparrow’s mother is sent to rehab for opiod addiction, Sparrow is sent to live in a commune with her estranged Aunt where Sparrow begins to embrace their true gender identity.
NOTE: We will be hosting a virtual author talk with the author on July 11th! Click HERE to register and see more information.
Camp QUILTBAG (Entirely Queer Cast, including Lesbian MC and Non-Binary MC who uses neopronouns) by Nicole Melleby and A. J. Sass
After a bit of a rocky start at Camp QUILTBAG, an inclusive retreat for queer and trans kids, Abigail and Kai make a pact to help each other find their footing, all while navigating crushes, their queer identities, and a competition pitting cabin against cabin
Graphic Novel: Artie and the Wolf Moon (Sapphic MC)
by Olivia Stephens
Artie Irvin is thrilled to discover she comes from a line of werewolves, but as she dives into her family history and figures out her new abilities, vampires wait in the shadows.
Young Adult Books
Blood Debts (Achillean MC)
by Terry Benton-Walker
Sixteen-year-old twins Clement and Cristina feel lost after their father’s death, but find a new sense of purpose as they work to quell the rising tensions between New Orleans’s magic and non-magic communities and find out who cursed their mother.
The Summer of Bitter and Sweet (Asexual MC)
by Jen Ferguson
Lou has enough confusion in front of her this summer. She’ll be working in her family’s ice-cream shack with her former best friend, King, who is back in their Canadian prairie town after disappearing three years ago. But when she gets a letter from her biological father, Lou immediately knows that she cannot meet him. When her family’s business comes under threat, she soon realizes that she can’t ignore her father forever
The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers (Achillean MC)
by Adam Sass
Micah Summers runs a popular Instagram full of drawings of his numerous imaginary boyfriends (ninety-nine so far)–though he’s never had a real boyfriend before. But when a meet-cute with Boy 100 goes wrong, Micah embarks on a Prince Charming-like quest throughout Chicago to find true love–for real this time.
Two Dark Moons (Non-Binary MC, Aromantic MC)
by Avi Silver
Sohmeng Par is sick of being treated like a child. Ever since a tragic accident brought her mountain community’s coming-of-age ritual to a halt, she’s caused nothing but trouble in her impatience to become an adult. But when she finally has the chance to prove herself, she’s thrown from her life in the mountains into the terror of the jungle below.
Bloody Spade (Entirely Queer Cast, including Pansexual MC and Grey-Asexual MC)
by Brittany M. Willows
The era of magic was once thought to be a myth, but after the Reemergence ushered forces both dark and light into the mundane world, it has since become a harsh reality. Now those affected by this strange power—a specialized group of Empowered called Jokers, known collectively as Cardplay—must protect their world from the darkness that threatens to consume it, all the while fighting for equality in a society clinging to normalcy.
Graphic Novel: Cosmoknights (Entirely Queer Cast, including Sapphic MC)
by Hannah Templer
A young mechanic who longs to explore the galaxy joins forces with a pair of knights who undermine their patriarchal society by setting princesses free.
Adult Books
The Last Sun (Entirely Queer Cast, including Demisexual MC, Pansexual MCs, Achillean Romance)
by K.D. Edwards
Rune Saint John, last child of the fallen Sun Court, is hired to search for Lady Judgment’s missing son, Addam, on New Atlantis, the island city where the Atlanteans moved after ordinary humans destroyed their original home. With his companion and bodyguard, Brand, they uncover more than a missing man: a legendary creature connected to the secret of the massacre of Rune’s Court.
Even Though I Knew the End (Sapphic Romance)
by C.L. Polk
An exiled augur who sold her soul to save her brother’s life is offered one last job before serving an eternity in hell. When she turns it down, her client sweetens the pot by offering up the one payment she can’t resist-the chance to have a future where she grows old with the woman she loves. To succeed, she is given three days to track down the White City Vampire, Chicago’s most notorious serial killer.
Common Bonds (Aromantic MCs)
edited by Claudie Arseneault, C.T. Callahan, B.R. Sanders and RoAnna Sylver
At the heart of this collection are the bonds that impact our lives from beginning to end: platonic relationships. Within this anthology, a cursed seamstress finds comfort in the presence of a witch, teams of demon hunters work with their rival to save one of their own, a peculiar scholar gets attached to those he was meant to study, and queerplatonic shopkeepers guide their pupil as they explore their relationship needs and desires.
A Dash of Salt and Pepper (Achillean Romance)
by Kosoko Jackson
Sometimes two cooks in the kitchen are better than one in this swoony romantic comedy. Xavier Reynolds is doing less than stellar. He just got dumped and was passed over for a prestigious fellowship. To top it all off, he’s back home in Harpers Cove, Maine, population 9,000. The last thing he wants to do is to work as a prep chef in the kitchen of the hip new restaurant in town: The Wharf. Especially since the hot, single-father chef who owns it can’t delegate to save his life. Logan O’Hare doesn’t understand Xavier or why every word out of his mouth is dipped in sarcasm. Unfortunately, he has no choice but to hire him-he needs more help in the kitchen and his tween daughter, Anne, can only mince so many onions. It might be a recipe for disaster, but Logan doesn’t have many options besides Xavier. Stuck between a stove and a hot place, Logan and Xavier discover an unexpected connection. But when the heat between them threatens to top the Scoville scale, they’ll have to decide if they can make their relationship work or if life has seasoned them too differently
The Bruising of Qilwa (Asexual Aromantic Nonbinary MC)
by Naseem Jamnia
Firuz-e Jafari is fortunate enough to have immigrated to the Free Democratic City-State of Qilwa, fleeing the slaughter of other traditional Sassanian blood magic practitioners in their homeland. Despite the status of refugees in their new home, Firuz has a good job at a free healing clinic in Qilwa, working with Kofi, a kindly new employer, and mentoring Afsoneh, a troubled orphan refugee with powerful magic.
Graphic Novel: Stone Fruit (Trans Woman MC, Sapphic Romance)
by Lee Lai
Bron and Ray are a queer couple who enjoy their role as the fun weirdo aunties to Ray’s niece, six-year-old Nessie. Their playdates are little oases of wildness, joy, and ease in all three of their lives, which ping-pong between familial tensions and deep-seeded personal stumbling blocks. Taking a leap of faith, each opens up and learns they have more in common with their siblings than they ever knew.
Non-Fiction
Pride: An Inspirational History of the LGBTQ+ Movement
by Stella Caldwell
In this beautifully designed dynamic book, readers will learn about groundbreaking events, including historic pushes for equality and the legalization of same-sex marriages across the world. They will dive into the phenomenal history of queer icons from ancient times to the present and read about Harvey Milk, Marsha P. Johnson, Audre Lorde, and more.
by Oakley Phoenix
This definitive guide explores the ins and outs of gender – from affirming language, how to explore and question gender, finding gender euphoria, and supporting loved ones and yourself – to help you understand the nuances of gender and lived realities of trans people.
Hip Hop Heresies: Queer Aesthetics in New York City
by Shanté Paradigm Smalls
Using aesthetics as its organizing lens, Hip Hop Heresies attends to the ways that hip hop cultural production in New York City from the 1970s through the first fifteen years of the 21st century produced hip hop cultural products (film, visual art, and music) that offer “queer articulations” of race, gender, and sexuality that are contrary to hegemonic ideas and representations of those categories in hip hop production, as well as in writing about hip hop culture.
Raising LGBTQ Allies: A Parent’s Guide to Changing the Messages from the Playground
by Chris Tompkins
Raising LGBTQ Allies is the first book to focus on the prevention of homophobia, transphobia, and bullying before they begin. It encourages families to have open and authentic conversations in a practical, timely, and inclusive way. It also creates a dialogue with parents around the possibility they may have an LGBTQ child
The Autistic Trans Guide to Life
by Yenn Purkis & Wenn Lawson
This essential survival guide gives autistic trans and/or non-binary adults all the tools and strategies they need to live as their very best self. Blending personal accounts with evidence-based insights and up-to-date information, and written from a perspective of empowerment and self-acceptance, the book promotes pride, strength and authenticity. Written by two leading autistic trans activists, this book honestly charts what life is like as an autistic trans person and is vital, life-affirming reading.
Graphic Novel: Fine: A Comic About Gender
by Rhea Ewing
Graphic artist Rhea Ewing celebrates the incredible diversity of experiences within the transgender community with this vibrant and revealing debut. Fine is an essential graphic memoir about the intricacies of gender identity and expression. Amidst beautifully rendered scenes emerges Ewing’s own visceral story growing up in rural Kentucky, grappling with their identity as a teenager, and ultimately finding themself through art-and by creating something this very fine.