LGBTQ+ centric fiction for middle grade readers has been growing in popularity, though it's also received plenty of backlash. If you're interested in exploring LGBTQ+ stories as a family and have middle grade reader/s, this resource is the first of two resources I'm sharing this month. Focused on general fiction, this resource breaks down lists of middle grade literature in terms of representation. You'll find books that highlight transgender, nonbinary, questioning, bisexual, gay, and lesbian characters, some of whom also represent communities of color, people with disabilities, and other underrepresented communities. LGBTQ Reads is a useful resource that color codes some of its lists so that you can easily pick out which intersections you would like represented in the next book you read.
*Please note that I have not read all of these books. I encourage you to do your own research to find the book/s right for you and your family and to use this resource merely as a guide.
Image Description: Rain-splattered, bubble-shaped tubes stretch diagonally across the photo. Each tube is a different color. They are layed out in a gradient to form a rainbow.
Credit: Pierre Blaché / Unsplash
LGBTQ+ General Fiction Books for Middle Grade Readers
Queer, Cisgender Male Representation
- Alan Cole is Not a Coward by Eric Bell
- Alan Cole Doesn’t Dance by Eric Bell
- A High Five for Glenn Burke by Phil Bildner
- King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender
- Glitter Boy by Ian Eagleton
- Will on the Inside by Andrew Eliopulos
- Better Nate Than Ever series by Tim Federle
- The Whispers by Greg Howard
- Middle School’s a Drag, You Better Werk by Greg Howard
- Totally Joe by James Howe
- The Civil War of Amos Abernathy by Michael Leali
- The Truth About Triangles by Michael Leali
- Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas
- Boy Meets Hamster by Birdie Milano
- Marco Impossible by Hannah Moskowitz
- The Best At It by Maulik Pancholy
- Nikhil Out Loud by Maulik Pancholy
- So Hard to Say by Alex Sanchez
- The Golden Hour by Niki Smith
- Small Town Pride by Phil Stamper
- Eli Over Easy by Phil Stamper
- The Language of Seabirds by Will Taylor
- Other Boys by Damian Alexander
Queer, Cisgender Female Representation
- Almost Flying by Jake Maia Arlow
- The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet by Jake Maia Arlow
- Drew Leclair Gets a Clue by Katryn Bury
- Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake
- The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James by Ashley Herring Blake
- Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue Sea by Ashley Herring Blake
- Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender
- The Sister Split by Auriane Desombre
- The Real Riley Mayes by Rachel Elliott (Graphic Novel)
- The Song of Us by Kate Fussner (Verse)
- The Deepest Breath by Meg Grehan (Verse)
- Jo by Kathleen Gros (Graphic Novel)
- Anne by Kathleen Gros (Graphic Novel)
- One True Way by Shannon Hitchcock (Historical)
- Redwood and Ponytail by K.A. Holt
- Hazel Hill is Gonna Win This One by Maggie Horne
- Noah Frye Gets Crushed by Maggie Horne
- Second Chance Summer by Sarah Kapit
- Where the Heart Is by Jo Knowles
- In the Key of Us by Mariama J. Lockington
- Different Kinds of Fruit by Kyle Lukoff
- Pepper’s Rules for Secret Sleuthing by Briana McDonald (Mystery)
- Hurricane Season by Nicole Melleby
- In the Role of Brie Hutchens… by Nicole Melleby
- How to Become a Planet by Nicole Melleby
- The Science of Being Angry by Nicole Melleby
- The House on Sunrise Lagoon: Halfway to Harbor by Nicole Melleby
- Camp QUILTBAG by Nicole Melleby and AJ Sass
- The Problem with Gravity by Michelle Mohrweis
- Candidly Cline by Kathryn Ormsbee
- P.S. I Miss You by Jen Petro-Roy
- Spin With Me by Ami Polonsky
- The Derby Daredevils series by Kit Rosewater, illustrated by Sophie
- Escabasse
- Starring Kitty by Keris Stainton
- Murder Most Unladylike Mystery series by Robin Stevenson
- Meow or Never by Jazz Taylor
- Starting From Scratch by Jazz Taylor
- The House You Pass on the Way by Jacqueline Woodson
- Frankie & Bug by Gayle Forman
- Anne of West Philly: A Modern Graphic Retelling of Anne of Green Gables by Ivy Noelle Weir, illustrated by Myisha Haynes
- Tegan and Sara: Junior High by Tegan Quin and Sara Quin, illustrated by Tillie Walden
Transgender Male Representation
- Obie is Man Enough by Schuyler Bailar
- The Ship We Built by Lexie Bean
- Dear Mothman by Robin Gow
- The Other Boy by M.G. Hennessey
- Linus and Etta Could Use a Win by Caroline Huntoon
- Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff
Transgender Female Representation
- Zenobia July by Lisa Bunker
- Joy, to the World by Lisa Bunker and Kai Shappley
- Melissa by Alex Gino
- Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky
Nonbinary Representation
- Alice Austen Lived Here by Alex Gino
- Green by Alex Gino
- Gooseberry by Robin Gow
- The Lonely Book by Meg Grehan
- Skating on Mars by Caroline Huntoon
- Elle Campbell Wins Their Weekend by Ben Kahn
- Both Can Be True by Jules Machias
- The One Who Loves You Most by Medina
- Spin With Me by Ami Polonsky
- Jude Saves the World by Ronnie Riley
- Ana on the Edge by A.J. Sass
- Ellen Outside the Lines by AJ Sass
- Camp QUILTBAG by Nicole Melleby and AJ Sass
- Zed Watson by Kevin Sylvester and Basil Sylvester
- The Best Liars in Riverview by Lin Thompson
- The House that Whispers by Lin Thompson
- Different Kinds of Fruit by Kyle Lukoff
- Twelfth by Janet Key
- Zenobia July by Lisa Bunker
Gender Questioning Representation
- The Lumbering Giants of Windy Pines by Gabe Netz
- Murray Out of Water by Taylor Tracy
Bisexual Representation
- Drum Roll, Please by Lisa Jenn Bigelow
- Star Crossed by Barbara Dee
- The Trouble with Robots by Michelle Mohrweis
Ace Spectrum Representation
- Rick by Alex Gino
- A-Okay and A for Effort by Jarad Greene
- Hazel’s Theory of Evolution by Lisa Jenn Bigelow
- The Trouble with Robots by Michelle Mohrweis
- Just Lizzie by Karen Wilfrid
- The One Who Loves You Most by Medina
Sources
- LGBTQ Reads: https://lgbtqreads.com/middle-grade/
- Buzzfeed: https://www.buzzfeed.com/dahliaadler/lgbtq-middle-grade-books
- Madison Public Library: https://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/reading-and-viewing/book-lists/lgbtq-middle-grade-and-ya-readers
- Big Blue Marble Bookstore: https://sheila-allenavelin.squarespace.com/lgbtq-books-for-middle-grade
- King County Library System: https://kcls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/220740577/677756200
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