LGBT Fiction Reading Lists

• Baby and Toddler Board Books
• Ages 4 - 8: Storybook Read-Alouds
• Ages 6-10: Picture Books and Early Chapter Books
• Middle Grade Novels
• Young Adult Novels
• Adult Books

Pre-Order Today Release Date: March 22, 2011 It Get's Better started off as a grassroots initiative of self-produced YouTube videos. Aimed at LGBT youth who may be considering suicide as an alternative to the daily bullying they endured, the project quickly grew. Now hosting over 10,000 videos, with contributors from the guy next door to the President Obama, It Get's Better formalized into a non-profit seeking to end LGBT youth suicide. Their new book is a collection of over 100 stories that seek to give hope to gay youth who might not be able to see how they can get past the torment of today and make it to tomorrow. It Get's Better hopes to place a copy of the book in every school library across the country. You can do your part today by making a donation to It Get's Better or by dropping off a copy of the book to your local high school.

• Babies and Toddlers: LGBT Board Books
  • Mommy, Mama, and Me by Leslea Newman
    A gentle board book that shows a lesbian couple raising their child.
  • Daddy, Papa, and Me by Leslea Newman
    A gentle board book that shows a gay couple raising their child
  • The Family Book by Todd Parr
    Bright, happy illustrations introduce children to an array of families that include two moms or two dads, single parents, step-parents, and all kinds of diversity.
  • It's Okay To Be Different by Todd Parr
    A gentle and happy affirmation that it's okay to be different, whether it's having two moms, being adopted, or having a disability.

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• Ages 4 - 8: LGBT Storybook Read-Alouds
  • A Fire Engine for Ruthie by Leslea Newman
    A little girl and her grandmother learn to enjoy one another's company, even though Ruthie would rather be a tomboy than play with girly toys.
  • The Different Dragon by Jennifer Bryan
    A story about a bedtime story created by a little boy and his two moms and a dragon who doesn't want to be fierce anymore.
  • The Boy Who Cried Fabulous by Leslea Newman
    A rhyming picture book that shares a little boy's enthusiasm with all things "fabulous" in the world and the adults around him who eventually come to appreciate his appreciation for the little things in life.
  • Heather Has Two Mommies: 10th Anniversary Edition by Leslea Newman
    A group of preschoolers draw pictures of their families and discover that everyone has a different type of family, but they all share one common theme: all the members of a family love one another.
  • Felicia's Favorite Story by Leslea Newman
    As a bedtime story, a lesbian couple shares how they adopted their daughter from Guatemala.
  • And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson
    The real-life story of two male penguins at NYC's Central Park Zoo who built a nest together to raise their own baby penguin.
  • Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite
    A simple concept book that gently explains the divorce of a heterosexual couple and how Daddy is now gay.
  • The Sissy Duckling by Harvey Fierstein
    Based on an award-winning HBO animated special, this book gently touches on differences, bullying, parental ostracism, loyalty, and eventual acceptance.
  • Molly's Family by Nancy Garden
    Through the support of her teacher, a kindergartener deals with ridicule after she draws a picture of her two moms.
  • One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads by Johnny Valentine
    A rhyming approach about the attempts of one little boy to explain why his two dads are really no different from any other fathers.
  • Uncle Bobby's Wedding by Sarah Brannen
    A child's view of same-sex marriage which, like heterosexual marriages, focuses on her feelings of jealousy with having to share her uncle with someone else.
  • Emma and Meesha My Boy: A Two Mom Story by Kaitlyn Taylor Considine
    A little girl with two moms learns how to treat her cat with care.
  • Who's in a Family? By Robert Skutch
    An attempt to illustrate the differences between a variety of multicultural families, including LGBT families.
  • Oliver Button Is a Sissy by Tomie DePaoloa
    From the award-winning author DePaolo, the story of a little boy who sticks to his sissy pursuits while his parents and classmates come to accept him for who he is.
  • Jack and Jim by Kitty Crowther
    A blackbird and a seagull become friends, to the horror of the seagull's friends - until they come to realize that differences can be celebrated.
  • Flying Free by Jennifer Gregg
    Set against the backdrop of a child with two mothers, a firefly devises a plan to escape her capture and live her life freely.
  • Oh The Things Mommies Do!: What Could Be Better Than Having Two? By Crystal Tompkins
    A celebration of a two-mom family who does all the things that any other family might do.
  • William's Doll by Charlotte Zolotow
    The journey of a little boy who wants a doll and the help he gets in for making other people understand his wish.

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• Ages 6-10: LGBT Picture Books and Early Chapter Books
  • King and King by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland
    Originally published in the Netherlands but with questionable artwork, this fractured fairy tale tells of a prince and another prince living happily ever after.
  • King and King and Family by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland
    An implausible adoption tale, but one that celebrates same-sex parents.
  • All Families Are Different by Sol Gordon
    A concept book that reinforces that no one is to blame when families are different from normal and that everyone has a role in helping to make the family happy.
  • In Our Mothers' House by Patricia Polacco
    The story of adopted children who grow up happily with lesbian mothers and eventually get married to heterosexual spouses and come home to visit.

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• Middle Grade: LGBT Novels
  • The Misfits by James Howe
    After years of cruel name calling, one boy finally begins to speak out about stereotypes and degrading labels.
  • Totally Joe by James Howe
    A 7th grade boy works through his sexual identity with a supportive family but with bullying at school.
  • Holly's Secret by Nancy Garden
    Thinking she has a fresh start when she moves and that she can hide the fact she has lesbian mothers, a 7th grade girl comes to terms with acceptance and what is "normal".
  • So Hard to Say by Alex Sanchez
    A 13-year old transfer student must deal with the pursuit of a popular girl who wants him as her first boyfriend while he discovers his own crush on his soccer friend.
  • Getting It by Alex Sanchez
    A straight boy and a gay boy team up to help one another get a girlfriend and start a Gay-Straight Alliance.
  • Absolutely Positively Not by David LaRochelle
    A funny yet touching story of a teen who attempts to be a heterosexual, only to eventually embrace his true sexual identity.

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• Young Adult: LGBT Novels
  • Kissing Kate by Lauren Myracle
    After a fateful kiss between two 16-year old friends, the one girl grows cold and distant while the other girl struggles with her feelings.
  • Rage: A Love Story by Julie Anne Peters
    A high school lesbian love story that takes on the very real issue of domestic violence in same sex relationships.
  • Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters
    The popular and successful lifestyle of a high school senior comes to a crashing end when she falls in love with a lesbian and finds herself kicked out of her home.
  • Luna by Julie Anne Peters
    A touching story of a girl, her loyalty to her transgendered brother, and her reaching a point where she wishes his needs would not overshadow her desire to live her own life.
  • Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden
    The story of two teenage girls who fall in love.
  • Girl Walking Backwards by Bett Williams
    Think of this as a 21st century lesbian Catcher In the Rye type book with raves, drugs, casual sex.
  • Dare Truth or Promise by Paula Boock
    A turbulent high school romance with two girls from different ends of the social spectrum and a fear of publicly embracing their sexuality and relationship.
  • Good Moon Rising by Nancy Garden
    Two girls endure hate messages and the social cost of their burdgeoning love as they work on a production of The Crucible.
  • Empress of the World by Sara Ryan
    Set at a gifted summer camp, love blooms for a girl who over thinks everything about herself and her life.
  • Rules for Hearts by Sara Ryan
    A coming of age story with high school graduates, who are short on cash but long on complicated relationships and sexual fluidity.
  • Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez
    Three gay teens spend their senior year struggling with first love and an HIV scare.
  • Rainbow High by Alex Sanchez
    A sequel to Rainbow Boys, senior year continues as three gay friends stand by each other's side amidst the turmoil of their lives.
  • Rainbow Road by Alex Sanchez
    The final part of this series, the three friends embark on a post graduation road trip to see what it means to be gay in America.
  • Bait by Alex Sanchez
    Charged with assaulting a gay teen who threatened his masculinity just by looking at him, Diego deals with his own issues of abandonment, overty, and sexual abuse.
  • The God Box by Alex Sanchez
    The story of a teen who has dated the same girl since middle school but finds himself questioning his sexuality while balancing his Christian beliefs.
  • Boyfriends with Girlfriends by Alex Sanchez
    Bi? Gay? Lesbian? Straight? Four teens struggle to understand their sexual identities.
  • The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd
    Stuck in a relationship with a guy who will not publicly acknowledge him, Dade focuses on college as his hope for living an out and happy life.
  • Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You: A Novel by Peter Cameron
    In an awkward attempt to act on his sexual awakening, James winds up accused of sexual harassment in this coming-of-age novel by critically acclaimed author Peter Cameron.
  • What They Always Tell Us by Martin Wilson
    A story told in alternating chapters by two brothers who are polar opposites takes readers through the intricacies of families and what it takes to make and maintain relationships.
  • David Inside Out by Lee Bantle
    The coming out story of a teen boy who falls for unrequited love (and intimacy).
  • I'll Get There. It Better Be Worth The Trip.: 40th Anniversary Edition by John Donovan
    A lonely 13-year old boy unexpectedly finds himself living with a mom he has never really known. When he falls in love with a boy from school he has to figure out what it all means.
  • Out of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg
    A high football player finds himself outed by someone he thought he could trust and in the middle of a firestorm of attention from people who do not want to believe he is gay.
  • Geography Club by Brent Hartinger
    A high school sophomore discovers his jock crush is also gay. The boys form the Geography Club, which is really a GSA in disguise. Peer pressure takes its toll and the boys have to come to terms with being different.
  • The Order of the Poison Oak
    A sequel to Geography Club, two friends work at a summer camp for burn-scar victims and wind up with a crush on the same counselor.
  • Clay's Way: A Novel by Blair Mastbaum
    Set in Hawaii, a wannabe punk rocker becomes obsessed with an unstable surfer.
  • Leave Myself Behind by Bart Yates
    Closeted and angry, Noah finds himself transplanted from Chicago to New Hampshire where he befriends a boy who lives with serious family troubles.
  • At Swim, Two Boys: A Novel by Jamie O'Neill
    Set in 1915 in Dublin, the friendship between two boys blossoms into love.
  • Dream Boy: A Novel by Jim Grimsley
    Living in the South with an abusive father, a teen falls in love with his next door neighbor only to have peer pressure end the relationship.
  • Hero by Pery Moore
    A coming-out story with superhero powers.
  • Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
    Less heavy than other YA novels, these LGBT teens who attend an idealized high school still struggle with coming out and coming-of-age issues.
  • The Realm of Possibility by David Levithan
    Told through a series of poems, readers met a group of friends spanning of range of sexuality, race, and social standing who struggle with wanting to make their relationships work.
  • Wide Awake by David Levithan
    A near-futuristic tale that twists religious fundamentalism with love and politics.
  • Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan
    Love is tied to truth and that is what Will Grayson and his friend, Will Grayson, discover in this high school romance.
  • How They Met and Other Stories by David Levithan
    Eighteen short stories that take readers on that whirlwind ride of meeting and falling in love for the first time.
  • Beyond the Wind by Rob N. Hood
    A Midwestern story about a teenage boys secret gay life, his boyfriend who has run away from home and a murder.
  • A Really Nice Prom Mess by Brian Sloan
    A comedy of errors ensues after Cameron agrees to go to the prom with a beautiful girl rather than his boyfriend.
  • Boy Girl Boy by Ron Koertge
    A forever friendship begins to falter when the one girl begins to like one of the boys. And, one boy pulls away as he realizes he's gay.

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• Adult: LGBT Books
  • Families Like Mine: Children of Gay Parents Tell It Like It Is by Abigail Garner
  • Out of the Ordinary: Essays on Growing Up with Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Parents by Noelle Howey, Ellen Samuels, & Margarethe Cammermeyer
  • Love Makes a Family: Portraits of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Parents and Their Families by Peggy Gillespie (editor)

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