The Best at It by
Twelve-year-old Rahul Kapoor heads into seventh grade armed with advice his grandfather gave him--to find a thing he's good at and become the best at it. But Rahul struggles with his identity, including his confusing attraction to classmate Justin Emery. Rahul joins the Mathletes but it doesn't go as planned, and when Jenny asks him to a dance, Rahul spirals into depression and anxiety. With the help of his best friend Chelsea, Rahul confronts who he actually is.
Lily and Dunkin by
Eighth-grader Lily Jo McGrother, who identifies as a girl even though born in a boy's body, makes friends with Norbert "Dunkin" Dorfman, a boy with bipolar disorder--which is bad enough for his social life, but he is also hiding a terrible secret that makes things much worse. Only Lily Jo and Dunkin's friendship has the power to change their lives.
Ask the Passengers by
Having spent the better part of her life in New York City, Astrid had a hard time moving to the largely rural town of Unity Valley. With her close friends at her side, things don't seem too difficult - until Astrid begins to suspect she is falling in love with a girl.
One True Way by
From the moment she met Samantha, star of the school basketball team, on her first day at Daniel Boone Middle School, Allison Drake felt she had found a friend, something she needs badly since her brother died and her father left--but as their friendship grows it begins to evolve into a deeper emotion, and in North Carolina in 1977, it is not easy to discover that you might be gay.
See You at Harry's by
Seventh grader Fern has a full (and somewhat complicated) life: Her high school freshman brother, Holden, has taken the first steps toward acknowledging he is gay, and their older sister Sara is spending her first year after high school helping with the family restaurant, allowing her overly critical eye to land wherever it pleases. Then there's three-year-old Charlie, oftentimes messy but always loved, and the children's distant parents who leave them all desperate for more attention. When a sudden tragedy rips the family apart, Fern is at the forefront of their efforts to manage the pain and vividly describes the process by which her siblings come together to find some semblance of healing.
Saving Montgomery Sole by
When Monty buys the Eye of Know for six bucks online, it comes with a curious instruction: "In sight not see black light not be." It becomes the topic of discussion at the Mystery Club, made up of Monty and her friends Thomas and Naoki, who share a love for the unexplained. When Monty puts the Eye of Know on, strange things start happening, mostly toward the people she dislikes. However, the Eye may end Monty's friendships at the same time it takes down her enemies.
Drama by
Ever since she saw Les Miserable when she was little, Callie has loved theater. She wishes she had a better singing voice, but contents herself with being the set designer for Eucalyptus Middle School. This year she swears the set will be worthy of Broadway-except she is bad at carpentry, and no one seems to want to buy tickets. Added to all this is the drama both on and off the stage, with hurt feelings over casting decisions and hormone-infused relationship tension. Callie herself is among the latter group, having had her heart broken by eighth-grader Greg, but with two cute twin boys entering the theater world, Callie isn't sure she can juggle everything at once.
Birdie and Me by
After their mama dies, Jack and Birdie find themselves without a place to call home. And when Mama's two brothers each try to provide one--first sweet Uncle Carl, then gruff Uncle Patrick--the results are funny, tender, and tragic. They're also somehow . . . spectacular. With voices and characters that soar off the page, J. M. M. Nuanez's debut novel depicts an unlikely family caught in a situation none of them would have chosen, and the beautiful ways in which they finally come to understand one another.
The List of Things That Will Not Change by
Despite her parents' divorce, her father's coming out as gay, and his plans to marry his boyfriend, ten-year-old Bea is reassured by her parents' unconditional love, excited about getting a stepsister, and haunted by something she did last summer at her father's lake house.
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by
Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he's pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he's never met.
Last Pick: Rise Up by
Wyatt has become the reluctant leader of the "last picked" humans passed over by their new alien overlords, the disabled, elderly, and too young to be useful for hard labor. Now having hacked the alien tech, Wyatt and his crew have a spaceship and a new plan to attack the alien federation. Meanwhile, Wyatt's lesbian Sister, Sam, and her girlfriend, Mia, are traveling the galaxy searching for a way to rescue Sam's parents.
Ana on the Edge by
Figure skater Ana-Marie Jin is unsure about the princess-theme routine assigned by her choreographer for an upcoming competition. When Ana begins giving lessons to transgender figure skater Hayden in exchange for free ice time, Hayden assumes Ana is a boy and Ana doesn't correct him, feeling comfortable exploring the male identity. As Ana comes to understand who they are, they grapple with what others will think and how they can express themselves in a traditionally binary sport.
Drum Roll, Please by
Quiet, unassuming Melissa Goodwin only joined band because Olivia, her best friend, begged her to, but now, to her great surprise, she finds that she loves playing the drums. The next two weeks at Camp Rockaway are looking to be really fun--or they would have been, if the day before they leave Melly's parents hadn't told her they are getting a divorce. Now, miles from home, Melly feels extremely out of place--especially when she meets her bandmate Adeline and instead of dreaming about boys, like the other girls in her tent do, Melly catches herself thinking of Adeline.
King and the Dragonflies by
Certain that his brother Khalid has transformed into a dragonfly after passing away, King often steals down to the bayou to search for him among the hundreds of dragonflies there. Khalid also visits King in his dreams, still, a secret King knows he has to keep--that, and the fact that he thinks he might be gay. Grief transforms King's family, but King learns how to use grief and pain to find beauty and redemption as his true self.
Where the Heart Is by
Thirteen-year-old Rachel works with the animals at her family's small hobby farm, and she looks forward to spending the summer swimming in the lake with her best friend, Micah, who wants to be more than friends, but Rachel isn't sure she feels the same, at least not for a boy. Her parents fight more and more over money, and the family soon loses the house, which makes Rachel have to really consider what makes a home a home.
Music from Another World by
It’s summer 1977 and closeted lesbian Tammy Larson can’t be herself anywhere. Not at her strict Christian high school, not at her conservative Orange County church and certainly not at home, where her ultrareligious aunt relentlessly organizes antigay political campaigns. Tammy’s only outlet is writing secret letters in her diary to gay civil rights activist Harvey Milk…until she’s matched with a real-life pen pal who changes everything.
Anger Is a Gift by
Sixteen-year-old gay African-American student Moss Jeffries feels stuck in his run-down West Oakland High School. Still mourning the death of his father, shot by police years earlier, a violent incident at his school prompts Moss to channel his simmering anger into community activism against a corrupt authority system.
We Are All Made of Molecules by
Thirteen-year-old brilliant but socially-challenged Stewart and mean-girl Ashley must find common ground when, two years after Stewart's mother died, his father moves in with his new girlfriend--Ashley's mother, whose gay ex-husband lives in their guest house.
A Home for Goddesses and Dogs by
After her mother dies, thirteen-year-old Lydia moves into a Connecticut farm with Aunt Brat, her wife Eileen, and the elderly live-in landlord Elloroy. Upon her arrival, Aunt Brat adopts a rescue dog who can't seem to stay out of trouble. Lydia struggles to cope with her mother's death, a new school, and a lovable, yet terrible, dog--all while keeping her secrets intact.
The Moon Within by
Told in verse, eleven-year-old Celi Rivera is anxious about her approaching period, and that her mother wants to hold a traditional Mexican moon ceremony to celebrate the occasion, a party she promises she will not attend. Meanwhile, her best friend explores what it means to be gender fluid, which prompts the boy Celi has a crush on to make mean comments, which in turn forces Celi to make some rash decisions
The Parker Inheritance by
When Candice finds the letter addressed to her grandmother inside a box in the attic, she's not sure she should read it. But curiosity pulls Candice into a mystery generations before her time. And with the help of her neighbor, Brandon, she is determined to find the truth even if it means revealing her own deep secrets in the process.
The Only Black Girls in Town by
Surfer Alberta has been the only black girl in her small California beach town for years. When she finds out that the new owners of the bed-and-breakfast across the street are black and that they have a daughter her age, Alberta is convinced that she and Edie will be best friends. But Edie misses her life in Brooklyn and is finding it hard to adapt to California life. When the girls find a box of old journals in Edie's attic, they team up to find out why they were left behind, uncovering painful secrets from the past.
Rick by
Although Rick has never thought about his identity much, when he begins middle school, he attends the Rainbow Spectrum Club where he meets kids of all genders and identities, including a girl named Melissa. Rick wants to have his life all figured out like Melissa, so he begins a quest to find his place in the world, even if it means breaking some old friendships.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by
Fifteen-year-old Ari Mendoza is an angry loner with a brother in prison, but when he meets Dante and they become friends, Ari starts to ask questions about himself, his parents, and his family that he has never asked before.
Hurricane Child by
On the island of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, twelve-year-old Caroline is known for her bad luck because she was born during a hurricane. A new student from Barbados named Kalinda arrives and becomes Caroline's only friend--and her first crush. As Caroline works through her feelings for Kalinda, the two set out in a hurricane to find Caroline's missing mother and are followed by a mysterious spirit.
The Magic Fish by
Tien, the son of two Vietnamese refugees, is struggling with the right way to come out to his parents. With a language barrier, Tien wonders how he will ever tell his parents the truth. As he helps them with their English, Tien realizes he may be able to use fairy tales to get his message across.
The Deep and Dark Blue by
A political coup forces Hawke and Grayson to escape and assume new identities. They accidentally meet the Communion of Blue--an order of women who can manipulate reality. As they begin to understand the magic of the Communion, they hatch a plan to retake their kingdom. Hawke looks to regain his former life, but Grayce realizes she can have a new life that will allow her to live as a girl.
