All Kinds of Other by
High school sophomores Jules Westman and Jack Davies are hoping to make a new start at the beginning of the school year. While Jules has recently come out as gay, Jack is hiding his transgender identity. When the pair meet and have an instant connection, it seems their year has gotten off to a good start. However, Jack is outed by his peers, leading to questions for Jules. When bullying against Jack increases, Jules realizes he still feels the same for him and decides to take a stand.
All Out: the No-Longer-Secret Stories of Kick-Ass Queer Teens by
Seventeen young adult authors across the queer spectrum have come together to create a collection of beautifully written diverse historical fiction for teens. From a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in war-torn 1870s Mexico featuring a transgender soldier, to two girls falling in love while mourning the death of Kurt Cobain, forbidden love in a sixteenth-century Spanish convent or an asexual girl discovering her identity amid the 1970s roller-disco scene, All Out tells a diverse range of stories across cultures, time periods and identities, shedding light on an area of history often ignored or forgotten.
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.
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.
Becoming Nicole by
The Maines were a middle-class, politically conservative New England couple whose lives felt complete when they adopted identical twin sons. As toddlers, Jonas was the son they expected, but Wyatt was only interested in girls' clothes and toys. By age five, this conflict was tearing Wyatt--and the family--apart. Today, Wyatt is Nicole. This is the story of a journey that could have destroyed a family, but instead united them.
The Black Flamingo by
Michael Angeli, a mixed-race gay teen living in London, tells his story in lyrical verse, describing his struggles with self-acceptance and identity as he grows up without a father. When he moves away from home to attend university, he discovers the drag community, where he finally finds acceptance and a new persona as the Black Flamingo.
Bloom by
Ari can't wait to escape his home town and the boredom of working in his family's bakery. He has plans to move to the city and hopes to make it big with his band. But before he can move forward, his family needs to find a replacement for him at the bakery. That's when he meets Hector, one of the candidates for his job. And the more they get to know each other, the more obvious it becomes that there could be a love connection if Ari plays his cards right.
material type: eBook
eBook
Darius the Great Is Not Okay by
Darius Kellner speaks better Klingon than Farsi, and he knows more about Hobbit social cues than Persian ones. He’s a Fractional Persian—half, his mom’s side—and his first-ever trip to Iran is about to change his life. Darius has never really fit in at home, and he’s sure things are going to be the same in Iran. His clinical depression doesn’t exactly help matters, and trying to explain his medication to his grandparents only makes things harder. Then Darius meets Sohrab, the boy next door, and everything changes. Soon, they’re spending their days together, playing soccer, eating faludeh, and talking for hours on a secret rooftop overlooking the city’s skyline. Sohrab calls him Darioush—the original Persian version of his name—and Darius has never felt more like himself than he does now that he’s Darioush to Sohrab. Adib Khorram’s brilliant debut is for anyone who’s ever felt not good enough—then met a friend who makes them feel so much better than okay.
Faith
Plus-size high school senior Faith Herbert is a normal teen who hides a huge secret: she can fly like a superhero. When the set of her favorite television show "The Grove" comes to her small town, she's thrilled to meet and hang out with the show's star Dakota Ash. However, shortly thereafter, friends and pets suddenly start disappearing from town, and Faith is determined to use her abilities to find out what's happened to them.
Felix Ever After by
Felix Love has never been in love—and, yes, he’s painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it’s like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What’s worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that he’s one marginalization too many—Black, queer, and transgender—to ever get his own happily-ever-after.
The Full Spectrum by
A collection of writings by gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth about their experiences in coming to terms with their sexuality. Offers revelations of uncertainty, hope, love, joy, courage, and fear of coming out.
The Henna Wars by
When teenager Nishat comes out to her Bangladeshi parents, they are less than supportive, so she hides her disappointment by throwing herself into an entrepreneurial school challenge for which she creates a business showcasing henna tattoo art. A girl she has a secret crush on, Flávia, also decides to do the same business idea, which initially angers Nishat and fuels a rivalry, until she realizes that the business may be Flávia's way of telling Nishat how she feels about her. Now Nishat must decide whether to keep her lesbianism a secret for her parents' sake, or give her relationship with Flávia a chance.
Honor Girl by
Author Maggie Thrash recounts the surprise, apprehensiveness, and worries she experienced at the age of fifteen when she first felt romantic feelings toward another girl while at summer camp. Maggie relates how she found support from her friends even though she feared repercussions if her feelings were exposed.
Juliet Takes a Breath
Ever since nineteen-year-old Juliet Palante told her family she's a lesbian, her mother has barely spoken to her. So when Juliet is awarded an internship with her favorite author, she leaves her home in the Bronx behind to spend the summer in Portland. There she discovers a world unlike any she's ever known, where she's welcomed just as she is, and where she discovers that she can truly love all of herself.
I Wish You All the Best by
When Ben De Backer comes out to their parents as nonbinary, they're thrown out of their house and forced to move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah, and her husband, Thomas, whom Ben has never even met. Struggling with an anxiety disorder compounded by their parents' rejection, they come out only to Hannah, Thomas, and their therapist and try to keep a low profile in a new school.But Ben's attempts to survive the last half of senior year unnoticed are thwarted when Nathan Allan, a funny and charismatic student, decides to take Ben under his wing. As Ben and Nathan's friendship grows, their feelings for each other begin to change, and what started as a disastrous turn of events looks like it might just be a chance to start a happier new life.
Little and Lion by
Sixteen-year-old Suzette has returned to Los Angeles for the summer after being away at boarding school. Happy to be back with her racially blended family--Suzette and her mother are black, while her father and brother Lionel are white--Suzette is anxious to spend time with her old friends and help her brother who has been struggling with bipolar disorder. When Lionel confides that he's going off his medication, Suzette is afraid that telling anyone will destroy their relationship. To make matters worse, Suzette finds herself falling for the same girl Lionel has feelings for.
The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by
Seventeen-year-old Rukhsana Ali has always been fascinated by the universe around her and the laws of physics that keep everything in order. But her life at home isn't so absolute.Unable to come out to her conservative Muslim parents, she keeps that part of her identity hidden. And that means keeping her girlfriend, Ariana, a secret from them too. Luckily, only a few more months stand between her carefully monitored life at home and a fresh start at Caltech in the fall. But when Rukhsana's mom catches her and Ariana together, her future begins to collapse around her.Devastated and confused, Rukhsana's parents whisk her off to stay with their extended family in Bangladesh where, along with the loving arms of her grandmother and cousins, she is met with a world of arranged marriages, religious tradition, and intolerance. Fortunately, Rukhsana finds allies along the way and, through reading her grandmother's old diary, finds the courage to take control of her future and fight for her love.A gritty novel that doesn't shy away from the darkest corners of ourselves, ????
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 Meaning of Birds by
Jessica, an "out" lesbian and one of the only "out" teenagers in her school, finds that the grief and anger building inside her ever since her father's death is changed and redirected by Vivi when she crashes into her life, opening her up to love and encouraging her to pursue her talent as an artist. Then, in the middle of their senior year, Vivi suddenly dies, sending Jess back into anger and depression. However, in her work-study program she meets another new and unexpected friend who helps her learn to make room for her heart to heal and use her anger, passion, and creativity to make a new path forward to healing and a future.
The Music of What Happens by
It is summer in Phoenix, and seventeen-year-old Maximo offers to help Jordan, a fellow student in high school, with the food truck that belonged to Jordan's deceased father, and which may be the only thing standing between homelessness for Jordan and his mom; the boys are strongly attracted to each other, but as their romance develops it is threatened by the secrets they are hiding--and by the racism and homophobia of those around them.
My Heart Underwater
When her Filipino father enters a coma after an accident, seventeen-year-old Cory Tagubio leans on the only one she thinks understands her--her history teacher. As a Catholic, Cory knows that her feelings for Ms. Holden are forbidden, so when their relationship turns intimate and she's caught by her mother, Cory is sent away to live with a half-brother named Jun in the Philippines. Heartbroken and alone, Cory must come to terms with her identity, her family's roots, and what she wants for her future.
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.
The New Queer Conscience by
The author describes growing up queer and Jewish, and provides other queer people with a concise introduction to queer responsibility. He draws on the Jewish faith to detail ten ways to offer kindness, help, and support to others in the queer community to create a strong global conscience.
Out! by
YouTuber Miles McKenna, a queer and trans activist, presents a coming-out guide for LGBTQ+ tweens and teens. McKenna discusses his own coming-out story, which he documented on his YouTube channel, and offers ideas and advice for youth exploring their identities and wondering how to explain what is happening to schoolmates, family, and friends.
A Queer History of the United States for Young People by
Examines the history of homosexuality in America, ranging from indigenous tribes who embraced diverse sexual orientation and gender identities to historical figures such as transgender war hero Albert D.J. Cashier and civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, who have made lasting contributions in the history and culture of the LGBTQ community.
Queer, There, and Everywhere by
Presents twenty-three brief biographical sketches of men and women throughout history who are considered to be part of the queer community for one reason or another, including Abraham Lincoln and Joan of Arc, as well as openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people like Lili Elbe and Alan Turing who have greatly influenced history and paved the way for the modern gay and transgender rights movement.
Stay Gold by
Pony sees his new Texas high school as a way to hide the fact that he is transgender and so he can graduate high school in anonymity. But when he meets Georgia, the school's star cheerleader, everything changes. As the two grow closer, he fears exposure of his secret and begins to rethink his decision to keep the truth hidden. Together, the two learn about love, acceptance, and identity.
Tell Me How You Really Feel by
Sana Khan and Rachel Recht had gotten off on the wrong foot from the start when Sana asked Rachel out freshman year and Rachel took it as a joke. Even though Rachel has spent the last three years openly loathing the annoyingly perfect cheerleader, Sana can't seem to squelch the crush she's had on her since seeing her first start at their high school. As the two prepare for college, Rachel's final film project unexpectedly brings them together.
Troublemaker for Justice by
Explores the life of civil rights activist and gay man Bayard Rustin, who being gay was mostly left out of the history books and biggest stories about the civil rights movement, even though he was a mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Rustin taught King the techniques and philosophy of non-violent action, and in 1963 he organized the march on Washington.
When the Moon Was Ours
For many years, Miel, who grows roses, painfully but beautifully, out of her wrist, has been best friends with Sam, a mysterious boy who paints paper moons and hangs them in trees. But just as love blossoms between the two, they catch the attention of the four Bonner sisters, rumored to be witches for the hold they have on the town's young men. The sisters are afraid their hold is weakening, and they think Miel's roses will fix the problem. They will do anything to get them, including exploit every secret Miel and Sam share, but Sam's moons may be more powerful …
The 57 Bus by
Explores the true stories of Sasha and Richard, two teens from Oakland, California, who never would have met if not for the 57 Bus which they both were taking home one day. Richard, an African American boy, had a lighter; Sasha, a white boy, wore a skirt. A dare to use the lighter changes both boy's lives forever.
