After an amazing June, pride month is coming to an end, and as a queer person, I’m going to share some queer book recommendations.
Some of these have been recommended to us by the internet, and some are books that I’ve read personally, so it’s a mix of both. These books range from reading age 5 to 13 plus, and encompass a few different genres, so no matter what your age or style is there should be something in here for you!
Obvious spoiler warnings for all of these books.
5 to 8 reading age:
“ABC Pride” by Louie Stowell and Elly Barnes (illustrated by Amy Phelps) is a kids book that goes through the alphabet and explains some common terms that are linked to gender identity and pride. It has colourful illustrations and, whilst being simple, is a great book to show young kids more about diversity and acceptance.
“Pink, Blue and You!” by Elise Gravel and Mykael Blais is a book that uses simple illustrations to engage kids and challenge gender norms. It talks about accepting yourself and others regardless of gender, clothing, appearance and likes.
“I am Jazz” by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings (illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas) is a charming book about a young trans girl called Jazz and how she learned at a young age that she was actually a girl. It shows how we can celebrate who we are and respect each other in a simple way that kids understand.
9 to 12 reading age:
“Answers in the pages” by David Levithan is a YA book about a young boy who enjoys reading a novel assigned to him in English class and doesn’t understand why his mother wants the school to ban it. It teaches young readers about speaking up for themselves and others, and how different people can react to things in different ways, both positive and negative.
“Zenobia July” by Lisa Bunker is a young-adult fiction novel about a girl who loves coding attending a new school for the first time. Even though she recently lost her family of origin, she creates a chosen family of people, including other queer people. This book teaches readers about finding who you are, and finding support in others who care for you.
“The Whispers” by Greg Howard is a coming-of-age story about a young boy who embarks on a quest to find fairies in the woods known as the whispers. He wishes for his mum to return after he lost her, and for his crush to like him back. The book shows readers that they can be who they want to be, no matter what happens to them.
13+ reading age:
Preface for this section: I will be putting specific age ratings on these books since some of them are closer to 14 or 15 plus. These will be more in-depth descriptions as firstly I have read the books myself, and secondly the books are longer.
“They Both Die at the End” (14+) by Adam Silvera is a young adult novel which had me in tears. It explores the lives of two teenage boys, Rufus and Mateo, who are both queer, living in a society where your death is foretold 24 hours before it happens. It’s a highly popular book, and is well known on social media. The book is heartwarming and tragic (if the title didn’t tell you enough), and it also explores sexuality. The sequel to this book is called “The First to Die at the End” and explores similar themes and a similar storyline, so I highly recommend that as well.
“Heartstopper” (14+) by Alice Osman is a graphic novel series that was published last year. It follows two teenagers, Nick and Charlie, who are finding their sexuality and learning to deal with mental health, school, and bullying. I would consider this series one of the best queer series, as it is genuinely enjoyable to read and is relatable to almost everyone in some way. The author also has multiple other novels, also with queer characters, so I highly recommend checking those out too.
“Carry On” (15+) by Rainbow Rowell is a fantasy/romance novel about a young adult mage named Simon Snow who is the “chosen one” but doesn’t feel like he deserves the title. It’s about Simon learning more about the world of mages, and coming to accept his feelings for his roommate. It’s written to be in a similar style to a fanfiction, since a different novel of Rowell’s called Fangirl had Carry On as a fanfiction in the book. The book is about acceptance and discovery, and the other two books in the series, Wayward Son and Any Way the Wind Blows are also great novels.
“The Sun and the Star” (13+) is a book by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro, who are some of the most well-known young adult authors in the world. Before I talk about this book specifically, Rick’s other works, including the Percy Jackson series, Heroes of Olympus series and Trials of Apollo series also include multiple queer characters, including Nico di Angelo and Will Solace, the main characters of The Sun and the Star. This book talks about sexuality and queer relationships in a casual yet inclusive way and, for fear of giving away too much, explores Nico and Will’s relationship being pushed to the limit. Honestly Rick Riordan is one of my favourite authors, and Mark Oshiro is able to write queer characters in this perfectly, so this book is one of my favourites.
I highly suggest reading all of these books, and they are a great way for different people from different age groups to learn more about gender identity, expression, and sexuality.
Remember to give your queer friends all the support and love they deserve. Stay safe!
