Primary tabs
You don't need to be an ALA Member to purchase from the ALA Store, but you'll be asked to create an online account/profile during the checkout to proceed. This Web Account is for both Members and non-Members. Note that your ALA Member discount will be applied at the final step of the checkout process.
If you are Tax-Exempt, please verify that your account is currently set up as exempt before placing your order, as our new fulfillment center will need current documentation. Learn how to verify here.
- Description
- Table of Contents
- About the authors
- Reviews
Librarians, teachers, and other professionals who work with children and teens will discover a range of LGBTQIA+ titles in this resource, alongside guidance on fostering spaces that are safe, warm, and welcoming for all young readers.
Books for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, asexual, and intersex readers and their allies continue to thrive and evolve in reflection of the variety of families and individual identities today. Deemed "an essential purchase" in a starred review by School Library Journal, this matchless guide returns in an updated edition. The authors highlight the best in LGBTQIA+ lit for young people while also addressing urgent topics such as the rise in book challenges. Offering library workers and teachers the information and tools they need to build a diverse, inclusive collection and confidently share it with the patrons they support, this resource
- provides hundreds of annotated book entries, complete with author and illustrator, publisher, date of publication, descriptions of each book’s LGBTQIA+ representation, and helpful prompts to foster discussion;
- surveys the current censorship push against books with LGBTQIA+ topics, themes, and characters, discussing its effect on young people and how to deal with objections and book challenges head on;
- includes interviews with noted authors that explain not only why they write for children, but what they feel librarians and teachers should understand when working with queer children and their classmates;
- spotlights picture books for young children that depict kids, parents, and families with a variety of gender and sexual dynamics;
- introduces books for middle-grade readers, focusing on titles with young people who are questioning and finding themselves while searching for where they belong;
- shares books for teens that range from stories touching on mental health and other issues that develop as youth start high school to others that explore housing insecurity and other concerns that impact older teens; and
- shares ideas for programming and marketing, advice on outreach to stakeholders, and best practices for supporting LGBTQIA+ students.
Acknowledgments
Introduction: How Can I Support My LGBTQIA+ Population Today?
Chapter 1 Ch-ch-changes!
Chapter 2 Books and Conversation for Young Readers
Chapter 3 Books and Conversation for Middle Grade Readers
Chapter 4 Books and Conversation for Younger Teens
Chapter 5 Books and Conversation for Older Teens
Chapter 6 Final Thoughts
Appendixes
- Appendix A: Recommended Resources
- Appendix B: Authors and Illustrators to Know
Glossary
About the Authors and Contributors
Indexes
- Author/Title Index
- Subject Index
Have you read this book? Leave a review!
"Truly an essential purchase. This guide updates its first edition and focuses on books from the past four years. How wonderful that in just four years there were enough LGBTQIA+ books to require an updated edition! ... Thorough and easy to use, this guide should be something read by anyone working with (or raising!) children of any age."
— School Library Journal
"Librarians and other educators need to keep current about LGBTQIA+ books for youth, especially in light of recent book challenges. Fortunately, expert-based information, from ALA-affiliated units, other relevant centers, and knowledgeable contributors, is available in this work ... This book is a thoughtful, professional guide for selecting and promoting LGBTQIA+ books and supporting young LBGTQIA+ patrons.”
— Booklist
Praise for the first edition
"Beginning with a touching foreword from Jamie Campbell Naidoo about the importance of LGBTQAI+ literature, the book’s tone is warm and its advice universally applicable to school and public libraries large and small, rural and urban ... A solid starting point for someone new to LGBTQAI+ literature.”
— Booklist
"Citing powerful research and quotations from other advocates for diversity, the authors argue in their introduction that including LGBTQAI+ literature in libraries and curricula is part of taking a stand for basic human rights. A history of children’s and YA LGBTQAI+ literature is followed by ways to address book challenges ... This volume does a superb job on many fronts. An essential purchase for public and school libraries, especially given that few other selections on this topic exist.”
— School Library Journal (starred review)
"Comprehensive ... This book is an excellent reference guide for school and public youth librarians looking to improve representation of the LGBTQAI+ community in their library's collection.”
— VOYA