DEL Facilitators LGBTQIA+ Children’s Reading List
For Pride Month, we asked our DEL Facilitators to share their favorite LGBTQIA+ books and resources for the classroom.
We are so excited to share this children’s reading list with books that center LGBTQIA+ themes and characters, brought to you by DEL Facilitators Natalie Swan and Daria Fitzgerald. Thank you so much for these resources, Natalie and Dalia!
Happy Pride Month! 🌈
A Kids Book About Being Non-Binary
by Hunter Chinn-Raicht
“To be non-binary for me means I am not a girl or a boy, I am somewhere outside of that.”
What does being non-binary mean? For some people, the question and its answer may be new or a little confusing. It’s okay to not know what it means! That’s where all good conversations start. The journey to understanding starts with an open mind and an open heart.
Better Nate Than Ever
by Tim Federle
A small-town boy hops a bus to New York City to crash an audition for E.T.: The Musical in this winning middle grade novel that The New York Times called “inspired and inspiring.”
Five, Six, Seven, Nate!
by Tim Federle
Encore! Nate Foster’s Broadway dreams are finally coming true in this sequel to Better Nate Than Ever that Publishers Weekly calls a “funny, tender coming-of-age story.”
Nate Expectations
by Tim Federle
Third time’s a charm! Nate Foster returns home to Jankburg, Pennsylvania, to face his biggest challenge yet—high school—in this final novel in the Lambda Literary Award–winning Nate trilogy, which The New York Times calls “inspired and inspiring.”
Ho’onani: Hula Warrior
by Heather Gale
An empowering celebration of identity, acceptance and Hawaiian culture based on the true story of a young girl in Hawaiʻi who dreams of leading the boys-only hula troupe at her school.
I Am a Rainbow!
by Mark Kanemura
A professional dancer, LGBTQIA+ advocate, and social media star shares this inspiring picture book based on his childhood in Hawaii and encourages readers to find safe spaces that allow them to shine bright.
The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish
by Lil Miss Hot Mess
Playing off “The Wheels on the Bus,” this nursery rhyme book from a founder of Drag Queen Story Hour is a fun, freewheeling celebration of being your most fabulous self.
Julián Is a Mermaid
By Jessica Love
In an exuberant picture book, a glimpse of costumed mermaids leaves one boy flooded with wonder and ready to dazzle the world.
Julián at the Wedding
By Jessica Love
The star of Julián Is a Mermaid makes a joyful return—and finds a new friend—at a wedding to be remembered.
Max and the Talent Show
by Kyle Lukoff
When Stephen signs up for the school’s talent show, Max signs up to be his assistant. After selecting that just-right dress and those just-right shoes for the show, the moment arrives. Stephen steps onto the stage. The lights shine brightly in his face. He looks out into the crowd knowing he has prepared everything, except the one thing that matters–his performance.
Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker
by Patricia Hruby Powell
In exuberant verse and stirring pictures, Patricia Hruby Powell and Christian Robinson create an extraordinary portrait for young people of the passionate performer and civil rights advocate Josephine Baker, the woman who worked her way from the slums of St. Louis to the grandest stages in the world.
Drama: A Graphic Novel
by Raina Telgemeier
Callie loves theater. And while she would totally try out for her middle school’s production of Moon over Mississippi, she can’t really sing. Instead she’s the set designer for the drama department’s stage crew, and this year she’s determined to create a set worthy of Broadway on a middle-school budget.
The Prince and the Dressmaker
by Jen Wang
Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride―or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone.