In collaboration with Erin Hughes, Director of Wood-Ridge Memorial Library
To kick off Pride Month and to honor the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York City, I asked Erin Hughes, the INCREDIBLE Director of Wood-Ridge Memorial Library, to share a list of LGBTQ+ books she often recommends to visitors ⸺ from middle school-aged students to young adults.
It’s time to get your library card out, bestie. Here’s what you should consider adding to your Pride Month reading list this year:
For Middle School-Aged Students and Tweens
Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
This fictional piece is a heartfelt, heartwarming adventure about finding friendship—and maybe more. Darius, our main character, examines his family structure, mental health, and what makes a home a home in this life-affirming, honest, and poignant story.
Lumberjanes by ND Stevenson
This graphic novel series features strong female friendships, superpowers, and summertime camp… with a supernatural twist. Vibes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer for a new generation abound.
Melissa by Alex Gino
Originally published as George, Gino’s book Melissa tells the story of a fourth-grader Melissa. To everyone else, she’s George, but she knows in her heart that she’s Melissa. She uses the class play, Charlotte’s Web to show her mom that she’s a girl by switching roles.
Princess Princess Ever After by Katie O’Neill
This retelling of the classic princess tale features a damsel in distress being rescued by an equally capable damsel! The graphic format is just right for older middle graders while being really easy to understand for the younger audience.
Star-Crossed by Barbara Dee
Finally, a book about a kid who’s bi. When Mattie is cast in Romeo and Juliet, she learns her lines, and a lot about herself when she finds herself attracted to Gemma, the Juliet of the play.
For High School Students and Young Adults
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
There’s a reason they call it a crush, right?! When Charlie and Nick sit next to each other in class one day, their fates are written in the stars. As they discover friendship (and maybe more), they become closer and take on the roller coaster that is high school together. Erin highly recommends reading the whole series!
How To Love: A Guide to Feelings and Relationships for Everyone by Alex Norris
Written in web-comic format, this guide touches on so many aspects of every kind of relationship. Featuring couples of all kinds, Norris brings their incredible style and conversational tone to this one-of-a-kind guide. For the young—and the young at heart—How to Love is a breath of fresh air in the examination of crushes, friendships, and love.
Red, White and Royal Blue by Case McQuiston
Have you ever asked yourself, what would happen if a prince married a prince? In this rollicking, funny, and sweet romance novel, you’ll find out! Alex and Henry are bitter rivals—Alex, the son of the president of the United States, and Henry, the heir to the throne. When diplomacy forces the two together to make Instagrammable moments of faux friendship, they both get a little more than they bargained for.
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
When Liz Lighty’s college plans crash down around her, she’s bound and determined to pick them back up again. Without her financial aid, she figures out a way to attend the ultra-prestigious university that’s her ticket out of her small, rich, white town. The prom queen and king get scholarships- and Liz will do whatever it takes to get her life back on track. Enter Mack: a cute, funny, gutsy outsider (like Liz herself). When Mack enters the competition, it’s up to Liz to choose between her school dreams and her crush.
Pumpkin by Julie Murphy
Another prom court contender here. When Waylon, an openly gay senior, tapes his audition for his favorite drag TV show, he doesn’t think that his whole school will see it. But they do. They elect him prom queen and his twin sister’s girlfriend, Hannah, as prom king as a cruel joke. But what do they do with lemons? They make sparkly, gay, and accepting lemonade. This hilarious book features hints of poignancy that are so realistic, and it’s a great read for anyone who’s felt humiliated or out of place in high school (aka, like all of us!).
Non-Fiction LGTQ+ Books
Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
This book has the distinction of being one of the most banned books ever, according to the American Library Association. Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, has created an incredibly cathartic biographical graphic novel, which outlines eir journey of self-identity, and gives the reader a guide for all kinds of mortifying things that happen when you’re a teen/young adult. From pap smears to crushes, Kobabe has formulated a wonderful work of art based on eir experiences.
How To Love: A Guide to Feelings and Relationships for Everyone by Alex Norris
Written in web-comic format, this guide touches on so many aspects of every kind of relationship. Featuring couples of all kinds, Norris brings their incredible style and conversational tone to this one-of-a-kind guide. For the young and the young at heart, How to Love is a breath of fresh air in the examination of crushes, friendships, and love.
The Pride Guide: A Guide to Sexual and Social Health for LGBTQ Youth by Jo Langford
This teen-focused book provides sex education materials to the ten percent of teens who identify as LGBT+ without the limited scope that most books take on. It’s explicitly written for teens, with real-world information from the author, who is a longtime therapist and sex educator. Real-world situations are used to illustrate the important and different needs of queer youth. From what a healthy, loving relationship looks like to understand the consequences and results of your actions, The Pride Guide is a wonderful conversation starter and a practical guide for teens navigating their way through their most tumultuous years.
You Know, Sex by Cory Silverberg
Appropriate for middle school and up, Silverberg’s fun, funny, and beautifully vibrant book covers puberty, gender, bodies, relationships, and more. This is a wonderfully inclusive book that features queer characters and answers questions with a frank (but factually accurate and funny) tone.
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