Prepared by
Revised
July 1, 2022
Whether you're celebrating Pride month or just looking for a great book or movie, check out these staff-selected titles!
Children's fiction
King and the Dragonflies
2020
A 12-year-old boy spends days in the mystical Louisiana bayou coming to terms with a sibling’s sudden death, his grief-stricken family and the disappearance of his former best friend amid whispers about the latter’s sexual orientation.
What Are Your Words? A Book About Pronouns
2021
Ari knows a lot of words for neighbors, including the pronouns each prefers, and with help from Uncle Lior, who always asks "What are your words," figures out which pronouns-- and other words-- fit best today.
The Accursed Vampire
2021
Cursed by a witch centuries before, Dragoslava must complete every task the witch assigns him, challenges that send him off to a sleepy midwestern town to obtain a spellbook, in what becomes a life-changing mission that brings about friendship and a sense of belonging.
Love, Violet
2021
Of all the kids in Violet’s class, only one leaves her speechless: Mira, the girl with the cheery laugh who races like the wind, and as Valentine’s Day approaches, shy Violet musters the courage to tell Mira just how special she is.
Children's nonfiction
My Own Way: Celebrating Gender Freedom for Kids
2022
J 305.3 EST
This poem and a picture book introduces very young children to the wonder of gender diversity. Why feel limited to his or hers, blue or pink, football or ballet?
Teen fiction
Ace of Spades
2021
Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, two students at Niveus Private Academy, are selected to be part of the elite school's senior class prefects and struggle against an anonymous bully who reveals all of their secrets.
Lexile level
740
Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms
2021
Annie, an antisocial lesbian, and former friend Bebe, a trans girl, join their high school cheerleader squad for different reasons, and, through the rigors of squad training and amped up social pressures, rekindle a friendship they thought they'd lost.
The Henna Wars
2020
When Nishat, an Irish girl of Bengali heritage, sees her old friend Flaavia again, she feels attracted, but when they both enter a school contest as henna artists, their feelings for each other become more complicated.
Lakelore
2022
Bastiâan Silvano and Lore Garcia are pulled into a magical world under a lake. When the world under the lake drifts above the surface, the teens, who are non-binary, must work together to prevent it from bringing their secrets to the surface with it.
The Magic Fish
2020
It's hard enough trying to communicate with your parents as a kid, but Tien doesn't even have the right words because his parents are struggling with their English. Is there a Vietnamese word for what he's going through? Is there a way to tell them he's gay?
Lexile level
400
Dierric R loved this! Find out why »
Teen nonfiction
Beyond the Gender Binary
2020
TEEN 306.76 VAI
The author challenges the world to see gender not in black and white, but in full color. Taking from their own experiences as a gender-nonconforming artist, they show readers that gender is a malleable and creative form of expression.
Adult fiction
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty
Learning how to feel joy while healing from loss, Feyi Adekola starts dating the perfect guy, but discovers she has feelings for someone else who is off limits and must decide just how far she is willing to go for a second chance at love.
Dead Collections
2022
A whirlwind romance between a vampire archivist and a grieving widow explores what it means to be at home in your own body.
Thirsty Mermaids
2021
741.5973 LEY
Masquerading as humans to find more wonderful shipwreck wine, three tipsy mermaids party at a seaside tourist trap before discovering the next morning they do not know how to return to their natural forms.
Annie C loved this! Find out why »
Bad Girls
2022
Sheltered in their leader’s house, a group of trans sex workers finds a partial escape from the everyday threats of disease and violence while they each tell their stories, including Camila, an outcast who traces the life of this vibrant community throughout the '90s.
Siren Queen
2022
Coming of age in pre-Code Hollywood, Chinese American actress Luli Wei, desperate to become a star, bargains with blood and ancient magic to realize her dreams, but the steep price for success may turn her into something she despises.
Memorial
2020
Japanese-American chef Mike and Black daycare teacher Benson begin reevaluating their stale relationship after Mike departs for Japan to visit his dying father and Benson is suddenly stuck with his visiting mother-in-law, who becomes an unconventional roommate.
Adult nonfiction
Like a Boy But Not a Boy
2020
305.3 BEN
The book's 14 essays delve incisively into the interconnected themes of mental illness, mortality, creative work, class and bike mechanics.
Special Topics In Being a Human
2021
177.7 BER
An illustrated guide to practical advice for the modern age, filtered through a queer lens.
Punch Me Up to the Gods
2021
306.7662 BRO
This coming-of-age memoir about Blackness, masculinity and addiction follows the author, a poet and screenwriter, as he recounts his experiences, revealing a perpetual outsider awkwardly squirming to find his way in.
Meredith S loved this! Find out why »
Ace
2020
306.762 CHE
A journalist, using her own perspective along with those of a diverse group of asexual people, presents a careful cultural analysis that explores how societal norms limit understanding of sex and relationships and celebrates the breadth of sexuality and queerness.
Libby V loved this! Find out why »
Movies for adults
Queer Japan
2021
Trailblazing artists, activists and everyday people from across the spectrum of gender and sexuality defy social norms and dare to shine in this kaleidoscopic view of LGBTQ+ culture in contemporary Japan.
The Obituary of Tunde Johnson
2021
A wealthy, Nigerian American teen is pulled over by police, shot to death and immediately awakens, reliving the same day over and over, trapped in a terrifying time loop that forces him to confront difficult truths about his life and himself.
Recommended for
Libby V
I'm an adult services librarian with reading tastes that tend toward LGBTQ+ literature, sci-fi, fantasy, YA and graphic novels. If I'm not reading books on my to-read list or adding books to my to-read list, I can almost guarantee I'm watching "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," roller skating, crafting, cooking delicious vegetarian food or snuggling my greyhounds.
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