LGBTQI Fiction/Non-Fiction for Teens

A 2019 New York Public Library Best Books for Kids
A 2020 Tayshas Reading List Selection
A 2020 Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List Selection

"One of the most adorable, big-hearted, charming books in existence." --Becky Albertalli, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

This stunning YA debut is a timely and heartfelt speculative narrative about healing, faith, and freedom.

An epic, utterly unforgettable contemporary novel about a lost shipwreck, a missing piece of family history, and weathering the storms of life. Fans of Far from the Tree, We Are Okay, and Emergency Contact will love this stunning debut.

Debut author Tobly McSmith delivers a coming-of-age teen love story about a transgender boy who’s going stealth at his new Texas high school and a cisgender girl who is drawn to him, even as she’s counting down the days until graduation. Perfect for fans of David Levithan, Becky Albertalli, and Jenny Han.

Winner of the 2015 Westchester Fiction Award

Changers Book One: Drew is a New York Public Library summer reading pick

"Changers should appeal to a broad demographic. Teenagers, after all, are the world's leading experts on trying on, and then promptly discarding, new identities."
--New York Times Book Review

The award-winning, big-hearted novel about being seen for who you really are, and a love story you can't help but root for

Amanda Hardy is the new girl in school. Like anyone else, all she wants is to make friends and fit in. But Amanda is keeping a secret, and she’s determined not to get too close to anyone.

This groundbreaking book, first published in 1982, is the story of two teenage girls whose friendship blossoms into love and who, despite pressures from family and school that threaten their relationship, promise to be true to each other and their feelings.

In 1955, eighteen-year-old Janet Jones keeps the love she shares with her best friend Marie a secret. It's not easy being gay in Washington, DC, in the age of McCarthyism, but when she discovers a series of books about women falling in love with other women, it awakens something in Janet.

Now a major motion picture: Love, Simon, starring Nick Robinson and Katherine Langford!

William C. Morris Award Winner: Best Young Adult Debut of the Year * National Book Award Longlist

"A remarkable gift of a novel."—Andrew Smith, author of Grasshopper Jungle

A stunning novel on love, identity, loss, and redemption.

When Suzette comes home to Los Angeles from her boarding school in New England, she's isn't sure if she'll ever want to go back. L.A. is where her friends and family are (as well as her crush, Emil). And her stepbrother, Lionel, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, needs her emotional support.

Charlie Lamonte is thirteen years old, queer, black, and questioning what was once a firm belief in God. So naturally, she's spending a week of her summer vacation stuck at an all-white Christian youth backpacking camp.

Everyone on campus knows Remy Cameron. He's the out-and-proud, super-likable guy who friends, faculty, and fellow students alike admire for his cheerful confidence. The only person who isn't entirely sure about Remy Cameron is Remy himself.

“None of the Above is a powerful story of discovering one’s true identity. This book will open hearts and change minds.”—Stephen Chbosky, bestselling author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower

If you received a letter from your older self, what do you think it would say? What do you wish it would say?
 

2020 ALA Rainbow Book List Selection

Named one of the Best Nonfiction Books of 2019 by School Library Journal

Queer history didn’t start with Stonewall. This book explores how LGBTQ people have always been a part of our national identity, contributing to the country and culture for over 400 years.