Welcome to Family Equality’s Book Nook, a comprehensive list of the best LGBTQ+ books for the whole family!
Whether you’re searching for your child’s first picture book or a young adult novel that your tween will devour, Family Equality’s Book Nook is a list of our favorite books that represent diverse families in a loving and respectful way.
Check out the search portal below to discover what new LGBTQ+ books you need to add to your at-home, local, or school libraries!
Explore the Book Nook
🔎 Use the filters to refine your search by age group:
The Trouble with Babies
Martha Freeman and Cat Bowman Smith
A delightful and warmhearted story about the adventures of nine-year-old Holly, who tries to adjust to a new home and a neighbor who has just invented a de-yukkification device. Holly’s world is populated with a number of interesting people and different kinds of families, from step-parents and single parents to her friend Xavier’s two dads. A wonderful depiction of family in many forms.
The True Colors of Family Coloring Book (Celebrating LGBT Families)
Mark Loewen
These coloring pages show what all loving families have in common. Families love having fun together!
Add your own colors to the families in this book as they enjoy playing outside, riding roller coasters, making a mess in the kitchen, taking care of their pets, and celebrating their favorite holidays!
This Day in June
Gayle E. Pitman
In a wildly whimsical, validating, and exuberant reflection of the LGBT community, This Day In June welcomes readers to experience a pride celebration and share in a day when we are all united. Also included is a Reading Guide chock-full of facts about LGBT history and culture, as well as a Note to Parents and Caregivers with information on how to talk to children about sexual orientation and gender identity in age-appropriate ways. This Day In June is an excellent tool for teaching respect, acceptance, and understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
What Does A Princess Really Look Like? (Brave Like A Girl Series)
Mark Loewen
Chloe dreams of being a ballerina princess. But today she is not practicing her twirls or leaping from room to room.
She digs deep in her art drawer to find what she needs to craft her very own princess ballerina. The project quickly turns into more than a simple princess drawing. Chloe realizes that princesses are not just about beautiful hair and sparkly dresses.
As her work of art comes to life, she discovers the qualities of character that make up her princess. When she feels insecure about an imperfection in her art, her dad’s point out that the personal quirks make her princess unique! And Chloe realizes that she is not too different from the princess she so admires.
What Makes a Baby
Cory Silverberg
Geared to readers from preschool to age eight, What Makes a Baby is book for every kind of family and every kind of kid. It is a twenty-first century children’s picture book about conception, gestation, and birth, which reflects the reality of our modern time by being inclusive of all kinds of kids, adults, and families, regardless of how many people were involved, their orientation, gender and other identity, or family composition.
Who’s in a Family?
Robert Skutch
A sweet book explaining that there are all kinds of families that are all joined by love.
Wilhelmina Goes Wandering
John-Manuel Andriote
Based on the true story of a runaway cow in Connecticut. For five months in 2011, the Black Angus was the talk of the town as she was seen around Milford, Orange, and West Haven, hanging out and traveling with a herd of deer. Even the animal control experts thought “she” was a “he”…until, that is, they tried to capture “him.” When she is eventually captured and relocated to another farm, an animal sanctuary in Oxford, Wilhelmina finds that her urge for adventures has been curbed by knowing she is finally accepted and loved by her new farmer friend Betty. Readers will fall in love with Wilhelmina and her animals and human friends, brought to colorful life in the book’s lovingly rendered original watercolor illustrations.
Will You Still Love Me?
Shirley M Ringo and Glenda MacInnis
Follow Jack as he questions and learns the meaning of love and kindness from his Dad’s as he experiences new and exciting adventures!
William’s Doll
Charlotte Zolotow
More than anything, William wants a doll. “Don’t be a creep,” says his brother. “Sissy, sissy,” chants the boy next door. Then one day someone really understands William’s wish, and makes it easy for others to understand, too.
Worm loves worm
J. J. Austrian
This irresistible picture book is a celebration of love in all its splendid forms from debut author J. J. Austrian and the acclaimed author-illustrator of Little Elliot, Big City, Mike Curato. You are cordially invited to celebrate the wedding of a worm . . . and a worm. When a worm meets a special worm and they fall in love, you know what happens next: They get married! But their friends want to know—who will wear the dress? And who will wear the tux? The answer is: It doesn’t matter. Because Worm loves worm.
More Resources for LGBTQ+ Families
Once you put down your most recent purchase, check out all the other activities, resources, and programs we create to support and connect LGBTQ+ families like yours across the country!
Get new resources from Family Equality in your inbox
Have an LGBTQ+ book you’d like to submit to our list?
If you know about an LGBTQ+ book that isn’t on our list, but should be—let us know! Use the form below to contact a staff member, and we’ll be in touch about next steps.