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!
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The Manny Files
Christian Burch
“Be interesting.” That’s what the manny tells Keats Dalinger the first time he packs Keats’s school lunch, but for Keats that’s not always the easiest thing to do. Even though he’s the only boy at home, it always feels like no one ever remembers him. His sisters are everywhere! Lulu is the smart one, India is the creative one, and Belly . . . well, Belly is the naked one. And the baby. School isn’t much better. There, he’s the shortest kid in the entire class.
But now the manny is the Dalinger’s new babysitter, and things are starting to look up. It seems as though the manny always knows the right thing to do. Not everyone likes the manny as much as Keats does, however. Lulu finds the manny embarrassing, and she’s started to make a list of all the crazy things that he does, such as serenading the kids with “La Cucaracha” from the front yard or wearing underwear on his head or meeting the school bus with Belly, dressed as limo drivers. Keats is worried. What if Lulu’s “Manny Files” makes his parents fire the manny? Who will teach him how to be interesting then?
The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher
Dana Alison Levy
The start of the school year is not going as the Fletcher brothers hoped. Each boy finds his plans for success veering off in unexpected and sometimes disastrous directions. And at home, their miserable new neighbor complains about everything. As the year continues, the boys learn the hard and often hilarious lesson that sometimes what you least expect is what you come to care about the most.
The Misfits
James Howe
Four best friends who have been tossed aside by their middle school – a twelve year old tie salesman, a tall outspoken girl, a gay seventh grade boy, and a “hooligan” – all join forces to prove that they’re tired of the name-calling and bullying, and aren’t going to stand for it anymore.
The Popularity Papers
Amy Ignatow
Lydia and Julie are best friends with one goal: to crack the code of popularity. Lydia’s the bold one: aspiring theater star, stick-fighting enthusiast, and human guinea pig. Julie’s the shy one: observer and artist, accidental field hockey jock, and faithful recorder. In this notebook they write down their observations and carry out experiments to try to determine what makes the popular girls tick. But somehow, the harder Lydia and Julie try to imitate the popular girls, the farther they get from their goal—and each other.
The Skull of Truth
Bruce Coville
Charlie Eggleston is the biggest liar in town. When he finds himself at Mr. Elives’ magic shop, his eyes light upon the skull. He steals it, and it puts him under some sort of spell: Soon he can only tell the truth–but now no one believes him!
This Would Make a Good Story Someday
Dana Alison Levy
Sara Johnston-Fischer loves her family, of course. But that doesn’t mean she’s thrilled when her summer plans are upended for a surprise cross-country train trip with her two moms, Mimi and Carol; her younger sister, Ladybug; her older sister, Laurel; and Laurel’s poncho-wearing activist boyfriend, Root. Sara finds herself crisscrossing the country with a gaggle of wild Texans. As they travel from New Orleans to Chicago to the Grand Canyon and beyond, Sara finds herself changing along with the landscape outside the train windows. And she realizes that she just might go home reinvented.
Totally Joe
James Howe
Thirteen year-old Joe has a writing assignment: an “alphabiography,” meaning that it’s supposed to be the story of his life from A to Z. But when he finishes it, he realizes there’s a lot of pretty personal stuff in there, and though he doesn’t censor himself, he begs his teacher to handle it with care (and NOT make him read any of it out-loud!). Joe is gay. This is a story about first crushes, friendship, and family. It’s about being different and being O.K. with that. Joe is totally himself.
A + E 4Ever
Ilike Merey
Asher Machnik is a teenage boy cursed with a beautiful androgynous face. Guys punch him, girls slag him and by high school he’s developed an intense fear of being touched. Art remains his only escape from an otherwise emotionally empty life. Eulalie Mason is the lonely, tough-talking dyke from school who befriends Ash. The only one to see and accept all of his sides as a loner, a fellow artist and a best friend, she’s starting to wonder if ash is ever going to see all of her…. a + e 4EVER is a graphic novel set in that ambiguous crossroads where love and friendship, boy and girl, straight and gay meet. It goes where few books have ventured, into genderqueer life, where affections aren’t black and white.
Absolutely, Positively Not
David LaRochelle
Steven may be a lot of things, but he is absolutely, positively NOT gay. Determined to stop thinking about men’s health magazine covers, and how good-looking his (male) health teacher is, Steven tackles a list of “Healthy Heterosexual Strategies”… or at least tries to.
Almost Perfect
Brian Katcher
Logan Witherspoon recently discovered that his girlfriend of three years cheated on him. But things start to look up when a new student breezes through the halls of his smalltown high school. Sage Hendricks befriends Logan at a time when he no longer trusts or believes in people. Sage has been homeschooled for a number of years and her parents have forbidden her to date anyone, but she won’t tell Logan why. One day, Logan acts on his growing feelings for Sage. Moments later, he wishes he never had. Sage finally discloses her big secret: she’s actually a boy. Enraged, frightened, and feeling betrayed, Logan lashes out at Sage and disowns her. But once Logan comes to terms with what happened, he reaches out to Sage in an attempt to understand her situation. But Logan has no idea how rocky the road back to friendship will be.
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!
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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.