Alex Gino
Ages 8–12
Rick's never questioned much. He's gone along with his best friend Jeff even when Jeff's acted like a bully and a jerk. He's let his father joke with him about which hot girls he might want to date even though that kind of talk always makes him uncomfortable. And he hasn't given his own identity much thought, because everyone else around him seemed to have figured it out.But now Rick's gotten to middle school, and new doors are opening. One of them leads to the school's Rainbow Spectrum club, where kids of many genders and identities congregate, including Melissa, the girl who sits in front of Rick in class and seems to have her life together. Rick wants his own life to be that . . . understood. Even if it means breaking some old friendships and making some new ones.
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We keep this on the shelf for LGBTQ+ kids and families — a story kids can feel, not just a lesson adults want to teach.
Ages 8–12. Especially helpful for affirming LGBTQ+ identity and gender expression.
Ask: How did someone in this story show who they are — and who cheered them on?
Classroom tip: pair a chapter with a short journal prompt — no grades, just honest noticing.
Two titles that deepen the same conversation.
Ages 13+
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the UniverseFifteen-year-old Ari Mendoza is an angry loner with a brother in prison, but when he meets Dante and they become friends, Ari starts to ask questions about himself, his parents, and his family that he has never asked before.
Ages 8–12
DramaCallie rides an emotional roller coaster while serving on the stage crew for a middle school production of Moon over Mississippi as various relationships start and end, and others never quite get going.
Ages 13+
FlamerIn her groundbreaking and essential debut The Three Mothers, scholar Anna Malaika Tubbs celebrates Black motherhood by telling the story of the three women who raised and shaped some of America's most pivotal heroes.
Ages 13+
Heartstopper: Volume 1Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. A sweet and charming coming-of-age story that explores friendship, love, and coming out. "Absolutely delightful. Sweet, romantic, kind. Beautifully paced. I loved this book.
Ages 3–8
Love, VioletStonewall Book Award Winner Lambda Literary Award Finalist Charlotte Huck Honor Book Love, Violet by Charlotte Sullivan Wild and Charlene Chua is a touching picture book about friendship and the courage it takes to share your feelings.
Ages 3–8
Red: A Crayon's StoryA blue crayon mistakenly labeled as "red" suffers an identity crisis in this picture book by the New York Times–bestselling creator of My Heart Is Like a Zoo and It's an Orange Aardvark!
Ages 13+
They Both Die at the EndUplifting and devastating, charming and haunting, They Both Die at the End is a tour de force from acclaimed author Adam Silvera, whose debut novel the New York Times called “profound.” It’s a story that reminds us there’s no life ...
Ages 3–8
10,000 dressesEvery night, Bailey dreams about magical dresses: dresses made of crystals and rainbows, dresses made of flowers, dresses made of windows. . . . Unfortunately, when Bailey's awake, no one wants to hear about these beautiful dreams. Quite the contrary. "You're a BOY!" Mother and Father tell Bailey. "You shouldn't be thinking about dresses at all." Then Bailey meets Laurel, an older girl who is touched and inspired by Bailey's imagination and courage. In friendship, the two of them begin making dresses together. And Bailey's dreams come true!
