9 children's books about the LGBTQIA+ community to help start healthy conversations
Step bi step
I always knew I was different as a kid. But I first realised what that meant in 9th grade, when I developed a crush on a girl, though I still lived in denial about my sexuality for years after. Would it have been different if my parents had an open dialogue with me about sexuality? Would I have known I was bisexual, had I read children’s books on LGBTQ characters growing up, which seemed impossible in a world chock-full of heterosexual protagonists? I guess I’ll never know. But your kids can.
Children are thought to begin adopting stereotypes as early as three to five years old, which is why they must be informed that different does not mean bad. Sonal Kapoor, founder-director at Protsahan India Foundation, a child rights organisation based in Delhi, says, “The choices and decisions your children make in their adult life have a lot to do with how they perceive things when they are young. So it’s essential to answer all their questions encouragingly.”
Even if parents aim to educate their children about sexuality, they often struggle with what to say and how to say it. That’s where children’s books on LGBTQ issues come in.
“Parents play an important role in helping their children learn how to have healthy sexual relationships, but they really struggle when discussing this with their LGBTQIA+ teens,” says Michael Newcomb, from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, lead author of a study examining the attitudes of parents when it came to talking about sexual health to their lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer teens (LGBTQIA+).
New-age children’s books cover discussions about the LGBTQIA+ sensitively, which will help your kids not only accept their own differences, but also those they see in others.
Just like they say “charity starts at home”, talking about inclusion and the sexuality spectrum should start at home too. And you can do that with this selection of children’s books on LGBTQ oriented topics, which are age-appropriate and will ensure your kids evolve into confident, empathic adults.
Children’s books on LGBTQ to help you navigate difficult conversations with ease
Photo credit: Amazon.in
For the young ones who love picture books (4-8)
Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall
Creation of The New York Times bestselling author Michael Hall, this funny and heartwarming picture book is a transgender coming-of-age story, except the protagonist is a crayon. It’s about discovering the confidence to be true to your inner self.
Red is a crayon who strives to be the finest crayon they can possibly be. But as luck would have it, their label, which says they’re red, caused them to be placed in the wrong box their whole life. Thanks to a new friend, Red finds what the readers have known all along, that they’re blue. And the best part is that children will love the fact that they were in on this secret too.
The book will fascinate young children with its depiction of the colourful life that crayons, an inanimate object, lead. I personally loved the fact that the older the crayons are, the shorter they become, which I’m sure kids would love too.
Photo credit: Amazon.in
And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
There are many different animal families at the zoo. But Tango’s family is unlike any other. Written by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson and illustrated by Henry Cole, the true story of two male penguins who became companions and reared a penguin baby in the Central Park Zoo is fictionalised in this illustrated children’s book.
Roy and Silo are two male chinstrap penguins that form a family with the aid of the zookeeper, Mr Gramsay, who provides them with an egg to hatch. They adopt the female penguin, who is named Tango thereafter.
The book is an excellent method to familiarise kids with the concept of diverse homes. It should be noted that the book does not take a position on same-sex marriage; instead, it solidifies the validity of same-sex families.
Photo credit: Amazon.in
Maiden & Princess by Daniel Haack and Isabel Galupo
Maiden & Princess is the perfect queer fairytale romance to read to your kids before tucking them into bed.
Based in a faraway kingdom, this picture book is home to a feisty maiden who has been compelled to attend a ball due to her mother’s relentless coercion. But what she thinks to be a very dull and unremarkable evening takes an unexpected turn when she falls for the prince’s sister, and not the prince who she’s supposed to marry.
A modern-day fairytale that boots out homophobia, and introduces your children to an inclusive happily-ever-after.
Photo credit: Amazon.in
For kids aged 9-12
Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle
Nate Foster, 13, is stuck in his boring western Pennsylvania life in Tim Federle’s uplifting debut novel. He slips away from home one night with the aid of his closest friend Libby to audition for E.T.: The Musical. His travels lead him to New York, where he falls in love with the city. Nate will be an endearing hero for misfits and dreamers, despite being ridiculed oftentimes in the book.
This story, like its protagonist Nate, exudes a charming and humorous innocence that is difficult not to like. In this delightful tale of youth, ambitions, and family, readers of all ages will find something to relate to. (I’m not 12 and I did, so…)
Don’t tell anyone we told you but Lisa Kudrow AKA Phoebe from Friends is going to star in the Disney+ produced musical-comedy based on the book.
Photo credit: Amazon.in
To Night Owl from Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer
If you loved the 90’s hit, Parent Trap, you will want to read the LGBTQIA+ book version.
The growing relationship between bookworm Avery Bloom and adventurous Bett Devlin, whose fathers fall in love and send them to sleepaway camp to get to know each other, is captured in this epistolary novel co-written by two powerful authors.
To Night Owl From Dogfish is a witty and uplifting tale of two modern families on their road to becoming one and will not only help your kids understand diverse families, but also friends and relationships.
Photo credit: Amazon.in
Zenobia July by Lisa Bunker
This may be the queerest book you or your kid will have read till now, what with a trans girl, a trans boy, a genderqueer person, lesbian aunts and a drag queen as characters in the story. But having said that, the book and these characters are so much more than their sexuality and their pronouns, even if said pronouns are cool and unique like Arli’s vo/ven.
Zenobia July is a coding and hacking genius who is starting at a new high school for the first time as a girl. Despite the fact that she recently lost her biological family, she forges a new family among the LGBTQIA+ community.
A wholesome and heartwarming story, this book will appeal to your kid if they identify as transgender and it will help them make sense of their own self. Even if they don’t identify as trans, the book will teach your kids about the experience of a trans person without sugarcoating it.
Photo credit: Amazon.in
For your angsty teenagers (13-17)
Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
Starring a gay multi-racial protagonist, Darius the Great Is Not Okay aims to teach teenagers to become more inclusive and sensitive to members of minorities.
Darius, a lonely half-Persian teen with a fondness for Star Trek, travels to Iran for the first time to meet his mother’s relatives. While he’s there, he falls in love with his grandparents, the city of Yazd, and his new friend, Sohrab.
Focusing on the rhythm of everyday life in Iran, this is a must-read for every kid who has ever felt isolated or struggled to fit in.
Photo credit: Amazon.in
Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar
Equal parts funny and trope-y, Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating is an LGBTQIA+ version of the fan-favourite To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.
Hani and Ishu, who you can’t help but cheer for as they discover their place in the world and with each other, are at the core of this exploration of familial ties, racism, and biphobia.
This book about first love and identity has the potential to become your queer teenagers’ new favourite, considering its South-Asian protagonists, who are not only queer but also in love. Even if your teenager doesn’t identify as LGBTQIA+, they might enjoy this sweet, endearing, sneakily nuanced book for all its imperfections.
Photo credit: Amazon.in
Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee
Featuring an asexual protagonist, Tash Hearts Tolstoy is a a refreshing teen novel about internet fame, peer pressure, and remembering not to step on the little people on your way to the top.
Natasha “Tash” Zelenka is unconcerned about the fact that her web series based on Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina isn’t well-known; all she cares about is making the finest series she can with her buddies (and crush). Tash gets considerably more than she bargained for when a shoutout from a prominent YouTuber catapults them to internet stardom. She’s now dealing with the ups and downs of fame, as well as figuring out how to tell her crush she’s asexual.
The immense care and nuance that has gone into describing Tash’s experiences with her asexuality will help your teenagers accept the scary and liberating process of coming to terms with one’s own sexuality and understanding how daunting it is for their LGBTQIA+ friends.