Just Ash

• Interest Level: Grade 8 – Grade 12
• Reading Level: Grade 8

Ashley “Ash” Bishop has always known who he is: a guy who loves soccer, has a crush on his friend Michelle, and is fascinated by the gruesome history of his hometown—Salem, Massachusetts. He’s also always known that he’s intersex, born with both male and female genitalia. But it’s never felt like a big deal until his junior year of high school, when Ash gets his first period in front of the entire boys’ soccer team. Now his friends and teachers see him differently, and his own mother thinks he should “try being a girl.”

As tensions mount with his parents and Ash feels more and more like an outcast, Ash realizes that he needs to find a way to stand up for who he really is.

“There are few books and even fewer authors who have endeavored to give readers a real glimpse into the life of an intersex teen, which is just one reason Santana’s debut is so unique.”—starred, Booklist

Somebody Told Me

• Interest Level: Grade 8 – Grade 12
• Reading Level: Grade 8

After an assault, bigender seventeen-year-old Aleks/Alexis is looking for a fresh start—so they voluntarily move in with their uncle, a Catholic priest. In their new bedroom, Aleks/Alexis discovers they can overhear parishioners in the church confessional. Moved by the struggles of these “sinners,” Aleks/Alexis decides to anonymously help them, finding solace in their secret identity: a guardian angel instead of a victim.

But then Aleks/Alexis overhears a confession of another priest admitting to sexually abusing a parishioner. As they try to uncover the priest’s identity before he hurts anyone again, Aleks/Alexis is also forced to confront their own abuser and come to terms with their past trauma.

The Truth Is

• Interest Level: Grade 9 – Grade 12
• Reading Level: Grade 8

Fifteen-year-old Verdad doesn’t think she has time for love. She’s still struggling to process the recent death of her best friend, Blanca; dealing with the high expectations of her hardworking Puerto Rican mother and the absence of her remarried father; and keeping everyone at a distance. But when she meets Danny, a new guy at school—who happens to be trans—all bets are off. Verdad suddenly has to deal with her mother’s disapproval of her relationship with Danny as well as her own prejudices and questions about her identity, and Danny himself, who is comfortable in his skin but keeping plenty of other secrets.

Rainbow Hands

• Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 2
• Reading Level: Grade 2

As the long late summer day stretches ahead of them, a young boy eagerly looks forward to his favorite time—painting-your-nails time. He know that when he dips into those magical bottles of nail polish, he will discover a color to express his every mood and feeling. Purple is the color of magic and mystery. White is the color of endless possibilities. At times, his papa frowns and says, “What have you done to your nails?” At other times, he says, “Why don’t you paint on paper instead?” But the little boy knows that painting his nails makes his hands look beautiful.

This color-filled story celebrates the joy of finding out who you are and embracing the courage to be yourself.

Second Dad Summer

• Interest Level: Grade 2 – Grade 5
• Reading Level: Grade 3

Jeremiah just wants a normal summer with his dad. But his dad has moved in with his new boyfriend Michael who serves weird organic food and is constantly nagging him. Worst of all, Michael rides a bicycle decorated to look like a unicorn. This is not the summer Jeremiah wanted. But Jeremiah soon learns that being a family comes in many surprising forms.

“[A] cornucopia of discussion topics and an array of positive alternative role models . . .”—starred, Booklist

Everything Together: A Second Dad Wedding

• Interest Level: Grade 3 – Grade 6
• Reading Level: Grade 3

When Jeremiah arrives in Minneapolis to spend the summer with his Dad, everything feels odd. His dad’s fiancé, Michael, has buried the apartment in piles of DIY wedding decorations. His best friend Sage now spends all her time with a new girl as quirky and bright as Sage ever was. Everywhere he goes, Jeremiah feels like the odd one out. Eager for something to get him away from all this, he starts volunteering in an English class for refugees. As the summer goes on, Jeremiah finds community in new places and with unexpected friends.

Everything Together is about exploring your place in the world and the tangled ways we connect. This is the sequel to Second Dad Summer.

No Way, They Were Gay? Hidden Lives and Secret Loves

• Interest Level: Grade 6 – Grade 12
• Reading Level: Grade 6

“History” sounds really official. Like it’s all fact. Like it’s definitely what happened. But that’s not necessarily true. History was crafted by the people who recorded it. And sometimes, those historians were biased against, didn’t see, or couldn’t even imagine anyone different from themselves.

That means that history has often left out the stories of LGBTQIA+ people: men who loved men, women who loved women, people who loved without regard to gender, and people who lived outside gender boundaries. Join author Lee Wind for this fascinating journey through primary sources—poetry, memoir, news clippings, and images of ancient artwork—to explore the hidden (and often surprising) Queer lives and loves of two dozen historical figures.

When Dogs Heal: Powerful Stories of People Living with HIV and the Dogs That Saved Them

• Interest Level: Grade 8 – Grade 12
• Reading Level: Grade 8

The best medicine may not always be found at a pharmacy or in a doctor’s office. Sometimes it comes in the form of a four-legged friend.

Three well-known leaders in their fields—award-winning dog photographer Jesse Freidin, adolescent HIV+ specialist Dr. Robert Garofalo, and LGBTQ advocate and journalist Zach Stafford—offer a refreshing, beautiful, and unique portrait of HIV infused with a deep message of hope. Each extraordinary profile shows the power of the incredible bonds between humans and their canine companions, whether that means combating loneliness and stigma, discovering the importance of unconditional love, overcoming addiction, or simply having a best friend in a time of need.

“A unique collection that is unflinchingly honest and infused with hope.”—starred, School Library Journal

“[D]eals affectingly with a subject that remains too absent in books for young readers.”—starred, Booklist

Artie and the Wolf Moon

• Interest Level: Grade 7 – Grade 9
• Reading Level: Grade 6

After sneaking out against her mother’s wishes, Artie Irvin spots a massive wolf—then watches it don a bathrobe and transform into her mom. Thrilled to discover she comes from a line of werewolves, Artie asks her mom to share everything—including the story of Artie’s late father. Her mom reluctantly agrees. And to help Artie figure out her own wolflike abilities, her mom recruits some old family friends.

Artie thrives in her new community and even develops a crush on her new friend Maya. But as she learns the history of werewolves and her own parents’ past, she’ll find that wolves aren’t the scariest thing in the woods—vampires are.

Stage Dreams

• Interest Level: Grade 8 – Grade 12
• Reading Level: Grade 7

In this rollicking queer western adventure, acclaimed cartoonist Melanie Gillman (Stonewall Award Honor Book As the Crow Flies) puts readers in the saddle alongside Flor and Grace, a Latinx outlaw and a trans runaway, as they team up to thwart a Confederate plot in the New Mexico Territory. When Flor—also known as the notorious Ghost Hawk—robs the stagecoach that Grace has used to escape her Georgia home, the first thing on her mind is ransom. But when the two get to talking about Flor’s plan to crash a Confederate gala and steal some crucial documents, Grace convinces Flor to let her join the heist.

“[D]elves into queer history and spins a witty and extravagant yarn about a dashing duo.”—starred, Publishers Weekly

“This charming and poignant queer romance set against a Civil War–era backdrop will resonate with readers.”—starred, School Library Journal