Discovery is an essential component of growth. Discovering aspects of the self and the world all around enables learning, understanding…growth.
June is Pride Month and the Pride Movement has had its moments of discovery, too, as it has learned and grown since the days of Stonewall. As always, books and literature have kept pace with these discoveries and growth, reflecting the understanding of the times and supporting the learning of new ideas and attitudes. Here is a small representation of some of the current reads for middle graders showing that discovery, sometimes awkward, sometimes painful, is ultimately a positive and something to be proud of.
Drew LeClair Gets A Clue by Katryn Bury
When a cyberbully posts embarrassing rumors about other students at school, Drew, to protect her own secret, puts her sleuthing skills to good use to find the culprit, who just might be one of her closest friends.
The Civil War of Amos Abernathy by Michael Leali
Through letters he writes in his journal, thirteen-year-old Amos finds a confidant in a queer historical figure from the Civil War.
Small Town Pride by Phil Stamper
Jake is just starting to enjoy life as his school’s first openly gay kid. While his family and friends are accepting and supportive, the same can’t be said about everyone in their small town of Barton Springs, Ohio.
Rainbow Revolutionaries: 50 LGBTQ+ People Who Made History by Sarah Prager
Rainbow Revolutionaries brings to life the vibrant histories of fifty pioneering LGBTQ+ people from around the world. Through Sarah Prager's (Queer, There, and Everywhere) short, engaging bios, and Sarah Papworth's bold, dynamic art, readers can delve into the lives of Wen of Han, a Chinese emperor who loved his boyfriend as much as his people, Martine Rothblatt, a trans woman who's helping engineer the robots of tomorrow, and so many more!
The Pronoun Book: She, He, They, and Me! by Cassandra Jules Corrigan
A fun and beautifully illustrated book that celebrates gender diversity through educating young children on pronouns. The book teaches pronoun etiquette, why it is so important, and how it relates to us. It covers they/them pronouns, trans and non-binary identities, and neo-pronouns with a dedicated section for adults."--Provided by publisher.
This is Our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, Us
Featuring contributions from Eric Bell, Katherine Locke and A.J. Sass, this first LGBTQA+ anthology for middle-grade readers presents stories of queer fantasy, historical and contemporary stories for every letter of the acronym.
Check out these titles and many more at your local library. Your friendly, neighborhood librarian is ready to lend a helpful suggestion or two as you make your way in all your journeys of discovery, learning, and growth.
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