Reading With Pride 2026 - Young Adult, Rainbow Male Character

Need a hand finding pukapuka for the Reading With Pride challenge? Look no further!

This is a list of books that will help you complete the first section of the challenge - reading a book with a rainbow male character.

This is the Young Adult list.

Updated May 11, 2026
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
What if it's us
Albertalli, Becky
Paper Book
A New York Times, USA Today, and Indie bestseller! Critically acclaimed and bestselling authors Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera combine their talents in this smart, funny, heartfelt collaboration about two very different boys who can't decide if the universe is pushing them together--or...
Icarus
Ancrum, K.
Ebook
* FIVE STARRED REVIEWS * * A LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD FINALIST * Perfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, this suspenseful queer YA romance from critically acclaimed author K. Ancrum reimagines the tale of...
The black flamingo
Atta, Dean
Paper Book
Stonewall Book Award Winner * A Time Magazine Best YA Book Of All Time A fierce coming-of-age verse novel about identity and the power of drag, from acclaimed poet and performer Dean Atta. Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo, Jason Reynolds, and Kacen Callender. Michael is a mixed...
All that's left in the world
Brown, Erik J.
Paper Book
What If It's Us meets They Both Die at the End in this postapocalyptic, queer YA adventure romance from debut author Erik J. Brown. Perfect for fans of Adam Silvera, Alex London, and Heartstopper by Alice Oseman. When Andrew stumbles upon Jamie's house, he's injured, starved, and has...
The only light left burning
Brown, Erik J.
Ebook
What If It's Us meets They Both Die at the End in this sequel to the beloved postapocalyptic queer YA adventure romance All That's Left in the World by USA Today bestselling author Erik J. Brown. Perfect for fans of Adam Silvera, Alex London, and...
The lost Book of the White
Clare, Cassandra
Paper Book
From #1 New York Times bestselling authors Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu comes the second book in the Eldest Curses series and a thrilling new adventure for High Warlock Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood, for whom a death-defying mission into the heart of evil is not just a job, it's also a...
Gwen and Art Are Not in Love
Croucher, Lex.
Audiobook
Aces wild : a heist
DeWitt, Amanda
Paper Book
What happens in Vegas when an all-asexual online friend group attempts to break into a high-stakes gambling club? Shenanigans ensue. For fans of Alice Oseman and Casey McQuiston, a hilarious and heartfelt story that will captivate readers looking for found family and a heist...
Hazelthorn
Drews, C. G.
Audiobook
A YA horror about a reclusive autistic boy who inherits his murdered guardian's estate, including a sentient, carnivorous garden. CG Drews, instant New York Times-bestselling author of Don't Let the Forest In, returns with another deeply unsettling and yet hauntingly beautiful tale of...
The Witch King
Edgmon, H. E.
Paper Book
A New York Public Library Best Book for Teens 2021 To save a fae kingdom, a trans witch must face his traumatic past and the royal fiancé he left behind. In Asalin, fae rule and witches like Wyatt Croft...don't. Wyatt's betrothal to fae prince...
Canto contigo : a novel
Garza Villa, Jonny
Ebook
STONEWALL BOOK AWARDS - MIKE MORGAN & LARRY ROMANS YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE AWARD WINNER THE PUBLISHING TRIANGLE AWARDS - JACQUELINE WOODSON AWARD FOR LGBTQ+ CHILDREN''S/YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE WINNER When a Mariachi star transfers schools, he...
If this gets out
Gonzales, Sophie
Paper Book
A NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich's "If This Gets Out is an absolute showstopper! Equal parts edgy and adorable, this bright, joyful book has everything I look for in a queer YA romance." --Phil Stamper, bestselling author of The...
The forest demands its due
Jackson, Kosoko
Ebook
A Lesson in Vengeance meets The Taking of Jake Livingston in this page-turning dark academia novel about a queer Black teen who discovers the sinister history of his boarding school and the corrupt powers behind it all. A USA Today bestseller! Regent Academy has a long...
This fatal kiss
Jasinska, Alicia
Audiobook
Spirit away with a whimsical fantasy filled with dark magic and flirty, polyamorous romance. Cursed to haunt the river running through the magical spa town where she drowned, Gisela is a water nymph who dreams of returning to the living world and the family she left behind. All...
Magical boy. a graphic novel / Volume 1
The Kao
Paper Book
A breathtakingly imaginative fantasy series starring Max--a high schooler chosen to become the next "Magical Girl." There's just one catch . . . he's a trans boy!Although he was assigned female at birth, Max is your average trans man trying to get through high school as himself. But on top of...
The extraordinaries
Klune, TJ
Paper Book
An Indie Bestseller! An Indie Next Pick! A Gold Nautilus Book Award Winner! Some people are extraordinary. Some are just extra. New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune's YA debut, The Extraordinaries, is a queer coming-of-age story about...
Destination unknown
Konigsberg, Bill
Paper Book
From Stonewall Award winner Bill Konigsberg, a remarkable, funny, sexy, heartbreaking story of two teen boys finding each other in New York City at the height of the AIDS epidemic. The first thing I noticed about C.J. Gorman was his plexiglass bra. So begins Destination Unknown --...
Meet cute diary
Lee, Emery
Paper Book
Felix Ever After meets Becky Albertalli in this swoon-worthy, heartfelt rom-com about how a transgender teen's first love challenges his ideas about perfect relationships. * A 2022 ALA Rainbow Booklist Selection * A Junior Library Guild Selection * Noah Ramirez thinks he's an expert...
Beating heart baby
Min, Lio
Paper Book
From debut author Lio Min comes BEATING HEART BABY, a tender love letter to internet friendships, anime, and indie rock, perfect for fans of HEARTSTOPPER When Santi arrives in Los Angeles, he hopes he can move past the loss of the childhood internet friend...
Heartstopper. Volume 1
Oseman, Alice
Paper Book
Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. A sweet and charming coming-of-age story that explores friendship, love, and coming out. This edition features beautiful two-color artwork. Now streaming on Netflix! Shy and softhearted Charlie Spring sits next to...
Heartstopper. Volume 2
Oseman, Alice
Paper Book
The second book in the delightfully sweet Heartstopper series, featuring beautiful two-color artwork! Now streaming on Netflix! Nick and Charlie are best friends, but one kiss has changed everything. In the aftermath, Charlie is sure that Nick isn't interested, but Nick...
Heartstopper. Volume 3
Oseman, Alice
Paper Book
The third volume in the poignant and sweet Heartstopper series, featuring beautiful two-color artwork! Now streaming on Netflix! Charlie didn't think Nick could ever like him back, but now they're officially boyfriends. Nick has even found the courage to come out to his...
Heartstopper. Volume 4
Oseman, Alice
Paper Book
The fourth volume in the wonderfully sweet Heartstopper series, featuring gorgeous two-color artwork. Now streaming on Netflix! Charlie and Nick's relationship has been going really well, and Charlie thinks he's ready to say those three little words: I love you. ...
Heartstopper. Volume 5
Oseman, Alice
Ebook
Dark rise
Pacat, C. S.
Paper Book
* Instant New York Times Bestseller * Indie Bestseller * In this stunning new fantasy novel from international bestselling author C. S. Pacat, heroes and villains of a long-forgotten war are reborn and begin to draw new battle lines. This epic fantasy with high-stakes romance will sit...
The Honeys
La Sala, Ryan
Paper Book
From Ryan La Sala, the wildly popular author of Reverie, comes a twisted and tantalizing horror novel set amidst the bucolic splendor of a secluded summer retreat. Mars has always been the lesser twin, the shadow to his sister Caroline's radiance. But when Caroline dies under horrific...
Surrender your sons
Sass, Adam
Paper Book
Surrender Your Sonsis an LGBTQ+ YA mystery / thriller that expertly blends together humor, horror, and heart, in a wholly unique read like no other. A blend of Lostand Lord of the Flies... just with gay teenagers taking the horrors of the world head on. A 2020 Booklist Top 10 First...
The darkness outside us
Schrefer, Eliot
Paper Book
They Both Die at the End meets The Loneliest Girl in the Universe in this mind-bending sci-fi mystery and tender love story about two boys aboard a spaceship sent on a rescue mission, from two-time National Book Award finalist Eliot Schrefer. Stonewall Honor Award...
The first to die at the end
Silvera, Adam
Paper Book
In this prequel to the bestselling phenomenon They Both Die at the End, two new strangers spend a life-changing day together after Death-Cast first makes their fateful calls. #1 New York Times bestseller! It's the night before Death-Cast goes live, and there's one question on everyone's...
History is all you left me
Silvera, Adam
Paper Book
"This book will make you cry, think, and then cry some more."  --Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything  From the New York Times bestselling author of More Happy Than Not comes an explosive examination of...
The survivor wants to die at the end
Silvera, Adam
Audiobook
They both die at the end
Silvera, Adam
Paper Book
Adam Silvera reminds us that there's no life without death and no love without loss in this devastating yet uplifting story about two people whose lives change over the course of one unforgettable day. #1 New York Times bestseller * four starred reviews * A School...
The gravity of us
Stamper, Phil
Paper Book
"I'm so starry-eyed for this wise, romantic gem of a book." - Becky Albertalli, bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda In this smart, heart-warming YA debut perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera, two teens find love when their...
Cold
Tamaki, Mariko
Paper Book
A boy, a murder, a girl, a secret. From award-winning author Mariko Tamaki comes Cold, a haunting YA novel about a shocking crime, told by a boy who died--and a girl who wants to know why. Who was Todd Mayer, and why don't any of his fellow students at...
Celestial monsters
Thomas, Aiden
Audiobook
Cemetery boys
Thomas, Aiden
Paper Book
Longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature! A New York Times Bestseller! A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Top Ten pick! "Goundbreaking." -Entertainment Weekly A trans boy determined to prove his gender to...
The Sunbearer Trials
Thomas, Aiden
Paper Book
A New York Times-Bestseller! Welcome to The Sunbearer Trials, where teen semidioses compete in a series of challenges with the highest of stakes, in this electric new Mexican-inspired fantasy from Aiden Thomas, the New York Times bestselling author of...
The backstagers. Volume one, Rebels without applause
Tynion, James, IV
Paper Book
When Jory transfers to an all-boys private high school, he's taken in by the only ones who don't treat him like a new kid, the lowly stage crew known as the Backstagers. Not only does he gain great, lifetime friends, Jory is also introduced to an entire magical world that lives beyond the...
Always the almost : a novel
Underhill, Edward
Paper Book
A trans pianist makes a New Year's resolution on a frozen Wisconsin night to win regionals and win back his ex, but a new boy complicates things in Edward Underhill's heartfelt debut YA rom-dram, Always the Almost. Sixteen-year-old trans boy Miles Jacobson has two New...
Compound fracture
White, Andrew Joseph
Ebook
A Michael L. Printz Honor Book A queer Appalachian thriller that pulls no punches--following a trans autistic teen who's drawn into the generational struggle between the rural poor and those who exploit them. The INSTANT New York Times, USA Today, and Indie...
Hell followed with us
White, Andrew Joseph
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A furious, queer debut novel about embracing the monster within and unleashing its power against your oppressors. "A long, sustained scream to the various strains of anti-transgender legislation multiplying around the world...
Iron widow
Zhao, Xiran Jay
Paper Book
The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant robots that battle aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall of China, no matter that the girls die from the mental strain. When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male...
Ace of spades
áAbâikâe-âIyâimâidâe, Faridah
Paper Book
Go back to school with this instant New York Times-bestselling thriller by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé about two students, Devon & Chiamaka, and their struggles against an anonymous bully. "Readers will love this thriller-mystery... A revelatory, buzzworthy debut." --...

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.