Rainbow Reads for Teens

Recommended books by and about 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.

Updated April 9, 2024
W
Winnipeg Public Library
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1

Going bicoastal
Adler, Dahlia
Paper Book
A SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARD MEDALIST "This is what it looks like when a brilliant high concept is executed to perfection. It's got all the Dahlia Adler trademarks--romance, wry humor, specificity, and genuine emotional depth." - Becky Albertalli, New York Times...

Also available in eAudiobook format.

2

Aristotle and Dante dive into the waters of the world
Sáenz, Benjamin Alire
Paper Book
ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE IS SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE PRODUCED BY LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA The highly anticipated sequel to the beloved cult classic about family, friendship and first love, from award-winning author Benjamin Alire Sáenz. This...
Also available in Audiobook and eAudiobook formats.

3

Felix ever after
Callender, Kacen
Paper Book
A Stonewall Honor Book * A Time Magazine Best YA Book of All Time From Stonewall and Lambda Award-winning author Kacen Callender comes a revelatory YA novel about a transgender teen grappling with identity and self-discovery while falling in love for the first time. Felix Love has...

Available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

4

Only on the weekends
Atta, Dean
Paper Book
Mack never thought he'd find love, but now two boys want to be with him. Will he choose Karim or Finlay? And can true love last for ever? A must-read queer love story for fans of Sarah Crossan and Sex Education, written in verse by Dean Atta. Fifteen-year-old Mack is a...
Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

5

The stars of Mount Quixx
Beiko, S. M.
Paper Book
Even the best intentions can bring down a mountain ... Sent away for the summer, the Ivyweather sisters were promised a family vacation by their wealthy, indifferent parents. Two at-odds opposites -- Constance an anxious society sweetheart and Ivory an adventure-struck rebel --...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.

6

Kings, queens, and in-betweens
Boteju, Tanya
Paper Book
"Poignant and important." --Refinery29 "A bright and sparkly celebration of love and self-acceptance." --Kirkus Reviews Judy Blume meets RuPaul's Drag Race in this funny, feel-good debut novel about a queer teen who navigates questions of...
Canadian author.

7

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...
Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

8

Icebreaker
Graziadei, A. L.
Paper Book
Seventeen-year-old Mickey James III is a college freshman, a brother to five sisters, and a hockey legacy. With a father and a grandfather who have gone down in NHL history, Mickey is almost guaranteed the league's top draft spot. The only person standing in his way is Jaysen Caulfield, a contender...
Also available in eBook format.

9

Last night at the Telegraph Club
Lo, Malinda
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE; THE ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN AWARD FOR YOUTH LITERATURE; THE STONEWALL BOOK AWARD (YA); THE PRINTZ HONOR _____________________________________________________________________________________________
Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

10

Dragging Mason County
Campbell, Curtis (Author of Dragging Mason County)
Paper Book
A laugh-out-loud YA debut that examines the realities of small-town queer life and celebrates the transformative power of drag--perfect for fans of RuPaul's Drag Race and Pumpkin. Peter Thompkins needs a public image overhaul. After a tense confrontation with one of the few...

11

Other ever afters : new queer fairy tales
Gillman, Melanie
Paper Book
Once upon a time . . . happily ever after turned out differently than expected. In this new, feminist, queer fairy-tale collection, you'll find the princesses, mermaids, knights, barmaids, children, and wise old women who have been forced to sit on the sidelines in classic stories taking center...
Also available in eBook format.

12

Friday I'm in love
Garrett, Camryn
Paper Book
It's too late for a Sweet Sixteen, but what if Mahalia had a coming-out party? A love letter to romantic comedies, sweet sixteen blowouts, Black joy, and queer pride. Mahalia Harris wants. She wants a big Sweet Sixteen like her best friend, Naomi. She wants the...
Also available in eBook format.

13

Icarus
Ancrum, K.
Paper Book
* FIVE STARRED REVIEWS * 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 Icarus as a star-crossed love story between a young art thief and the...

14

Salt the water
Iloh, Candice
Paper Book
A Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book Cerulean Gene is free everywhere except school, where they're known for repeatedly challenging authority. Raised in a free-spirited home by two loving parents who encourage Cerulean to be their full self, they've got big dreams of moving cross...

15

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. It's 1987...
Also available in eBook format.

16

The breakup lists
Khorram, Adib
Paper Book
Love is more complicated than "boy meets boy" in bestselling author Adib Khorram's sharply funny new romantic comedy, set in the sordid world of high school theater Jackson Ghasnavi is a lot of things-a techie, a smoothie afficionado, a totally not obsessive list-maker-but one...

17

Heartstopper. Volume 1
Oseman, Alice
Paper Book
*Now an acclaimed live-action Netflix series!* *Winner of Best Book I Wish I Could Read Again For The First Time - TikTok Book Awards* Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. A bestselling LGBTQ+ graphic novel about life, love, and...

Also available in eBook format.

Also available as book club kit.

18

When the angels left the old country
Lamb, Sacha
Paper Book
Stonewall Book Award Winner Sydney Taylor Award Winner Michael L. Printz Honor Book National Jewish Book Award Finalist AudioFile Earphones Award Winner BEST OF THE YEAR NPR · New York...

19

Café con lychee
Lee, Emery
Paper Book
From the author of Meet Cute Diary comes a delectable rom-com that's brimming with zest and a sprinkle of sweetness. A must-read for fans of Casey McQuiston and Julian Winters. Theo Mori and Gabriel Moreno have always been at odds. Their parents own rival businesses--an Asian...
Also available in eBook format.

20

Pride and prejudice and Pittsburgh
Lippincott, Rachael
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling coauthor of Five Feet Apart and She Gets the Girl comes a fresh and inventive sapphic romantic comedy that's "a gem of a book" (Booklist, starred review) "perfect for fans of Outlander and Bridgerton" (Kirkus Reviews...
Also available in eBook format.

21

Ophelia after all
Marie, Racquel
Paper Book
A teen girl navigates friendship drama, the end of high school, and discovering her queerness in Ophelia After All, a hilarious and heartfelt contemporary YA debut by author Racquel Marie. Ophelia Rojas knows what she likes: her best friends, Cuban food, rose-gardening,...
Also available in eBook format.

22

Lakelore
McLemore, Anna-Marie
Paper Book
In this young adult novel by award-winning author Anna-Marie McLemore, two non-binary teens are pulled into a magical world under a lake - but can they keep their worlds above water intact? Everyone who lives near the lake knows the stories about the world underneath it, an...

23

I kissed Shara Wheeler
McQuiston, Casey
Paper Book
From the bestselling author of Red, White and Royal Blue and One Last Stop comes a debut YA romantic comedy about chasing down what you want, only to find what you need . . .Chloe Green is so close to winning. After her moms moved her from SoCal to Alabama for high school, she's spent the past four...
Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

24

Man o' war
McCarthy, Cory
Paper Book
A Stonewall Honor Book An achingly honest and frequently hilarious coming-of-age novel about an Arab American trans teen fighting to keep their head above water in a landlocked Midwestern town. Man o' wars are not jellyfish, and River McIntyre is not happy....

25

Only this beautiful moment
Nazemian, Abdi
Paper Book
2019. Moud is an out gay teen living in Los Angeles with his distant father, Saeed. When Moud gets the news that his grandfather in Iran is dying, he accompanies his dad to Tehran, where the revelation of family secrets will force Moud into a new understanding of his history, his culture, and...
Also available in eBook format.

26

The princess and the fangirl : a Geekerella fairy tale
Poston, Ashley
Paper Book
An enchanting YA romance from the New York Times best-selling author of The Dead Romantics. The Prince and the Pauper gets a Geekerella-style makeover in this witty and heartfelt novel for those who believe in the magic of fandom. Imogen...
Also available in eBook format.

27

Drizzle, dreams, and lovestruck things
Prasad, Maya
Paper Book
The Singh sisters grew up helping their father navigate the bustle of the Songbird Inn. Nestled on dreamy and drizzly Orcas Island in the Pacific Northwest, the inn's always been warm and cozy and filled with interesting guests - the perfect home. But things are about to heat up now that the...

28

The lesbiana's guide to Catholic school
Reyes, Sonora
Paper Book
Sonora Reyes' debut YA novel is a knockout-a sharply funny and incredibly moving portrait of a queer Mexican American girl learning to celebrate who she is at her very core. Seventeen-year-old Yamilet Flores prefers drawing attention for her killer eyeliner, not for being one...
Also available in eBook format.

29

When you get the chance
Ryan, Tom
Paper Book
Follow cousins on a road trip to Pride as they dive into family secrets and friendships in this contemporary novel--perfect for fans of David Levithan and Becky Albertalli.   As kids, Mark and his cousin Talia spent many happy summers together at the...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.

30

Kings of B'more
Thomas, R. Eric
Paper Book
"Infused with all the joy of the best teen movies, Kings of B'more is sure to be a big hit." -BuzzFeed Two Black queer best friends face their last day together with an epic journey through Baltimore in this magnetic YA debut by bestselling author of Here for It, R....
Also available in eBook format.

31

Love Letters for Joy
See, Melissa
Paper Book
A new LGBTQIA+ romance story by the author of You, Me, and Our Heartstrings. Less than a year away from graduation, seventeen-year-old Joy is too busy overachieving to be worried about relationships. She's determined to be Caldwell Prep's first disabled valedictorian. And she only has one...
Also available in eBook format.

32

She is a haunting
Tran, Trang Thanh
Paper Book
William C. Morris Debut Award Finalist Instant New York Times and Indie Bestseller This house eats and is eaten . . . "A riveting debut from a remarkable new voice! Trang Thanh Tran weaves an impressive gothic mystery in which...

Also available in eBook format.

33

Always the almost : a novel
Underhill, Edward
Paper Book
Sixteen-year-old trans boy Miles Jacobson has two New Year's resolutions: 1) win back his ex-boyfriend (and star of the football team) Shane McIntyre, and 2) finally beat his arch-nemesis at the Midwest's biggest classical piano competition. But that's not going to be so easy. For one thing, Shane...

34

The prince and the dressmaker
Wang, Jen
Paper Book
A fairy tale for any age, Jen Wang's The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart. Winner of the Eisner Award for Best Publication for Teens Winner of the Harvey Award for Best Children or Young Adult Book Paris, at the...

35

The prince and the dressmaker
Wang, Jen
Paper Book
A fairy tale for any age, Jen Wang's The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart. Winner of the Eisner Award for Best Publication for Teens Winner of the Harvey Award for Best Children or Young Adult Book Paris, at the...

Alors que le prince Sebastien revet des robes et court les nuits parisiennes sous l'identite de Lady Cristallia, ses parents, qui ignorent tout de sa vie nocturne, lui cherchent une fiancee. Une des deux seules personnes a connaitre son secret est sa meilleure amie Frances, qui a toujours reve de devenir une grande couturiere.

36

Look on the bright side
Williams, Lily
Paper Book
The creators of Eisner-nominated Go With the Flow Lily Williams and Karen Schneemann are back with a funny and heartwarming story following four best friends Brit, Abby, Christine, and Sasha in the graphic novel, Look on the Bright Side. Perfect for fans of Maria Scrivan's NAT ENOUGH series!With...

37

Nothing burns as bright as you
Woodfolk, Ashley
Paper Book
Five starred reviews! From New York Times bestselling author Ashley Woodfolk, Nothing Burns as Bright as You is an impassioned stand-alone tale of queer love, grief, and the complexity of female friendship. Two girls. One wild and reckless day. Years of...
Also available in eBook format.

38

Pride : an inspirational history of the LGBTQ+ movement
Caldwell, S. A.
Paper Book
Take pride in who you are! This inspiring history of the LGBTQ+ community enlightens young readers on the true timeline of LGBTQ+ history around the world, the lives of important figures like Harvey Milk, and iconic events like Stonewall. The LGBTQ+ community is so much more than...
Also available in eBook format.

39

Still Stace : my gay Christian coming-of-age story
Chomiak, Stacey
Paper Book
Is it possible to be gay and Christian? Stacey loves being a Christian. Her best friends are also her church friends. Her favorite place on earth is Bible camp every summer. And she talks to God like they are old friends. But one summer, she meets a girl who turns everything upside...
Canadian author.

40

Here and queer
Ellis, Rowan
Paper Book
Here and Queer is a helpful, friendly guide full of support and advice about living your best queer life, written for girls.  This vibrant, inclusive guide, designed for all kinds of girls, is designed to help you be the strongest, proudest,...

41

Welcome to St. Hell
Hancox, Lewis
Paper Book
  A groundbreaking memoir about being a trans teen. Warning: This book contains adult themes for readers aged 16+ "Candid writing, playful artwork, and a riotous and fearlessly real story of figuring out that you're trans - this book will bring hope and comfort to so...
Also available in eBook format.

42

Breathe : journeys to healthy binding
Kobabe, Maia
Paper Book
A graphic guide to chest binding with real-life stories and research-backed advice from bestselling Gender Queer author MAIA KOBABE and University of Michigan professor SARAH PEITZMEIER. Breathe arose from the need for a resource for folks considering chest binding...

43

All boys aren't blue : a memoir-manifesto
Johnson, George M.
Paper Book
In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson's All Boys Aren't Blue explores their childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. A New York Times Bestseller! Good Morning America,...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

44

Homebody
Parish, Theo
Paper Book
YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award Finalist In their comics debut, Theo Parish masterfully weaves an intimate and defiantly hopeful memoir about the journey one nonbinary person takes to find a home within themself. Combining traditional comics with organic journal-like interludes, Theo...

45

The awesome autistic guide for trans teens
Purkis, Yenn
Paper Book
Calling all awesome autistic trans teens! Yenn Purkis and Sam Rose want you to live your best authentic life - and this handy book will show you how! With helpful explanations, tips and activities, plus examples of famous trans and gender divergent people on the autism spectrum, this...

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