Pride Month: New and Recommended YA ReadingUnpublished

Share

Print

Three starred reviews! From USA TODAY bestselling author Christen Randall comes a cozy, "authentic, and affirming" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) queer romance about self-discovery, finding your person, and carving out a space for yourself in unexpected places-...

#1 New York Times bestselling author Becky Albertalli (Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and Imogen, Obviously) is back with another novel of crushes, friendships, and finding love in unexpected places. A 2026 Rainbow Book List pick! Amelia Applebaum isn...

*An Instant New York Times, USA Today, and #1 Indie Bestseller* "A vibrant story that's perfect for fans of Casey McQuiston"--People "[A]n achingly cute romance that's hard to put down." --Rolling Stone

NATIONAL BESTSELLER . Being a teenager is no fairy tale . . . but that doesn't mean you can't find a little magic. A high schooler's journey to recover from burnout leads to a surprising romance with a twist from the bestselling author of The Magic Fish. A LOS ANGELES TIMES...

A dazzling YA anthology that spotlights the transformative power of books while equipping teens to fight for the freedom to read, featuring the voices of 15 diverse, award-winning authors and illustrators. Books are disappearing from shelves across the country. What does this...

A 2015 Stonewall Honor Book A groundbreaking work of LGBT literature takes an honest look at the life, love, and struggles of transgender teens. Author and photographer Susan Kuklin met and interviewed six transgender or gender-neutral young adults and used...

An assassin with outlawed, magical abilities will do anything to get their kidnapped sisters back in this dystopic-fantasy standalone, perfect for fans of Arcane and Iron Widow. Mercy has no place here. On Trinity, where the privileged live in the...

In this emotional novel in verse by the Stonewall Award-winning author of The Black Flamingo, a queer biracial teen confronts issues of race, privilege, class, and sexuality on his journey to falling in love. Kai knows who he is to others: The good grandson, the reliable best friend, the...

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...

A tale of identity, love, and the hunt for vengeance in the darkest corners of space-perfect for fans of Iron Widow and Aurora Rising! Ishara Ming is the sole survivor of a spacefaring whaler destroyed by the Ballena, a legendary sentient spacecraft that haunts the...

A New York Times, USA Today, Publisher's Weekly, and Indie Bestseller! "Endlessly fun" --Washington Post A geeky overachiever determined to save the world through science and a troublemaking chosen one lashing out against her destiny...

A spine-tingling LGBTQIA+ YA horror about queer teens who accidentally invoke a twisted spirit who promises help but delivers something sinister. Perfect for fans of Kayla Cottingham, Andrew Joseph White, and Ryan La Sala. "A searing and poignant portrait of queer...

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...

Calisto and Fawkes are drawn to each other for the first time, again, as they travel from when to when to take on a threat to all they hold dear in this lyrical and playful fantasy from award-winning author A. R. Capetta. Anyone who has hiked through time knows the town of Pocket...

"This is a tightly constructed adventure, told from three alternating points of view, and each protagonist is wonderfully realized and fully sympathetic. The second volume in this story comes out later this year and I've already pre-ordered it!" - Rick Riordan A Stonewall...

Living with his grandfather and struggling in a new high school, Damian decides to summon his mother's ghost so he can talk things out - but he blows it and summons Saskia, a scruffy, annoying kid. Trying to settle into his new life, Damian doesn't need her hanging around trying to 'help' him with...

Sawkill Girls meets Twin Peaks in a page-turning queer supernatural thriller, where four teens must track down a local cryptid that's feeding off secrets, before their own hidden truths are exposed. "Alex Crespo thrills with a meticulously crafted page-turner. A...

A thoughtful, poignant look at the AIDS crisis in the United States that includes primary source interviews, history, medical research, and cultural touchpoints. The AIDS crisis in America is complex and composed of countless individual stories of grief, love, and advocacy. Its...

From the New York Times-bestselling author of All Boys Aren't Blue comes an empowering set of essays about Black and Queer icons from the Harlem Renaissance. In Flamboyants, George M. Johnson celebrates writers, performers, and activists from 1920s...

Jenny Han meets Mean Girls in Freddie and Stella Got Hot, Maggie Horne's YA rom com about getting revenge and falling in love. "Sick, twisted, and more than slightly unhinged in the absolute best way." --BCCB By the time...

What if you discovered that the whole concept of a gender binary is an illusion? While many people identify as men or women, that is not all there is. The idea that all humans fall into one of two gender categories is largely a construct created by those who benefit from that belief. The...

Heartstopper meets Buffy in this queer paranormal rom-com where a college sophomore must navigate suddenly becoming a vampire, the underground society he's now part of, and the cute boy who discovers his secret. It's only natural nineteen-year-old Brennan's life...

In this riveting YA non-fiction set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, trace Lorena Hickok--or Hick's-- rise from devastating childhood to renowned journalist, and watch as she forms the most significant friendship and romantic relationship of her life with first lady, Eleanor...

dear Knucklehead, perhaps you are like me: always figuring out if your soul and your skin are thick enough to protect your body from sticky stones thrown from the mouths of those who know that spoken words have the power to spit out freedom and break-in...

An undeniably fierce, unforgettably funny, unapologetically queer feminist romp through the England of medieval legend. Bestselling and acclaimed authors Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner bring readers along on an epic quest for valor, freedom, and, above all, love. A Knight's Tale meets...

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Two teen girls fall in love and fight for survival in an abandoned bookstore as they prepare for the end of the world in "the snarky sapphic dystopian of our dreams" (Jennifer Dugan, author of Some Girls Do). A YALSA BEST FICTION FOR...

**NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST!** "Intimate and astonishing."--Jason Reynolds, New York Times Bestselling Author For fans of You've Reached Sam and If I Stay, a hauntingly beautiful, ultimately hopeful novel-in-verse about a girl in between...

Nina LaCour meets Alyson Derrick in this cross-country journey of identity, love, and friendships as Zoe tries to figure out her life, one train stop at a time. Zoe's life has gone off the rails. When she left Seattle to go to college in New York, she was determined to start...

A William C. Morris YA Debut Award finalist A Lamba Award Nominee Selected for the Rainbow Book List A Comic Book Council 2026 KIDS FAVORITE! "Drenched in golden hues, this adventure captures the nuance of strained familial relationships...

In this savory and sweet sapphic YA Romance graphic novel, a klutzy high schooler strives to learn her grandma's recipes and ends up falling for a no-nonsense classmate whose family owns a restaurant. What does cooking have in common with falling in love? They're both matters...

Ruti is Markless. In a society where worth is determined by the mark on your palm and the magic it grants you, this also deems her worthless. Except she's also a hardened survivor, a protector of the Markless...and the most powerful witch in Somanchi. With a single song, she can pray to the many...

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A STONEWALL HONOR BOOK A trans boy searches for a future--and a romance--in which he can live and love openly as himself in this heartwrenching YA reimagining of Pride & Prejudice, perfect for fans of Bridgerton and Gwen...

* National Jewish Book Award Winner * Green Mountain Book Award Nominee * Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner * YALSA's 2026 Best Fiction for Young Adults * In this thrilling paranormal YA romance debut steeped in folklore, two estries--owl-shifting female vampires from Jewish...

Noche is a Lechuza by night, an ethereal jet-black owl who guides the dead to the after. Except now, Noche cannot bring herself to escort her dead girlfriend, whose soul is fading the harder Noche holds on-an aching romance about first and second loves and finding the strength to let go.<...

Order the stunning DELUXE LIMITED EDITION while supplies last―featuring a gold foiled cover, gorgeous gilded edges as well as a unique foiled case stamp. This breathtaking collectible is only available on a limited first print run, a must-have for any book lover. ...

For LGBTQ people and their supporters, Pride events are an opportunity to honor the past, protest injustice, and celebrate a diverse and vibrant community. The high point of Pride, the Pride Parade, is spectacular and colorful. But there is a whole lot more to Pride than rainbow flags and amazing...

NPR's "All Things Considered," calls Queer Ducks "teenager-friendly. It's a Printz Honor young adult book filled with comics and humor and accessible science, and it's filled with research on the diversity of sexual behavior in the animal world." This groundbreaking illustrated YA...

Named one of the Best Nonfiction Books of 2019 by School Library Journal Queer history didn't start with Stonewall. This book explores how LGBTQ people have always been a part of our national identity, contributing to the country and culture for over 400 years.

A New York Public Library Best Book of 2017 A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book for Teens 2017 This first-ever LGBTQ history book of its kind for young adults will appeal to fans of fun, empowering pop-culture books like Rad American Women A-Z and Notorious RBG....

ALA 2021 Rainbow List Pick Are you LGBTQ+? Not sure? Whether you're queer or questioning, understanding sexuality and gender identity can be confusing. And if you're a Christian, questions of identity can be even scarier. Is there something wrong with you? Will your friends accept you?...

"A valuable package, both for young people exploring their own lives as well as anyone wishing to support them." --Booklist Whether you're queer, trans, questioning, or anything in between, coming out to the folks in your life can be nerve-racking and stressful. Luckily,...

"An ode to the courage it takes to live with authenticity." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) An intensely brave, beautifully honest, and wryly funny story about a gay Muslim teen who has to choose between being true to himself or his faith--and his...

For lovers of Through the Woods, Blackwater, and Squad comes a dark, sapphic retelling of a classic tale. Red, a fiercely loyal hunter, has dedicated her life to protecting her witch Grand Mother. Monsters have been...

Heartstopper meets Derry Girls in this wonderfully hilarious rom-com about finding your first love when your personality might be too big for the world around you. Patch Simmons has decided that this is the year he will get a boyfriend, so it's goodbye to...

Nebula Award for Best Comic Nominee 2026 Rainbow Book List In this stunning graphic novel by two-time Ignatz award-winning graphic novelist Ariel Slamet Ries, Oberon must choose between fantasy and reality when he develops the ability to conjure his dreams in real...

From #1 NYT bestselling author Ellen Hopkins comes a new heartbreaking young adult novel in verse about twins separated in the foster care system and the different paths their lives take. Seventeen-year-old twins Storm and Lake have always been in perfect sync. They faced the...

Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth NPR Books We Love Pick New York Public Library Best Book of the Year The author of the New York Times bestselling horror phenomenon She Is a Haunting is back with a novel...

"The book every LGBT person would have killed for as a teenager, told in the voice of a wise best friend. Frank, warm, funny, USEFUL." --Patrick Ness, bestselling author Lesbian. Bisexual. Queer. Transgender. Straight. Curious. This book is for everyone, regardless of gender or sexual...

**A Good Morning America YA Book Club Pick** **A USA Today Bestseller** Two love stories. One hundred years apart. An unforgettable sapphic romance from the screenwriter and coauthor of the #1 New York Times bestselling novel and film Five Feet Apart....

A Stonewall Honor Book A Reese Witherspoon Book Club LitUp Pick An ALA Rainbow Book In this debut YA speculative romance perfect for fans of Rachael Lippincott, two queer, disabled, Jewish teens find themselves stuck in a time loop--and...

"Combs and Eakett do a fantastic job of providing readers an incredibly comprehensive and strongly researched--yet somehow compact--look into the history of trans identity." --School Library Journal (starred review) An essential introduction to trans history, from...

Perfect for fans of All Out and Cemetery Boys, this anthology claims a seat at the table of fantasy literature for trans and gender nonconforming stories. Transness is as varied and colorful as magic can be. In Transmogrify!, you'll embark on fourteen different adventures alongside...

The first volume of a young adult graphic novel series about the long and winding romantic relationship between an energetic theater kid, Milo, and his withdrawn classmate, Liam. Perfect for fans of Heartstopper! The infamous theater kid Milo and wallflower Liam are unlikely...

When twins Eira and Soren escape from their survivalist home into a world overcome by zombies, there's only one way to stay alive: run! Eira and Soren are queer twins living with their survivalist parents when a plague starts spreading that turns people into zombie-like monsters....