Queer History for Kids

Introductions to learning about LGBTQ+ people throughout history. This list has books appropriate for elementary school children through teens.
Updated September 19, 2022
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This Day in June
Gayle E. Pitman
"The pride primer." --The New Yorker An excellent tool for teaching respect, acceptance, and understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. This day in June.... Parade starts soon....  Rainbow arches.... Joyful...
Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag
Rob Sanders
JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION . Celebrate Pride and it's iconic rainbow flag--a symbol of inclusion and acceptance around the world-- with the very first picture book to tell its remarkable and inspiring history! "Pride is a beacon of (technicolor) light." --Entertainment Weekly<...
Queer, There, and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World
Sarah Prager
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...
Stonewall: Breaking Out in the Fight for Gay Rights
Ann Bausum
That's the Stonewall. The Stonewall Inn. Pay attention. History walks through that door. In 1969 being gay in the United States was a criminal offense. It meant living a closeted life or surviving on the fringes of society. People went to...
A Queer History of the United States for Young People
Richie Chevat
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.
The Stonewall Riots: Coming Out in the Streets
Gayle E Pitman
This book is about the Stonewall Riots, a series of spontaneous, often violent demonstrations by members of the gay (LGBTQ+) community in reaction to a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan,...
The Book of Pride: LGBTQ Heroes Who Changed the World
Mason Funk
THE BOOK OF PRIDE captures the true story of the gay rights movement from the 1960s to the present, through richly detailed, stunning interviews with the leaders, activists, and ordinary people who witnessed the movement and made it happen. These individuals fought...
Gay & Lesbian History for Kids: The Century-Long Struggle for LGBT Rights, with 21 Activities
Jerome Pohlen
2016 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People List Lambda Literary Award Finalist On the Rainbow Book List  Who transformed George Washington's demoralized troops at Valley...
Sewing the Rainbow: A Story About Gilbert Baker
Gayle E Pitman
5th-6th grade Finalist in 2019 Children's Choice Book Awards 2019 ALA GLBT Round Table Rainbow Book List National Parenting Product Award Winner (NAPPA) Gilbert Baker always knew he wanted a life full of color and sparkle. In his small, gray, flat Kansas hometown, he...
Rainbow Revolutionaries: Fifty LGBTQ People Who Made History
Sarah Prager
One of Time Out's "LGBTQ+ books for kids to read during Pride Month," this groundbreaking, pop-culture-infused illustrated biography collection takes readers on an eye-opening journey through the lives of fifty influential queer figures who have made a mark on...
Queer Heroes: Meet 53 LGBTQ Heroes From Past and Present!
Arabelle Sicardi
* 2019 EUREKA! Honor Award * This beautiful, bold book celebrates the achievements of LGBTQ+ people through history and from around the world--featuring dynamic full-color portraits of a diverse selection of 53 inspirational role models accompanied by short biographies...
What Was Stonewall?
Nico Medina
How did a spontaneous protest outside of a New York City bar fifty years ago spark a social movement across America? Find out about the history of LGBTQ rights in this Who HQ title. In the early-morning hours of June 28, 1969, police arrived at the Stonewall Inn's doors and...
Troublemaker for Justice: The Story of Bayard Rustin, the Man Behind the March on Washington
Jacqueline Houtman
Chosen a Best Children's Book of the Year by the Bank Street Center! Voted a Best Book of the Year by School Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews! A biography for younger readers about one of the most influential activists of our time, who was an early advocate for African Americans...
Were I Not A Girl: The Inspiring and True Story of Dr. James Barry
Lisa Robinson
This unique picture book biography tells the story of Dr. James Barry, born female, who lived as a man from age 18 to his death. Like other girls of her time, Margaret Bulkley didn't go to school. She wouldn't grow up to own property, be a soldier, a doctor, or hold any job other...
When You Look Out the Window: How Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin Built a Community
Gayle E Pitman
When You Look Out the Window tells the story of Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, one of San Francisco's most well-known and politically active lesbian couples. Describing the view from Phyllis and Del's window, this book shows how one couple's activism transformed their...
Be Amazing: A History of Pride
Desmond Napoles
In Be Amazing, drag kid Desmond is Amazing walks you through the history of the LGBTQ community, all while encouraging you to embrace your own uniqueness and ignore the haters. Desmond is amazing--and you are, too. Throughout history,...
Sylvia and Marsha Start a Revolution!: The Story of the Trans Women of Color Who Made Lgbtq History
Joy Michael Ellison
A picture book telling the story of Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson, the transgender women of colour who fought for LGBTQ+ equality. Depicting the events that surrounded the Stonewall Riots, this is a playful introduction to trans identities and LGBTQ+ history for young children.
Two Grooms on a Cake: The Story of America's First Gay Wedding
Rob Sanders
As seen on The TODAY Show! "Sanders tells the tale in easy-to-understand language, sweet as the frosting on the cake. . . . As beautiful as it is informative about this little-known battle in the fight for equality." -Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
People of Pride: 25 Great Lgbtq Americans
Chase Clemesha
What do Frank Ocean, Sally Ride, George Takei, and Sharice Davids all have in common? They're all proud LGBTQ Americans! Featuring people from a variety of occupations and backgrounds, this collection of 25 short biographies demonstrates the diversity, accomplishments, and pride within the American...
Rainbow Revolutions: Power, Pride, and Protest in the Fight for Queer Rights (Illustrated Children's Book)
Jamie Lawson
A book about the fight for queer rights, beautifully illustrated with bold and beautiful illustrations by pop artist Eve Lloyd Knight. Around one o'clock in the morning on June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York, sparking days of intense rioting....

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