Out on the Shelves: Gay

The books in this list feature Gay characters and experiences.

Out on the Shelves is a resource designed to connect young rainbow people with the stories that represent them, so these books are able to be enjoyed by both teen and adult readers alike.

Updated May 29, 2025
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Simon vs. the Homo sapiens agenda
Albertalli, Becky
Paper Book
The beloved, award-winning novel is now a major motion picture, Love, Simon, starring 13 Reasons Why's Katherine Langford and Everything, Everything's Nick Robinson. Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email...
The darkest part of the forest
Black, Holly.
Paper Book
A girl makes a secret sacrifice to the faerie king in this lush New York Times bestselling fantasy by author Holly Black In the woods is a glass coffin. It rests on the ground, and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives.... ...
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...
Picture us in the light
Gilbert, Kelly Loy
Paper Book
Danny Cheng has always known his parents have secrets. But when he discovers a taped-up box in his father's closet filled with old letters and a file on a powerful Silicon Valley family, he realises there's much more to his family's past than he ever imagined. As Danny digs deeper, he uncovers a...
Will Grayson, Will Grayson
Green, John
Paper Book
Two award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author join forces for a collaborative novel of awesome proportions. One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens--both named Will Grayson--are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine,...
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...
The house in the cerulean sea
Klune, TJ
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, and WASHINGTON POST BESTSELLER! A 2021 Alex Award winner! The 2021 RUSA Reading List: Fantasy Winner! An Indie Next Pick! One of Publishers Weekly's "Most Anticipated Books of Spring 2020"...
Fake dates and mooncakes
Lee, Sher
Paper Book
Heartstopper meets Crazy Rich Asians in this heartfelt, joyful paperback original rom-com that follows an aspiring chef who discovers the recipe for love is more complicated than it seems when he starts fake-dating a handsome new customer. Dylan Tang wants to win a...
Out of left field
Newman, Jonah
Ebook
A nerdy gay teenager jumps headfirst into the bro-y world of high school baseball in this semi-autobiographical LGBTQ+ graphic novel by Eisner-nominated author Jonah Newman! "Brilliantly written and illustrated high school story that deftly showcases...
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...
Fence. Volume one
Pacat, C. S
Paper Book
Nicholas, the illegitimate son of a retired fencing champion, is a scrappy fencing wunderkind, and dreams of getting the chance and the training to actually compete. After getting accepted to the prodigious Kings Row private school, Nicholas is thrust into a cut-throat world, and finds himself...
Carry on : the rise and fall of Simon Snow
Rowell, Rainbow
Paper Book
#1 New York Times best seller! Booklist Editors' Choice 2015 - Youth! Named a "Best Book of 2015" by Time Magazine, School Library Journal, Barnes & Noble, NPR, PopSugar, The Millions, and The News & Observer! Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One...
Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe
Sa?enz, Benjamin Alire.
Paper Book
Now a major motion picture starring Max Pelayo, Reese Gonzales, and Eva Longoria! A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021) The award-winning, internationally renowned book that is a "tender, honest exploration of identity" (Publishers Weekly) and...
HappyHead
Silver, Josh.
Paper Book
A bold new dystopian thriller about an experimental mental health retreat center for young adults where everything is not what it seems--and one boy who will risk everything to escape. Seb has been selected for a new experimental mental health center called HappyHead, designed to...
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...
Dodge City
Trujillo, Josh
Paper Book
Life comes at you fast, but dodgeballs come way faster! Tom¤s is a teenage misfit, but when he joins the Jazz Pandas dodgeball team, he's thrown into a family of oddballs and outcasts who are willing to do whatever it takes to win the summer regional dodgeball championships. Through a season of...

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