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Five Faves: 2024 LGBTQ+ Books for Older Readers

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June is a month for celebrating inclusion and equal rights, and the individuals that worked to make those rights a reality. Try these books to introduce older elementary and middle grade readers to LGBTQ+ historical figures, characters, and themes this Pride month.

Queer and Fearless
Written by Rob Sanders
Illustrated by Harry Woodgate
New York: Penguin Workshop, 2024. Informational. 32 pages.

This poetry anthology celebrates 17 important LGBTQ+ historical figures, with a biography and a poem paired for each person. The colorful illustrations will capture readers' attention, and intersectionality is addressed through the individuals featured.

By Maggie Horne
New York: Harper, 2024. Fiction. 260 pages.

Noah had a great time at summer camp with her new friend Jessa, and she is excited to go back to middle school. However, when she is reunited with her best friends, Noah feels left out as they obsess over boys. Not wanting to be excluded, Noah decides to pursue her classmate Archie, but after a series of mishaps realizes that Jessa may be the right person for her after all.

By Shaun David Hutchinson
New York: Labyrinth Road, 2024. Fiction. 296 pages.

After he asks out and is rejected by his best friend Blake and becomes the target of bullying, Hector discovers a newfound ability to turn invisible. He soon meets another invisible boy, Orson, whom everyone believes went missing three years ago. When Hector finds out that monsters have taken up residence in the school, feeding on students' fear, Hector takes it upon himself to protect the other students.

By Robin Gow
New York: Amulet Books, 2024. Fiction. 301 pages.

B is nonbinary, and is still trying to choose the perfect new name. When they meet a dog named Gooseberry, up for adoption at the local animal shelter, B decides Gooseberry is the perfect dog to help them follow their dream of becoming a dog trainer. However, B must help Gooseberry overcome his own trauma and mistrust of people as they work together.

By Nicole Melleby
New York: Algonquin Young Readers, 2024. Fiction. 250 pages.

Winnie has been hiding her sexual orientation from her grandmother for years. As her mother struggles through a high-risk pregnancy following several miscarriages, Winnie is sent to spend the summer in New Jersey with her grandma. She desperately wants to attend the New York City Pride Parade, but conflicting expectations of family and friends might make that impossible. As Winnie struggles to balance being herself while hiding her identity from her grandma and her new friends, she learns how to handle hard things.
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