There are a number of ways to celebrate Pride Month, but the bookworm in me insists there's nothing like a good read! The Young Adult publishing industry has come a long way since my own teenage years when it comes to diverse and #OwnVoices titles. This month, I encourage you to check out one - or more - of these great, new-ish YA books that put LGBT characters in the lead:
This is a fantastic collection of short stories, spanning genres and time periods, written by many of today’s popular YA authors, including Mackenzi Lee, Shaun David Hutchinson, and Tessa Gratton.
Kate from the Book Squad says, “The premise of writing fairy-tale-esque stories from a young queer and/or trans* perspective is really interesting, and I loved all of the different directions that the authors took.”
This is a beautiful story about death, grief, and moving on. Autumn blames herself for the death of her best friend who died in a car accident; Logan tries to figure out the circumstances that led to the death of his ex-boyfriend he still loves, and Shay wonders how to continue the music review blog she managed with her twin sister who recently died after battling Leukemia.
My new favorite road trip novel! Dylan is in remission and addicted to medications and struggles to get along with a mother who only takes advantage of his situation. Arden lives with a father who refuses to accept her true gender. They've only met online playing World of Warcraft, but when Dylan shows up on Arden's doorstep, they decide to abscond across the country on their first real life mission. A fun, endearing read.
This book will pull you in and keep you turning the pages because you just have. to. know. what. happened. Set in Boston, a diverse group of teens wait at a hospital to find out whether their family or friends survived a bridge collapse. At the center are Jason and Alexa, who are waiting to find out what happened to their parents. Jason, who isn’t out, bears an even bigger secret that could tear the siblings apart. Heartbreaking and emotional, but not without hope.
A wonderfully creative graphic novel, this is the story of Frances, a young seamstress who creates dresses for Prince Sebastian, who leads a secret double life as the fabulous fashion icon, Lady Crystallia. But Frances, who must remain secret as well, dreams of more...
Teen Services Assistant Centennial says, “Wang does a truly incredible job with this book -- it is full of warm colors, compassion, and creativity. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a sweet story about supportive relationships and staying true to yourself.”
- William Ottens is the Cataloging & Collection Development Coordinator at Lawrence Public Library
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