LGBTQ

Books that have 2SLGBTQ+ characters

Canadian

Books for Red Dress Day

May 5th is Red Dress Day, a day that brings awareness to the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People. In Canada, Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people are more likely to be the victims of violence due to racism and the ongoing effects of colonialism.

Antiracism

Exploring Books by Black Poets in Middle Years

This month two of my classes have been exploring novels-in-verse by Black authors. In part, this was to recognize Black History Month, with many of the stories focusing on different points in history. Other books included Black characters in contemporary settings that offered a range of different themes and topics,

Courage

Books about Book Bans

Over the past few years, worrying trends of book censorship have emerged, with challenges to books in schools and libraries increasing markedly since before the pandemic. This year, the American Library Association indicated that 414 attempts were made to censor library materials from January to August 2024, while 1,128

LGBTQ

Homebody

Homebody is a graphic novel memoir about Theo Parish's life as a nonbinary person. This coming of age book shows how they navigated their own identity and came out as a transgender and nonbinary. They called this process "coming home to myself wherever that may be"

LGBTQ

Hazel's Theory of Evolution

Hazel's Theory of Evolution, by Lisa Jenn Bigelow, is a middle grade novel that focuses on friendship and dealing with trauma. In Hazel's last year of middle school, she starts at a new school due to her house being rezoned. She is determined to fly under

LGBTQ

Books for Trans Joy in the Middle School Classroom

March 31 is Transgender Day of Visibility. Transgender students deserve to see themselves represented in the books they read and they deserve affirming stories that bring joy. Here are some joyful books that I recommend for the middle school classroom and beyond. * The Cardboard Kingdom, by Chad Sell - This

LGBTQ

Queer History in Middle Grade Books

Earlier this month, a presentation was made to a school board in Manitoba requesting the need to set up a committee to evaluate books in school libraries, particularly focusing on books about transgender youth. Happily, the community came out in force against this idea and the motion was voted down.

LGBTQ

Thanks A Lot, Universe

Thanks A Lot, Universe [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49202852-thanks-a-lot-universe], by Chad Lucas, is a book I would like to put in the hands of every boy as they enter middle school. The novel has a lot to say about friendship, mental health, standing up for others and being

LGBTQ

The Pants Project

I help to facilitate my middle school's Gender-Sexuality Alliance. This year, we've decided to pursue different projects that celebrate the 2SLGBTQ+ community. One project we've decided to undertake is to organize a book club that focuses on a book with 2SLGBTQ+ characters. After asking

Courage

Moonflower

Sometimes the best way to approach and engage with a serious topic is through stories. Genre fiction does this particularly well. For instance, consider A Monster Calls, by Patrick Ness, or The Ghost Collector [https://teacherbees.ca/the-ghost-collector/], by Allison Mills, both of which tackle grief and loss with stories

Graphic Novel

Popular Graphic Novels with 2SLGBTQ+ Characters

In the past few months, my students have become entranced with the Heartstopper series. They have binged the Netflix series, read through the webcomic online, and devoured the copy of Volume One that is in our classroom library. They have convinced their parents to buy them copies and asked the

Courage

I Am Not Starfire

There are a lot of reasons to love I Am Not Starfire [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56120074-i-am-not-starfire?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=2xSshJEVzN&rank=1] , written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Yoshi Yoshitani. The art is fantastic, the characters are sharp, and

LGBTQ

Felix Ever After

Warning: Minor Spoilers Ahead Felix Ever After [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51931067-felix-ever-after?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=cT2bWwtkJg&rank=1] , by Kacen Callender, tells the story of Felix, a seventeen year old student going to art school in New York. At the outset

LGBTQ

The Stone Rainbow

The Stone Rainbow, by Liane Shaw, tells the story of Jack Pedersen, a gay teenager who is living a small town. A few people know he is gay, but otherwise Jack is committed to keeping this part of his identity a secret until he can move to the bigger city.

Graphic Novel

The Magic Fish

The Magic Fish [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42394599-the-magic-fish?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=kyzNs1EE29&rank=1] , written by Trung Le Nguyen, is a beautiful graphic novel about Tiến and his mother, a Vietnamese refugee. Tiến wants to come out to his parents as

Courage

Pet

Pet [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38612739-pet?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=1mKAmrtQOH&rank=2] , written by Akaeke Emezi, tells the story of a Black transgender girl who must uncover a monster who is endangering her friend. The main character Jam lives in a city

feminism

The Cardboard Kingdom

The Cardboard Kingdom [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30623090-the-cardboard-kingdom] is a graphic novel by Chad Sell about the power of imagination and being yourself. The book is a collection of short stories that follows children of the cardboard kingdom, a neighbourhood where kids go on adventures and take on

Canadian

Surviving the City: From the Roots Up

Surviving the City Vol. 2: From the Roots Up, written by Tasha Spillett and illustrated by Natasha Donovan, is a graphic novel that explores the intersections of Indigenous culture and gender identity. It builds on the previous volume [https://teacherbees.ca/surviving-the-city/] to show the struggles of an Indigenous teen

LGBTQ

Rick

Rick [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44660928-rick?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=xjv28dLm5m&rank=1] , by Alex Gino, is the sequel to the award winning middle grade novel George. In Rick, characters from the first book have moved onto middle school, which brings new

LGBTQ

The Derby Daredevils

I love when I can read a middle grade book and learn something entirely new. This is particulary true when it involves female protagonists who rise to a challenge. The Derby Daredevils: Kenzie Kickstarts a Team [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50158278-kenzie-kickstarts-a-team?from_search=true&from_srp=true&

Human Rights

Anger is a Gift

Anger is a Gift [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36142487-anger-is-a-gift], by Mark Oshiro, tells the story of Moss Jefferies, a black Latinx teen, and his activism against police brutality at his high school. Traumatized by the murder of his father by a police officer during his childhood, Moss learns

LGBTQ

Rainbow and Pride Picture Books

This blog has recommended a number of books that include LGBTQ characters [https://teacherbees.ca/tag/lgbtq/], particularly books geared for middle years students [https://teacherbees.ca/lgbtq-books-in-middle-school/]. For students who are LGBTQ, who are questioning, or who have LGBTQ family members, it is important to see themselves reflected in

LGBTQ

Moon at Nine

Earlier this year I was asked to read Moon at Nine [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18854738-moon-at-nine?ac=1&from_search=true] , written by Deborah Ellis. Our school inherited a number of copies and my principal thought they might be a good fit in our grade seven human

LGBTQ

Maiden & Princess

Last week, I was reading Daniel Haack's Prince & Knight [https://teacherbees.ca/three/] to my three year old. When we reached the last page, where the two main male characters get married and live happily ever after, he asked a question. Not related to why two male

LGBTQ

Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World

As a middle school teacher, I have tried to fill my classroom library with books that are representative of LGBTQ students' experiences. I have collected a variety of books [https://teacherbees.ca/lgbtq-books-in-middle-school/] relating to trans youth, kids with gay and lesbian parents, and LGBTQ teens facing discrimination, but