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Best LGBTQ Books for Students of 2019

October is LGBTQ history month. This is the perfect opportunity to expose our students to LGBTQ texts. For me, this is essential. As a student, the closest I could find to LGBTQ characters were Tom from The Glass Menagerie, the random David Sedaris piece and Michael Thomas Ford's books (which as a teenager I was way too young to be reading about). Now, there's a number of LGBT characters and representation in literature, but if you're an educator, where do you start?

What I'm hoping is that my students will see queer texts not as queer texts, but simply texts. Often times (and not to generalize, but here I go anyway) my straight male students will avoid anything with even a hint of gay subtext. The more I talk to my students, it's clear that there is still an internalized insecurity. What they read might say something about themselves. In truth, a book is a book, queer characters or not. The easiest way to break the ice with that stereotype is that I always tell my students, "Trust me. I've read plenty of books about straight characters, and that hasn't changed me at all." It gets a laugh, and I think students can immediately see the fallacy of avoiding LGBTQ texts.

So anyway, I thought I would list my favorite LGBTQ books of the year, in case (as an educator or a good reader) you were curious what is current and available:


I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver
Mason Deaver's has absolutely obliterated my expectations. In many ways, I have found it difficult to understand those who identify as non-binary. Because of I Wish You All the Best, I could, for the first time, feel the emotions of a non-binary character. When Ben comes out to their parents as non-binary, they finds themself disowned and living with their sister. But what I love about Deaver's text is that it brings dread to the everyday moments that I never would have thought about. The uneasiness I felt as Ben went shopping for clothes is one of the most terrifying, poetic and eye-opening moments in all of YA lit this year. This is simply put, one of the year's best books YA or otherwise.

Kiss Number 8 by Venable and Cranshaw
Graphic novels make two appearances on this list, but this recently National Book Award nominee deals with identity in ways few other texts do. Our main character Mads starts by showing us her 8th kiss to her best friend Laura, and the events that lead her to kissing her. Everyone before that was a boy, and what we get is the family turmoil as not just the main character has to discover herself, but her parents and her community must confront a past they rather would not. Venable captures the essence of the early 2000s, Catholic school, and a time before Instagram and Snapchat; ultimately, this book makes our recent past feel more present than ever.


Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell
What doesn't Rainbow Rowell publish that I just can't wait to devour? Unlike every other book on this list which deals with neglect or trauma, Pumpkinheads tells a very different story of a young college bound boy named Josie and his last day working at his local farm. But it's the supporting character Deja whose sexuality is unnamed and unexplained that really makes this fun and happy text shine. Bisexual, Pansexual, I'm not sure. But that's not the point. Sometimes teens just need to be teens and Pumpkinheads celebrates the simple act of saying goodbye. A quiet story told in-media res. Ideal for Seniors getting ready for college.

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
Another National Book Award nominee, Akwaeke Emezi just received a huge write up on The New York Times. Author of 2018's marvel Freshwater, Emezi explains that they wanted a story "where a black trans girl is never hurt." In a bold move, Emezi creates a character who exists in an accepting community with no questions or falters in her identity. Like many other great YA novels, I often wonder about the target audience. This is a story not afraid to talk about the monsters of the adult world, and those with a history or sensitivity to sexual violence may want to steer clear, but it's undeniable that Emezi created a story with a protagonist unlike any other.

Other books to consider (not from 2019):
George by Alex Gino
The Upside of the Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
We Are Okay by Nina Lacour
The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater
Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
Every Day by David Levithan
Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Carry On (Simon Snow Series) by Rainbow Rowell
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
Stonewall Riots: Coming Out in the Streets by Gayle Pitman

Daniel Valentin teaches American Wilderness, Ethics, and English 9 at Horace Greeley High School. He just finished Kiss Number 8 by Colleen Venable and Ellen T. Cranshaw, and he is listening to Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell. He wants his students to feel empowered through books. Follow him @DaValentinCCSD
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