The Best LGBT+ Books for a Successful Pride 2020

Last October I posted The Best LGBTQ Books of 2019, and this year is no different. But this year, I want the scope expanded. Included in this year are books only publish in 2020. I also included books for all ages (middle grades through adult contemporary). I hope this list is helpful to you. Remember, the absence of voices is harmful to your students and you. It's important we grow during this tumultuous time. Read these stories! I've enjoyed every one of them, and they're worthy of your consideration. Happy Pride month!

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

You will see, there's a running theme this year. More books are not only exploring LGBT themes, but also exploring the spectrum outside of the binary. Felix knows their trans. They know they were born biologically female and transitioned to male. But Felix even feels outside that spectrum. When someone puts up a mural of Felix from when they pre-transitioned and dead-names them, Felix seeks revenge through cat-fishing potential suspects. But what happens when they start to fall for that person? Felix is a character that feels real. They're confused and reluctant in all the right ways. One of my favorite YA LGBT+ books of the year. 

Grades: 10+

Enter the Aardvark by Jessica Anthony

Enter the Aardvark is one of my favorite books of the year. While you may notice it's absence from my Summer Reading 2020, that's because this is in no shape-way-or-form a book for students. A biting social critique about our current politics, Enter the Aardvark follows the story of Alexander Paine Wilson (R) who is running for a reelection campaign. When a stuffed Aardvark appears at his door, we enter a world of hiding who you are, Victorian England, Nazi Germany, and that's just the tip-of-the-iceberg. Hilarious. Brilliant. Poignant. This is worthy of your time (and a fantastic Audible listen).

Strictly Adult Contemporary

All Boys Aren't Blue by George Johnson

Johnson's memoir is a look not only at queerness and existing outside the spectrum, but it also deals with blackness. Told in a series of digestible pieces, Johnson's unique experience of black and gay is maybe more important this pride month than ever before. What I love about Johnson's story is not only how candid it is, but how he showcases the depth and complications of his family.

Grades: 8+

Rick by Alex Gino

Alex Gino's follow up to the brilliant George, Rick is a middle grade book that explores gender identity outside of the binary. Gino's Rick, like George before it, is both rich and heart-warming. You root for Rick. The world of bullying feels real. Rick isn't just important for kids, but for adults who aren't quite sure what it means to exist in the + of the LGBT+.

You might also want to consider middle grade LGBT+ sports book: A High Five for Glenn Burke

Grades: 5+

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

I've heaped praise for Acevedo's latest book, and I'm going to do it again. Clap When You Land will turn heads. When two characters must face the lost of a loved one during the devastating crash of Flight 587, their two lives become intertwined in the most surprising of ways. But one of Clap When You Land's leads is a Dominican Lesbian who knows who she is, and isn't sure how people she just met will view her. This isn't the focus of the story, but another layer in Acevedo's complicated and important new novel.

Grades: 9+

You Brought Me the Ocean by Sanchez and Maroh

DC Comics is (maybe not-so-secretly) publishing some of the best LGBT+ fiction out there. From The Snagglepuss Chronicles to Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass, seeing visual representation of LGBT+ still feels revolutionary. And this year, characters aren't regulated to the supporting cast (and it's of people of color!). In You Brought Me the Ocean, Jake Hyde's extraordinary birthmarks and love of the ocean are kept at bay in this small New Mexico time. But through some extraordinary circumstances, not only are his super powers about to emerge, but who he is as well. From a visual standpoint, You Brought Me the Ocean is one of the most alluring books of the year.

Grades: 7+

Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby

Are you pining for your fix of David Sedaris? I've got the book for you. But to compared Irby to Sedaris also does her an injustice. Her voice is wholly unique. As a black, queer writer, Irby let's it all hang out. She's not afraid to show you everything and tell you everything. From her time of the month to her IBS, Wow, No Thank You will have you grinning from ear to ear. This isn't for the faint of heart, but it's oh so worth your time. 

Grades: 11+ (Adult contemporary text)

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

Do you remember the first time you fell in love? Do you remember that nervousness of "will he reach for my hand?" "Does he like me like that." "Oh, he went in for a hug that must mean... oh wait... no... yes?" Oseman reminded me what it was to fall in love. This graphic novel gave me the biggest smile of 2020. So much so I ordered volume 2 and volume 3 minutes after finishing it.

Grades: 7+

The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper

Where nearly all the books on this list are about the struggle of who we are and what it means to be LGBT+, The Gravity of Us stands as a powerful reminder that it's important to see LGBT+ characters merely existing. There's no struggle of sexuality or figuring out who we are; instead, we're introduced to a world where space exploration is treated like the next Real Housewives. This is a delightful critique on our obsession of reality television and what it means to seek true professional journalism.

Grades: 9+

Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

Michael's journey is going to resonate with those who never feel "enough." Not black enough. Not gay enough. Not Latinx enough. When Michael discovers Drag Society, he just might find the place where he truly belongs. Stonwall Book Award Winner, Atta's story shows us the layers and complications of the LGBT+ society.

Grades 9+