6 LGBTQ Books for Young Readers

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Ideas

In tandem with this week’s cover story, Beyond He or She, TIME asked GLAAD to recommend books for children about LGBTQ issues. Here are the organization’s recommendations.

LGBTQ representation in all-ages programming is incredibly important. These portrayals both help real LGBTQ youth to recognize they aren’t alone and that their identity is valid, but also foster understanding and accelerate acceptance in their peer groups creating a safer environment for LGBTQ young people to be themselves.

And Tango Makes Three
This 2005 children’s book tells the real life story of penguins Roy and Silo, who live in New York’s Central Park Zoo, who made a nest together and hatched an egg from another penguin couple, baby Tango.

Rosaline
The story depicts the adventures of Rosaline as she travels through the woods to gather a picnic for her sweetheart and the obstacles she overcomes in her quest — a conniving witch, a threatening wolf, and a fairy godmother. The Fosters star Teri Polo (Stef Adams Foster) narrates the story in the Hulu animated short version.

The Bravest Knight Who Ever Lived
This book follows pumpkin farmer Cedric as he trains to fulfill his dream of becoming a Knight. During his training, he fought a dragon and saved two kidnapped royal siblings in the process. Upon their return to the Kingdom, Cedric and the Prince marry and Cedric finally gets his fairy tale ending.

The Answer
This children’s book, from the creator of Steven Universe, is a book adaptation of the episode of the same name exploring the love story between Ruby and Sapphire — the Gems who fused to create fan favorite character Garnet.

Jacob’s New Dress
Jacob’s New Dress follows a young boy who likes to wear dresses to school and is supported by his parents and teachers who explain to the other students that Jacob just wears what he is comfortable in.

I Am Jazz
Jazz Jennings, a teenage transgender advocate who has worked with GLAAD and the star of the GLAAD Media Award winning series I Am Jazz, wrote a children’s book called I Am Jazz to tell her own story as well as teach kids (and their parents) about what it means to be transgender. Since the book’s release, she has also released a memoir, Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen.

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