Resources for Educators and Librarians
The main scope of this website is to have as comprehensive a list as possible of LGBTQ YA published between 2000-2020. We will be updating with new titles every three months or so and continuing to work on other aspects of the site. However, we wanted to offer some outside resources for visitors who might want additional information besides that which we can provide.
Additionally, if you are using this website as a tool to recommend books to teens please be aware that we do not recommend every title on this list. Some of the books included have problematic elements and we’ve tried to include reviews describing the nature of these elements in the entries for those books.
If you are looking for books to recommend we encourage you to check out our best-of lists.
If you have any suggestions for resources, please let us know.
The Original Work
YA Bibliography of LGBTQ YA from 1969-2009
Compiled by Christine A. Jenkins and Michael Cart, this bibliography, also a book entitled, The Heart Has Its Reasons: Young Adult Literature with Gay/Lesbian/Queer Content, 1969-2004, “is an attempt to compile a complete list of titles (in English) with gay/lesbian content, published for young adults. The content may or may not be what individual readers will consider positive; however, this list does give an excellent picture of the historical treatment of gay and lesbian characters in YA literature.” Our work on this website would not have been possible with all the groundwork Jenkins and Cart did in creating a standard for compiling and disseminating information about LGBTQ YA.
Professional Tools
Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
Resources for educators with a mission “to create safe and affirming schools for all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.”
ALA GLBT-RT Professional Tools
Resources from the American Library Association’s GLBT round table.
Definitions from Transstudent.org
A great starting point for a mostly comprehensive list of definitions relating to LGBTQ topics. From their website: “Terms are always changing in the LGBTQ+ community. This list will be updated as often as possible to keep up with the rapid proliferation of queer and trans language.”
Controlled Vocabulary from Homosaurus
From the website: “This is an International Thesaurus of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Index Terms that is currently used by https://www.digitaltransgenderarchive.net.”
Reviews of Trans and/or Non-binary Lit by Trans and/or Non-binary Reviewers Created by writer, blogger and community activist Corey Alexander, this list is a growing resource of reviews of Trans and/or Non-binary literature by Trans and/or Non-binary reviewers. If you have students who want to read books with Trans and/or Non-binary characters in them, this is a great resource to check out to gauge the accuracy, authenticity and overall representation of Trans and/or Non-binary characters.
Booklists
The following are booklists and awards given yearly for the most highly recommended LGBTQ YA. These are great places to start for developing core collections.
Blogs
Recommended blogs focusing on LGBTQ YA books.
Ya Pride
YA Pride is a “a website and blog dedicated to everything LGBTQIA+ in YA!” They were started in 2011 by creator and all around amazing human Vee (who also contributed to this site!) with a mission to, “to mobilize a clear and active market for LGBTQIA+ YA” in response to a perceived lack of audience for these books. Now their mission is to, “empower authors to write LGBTQIA+ characters, help ensure that what’s being published contains positive and affirming representation, and enable all teens to find themselves on the page!”
I’m Here, I’m Queer. What the Hell Do I Read?
An incredibly comprehensive website with a variety of booklists and recommendations created by Lee Wind, M.Ed.
Malinda Lo’s Blog
Blog from author Malinda Lo with tons of resource lists and more.
Publishers
Publishers specifically focusing on LGBTQ YA books
From the website: Harmony Ink Press is an imprint publishing Teen and New Adult fiction featuring significant personal growth of unforgettable characters across the LGBTQ+ spectrum. We seek strong, authentic voices telling thought-inspiring stories with positive outcomes that explore all the facets of young adult, teen, and new adult life—between the ages of 14 and 21—across a wide range of subgenres. Our published works reach into a wide range of reader-favorite genres, including fantasy, mystery, paranormal, romance, science fiction, and more.