LGBTQ+ Chapter Books

George

By Alex Gino

J Gino

OverDrive/Libby: eBook, eAudiobook

More than anything else, George wants to play Charlotte in her fourth-grade class's production of Charlotte's Web. The problem is, her teacher won't let her, because George is a boy. But George isn't about to let that squash her dream. With the help of her best friend, George must learn to stand up for her wish - and brave a few bullies along the way.

The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher

By Dana Levy

J Levy

Overdrive/Libby: eBook, eAudiobook

Relates the adventures of a family with two fathers, four adopted boys, and a variety of pets as they make their way through a school year and deal with a grumpy new neighbor.

Hurricane Child

By Kheryn Callender

J Call

hoopla: eAudiobook

Overdrive/Libby: eBook, eAudiobook

Born on Water Island in the Virgin Islands during a hurricane, which is considered bad luck, twelve-year-old Caroline falls in love with another girl--and together they set out in a hurricane to find Caroline's missing mother.

Drum Roll, Please

By Lisa Jenn Bigelow (J Bige)

Melly only joined the school band because her best friend, Olivia, begged her to. But to her surprise, quiet Melly loves playing the drums. It's the only time she doesn't feel like a mouse. Now she and Olivia are about to spend the next two weeks at Camp Rockaway, jamming under the stars. But this summer brings a lot of big changes for Melly: her parents split up, her best friend ditches her, and Melly finds herself unexpectedly falling for another girl at camp.

Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World

By Ashley Herring Blake

J Blak

Overdrive/Libby: eBook, eAudiobook

Twelve-year-old Ivy Aberdeen's house is destroyed in a tornado, and in the aftermath of the storm, she begins to develop feelings for another girl at school.

The Pants Project

By Cat Clarke

J Clar

hoopla: eBook

Eleven-year-old Liv fights to change the middle school dress code requiring girls to wear a skirt and, along the way, finds the courage to tell his moms he is meant to be a boy.

The Other Boy

By M.G. Hennessey

J Henn

hoopla: eBook

Twelve-year-old Shane Woods is just a regular boy. He loves pitching for his baseball team, working on his graphic novel, and hanging out with his best friend, Josh. But Shane is keeping something private, something that might make a difference to his friends and teammates, even Josh. When a classmate threatens to reveal his secret, Shane's whole world comes crashing down. Does Shane have the courage to ignore the hate and show the world that he's still the same boy he was before?

The Lotterys More or Less

By Emma Donoghue

J Dono

hoopla: eAudiobook

Sumac Lottery is the keeper of her family's traditions -- from Pow Wow to Holi, Carnival to Hogmanay, Sumac's on guard to make sure that no Lottery celebration gets forgotten. But this winter all Sumac's seasonal plans go awry when a Brazilian visitor overstays his welcome. A terrible ice storm grounds all flights, so one of her dads and her favorite brother can't make it home from India. And then the power starts going out across the city. Can Sumac hang on to the spirit of the season, even if nothing is going like a Lottery holiday should?

Love, Penelope

By Joanne Rocklin

J Rock

hoopla: eBook

Fifth-grader Penny writes a series of letters to her future sibling, including facts about their Oakland, California home, questions about whether their moms will ever marry, and especially that he or she is loved.

Better Nate Than Ever (Book 1 in the Nate books)

By Tim Federle

J Fede

Overdrive/Libby: eAudiobook

Nate, an eighth-grader who dreams of performing in a Broadway musical concocts a plan to run away to New York and audition for the role of Elliot in the musical version of "E.T.”

The Best Man

By Richard Peck

J Peck

Overdrive/Libby: eBook, eAudiobook

Archer has four important role models in his life--his dad, his grandfather, his uncle Paul, and his favorite teacher, Mr. McLeod. When Uncle Paul and Mr. McLeod get married, Archer's sixth-grade year becomes one he'll never forget.

How to Become a Planet

By Nicole Melleby

J Mell

hoopla: eBook, eAudiobook

Overdrive/Libby: eBook

After an entire summer trying to figure out how to go back to being the person she was before her depression and anxiety diagnosis, twelve-year-old Pluto finds out--with the help of the Hayden Planetarium hotline, a new tutor, and a new friend--that there is no old or new Pluto, there's just Pluto, growing up.

The Legend of Auntio Po

By Shing Yin Khor

J Khor

Overdrive/Libby: eBook

Part historical fiction, part magical realism, and 100 percent adventure. Thirteen-year-old Mei reimagines the myths of Paul Bunyan as starring a Chinese heroine while she works in a Sierra Nevada logging camp in 1885. Aware of the racial tumult in the years after the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act, Mei tries to remain blissfully focused on her job, her close friendship with the camp foreman's daughter, and telling stories about Paul Bunyan--reinvented as Po Pan Yin (Auntie Po), an elderly Chinese matriarch.

Nothing Ever Happens Here

By Sarah Haggar-Holt (J Hagg)

Izzy's family is under the spotlight when her dad comes out as Danielle, a trans woman. Izzy is terrified her family will be torn apart. Will she lose her dad? Will her parents break up? And what will people at school say? Now all eyes are on Izzy. Can she face her fears, find her voice, and stand up for her family and what's right?

The Derby Daredevils (series)

By Ki Rosewater

J Rose

hoopla: eBook

Ever since they can remember, fifth-graders Kenzie (aka Kenzilla) and Shelly (aka Bomb Shell) have dreamed of becoming roller derby superstars. When Austin's city league introduces a brand-new junior league, the dynamic duo celebrates! But they'll need to try out as a five-person team. Kenzie and Shelly have just one week to convince three other girls that roller derby is the coolest thing on wheels. But Kenzie starts to have second thoughts when Shelly starts acting like everyone's best friend...Isn't she supposed to be Kenzie's best friend?

The Deepest Breath

By Meg Grehan

J Greh

Overdrive/Libby: eBook, eAudiobook

Knowing things makes Stevie feel safe, powerful, and in control should anything bad happen. And with the help of her mom, she is finding the tools to manage her anxiety. But there’s one something Stevie doesn’t know, one thing she wants to understand above everything else, and one thing she isn't quite ready to share with her mom: the fizzy feeling she gets in her chest when she looks at her friend, Chloe. What does it mean and why isn't she ready to talk about it?

The Best at It

By Maulik Pancholy

J Panc

hoopla: eBook, eAudiobook

Overdrive/Libby: eBook

Rahul Kapoor is heading into seventh grade in a small town in Indiana. The start of middle school is making him feel increasingly anxious, so his favorite person in the whole world, his grandfather, Bhai, gives him some well-meaning advice: Find one thing you're really good at and become the BEST at it. Those four little words sear themselves into Rahul's brain. While he's not quite sure what that special thing is, he is convinced that once he finds it, bullies will stop torturing him at school. With his best friend, Chelsea, by his side, Rahul is ready to crush this challenge.... But what if he discovers he isn't the best at anything?

Too Bright to See

By Kyle Lukoff (J Luko)

It's the summer before middle school and eleven-year-old Bug's best friend Moira has decided the two of them need to use the next few months to prepare. For Moira, this means figuring out the right clothes to wear, learning how to put on makeup, and deciding which boys are cuter in their yearbook photos than in real life. But none of this is all that appealing to Bug, who doesn't particularly want to spend more time trying to understand how to be a girl. Besides, there's something more important to worry about: A ghost is haunting Bug's eerie old house in rural Vermont...and maybe haunting Bug in particular. As Bug begins to untangle the mystery of who this ghost is and what they're trying to say, an altogether different truth comes to light--Bug is transgender.

Pepper's Rules for Secret Sleuthing

By Briana McDonald (J McDo)

Rule One: Your loyalty is to the case.
Amateur detective Pepper Blouse has always held true to this rule, even if it meant pushing people away. But when the results of Pepper's latest case cost her any hope of the girl she likes returning her feelings, she decides that maybe she should lay low for a while. That is, until her Great Aunt Florence passes away under mysterious circumstances. And even though her dad insists there's nothing to investigate, Pepper can't just ignore rule fourteen: Trust your gut. But there's nothing in the rulebook that could've prepared her for the family secrets her investigation uncovers. Maybe it's time to stop playing by the rules.

Ana on the Edge

By A.J. Sass

J Sass

Overdrive/Libby: eBook, eAudiobook

Twelve-year-old Ana-Marie Jin, the reigning US Juvenile figure skating champion, is not a frilly dress kind of kid. So, when Ana learns that next season's program will be princess themed, doubt forms fast. Still, Ana tries to focus on training and putting together a stellar routine worthy of national success. Once Ana meets Hayden, a transgender boy new to the rink, thoughts about the princess program and gender identity begin to take center stage. And when Hayden mistakes Ana for a boy, Ana doesn't correct him and finds comfort in this boyish identity when he's around. As their friendship develops, Ana realizes that it's tricky juggling two different identities on one slippery sheet of ice. And with a major competition approaching.