Book Recommendations

"A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner

When sixth grader Silas Wade does a school presentation on former Major Leaguer Glenn Burke, it’s more than just a report about the irrepressible inventor of the high five. Burke was a gay baseball player in the 1970s―and for Silas, the presentation is his own first baby step toward revealing a truth about himself he's tired of hiding. Soon he tells his best friend, Zoey, but the longer he keeps his secret from his baseball teammates, the more he suspects they know something’s up―especially when he stages one big cover-up with terrible consequences.

"Flamer" by Mike Curato

I know I’m not gay. Gay boys like other boys. I hate boys. They’re mean, and scary, and they’re always destroying something or saying something dumb or both. It's the summer between middle school and high school, and Aiden Navarro is away at camp. Everyone's going through changes―but for Aiden, the stakes feel higher. As he navigates friendships, deals with bullies, and spends time with Elias (a boy he can't stop thinking about), he finds himself on a path of self-discovery and acceptance.

"Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake

When a tornado rips through town, twelve-year-old Ivy Aberdeen's house is destroyed and her family of five is displaced. Ivy feels invisible and ignored in the aftermath of the storm--and what's worse, her notebook filled with secret drawings of girls holding hands has gone missing. Mysteriously, Ivy's drawings begin to reappear in her locker with notes from someone telling her to open up about her identity. Ivy thinks―and hopes―that this someone might be her classmate, another girl for whom Ivy has begun to develop a crush. Will Ivy find the strength and courage to follow her true feelings?

"King and the Dragonflies" by Kacen Callender

Twelve-year-old Kingston James is sure his brother Khalid has turned into a dragonfly. Khalid unexpectedly passed away, and King must keep his secrets to himself as he watches grief transform his family. It would be easier if he could talk with his best friend, Sandy Sanders. Before he died, Khalid told King to end their friendship after overhearing a secret―that Sandy might be gay. But when Sandy goes missing, sparking a town-wide search, and King finds him hiding in a tent in his backyard, he agrees to help Sandy escape from his abusive father. As King's friendship with Sandy is reignited, he's forced to confront questions about himself and the reality of his brother's death.

"Redwood and Ponytail" by K. A. Holt

Kate and Tam meet, and both of their worlds tip sideways. At first, Tam figures Kate is your stereotypical cheerleader; Kate sees Tam as another tall jock. And the more they keep running into each other, the more they surprise each other. Beneath Kate's sleek ponytail and perfect facade, Tam sees a goofy, sensitive, lonely girl. And Tam's so much more than a volleyball player, Kate realizes: She's everything Kate wishes she could be. It's complicated. Except it's not. When Kate and Tam meet, they fall in like. It's as simple as that. But not everybody sees it that way.

"The Girl from the Sea" by Molly Ostertag

Fifteen-year-old Morgan has a secret: She can't wait to escape the perfect little island where she lives. She's desperate to finish high school and escape her sad divorced mom, her volatile little brother, and her group of friends who don't understand her at all. Because Morgan has a lot of secrets, including the one about wanting to kiss another girl. One night, Morgan is saved from drowning by a mysterious girl named Keltie. The two become friends and life on the island doesn't seem so stifling anymore. But Keltie has some secrets of her own. And as the girls start to fall in love, everything they're each trying to hide will find its way to the surface, whether Morgan is ready or not.

"The Magic Fish" by Trung Le Nguyen

Tien and his mother may come from different cultures—she’s an immigrant from Vietnam still struggling with English; he’s been raised in America—but through the fairy tales he checks out from the local library, those differences are erased. Still, as much as Tien’s mother’s English continues to improve as he reads her tales of love, loss, and travel across distant shores, there’s one conversation that still eludes him—how to come out to her and his father. Is there even a way to explain what he’s going through in Vietnamese? And without a way to reveal his hidden self, how will his parents ever accept him?

"The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James" by Ashley Herring Blake

When Sunny St. James receives a new heart, she decides to set off on a "New Life Plan." 1) Do awesome amazing things she could never do before, 2) Find a new best friend, and 3) Kiss a boy for the first time. Her "New Life Plan" seems to be racing forward, but when she meets her new best friend Quinn, Sunny questions whether she really wants to kiss a boy at all. With the reemergence of her mother, Sunny begins a journey to becoming the new Sunny St. James.

"This is Our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, and Us" by Katherine Locke, Nicole Melleby, and contributing authors

A boyband fandom becomes a conduit to coming out. A former bully becomes a first-kiss prospect. A nonbinary kid searches for an inclusive athletic community after quitting gymnastics. Another nonbinary kid, who happens to be a pirate, makes a wish that comes true--but not how they thought it would. A tween girl navigates a crush on her friend's mom. A young witch turns herself into a puppy to win over a new neighbor. A trans girl empowers her online bestie to come out. From wind-breathing dragons to first crushes, this anthology features chapter after chapter of joyful, proud LGBTQIA+ stories.

"Too Bright to See" by Kyle Lukoff

It's the summer before middle school and eleven-year-old Bug's best friend Moira decides they need to use the next few months to prepare. For Moira, this means figuring out the right clothes and makeup to wear, and deciding which boys are cute. 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.

Resources

Cryptids in the Closet

The Queer & Trans Youth Council of Santa Cruz County has created this website to provide closeted LGBTQIA+ youth with informational resources. We wanted a website with a URL that wouldn’t alert guardians to the content you are viewing, so we chose CryptidsInTheCloset.com and our cover page is about cryptids. Our intent with building this website was to provide a safe place for closeted youth.

Glossary of LGBTQ+ terms

The Human Rights Campaign's glossary was written to help give people the words and meanings to help make conversations easier and more comfortable. LGBTQ+ people use a variety of terms to identify themselves, not all of which are included in this glossary. Always listen for and respect a person’s self identified terminology.

The Trevor Project

The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people. Our vision is a world where all LGBTQ young people see a bright future for themselves.