These Middle Grade And Young Adult Novels Celebrate And Center LGBTQIA Stories

Héctor was never made to feel different or strange for being gay in his hometown of San Francisco, but that all changes when he moves. He feels the loneliest he's ever been in a town full of people who don't get him, but a magic door opens him up to kids in other parts of the country who feel just like he does.

Readers looking for a summer romance will love following Andi and Zora, who bond over being the only Black girls at their summer camp. Both are dealing with some heavy stuff and realize they've found more than a friend while trying to work through their own problems.

Zenobia July is stepping into her new life living in Maine with her aunts. The transgender tween vows to be more social after spending much of her time coding and hacking when a mystery gives her the opportunity to put those skills to use while righting wrongs.

Asher grew up in a family where girls become witches and boys becoming shape-shifters. He gets to 13 without shifting but is quietly fascinated with all things witchcraft. Meeting a new friend who isn't tied up in labels helps him see a different side of who he could be and how he can help those around him when danger strikes.

Aimée, a nonbinary Anishinaabe middle-schooler, gets lost on a school field trip where they're feeling uncomfortable about reactions to their identity. They're amazed to be transported somewhere otherworldly, with characters inspired by Alice in Wonderland.

Arek has ended up as the king of the Kingdom of Ere. He thought he was taking on a temporary gig but when he finds himself in it for the long haul, he learns a new and pesky detail. In order to stay king (and stay alive), he needs to find a spouse before his 18th birthday. The quest isn't going to be that easy, but it will teach Arek a lot about himself.

Yadriel knows who he is, but convincing his traditional Latinx family is a step further and a difficult one at that. He's determined to show them he can be a real brujo and wants to prove himself by summoning the ghost of his murdered cousin. Instead, he ends up with Julian Diaz, the school bad boy who wants to know how he ended up this way. Yadriel and Julian team up to get what they both want, but Yadriel finds himself not wanting Julian to go.

Nathan Bird is an aspiring screenwriter who thinks happy endings are meant for the big screen. In real life, things are much messier and murkier, so much so he doesn't believe anything else is possible. With the help of his ex-girlfriend and the return of a long-lost childhood friend, Nathan is forced to rethink everything he thought he knew he believed.

Amber McCloud's dream for the perfect school year with the cheer squad is crushed when the football team quarterback dies tragically. Amber, aspiring cheer captain, goes back and forth between trying to mourn and trying to lift spirits. That becomes a challenge when the new QB, a girl named Jack Walsh, is introduced. Amid the uproar where Amber is asked to take sides, she finds herself falling for the new QB and feels very much caught in the middle.

Yamilet Flores is starting over after being outed by her ex-best friend. She wants to keep her sexuality to herself and keep her head down, as much as the only Mexican girl in a white Catholic school can. Getting by is getting by until a new friend changes how she feels about being in versus being out, but even that is complicated when taking family and culture into consideration.