Cool Stuff For Queer Kids

The Good Luck Girls – Teen Fantasy Based on the Old West with Black Main Characters and a Lesbian Romance
The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis Aster, the protectorViolet, the favoriteTansy, the medicMallow, the fighterClementine, the catalystTHE GOOD LUCK GIRLSThe country of Arketta calls them Good Luck Girls--they know their luck is anything but.Sold to a...

“If We Knew Trans History” – A Series by Joy Michael Ellison
I'm loving learning more about Trans history with Joy Michael Ellison's series. In If We Knew Trans History, We Would Embrace Trans Rage, we get another view of the power of Sylvia Rivera. As Joy writes, upon their eviction from STAR house, "a home where Rivera,...

In Deeper Waters – Pirates, Magic, and a Gay Teen Romance in this Fantasy Novel
In Deeper Waters by F. T. Lukens Prince Tal has long awaited his coming-of-age tour. After spending most of his life cloistered behind palace walls as he learns to keep his forbidden magic secret, he can finally see his family's kingdom for the first time. His first...

Queer KidLit Creators – 2021 Fall/Winter Schedule of Gatherings By and For Queer-Identified Writers, Illustrators, and Translators of Books for Kids and Teens
We started in February 2021, gathering monthly on zoom to connect as a community. Members of the community have added a study hall (working in community at the same time), a listserve (to stay in touch between the monthly meetings, and a critique corner (a safe place...

Pumpkin – Waylon, a Fat, Openly Gay Teen, is Nominated for Prom Queen as a Joke. He Decides To Run For It… And Win.
Pumpkin by Julie Murphy Waylon Russell Brewer is a fat, openly gay boy stuck in the small West Texas town of Clover City. His plan is to bide his time until he can graduate, move to Austin with his twin sister, Clementine, and finally go Full Waylon, so that he can...

Cybils Awards Call for Judges Open Until September 10, 2021 – Do You Talk About KidLit Online (a traditional blog, YouTube, Goodreads, Instagram, Twitter, and/or TikTok)?
The great folks over at the Cybils Awards are looking for judges for 2021 children's literature! I've done it in the past, and they're right, it's a lot of reading... It's also completely fascinating to read multiple books in the same category, and to discuss with the...

I’m a Guest on the “Books That Make You…” Podcast!
It's a podcast! It's a video! It's a wonderful interview with podcast host Desireé Duffy, called "Books That Make You Say: No Way! They Were Gay?" I hope you'll give it a listen... (Or watch!) Find out more about Desireé's "Books That Make You" podcast here. Grateful...

My Fanboy Moment – Cheering Alok Vaid Menon
I follow Alok on Instagram where they share glamour shots of themself, along with mini essays that get me all teared up, like this recent one on body hair... Read the full post on Instagram here. Alok also shares book reports that investigate and eplore Queerness -...

Both Sides Now – a Trans Teen high school senior is debate star, and has to argue against Trans rights (while realizing he has a crush on his gay and already in a relationship debate partner)
Both Sides Now by Peyton Thomas There's only one thing standing between Finch Kelly and a full-blown case of high school senioritis: the National Speech & Debate Tournament. Taking home the gold would not only be the pinnacle of Finch's debating career, but the...