If you work in a U.S. public library, especially in youth services, there is a good chance you've recently encountered the scenario I'm about to describe. A family you do not recognize comes into the library, feigns browsing through the collections, spots some LGBTQ+ books and/or a pride display, and then rushes over to a library employee to register their "shock" and "disappointment." Or they don't say anything at all, but after they leave, library employees discover books missing, either hidden within different shelves, or stolen.
If this has happened to you, you are very much not alone. In fact, it is becoming an increasingly worrying trend, and many of us in libraryland can share at least one similar experience.
In the two weeks since June started, this has been happening in my library, especially in our Young Adult (YA) section. My branch is fortunate to have gates that beep quite loudly if someone tries to swipe a book, so our culprits have been using the "hide the books in the shelves" method. Which means, after I find our books, I rebuild the pride displays to be even bigger and prouder (which in our very tiny library only means more books and bigger rainbow decals).
And so, this is my tiny effort to boost support for pride displays in public libraries. Checking out books from these displays signals to the library that the books are wanted by the community, thus ensuring their places in the collections going forward.
If you are looking for a good LGBTQ+ recommendation, here is a loose post of my favorite books from our YA pride display (with a handful of borderline Middle Grade stories thrown in). These are in no type of order, and a lot are graphic novels (with YA fiction, it is a personal preference of mine to read mostly graphic novels, but with no disrespect to the traditional novel format. I just like graphic novels).
So here goes:
Realistic Fiction
These are the coming-of-age stories. The first crushes, first loves, first heartbreak stories. The stories that expand the world beyond the bubbles of childhood and throw the protagonists head-first into adulthood. These tales are deeply relatable and great windows into the challenges faced by real teens every day.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (by Benjamin Alire Sáenz) and This One Summer (by Mariko Tamaki) begin with friendships that deepen along with the self-actualizations of the characters. The Heartstopper series (by Alice Oseman) follows an opposites-attract structure as two young men experience first love. Drama (by Raina Telgemeier) is primarily about the behind-the-scenes shenanigans of a group of theater kids who develop and explore their first crushes. Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me (by Mariko Tamaki) portrays the damage a toxic relationship can have on a young heart while delivering a message of hope for what comes after. The Cardboard Kingdom (by Chad Sell) is a middle grade tale about the strength we gain from community. It is a series of vignettes that include characters searching for acceptance while gaining a strong sense of self-worth.
Fantasy
Fantasy is probably the most popular genre in YA fiction, and my favorite sub-genre in Fantasy is Fairy-Tale reimaginings. Fairy tales have traditionally been a great space for exploring themes of identity, and retellings of stories like Cinderella and The Little Mermaid are especially apt spaces for LGBTQ+ stories.
Cinderella is Dead (by Kalynn Bayron) is a classic adventure that follows a strong young woman taking down the patriarchy while achieving her own fairy tale ending. The Prince and the Dressmaker (by Jen Wang) is another unique take on the Cinderella mythos, only this time it is the prince who is in disguise. Like Cinderella, this prince's secret identity is also a truer identity, and the story comes together with beautiful messages about acceptance and love. The Magic Fish (by Trung Le Nguyen) explores the Asian origins of classic fairy tales (such as Cinderella) while mirroring them with the immigrant experience and themes about identity. While this sounds like a lot of content, Nguyen deftly handles these threads and sews them together in a beautiful and affirming way. The Girl from the Sea (by Molly Knox Ostertag) is the sweet romance between a human girl and mermaid, two teen girls with two big secrets. Together, through their love, they gain the strength they need to reveal their true selves to the world. The Legend of Auntie Po (by Shing Yin Khor) is another tale that blends the immigrant experience with explorations of sexual identity. Set in 19th century lumber camps this reimagining of Paul Bunyan balances its affirming messages with the stark realism of the era.
Miscellaneous
This is mostly a mish-mash of adventure, fantasy, horror, and mystery. Many are comics, collected from on-going series, along with a few graphic novels and one traditional novel.
The Taking of Jake Livingston (by Ryan Douglass) was the scariest book I read last Halloween. The novel has a few real-world horrors (racism, homophobia, and school shootings) mixed with fictional horrors (hauntings and possessions). This is a great book for you die-hard horror readers, but a not-so-great choice for anyone who scares easily. Nimona (by Noelle Stevenson) is a fun and funny take on the super-hero/super-villain dynamic, with quite a few surprising twists. The Witch Boy (by Molly Knox Ostertag) tackles gender-identity with the story of a young man who wants to train as a witch in direct opposition to his family's strict gender roles. The story is beautiful in its progression and fun as a fantasy.
I have three suggestions for on-going comic series whose collected volumes can be found at your local library. All three are published by Boom! Studios and feature diverse character ensembles including quite a few identities. Lumberjanes is set at an all-girls camp where the campers regularly encounter mystery and adventure. The Backstagers follows a group of "theater kids" at an all-boys school who discover magic and romance behind the curtains. And finally, Goldie Vance is on the case as a mid-century teenage hotel detective in Florida (how's that for a unique set-up?).
Honestly, I could go on with more and more recommendations, but this post is meant to only be a starting point. Visit your local libraries and check out their pride displays. There are probably library staff ready and happy to give recommendations and suggestions for your next favorite book. And supporting library pride displays will better help those libraries battle back against those who want to censor and/or ban their materials.
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