WELCOME TO THE BOOK NOOK

It Feels Good to Be Yourself. Theresa Thorn. (Pre-K – 3) Some people are boys. Some people are girls. Some people are both, neither or somewhere in between. A straightforward exploration of gender identity, providing young readers and adults with the vocabulary to discuss the topic with sensitivity. 

They, She, He easy as ABC. Maya and Matthew Smith-Gonzalez. (Pre-K – 1) Inclusive pronouns are featured alongside the alphabet. An introduction to the many different ways people identify and use pronouns. Shows that including everyone is all part of the dance. “No one left out and everyone free.”

My Rainbow. Deshanna Neal and Trinity Neal. (K-3) A dedicated mom puts love into action as she creates the perfect rainbow-colored wig for her transgender daughter, based on the real-life experience of mother-daughter advocate duo Trinity and DeShanna Neal.

Ho'onani: Hula Warrior.  Heather Gale and Mika Song. (K-3) Ho'onani feels in-between. She doesn't see herself as wahine (girl) OR kane (boy). She's happy to be in the middle. But not everyone sees it that way. When Ho'onani finds out that there will be a school performance of a traditional kane hula chant, she wants to be part of it. But can a girl really lead the all-male troupe? Ho'onani has to try . . .

George. Alex Gino. (3 – 6) When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl. George really wants to play Charlotte in Charlotte’s Web. Will she be able to?

Gracefully Grayson. Ami Polonsky. (5 – 7) Grayson has been holding onto a secret for what seems like forever: "he" is a girl on the inside. Will new strength from an unexpected friendship and a caring teacher's wisdom be enough to help Grayson?

The Pants Project. Cat Clarke (3 – 6) Liv knows he was always meant to be a boy but he hasn’t told anyone – even his two moms yet. Now, his new school has a terrible dress code, he can't even wear pants. Only skirts. The only way for Liv to get what he wants is to go after it himself. But to Liv, this isn't just a mission to change the policy―it's a mission to change his life.

Zenobia July. Lisa Bunker. (5 – 9) Zenobia July is starting a new life in Maine with her aunts. People used to tell her she was a boy; now she's able to live openly as the girl she always knew she was. When someone anonymously posts hateful memes on her school's website, Zenobia knows she's the one with the hacking skills to solve the mystery.

Some Assembly Required: The Not-So-Secret Life of a Transgender Teen. Arin Andrews. (14-up) In this revolutionary first-of-its-kind memoir, Arin Andrews details the journey that led him to make the life-transforming decision to undergo gender reassignment as a high school junior. In his captivatingly witty, honest voice, Arin reveals the challenges he faced as a boy in a girl’s body, the humiliation and anger he felt after getting kicked out of his private school, and all the changes—both mental and physical—he experienced once his transition began.

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out. Susan Kuklin. (14-17 yrs) Author and photographer Susan Kuklin met and interviewed six transgender or gender-neutral young adults and used her considerable skills to represent them thoughtfully and respectfully before, during, and after their personal acknowledgment of gender preference. Portraits, family photographs, and candid images grace the pages, augmenting the emotional and physical journey each youth has taken. Each honest discussion and disclosure, whether joyful or heartbreaking, is completely different from the other because of family dynamics, living situations, gender, and the transition these teens make in recognition of their true selves.

A Quick and Easy Guide to Queer & Trans Identities. Mady G. and J.R. Zuckerberg. (14-17 yrs) In this quick and easy guide to queer and trans identities, cartoonists Mady G. and J.R. Zuckerberg guide you through the basics of the LGBT+ world! Covering essential topics like sexuality, gender identity, coming out, and navigating relationships, this guide explains the spectrum of human experience through informative comics, interviews, worksheets, and imaginative examples. A great starting point for anyone curious about queer and trans life, and helpful for those already on their own journeys!

A Quick and Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns. Archie Bongiovanni and Tristan Jimerson. (13-17 yrs) Archie, a snarky genderqueer artist, is tired of people not understanding gender neutral pronouns. Tristan, a cisgender dude, is looking for an easy way to introduce gender neutral pronouns to his increasingly diverse workplace. The longtime best friends team up in this short and fun comic guide that explains what pronouns are, why they matter, and how to use them. They also include what to do if you make a mistake, and some tips-and-tricks for those who identify outside of the binary to keep themselves safe in this binary-centric world. A quick and easy resource for people who use they/them pronouns, and people who want to learn more!

The Bold World: A Memoir of Family and Transformation. Jodie Patterson. 2019. Witness an African American mother reshaping her attitudes and beliefs, as well as those of her community, to meet the needs of her transgender son and opening the minds of everyone in her family. An intimate portrait and an exquisite study in identity, courage, and love. 

Nonbinary: Memoirs of Gender and Identity. Micah Rajunov and Scott Duane (Editors) 2019. First-person narratives show us a world where gender exists along a spectrum, a web, a multidimensional space. Nuanced storytellers break away from mainstream portrayals of gender diversity, cutting across lines of age, race, ethnicity, ability, class, religion, family, and relationships. 

Gender: Your Guide: A Gender-Friendly Primer on What to Know, What to Say, and What to Do in the New Gender Culture. Lee Airton. 2019.  From the differences among gender identity, gender expression, and sex, to the use of gender-neutral pronouns like singular they/them, to thinking about your own participation in gender, Gender: Your Guide serves as “a warm, inviting guide to a complicated area” (The Globe and Mail, Toronto). Professor and gender diversity advocate Lee Airton, PhD, explains how gender works in everyday life; how to use accurate terminology to refer to transgender, non-binary, and/or gender non-conforming individuals; and how to ask when you aren’t sure what to do or say. It provides the information you need to talk confidently and compassionately about gender diversity, whether simply having a conversation or going to bat as an advocate.

What We Will Become: A Mother, a Son, and a Journey of Transformation. Mimi Lemay. 2019. A mother’s memoir of her transgender child’s odyssey, and her journey outside the boundaries of the faith and culture that shaped her. A powerful testament to how painful events from the past can be redeemed to give us hope for the future.