Our Favorite Queer Children’s Books

[duckprintspress]

The first week of February is Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week! We pulled out nine of our favorite queer children’s books and middle grade books for the occasion. You can find more queer children’s and middle grade books on our Goodreads bookshelf and pagebound.co list! The contributors to the list are: Tryan A Bex, Nina Waters, E. C., and Puck.

---

M is for Mustache by Catherine Hernandez & Marisa Firebaugh

It’s Pride Day, and this big loving chosen family is ready to celebrate! See what they do to make their Pride Day special and so much fun–one letter at a time!

---

The Zero Dads Club by Aubrey Williams, Angel Adeyoha

It’s Father’s Day craft time in Akilah and Kai’s class, but they don’t have dads! So, they hatch a plan to create a special club. It’s for all the kids in their grade who don’t have a dad, but want to celebrate other family members instead. See what they make in The Zero Dads Club!

---

Is That For a Boy or a Girl? by S. Bear Bergman & Rachel Dougherty

Meet some awesome kids who have gotten pretty tired of being told that certain things are for girls and others just for boys. See how they mix and match everything they like to get what suits them best!

---

The Backstagers by James Tynion IV, Rian Sygh & Walter Baiamonte

All the world’s a stage . . . but what happens behind the curtain is pure magic—literally!

When Jory transfers to an all-boys private high school, he’s taken in by the only ones who don’t treat him like a new kid, the lowly stage crew known as the Backstagers. Not only does he gain great, lifetime friends, Jory is also introduced to an entire magical world that lives beyond the curtain. With the unpredictable twists and turns of the underground world, the Backstagers venture into the unknown, determined to put together the best play their high school has ever seen.

---

The Witch Boy by Lee Knox Ostertag

In thirteen-year-old Aster’s family, all the girls are raised to be witches, while boys grow up to be shapeshifters. Anyone who dares cross those lines is exiled. Unfortunately for Aster, he still hasn’t shifted . . . and he’s still fascinated by witchery, no matter how forbidden it might be.

When a mysterious danger threatens the other boys, Aster knows he can help — as a witch. It will take the encouragement of a new friend, the non-magical and non-conforming Charlie, to convince Aster to try practicing his skills. And it will require even more courage to save his family . . . and be truly himself.

---

The Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill

Anya is finally a Moth Keeper, the protector of the lunar moths that allow the Night-Lily flower to bloom once a year. Her village needs the flower to continue thriving and Anya is excited to prove her worth and show her thanks to her friends with her actions, but what happens when being a Moth Keeper isn’t exactly what Anya thought it would be?

The nights are cold in the desert and the lunar moths live far from the village. Anya finds herself isolated and lonely. Despite Anya’s dedication, she wonders what it would be like to live in the sun. Her thoughts turn into an obsession, and when Anya takes a chance to stay up during the day to feel the sun’s warmth, her village and the lunar moths are left to deal with the consequences.

---

Introducing Teddy: A Gentle Story about Gender and Friendship by Jessica Walton & Dougal MacPherson

Errol and his teddy, Thomas, are best friends who do everything together. Whether it’s riding a bike, playing in the tree house, having a tea party, or all of the above, every day holds something fun to do.

One sunny day, Errol finds that Thomas is sad, even when they are playing in their favorite ways. Errol can’t figure out why, until Thomas finally tells Errol what the teddy has been afraid to say: In my heart, I’ve always known that I’m a girl teddy, not a boy teddy. I wish my name was Tilly, not Thomas. And Errol says, I don’t care if you’re a girl teddy or a boy teddy What matters is that you are my friend.

---

Lumberjanes by ND Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters & Brooklyn Allen

Five best friends spending the summer at Lumberjane scout camp…defeating yetis, three-eyed wolves, and giant falcons…what’s not to love?

---

A Princess of Great Daring by Tobi Hill-Meyer & Elenore Toczynski

When Jamie is ready to tell people that she’s really a girl inside, she becomes a princess of great daring in a game she plays with her best friends to gather her courage. She’s pleased (but not surprised) that her questing friends turn out to be just as loyal and true as any princess could want.

---

See a book you just gotta have? You can browse these and other queer children’s books on our Bookshop.org list!

Join our Book Lover’s Discord server to chat books, fandom, and more!