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Recommended LGBT-Positive Titles for BC
Schools: a list of recommended books and resources by Glen Hansman,
Vancouver BC School Board Antihomophobia & Diversity Consultant. Addresses
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender issues that schools are encouraged to
have in their collection. All of these are suitable for classroom and
library use to address the prescribed learning outcomes in Personal Planning
K-7, Language Arts, Social Studies, Health & Career Education K-7 and 8-9,
Planning 10 – or any effort to make your school a affirming space for all
students, staff, and families.
http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/VancouverBCSchoolBoardRECOMMENDED-LGBTbooks02006.pdf
(pdf format)
123: A Family Counting Book. Bobbie Combs, Two Lives Publishing (2001) Grades prek. Celebrates alternative families as it teaches kids to count from one to twenty. All of the full color paintings depict families headed by gays and lesbians.
ABC: A Family Alphabet Book. Bobbie Combs, Desiree Keane, Two Lives Publishing (2001) Grades prek. Family fun from A to Z in this alphabet book that shows kids and their parents laughing, playing and enjoying family life. All of the images depict families headed by gays and lesbians.
All Families are Different. Sol Gordon, Ph.D., Prometheus Books (2000). Grades 2 - 5. This book teaches children that there is no "normal" family, that all are different and equally valid. ISBN: 1573927651.
Am I Blue? Coming Out from the Silence, edited by Marion Dane Bauer (Harper) A collection of short stories written by 16 respected young adult authors, this is an essential book to put in the hands of any teenager dealing with his or her own sexuality or having a gay parent or friend. The stories cover the gamut of "takes" on gayness. The title story by Bruce Coville tells of a gay teenage boy who receives a gift from Melvin, his "fairy godfather": For the boy's eyes only, Melvin turns every gay person blue for a day so that the boy can see he's not alone. What the boy discovers is that there are an amazing variety of shades of blue.
Amy Asks a Question: Grandma, What's a Lesbian? Jeanne Arnold, Mother Courage Press (1996). Grades 2-5. A ten-year-old asks her lesbian grandmother a heartwarming question.
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell (Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing) At New York City's Central Park Zoo, two male penguins fall in love and start a family by taking turns sitting on an abandoned egg until it hatches.
Anna Day and the O-ring. Elaine Wickens, Boston: Alyson Wonderland. (1994). Grades prek - 1. A picture book about a young boy's birthday present, a tent that will not stay up unless they find the O-ring. The young boy just happens to have two mommies.
Antonio's Card/La Tarjeta de
Antonio. Rigoberto Gonzalez (Author),
Cecilia Conception Alvarez (Illustrator)
A boy makes a card for his mother and her partner for Mother's Day.
Are You a Girl or a Boy? Karleen Pendleton Jiménez, 2000. ISBN: 1896781144. A sweet book about a gender-different kid. Toronto: Green Dragon Press. Ages 4-8. http://www3.sympatico.ca/equity.greendragonpress/equity.html
Asha's Mums. Rosamund Elwin and Michele Paulse, Women's Press (1990). Grades 2 -4. Asha, her teacher, and her two moms help other students understand their loving family. The main characters are African-American.
Beach Party with Alexis, A. Sarita Johnson-Calvo, Alyson Wonderland. (1993). Grades prek - 2. A coloring book about a family's outing to a beach. A super story with people of color and gay/lesbian parents. , 1993. IS8N: 155583230X. $2.95.
Belinda's Bouquet. Leslea Newman, Alyson Wonderland. (1991) Grades 2 - 6. Understanding human diversity is the basic theme.
Best, Best Colors / Los Mejores Colores. Eric Hoffman, Celeste Henriquez (Illustrator), Eida De La Vega (Translator) Redleaf Press (1999) Grades pre-k - 2. Nate loves all of the wonderful colors he sees in his everyday life. When his Mamma Jean and Mamma Laura ask him his favorite color, he wonders, "How can I choose just one?" Later, Nate learns he likes all the colors best when they're together, and that he can have more than one favorite color and one best friend.
The Boy Who Cried Fabulous by Leslea Newman (Ten Speed Press) A young boy's fascination with everything he sees around him causes him to be late and upsets his parents, until they come to realize his special gift.
Boy's Best Friend, A. Joan Alden, Alyson Publications. (1992). Grades prek - 4. A very unusual dog, LeDogg, shows Will, 7, that being different can be wonderful. Will's two lesbian mothers are very supportive and understanding.
Celebrating Families Rosemarie Hausherr, New York: Scholastic Press (1997) Grades prek - 4. This accessible photo-essay features a broad range of families. Each page shows a color photo of a young child with pictures of his or her family. The text highlights the likes and dislikes of each of the families. The tone is matter-of-fact, and the emphasis on love and commitment cuts across race, ethnicity, class, and gender.
Coping With...Your Sexual Orientation. Deborah A. Miller and Alex Waigandt, Rosen Publishing Group. Grades 5-8. An excellent library book in the 22 book series "Coping With ..." Especially designed for the public school system.
The Daddy Machine. Johnny Valentine, Alyson Publications. (1991) Grades k-4. The story of two sisters who live with two lesbian mothers. One day they fantasize about having a father - they get their wish and more.
Daddy's Roommate. Michael Willhoite, Alyson Publications. (1990) Grades k - 4. A storybook that deals with the divorce and the loving relationship of a young boy's father. A young boy's father and his father's partner take part in activities familiar to all kinds of families: cleaning the house, shopping, playing games, arguing and making up.
Daddy's Wedding. Michael Willhoite, Alyson Publications. (1996). Grades k - 4. A young boy's father and his partner have a commitment ceremony. Very literal storyline.
The Day They Put a Tax on Rainbows. Johnny Valentine, Alyson Publications. (1992). Grades 2 - 6. A collection of short stories.
The Different Dragon. Jennifer Bryan, author and Danamarie Hosler, illustrator. (2006, Two Lives Publishing ) Ages 3-8. This bedtime story about bedtime stories shows how the wonderful curiosity and care of a little boy, along with some help from one of his moms, leads to magical and unexpected places. Join Noah and his cat, Diva, on this nighttime adventure and you too will leave with an unforgettable new dragon friend.
Duke Who Outlawed Jelly Beans and Other Stories, The. Johnny Valentine, Alyson Wonderland. (1991 Grades 2-6. A member of a collection that Alyson Wonderland publishes that incorporates lesbian and gay parents without focusing on l/g issues. Any book in this series is an excellent choice for an elementary school library.
Entertainer, The. Michael Willhoite, Alyson Wonderland. (1992). Grades 1 - 5. A story in pictures shows lesbian parents with a child interested in magic.
Facts about ... Lesbian and Gay Rights. Mark McCauslin, Macmillan Children's Book Group (1992). Grades 5-6.
Families: a celebration of diversity, commitment and love. Aylette Jenness, Houghton Mifflin. (1990) Grades k - 6. Interracial, single-parent, communal, extended and foster families are included along with 2 households with gay/lesbian members. From a photo exhibit prepared for the Boston Children’s Museum. ISBN: 0395470382 (hc); 0395669529 (pbk).
Families: a coloring book. Michael Willhoite, Alyson Pub. (1991) Grades k - 5. A coloring book about families including gay/lesbian families.
Felicia's Favorite Story by Leslea Newman, author, Adriana Romo, illustrator. (2004, Two Lives Publishing ) Ages 2 & up. Felicia's favorite bedtime story is about how she was adopted by her two mothers from Guatemala.
From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun. Jacqueline Woodson, Scholastic, Inc. (1995) Grades 6 - 12. Melanin Sun's mother tells him that she is in love with a white woman. Unable to sort out his feelings about sexuality, racial identity, and love, he shuts Mama out of his life.
Generous Jefferson Bartleby Jones, The. Forman Brown, Alyson Pub. (1991) Grades 1-5. A boy with two dads finds that one of them is always free to have fun with until he loans them out, too generously.
Gloria Goes to Gay Pride. Leslea Newman, Alyson Pub. (1991). Grades k-3. Describes, from the viewpoint of a young girl, just what makes Gay Pride Day a fun, special day for Gloria and her two mothers.
The Harvey Milk Story
by Kari Krakow (Author), David Gardner (Illustrator)
Ages 8 & up.
Two Lives Publishing
Harvey Milk was the first openly gay elected city official in the United
States of America. This book tells about his life and how he stood for
freedom for all people.
Heather Has Two Mommies. (10th Anniversary edition) Leslea Newman and Diana Souza, Alyson Publications (2000). Grades prek - 3. Heather, a preschooler with two moms discovers that some of her friends have very different sorts of families. Their teacher encourages the children to draw pictures of their families, and reassures them that "each family is special" and that "the most important thing about a family is that all the people in it love each other." Revised edition puts more focus on families.
Hello, Sailor by Godon, Ingrid and Andre Sollie Matt lives in a lighthouse. He watches the sea every day... for ships and for his friend, Sailor. Matt is so forlorn that Sailor has gone away that he almost forgets his own birthday. But, his friends say Sailor will never come back, but Matt doesn't give up hope. And, after his birthday party is over, his patience is rewarded, when Sailor finally returns.
Holly's Secret. Nancy Garden, Farrar Strauss & Girroux (2000) Grades 3 - 7. Holly has a plan to create a new self to hide from her schoolmates in her new hometown the fact that she has two mothers who are lesbians. But trying to hide something so big proves to be a daunting task. The novel is infused with humor, but also tackles prejudice and reinforces the old saw: Honesty is the best policy.
Horace and Morris but Mostly Dolores, by James Howe (Atheneum/S&S)
How My Family Came to Be - Daddy, Papa and Me by Andrew R. Aldrich (Author), Mike Motz (Illustrator) Features a young African-American boy who tells the story of how he was adopted by his two gay fathers when his birth mother became too sick to care for him. He describes his life with his parents, his grandmother, his friends, his teacher, and all the other people who love him and make his life special.
How Would You Feel If Your Dad Was Gay? Ann Heron. Grades 2-6. This is the story of Jasmine and Michael, whose fathers are gay, and Noah, who lives with his lesbian mother. With the help of their families and the school, all three children come to terms with their family structure.
Is Your Family Like Mine Lois Abramchik, Open Heart Open Mind (1996) Grades prek - 1. The story is simple and repetitive, time and time again stating that Love is what makes a family. Whether you have a mom and dad, two moms, just a dad and siblings... love is what makes all families the same. Good for children who are just beginning school.
It's Okay to be Different, by Todd Parr (Little, Brown) This is a cool book for primary grades, with bright, fun illustrations and wonderful messages about all kinds of diversity including disabilities, adoption, having two moms or dads and more. Ages 4-8.
King and King by Linda de Haan, Stern Nijland (Ten Speed Press) When the queen insists that the prince get married and take over as king, the search for a suitable mate does not turn out as expected.
Love Makes a Family : Portraits of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Parents and Their Families. Gigi Kaeser (Photographer), Peggy Gillespie, Kath Weston (Introduction), April Martin, Univ. of Massachusetts Press (1999) Grades k - adult. Photo portraits and accompany statements focus on families in which the parents are lesbians, gay men, or transgendered persons. Adding further diversity are biracial couples; parents and children of different races. Good as a resource for children to look at even if they cannot read the text. ISBN 1-55849-160-0 $27.95t paper, ISBN 1-55849-161; http://www.umass.edu/umpress/fall_98/gillespieF98.html; Family Diversity Projects, PO Box 1246 Amherst, MA 01004; Phone: 413-256-0502; Fax: 413-253-3977; Email: info@familydiv.org
Lucy Goes to the Country. Joseph Kennedy and John Canemaker, Alyson Publications (1998). Grades prek - 2. Lucy the cat disrupts a party thrown by her "two Big Guys" - who are gay. Lucy is the main character.
Mama Eat Ant, Yuck! Barbara Lynn Edmonds, Barby's House Books (2000) Grades prek. This book uses simple rhyming text to tell a funny story in the family life of one-year-old Emma, her Mama and Mommy, and her siblings.
Marvin Redpost: Is He a Girl? by Louis Sachar (Random House)
Milly, Molly and Different Dads by Gill Pittar (Author), Cris Morrell (Illustrator) The children of Ms. Blythe's class take turns describing their fathers. Elizabeth has two dads, Harry's dad is in the army, Meg's dad is blind and George has Uncle Stan instead of a dad. Sophie contributes that her dad is deaf. The teacher explains to the class that all dads and families are different.
The Misfits, by James Howe (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster) Set in the seventh grade, this novel is for older elementary as well as middle school and early high school age readers. Among the four misfits of the title is Joe Bunch, who at twelve knows he's gay and figures it's up to the rest of the world to deal. Having always been somewhat outrageous, he's used to being called "faggot" and "fairy." What he isn't used to is his growing desire to have a boyfriend at a time when others around him are beginning to date. With the three other "misfits", Joe forms a political party to end name-calling in his school.
Molly's Family by Garden, Nancy - When Molly draws a picture of her family for her kindergarten class, Tommy jeers at her that no one has two mommies. At first she is angry and hurt, but with the support of her teacher and her loving parents--Mommy (her birth mother) and Mama Lu (her adoptive mother)--she comes to accept her family.
My House by Harding, Brenna and Vicki - 'My House' is about a 5 year old girl and her life at home with her two mums and the family pets. The colorful, funny illustrations will delight young readers.
My Two Uncles. Judith Vigna, Albert Whitman & Company. (1995). Grades 2 - 4. A young girl does not understand why her grandfather doesn't invite her uncle's lover to a party.
No Big Deal, J. McClain, 1997. ISBN: 0140380469. Rumor has it that Janice Green's teacher at her small New York school is gay, and the fourteen-year-old must work through her own values surrounding the issue. Puffin Books. Ages 9-12. $4.99.
Of Many Colors: Portraits of Multiracial Families, G. Kaeser and P. Gillespie ISBN 1-55849-101-5 (pbk), ISBN 1-55849-100-7 (hc). Photos and interviews with twenty diverse American families formed through interracial relationships or transracial adoption, including families with gay and lesbian parents. Family Diversity Projects Inc. $19.95 (Pbk). Also available as a traveling photo exhibit. http://www.familydiv.org/index.php
Oliver Button is a Sissy, by Tomie dePaola (Harcourt) The story of a child who stands up to bullies.
One Dad Two Dads, Brown Dad Blue Dads. Johnny Valentine, Alyson Publishing, Inc. (1994), Grades prek-2. In Dr. Seuss-like rhyme, a girl questions a boy about his two blue-skinned dads. She discovers that in spite of their blueness, they do all the usual things -- work, play, cook, cough -- that other dads do. Good for read aloud or early read.
The Pinky and Rex series, notably Pinky and Rex and the Bully, by James Howe (Atheneum/Aladdin/Simon & Schuster)
The Sissy Duckling, by Harvey Fierstein (Simon and Schuster) A delightful retelling of The Ugly Duckling.
Two Moms, The Zark, and Me. Johnny Valentine, Alyson Wonderland. (1993). Grades k-3. A whimsical story about a young child with two moms, a playful animal, and the narrow-minded McFinks. Scary to young children. Perpetuates stereotypes.
Uncle What-Is-It is Coming to Visit. Michael Willhoite, Alyson Publication. (1993) Grades 2 - 5. Two young kids misunderstand about their uncle being gay. Explains that gay men are just guys who fall in love with each other instead of with women. It may introduce stereotypes of gay men that children have not yet heard.
Unfinished Dreams, by Jane Breskin Zalben (Simon & Schuster) - Jason Glass, a sixth-grader, deals with his feelings of being different because of his musical talent, while contending with the revelation that his school principal and mentor, Mr. Carr, has AIDS. As some in the community turn against the much-loved principal, Jason finds his own strength - and learns to hold on to unfinished dreams. A beautifully written book appropriate to younger readers as well as older teens. (The publisher has it aged 10 and up.)
The Van Gogh Cafe by Rylant, Cynthia - Rylant offers seven vignettes of life at the Van Gogh Cafe (formerly an old movie theater), situated off I-70 in Flowers, Kansas, an run by Marc and his 10-year-old daughter, Clara, who appreciate the magic that comes from the cafe's very walls. In one vignette, an aged film star and the man he loved many years ago are reunited in death at the cafe.
We All Sing With the Same Voice. J. Philip Miller, Sheppard M. Greene, Paul Meisel (Illustrator) HarperCollins Juvenile Books (2000) Grades prek - 2. In a classic Sesame Street song children differentiated by race, nationality, gender or geography join hands and sing: "We all sing with the same voice ..." Can open up discussion of families with its lyrics and illustrations (" I've got one daddy. / I've got two"). A CD recording from 1982 is included.
What Happened to Mr. Forster?. Gary Bargar, Clairon/Houghton Mifflin. (1981) Grades, 4 - 7. A gay teacher helps a 6th grade student gain self-esteem.
When Grown-ups Fall in Love. Barbara Lynn Edmonds, Barby's House Books (2000) Grades prek - 5. Love makes a family in many different patterns. This book is a sweet poem which shows families with mom and dad, two moms, and two dads.
Who's in a Family? Robert Skutch, Tricycle Press (1995). Grades prek-2. A picture book of different families and a place to put your own pictures. Mentions a Dad and his partner, but not 2 Dads.
William's Doll, by Charlotte Zolotow (Harper)
Zack's Story: Growing up with Same Sex Parents. Keith Elliot Greenberg, Carol Halebian (Photographer) Lerner Publications Company (1996) Grades 3 - 6. . Eleven-year-old Zack talks about his life with his lesbian mothers in a photo-essay that is part of the Meeting the Challenge series.