Promote Respect
Broaden understanding of LGBTQ history and lived experiences with titles that provide diverse perspectives and help students understand and value cultural knowledge and differences.
Elementary
Ho’onani: Hula Warrior
by Heather Gale
illustrated by Mika Song
Ho’onani, who doesn’t see herself as wahine (girl) or kāne (boy), is happy to be in the middle and eager to lead a school performance of a traditional kāne hula chant even though she knows that some may get upset that a wahine is leading.
THEMES: Courage, Culture, Identity, LGBTQ
Middle Grade
A High Five for Glenn Burke
by Phil Bildner
For Silas, his presentation on the the first professional baseball player to come out as gay is more than another school report—it’s his first step toward telling his family, friends, and teammates about who he is.
THEMES: Courage, Family, Friendship, Identity
Young Adult
The Music of What Happens
by Bill Konigsberg
When 17-year-old Max signs on to help fellow high school student Jordan run the food truck that may save Jordan and his mom from homelessnes, the boys find themselves strongly attracted to each other — but their romance is threatened by the secrets they are hiding.
THEMES: Courage, Culture, Family, Friendship, Identity, LGBTQ, Trauma
