The assortment of recent books surveyed below examines both historical milestones and current research that have illuminated our understanding, with explorations in two opposite (or maybe not so opposite) directions: toward the universe’s smallest and most fundamental components and forces, and outward to the stars and beyond. Along with picture books that will have very young audiences thinking beyond the playpen, selected fiction and poetry are tucked into this list to demonstrate less typical but no less valid ways of introducing scientific wonders and concepts. Several of the titles also serve todispel the notion that science is for nerds; the sometimes provocative biographies of nuclear physicists Ernest Rutherford and Richard Feynman, for instance, profile men whose personalities were every bit as big and powerful as their brains.

Writing about humor is a good way to suck all the fun out of it, so please—feel free to skip straight to the booklist. Or as Platte F. Clarke advises in Bad Unicorn, “I recommend you close the book now and run away—preferably with screaming and arm flailing.” It’s got to be better than having to read about how literary devices like hyperbole (e.g., “screaming and arm flailing”) are examples of figurative language (Common Core State Standard 5.4) that can add to the complexity of a text (CCSS RL 10). Just don’t tell the kids.

We love giving funny books to children because we want them to enjoy reading. When they come back clamoring for more Pseudonymous Bosch, you may smile a satisfied smile. But you—and your old pal the Stinky Cheese Man—may be accomplishing more than you realize. Numerous academic studies conducted over the past decade indicate that there are more advantages to reading humorous literature than pure pleasure. Experiments have shown that the brain’s response to the unexpected—say, the purple dragon in Chloe and the Lion, or the polar bear sidekick in Timmy Failure—is to seek order. College students made to read Kafka performed twice as well on pattern recognition tests as their peers. Broken rules compel our brains to look for functioning ones.

Seems like Dr. Seuss was on to something when he said, “I like nonsense. It wakes up the brain cells.” If only he’d been grant-funded, he could have said that in an 80-page thesis instead of a nine-word off-the-cuff remark! Set their brains dancing with these recent funny books.

Picture Books with a Kick

AHLBERG, Allan. The Goldilocks Variations. illus. by Jessica Ahlberg. Candlewick. 2012. RTE $17.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6268-4.
PreS-Gr 3–The three bears are just the appetizer in this charmingly illustrated pop-up banquet. Goldilocks encounters a family of aliens, talking furniture, and “a grumpy-looking ‘grandma’ in a bed, six or seven other beds, and somebody or something banging away like billy-o at the back door.” By altering individual elements, Ahlberg reinforces the central idea.

BARNETT, Mac. Chloe and the Lion. illus. by Adam Rex. Hyperion/Disney. 2012. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-1334-8.
Gr 1-5–All Chloe wants is a ride on the merry-go-round, but her story is hijacked by a couple of unlikely characters. In a dispute about who’s in charge, the illustrator draws the writer into a gorilla suit, and the writer writes the illustrator into the lion’s belly. Use this book to teach point of view and the collaborative process.

EATON, Maxwell. The Flying Beaver Brothers and the Fishy Business. illus. by author. (The Flying Beaver Brothers Series). Knopf. 2012. RTE $12.99. ISBN 978-0-375-96448-0; pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-375-86448-3.
Gr 1-5–A volcano has appeared overnight on Beaver Island. Oh no, it’s really a smokestack for a fish-stick factory run by duplicitous mackerel! This graphic novel is the second entry in a series that features simple cartoon art and razor-sharp comic timing, with an eco-friendly message.

HODGKINSON, Leigh. Goldilocks and Just One Bear. illus. by author. Candlewick/Nosy Crow. 2012. RTE $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6172-4.
K-Gr 3–A bear lost in the city tries out the porridge and the chairs in an empty apartment. When the owner turns out to be an all-grown-up Goldilocks, the two stories, old and new, come together in a comic fanfare. Retro-modern ink and watercolor art adds fun details.

KLASSEN, Jon. This Is Not My Hat. illus. by author. Candlewick. 2012. RTE $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5599-0.
K-Gr 3–The narrative tension between text and art is as crystalline as the water at the bottom of the sea is murky in this tale of underwater mischief. The little fish in the stolen hat is absolutely sure he is going to get away with his crime, but attentive children will holler, “Look behind you!”

SCHWARTZ, Corey Rosen. The Three Ninja Pigs. illus. by Dan Santat. Putnam. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25514-4.
K-Gr 3–These porcine powerhouses are ready to rumble! With their arsenal of martial-arts skills, the Big Bad Wolf doesn’t stand a chance. Except–whoops! Pigs One and Two skipped a few lessons. Rhyming text and dynamic illustrations are a delight, and the glossary of Japanese words invites culture study tie-ins.

WILLEMS, Mo. Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs. illus. by author. HarperCollins. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-210418-2.
K-Gr 3–In this signature retelling, Mama Dinosaur rubs her hands together while saying, “I SURE HOPE NO INNOCENT LITTLE SUCCULENT CHILD HAPPENS BY OUR UNLOCKED HOME WHILE WE ARE… uhhh… SOMEPLACE ELSE!” Children will automatically supply the classic version for comparison.

Funny Transitional Titles

ABBOTT, Tony. The Mysterious Talent Show Mystery. illus. by Colleen Madden. Bk. 4. (Goofballs Series). Egmont USA. 2013. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-167-9; pap. $4.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-400-7.
Gr 2-4–Readers decipher clues while puns ricochet around the room as two young sleuths investigate strange happenings. Wordplay contributes complexity, while snappy dialogue-driven text keeps those pages turning. This series features short chapters and comic black-and-white drawings.

ADDERSON, Caroline. Jasper John Dooley: Left Behind. illus. by Ben Clanton. Bk. 2. (Jasper John Dooley Series). Kids Can. 2013. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-1-55453-579-8.
Gr 1-3–Jasper, introduced in Star of the Week (2012), feels a little puncture when his Nan leaves for vacation. And when he accidentally staples his snake story to his stomach, that deflated feeling just gets worse. Jasper’s grownups indulge him a bit, but not too much, in this sweet book about managing feelings.

COX, Judy. The Secret Chicken Society. illus. by Amanda Haley. Holiday House. 2012. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-0-823-42372-9; pap. $5.99. ISBN 978-0-823-42765-9.
Gr 2-4–Few animals are as funny as a chicken, but that’s only one of the things Daniel discovers when he adopts five fuzzy chicks. Summery slapstick with a healthy dose of fun facts.

MONTIJO, Rhode. Gum Girl! Chews Your Destiny. illus. by author. Hyperion/Disney. July 2013. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-1-423-15740-3.
K-Gr 2–A freak combination of bubble gum and high voltage turns gum-loving Gabby into a sticky, stretchy superhero. A few Spanish words and puns keep the text popping, and artwork in bold geometric shapes gives the book a Powerpuff Girls-meet-Dora energy.

O’RYAN, Ray. Hello, Nebulon! illus. by Jack Colin. Bk. 1. (Galaxy Zack Series). S & S/Little Simon. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-5387-6; pap. $4.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-5386-9; ebook $4.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-5388-3.
Gr 1-3–Zack is worried about moving to Nebulon–what if his new teacher has two heads? What if the pizza comes with bugs instead of pepperoni? Cartoony space-age illustrations depict Zack making a new friend, riding a hoverbike, and exploring his jazzy new house. First in a forthcoming series.

Middle-Grade Malarkey

AGUIRRE, Jorge. Giants Beware! illus. by Rafael Rosado. First Second. 2012. pap. $14.99. ISBN 978-1-596-43582-7.
Gr 2-6–Rambunctious Claudette, the daughter of the town blacksmith, sets off to kill the local giant with her best friend and brother in tow. Action and friendship, drawn in a clear, cheerful style, make this graphic novel a great choice for “Bone” (Scholastic) fans.

BEATY, Andrea. Dorko the Magnificent. Abrams/Amulet. 2013. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-4197-0638-7.
Gr 3-5–Botched magic tricks and an old lady with a specialty in Extreme Crankiness provide slapstick humor as young Robbie practices for his school’s talent show. Readers will root for Robbie, who works hard and remains optimistic despite setbacks.

BOYCE, Frank Cottrell. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again. illus. by Joe Berger. Candlewick. 2012. RTE $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5957-8; pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6353-7.
Gr 3-6–To keep Dad busy after he’s been laid off, Mum gets him an old camper van to fix. But when the family visits the junkyard looking for parts, they strike flying, floating automotive gold. An inventive and picturesque family story, as full of heart and humor as the original.

CARMAN, Patrick. Floors. Bk. 1. (Floors Series). Scholastic. 2011. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-25519-6; pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-545-46092-7.
Gr 4-6–Odd ducks of both the web-footed and human variety alternately help and hinder junior handyman Leo and his pal Remi as Leo attempts to discover the whereabouts of the Whippet Hotel’s owner before it’s too late. Fans of Pseudonymous Bosch will love this book and its sequel, 3 Below (2012). Audio version is available from Audible and Playaway.

CLARKE, Platte F. Bad Unicorn. S & S/Aladdin. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-5012-7; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-5014-1.
Gr 4-8–A familiar premise–underdog kid is the only one who can save the world–is put through a satirical shredder. What comes out is action and suspense with a hilarious Monty Pythonesque edge. Multiple points of view keep the plot humming.

GILMAN, Charles. Professor Gargoyle. Bk. 1. (Tales from Lovecraft Middle School Series). Quirk. 2012. Tr $13.99. ISBN 978-1-59474-591-1; pap. $13.99. ISBN 978-1-59474-592-8.
Gr 4-7–In this series kickoff, Robert is a nice kid just trying to navigate the pitfalls of a new school. It doesn’t take him long to realize, however, that the pitfalls of Lovecraft Middle School may involve actual pits. A wide variety of lusciously phantasmagorical vocabulary (“mesmerized,” “fetid,” “ventriloquist”) festoons the readable, peppy text. Audio version available from Listening Library.

MASS, Wendy. Pi in the Sky. Little, Brown. June 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-316-08916-6; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-316-23501-3.
Gr 5-8–Joss is bored with his simple job of delivering pies for the Supreme Overlord of the Universe (his dad). Soon, however, something goes badly wrong, and it is Joss’s responsibility to rebuild Earth. Entertaining, unexpected, and irreverent, and yet packed with information about elemental physics and the contents of the universe.

PASTIS, Stephan. Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made. Bk. 1. illus. by author. (Timmy Failure Series). Candlewick. 2013. RTE $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6358-2.
Gr 4-6–A self-proclaimed private detective with a magnificent lack of insight, Timmy and his polar bear sidekick “solve” “mysteries” in super-short, heavily illustrated chapters. This is the kind of pattern-violating humor that makes readers’ brains beg for mercy.

REX, Adam. Cold Cereal. (The Cold Cereal Saga). HarperCollins. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-206002-0; pap. $7.99. ISBN 978-0-06-206003-7; ebook $7.99. ISBN 978-0-06-206004-4.
Gr 5-8–Scott thinks he’s a little weird–until he meets Erno and Emily, their friend Biggs, who is very big indeed, and a leprechaun named Mick. This odd team must thwart the evil cereal company that is trying to take over the world. The equally excellent sequel is Unlucky Charms (2013). Audio version available from Listening Library.

SPRATT, R. A. The Adventures of Nanny Piggins. Bk. 1. illus. by Dan Santat. (Nanny Piggins Series). Little, Brown. 2010. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-316-06819-2; pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-316-06818-5; ebook $2.99. ISBN 978-0-316-23098-8.
Gr 1-6–Parents who hire Nanny Piggins should be aware that she loves trashy novels and cake, and her idea of fun is to drop things off the roof and watch them crash. Kids who like subversive humor will adore her. Nanny Piggins and the Wicked Plan (2013) is a sequel, with more to come.

Older Kids Love Laughs, Too

BEAUDOIN, Sean. The Infects. Candlewick. 2012. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5947-9; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6211-0.
Gr 9 Up–Nero’s bad week suddenly gets much worse when people start acting like zombies: lurching, drooling, and lusting after human flesh. It’s ruthlessly fast paced, loaded with pop-culture references, and splattered with gore, and the dialogue raises sarcasm–and profanity–to an art form. Audio version available from Brilliance Audio.

BENWAY, Robin. Also Known As. Walker. 2013. Tr. $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8027-3390-0; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8027-3391-7.
Gr 7 Up–Maggie is the new girl at a fancy New York City prep school, fresh off a safecracking gig in Iceland. Her current assignment is to infiltrate the family of a magazine publisher. There’s romance, swanky settings, and a brassy sidekick named Roux. Especially for fans of Meg Cabot’s “Airhead” series (Scholastic). Audio version available from Brilliance Audio.

EULBERG, Elizabeth. Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality. Scholastic. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-47699-7; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-52078-2.
Gr 7 Up–Lexi keeps a low profile while her seven-year-old sister, Mac, is a pageant queen. But one day, on a dare, she swaps her baggy jeans for skinny ones, curls her hair, and throws on a little makeup. Witty narration and fun dialogue are combined with intelligent thoughts about appearance and self-worth.

HERBACH, Geoff. I’m with Stupid. 2013. ISBN 978-1-4022-7791-7.
–––– . Nothing Special. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4022-6507-5; ISBN 978-1-4022-6508-2.
–––– . Stupid Fast. 2011. ISBN 978-1-4022-563-0; ISBN 978-1-4022-5631-8.ea vol: Sourcebooks/Fire. pap. $9.99. ebook $9.99.
Gr 7 Up–In this series, Felton Reinstein must come to grips with heartbreak, dysfunction, hope, and his own unexpected transformation from nebbish to gifted athlete. As in Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (Little, Brown, 2007), Felton’s family problems and personal anxieties are deeply felt but leavened considerably by his wry, self-deprecating narration. Audio version for Stupid Fast available from Recorded Books.

STRAND, Jeff. A Bad Day for Voodoo. Sourcebooks/Fire. 2012. pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-1-4022-6680-5; ebook $8.99. ISBN 978-1-4022-6682-9.
Gr 7 Up–“My mom came home around six and asked me how my day went. I told her, leaving out the voodoo but leaving in Mr. Click’s leg and death.” By page 10, average Florida teen Tyler has inadvertently killed his history teacher, and then things really get weird. A laugh in every paragraph.

Nonfiction

COY, John. Hoop Genius: How a Desperate Teacher and a Rowdy Gym Class Invented Basketball. illus. by Joe Morse. Carolrhoda. 2013. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-6617-1; ebook $12.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-8723-7.
Gr 1-4–Calisthenics were boring, football and soccer, too rough. James Naismith therefore invented a game that relied on speed, accuracy, and no tackling. Muscular paintings in a muted but vibrant palette suit the historical subject without looking musty, while action panels feature a riot of elongated limbs.

GRIFFITHS, Andy. What Body Part Is That?: A Wacky Guide to the Funniest, Weirdest, and Most Disgustingest Parts of Your Body. illus. by Terry Denton. Feiwel & Friends. 2012. Tr $12.99. ISBN 978-0-312-36790-9; ebbok $9.99. ISBN 978-1-466-82759-2.
Gr 3-7–Research has shown “bizarre elaboration” to have a significant positive effect on retention, especially of vocabulary. “Other easier-to-pronounce names for the esophagus are food funnel, nutrient hose, provisions pipe, chow spout, hamburger highway, taco tunnel, and sausage chute.” Readers will remember lots of anatomy and physiology facts once they’ve ingested this profusely illustrated, super-goofy fun fest.

HALE, Nathan. One Dead Spy: The Life, Times, and Last Words of Nathan Hale, America’s Most Famous Spy. ISBN 978-1-419-70396-6. ISBN 978-1-613-12372-0.
–––– . Big Bad Ironclad! A Civil War Steamship Showdown. ISBN 978-1-419-70395-9; ISBN 978-1-613-12371-3.ea vol: illus. by author. 2012. Abrams/Amulet. (Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales Series). Tr $12.95. ebook $12.95.

Gr 3-8–One Dead Spy begins as Nathan Hale is about to be hanged. He was not a very good spy. But in the hands of Nathan Hale, the present-day graphic novelist, he makes an excellent narrator. American history is hilarious in these lively, rigorously researched, visually engaging stories.

LEVINE, Gail Carson. Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems. illus. by Matthew Cordell. HarperCollins. 2012. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-06-178725-6.
Gr 4-6–These spare, sly poems use inference to tell tall tales of deceit and betrayal among family members, friends, and fairy-tale characters. “I have shortened my nose with your saw/because honestly telling lies is so much fun./Forgive me I don’t care about becoming a real boy.”

LEWIS, J. Patrick. Edgar Allan Poe’s Pie: Math Puzzlers in Classic Poems. illus. by Michael Slack. Houghton Harcourt. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-51338-6.
Gr 4-6–Famous poems are adapted into math problems involving boxer shorts, pizza, termites, and more. I think that I shall never solve/A poem that makes my brain evolve/Word problems are made by fools like me/But only Patrick Lewis can make poems like these. Silly, colorful art adds appeal.

LONG, Ethan. The Wing Wing Brothers Math Spectacular! 2013. ISBN 978-0-8234-2604-1.
–––– . Up! Tall! and High! 2012. ISBN 978-0-8234-2320-0.ea vol: illus. by author. Holiday House. RTE $15.95.

PreK-Gr 1–What can you learn from a bird? The Wing Wing Brothers juggle pies and spin plates to demonstrate greater than, less than, and equal to along with addition and subtraction. And the birds of Up! fly, fall, and mount stilts to explain how up, tall, and high are similar but not identical. Cartoony art adds a friendly wink.

Paula Willey reviews children’s and teen books online at Pink Me

The right resources can save lives. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and/or questioning teens are disproportionately at risk for being bullied, becoming homeless, and attempting suicide. Despite an increased representation of LGBTQ teens in the media (especially white, middle-class gay male teens), LGBTQ teens often feel isolated, confused, and without support.

The books and websites recommended here provide a first step toward supporting LGBTQ teens. This list represents a diversity of stories, from Malinda Lo’s lush fantasy Ash to Street Dreams, Tama Wise’s tale of community and coming out among Maori street artists in New Zealand, to Cris Beam’s I Am J, about a mixed-race working-class teen coming to accept himself as transgender.

If you have ever worried about how parents or library administrators would respond to LGBTQ materials in your collection, you know that no resource on this list is without controversy. Telling young adults that it’s okay to be who they are—even if who they are is queer or transgender—is still a radical act. And, it is an act that we as librarians must be prepared to defend. Some resources go into detail about sex, some do not. Some graphically address hardship and violence, some do not. All have a place in the hands of teens who need them. All have the potential to make the LGBTQ teens in your community feel safer, healthier, and less alone.

Middle School Fiction

DAVIS, Tanita S. Happy Families. Knopf. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-86966-2; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-96966-9; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-98457-0.
Gr 7 Up—Sixteen-year-old twins Ysabel and Justin are shocked and distressed to learn that the person they knew as their father has begun living as a woman, Christine. A year after the revelation and Christine’s subsequent move out of the house, the twins spend a spring break with her, struggling with the ways their family has changed.

HOWE, James. Totally Joe. S & S/Atheneum. 2005. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-689-83957-3; pap. $5.99. ISBN 978-0-689-83958-0; ebook $5.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-4943-5.
Gr 5-8—Twelve-year-old Joe, first introduced in The Misfits (2001), has known he is gay from a young age. Funny and excitable, he tells his from-the-heart story in an “alphabiography” with entries from “A” (his friend Addie) to “Z” (his new friend and maybe more, Zachary).

LEVITHAN, David. Boy Meets Boy. Knopf. 2003. pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-0-375-83299-4; ebook $8.99. ISBN 978-0-307-48244-0.
Gr 8 Up—In Paul’s town, “There isn’t really a gay scene or a straight scene….They got all mixed up a while back, which [Paul thinks] is for the best.” On a Saturday night bookstore trip with friends, Paul meets the dreamy Noah, and so begins a sweet, gentle, and groundbreaking YA romantic comedy. Audio version available from Full Cast Audio.

LO, Malinda. Ash. Little, Brown, 2009. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-316-04009-9; pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-0-316-04010-5; ebook $7.99. ISBN 978-0-316-07133-8.
Gr 8 Up—In a lush retelling of “Cinderella,” Aisling, better known as Ash, loses her mother and endures the cruelty and neglect of a stepmother and two stepsisters. Aided by a slightly sinister fairy, she finds an unexpected love—the king’s Huntress.

TAKAKO, Shimura. Wandering Son: Volume 1. tr. from Japanese by Matt Thorn. Fantagraphics. 2011. Tr $19.99. ISBN 978-1-60699-416-0.
Gr 7 Up—Two transgender tweens—Shuichi, who wants to be a girl, and Yoshino, who wants to be a boy—become close in this gentle, realistic, and affirming manga. Even readers unfamiliar with manga or Japanese culture will recognize Shuichi’s desire to be seen as a girl as well as the pressure to stay in short hair and boys’ clothes.

WITTLINGER, Ellen. Parrotfish. S & S. 2007. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-1622-2; pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-0621-6; ebook $8.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-6681-4.
Gr 7 Up—In one of the first YA novels with a transgender teen protagonist, high school junior Grady, formerly known as Angela, announces to friends, family, and school that he is a boy. Grady’s transition garners push back from teachers and bullies, but he also finds unexpected friends and allies. Optimistic if sometimes oversimplified. Audio version available from Audible.

WOODSON, Jacqueline. From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun. Putnam. 2010. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25280-8; pap. $7.99. ISBN 978-0-142-41641-9; ebook $7.99. ISBN 978-1-101-15246-1.
Gr 7-11—Quiet, contemplative Melanin is initially furious when his mother reveals that she is involved with not only a woman, but a white woman. This short but affecting first-person narrative chronicles Melanin’s newly strained relationship with his mother and how the young teen makes sense of the life he now lives.

WRIGHT, Bil. Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy. S & S. 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-3996-2; pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-4004-3; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-2398-5.
Gr 7-10—The titular fat boy is 16-year-old New Yorker Carlos Duarte, a proud makeup artist with flamboyance and ambition. Carlos, who narrates in an excitable if sometimes overconfident voice, is elated with his job at the Macy’s makeup counter. Then a clash with his boss and problems at home threaten to get in the way of Carlos’s dreams.

High School Fiction

BEAM, Cris. I Am J. Little, Brown. 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-316-05361-7; pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-0-316-05360-0; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-316-12232-0.
Gr 9 Up—Puerto Rican, Jewish, and transgender, 17-year-old J leaves his family’s New York City apartment. In his journey through seedy motels, support groups, and an LGBT high school, he finds supportive new friends while struggling to maintain relationships with his self-focused former best friend, Melissa, and with the parents who refuse to accept him as a boy.

BREZENOFF, Steve. Brooklyn Burning. Lerner/Carolrhoda Lab. 2011. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-7526-5; ebook $12.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-7945-4.
Gr 9 Up—Set in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn, this story is as much a celebration of music, the setting, and chosen family as a chronicle of teens in the margins. Over two summers, Scout and Kid—whose genders are, refreshingly, never specified—navigate homelessness, parental rejection, and their feelings for each other.

CART, Michael, ed. How Beautiful the Ordinary: Twelve Stories of Identity. HarperTeen/Bowen Press. 2009. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-115498-0; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-194965-4.
Gr 9 Up—Contributors to this lyrical short-story anthology about LGBTQ young people include Jacqueline Woodson, Francesca Lia Block, David Levithan, and more. A few stories appear in comic format, though most are verse and prose, and the authors address sexuality and gender identity within a diverse array of settings and time periods.

DANFORTH, Emily M. The Miseducation of Cameron Post. HarperCollins/Balzer & Bray. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-202056-7; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-210196-9.
Gr 10 Up—Cameron Post’s parents die in a car crash the same day that Cam kisses her best friend, Irene, for the first time. This epic debut for sophisticated readers spans Cameron’s teenage years and explores themes of family, friendship, and survival for a young queer person in a small, rural Montana town.

DOLE, Mayra Lazara. Down to the Bone. HarperCollins. 2008. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-084310-6; PLB $17.89. ISBN 978-0-06-084311-3. o.p.
Gr 9 Up—After being outed at her Miami Catholic school, Cuban-American Laura tries to find a way out of the rejection she receives from family, school, and even her girlfriend. The teen’s highly emotive narrative voice makes the story particularly engaging.

FREYMANN-WEYR, Garret. My Heartbeat. Houghton Harcourt. 2002. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-618-14181-4; pap. $7.99. ISBN 978-0-547-72205-4; ebook $15. ISBN 978-0-547-52858-8.
Gr 8 Up—In a quiet, sophisticated character study, 14-year-old Ellen comes to understand that the relationship between her beloved older brother Link and his best friend, James, is both complicated and fraught with silence. When Ellen starts asking questions, everything among the three changes.

GEORGE, Madeleine. The Difference Between You and Me. Viking. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-670-01128-5; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-1-101-56701-2.
Gr 9 Up—Out-and-proud weirdo Jesse and straitlaced student-council vice president Emily have nothing in common but their weekly secret kissing sessions. When Jesse starts fighting a proposed big box store and Emily gets corporate sponsorship from it for a school dance, the differences between the two come into sharp, often comical relief.

GOODE, Laura. Sister Mischief. Candlewick. 2011. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-4640-0; ebook $16.99; ISBN 978-0-7636-5464-1.
Gr 9 Up—A love for hip-hop unites a racially and religiously diverse group of girls, some queer, some straight, in a conservative Minnesota town. Sex, drug use, sexism, homophobia, and a first girl-girl relationship are treated thoughtfully, and Esme—aka MC Ferocious—carries the story with cool, kinetic narration.

GREEN, John & David Levithan. Will Grayson, Will Grayson. Dutton. 2010. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-525-42158-0; pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-0-1424-1847-5; ebook $8.99. ISBN 978-1-101-22299-7.
Gr 9 Up—Two boys with the same name, one gay, one straight, meet on a glum night in Chicago. The tie that binds them is campy, big-hearted, larger-than-life Tiny Cooper, a friend of one Will Grayson who becomes romantically involved with the other, all the while producing the Best! Musical! Ever!

MAC, Carrie. Crush. (Orca Soundings Series). Orca. 2006. pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-1-551-43526-8.
Gr 8 Up—This short, accessible novel brings LGBTQ themes to teens reading below grade level. Spending a summer in New York while her commune-dwelling parents celebrate their anniversary in Thailand, 17-year-old Hope is surprised to discover that she has feelings for Nat, the female owner of a bike shop.

PETERS, Julie Anne. Pretend You Love Me. Little, Brown. 2007. pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-0-316-12741-7; ebook $8.99. ISBN 978-0-316-20564-1.
Gr 9 Up—Isolated from her family after her father’s suicide and her mother’s subsequent silence, teenage butch Mike falls head over heels for Xanadu, a rare new girl in her working-class Kansas town. Xanadu is straight, and Mike’s longing and heartbreak are palpable as Xanadu toys with her emotions.

SANCHEZ, Alex. Rainbow Boys. S & S. 2001. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-689-85770-6; ebook $8.99. ISBN 978-1-439-11534-3.
Gr 9 Up—This first entry in Sanchez’s classic, accessible, high-drama trilogy about Jason, Nelson, and Kyle introduces three very different teenage boys who end up in the same LGBTQ support group. In the hopeful romance plot, the teens struggle with sexuality, gender-related bullying, family rejection, HIV, and more.

ST. JAMES, James. Freak Show. Dutton. 2007. Tr $18.99. ISBN 978-0-525-47799-0; pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-0-1424-1231-2; ebook $8.99. ISBN 978-1-4406-5155-7.
Gr 9 Up—Narrated with bubbling enthusiasm and frequent BURSTS OF ALL CAPS, this is the story of teenage drag queen Billy Bloom. Exuberant, glamorous, and bitingly funny, he is horrified to discover that the teens in his new Florida town are hateful, tragically boring, and violently homophobic…but that’s not going to stop him from being witty, strong, and fabulous.

TAMAKI, Mariko. Skim. illus. by Jillian Tamaki. Groundwood. 2008. Tr $18.95. ISBN 978-0-88899-753-1; pap. $12.95. ISBN 978-0-88899-964-1.
Gr 9 Up—In a nuanced and skillfully drawn graphic novel, a queer, mixed-race Wiccan teen develops a new friendship and a fantasy romance as her school reels from a fellow student’s suicide. Set in Toronto in the 1990s, Skim uses expressive, darkly humorous narration and black-and-white line drawings to explore themes of friendship, queer desire, and being an outsider.

WISE, Tama. Street Dreams. Bold Strokes. 2012. pap. $13.95. ISBN 978-1-602-82650-2.
Gr 9 Up—Tyson, a hip-hop-loving Maori teen living in New Zealand, slowly comes out as gay. At the same time, he becomes part of a crew of street artists who provide far more community and support than Auckland’s white-dominated gay scene. Heartfelt, thought-provoking, and hopeful.

YEE, Paul, Money Boy. Groundwood. 2011. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-55498-094-9; ebook $12.95. ISBN 978-1-55498-093-2.
Gr 10 Up—To the disappointment of his former military father, Chinese immigrant Ray Liu struggles in school and spends time playing online video games. When his father discovers that his son has been visiting gay websites, he kicks Ray out of their Toronto home and the teen learns harsh and harrowing lessons about life on the street.

Nonfiction

BORNSTEIN, Kate. Hello Cruel World: 101 Alternatives to Suicide for Teens, Freaks, and Other Outlaws. Seven Stories Press. 2006. pap. $16.95. ISBN 978-1-583-22720-6.
Gr 9 Up—Transgender activist Bornstein wants her readers to do whatever they need to do to stay alive. In a disarmingly warm and candid voice, she shares stories from her own life, addresses bullying with particular attention to gender, and lists 101 things teens can do instead of suicide, from “take a walk in the woods” to “rant, rave, bitch, and moan.”

BORNSTEIN, Kate & S. Bear Bergman, eds. Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation. Seal Press, 2010. pap. $16.95. ISBN 978-1-580-05308-2.
Adult/High School—Loosely inspired by Bornstein’s groundbreaking Gender Outlaw (Routledge, 1994), this anthology features authors of various ages, racial, and cultural backgrounds, identities, and experiences of gender. Although the book was published for adults and discusses sex, bodies, and suffering frankly, few resources directly aimed at teens match this one’s capacious and complicated understanding of gender and transgender experiences.

HUEGEL, Kelly. GLBTQ: The Survival Guide for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Teens. 2nd ed. Free Spirit. 2011. pap. $15.99. ISBN 978-1-57542-363-0; ebook $15.99. ISBN 978-1-57542-704-1.
Gr 7 Up—Arranged into 11 chapters and peppered with helpful sidebars and quotes from LGBTQ teens, this substantive survival guide addresses topics from dating to religion to school to coming out. The discussion of sex is particularly helpful, with an accessible rundown of safer sex facts and valuable tools for responding to a partner’s pressure.

LOWREY, Sassafras, ed. Kicked Out. Homofactus Press. 2010. pap. $19.95. ISBN 978-0-978-59736-8.
Gr 9 Up—Queer and transgender young people are disproportionately homeless in the U.S. Formerly homeless queer writer Lowrey has compiled a raw, vital anthology of memoirs, essays, interviews, and photographs by and of current and former homeless LGBTQ youth. The book aims both to build a movement and to show homeless LGBTQ young people that they are not alone.

MOON, Sarah & James Lecesne, eds. The Letter Q: Queer Writers’ Notes to Their Younger Selves. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-39932-6.
Gr 9 Up—In this anthology, more than 50 queer writers contribute short letters—some in comic form, most in prose—to their younger selves. The well-known and lesser-known writers, including Gregory MacGuire, Jasika Nicole, and Malinda Lo, provide readers with hope for the future and compassion for the present.