Jason Martinez’s My Mommy is a Boy (2013)
Written by Jason Martinez and illustrated by Karen Winchester the self-published My Mommy is a Boy (2013) is a short picture book told from the point-of-view of a little girl […]
Lois Gould’s X: A Fabulous Child’s Story (1972)
Written by Lois Gould and first published by Ms. in 1972, X: A Fabulous Child’s Story, was republished in 1978 by Daughters Publishing Company with illustrations by Jacqueline Chwast. The short story that became a picture book challenges the idea that gender is a natural expression clearly connected to the […]
Brian McNaught’s “What’s ‘gay’?” asked Mae (2018)
The very odd “What’s ‘gay’?” asked Mae (2018) written by Brian McNaught and illustrated by Dave Woodford, tracks a conversation two children have with a variety of birds about the meaning of the word ‘gay.’ Beyond the awkward set-up—Mae asks her cousin Ray what ‘gay’ means and birds respond—the text […]
Syrus Marcus Ware’s Love is in the Hair (2015)
Love is in the Hair, published in 2015 by Flamingo Rampant, is written and illustrated by Syrus Marcus Ware. The sweet story, perfect for bedtime, focuses on a little girl, Carter, with light brown skin and a big smile. Carter is about to become a sister, and is unable to […]
Robb Pearlman’s Pink is for Boys (2018)
Pink is for Boys (2018), written by Robb Pearlman and illustrated by Eda Kaban works to disrupt the idea that pink is for girls and blue is for boys. It does this through simple prose and bright, fun illustrations. Several colors, including pink, green, blue, and purple, are explored over […]
Chandra Prasad’s Damselfly
A few kids. A crash landing. An island that may or may not be inhabited (or possessed). It’s the stuff of a story we don’t seem able to stop telling. William Golding’s 1954 version, Lord of the Flies, lives on in our collective imagination, resurfacing in songs by Iron Maiden […]
Ruth Lehrer’s Being Fishkill
Ruth Lehrer’s gritty realism is reminiscent of Dorothy Allison, as is her exploration of poverty, abuse, neglect, miraculously strong girls, and the failure and promise of family. But, Lehrer’s pace and unrelentingly complicated descriptions of young teen subjectivity set Bring Fishkill firmly within the field of YA literature. *A few […]
Courtney Carbone’s This Makes Me Sad
This Makes Me Sad, written by Courtney Carbone and illustrated by Hilli Kushnir, is one of several books in Rodale Kids’ Dealing with Feelings series. This easy reader does a great job teaching emotional literacy through simple sentences that build an accessible and engaging story about a boy and his […]
Only 5 Days Left to Nominate Your Favorite #kidlit and #YA Books for a Cybils Awards!
The 2018 Nomination categories include: Easy Readers and Early Chapter Books Elementary/Middle-Grade Nonfiction Elementary/Middle-Grade Speculative Fiction Fiction Picture Books/Board Books Graphic Novels Junior/Senior High Nonfiction Middle-Grade Fiction Poetry Young Adult Fiction Young Adult Speculative Fiction Follow this link to nominate your favorite books in all our categories. You have until […]
