A guide to LGBTQAI+ books for children and teens

CHICAGO — There is a rich and varied body of literature for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, asexual/allied and intersexed young people, and the new book “LGBTQAI+ Books for Children and Teens: Providing a Window for All,” published by ALA Editions, gives school librarians, children’s, and YA librarians the guidance and tools they need to confidently share these books with the patrons they support. Helping to fill a gap in serving the LGBTQAI+ population, this guide by Christina Dorr and Liz Deskins:

• discusses the path to marriage equality, how LGBTQAI+ terms have changed, and reasons to share LGBTQAI+ literature with all children;
• presents annotated entries for a cross-section of the best LGBTQAI+ lit and nonfiction for young children, middle year students, and teens, with discussion questions and tips;
• offers advice on sensitive issues such as starting conversations with young people, outreach to stakeholders, and dealing with objections and censorship head on; and
• ideas for programming and marketing.

Dorr, PhD, teaches at Weaver Middle School, part of the Hilliard City School District, Hilliard, Ohio. She has been a media specialist for 27 years and has also taught literature, literacy, technology, and library science courses for the past twelve years as an adjunct instructor. She has written book reviews and columns for various journals for many years, presented at numerous state and national organizations, and served on several book award committees for the American Library Association, including chairing the 2018 Stonewall Committee. Deskins has been a school librarian for 30 years, teaching at the elementary, high school, and college levels. She is a past president of Buckeye Children and Teens Book Awards as well as past president of OELMA (Ohio Educational Library Media Association). She has served on committees and task forces for the American Association of School Librarians and the Association for Library Service to Children. She also serves as Curriculum Editor for the School Library Connection reVIEWS+ online journal.

Dorr and Deskins previously coauthored “Linking Picture Book Biographies to National Content Standards: 200+ Lives to Explore.”

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