Prideful Books: Children's books celebrating LGBT rights and people

A few of our local libraries put up Pride displays for the month of June. The purpose of the displays are to bring awareness, and support to the LGBT community.  It also is a way to show LGBT people that they aren't alone, to display stories of other people in their struggle and love and finding themselves.
I had not read any LGBT books before but had wanted to because I have friends in that community, I have know kids in grade school who were outcast because they were "different." I love books that bring about awareness and show kindness in simple ways to children.
This month in honor of my friends who are gay, transgender, bisexual, and love in a way that society thinks is different I read several LGBT books.  I want you all reading this to know that love is love, and I accept you for who you are and the way you are.



Worm Loves Worm

Written by T.J. Austrian
Illustrated by Mike Curato

This book is adorable! The illustrations, the words, and the message are so well done and easy to read, I feel in love with this book.

Worm and Worm love each other and want to get married, but their buggy friends keep telling them they have to have flowers, a dress, a tux, a bridal party, and all the makings of a wedding.  The worms have an issue though, they are worms!  How can they wear a ring when they don't have fingers? Who is the bride? Who is the groom?

I love how each of the friends want to be a part of the wedding.  The book is full of problem solving, and acceptance.  T.J. Austrian did a brilliant job of sharing a message of same sex couples without making it pushy.  These are worms, it was funny, and cute to read.  They are worms, there is no girl or boy.

Mike Curato made the characters the main focus and did a great job making the illustrations cute, colorful and fun.  I love the negative space.  I think not having backgrounds and small details of where this is taking place gives more focus on the text and the bugs themselves.  This could be anywhere.  I think that's the point, it's not just taking place in the country, or the city, or the forest.  People all over the world, in small towns, and big cities are fighting for equal rights, the right to marry who they love and just want to be accepted.

Use this book to talk about weddings, what types of incects are in the book, or take it as a way to learn more about earthworms.  How do earthworms reproduce?


Julian is a Mermaid
by Jessica Love

You had me a mermaid!  I want to be a mermaid.  I love mermaids, ever since I was a child and was obsessed with The Little Mermaid, I have wanted mermaids to be real.  Naturally when I saw the title I had to read Julian's story.

Julian is a boy out with his abuela (grandma) and he sees some mermaids.  Just like me (and many other kids) he loves mermaids! He fantasizes about being a mermaid.  When they get back to grandma's house he dresses up as a mermaid, but when Abuela sees him not dresses as a boy, his first reaction is that he did something wrong, but then she him a necklace to complete his outfit and takes him out to see the other mermaids.

Most of this happens in the illustrations, there are very few words throughout the book, and I think that's the beauty of this book.  Not having the author tell you everything allows the reader to make what they want out of the pictures.  What are the emotions here?  How is Julian feeling?  What is he doing?  I love that.  Since the illustrations are so vital to the story Jessica Love did a beautiful job in them.  There is a sense of fluid movement.

The message of acceptance in this story is beautiful.  I hope every child out there who comes out, or feels that they are different in any way is accepted by their loved ones they way Julian is. Did you know the way a family reacts is one of the most vital parts of coming out?  A family that accepts their gay child can literally save that person's life.

I think Jessica Love did a wonderful job giving multiple meanings to this picture book.  My four year old daughter loved it because it has mermaids in it and she loves mermaids.  My nine year old artist said that the book shows you can be anything if you have imagination.  She liked how Julian made himself a mermaid with items around the grandma's house.  To my adult mind Julian is trans and his grandmother is proud to take him to the parade, in the book it's mermaids and ocean life, but in my interpretation is it's the Pride parade.

I think using mermaids takes the pressure and focus off "that's girl clothing" and allows the reader to just see it as different. Not everyone is a mermaid, but Julian wants to be one and that's okay.

Do you have a child (or yourself) who loves mermaids? Check out these mermaid items:


I know I usually stay with picture books in my blog but I have to share with you two books that are labeled "young adult." You can use your discretion and decide what age group that is for, but the reason I'm sharing them is because they are Prideful books and I loved them and want to pass them on to others.

The Prince and The Dressmaker

by Jen Wang

I was recommended this book when I was telling a friend of mine about doing a LGBT blog.  I had never read a graphic novel.  I've looked at a couple that went with books I've read but I couldn't get into them, the books were so much more in depth, so imagine my surprise when I sat down with this 277 page book and read it in a hour.  I couldn't put it down!

I don't want to tell you too much and give away any of the story so I will just give you the beginning.
The Prince has come to Paris.  There will be a ball and all eligible young women are invited. The women of the city are going crazy over getting dresses that will capture the prince, but one young lady isn't as thrilled as the rest and wants a dress that that will make her look like "the devil's wench."  As I turned the page to the Grand Ball and see the dress that was made, I'm glad I wasn't drinking because I'm sure had I been I would have splattered the page.  This statement of the dress almost makes the dressmaker lose her job but she is invited to work for some wealthy client who was wowed by her work.
The Prince is only 16 and has no desire to get married, he has his whole life ahead of him, why does he need to settle down now?  His parents don't understand why he is fighting getting married, their parents had arranged their marriage, he at least has the choice of who he will spend his life with.

Now please, go finish the story, read the book.  It's full of surprises, love, passion, and compassion.


Stonewall: Breaking Out in the Fight for Gay Rights

by Ann Bausum (first link is for the physical book, the second for the audio)

This is a non fiction book about not only Stonewall but of the journey of gay rights. I had never heard of Stonewall before, other than Stonewall Jackson.   I learned a great deal about the history of gay rights.  I'm very surprised I didn't learn any of this in school!  I feel like while we learned about black rights, and women's rights that we should have learned about gay rights as well.  Although when I was in school same sex marriage wasn't legal, so I hope that by now this is something that is being taught and talked about.  Even though same sex marriage wasn't legal, Stonewall and the fight for gay rights was part of our country's history, so how was that not covered?

Ann Bausum did a wonderful job collecting information about the times and feelings of 1969.  There were laws that you had to wear three items of your gender's clothing.  This non fiction transports the reader to that time so well you are immersed in it.  The Stonewall Riot was a riot, but no one was killed in it! For all the anger that had mounted in that time and all the people that were there, I think that's amazing.  This riot is also why June is Pride Month and the start of Pride, the annual parade in New York (and now many other areas) that celebrates the anniversary of the Stonewall riot, the LGBT community, and addresses the issues this community of people still face.

Bausum travels from 1969 up through the decades and major fights that the oppressed LGBT community faced up to present day; from AIDS to the right to marry, and the fight is still ongoing to equal employment, to not be discrimated against.


I hope everyone finds acceptance, and love.