Hello, and welcome to Henrietta Library’s LGBT+ Reading Guide for Pre-Teens. We recommend using this guide if you are aged between nine and fourteen.

 

LGBT+ is an acronym about human sexuality. It means lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, and the + refers to a whole community of people who have different sexualities or gender identities.

 

We know that all of this stuff can get a bit confusing. Growing up is hard! You might have lots of questions about yourself or your friends that you aren’t sure how to ask, and that’s okay. You will find lots of amazing resources on this site and they will help answer some of your questions.

 

The books, audiobooks, non-fiction texts, poetry collections, and graphic novels that we have chosen here are all LGBT+ friendly and they will help you if you are questioning your own sexuality or if you have friends who identify as LGBT+.

 

This site is a safe place for anyone who identifies as LGBT+ or for anyone who has questions about what it means to be LGBT+. We do not tolerate any form of bullying in the library or on our websites.

 

We hope that you will enjoy reading these wonderful books, and we’d love to hear what you think of them – you can post your reviews in the comments section.

 

Happy reading,

from the Children’s and Youth Services Team at Henrietta Library.

 

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Parents – please read this section.

If you have any questions, you can find our contact details here.

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Click on the links below the book covers to find out more!

Books:

Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee

 

The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan

 

George by Alex Gino

Audiobooks:

Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen by Jazz Jennings

Non-Fiction

Gay and Lesbian History for Kids; The Century-Long Struggle for LGBT Rights by Jerome Pohlen

Poetry:

Wain: LGBT Reimagining’s of Scottish Folktales by Rachel Plummer

Graphic Novel:

As The Crow Flies by Melanie Gillman

 

Drama by Raina Telgemeier

 

Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass by Mariko Tamaki

 

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu

 

Check out these great resources to support your reading!

• Did you know that you can read As the Crow Flies by Melanie Gillman online as a webcomic?! As the Crow Flies was originally published on Melanie Gillman’s website, and is being updated regularly. You can follow the story online on your phone, iPad, or computer and get instant updates. It is super easy and convenient to follow the story like this, so check it out here.
• Did you know that Jazz from Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen has her own YouTube channel?! You can follow her here. The video we have linked to describes 10 things you might not know about being transgender, and you might find it helpful to watch or to send to a friend to watch to help them understand what you are going through.
• Check out this interview with author C.B. Lee as she discusses Not Your Sidekick. This podcast covers topics such as intersectional characters/superheroes, feminism, and females in fantasy. An interesting point made by C.B Lee is that humans should be able to relate and empathise with people who are drastically different from us. What do you think?
• If you’d like to get an audio-visual preview of Raina Telgemier’s graphic novel Drama, you can check out the book trailer here. Watching this short clip will give you an idea of the storyline and characters, and you can decide if you think the story is a good fit for your interests!
• If you’re thinking about reading Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass, you can check out the book trailer here. Watching the trailer will give you an idea about the nature of Harley’s character. Would you like to have someone like Harley on your side, or would you prefer someone like Ivy? Why or why not?