American Library Association Rainbow Book List

The ALA Rainbow Book List is an annual list of "books with significant gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender content, and which are aimed at youth, birth through age 18" produced by the American Library Association's (ALA's) Rainbow Project, which is run by the ALA's Rainbow Round Table and Social Responsibilities Round Table.[1]

Although roughly 4.5 percent of the U.S. population identifies as LGBT,[2] "the vast majority of libraries lack high-quality, comprehensive LGBT collections" and "satisfaction among LGBT patrons is low."[3] To ensure libraries have adequate LGBT books for readers of all ages, librarians should rely on resources such as the ALA's Rainbow List and the Lambda Literary Foundation.[3]

Honorees

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Top Choices Per Year
YearCategoryContributorsTitle
2011[4]Picture BooksAnna KempDogs Don't Do Ballet
Juvenile FictionCharlotte AgellThe Accidental Adventures of India McAllister
Amy IgnatowThe Popularity Papers: Research for the Social Improvement and General Betterment of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang
Geraldine McCaughreanThe Death-Defying Pepper Roux
Young Adult/Crossover FictionJane EaglandWildthorn
John Green and David LevithanWill Grayson, Will Grayson
Emily HornerA Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend
Young Adult/Crossover NonfictionSassafras LowreyKicked Out
Jeff ShengDon't Ask. Don't Tell
VariousThe Gallup's Modern Guide to Gay, Lesbian & Transgender Life (Series, 15 titles)
2012[5]Picture BooksLeslea Newman with Mike Dutton (Illus.)Donovan's Big Day
Middle Grade/Early Young Adult FictionMalinda LoHuntress
Bil WrightPutting Makeup on the Fat Boy
Young Adult FictionCris BeamI Am J
Libba BrayBeauty Queens
Steve BrezenoffBrooklyn Burning
Laura GoodeSister Mischief
Lauren MyracleShine
Julie Anne PetersShe Loves You. She Loves You Not
Patrick RyanGemini Bites
2013[6]Middle/Early Young Adult FictionKirstin Cronn-MillsBeautiful Music for Ugly Children
Raina TelgemeierDrama
Middle/Early Young Adult NonfictionSarah Moon (Ed.)The Letter Q: Queer Writers Notes to Their Younger Selves
Young Adult/Crossover FictionLisa Jenn BigelowStarting From Here
Emily M. DanforthThe Miseducation of Cameron Post
A. S. KingAsk the Passengers
Malinda LoAdaptation
Madeline MillerThe Song of Achilles
Charles Rice-GonzalezChulito: a Novel
Benjamin Alire SaenzAristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
2014[1]Juvenile FictionTim FederleBetter Nate than Ever
Teen NonfictionKate BornsteinMy New Gender Workbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving World Peace Through Gender Anarchy and Sex Positivity
Ken SetteringtonBranded by the Pink Triangle
Teen FictionFrancesca Lia BlockLove in the Time of Global Warming
Kristin Elizabeth ClarkFreakboy
Steven Dos SantosThe Culling
Z EgloffLeap
Sara FarizanIf You Could Be Mine
Alaya Dawn JohnsonThe Summer Prince
Laura LamPantomime
2015[7]Picture BooksJeffrey Bone and Lisa BoneNot Every Princess
Gayle E. Pitman with Kristyna Litten (Illus.)This Day in June
Young Adult FictionJanet E. CameronCinnamon Toast and the End of the World
Sara FarizanTell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel
Jandy NelsonI'll Give You the Sun
Tess SharpeFar from You
Andrew SmithGrasshopper Jungle
Julia WattsSecret City
Young Adult NonfictionTim AndersonSweet Tooth
Laurel Golio and Diana SchollWe Are the Youth: Sharing the Stories of LGBT Youth in the United States
2016[8]Graphic NovelsJillian TamakiSuperMutant Magic Academy
Juvenile FictionAmi PolonskyGracefully Grayson
Brian SelznickThe Marvels
Juvenile NonfictionCory Silverberg with Fiona Smyth (Illus.)Sex is a Funny Word: A Book about Bodies, Feelings, and YOU
Young Adult FictionBecky AlbertalliSimon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Carrie MesrobianCut Both Ways
Raziel ReidWhen Everything Feels Like the Movies
Kate ScelsaFans of the Impossible Life
Karelia Stetz-WatersForgive Me If I've Told You This Before
Young Adult NonfictionJack Andraka with Matthew LysiakBreakthrough
2017[9]Graphic NovelsKatie O'NeillPrincess Princess Ever After
Picture BooksYasmeen IsmailI'm a Girl
Jessica WaltonIntroducing Teddy: A Gentle Story About Gender and Friendship
Young Adult FictionYvonne CassidyHow Many Letters are in Goodbye?
Shaun David HutchinsonWe Are the Ants
Seanan McGuireEvery Heart a Doorway
Anna-Marie McLemoreWhen the Moon Was Ours
Laura NowlinThis Song Is (Not) for You
Na’amen Gobert TilahunThe Root
Kiersten WhiteAnd I Darken
2018[10]Board BooksStella Blackstone and Sunny Scribens with Christiane Engel (Illus.)Baby's First Words
Middle Grade FictionLisa BunkerFelix Yz
Barbara DeeStar-Crossed
Young Adult NonfictionAsh Hardell[a]The ABCs of LGBT+
Dashka SlaterThe 57 Bus
Young Adult FictionNina LaCourWe Are Okay
Julie MurphyRamona Blue
Adam SilveraThey Both Die at the End
Courtney StevensDress Codes for Small Towns
James Tynion IV and Rian SyghThe Backstagers Vol. 1
2019[13]Picture Books FictionDaniel Haack and Stevie LewisPrince & Knight
Gayle E. PitmanSewing the Rainbow
Middle Grade FictionKacen CallenderHurricane Child
Young Adult FictionAshley Herring BlakeGirl Made of Stars
Claire KannLet's Talk About Love
Adib KhorramDarius the Great s Not Okay
Natasha NganGirls of Paper and Fire
Lev A. C. RosenJack of Hearts (and Other Parts)
Nic StoneOdd One Out
Hamish SteeleDeadEndia: The Watcher's Test
2020[14]Picture Books NonfictionRob Sanders and Jamey ChristophStonewall: A Building. An Uprising. A Revolution.
Picture Books FictionKyle Lukoff and Kaylani JuanitaWhen Aidan Became a Brother
Heather Smith and Brooke KerriganA Plan for Pops
Young Adult NonfictionShaun David HutchinsonBrave Face
Young Adult FictionAkwaeke EmeziPet
Sabina KhanThe Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali
Bill KonigsbergThe Music of What Happens
Tehlor Kay MejiaWe Set the Dark on Fire
Tillie WaldenOn a Sunbeam
Suzanne Walker and Xu WendyMooncakes
2021[15]Early Readers NonfictionMatthew Burgess and Josh Cochran (Illus.)Drawing on Walls: A Story of Keith Haring
Peter Mercurio and Leo Espinosa (Illus.)Our Subway Baby
Juvenile FictionDeShanna Neal, Trinity Neal, and Art Twink (Illus.)My Rainbow
Gayle E. Pitman and Violet Tobacco (Illus.)My Maddy
Rachel Simon and Noah Grigni (Illus.)The Every Body Book: LGBTQ+ Inclusive Guide for Kids about Sex, Gender, Bodies, and Families
Middle Grade FictionKacen CallenderKing and the Dragonflies
A. J. SassAna on the Edge
Young Adult NonfictionGeorge Matthew JohnsonAll Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto
Young Adult FictionBetsy CornwellCircus Rose
Sarah GaileyWhen We Were Magic
Leah JohnsonYou Should See Me in a Crown
Lyla LeeI'll Be the One
Darcie Little Badger and Rovina Cai (Illus.)Elatsoe
Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemoreMiss Meteor
Tochi OnyebuchiWar Girls
Lev A. C. RosenCamp
Aiden ThomasCemetery Boys
Kat LeyhSnapdragon
Trung Le NguyenThe Magic Fish
Niki SmithThe Deep & Dark Blue

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Credited as Ashely Mardell; The ABCs of LGBT+ was released before Hardell came out as transgender[11] and married their spouse.[12]

References

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