Lifting up transgender voices in literature has always been important, but now it's more vital than ever. Share these 14 books by trans creators and/or about trans characters ahead of Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31 and all year round.

Middle Grade

Linus and Etta Could Use a Win by Caroline Huntoon. Feiwel & Friends. ISBN 9781250897466. 
Gr 6 Up–Linus, who recently came out as trans, hopes to quietly start his school year at a new middle school. However, a chance collision with fellow eighth grader Etta on the way to his first class makes that unlikely. VERDICT The message of trans acceptance is front and center in this realistic fiction title; Huntoon creates meaningful and authentic conversations around topics important to trans youth and allies, while also maintaining a lighter tone that is more accessible for the middle school reader. Recommended.

 A World Worth Saving by Kyle Lukoff. Dial. ISBN 9780593618981. 
Gr 6 Up–A is a 14-year-old Jewish, trans, panromantic boy whose parents are not supportive of him. They force him to go to meetings of a conversion support group, Save Our Sons and Daughters (SOSAD). At a meeting, his friend Yarrow, who is 16, agender, and uses the name Yarrow instead of pronouns, is taken away by the group leader, and A fears he may be next. VERDICT A must-purchase; this is a timely title for middle school students as well as parents, teachers, and librarians who are looking for powerful mirrors or windows into trans experiences.

Who Is Amy Schneider?: Questions on Growing Up, Being Curious, and Winning It Big on Jeopardy! (A Young Readers Edition of In the Form of a Question) by Amy Schneider. S. & S. ISBN 9781665933056. 
Gr 3-7–Record-breaking Jeopardy! champion Schneider has adapted her memoir for young readers with nine essays about growing up smart, becoming famous, and being true to oneself. In an author’s note, Schneider explains that though she was raised as a boy, her name is Amy, and she uses she/her pronouns. This matter-of-fact tone continues throughout. VERDICT Recommended for most collections, especially where personal accounts of neurodivergence and LGBTQIA+ identities are in demand.

[Read: 5 Middle Grade Books Centering Trans and Gender Nonconforming Tweens | SLJ Spotlight]

 Lunar Boy by Jes Wibowo & Cin Wibowo. ­illus. by authors. HarperAlley. ISBN 9780063057609. 
Gr 6 Up–Indu is discovered on the moon by his adoptive mother Dariya, who picks him up during a space mission. Indu comes out as trans to his mother at a young age and is easily accepted. However, he has to endure many changes when it is time for them to depart for New Earth—a futuristic, neo-Indonesian planet. VERDICT This heartwarming story about found family and finding yourself is an immersive and refreshing shift from traditional science fiction.

YA

The Ghost of You by Michael Gray Bulla. HarperCollins/Quill Tree. ISBN 9780063091757. 
Gr 9 Up–Caleb’s brother Jack died of a drug overdose the summer before his junior year of high school, and Caleb is struggling to cope with life without him. Caleb is paired with Emmett, the lead singer of a local punk band, for a final class project and their new friendship might be the help Caleb needs to open up about Jack’s death. Caleb and Tanya are transgender, and Emmett is trans and identifies as genderfluid. VERDICT This story is touching, heartbreaking, and poignant. A must for readers who enjoy complex emotional journeys.

Lockjaw by Matteo L Cerilli. Penguin/Tundra. ISBN 9781774882306. 
Gr 9 Up–There’s a monster in Bridlington, and 11-year-old Paz Espino is determined to kill it. As Marcela tries her best to better understand her sister Paz, she eventually meets town outsiders Asher and Beetle. Asher and Beetle are trans, but whereas Asher spends most of his time trying to blend in and not make waves, Beetle stands out with his blue hair and acerbic personality. When the connections between Paz, Beetle, Marcela, and Asher are finally exposed, the kids quickly learn that the supernatural is at work and vengeful spirits are out for blood. VERDICT A recommended supplemental purchase for YA collections.

Out of Blue Comes Green by M.E. Corey. Page Street. ISBN 9781645679325. 
Gr 9 Up–Seventeen-year-old high school senior and trans boy Kinkade longs to be accepted. He is the frontman of his band, Blue, and when he cuts his hair and performs in front of his classmates, the bullying starts. Once he finds a job at an area animal shelter, meets a new girl who shows a romantic interest in him, and has hope his band will play prom, his life starts to turn around. VERDICT Queer teens and allies will appreciate a book with a trans protagonist and enjoy the read, even with the major plot holes.

[Review: In Transition: Young Adult Literature and Transgender Representation]

Escape From St. Hell by Lewis Hancox. illus. by author. Scholastic/Graphix. ISBN 9781338824476. 
Gr 9 Up–In this affirming follow-up to Welcome to St. Hell, Hancox documents his journey to self-acceptance as a trans man growing up in northwest England. This volume begins in 2008 with Hancox heading off to Manchester University to pursue filmmaking, starting testosterone, and examining the stereotypes surrounding masculinity. VERDICT Hancox’s relatable portrayal of anxiety is ultimately encouraging, and while the graphic novel is a continuation of his previous work, this book stands alone as a recommended purchase for any library serving teens.

Old Wounds by Logan-Ashley Kisner. Delacorte. ISBN 9780593814741. 
Gr 9 Up–In a satisfying, fresh take on a classic horror film scenario, two trans teens are stranded in a small town and ensnared by locals who plan to sacrifice them to a demon that targets girls. VERDICT Both a nuanced look at the complexities of being trans in our current landscape and a thoroughly enjoyable horror thriller, this book is sure to appeal to teens who love Jordan Peele films or Tiffany D. Jackson.
 

The Summer Love Strategy by Ray Stoeve. Abrams/Amulet. ISBN 9781419764967. 
Gr 7 Up–Hayley and Talia have been friends since birth—born on the same day, in the same hospital. Of course they are destined to go through life’s milestones together, like when Hayley tells her family she is gay and Talia tells her family she is trans. When Talia seems to get serious with someone, Hayley realizes she’s having romantic thoughts about her friend. Is this lifelong friendship about to end because of her catching feelings that may not be reciprocated? VERDICT Teens searching for stories exploring nuanced friendships will love the easy flow of dialogue, the adventures, the acceptance, and the sweet “friends to girlfriends” romance.

 This Day Changes ­Everything by Edward Underhill. Wednesday Bks. ISBN 9781250835222. 
Gr 8 Up–Abby and Leo are about to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Abby thinks she might be queer and in love with her best friend, Kat. Leo, a trans boy, is terrified he will be outed to his extended family when he marches as his true self across their television sets in rural North Carolina. The Universe throws a curveball, sending them in one direction while their bands head in another. VERDICT A wonderful teen rom-com adventure reminiscent of Rachel Cohn and David Levithan’s “Dash & Lily” series and Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon.

 Canto Contigo by Jonny Garza Villa. Wednesday Bks. ISBN 9781250875754. 
Gr 9 Up–An excellent romance set in San Antonio. A competitive rivalry between two boys gradually gives way to friendship and romance with readers rooting for them to overcome a host of obstacles from ambition, arrogance, and grief, to racism, homophobia, and transphobia to find the joy they so obviously deserve. VERDICT With their third YA novel, Garza Villa has established themself as a leading writer of Latine stories, LGBTQIA+ stories, and romances—how fortunate for readers that they all coexist in the pages of a single book!

 Ash’s Cabin by Jen Wang. illus. by author. First Second. ISBN 9781250754059. 
Gr 7 Up–A riveting story about a trans teen finding their place in the world, which just so happens to be a small cabin in the woods. Ash researches and plans a trip to a remote cabin in the northern California woods. With their dog Chase in tow, Ash tricks their parents in order to get away while they go on a trip, and Ash ends up hiking in the wilderness, looking for a small cabin their grandfather built. VERDICT Highly recommended for all middle school and high school libraries.

 Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White. Peachtree Teen. ISBN 9781682636121. 
Gr 10 Up–White’s third book is also his most realistic, blending the grit of poverty and small-town power struggles with the social violence that accompanies being different; in Miles’s case, being trans and autistic add layers of risk to his already dangerous existence as a member of the locally demonized and ostracized Abernathy family. VERDICT Unputdownable, unbelievably powerful, deranged, and magnificently defiant. Hold on to your humanity for dear life, readers.

Past Trans Day of Visibility Booklists:

12 Books to Celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility

12 Books for Trans Day of Visibility