Celebrate Pride with These Middle Grade Reads!

With both riveting new novels and inspirational non-fiction reads, this virtual middle grade panel is a must for celebrating Pride this year with your young readers! Be sure to tune in to discover the stories of a figure skating learning who they are on — and off — the ice, an unlikely friendship among three different children in a small town, a nonbinary character navigating a very binary world, and the inspiring and essential history of the LGBTQIA+ movement!

Skating on Mars by CAROLINE HUNTOON. Mars is grappling with the recent death of their father and is also coming to terms with their non-binary identity. To make matters worse, they're challenged to a figure skating competition with a high school hot shot. As the competition draws near and the pressure rises, Mars might thinks they might not belong on the ice after all...

Child's Introduction to Pride by SARAH PRAGER. The perfect primer for kids ages 8 to 12, this book celebrates love, hope, equality, and progress by taking an essential look at the rich history and culture of the LGBTQIA+ community in the United States and around the world.

Jude Saves the World by RONNIE RILEY. Long-time best friends Jude and Dallas have their world turned upside when they take in Stevie, a girl who's been ousted from the popular clique at school because of rumors saying she's gay. Together, the three of them create an unbreakable bond and decide to work together to create a queer safe space in their close-minded community.

The Beautiful Something Else by ASH VAN OTTERLOO. Sparrow has been walking on eggshells around their mother, who is on the verge of a breakdown, for a long time. Suddenly sent to live with their Aunt Mags, Sparrow finds themselves surrounded by colorful new neighbors and, for the first time, they don't have to try to fit in. But will they ever able to show their mom their true self?

Middle Grade Pride, 06/17/23