It's Pride season in Canada! We invite you to make reading a part of your Pride season celebrations. This list features books for all ages featuring 2SLGBTQIA+ characters and themes. These stories encourage exploration, self-expression, empathy and allyship. What will you be reading this Pride season?
Board Books
Bye Bye, Binary
Written by Eric Geron
Illustrated by Charlene Chua
HarperCollins Publishers, 2022
IL: Ages 0-4 RL: Kindergarten-Grade 1
A joyful baby refuses to conform to the gender binary and instead chooses toys, colours, and clothes that make them happy. This tongue-in-cheek board book is a perfect tool to encourage children to love what they love.
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Pride Colors
Written by Robin Stevenson
Orca Book Publishers, 2019
IL: Ages 0-2 RL: Kindergarten-Grade 1
Through gentle rhymes and colourful photographs of adorable children, Pride Colors is a celebration of the deep unconditional love of a parent or caregiver for a young child. The profound message of this delightful board book is you are free to be whoever you choose to be; you'll always be loved.
Picture Book
The Fabulous Edweena
Written by Edwin Dumont
Illustrated by Melissa Cho
Second Story Press, 2025
IL: Ages 4-8 RL: Grades p-3
Edwin loves his sister Patsy’s closet. He adores dresses and earrings and boots with high heels. And when he’s finished getting dressed, Edwin is transformed… into the fabulous Edweena! Today is the figure skating competition at school and Edwin has decided to compete as Edweena. What will people say when they meet her for the first time? Can a boy in drag win the competition? Edweena will have to give her best performance ever to find out!
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Getting Glam at Gram’s
Written by Sara Weed
Illustrated by Erin Hawryluk
Arsenal Pulp Press, 2024
IL: Ages 3-8 RL: Grades 2-3
Alex, a young person who identifies as non-binary, eagerly awaits Sunday dinner with all their cousins at Gram's house. It's not just the yummy treats that Alex looks forward to—Sunday is when they get glamorous! Everyone is welcome at this fun family gathering, where gender diversity and expression are showcased on a homemade runway. Gram's wardrobe is bursting with styles from different decades, and the kids have a blast as they build their ensembles, becoming anything they can imagine. This playful fashion show is filled with so much joy that even an "uh-oh" is saved by love and understanding.
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A Kid Is a Kid Is a Kid
Written by Sara O’Leary
Illustrated by Qin Leng
Groundwood Books, 2021
IL: Ages 3-6 RL: Grades 2-3
Being the new kid is hard, a child in the school playground tells us. I can think of better things to ask than if I’m a boy or a girl. Another child comes along and says she gets asked why she always has her nose in a book. Someone else gets asked where they come from. One after another, children share the questions they’re tired of being asked again and again—as opposed to what they believe are the most important or interesting things about themselves. As they move around the playground, picking up new friends along the way, there is a feeling of understanding and acceptance among them. And in the end, the new kid comes up with the question they would definitely all like to hear: “Hey kid, want to play?”
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Pride Puppy!
Written by Robin Stevenson
Illustrated by Julie McLaughlin
Orca Book Publishers, 2021
IL: Ages 3-5 RL: Grades 1-2
A young child and their family are having a wonderful time together celebrating Pride Day—meeting up with Grandma, making new friends and eating ice cream. But then something terrible happens: their dog gets lost in the parade! Luckily, there are lots of people around to help reunite the pup with his family.
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Still My Tessa
Written by Sylv Chiang
Illustrated by Mathias Ball
Scholastic Canada, 2024
IL: Ages 3-8 RL: Grades 2-3
Evelyn is worried about Tessa. Tessa doesn’t want to play the same games they used to play together, but Evelyn is determined to find new ways to connect with her older sibling. And she is also learning to see Tessa as non-binary and using new pronouns for them. Evelyn learns quickly that it isn't hard, and helps others see that, too.
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Early Chapter Books
Ghost Girl
(Orca Echoes)
Written by Brooke Carter
Illustrated by Alyssa Waterbury
Orca Book Publishers, 2024
IL: Ages 6-8 RL: Grades 2-3
It’s Samhain, a time when the spirits can cross over into the living world, and the old mansion has secrets whispering in the rafters and unused rooms. When Sly and their grandmother hear a voice calling, Sly unlocks a cabinet that reveals a ghost girl who is trapped in a mirror. Then they accidentally speak the words of the spell that enchanted the girl in the first place, and Sly and their grandmother risk being imprisoned in the mirror as well. With the clock ticking till the end of Samhain, it’s up to Sly to solve the ghost’s riddles and puzzles and locate a long-lost book of spells in hopes of freeing them all.
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Jordan and Max, Race Day
(Orca Echoes)
Written by Suzanne Sutherland
Illustrated by Michelle Simpson
Orca Book Publishers, 2024
IL: Ages 6-8 RL: Grades 2-3
When Max tells Jordan that their school's end-of-year carnival will include the Massey Obstacle Olympics, Jordan is super excited. He's been jogging with his grandmother and dreaming of the chance to be in a real race. Even though chatter at school does make the obstacle course sound intimidating, and the new kid, Ivan, is trying to scare him off, Jordan knows that, with Max as his coach, he's ready for anything.
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Mehndi Boy
Written by Zain Bandali
Illustrated by Jani Balakumar
Annick Press, 2023
IL: Ages 6-11 RL: Grades 2-3
The first time Tehzeeb tries mehndi, his passion for the art form blossoms. Soon, he’s creating designs for all his friends and family, and dreams of becoming the most in-demand mehndi artist in town. So Tez is hurt and confused when his favourite uncle tells him mehndi isn’t for boys. His art brings people joy. How could it be wrong? Tehzeeb doesn’t want to disappoint his uncle. But when a crisis before his cousin’s wedding puts his talents to the test, Tehzeeb must find the courage to be his true creative self.
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Salma Writes a Book
(The Salma Series)
Written by Danny Ramadan
Illustrated by Anna Bron
Annick Press, 2023
IL: Ages 6-9 RL: Grades 2-3
Salma’s determined to be the best sister ever, so she sets out to write the ultimate guidebook to siblinghood. But the more Salma learns about siblings, the more confused she gets, especially since her mama is fighting with her own brother, Khalou Dawood, about who he loves. Can Salma figure out what it means to be a good sister before the baby arrives?
Middle Grade Fiction
Asking for a Friend
Written by Ronnie Riley
Scholastic Press, 2024
IL: Ages 8-12 RL: Grades 3-4
Why go through the stress of making friends when you can just pretend? It works for Eden and their social anxiety... until their mom announces she’s throwing them a birthday party and all their friends are invited. Eden’s “friends,” Duke, Ramona, and Tabitha, are all real kids from school... but Eden’s never actually spoken to them before. Now Eden will do whatever it takes to convince them to be their friends—at least until the party is over. When things start to go better than Eden expects and the group starts to bond, Eden finds themself trapped in a lie that gets worse the longer they keep it up. What happens if their now sort-of-real friends discover that Eden hasn’t been honest with them from the very beginning?
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Bea Mullins Takes a Shot
Written by Emily Deibert
Random House Books for Young Readers, 2025
IL: Ages 8-12 RL: Grades 3-4
After a lifetime of humiliating sports experiences, Bea Mullins knows the best way to survive middle school is to stick to the sidelines. When PE is suddenly canceled, though, Bea is forced to join an after-school activity... which is how she ends up as a member of the Glenwood Geese, her middle school's first all-girls hockey team. Bea would be happy sitting on the bench, but she doesn't want to let down her best friend, Celia. Plus, the more time Bea spends on the rinks, the more she comes to enjoy her teammates, especially the incredibly talented—and incredibly cool—co-captain Gabi. But when low funding puts the Geese in danger of never playing again, Bea realizes she may lose everything she didn't know she wanted.
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Ciel in All Directions
Written by Sophie Labelle
Translated by Andrea Zanin
Second Story Press, 2024
IL: Ages 9-12 RL: Grades 4-5
Ciel may have settled into high school with their best friend Stephie and new buddy Liam, but life is anything but ordinary for this non-binary trans kid! Between an important science project for school and their ever more popular YouTube channel, Ciel and their friends find themselves involved in a campaign to represent the LGBT Alliance. Life is taking off in all directions!
The Fabulous Zed Watson!
Written by Basil Sylvester and Kevin Sylvester
Illustrated by Kevin Sylvester
HarperCollins Publishers, 2022
IL: Ages 8-12 RL: Grades 3-4
Zed Watson loves a few things: their name (which they chose themself!), their big rambunctious family, and—oh yeah—monsters. When Zed discovered the mystery surrounding an unpublished novel called The Monster’s Castle, they were completely hooked. Now Zed is a member of a small but dedicated legion devoted to finding the long-buried text. When a breakthrough discovery leads Zed to the route that they are sure will take them to the treasure, they know it’s time for a road trip. And with the help of their shy, flora-loving neighbour, Gabe, and his sister, Sam, a geologist who is driving back to college in Arizona, Zed and company are soon off on a wild adventure following cryptic clues.
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How to Be a Goldfish
Written by Jane Baird Warren
Scholastic Canada, 2022
IL: Ages 9-12 RL: Grades 4-5
When her teacher assigns a family tree project for parents' day, Lizzie knows it won't be long until Scotch Gully’s gossips start up again. Most folks in her conservative town are used to the fact that she's the only kid with an unmarried mom, but when Lizzie's family tree research uncovers a shocking secret about her grandmother, Lizzie knows that certain townsfolk will start their back-fence talk about her family once more. She turns to Harry—who's been like a grandfather to her—for help and advice, but Harry has problems of his own. Someone has arrived at his farm claiming to own it, and is forcing Harry out. Now Lizzie must face losing Harry and the place that's been her second home. Lizzie finds a surprising ally in David, the new owner's son. Together, their sleuthing uncovers the keys to saving Harry and his farm, but sharing the secrets she and David have uncovered will put Lizzie's complicated family on centre stage.
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You Owe Me One, Universe
(Thanks a Lot, Universe, Book 2)
Written by Chad Lucas
Amulet Books, 2023
IL: Ages 10-14 RL: Grades 5-6
Brian knows that anxiety and depression aren’t things that are magically fixed overnight, but he still doesn’t understand why it’s all hitting him so hard right now. Ezra is trying his best to look out for Brian, but he’s not sure that he’s actually helping. Earnest, heartfelt, and full of humour, Chad Lucas’s You Owe Me One, Universe explores the nuances and complications of middle school relationships—and shows how sometimes the smallest acts of caring can be the ones that matter most.
Graphic Novels
Between the Pipes
Written by Albert McLeod with Elaine Mordoch and Sonya Ballantyne
Illustrated by Alice RL
HighWater Press, 2024
IL: Ages 13 and up RL: Grades 8-9
Thirteen-year-old Chase’s life and identity should be simple. He’s the goalie for his hockey team, the Eagles. He’s a friend to Kevin and Jade. He's Kookum's youngest grandchild. He’s a boy. He should like girls. But it’s not that simple. Chase doesn’t like girls the way that the other boys do. It’s scary being so different from his peers. Scarier still is the feeling that his teammates can tell who he is—and that they hate him for it. If he pretends hard enough, maybe he can hide the truth. Real strength and change can’t come from a place of shame. Chase’s dreams are troubled by visions of a bear spirit, and the more he tries to hide, the more everything falls apart. With the help of an Elder and a Two-Spirit mentor, can Chase find the strength to be proud of who he is?
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Carousel Summer
Written and illustrated by Kathleen Gros
Quill Tree Books, 2025
IL: Ages 8-12 RL: Grades 3-4
With her best friend away at camp, tons of chores to do, and her dad always on her case for being such a tomboy, Lucy is dreading summer. That is, until Milforth's plan to revive an old carousel for the town's 150th anniversary brings artist Ray and her daughter, Anaïs, to town. Anaïs is smart, funny, and easy to talk to, and Lucy—who's used to being judged for her looks and interests—finally feels at ease in her own skin. And she thinks she may feel something for Anaïs, too. Leading up to Milforth’s big birthday, tensions begin rising with locals, thanks to a shifty development company trying to overrun the town. Things also come to a breaking point at home, when Lucy butts heads with her dad over how she wants to express herself as a girl. Can Lucy find the courage to be true to who she is? She’s got the whole summer to find out…
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Rabbit Chase
Written by Elizabeth LaPensée
Illustrated by K.C. Oster
Annick Press, 2022
IL: Ages 8-12 RL: Grades 3-4
Aimée, a non-binary Anishinaabe middle-schooler, is on a class trip to offer gifts to Paayehnsag, the water spirits known to protect the land. While stories are told about the water spirits and the threat of the land being taken over for development, Aimée zones out, distracting themselves from the bullying and isolation they’ve experienced since expressing their non-binary identity. When Aimée accidentally wanders off, they are transported to an alternate dimension populated by traditional Anishinaabe figures in a story inspired by Alice in Wonderland.
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Scout Is Not a Band Kid
Written and illustrated by Jade Armstrong
RH Graphic, 2022
IL: Ages 8-12 RL: Grades 3-4
When Scout learns that her favourite author is doing an exclusive autograph session at the end of the year, she's determined to be there! She officially needs a plan... and when she finds out that her school's band is heading to the same location for their annual trip, an idea takes shape. Being a band kid can't be that hard, right?
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Tegan and Sara: Crush
Written by Tegan Quin and Sara Quin
Illustrated by Tillie Walden
Farrar Straus & Giroux Books for Young Readers, 2024
IL: Ages 10-14 RL: Grades 5-6
Tegan and Sara may have survived seventh grade, but their junior high jams are just beginning. Offstage, school is officially back in session. Between Sara’s growing feelings for her dream girl and Tegan’s falling out with her former BFF, eighth grade might prove to be even messier than last year. Onstage, the twins are swept up in a battle-of-the-bands contest to open for their favourite musical artist, landing them with a new manager, new opportunities, and new challenges, too. But stepping into the spotlight—and into their true selves—means colliding over fame, family, and finding their sound.
Young Adult Fiction
Crash Landing
Written by Li Charmaine Anne
Annick Press, 2024
IL: Ages 14-18 RL: Grades 9-12
IL: Ages 14 and up RL: Grades 9-10
Jay Wong is spending the last languid days of summer 2010 trying to land a kickflip and begging for something (anything!) to make her senior year different—to finally give her some stories worth telling. When she meets Ash Chan, it seems like she’s getting what she asked for. Ash is confident, intensely independent, and hell on a skateboard—nothing like anyone Jay knows and exactly how she wishes she could be.
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Messy Perfect
Written by Tanya Boteju
Quill Tree Books, 2025
IL: Ages 13 and up RL: Grades 8-9
Cassie Perera is a star student in St. Luke's junior class. But the new school year brings an unwelcome surprise—the return to St. Luke's of Cassie's former friend, Ben, who left a few years ago after a homophobic bullying incident Cassie knows she didn't do enough to prevent. Still harbouring guilt from her inaction, Cassie decides, in her usual, overzealous way, to team up with the neighbouring public school to found an underground Gender and Sexuality Alliance—as a complicated strategy for making things up to Ben. Secretly, Cassie is also tempted by the possibility of opening up about her own sexuality for the first time
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Only This Beautiful Moment
Written by Abdi Nazemian
HarperCollins Publishers, 2023
IL: Ages 13 and up RL: Grades 8-9
A sweeping story of three generations of boys in the same Iranian family. Set against the backdrop of Tehran and Los Angeles, this tale of intergenerational trauma and love is an ode to the fragile bonds of family, the hidden secrets of history, and all the beautiful moments that make us who we are today.
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Under All the Lights
Written by Maya Ameyaw
Annick Press, 2024
IL: Ages 14 and up RL: Grades 9-10
After one of his songs goes viral, Ollie Cheriet gets the opportunity of a lifetime: a cross-country tour, an album deal, and a chance to help his family with their financial struggles. The only problem? Ollie has major stage fright, a symptom of his anxiety disorder. As pressure from performing, social media rumours, and his romantic life rises, his mental health starts to spiral. So he’s surprised at how grounded he feels when he collaborates with his wildly talented—and distractingly cute—touring partner, Jesse. Music has always helped Ollie through hard times, but he’s going to have to be more vulnerable than he ever thought possible to find self-acceptance in the glow of the spotlight.
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Who We Are in Real Life
Written by Victoria Koops
Groundwood Books, 2024
IL: Ages 12 and up RL: Grades 7-8
IRL, Darcy has just moved to the small prairie town of Unity Creek with her two moms. It feels like she left everything good behind in the city. She misses her tabletop gaming friends and her boyfriend—and is horrified by the homophobia her family faces in their new home. Then she meets kind, quiet Art, who invites her to join his Dungeons & Dragons game. Art is mostly happy fading into the background at school and only really coming alive during his friends’ weekly D&D game—until meeting Darcy pulls his life off-course in wonderful and alarming ways. Suddenly he has something worth fighting for. But what if that something puts him in conflict with his father, an influential and conservative figure in their town? Can Art stand up against his father’s efforts to prevent Darcy and her friends from starting a queer-straight alliance at school?
Non-Fiction
Growing Up Trans: In Our Own Words
Edited by Lindsay Herriot and Kate Fry
Orca Book Publishers, 2021
IL: Ages 10 and up RL: Grades 5-6
Growing Up Trans shares stories, essays, art and poetry created by trans youth aged 11 to 18. In their own words, the works illustrate the trans experience through childhood, family and daily life, school, their bodies and mental health. Together the collection is a story of the challenges, big and small, of being a young trans person. At the same time, it’s a toolkit for all young people, transgender or not, about what understanding, acceptance and support for the trans community looks like. In addition to the contributed works, there are questions and tips from experts in the field of transgender studies to challenge the reader on how to be a trans ally.
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Pink, Blue, and You! Questions for Kids about Gender Stereotypes
Written by Elise Gravel and Mykaell Blais
Illustrated by Elise Gravel
Anne Schwartz Books, 2022
IL: Ages 4-8 RL: Grades 2-3
Is it okay for boys to cry? Can girls be strong? Should girls and boys be given different toys to play with and different clothes to wear? Should we all feel free to love whoever we choose to love? In this incredibly kid-friendly and easy-to-grasp picture book, author-illustrator Elise Gravel and transgender collaborator Mykaell Blais raise these questions and others relating to gender roles, acceptance, and stereotyping.
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The Power of Style: How Fashion and Beauty Are Being Used to Reclaim Cultures
Written by Christian Allaire
Annick Press, 2021
IL: Ages 12 and up RL: Grades 7-8
As a fashion-obsessed Ojibwe teen, Christian Allaire rarely saw anyone that looked like him in the magazines or movies he sought out for inspiration. Now the Fashion and Style Writer for Vogue, he is working to change that—because clothes are never just clothes. Men’s heels are a statement of pride in the face of 2LGTBQAI+ discrimination, while ribbon shirts honour Indigenous ancestors and keep culture alive. Allaire takes the reader through boldly designed chapters to discuss additional topics like cosplay, make up, hijabs, and hair, probing the connections between fashion and history, culture, politics, and social justice.
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Pride and Persistence: Stories of Queer Activism
(Do You Know My Name?)
Written by Mary Fairhurst Breen
Second Story Press, 2023
IL: Ages 9-12 RL: Grades 4-5
Every day, people face discrimination because of their sexuality and gender identity. The people between these pages have stood up for the queer community, whether on their own behalf or in support of people they love. Some made a difference by confronting injustice; others dared to be fully themselves.
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Queer History A to Z: 100 Years of LGBTQ+ Activism
Written by Robin Stevenson
Illustrated by Vivian Rosas
Kids Can Press, 2024
IL: Ages 10-14 RL: Grades 5-6
In this exploration of the history of 2SLGBTQIA+ activism in North America, middle-grade readers can learn about the key people who led the fight for equality, the events that brought about change and the places where history was made. Presented in an A to Z format, with one topic per letter (“P Is for Pride”), the entries include subjects such as coming out, pride flags, Jazz Jennings and the Stonewall Inn. Young readers will be particularly interested in learning about youth activists such as Gavin Grimm, the history of the first gay-straight alliance and the ongoing issue of banned children's books in America.
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Book list curated by Spencer Miller