Editor’s note: Thirteen-year-old Onyx (they/them) has been keeping track of the books they’ve read during their pandemic year. Onyx notes the gender identities and/or sexual orientations represented in the books, their recommendation for age level, and whether or not the stories include romance. They’ve even created their own rating system, explained below. We’re delighted that Onyx has given us permission to share their list with our readers.  

YA means young adult books, middle grade means middle-school books, kids means kids books. 

The star✨ means how many times I would recommend it to one person (yes, I would recommend one book to the same person 4 times). 

“Kind of romance” means that the story has a crush or something like that. 

1. George by Alex Gino (Scholastic): trans female. kids and middle-grade book✨✨✨✨ -- no romance 

2. Luna by Julie Anne Peters (Little, Brown): trans female. middle-grade and YA book✨✨✨ -- romance 

3. The Pants Project by Cat Clarke (Sourcebooks): trans male. kids and middle-grade book✨✨✨ -- romance 

4. Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin (Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins): gender fluid. YA book✨✨✨✨ -- romance 

5. I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver (PUSH): non-binary. YA book✨✨✨✨ -- romance 

6. To Night Owl from Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer (Dial): gay dads. kids and middle-grade book✨✨✨ -- kind of romance 

7. The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James by Ashley Herring Blake (Little, Brown): lesbian. middle-grade book✨✨✨ -- romance 

8. Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake (Little, Brown): lesbian. middle-grade book✨✨✨✨ -- kind of romance 

9. How to Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake (Houghton): bisexual and lesbian. YA book✨✨  -- romance 

10. The ABC's of LGBT+ by Ashley Mardell (Mango): educational-all ages✨✨✨✨ -- no romance 

11. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (Baltzer + Bray/HarperCollins): gay. YA book ✨✨✨  -- romance 

12. None of the Above by I. W. Gregorio (Baltzer + Bray/HarperCollins): intersex. YA book✨✨ -- romance 

13. Drama by Raina Telgemeier (Graphix/Scholastic): queer kids. middle-grade and YA book ✨✨✨ -- romance 

14. Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart (Delacorte): trans female. middle-grade book✨✨✨✨ -- no romance 

15. Rick by Alex Gino (Scholastic): main character is questioning/ace-aro and there are many LGBTQ characters. kids and middle-grade book✨✨✨ -- no romance 

16. It’s Not like It’s a Secret by Misa Sugiura (HarperTeen): lesbian. YA book✨✨✨ --romance 

17. Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky (Little, Brown): trans female. kids and middle-grade book✨✨✨ -- no romance 

18. Lumberjanes comic series by Noelle Stevenson, et al. (BOOM Box!): lesbian and a non-binary character. kids and middle grade✨✨✨✨ -- kind of romance 

19. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: A Modern Retelling of Little Women by Rey Terciero, illus. by Bre Indigo (Little, Brown): a lesbian main character. kids and middle grade✨✨✨ -- romance 

20. Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kristin Cronn-Mills (Flux): trans male. YA book✨✨✨ -- romance 

21. Drum Roll, Please by Lisa Jenn Bigelow (HarperCollins): WLW (women love women). kids and middle grade✨✨✨✨ -- romance 

22. Am I Blue?: Coming Out from the Silence, edited by Marion Dane Bauer (HarperCollins): lesbian and gay (short stories). YA book✨✨✨ -- romance 

23. Sidekick Squad series by C. B. Lee (Interlude):  
Not Your Sidekick: bisexual. middle grade and YA✨✨✨✨ -- romance  
Not Your Villain: bisexual, wlw, transgender man, questioning (all different people). middle grade and YA✨✨✨✨ -- romance - great representation  
Not Your Backup: asexual, trans, bisexual, lesbian. middle grade and YA✨✨✨✨ -- romance- great representation

24. Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden (Square Fish): lesbian. YA✨✨✨ -- romance 

For more, click the tag Pride Month.