Summary
In honor of Pride Month, the American Library Association has compiled the 2024 Rainbow Book List, showcasing picture books, middle grade, and YA books that promote inclusion and acceptance.
June is designated as Pride Month, a month-long celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. It’s a time to shine a positive light on people who are often marginalized while honoring those who took a stand during the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan.
In recent years, the publishing world has made progress in producing books that both raise awareness about and showcase joy within the LGBTQ+ community. The American Library Association (ALA) brings attention to these books in June, which they refer to as Rainbow Book Month™.
What is Rainbow Book Month?
According to the ALA, “Rainbow Book Month™ is a nationwide celebration of the authors and books that reflect the lives and experiences of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, pansexual, genderqueer, queer, intersex, agender, and asexual community. Originally established in the early 1990s by The Publishing Triangle as National Lesbian and Gay Book Month, this occasion is an opportunity for book lovers and libraries with the very best in LGBTQIA+ literature.”
The recent rise in book banning, harassment, and threats of violence toward libraries makes this month’s observation more important than ever. Supporting free and fair access to all kinds of books is one way we can work to build tolerance in our beautifully diverse world.
How Can We Find KidLit to Celebrate Pride Month?
The 2024 Rainbow Book List was compiled by ALA’s Rainbow Round Table. This list assists all stakeholders and allies in promoting inclusive literature for kids and teens.
This list includes charming picture books like My Mommies Built a Treehouse, by author Gareth Peter and illustrator Izzy Evans. The story of parents pitching in – and maybe taking over – in the quest to build the perfect treehouse is highly relatable and wonderfully entertaining for young readers.
Meggie Ramm’s graphic novel Batcat uses fun imagery and silly animal personalities to uplift kids who don’t fit into stereotypical molds and aren’t comfortable with the expectations placed upon them.
Middle grade readers will enjoy Maggie Horne’s Hazel Hill is Gonna Win This One, about a young lesbian middle schooler whose quest to find friends turns into a fight for justice.
There are also a number of YA titles on the list, including Kayla Cottingham’s This Delicious Death. This quirky, dystopian tale includes zombies, murder, miscommunication, a music festival, and queer love.
The books highlighted here offer only a small sampling of ALA’s recommended titles, so be sure to check out the full 2024 Rainbow Reading List. And be sure this month, and every month, to honor, support, and accept your fellow humans in this beautifully diverse world.
Share this:
Leave a Reply