Book Releases: 2022 Middle Grade & Picture Books

This is the last of our big releases posts of the first half of the year. Here you will find 62 middle grade releases, and 25 picture book releases, all of which feature LGBT main characters! Everything I know at this point in time (give or take a couple that I’m waiting for clarification on). This list will get updated as I find more books, so if there’s one you know that’s not on here, feel free to mention it.

And as ever, 🌈 means the author IDs as LGBT.

MIDDLE GRADE

Tiger Honor by Yoon Ha Lee (Korean coded nonbinary mc) 🌈
The Burning Swift by Joseph Elliott (gay mc with anxiety, gay side character) 🌈
The Lock Eater by Zack Loran-Clark (sapphic mc, f/f) 🌈
It’s a Hit! by Arin Cole Barth & Marika Barth (trans mc, lgbt side characters) 🌈
Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms by Jamar J. Perry (Black achillean mc)

The Visitors by Greg Howard (gay mc) 🌈
Princess Ever After by Connie Glynn (f/f) 🌈
The Mapmakers by Tamzin Merchant (side m/m)
Pauli Murray: The Life of a Pioneering Feminist and Civil Rights Activist by Rosita Stevens-Holsey & Terry Catasus Jennings (nonfiction)
Drew LeClair Gets a Clue by Katryn Bury (bi mc) 🌈

Aru Shah and the Nectar of Immortality by Roshani Chokshi (bi character)
Different Kinds of Fruit by Kyle Lukoff (trans parent, nonbinary character) 🌈
The Secrets of the Stormforest by LD Lapinski (lesbian mc, trans mc) 🌈
The Last Firefox by Lee Newbery (m/m parents) 🌈
Jordie and Joey Fell from the Sky by Judi Lauren (gay mc)

In the Key of Us by Mariama J. Lockington (Black sapphic mc, Black bi mc) 🌈
Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao (Chinese achillean mc) 🌈
Moonflower by Kacen Callender (nonbinary mc) 🌈
The Real Riley Mayes by Rachel Elliott (sapphic mc, side m/m) 🌈
The One Who Loves You the Most by medina (nonbinary mc) 🌈

The Science of Being Angry by Nicole Melleby (neurodivergent sapphic mc, sapphic parents) 🌈
Our Sister, Again by Sophie Cameron (sapphic mc) 🌈
The Language of Seabirds by Will Taylor (gay mc) 🌈
Twelfth by Janet Key (sapphic mc, nonbinary li)
The Civil War of Amos Abernathy by Michael Leali (gay mc) 🌈

Fight + Flight by Jules Machias (sapphic mc, sapphic trans mother) 🌈
Small Town Pride by Phil Stamper (gay mc) 🌈
Basil & Oregano by Melissa Capriglione (f/f) 🌈
Grounded for All Eternity by Darcy Marks (bi/pan mc) 🌈
Riley Reynolds Crushes Costume Day by Jay Albee (nonbinary mc) 🌈

The Devouring Wolf by Natalie C. Parker (sapphic mc) 🌈
City of Speed by Alex London (nonbinary characters) 🌈
Hazel Hill Is Gonna Win This One by Maggie Horne (lesbian mc) 🌈
The Trouble With Robots by Michelle Mohrweis (bi mc, aroace mc) 🌈
You Only Live Once, David Bravo by Mark Oshiro (lgbt characters) 🌈

The Last Hope in Hopetown by Maria Tureaud (f/f parents) 🌈
Where the Lost Ones Go by Akemi Dawn Bowman (sapphic mc, f/f) 🌈
Nikhil Out Loud by Maulik Pancholy (Indian American gay mc) 🌈
Anne by Kathleen Gros (f/f) 🌈
The Gingerbread Witch by Alexandra Overy (sapphic mc) 🌈

Riley Reynolds Rocks the Park by Jay Albee (nonbinary mc) 🌈
Riley Reynolds Glitterfies the Gala by Jay Albee (nonbinary mc) 🌈
Riley Reynolds Slays the Play by Jay Albee (nonbinary mc) 🌈
Anne of West Philly by Ivy Noelle Weir & Myisha Haynes (f/f)
The Best Liars in Riverview by Lin Thompson (nonbinary mc) 🌈

The Secret Sunshine Project by Benjamin Dean (Black lesbian character, gay side characters) 🌈
Alice Austen Lived Here by Alex Gino (nonbinary mcs) 🌈
Rabbit Chase by Elizabeth LaPensée & KC Oster (Anishinaabe nonbinary mc)
Answers in the Pages by David Levithan (gay mc & side characters) 🌈
The Vanquishers by Kalynn Bayron (nonbinary mc) 🌈

Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston by Esme Symes-Smith (nonbinary mc, bi dads) 🌈
The Weeping Tide by Amanda Foody (bi mc) 🌈
The Supernatural Society by Rex Ogle (m/m parents) 🌈
On the Line by Paul Coccia & Eric Walters (gay dad)
Scout is Not a Band Kid by Jade Armstrong (nonbinary characters)

Rise of the School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani (gay mcs) 🌈
Curse of the Werewolves by Rex Ogle (m/m parents) 🌈
The Secrets of Stone Creek by Briana McDonald (m/m side relationship) 🌈
Alessia in Atlantis: The Jellyfish Jailbreak by Nathalie Laine (m/m parents)

PICTURE BOOKS

Find Out About: Families by Mandy Archer (lgbt characters)
The Light of You by Trystan Reese, Biff Chaplow & Van Binfa (trans dad)
The Magic Shell by Jillian Christmas & Diana G. A. Mungaray (Black nonbinary mc)
Noodin’s Perfect Day by Ansley Simpson & Rhael McGregor (nonbinary mc)
My Own Way: Celebrating Gender Freedom for Kids by Joana Estrela & Jay Hulme (trans/nonbinary)

Big Wig by Jonathan Hillman & Levi Hastings (nonbinary mc)
Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle by Nina LaCour & Kaylani Juanita (f/f parents) 🌈
Kind Like Marsha by Sarah Prager & Cheryl Thuesday (nonfiction) 🌈
My Shadow is Purple by Scott Stuart (nonbinary mc)
Timid by Harry Woodgate (nonbinary mc with anxiety) 🌈

Bye Bye Binary by Eric Geron & Charlene Chua (nonbinary) 🌈
Cinderelliot by Mark Ceilley, Rachel Smoka-Richardson & Stephanie Laberis (m/m)
Twas the Night Before Pride by Joanna McClintick & Juana Medina (lgbt cast)
Strong by Rob Kearney, Eric Rosswood & Nidhi Chanani (gay mc)
The Rainbow Parade by Emily Neilson (f/f parents)

The Marvellous Doctors for Magical Creatures by Jodie Lancet-Grant & Lydia Corry (m/m parents) 🌈
Kapaemahu by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, Daniel Sousa (mahu mcs/third gender mcs)
If You’re a Kid Like Gavin by Kyle Lukoff, Gavin Grimm & J Yang (autobiography) 🌈
True You by Shelley Rotner & Gwen Agna (trans)
My Aunt is a Monster by Reimena Yee (nonbinary character)

All Moms by Sarah Kate Ellis, Kristen Ellis-Henderson & Max Rambaldi (f/f parents)
Firsts and Lasts: The Changing Seasons by Leda Schubert & Clover Robin (f/f parents)
My Moms Love Me by Anna Membrino, Joy Hwang Ruiz (f/f parents)
I Am Everything in Between by Sydney Sunderland (nonbinary mc)
Miss Rita, Mystery Reader by Sam Donovan, Kristen Wixted & Violet Tobacco (gnc mc, drag queen character)

If You’re a Drag Queen and You Know It by Lil Miss Hot Mess & Olga de Dios Ruiz (autobiography) 🌈
The Stonewall Riots by Archie Bongiovanni & A. Andrews (nonfiction) 🌈
ABC Pride by Louie Stowell & Elly Barnes (nonfiction) 🌈
Sylvia Rivera: Leaders Like Us by Kaitlyn Duling & David Wilkerson (nonfiction)
Phoenix Gets Greater by Marty Wilson-Trudeau, Megan Kyak-Monteith & Phoenix Wilson (Two-Spirit mc; autobiography) 🌈

Some Daddies by Carol Gordon Ekster & Javiera Maclean Álvarez (m/m parents)
Me and My Dysphoria Monster by Laura Kate Dale (trans mc) 🌈
A Costume for Charly by C.K. Malone & Alejandra Barajas (bigender mc)
The Woodcutter and the Snow Prince by Ian Eagleton & Davide Ortu (m/m) 🌈
Payden’s Pronoun Party by Blue Jaryn & Xochitl Cornejo (nonbinary mc)

My Paati’s Saris by Jyoti Rajan Gopal & Art Twink (Tamil American gnc mc)
The Meaning of Pride by Rosiee Thor, illustrated by Sam Kirk (nonfiction) 🌈
Mighty Red Riding Hood by Wallace West (gnc mc)
Our Big Day by Bob Johnston & Michael Emberley (m/m uncles)
Patience, Patches! by Christy Mihaly & Sheryl Murray (f/f parents)

Fitting In by Hayden Aoki & John Olson (picture book)
Whoever You Are: A Baby Book on Love & Gender by Josephine Wai Lin and Sandy Lopez (nonbinary)
You Need to Chill! by Juno Dawson & Laura Hughes (trans mc)
Something Great by Jeanette Bradley (nonbinary mc)
The You Kind of Kind by Nina West & Hayden Evans (lgbt cast)

As I Am by Celeste Finn & Kristina Neudakhina (nonbinary mc)
Butterfly Child by Marc Majewski (nonbinary mc)
A Song for the Unsung by Carole Boston Weatherford & Rob Sanders (nonfiction)

Please note: this list previously included a book by A. J. Sass. However, on learning that Sass plans to partake in a trip to Isr*el, thus legitimising an apartheid state, we have elected to remove the book from the post. We do not feel we can support someone who disregards Palestinian lives in such a manner.

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