Resources: Pro-GLBT Books for Kids & How to Find More (I'll continue to update this list)

Or: representation, representation, representation, representation. I cannot overstate the importance of seeing ourselves represented, of our kids seeing themselves and their families represented. How else can we imagine our full possibilities, see new paradigms, dream of freedom, unless we can taste, touch, feel, experience it in fantasy first. We cannot fight for what we cannot envision.

Quote:"[I]t is only through the way in which we represent and imagine ourselves that we come to know how we are constituted and who we are. There is no escape from the politics of representation."—Stuart Hall

Quote: "The great service of literature is to show us who we are. Put more simply, we tend to behave, and think, as books show us how to behave and think. . . . Lesbians, historically bereft of cultural, political and moral context, have especially relied on imaginative literature to dream themselves into situations of cultural, political and moral power.” —Bertha Harris

Since the kids were small, Susan and I have changed up the gender and pronouns on so many books we read to our kids, because so many, still, have a male protagonist. So many. Susan I suspect because she thinks it's the best thing to do, me because of Irigaray, whose theory of how the feminine, the woman is always secondary in language/culture/discourse, merely the opposite of or not-as-good-as the man, is completely convincing. To let them imagine the female as *central* rather than necessarily, automatically secondary, adjunct, at least as long as they can manage it. More on the personal book reading experience another time.

BOOK WEBSITES, LISTS, RESOURCES:

Just started in Jan 2008: the American Library Association's GLBT Roundtable started a Rainbow Project, which lists the best glbt-friendly books for each age group. Looks great.

Family Equality Council has a list here of lgbt-friendly kids' books.

One of the most helpful websites (with descriptions of the books and critique)
that I found was Notes from the Windowsill / Rainbow Reading: gay and lesbian characters and themes in children's books. From what I can tell I trust the the perspective of the reviewer, it's a bit old though; 2006.

Twolives.com is a publishing house/distributer for lbgt family-friendly books. "We carry nearly every book in print for children in LGBT families, we are a lesbian-owned company active in the LGBT family community, and your support will enable us to keep publishing books for kids in LGBT families."

Also try http://www.leewind.org/, I haven't spent much time there yet but looks good for both young adult books with queer protagonists and has a listing for young adult books with glbt parents/caretakers.

BOOKS:

My own compilation (so far) of pro-gay, pro-lesbian, pro-queer books for kids, also books which promote diversity of all sorts:

BOOKS INCLUDING TWO MOMS OR TWO DADS:

These below are mostly for little kids, preschool and younger:

-Heather Has Two Mommies: 10th Anniversary Edition (Alyson Wonderland) by Leslea Newman,
-Emma and Meesha My Boy: A Two Mom Story by Kaitlyn Taylor Considine
-And Tango Makes Three (ALA Notable Children's Books. Younger Readers (Awards)) by Peter Parnell, Justin Richardson
-Anna Day and the O-Ring (Paperback) by Elaine Wickens
-Mom and Mum Are Getting Married! by Ken Setterington. Illustrated by Alice Priestley. Second Story, 2004
-King & King written and illustrated by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland.
-The White Swan Express by Jean Davies Okimoto and Elaine M. Aoki
-One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads by Johnny Valentine.
-Molly's Family by Nancy Garden. Illustrated by Hsaron Wooding
-ABC A Family Alphabet Book (Paperback) by Bobbie Combs,
-123 A Family Counting Book (Paperback) by Bobbie Combs,
-Is Your Family Like Mine (Paperback) by Lois Abramchik
-Mama Eat Ant, Yuck! by Barbara Lynn Edmonds
-Felicia's Favorite Story (Paperback) by Leslea Newman
-The Duke Who Outlawed Jelly Beans and Other Stories (Paperback) by Johnny Valentine (
-Asha's Mums (Paperback) by Rosamund Elwin

For older kids I can vouch for any book by J Jacqueline
Woodson, who is a friend of mine, a great writer, and a multiple
Coretta Scott King award winner. She writes about race and sometimes
about lgbt topics.

BOOKS for preschool or younger PROMOTING DIVERSITY/DIFFERENCE AND INCLUDING GAY PARENTS:

-The Family Book (Hardcover) by Todd Parr
-It's Okay To Be Different (Hardcover) by Todd Parr
-The Mommy Book (Hardcover) by Todd Parr