New Releases: April 16, 2024

Queer and Fearless: Poems Celebrating the Lives of LGBTQ+ Heroes by Rob Sanders and Harry Woodgate

Learn about the lives of some of the most important LGBTQ+ heroes in this unique picture book that combines poetry and biographical information to honor those at the forefront of LGBTQ+ history.

Young readers will learn about the lives and legacies of seventeen heroes of the queer community from both past and present. Marsha P. Johnson, Harvey Milk, Cleve Jones, Pauline Park, Richard Blanco, and Pete Buttigieg are just a few of the iconic figures represented in this wonderfully designed and colorful picture book with illustrations by Harry Woodgate. A perfect introduction to the people who have stood up for what they believed in, lived lives according to their own ideals, and their partners, friends, and allies, the poetry in this book provides great read-aloud potential sure to entertain and inform readers of all ages.Beloved children’s book author Rob Sanders makes the lives of the most prominent LGBTQ+ heroes jump off of the page through his beautiful poems and detailed biographies. This title includes a glossary as well as a description of each poetry style, making it an ideal choice for home and classroom.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Continue reading New Releases: April 16, 2024

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Under All the Lights by Maya Ameyaw

Today on the site, I’m delighted to reveal the cover of Under All the Lights by Maya Ameyaw, releasing October 8, 2024 from Annick Press! Here’s the story:

A songwriter wrestles with instant stardom and his bisexuality in this raw and propulsive novel for fans of If This Gets Out and Alice Oseman’s I Was Born for This.

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 rumors, 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.

Featuring characters from Maya Ameyaw’s acclaimed debut When It All Syncs Up, this story takes readers into the green room, immersing them in the vivid behind-the-scenes world of touring musicians.

And here’s the striking cover of Under all the Lights, designed by designed by Sam Tse with art by Otesanya! (Series design is by Zainub’s Echo.)

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Doesn’t that sound and look fantastic?? While I definitely encourage using the above preorder links, you can also shoot your shot at winning a copy in the Goodreads giveaway that just went live!

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MAYA AMEYAW is a former bookseller and currently works as a community arts writing instructor. She has edited several mental health–themed anthologies for youth and adults, and her writing was included in the anthology Brilliance Is the Clothing I Wear (Dundurn Press). Maya also runs a YouTube series and blog where she interviews YA authors about their writing journeys. She lives in Toronto and can be found on Twitter @MayaAmeyaw.

New Releases: April 9, 2024

Young Adult

Every Time You Hear That Song by Jenna Voris

They say to never meet your idols. But they never said anything about upending your life for a quest designed by one.

Seventeen-year-old aspiring journalist Darren Purchase has been a lifelong fan of country music legend Decklee Cassel, who’s as famous for her classic hits as she is for her partnership with songwriter Mickenlee Hooper. The same Mickenlee who mysteriously backed out of the limelight at the height of their careers, never to be heard from again. Now, Decklee’s televised funeral marks the unveiling of her long-awaited time capsule. But when it’s revealed to be empty, a long trail of scavenger hunt clues unfolds, leading to a whopping cash prize for whoever finds the real capsule. Darren knows there’s a story there—and she’s going to be the one to break it. Even if it means a spontaneous road trip with her coworker, Kendall.

Flashback to 1963, where a young, runaway Decklee has her sights set on fame and glory. As she claws her way to the top over the years that follow, it’s Mickenlee’s lyrics that help rocket her to stardom. But as their relationship evolves beyond the professional, it threatens everything Decklee has worked for. What else will she sacrifice to hold on to her dreams?

Told in alternating perspectives, Every Time You Hear That Song is a queer coming-of-age story celebrating country music, complicated women, and living authentically. There’s more to Decklee’s story than Darren ever could have guessed, but the real story she has to tell is her own.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Continue reading New Releases: April 9, 2024

Fave Five: Queer Astronomy Fiction

How to Become a Planet by Nicole Melleby (Contemporary MG)

The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum (Speculative YA Romance)

The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer (YA Sci-Fi Romance)

Shoot the Moon by Isa Arsén (Historical Fiction)

The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite (Historical Romance)

Bonus: While less about Astronomy itself, Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers stars a PhD in Astronomy

Double Bonus: Not fiction at all, The Deviant’s War by Eric Cervini tells the story of rising Astronomer Frank Kemeny

Happy (Upcoming) International Asexuality Day 2024!

April 6 marks International Asexuality Day, and we’re celebrating by championing books all over the ace spectrum. For even more recs, check past years’ International Asexuality Day/Ace Week posts!

To Read Now

Middle Grade

Just Lizzie by Karen Wilfrid

There’s the part of me that doesn’t understand kissing or cuteness or attraction, and then there’s the part of me that feels so lonely. How do I make sense of those two parts? Maybe I’ll never make sense of them.

What do you do when there’s a question inside you that feels so big, you don’t know how to put words to it? How do you even begin to ask it?

Fourteen-year-old Lizzie is experiencing a lot of change: her family had to move after the incident with their neighbor, leaving behind not only her beloved apple tree, but what feels like her childhood along with it. Lizzie’s brother is too busy for her in his first semester of college and her friends are more interested in dating than dolls. It’s hard not to feel left behind, especially as she tries to explain the fact that she still has zero interest in boys, girls, or the baffling behavior known as “flirting.”

But just as Lizzie’s world feels like its closing in, a class lesson on asexual reproduction in plants piques her curiosity, leading her to look up whether people can be asexual too—and suddenly, her world opens up. Lizzie finally finds an identity, a word for all her messy, unnamable feelings that feels like it fits, although she quickly realizes that a label isn’t enough if no one believes it’s real.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Continue reading Happy (Upcoming) International Asexuality Day 2024!

Fave Five: New and Upcoming Fiction with Autistic MCs

For backlist titles, click here for YA and here and here for others.

Paige Not Found by Jen Wilde (Sci-Fi Adventure MG)

The Problem with Gravity by Michelle Mohrweis (Contemporary MG)

Daniel, Deconstructed by James Ramos (Contemporary YA)

The Spirit Bares its Teeth and Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White (Historical YA Horror, Paranormal YA Thriller)

Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings (F/F Romance)

Bonus: It’s too early for preorder links, but put Hollow by Taylor Grothe (YA Horror) and The Broposal by Sonora Reyes (M/M Romance) on your TBR for 2025

New Releases: April 2, 2024

Middle Grade

Winnie Nash is Not Your Sunshine by Nicole Melleby

Winnifred “Winnie” Nash is not a senior citizen, despite what anyone thinks of her name. And she is definitely not excited to live with her grandma in New Jersey for the summer. Not only are they basically strangers, but Winnie—who’s always known she’s gay—has been pushed into the metaphorical closet by her parents, who worry what Grandma will think. So Winnie keeps quiet about the cute girls she befriends; plays card games with seniors, which she does not enjoy; and dreams of the day she can go to the Pride Parade in New York City—a day that can’t happen when she’s hiding the truth from Grandma.

Meanwhile, her mom’s latest pregnancy is approaching its due date, and Winnie is worried it might end like the ones before, with Winnie still an only child. As she tries so hard to be an agreeable, selfless daughter, getting to NYC for Pride is feeling more and more like her only escape from a family who needs her to always smile. Winnie Nash is not your sunshine—and maybe it’s time to show the world who she really is.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Continue reading New Releases: April 2, 2024

Happy National Poetry Month 2024!

Happy National Poetry Month! Join us in celebrating by checking out these queer and/or trans poetry collections and novels in verse, and get even more recs by taking a gander at least year’s post

Queer and Fearless: Poems Celebrating the Lives of LGBTQ+ Heroes by Rob Sanders and Harry Woodgate

Learn about the lives of some of the most important LGBTQ+ heroes in this unique picture book that combines poetry and biographical information to honor those at the forefront of LGBTQ+ history.

Young readers will learn about the lives and legacies of seventeen heroes of the queer community from both past and present. Marsha P. Johnson, Harvey Milk, Cleve Jones, Pauline Park, Richard Blanco, and Pete Buttigieg are just a few of the iconic figures represented in this wonderfully designed and colorful picture book with illustrations by Harry Woodgate. A perfect introduction to the people who have stood up for what they believed in, lived lives according to their own ideals, and their partners, friends, and allies, the poetry in this book provides great read-aloud potential sure to entertain and inform readers of all ages.Beloved children’s book author Rob Sanders makes the lives of the most prominent LGBTQ+ heroes jump off of the page through his beautiful poems and detailed biographies. This title includes a glossary as well as a description of each poetry style, making it an ideal choice for home and classroom.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Continue reading Happy National Poetry Month 2024!

Happy (Upcoming) Trans Day of Visibility 2024!

March 31st is Trans Day of Visibility, and we’re celebrating as we do by highlighting a whole bunch of wonderful trans books! For even more recs, check out previous years’ posts. 

Books to Read Now

Middle Grade

Magical Princess Harriet by Leiah Moser

“To put it simply, Harris Baumgartner was late to school on the first day of the seventh grade because something he saw in the abandoned lot at the end of his street changed his life forever…”

Middle school can be tough, especially when you can’t figure out whether you’re supposed to be a boy or a girl. Homework and gym class are hard enough to deal with, but what exactly do you do when a pushy angel shows up insisting you’re a magical princess and that it’s your job to defend your school from the forces of darkness? For Harris Baumgartner, only one thing is certain — life is about to get a lot more complicated!

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Continue reading Happy (Upcoming) Trans Day of Visibility 2024!

Queering up your shelf, one rec at a time!