Browse Items · Windows and Mirrors: Diversity in Books for Young Readers

The Highest Frontier

This is a science fiction novel focusing on the main character, Jennifer, and her first year in college. She faces many problems, addressing political, social, and environmental issues, making the novel appealing to readers both young and old.

Tags: girl/woman (primary character); human (primary character); language: English; unspecified sexuality (primary character); young adult fiction

The Hate U Give

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter tries to balance two very different lives in the poor, predominantly black neighborhood where she lives and the posh, predominantly white, suburban prep school she attends. She is forced to face her reality when…

Tags: Black/African (primary character); Black/African (secondary characters); boy/man (secondary characters); girl/woman (primary character); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; straight (primary character); straight (secondary characters); white, confirmed (secondary characters); young adult fiction

The Gruffalo

This fantasy children's picture book is a heartwarming tale of a fearless mouse who is on a quest to find the mighty Gruffalo. It is a classic children's story that encourages curiosity and bravery.

Tags: language: English; non-human (primary character); non-human (secondary characters); picture book; unspecified gender (primary character); unspecified gender (secondary characters); unspecified sexuality (primary character); unspecified sexuality (secondary characters)

The Girl and the Wolf

A retelling of the "Little Red Riding Hood" story; in this version, the wolf is a helper, and the little girl must rely on both his knowledge and her own to find her way to safety. TheKirkus review states, "Readers will likely infer the girl and her…

Tags: early reader (ages 5-9); girl/woman (primary character); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; unspecified sexuality (primary character)

The Frozen Monster (Disney Frozen)

Follow Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff and Sven as they go on a very cold journey through the Mountains. Kristoff and Sven are convinced that they saw a very scary monster and want their friends the help find him again. But what if their eyes fooled them,…

Tags: boy/man (secondary characters); girl/woman (primary character); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; non-human (secondary characters); picture book; straight (primary character); straight (secondary characters); white, confirmed (primary character); white, confirmed (secondary characters)

The Extraordinaries

This queer coming-of-age story follows Nick Bell, an ultimate fanboy with ADHD. Nick strives to be extraordinary to impress his biggest crush: Shadow Star, Nova City's mightiest hero. But, he finds that his best friend Seth could be the true love of…

Tags: boy/man (primary character); boy/man (secondary characters); cognitive/neurological disability/condition (author); cognitive/neurological disability/condition (primary character); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; LGBTQ+ (author); LGBTQ+ (primary character); LGBTQ+ (secondary characters); man (author); unspecified gender (secondary characters); white (author); white, assumed (primary character); white, assumed (secondary characters); young adult fiction

The Cruel Prince

The Cruel Prince follows a young woman named Jude who wants nothing to do with her mortality and hopes to be accepted into the High Court of Faerie. To win a place in the court she has to win over Prince Cardan because he despises humans.

Tags: boy/man (secondary characters); girl/woman (primary character); human (primary character); language: English; non-human (secondary characters); straight (primary character); straight (secondary characters); white, confirmed (primary character); young adult fiction

The Couch Potato

A couch potato believes it can live life sitting on a sofa in front of a wall of screens—that is until the power goes out and forces the couch potato to play outside. Being in nature reminds the couch potato that fresh air, exercise, and human…

Tags: boy/man (secondary characters); girl/woman (secondary characters); language: English; non-human (primary character); non-human (secondary characters); picture book; unspecified gender (primary character); unspecified gender (secondary characters); unspecified sexuality (primary character); unspecified sexuality (secondary characters)

The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh

Billy wants to be a stand-up comedian, but he has a stutter and is afraid to speak in front of his classmates at his new school. First-person narration.

Tags: boy/man (primary character); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; middle grade book (ages 8-12); physical disability/condition (primary character); white, assumed (primary character)

The Bookshop Cat

A cat finds a job in a children's bookshop, where he helps children of many races and genders come together over books.

Tags: Asian (secondary characters); Black/African (secondary characters); boy/man (primary character); boy/man (secondary characters); brown skin (secondary characters); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (secondary characters); language: English; non-human (primary character); non-human (secondary characters); picture book; white, assumed (secondary characters)

The Book with No Pictures

This humorous book uses funny words to make adults say ridiculous things and reveal the magic of words to its young readers.

Tags: early reader (ages 5-9); language: English; no characters

The Boi of Feather and Steel

This book is the second one in the queer witchy fantasy duologyMetamorphosis(sequel toThe Girl of Hawthorne and Glass). The three main characters are Eli, a female white assasin, Tav, a black magic queer boi, and Kite, a blue-skinned witch. In the…

Tags: Black/African (primary character); girl/woman (primary character); human (primary character); language: English; LGBTQ+ (primary character); non-binary (primary character); non-human (primary character); white, assumed (primary character); young adult fiction

The Beatryce Prophecy

A fantasy/fable about prophecy and storytelling, set in medieval times. The protagonist has her head shaved, is disguised as a boy, and hidden by monks. She has an unpleasant goat as an animal companion.

Tags: girl/woman (primary character); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; middle grade book (ages 8-12); non-human (secondary characters); white, assumed (primary character)

The Bad Guys in They’re Bee-Hind You!

The fourteenth installment in the The Bad Guys series. The story follows a team of four animal predators (Mr. Wolf, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Snake, and Mr. Shark) who decide to perform good deeds no longer wanting to be the bad guys. The team is trapped in a…

Tags: graphic novel; group (characters); language: English; non-human (primary character); non-human (secondary characters)

The 12 Days of First Grade

What will the teacher share with us on The 12 Days of First Grade? Find out in this rhyming storybook by Jenna Lettice! Follow along to discover all the school activities and supplies for a fun-filled 12 Days of First Grade.

Tags: Asian (secondary characters); boy/man (primary character); boy/man (secondary characters); brown skin (primary character); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; picture book; unspecified sexuality (primary character); unspecified sexuality (secondary characters); white, assumed (secondary characters)

That Was Then, This is Now

Set in the 1960s, this coming-of-age novel follows two male best friends, Mark Jennings and Bryon Douglas, as they evolve and drift apart.

Tags: boy/man (primary character); human (primary character); language: English; unspecified sexuality (primary character); white, assumed (primary character); young adult fiction

Tempted (House of Night #6)

Tempted is the sixth novel in the House of Night Seriesof young adult novels about teens who are marked to become "vampyres." In this novel in the series, Zoe Redbird, who has both Cherokee and white heritage, strives to understand her connection…

Tags: boy/man (secondary characters); girl/woman (primary character); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); Indigenous (secondary characters); language: English; LGBTQ+ (secondary characters); multiracial (primary character); non-human (secondary characters); straight (primary character); young adult fiction

Teen Titans: Beast Boy Loves Raven

Raven and Garfield have both experienced traumatic life events and have their own hidden secrets. They meet for the first time in Nashville as both try and seek answers from Slade Wilson. A YA romance story about trust and acceptance.

Tags: boy/man (secondary characters); comic book; girl/woman (primary character); language: English; non-human (primary character); non-human (secondary characters); straight (primary character); straight (secondary characters)

Tan, Susan

Susan Tan's first book wasCilla Lee-Jenkins, Future Author Extraordinaire; shehas published three books in theCilla series.She was the 2015 Gish Jen Emerging Writers Fellow at the Writers’ Room of Boston and is a professor of children's and young…

Tags: author; multiracial (author); professor; unspecified sexuality (author); woman (author)

Sylvester, Kevin

Sylvester is known for illustrating Great Too, by Lauri Holomis and Glen Gretzky.

Tags: author; illustrator; man (author); man (illustrator); unspecified sexuality (author); unspecified sexuality (illustrator); white (author); white (illustrator)

Suk, Sarah

Sarah Suk is a nature lover and author from Vancouver, Canada. She enjoys taking photos and eating Korean food. Made in Korea is her first novel.

Tags: Asian (author); author; unspecified sexuality (author); woman (author)

Such a Fun Age

Such a Fun Age is a novel about a young black woman named Emira Tucker, a babysitter who is accused of kidnapping the white child she is babysitting. She begins working for a wealthy white woman named Alix Chamberlain who, is only concerned about her…

Tags: Black/African (primary character); girl/woman (primary character); girl/woman (secondary characters); human (primary character); human (secondary characters); language: English; straight (primary character); straight (secondary characters); white, confirmed (secondary characters); young adult fiction

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