Category: lgbtq+

culture, family, lgbtq+, social-emotional

Spotlight: Vlad the Fabulous Vampire/Alma and How She Got Her Name

Seth Harris

Vlad the Fabulous Vampire (Candlewick Press)
Written & Illustrated by Flavia Z. Drago

For ages: 4-8
Vlad isn’t like the other vampires. He loves bold fashion and uses his meticulously planned everyday wear to hide something he’s ashamed of. Vlad has bright rosy pink cheeks. These marks on his face make him stand out from the other vampires, so Vlad develops an insecurity about them. He doesn’t realize until the end of the story that every vampire has something they think will make them ostracized from the group. But when everyone acknowledges their differences, they realize they are all the same in unique ways.

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history, lgbtq+, middle grade, social-emotional

Middle Grade Must-Read: Alice Austen Lived Here

Seth Harris

Alice Austen Lived Here (Scholastic Press)
Written by Alex Gino

There is an ugly event happening within portions of America at the moment, a rising tide of transphobia & gender ignorance prodded on by greedy media interested in driving up traffic and morally rotten politicians who think throwing hateful red meat to their voting base guarantees them electoral success. All of this spits in the face of reality which is that LGBTQ+ people have existed and lived in our societies since the earliest days humans walked the Earth. Transgender people are not a “new fad”; they have been ever-present; in the United States, reactionary forces have been very efficient at driving these people into even further marginalization. That does not extinguish the truth, though. There is hope that we can end this hate, not by listening to the transphobes but by holding up and supporting transgender youth.

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culture, holiday, lgbtq+, spotlight

Spotlight: Holi Hai!/Love, Violet

Seth Harris

Holi Hai! (AW Teen)
Written by Chitra Soundar
Illustrated by Darshika Varma

For ages: 4-8
Holi is a Hindu festival also known as “The Festival of Colors” centered on the love given to humanity by the deity Radha Krishna. Its purpose is to celebrate the end of cold dark winters and the start of a warm jubilant spring. Over one night and one day, people feast and dance. Hindus are encouraged to forgive & forget past transgressions and heal broken relationships. The morning after is when Rangwali Holi happens. This is a big free for all, where participants smear each other with colored powders and play with water guns and balloons. People romp through the neighborhood singing and simply celebrating that they are all in each other’s life. The color fights mock the arguments that create dissonance throughout the year.

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culture, lgbtq+, social-emotional

Book List: Gender Identity

Seth Harris

For the life of me, I can’t understand it. This month, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed an executive order that criminalized parents helping their children transition. Framed as “child abuse,” the new directive allows Child Protective Services to investigate parents whose children are going through any level of transition, whether it be allowing them to wear clothing of their choice or taking hormones after consultation with doctors. The bizarre push for parents to make their love for their children conditional on societal norms is a dangerous idea. The large number of trans people who commit suicide or cannot find work/housing because of how their gender identities are received by society is heartbreaking. These books help to break down these destructive norms and embrace love. 

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