Moving tales of self-growth and finding family, epic adventures of magic and mystery, sweet stories of friendships and crushes, and combinations of the above: the LGBTQ-inclusive middle grade novels of 2024 are a wide-ranging lot. Here are some favorites.
Author, illustrator (if relevant), and publisher are listed after each title. An asterisk (*) indicates a sequel (check out the whole series!) and a carat (^) indicates a graphic novel.
Many tales embrace the supernatural. “Benji Zeb Is a Ravenous Werewolf” (Deke Moulton, Tundra) is a smart, layered tale about a gay, Jewish werewolf and his family. Vampires feature in “Blood City Rollers”^ (V. P. Anderson, Tatiana Hill, Labyrinth Road), about a paranormal roller derby team; and “The Vanquishers: Rise of the Wrecking Crew”* (Kalynn Bayron, Bloomsbury), where lines of good and evil blur. For ghosts and monsters, try “Jasmine is Haunted” (Mark Oshiro, Starscape), with many queer characters; “The Ghostkeeper”^ (Johanna Taylor, G. P. Putnam), with a two-man romance; “Wishbone” (Justine Pucella Winans, Bloomsbury), with a transgender demiboy protagonist; “The School for Invisible Boys” Shaun David Hutchinson, Labyrinth Road), with a gay protagonist; “Camp Twisted Pine” (Ciera Burch, Margaret K. McElderry), a mystery with a first (two-girl) crush, and “Hart & Souls” (Lisa Schmid, Carolina Vazquez, Andrews McMeel), which weaves LGBTQ+ history into its mystery.
Mysterious buildings feature in “Scrimshaw: A Deephaven Novel,”* (Ethan M. Aldridge, Quill Tree), about a nonbinary student at an exclusive boarding school; “Puzzleheart” (Jenn Reese, Henry Holt), with a nonbinary protagonist and a house full of deadly puzzles; “The Curse of Eelgrass Bog” (Mary Averling, Razorbill), a twisty tale starring a queer girl; “The House on Yeet Street” (Preston Norton, Union Square Kids), which blends a contemporary gay coming out story with a historical mystery; and “Night of the Living Zed”* (Basil and Kevin Sylvester, HarperCollins), with a flamboyant nonbinary protagonist.
Other spooky adventures include “The Pale Queen”^ (Ethan Aldridge, Quill Tree), where a queer girl is drawn into a fairy bargain; “Lulu Sinagtala and the City of Noble Warriors” (Gail D. Villanueva, HarperCollins), with a bisexual protagonist and influences from Tagalog myths; “Jaden Powers and the Inheritance Magic” (Jamar J. Perry, Bloomsbury), about a queer boy at a West African-influenced magical boarding school; “The Lumbering Giants of Windy Pines” (Mo Netz, Clarion), with a gender non-conforming protagonist who uses a wheelchair; “Nightmares in Paradise”* (Aden Polydoros, Inkyard), with a gay protagonist and creatures drawn from Jewish folklore; and the Doomsday Archives series, “The Wandering Hour” and “The Heart-Stealer Mask”* (Zack Loran Clark and Nick Eliopulos, Zando), with several queer (or queer-parented) characters. Two titles are set during an apocalypse: “The Flicker” (H.E. Edgmon, Feiwel & Friends), with nonbinary, trans, and gay characters; and “Alex Wise vs. the Cosmic Shift” (Terry J. Benton-Walker, Random House), with a gay protagonist as reluctant hero.
Find sword-swinging adventure with nonbinary protagonists (and other queer and diverse representation) in “Splinter & Ash” (Marieke Nijkamp, Greenwillow); and “Sir Callie and the Witch’s War”* (Esme Symes-Smith, Labyrinth Road). Magic and queerness also abound in “The Ghostwing’s Lie”* (Rebecca Mix, Balzer + Bray), a return to a deeply imagined fairy world; and “House of Elephants”* (Claribel Ortega, Scholastic), continuing the Dominican-inflected Witchlings series.
For magic and silliness, try “Nell of Gumbling: My Extremely Tiny Forest Adventure”*^ (Emma Steinkellner, Labyrinth Road), set in an offbeat magical land; “PetWizards”^ (Kirk Scroggs, Union Square), about a glam-rock loving queer tween who can control (some) animals; and “Unicorn Boy”^ (Dave Roman, First Second), about a unicorn-horned boy and his nonbinary best friend.
Other adventures include “Paige Not Found” (Jen Wilde, Scholastic), a techno-thriller with a queer, autistic protagonist; “The Swifts: A Gallery of Rogues”* (Beth Lincoln, Claire Powell, Dutton/Penguin), an art-theft mystery starring a hilariously eccentric family; and “Lunar Boy”^ (Jes and Cin Wibowo, HarperCollins), about a trans boy in a future Indonesian-based society.
Performing arts provide a backdrop in “Stand Up!”^ (Tori Sharp; Little, Brown), about two queer, neurodivergent best friends; “Upstaged”^ (Robin Easter; Little, Brown), a drama camp story with a nonbinary protagonist; and “Camp Prodigy”^ (Caroline Palmer, Simon & Schuster), about a nonbinary tween at orchestra camp.
Queer characters and friends create social change in “Jamie” (L.D. Lapinski, Little Bee), with a nonbinary protagonist; and “Not Another Banned Book”* (Dana Allison Levy, Delacorte), which includes a gay boy and another with two dads.
Foster families feature in “Gooseberry” (Robin Gow, Amulet), where a nonbinary, autistic tween finds a kindred spirit in a shelter dog; and “My So-Called Family” (Gia Gordon, Farrar, Straus and Giroux), where a gender non-conforming girl seeks safety and belonging.
Numerous titles explore other aspects of family, friendships, and sometimes crushes:
One centering queer girls include “Winnie Nash Is Not Your Sunshine” (Nicole Melleby, Algonquin); “Mallory in Full Color” (Elisa Stone Leahy, HarperCollins); “Noah Frye Gets Crushed” (Maggie Horne, Clarion); “Emma and the Love Spell” (Meredith Ireland, Bloomsbury); “Crushing It” (Erin Becker, Penguin Workshop); “The House on Sunrise Lagoon: Halfway to Harbor”* (Nicole Melleby, Algonquin); “Falling Hard”* and “Perfect Revenge”* from the Saddlehill Academy series; “How It All Ends”^ (Emma Hunsinger, Greenwillow); “Turning Twelve”*^ (Kathryn Ormsbee, Molly Brooks, Random House); and “Crush”*^ (Tegan and Sara Quin, Tillie Walden; Farrar, Straus and Giroux).
Ones centering queer boys include “The Truth About Triangles” (Michael Leali, Sunbird); and “Sink or Swim”*^ (Veronica Agarwal, Lee Durfey-Lavoie, Random House).
For nonbinary protagonists, try “Just Shy of Ordinary,” (A.J. Sass; Little, Brown); “Asking for a Friend” (Ronnie Riley, Scholastic); and the novel in verse “Murray Out of Water” (Taylor Tracy, Quill Tree).
Additionally, “Linus and Etta Could Use a Win” (Caroline Huntoon, Feiwel & Friends) stars a trans boy and a goth girl; “A for Effort”* (Jarad Greene, HarperCollins), has an asexual boy protagonist; and “The Ribbon Skirt”^ (Cameron Mukwa, Scholastic), stars a two-spirit Anishinaabe youth.
For full reviews, further details on representation, plus nonfiction titles and more, visit my Mombian Database of LGBTQ Family Books.