Perfectly Queer Little Library: Donation Catalog
Let’s make it perfectly clear that we support our perfectly queer youth in LFK!
Welcome to the soft launch of the Perfectly Queer Little Library project! We want to work together to get free, queer books into the hands of queer youth in Lawrence. This project is a direct response to the anti-transgender legislation we are seeing in Kansas and across America, and the ceaseless violence being perpetrated against our trans*, two-spirit, and queer youth. Perfectly Queer is a labor of love from your local trans* and queer booksellers, so we are excited to announce it on March 31, 2024—Transgender Day of Visibility. This is a project that we hold incredibly dear to our hearts, which succeeds when we come together as a community to show our queer youth that their existence is embraced and valuable.
Trans* and queer Raven booksellers have curated the list of titles below written by LGBTQIA2S+ authors featuring LGBTQIA2S+ protagonists. Once the Perfectly Queer Little Library is open, young readers who self-identify as queer will be able to come to the store to browse a physical and online catalog and take a book home for free. Books will also be distributed at community partner sites, such as youth programming at the Lawrence Public Library. While the official launch date of the little library is to be determined, we are currently aiming for May 2024. We will keep everyone updated on this page, as well as through social media and newsletters.
But before we can open the little library to the public, we need to stockpile some books! With this soft launch of the Perfectly Queer project, we ask you to donate copies of titles from this catalog, if it's within your means. If it isn't, we understand—please consider sharing this page with your loved ones, instead!
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us here!
Take these steps at checkout to ensure the book you purchase is donated to Perfectly Queer:
- Pick out your book(s)! Please note that we are ordering titles only meant for YA-aged readers and younger, unless previously approved by our children's book specialists. If there's a book not on this list that you would like to contribute to the library, please run it by us over email first :)
- Add them to your checkout cart.
- Indicate that your purchase is "for donation to the Perfectly Queer Little Library" in the order comments.
- Congrats! That was super easy and now your book(s) will end up in the hands of a young queer reader here in Lawrence!
A Stonewall Honor Book
An achingly honest and frequently hilarious coming-of-age novel about an Arab American trans teen fighting to keep their head above water in a landlocked Midwestern town.
A great starting point for anyone curious about queer and trans life, and helpful for those already on their own journeys!
In this quick and easy guide to queer and trans identities, cartoonists Mady G and Jules Zuckerberg guide you through the basics of the LGBT+ world!
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year * An ALA Rainbow Book List Top 10 Title for Young Readers
Three kids who don’t belong. A room that shouldn’t exist. A year that will change everything.
At once a love letter and challenge to the traditional transgender memoir, Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars is a playful, surrealist dance through queer coming of age.
In this heartfelt novel about family, friendship, and identity perfect for fans of The List of Things That Will Not Change and Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World, a thirteen-year-old nonbinary kid discovers that life doesn't always go according to plan—especially when they start public school for the first time.
Thirteen-year-old S
A Stonewall Honor Book
In this lighthearted YA romance, Maisie and Ollie discover that nothing beats the feeling of falling in love for the first time.
Maisie is on her way to Fancon! She's looking forward to meeting her idol, Kara Bufano, the action hero from her favorite TV show, who has a lower-leg amputation, just like Maisie.
Love is more complicated than “boy meets boy” in bestselling author Adib Khorram’s sharply funny new romantic comedy, set in the sordid world of high school theater
Perfect for fans of All Out and Cemetery Boys, this anthology claims a seat at the table of fantasy literature for trans and gender nonconforming stories.
A coming-of-age story about transgender tween Obie, who didn't think being himself would cause such a splash. For fans of Alex Gino's George and Lisa Bunker's Felix Yz.
Obie knew his transition would have ripple effects. He has to leave his swim coach, his pool, and his best friends. But it’s time for Obie to find where he truly belongs.
“Super sweet and totally heartwarming!”—Alice Oseman, bestselling author of Heartstopper and Loveless
Calling all awesome autistic trans teens Yenn Purkis and Sam Rose want you to live your best authentic life - and this handy book will show you how
With helpful explanations, tips and activities, plus examples of famous trans and gender divergent people on the autism spectrum, this user-friendly guide will help you to navigate the world as an awesome autistic trans teen.
Publishers Weekly Best of the Year
Queer Love. Something Dawn wants, desperately, but does not have. But maybe, if she can capture it, film it, interview the people who have it, queer love will be hers someday. Or, at least, she'll have made a documentary about it. A documentary that, hopefully, will win Dawn a scholarship to film school.
From award-winning actor Maulik Pancholy comes a hilarious and heartfelt middle grade debut about a gay Indian American boy coming into his own. One of Time Out's “LGBTQ+ books for kids to read during Pride Month,” this is perfect for fans of Tim Federle’s Nate series.
Miikwan and Dez are best friends. Miikwan is Anishinaabe; Dez is Inninew. Together, the teens navigate the challenges of growing up in an urban landscape--they're so close, they even completed their Berry Fast together. However, when Dez's grandmother becomes too sick, Dez is told she can't stay with her anymore.
One of TIME Magazine's Top 100 Fantasy Novels of All Time -- Now in Paperback!
Locus Award Winner—Best First Novel
A National Indie Bestseller
Nebula Award Finalist
Lodestar Award Finalist
Ignyte Award Finalist
TIME’s Best 100 Fantasy Books of All Time
NPR Best of the Year
Book
'Excellent' KATE BORNSTEIN
Have you ever questioned your own gender identity? Do you know somebody who is transgender or who identifies as non-binary? Do you ever feel confused when people talk about gender diversity?
'The compassionate, accessible manual the world has been waiting for' LAURIE PENNY
A heartfelt and relatable novel from Phil Bildner, weaving the real history of Los Angeles Dodger and Oakland Athletic Glenn Burke--the first professional baseball player to come out as gay--into the story of a middle-school kid learning to be himself.
What she once possessed... now threatens to possess her. This vibrant Swedish debut graphic novel is an epic quest for the things left behind, with icy-cool artwork and astonishing sci-fi settings.
The split attraction model? Alterous Love? Queerplatonic relationships?
From the creator of Perfectly Queer: An Illustrated Introduction, this bold and brilliantly illustrated guide is written for anyone looking to explore the beautiful ace and aro communities; the acefluxes, the arospikes, the demis, the greys, the frays and more.
How can Shane reconcile his feelings for David with his desire for a better life? Shane is still reeling from the suicide of his kid sister, Destiny. How could he have missed the fact that she was so sad? He tries to share his grief with his girlfriend, Tara, but she's too concerned with her own needs to offer him much comfort.
The first LGBTQA+ anthology for middle-graders featuring stories for every letter of the acronym, including realistic, fantasy, and sci-fi stories by authors like Justina Ireland, Marieke Nijkamp, Alex Gino, and more!
“Messy Roots is a laugh-out-loud, heartfelt, and deeply engaging story of their journey to find themself--as an American, as the daughter of Chinese immigrants, as a queer person, and as a Wuhanese American in the middle of a pandemic.”—Malaka Gharib, author of I Was Their American Dream
The bestselling young adult non-fiction book on sexuality and gender!
Lesbian. Gay. Bisexual. Transgender. Queer. Intersex. Straight. Curious. This book is for everyone, regardless of gender or sexual preference. This book is for anyone who's ever dared to wonder. This book is for YOU.
Named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Best YA Books of All Time
"Impossible to put down." - Kirkus, starred review
A New York Public Library Best Book for Teens 2021
To save a fae kingdom, a trans witch must face his traumatic past and the royal fianc he left behind.
In this YA standalone perfect for fans of Tobly McSmith and Meredith Russo, the first out trans girl at an all-girls school must choose between keeping her head down or blazing a trail.
Tara just wants to be treated like any other girl at Ainsley Academy.
Support the Raven's Perfectly Queer Little Library initiative to get queer and trans* books into the hands of queer and trans* youth in LFK! All of the money from this item, except for tax, will go to buying books for PQLL. The minimum contribution is $5, but if you would like to give more, you can add more quantities of this online product to your cart. See here for more information about PQLL!
Notes: PQLL is a passion project from queer and trans* Raven booksellers—it's not (yet!) a 501(c)(3). This means your contribution will have tax added on and it is not tax deductible; think of it like buying a book and then gifting that book to a loved one! We also do not accept "returns" or refunds for this product through the website or in person so be sure that you're contributing an amount that feels right to you before you check out.
