These young adult books give some much-needed representation with transgender characters who are coming of age. Whether you’re still living through high school, or you’re well past graduation, these 10 books will keep you up late turning pages.
If I Was Your Girl follows Amanda, the new girl in school. She wants to make friends and fit in, but she’s keeping a secret. She transferred schools her senior year because she’s transgender, and wanted a fresh start. When she meets Grant, he’s unlike anyone she’s met before, but she’s terrified that once she tells him the truth their relationship will change forever.
Eighth grader Lily Jo McGother wants her gender to be accepted by her family and peers, but her dad hasn’t come around, and she knows the bullies at school won’t. When she meets Dunkin Dorfman, a new boy who is dealing with bipolar disorder and a family tragedy, both of their lives change.
This novel for middle graders and up is about George, who knows she’s a girl, even if that’s not what people around her see. When her teacher announces the class play is going to be Charlotte’s Web, George really wants to be Charlotte, but her teacher won’t even let her audition for the part. With the help of her friend Kelly, George comes up with a plan to show everyone who she is.
J always felt different—but he was sure someday everyone would understand who he really was: a boy. He tries to hide, to keep himself invisible from friends and family, but when his best friend deserts him, he decides he’s done hiding. It’s time to show the world who he really is.
Singer-songwriter Rae Spoon’s semi-autobiographical coming of age novel follows a young person growing up queer in a strict Pentecostal family in rural Canada. As the narrator’s family starts to unravel, and their father’s schizophrenia becomes less manageable, they find an escape in music.
Ivan E. Coyote’s eighth book, One in Every Crowd, is an anthology of short stories about LGBT youth. The collection blends humor and heartbreak as characters come of age and explore their identities.
Riley Cavanaugh is punk rock, rebellious, snarky, and gender fluid—identifying some days as a boy and other days as a girl. But Riley isn’t out yet, and with a father running for congressman in a conservative Orange County district, the pressure to live a so-called "normal" life is overwhelming. Riley’s anonymous blog goes viral, and a commenter threatens to expose Riley’s real identity.
Grayson tries to stay under the radar because she’s been holding on to a secret—she’s a girl. As her true identity itches to break free, she finds strength in an unexpected friendship and a caring teacher who gives her the chance to step into the spotlight.
This Stonewall Youth Book Award Honoree is a graphic novel that follows Ash and Eulalie, two music-loving, artistic, genderqueer friends who consider becoming something more.
Seventeen-year-old Arin Andrews shares the details of undergoing gender reassignment surgery in high school, from the poignant to the hilarious, in this young adult memoir.