Finding new books to share with the kids in your life can be tricky. I think this becomes more true when they move into middle grade territory. Typically, middle grade books are written for kids between the ages of 8 and 12, but of course, that varies based on the kid. I’d argue that middle grade can span all the way through middle school. As the parent of a sixth grader, kids don’t necessarily age out of the space once they turn 13.
Over the years, middle grade books have joined YA books in becoming more diverse and inclusive. And as kids come out as queer at younger ages, it’s important that they can find books that reflect where they’re at. Kids in middle grade books are often navigating things like puberty, first crushes, and the stressful experience of middle childhood. And these books tell those stories.
In a time when these queer and trans middle grade books are increasingly threatened by book bans and other censorship measures from the religious right, it can be even harder for kids to get their hands on these books unless they have a supportive ally in their lives who can provide access. With the holidays on the horizon, consider getting one of these LGBTQ+ middle grade books released in the past year for the queer youth in your life who wants to feel seen.
Whether you’re looking for books for a queer kid in your life or just trying to expand a kiddo’s world, here ten 2025 LGBTQ+ middle grade releases.
Glitch Girl! by Rainie Oet
Glitch Girl! is a novel in verse from the perspective of a young trans girl named J—. Spanning from fifth to seventh grade, J— has to navigate having ADHD and the emotional rollercoaster that is middle school. But even though her life feels out of control, there is one place where she is in control: the video game Coaster Boss. Over the course of the story, J—’s dependency on the game wanes as she makes a new friend and learns that you can be whoever you want to be as long as someone sees you for who you are.
Bea Mullins Takes a Shot by Emily Deibert
This contemporary middle grade debut novel is described as A League of Their Own meets The Mighty Ducks, and honestly, that’s enough to make me pick it up! The story focuses on Bea, a girl who is content to stand on the sidelines until she is forced to join her middle school’s first all-girls hockey team. At first, she isn’t sure she’s cut out for it, but eventually, she begins to bond with her teammates, especially the co-captain Gabi. If you wished Riley made a move on Val in Inside Out 2, this is probably for you.
A World Worth Saving by Kyle Lukoff
This timely fantasy novel by children’s book vet Kyle Lukoff is about A, a recently out trans boy who is trying to navigate a lot of really heavy stuff. The hardest part of his post-Covid lockdown life isn’t the constant surveillance from his parents, not having his bar mitzvah, or even online school. His parents force him to attend weekly Save Our Sons and Daughters meetings, where he and his friends are dead-named and the parents fret about the “transgender craze.” But after one of his friends goes missing, A finds out that SOSAD is run by a demon. Actually, the whole world is run by demons. And it’s up to him to save everyone.
Family Week by Sarah Moon
When I first came across this book, I knew I had to get a copy for my son. He’s not queer, but I thought he would appreciate reading a story about kids who gather in Provincetown for family week. Mac, Lina, Milo, Avery and their families have been gathering for Family Week for as long as the kids can remember. But everything is different this year. Avery’s dads are splitting up, Milo is failing seventh grade, and Mac is heading to a boarding school that is inclusive of trans kids playing soccer, which means he has to leave his twin sister Lina and their moms behind. Lina is determined to make it the best summer ever, despite the others pulling away. But can she?
Mountain Upside Down by Sara Ryan
Alex Eager should be excited about her life. She finally got the courage to ask her best friend PJ to be more than friends, and she said yes. But everything is quickly falling apart. PJ is moving, and Alex is worried about her grandmother, who she lives with, becoming more forgetful. On top of that, her Oregon town is holding a referendum on library funding. It’s hard to be happy when it feels like your life as you know it is over.
Jackson Bright in the Spotlight by Eureka O’Hara and Dan Poblocki
I was immediately intrigued by drag superstar Eureka O’Hara’s new book, and not just because the main character shares a name with my own son. It reminds me of the beloved YA book Dumplin’ too. Jackson Bright thinks he’s going to stun everyone on the last day of school by coming to school in a dress. And he does, but not for the reasons he thought. Suddenly, he finds himself at the center of a “dress like a (fill in the blank gender)” controversy. So when he sees a flyer for the local Little Miss pageant, he knows he has to sign up and dress in drag. Along with his Uncle Aaron and nonbinary friend Eva, Jackson Bright is thrust into a new world, but he has something to prove.
Ollie in Between by Jess Callans
Puberty is threatening to ruin Ollie Thompson’s life. They’re too girly for their hockey team, but definitely not girly enough for their boy obsessed best friend. Ollie feels like they don’t fit in anywhere, and it’s making them stand out. So when they have to write an essay for school about what it means to be a woman, Ollie has to make a choice. Do they continue to hide what makes them different after a friend gets bullied? Or do they risk their own safety to forge a better path forward?
Going Overboard by Caroline Huntoon
A reverse Parent Trap plot? Sign me up! Piper Shapiro’s mom Noura is a single mom by choice, and the two of them have always been a dynamic duo. That is until Noura starts dating a woman named Gwinny who comes with a son of her own. Piper knows Gwinny’s son Colton, but the two of them aren’t exactly friends. And when Gwinny books a spring break cruise for the four of them, Piper knows things are about to change big time. So ze enlists Colton to help break up their moms. But things may go a little too far, making Piper reconsider the changes happening to the family. If this isn’t the first middle grade book to use ze/zim/zir pronouns, it’s definitely one of the first!
First Kiss with Fangs by Marker Snyder
This graphic novel sounds so sweet. Ivan is a vampire, but he’s not your typical vampire. He likes sunshine, his friends are human, and he is very against eating meat! When he gets his fangs at the beginning of eighth grade, he is determined to keep his life the way it was. But then new boy Damien gets assigned as his lab partner. Suddenly, Ivan is thinking about blood and heartbeats and kisses. Is he becoming a bloodthirsty vampire, or is he just a teenage boy with a crush?
A Little Too Haunted by Justine Pucella Winans
Much like Cat in Casper, Luna Catalano’s moms are also ghost hunters. Actually, they’re fakes; they’re more like one of those HGTV couples who use ghost hunting as a reason to remodel spooky old houses. Luna doesn’t mind it terribly, but it’s hard to constantly move. And she wouldn’t mind if for once, the house was actually haunted. So when they move yet again, she’s not expecting much. But then, the house feels…different. Luna has to work with her neighbors, a girl she definitely isn’t crushing on and a mysterious woman who seems to know a lot about their house to help figure out who the ghost is, or she could lose her family forever.
