Mad for Reading: Celebrating Pride Month Through Books

In celebration of Pride Month, MMSD is proud to share this curated book list for students from 4K through 12th grade. We believe in the power of reading to build understanding, spark connection and help every student feel seen and valued. Through our Mad for Reading initiative, we’re excited to bring students, families and the Madison community together through stories that inspire empathy and inclusion.

This collection highlights the voices, experiences and histories of LGBTQ+ individuals. From joyful picture books that affirm identity to novels that explore self-discovery and belonging, these stories celebrate the beauty of being yourself.

We invite you to explore these books, read together and talk about the powerful themes they bring to light—not just during Pride Month, but every day—as we continue growing as thoughtful, inclusive readers.

Elementary Picture Books

• Mommy, Mama, and Me by Leslea Newman
• Daddy, Papa, and Me by Leslea Newman
• Pride Colors by Robin Stevenson
• Plenty of Hugs by Fran Manushkin
• Forever Home: A Dog and Boy Love Story by Henry Cole
• Bathe the Cat by Alice Blumenthal McGinty
• Harriet Gets Carried Away by Jessie Sima
• Fred Gets Dressed by Peter Brown
• Julian Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
• It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity by Theresa Thorn
• Joyful Song: A Naming Story by Leslea Newman
• Real Sisters Pretend by Megan Dowd Lambert
• Born Ready: The True Story of a Boy Named Penelope by Jodie Patterson
• An Ordinary Day by Elana K. Arnold
• Just Us by Molly Beth Griffin
• My Footprints by Bao Phi
• When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff
• Jerome By Heart by Thomas Scotto
• The Good Hair Day by Christian Trimmer
• Sam! by Dani Gabriel
• Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders
• Stonewall: A Building, an Uprising, a Revolution by Rob Sanders
• Home at Last by Vera B. Williams

Elementary Chapter Books

• The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy
• Melissa by Alex Gino
• The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead
• My Fate According to the Butterfly by Gail D. Villanueva
• How to Become a Planet by Nicole Melleby
• Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff

Middle School Books

• Zenobia July by Lisa Bunker
• Star-Crossed by Barbara Dee
• The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet by Jake Maia Arlow
• The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert
• King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender
• Dear Mothman by Robin Gow
• The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore
• No Fixed Address by Susan Nielsen
• World Made of Glass by Ami Polonsky
• Will on the Inside by Andrew Eliopulos
• The Legend of Auntie Po by Shing Yin Khor
• Splinter & Ash (#1) by Marieke Nijkamp
• Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang
• The House That Whispers by Lin Thompson
• Drum Roll, Please by Lisa Jenn Bigelow
• Hurricane Child by Kheryn Callender
• The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
• Stars in Their Eyes by Jessica Walton
• The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

High School

• Flamer by Mike Curato
• Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi
• The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar
• Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
• Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemore
• Pumpkin by Julie Murphy
• All Our Hidden Gifts (Gifts, #1) by Caroline O'Donoghue
• Some Assembly Required: The Not-So-Secret Life of a Transgender Teen by Arin Andrews and Joshua Lyon
• Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
• Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality by Eliot Schrefer
• The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
• Stonewall: Breaking Out in the Fight for Gay Rights by Ann Bausum
• Viral: The Fight Against AIDS in America by Ann Bausum
• The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz
• Here the Whole Time by Vitor Martins
• The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes
• Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American by Laura Gao1
• Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure by Lewis Hancox
• Lost Soul, Be at Peace by Maggie Thrash
• Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash
• Spinning by Tillie Walden
• Ironhead, or, Once a Young Lady by Jean-Claude van Rijckeghem
• Homebody by Theo Parish
• The Other Pandemic: An AIDS Memoir by Lynn Curlee
• I Miss You, I Hate This by Sara Saedi
• Icarus by K. Ancrum
• Fire from the Sky by Moa Backe Astot
• Funeral Songs for Dying Girls by Cherie Dimaline
• The Summer of Bitter and Sweet by Jen Ferguson
• Canto Contigo by Jonny Garza Villa
• Fire Song by Adam Garnet Jones
• Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram
• Destination Unknown by Bill Konigsberg
• When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb
• Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
• Lakelore by Anna-Marie McLemore
• Only This Beautiful Moment by Abdi Nazemian
• Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki
• Check Please! (#Hockey, #1) by Ngozi Ukazu
• Always the Almost by Edward Underhill