Acting Out!  Combating Homophobia Through Teacher Activism. Mollie Blackburn, Caroline Clark, Lauren Kenney & Jill Smith, $29.95

In this volume, teachers from urban, suburban, and rural districts join together in a teacher inquiry group to challenge homophobia and heterosexism in schools and classrooms. To create safe learning environments for all students they address key topics, including seizing teachable moments, organizing faculty, deciding whether to come out in the classroom, using LGBTQ-inclusive texts, running a Gay-Straight Alliance, changing district policy to protect LGBTQ teachers and students, dealing with resistant students, and preparing preservice teachers to do anti-homophobia work.

Almost Perfect. Brian Katcher, $10.99

Logan Witherspoon recently discovered that his girlfriend of three years cheated on him. But things start to look up when a new student breezes through the halls of his small-town high school.

Sage Hendricks befriends Logan at a time when he no longer trusts or believes in people. Sage has been homeschooled for a number of years and her parents have forbidden her to date anyone, but she won't tell Logan why. One day, Logan acts on his growing feelings for Sage. Moments later, he wishes he never had. Sage finally discloses her big secret: she's actually a boy. Enraged, frightened, and feeling betrayed, Logan lashes out at Sage and disowns her. But once Logan comes to terms with what happened, he reaches out to Sage in an attempt to understand her situation. But Logan has no idea how rocky the road back to friendship will be.

Are You a Boy Or Are You a Girl? Sarah Savage & Fox Fisher, $21.95

Tiny loves costumes! Tiny likes to dress up as an animal, or a doctor, or a butterfly. Tiny also prefers not to tell other children whether they are a boy or a girl. Tiny's friends don't mind, but when Tiny starts a new school their new friends can't help asking one question:

"Tiny, are you a boy or are you a girl?"

This brightly illustrated book will open a dialogue with children aged 3+ about gender diversity in a fun and creative way. Featuring a gender neutral protagonist, the book imparts an important message about identity and being who you want to be. Tiny's story will assist parents, family and teachers in giving children the space to express themselves fully, explore different identities and have fun at the same time.

Are You a Boy or a Girl? Karleen Pendelton Jiménez, $11.95

Kids spend a lot of time debating with each other over what makes a boy a boy and a girl a girl. It's a time of choices. It's a time of creating themselves. It could be a time for blending and embracing the many ways they express themselves, but it is too often a time of narrowing the possibilities of who they can be. Are You a Boy or a Girl? enters into this conversation and opens it up. It is the story of a child thinking through who she is, a child learning through her mother's love how to be both strong and soft.

At the Broken Places: a Mother and Trans Son Pick Up the Pieces. Mary Collins & Donald Collins, $22.00

In this collaborative memoir, a parent and a transgender son recount wrestling with their differences as Donald Collins undertook medical-treatment options to better align his body with his gender identity.

As a parent, Mary Collins didn’t agree with her trans son’s decision to physically alter his body, although she supported his right to realize himself as a person. Raw and uncensored, each explains her or his emotional mindset at the time: Mary felt she had lost a daughter; Donald activated his “authentic self.” Both battled to assert their rights. A powerful memoir and resource, At the Broken Places offers a road map for families in transition.

Be Who You Are! Jennifer Carr, illustrated by Ben Rumback, $29.95 (ages 4 to 8)

Meet Nick, a child who despite being born in a boy’s body has always felt like a girl inside. Follow a journey of self-awareness as Nick expresses the need to live authentically; and Nick’s parents provide a supportive environment — while everyday life outside of home proves far more challenging.

Becoming: a Gender Flipbook. Yishay Garbasz, $26.95

With Becoming, artist Yishay Garbasz courageously explores one of society’s most taboo subjects — the unmaking of a gendered body and the creation of another. Garbasz courageously documents two years of the physical changes she underwent to change from male to female. With unprecedented honesty and directness, the artist photographed her body every week, chronicling its gradual transformation. Becoming’s flip book format makes visible and immediate time and its integral role throughout this process.

Becoming Nicole: the Transformation of an American Family. Amy Ellis Nutt, $22.00

Becoming Nicole chronicles a journey that could have destroyed a family but instead brought it closer together. It’s the story of a mother whose instincts told her that her child needed love and acceptance, not ostracism and disapproval; of a Republican, Air Force veteran father who overcame his deepest fears to become a vocal advocate for trans rights; of a loving brother who bravely stuck up for his twin sister; and of a town forced to confront its prejudices, a school compelled to rewrite its rules, and a courageous community of transgender activists determined to make their voices heard. Ultimately, Becoming Nicole is the story of an extraordinary girl who fought for the right to be herself.

Granted wide-ranging access to personal diaries, home videos, clinical journals, legal documents, medical records, and the Maineses themselves, Amy Ellis Nutt spent almost four years reporting this immersive account of an American family confronting an issue that is at the center of today’s cultural debate. Becoming Nicole will resonate with anyone who’s ever raised a child, felt at odds with society’s conventions and norms, or had to embrace life when it plays out unexpectedly. It’s a story of standing up for your beliefs and yourself — and it will inspire all of us to do the same.

Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen. Jazz Jennings, $23.99

Jazz Jennings is one of the youngest and most prominent voices in the national discussion about gender identity. At the age of five, Jazz transitioned to life as a girl, with the support of her parents. A year later, her parents allowed her to share her incredible journey in her first Barbara Walters interview, aired at a time when the public was much less knowledgeable or accepting of the transgender community. This groundbreaking interview was followed over the years by other high-profile interviews, a documentary, the launch of her YouTube channel, a picture book, and her own reality TV series — I Am Jazz — making her one of the most recognizable activists for transgender teens, children, and adults.

In her remarkable memoir, Jazz reflects on these very public experiences and how they have helped shape the mainstream attitude toward the transgender community. But it hasn't all been easy. Jazz has faced many challenges, bullying, discrimination, and rejection, yet she perseveres as she educates others about her life as a transgender teen. Through it all, her family has been beside her on this journey, standing together against those who don't understand the true meaning of tolerance and unconditional love. Now Jazz must learn to navigate the physical, social, and emotional upheavals of adolescence — particularly high school — complicated by the unique challenges of being a transgender teen. Making the journey from girl to woman is never easy — especially when you began your life in a boy's body.

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out. Susan Kuklin, $17.00

Author and photographer Susan Kuklin met and interviewed six transgender or gender-neutral young adults and used her considerable skills to represent them thoughtfully and respectfully before, during, and after their personal acknowledgment of gender preference. Portraits, family photographs, and candid images grace the pages, augmenting the emotional and physical journey each youth has taken. Each honest discussion and disclosure, whether joyful or heartbreaking, is completely different from the other because of family dynamics, living situations, gender, and the transition these teens make in recognition of their true selves. A groundbreaking work of LGBT literature takes an honest look at the life, love, and struggles of transgender teens.

Can I Tell You about Gender Diversity? A Guide for Family and Friends. CJ Atkinson, illustrated by Olly Pike, $17.95 (ages 11++)

Meet Kit — a 12 year old undergoing medical transition — as he talks about gender and the different ways it can be explored. He explains what it is like to transition and how his friends, family and teachers can help through talking, listening and being proactive. With illustrations throughout, this is an ideal way to start conversations about gender diversity in the classroom or at home and suitable for those working in professional services and settings. The book also includes a useful list of recommended reading, organisations and websites for further information and support.

Coming Around: Parenting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Kids. Anne Dohrenwend, $18.50

COMING AROUND is an insightful and uplifting resource for understanding and coming to terms with a child’s sexual orientation and maintaining a dialogue between parent and child. With compassion and wisdom, Dohrenwend addresses parents' fears regarding what to say and what not to say, bigotry and social and religious prejudice, the legal issues facing LGBT individuals and how to understand homophobia. Most important, she shares how to communicate that, whatever happens with a child's sexual or gender orientation, parents will never withdraw their love.

Coming out is a vulnerable time. Its announcement requires the re-exploration of a parent's personal feelings on homosexuality. Respecting your teen or adult child’s decisions isn’t always easy, particularly if you fear his or her decisions will cost friends, ambitions, acceptance and respect. 

The Conscious Parent's Guide to Gender Identity: a Mindful Approach to Embracing Your Child's Authentic Self. Darlene Tando, $18.99

If your child is questioning their gender identity, you may have questions of your own. The Conscious Parent's Guide to Gender Identity helps answer those questions, providing a relationship-oriented approach to supporting your child's journey. Conscious parenting means being present with your children and taking the time to understand their point of view. Using this mindful method, you can support and guide your children as they discover their authentic selves. This mindful method of parenting will allow you and your children to strengthen your bond while allowing them to be who they truly are.

Counseling Transgender and Non-Binary Youth: the Essential Guide. Irwin Krieger, $37.95

There are growing numbers of youth who identify as transgender, and as a result, clinicians and counselors are in need of an informed resource that covers the basics of gender identity and expression. This book responds to that need by setting out clear advice and support on working with transgender and non-binary youth with regard to their identity, mental health, personal and family life and their medical and social transition as well as offering additional resources and reading lists.

Along with the basic information needed to understand transgender clients, Irwin Krieger applies this general knowledge to work with transgender teens at what can be the most critical and problematic stage in a trans person's life. Specifically, issues of gender identity awareness and expression for youth along with the mental and physical challenges that puberty presents are discussed. This guide will inform counselors and therapists to support transgender teens in their practice, while providing the necessary tools for opening up the conversation on transgender issues in families and schools.

From the Dress-Up Corner to the Senior Prom: Navigating Gender and Sexual Diversity in PreK-12 Schools. Jennifer Bryan, $48.95

Very few PreK-12 teachers are adequately trained to address the gender identity and sexual identity of their students in a developmentally-appropriate and pedagogically-sound manner. Yet responsible adults must help children navigate the inherently diverse, increasingly complex world of gender and sexuality in the twenty-first century. 

FROM THE DRESS-UP CORNER TO THE SENIOR PROM is a practical, forward thinking resource for anyone involved in educating children and adolescents. Jennifer Bryan takes readers into classrooms, administrative meetings, recess, parent conferences, and the annual pep rally to witness the daily manifestations of Gender and Sexuality Diversity at school. She provides a coherent framework for understanding what readers "see," and invites them to use a contemporary, heart/mind perspective as they consider the true developmental needs of all elementary, middle, and high school students. The book features thoughtful questions, models of dialogue, accessible lesson plans, and many pedagogical strategies. At the heart of this book, though, are the evocative stories from teachers, students, and parents that Bryan has listened to over the span of her career. These personal anecdotes bring the comprehensive explorations of this seminal work to life.

The Full Spectrum: a New Generation of Writing about Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, and Other Identities. David Levithan & Billy Merrell, editors, $10.99

Teens are more aware of sexuality and identity than ever, and they’re looking for answers and insights, as well as a community of others. In order to help create that community, David Levithan and Billy Merrell have collected original poems, essays, and stories by young adults in their teens and early 20s. The Full Spectrum includes a variety of writers — gay, lesbian, bisexual, straight, transitioning, and questioning—on a variety of subjects: coming out, family, friendship, religion/faith, first kisses, break-ups, and many others. This one of a kind collection will, perhaps, help all readers see themselves and the world around them in ways they might never have imagined.

Gender Born, Gender Made: Raising Healthy Gender-Nonconforming Children. Diane Ehrensaft, $25.95

GENDER BORN, GENDER MADE is a comprehensive guidebook for the parents and therapists of children who do not identify with or behave according to their biological gender. Drawing on the case histories of several children, each "gender creative" in his or her own way, Dr. Diane Ehrensaft offers concrete strategies for understanding and supporting children who experience confusion about their gender identities. She also discusses the latest therapeutic advancements available to gender-variant children.

Traditionally, psychologists have sought to "cure" gender variance by pressuring children to conform to typical gender behavior. From her perspective as both clinician and parent of a gender creative child, Dr. Ehrensaft advocates a new approach, encouraging caregivers to support gender-variant children as they explore their gender identities. Rather than offering a "cure" for gender variance, GENDER BORN, GENDER MADE facilitates improved understanding and communication about gender identity.

Gender, Bullying and Harassment: Strategies to End Sexism and Homophobia in Schools. Elizabeth Meyer, $31.50

Educator, researcher and author Elizabeth Meyers looks at the key gender issues related to bullying and harassment in schools and offers readers tangible and flexible suggestions to help positively transform the culture of their school and reduce the incidences of gendered harassment. The text features sections that speak specifically to administrators, teachers, counselors, student leaders and community and family members.

The Gender Creative Child: Pathways for Nurturing and Supporting Children Who Love Outside Gender Boxes. Diane Ehrensaft, $23.95

In her groundbreaking first book, Gender Born, Gender Made, Dr. Diane Ehrensaft coined the term gender creative to describe children whose unique gender expression or sense of identity is not defined by a checkbox on their birth certificate. Now, with The Gender Creative Child, she returns to guide parents and professionals through the rapidly changing cultural, medical, and legal landscape of gender and identity.

In this up-to-date, comprehensive resource, Dr. Ehrensaft explains the interconnected effects of biology, nurture, and culture to explore why gender can be fluid, rather than binary. As an advocate for the gender affirmative model and with the expertise she has gained over three decades of pioneering work with children and families, she encourages caregivers to listen to each child, learn their particular needs, and support their quest for a true gender self. The Gender Creative Child unlocks the door to a gender-expansive world, revealing pathways for positive change in our schools, our communities, and the world.

The Gender Quest Workbook: a Guide for Teens & Young Adults Exploring Gender Identity. Rylan Jay Testa, Deborah Coolhart, Jayme Peta, $23.95

This one-of-a-kind, comprehensive workbook will help you navigate your gender identity and expression at home, in school, and with peers. If you are a transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) teen, you may experience unique challenges with identity and interpersonal relationships. In addition to experiencing common teen challenges such as body changes and peer pressure, you may be wondering how to express your unique identity to others. The Gender Quest Workbook incorporates skills, exercises, and activities from evidence-based therapies — such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) — to help you address the broad range of struggles you may encounter related to gender identity, such as anxiety, isolation, fear, and even depression.

Despite outdated beliefs, gender no longer implies being simply male or female, but rather a whole spectrum of possibilities. This fun, engaging workbook is designed specifically for teens like you who want to explore the concept of gender and gender identity and expression — whether you already identify as TGNC or are simply questioning your gender identity. The activities in this book will help you explore your identity internally, interpersonally, and culturally. And along the way, you’ll learn how to effectively express yourself and make informed decisions on how to navigate your gender with family, friends, classmates, and coworkers. The book also includes chapters on sex and dating, balancing multiple identities, and how to deal with stressful challenges when they arise.

The Gender Quest Workbook also features a brief downloadable guide for clinicians that explains ways professionals can better serve gender-expansive youth. The guide will address ways to help youth working with gender identity build resilience against gender minority stress, among other topics.

Get That Freak: Homophobia and Transphobia in High Schools.  Rebecca Haskell & Brian Burtch, $18.95

Bullying in schools has garnered significant attention recently, but despite this, little has been said about the occurrence of homophobic and transphobic bullying in Canadian high schools. GET THAT FREAK fills that gap by exploring the experiences of bullying among youth who identify or are identified as queer. Through interviews with recent high school graduates in British Columbia, Haskell and Burtch share stories of physical, verbal and emotional harassment, and offer important insights into the negative outcomes that result from the experience of being bullied. Challenging the familiar image of these youth as helpless victims, this book also recognizes positive outcomes: moments of resistance, friendship and inner strength. Finally, the authors make recommendations for challenging homophobic and transphobic bullying in high schools and supporting students who experience this form of harassment.

Girls are Not Chicks Coloring Book. Jacinta Bunnell, illustrated by Julie Novak, $11.00

27 pages of ingenious, subversive fun, Girls are Not Chicks is a playful way to examine how pervasive gender stereotypes are in every aspect of our lives.

GLBTQ: the Survival Guide for Queer & Questioning Teens. Kelly Huegel, $21.50

First published in 2003, GLBTQ quickly became the indispensable resource for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning teens (often referred to as LGBT or GLBTQ). This fully revised and updated edition retains all of the straightforward information and practical advice of the original edition while providing a contemporary look at society and its growing acceptance of homosexuality and transgender people. Included are updates on efforts to promote equality regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, the current status of initiatives concerning safe schools, gay marriage, workplace equality, and transgender expression, and more. Resources point the way to books and websites with more information, and GLBTQ teens (and allies) who have been there share stories of personal experiences.

Growing Into Resilience: Sexual and Gender Minority Youth in Canada. André Grace, with Kristopher Wells, $34.95

Despite recent progress in civil rights for sexual and gender minorities (SGM), ensuring SGM youth experience fairness, justice, inclusion, safety, and security in their schools and communities remains an ongoing challenge. In Growing into Resilience, André Grace and Kristopher Wells — co-founders of Camp fYrefly, a summer leadership camp for SGM youth — investigate how teachers, healthcare workers, and other professionals can help SGM youth build the human and material assets that will empower them to be happy, healthy, and resilient.

Grace and Wells investigate the comprehensive (physical, mental, and sexual) health of SGM youth, emphasizing the role of caring professionals in an approach that that recognizes and accommodates SGM youth. Throughout, the authors draw upon the personal narratives of SGM youth, emphasizing how research, policy, and practice must act together for them to be able to thrive and fulfill their promise.

Both a resource for those professionally engaged in work with sexual and gender minorities and a comprehensive text for use in courses on working with vulnerable youth populations, Growing into Resilience is a timely and trans-disciplinary book.

Happy Families. Tanita Davis, $10.99 (novel for ages 13+, about a transgender parent)

Teenage twins Ysabel and Justin are lucky. They are almost finished high school, and the future looks good for both of them. They get along great with their parents — in fact they are the ultimate happy family. Or so they believe.

When they learn their father has been keeping a secret from them, Justin and Ysabel are forced to come to terms with their dad’s decisions, and a very different family life. They know they’ll never be the same happy family they were. So — who are they now?

Helping Your Transgender Teen: a Guide for Parents. Irwin Krieger, $18.50

HELPING YOUR TRANSGENDER TEEN begins with the basic information you and your family need. The central chapters of the book address the fears and concerns most parents of transgender teens share. The final chapters guide you through the steps you can take to discover what is best for your child. Although written for parents, this book is also useful for pediatricians, therapists, educators and others who work with teenagers and young adults. HELPING YOUR TRANSGENDER TEEN provides answers to many of your questions about adolescent gender identity.

He's Always Been My Son: a Mother's Story about Raising Her Transgender Son. Janna Barkin, $22.95

This true story by a family about raising their transgender son is both a captivating read and an invaluable support source for parents facing similar issues. A warm, insightful portrait of a family that includes tips on helping young transgender people navigate their transition, it will support, educate and inspire.

I Am J. Cris Beam, $12.00 (novel, ages 13+)

J had always felt different. He was certain that eventually everyone would understand who he really was: a boy mistakenly born as a girl. Yet as he grew up, his body began to betray him; eventually J stopped praying to wake up a "real boy" and started covering up his body, keeping himself invisible – from his parents, from his friends, from the world. But after being deserted by the best friend he thought would always be by his side, J decides that he's done hiding — it's time to be who he really is. And this time he is determined not to give up, no matter the cost.

I Am Jazz. Jessica Herthel, Jazz Jennings, illustrated by Shelagh McNichols, $19.99

From the time she was two years old, Jazz knew that she had a girl's brain in a boy's body. She loved pink and dressing up as a mermaid and didn't feel like herself in boys' clothing. This confused her family, until they took her to a doctor who said that Jazz was transgender and that she was born that way. Jazz's story is based on her real-life experience and she tells it in a simple, clear way that will be appreciated by picture book readers, their parents, and teachers.

Introducing Teddy: a Gentle Story about Gender and Friendship. Jessica Walton, illustrated by Dougal MacPherson, $24.99

Errol and his teddy, Thomas, are best friends who do everything together. Whether it's riding a bike, playing in the tree house, having a tea party, or all of the above, every day holds something fun to do.

One sunny day, Errol finds that Thomas is sad, even when they are playing in their favorite ways. Errol can't figure out why, until Thomas finally tells Errol what the teddy has been afraid to say: “In my heart, I've always known that I'm a girl teddy, not a boy teddy. I wish my name was Tilly, not Thomas.” And Errol says, “I don't care if you're a girl teddy or a boy teddy! What matters is that you are my friend.”

Introducing Teddy introduces the youngest readers to understanding gender identity and transition in an accessible and heart-warming story about being true to yourself and being a good friend.

Jacob's New Dress. Sarah & Ian Hoffman, illustrated by Chris Case, $25.95

Jacob loves playing dress-up, when he can be anything he wants to be. Some kids at school say he can’t wear “girl” clothes, but Jacob wants to wear a dress to school. Can he convince his parents to let him wear what he wants? This heartwarming story speaks to the unique challenges faced by boys who don’t identify with traditional gender roles.

Luna. Julie Anne Peters, $8.99

Regan's brother Liam can't stand the person he is during the day. Like the moon from whom Liam has chosen his female namesake, his true self, Luna, only reveals herself at night. In the secrecy of his basement bedroom Liam transforms himself into the beautiful girl he longs to be, with help from his sister's clothes and makeup. Now, everything is about to change — Luna is preparing to emerge from her cocoon. But are Liam's family and friends ready to welcome Luna into their lives? Compelling and provocative, this is an unforgettable novel about a transgender teen's struggle for self-identity and acceptance.

Mother-Talk: Conversations with Mothers of Lesbian Daughters and FTM Transgender Children. Sarah Pearlman, $24.95

MOTHER-TALK is a collection of stories by 24 mothers — twelve who found out a daughter was a lesbian, and twelve who learned that a child, once a biological female, was planning to transition to male. The book captures the complexity of coming to terms with the loss of a daughter who changed sex or an anticipated relationship with a daughter who leads a different life. This groundbreaking book will help mothers as well as lesbian daughters and FTM transgender children to understand their relationships, and underpin the determination to remain connected.

My Brother, My Sister: Story of a Transformation. Molly Haskell, $18.00

A feminist film critic’s thoughtful, outspoken memoir about transgender and family.

On a visit to New York, the brother of well-known film critic Molly Haskell dropped a bombshell: Nearing age sixty, and married, he had decided to become a woman. Haskell chronicles her brother’s transformation through a series of psychological evaluations, grueling surgeries, drug regimens, and comportment and fashion lessons as he becomes Ellen. Despite Haskell’s liberal views on gender roles, she was dumbfounded by her brother’s decision. With candor and compassion, she charts not only her brother’s journey to becoming her sister, but also her own path from shock, confusion, embarrassment, and devastation to acceptance, empathy, and love.

Haskell widens the lens on her brother’s story to include scientific and psychoanalytic views. In an honest, informed voice, she has revealed the controversial world of gender reassignment and transsexuals from both a personal and a social perspective in this frank and moving memoir.

My New Gender Workbook: a Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving World Peace through Gender Anarchy and Sex Positivity, 2nd Edition. Kate Bornstein, $59.95

Cultural theorists have written loads of smart but difficult-to-fathom texts on gender theory, but most fail to provide a hands-on, accessible guide for those trying to sort out their own sexual identities. In My New Gender Workbook, transgender activist Kate Bornstein brings theory down to Earth and provides a practical approach to living with or without a gender.

Bornstein starts from the premise that there are not just two genders performed in today's world, but countless genders lumped under the two-gender framework. Using a unique, deceptively simple and always entertaining workbook format, complete with quizzes, exercises, and puzzles, Bornstein gently but firmly guides readers toward discovering their own unique gender identity.

Since its first publication in 1997, this book has been challenging, encouraging, questioning, and helping those trying to figure out how to become a "real man," a "real woman," or "something else entirely." In this exciting new edition of her classic text, Bornstein re-examines gender in light of issues like race, class, sexuality, and language. With new quizzes, new puzzles, new exercises, and plenty of Kate's playful and provocative style, My New Gender Workbook promises to help a new generation create their own unique place on the gender spectrum.

Oscar of Between: a Memoir of Identity and Ideas. Betsy Warland, $21.95

In 2007, at the age of sixty, Betsy Warland finds herself single and without a sense of family. On an impulse, she decides to travel to London to celebrate her birthday, where she experiences an odd compulsion to see an exhibit on the invention of military camouflage. Within the first five minutes of her visit, her lifelong feeling of being aberrant reveals its source: she had never learned the art of camouflage.

Taking the name Oscar, she embarks on an intimate, nine-year quest by telling her story as “a person of between.” As Oscar, she is able to make sense of her self and the culture that shaped her. She traces this experience of in-betweenness from her childhood in the rural Midwest, through to her first queer kiss in 1978, divorce, coming out, writing life.

In the process of writing Oscar’s story, Warland considers our culture’s rigid, even violent demarcations as she becomes at ease with never knowing what gender she will be addressed as: “In Oscar’s daily life, when encountering someone, it goes like this: some address her as a male; some address her as a female; some begin with one and then switch (sometimes apologetically) to the other; some identify Oscar as lesbian and their faces harden, or open into a momentary glance of arousal; some know they don’t know and openly scrutinize; some decide female but stare perplexedly at her now-sans-breast chest; some are bemused by or drawn to or relate to her androgyny; and for some none of this matters.”

A contemporary Orlando, Oscar of Between extends beyond the author’s personal narrative, pushing the boundaries of form, and by doing so, invents new ways to see ourselves.

Parrotfish. Ellen Wittlinger, $11.99 (novel, ages 14 and up)

Angela Katz-McNair has never felt quite right as a girl. Her whole life is leading up to the day she decides to become Grady, a guy. While coming out as trans-gendered feels right to Grady, he isn't prepared for the reaction he gets from everyone else. Grady's life is miserable until he finds friends in some unexpected places like the school geek, Sebastian, who explains that there is precedent in the natural world (parrotfish change gender when they need to), and Kita, a senior who might just be Grady's first love.

A Positive View of LGBTQ: Embracing Identity and Cultivating Well-Being. Ellen Riggle & Sharon Rostosky, $23.95

A Positive View of LGBTQ starts a new conversation about the strengths and benefits of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGTBQ) identities. Positive LGBTQ identities are affirmed through inspiring firsthand accounts. Focusing on how LGTBQ-identified individuals can cultivate a sense of well-being and a personal identity that allows them to flourish in all areas of life, the authors explore a variety of themes. Through personal stories from people with a variety of backgrounds and gender and sexual identities, readers will learn more about expressing gender and sexuality; creating strong and intimate relationships; exploring unique perspectives on empathy, compassion, and social justice; belonging to communities and acting as role models and mentors; and, enjoying the benefits of living an authentic life. Providing exercises in each chapter, the book offers those who identify as LGBTQ and those who support and love them, as well as those seeking to better understand them, an opportunity to explore and appreciate these identities.

PRIDE: Celebrating Diversity & Community. Robin Stevenson, $24.95 (ages 9-13)

For LGBTQ people and their supporters, Pride events are an opportunity to honor the past, protest injustice, and celebrate a diverse and vibrant community. The high point of Pride, the Pride Parade, is spectacular and colorful. But there is a whole lot more to Pride than rainbow flags and amazing outfits. How did Pride come to be? And what does Pride mean to the people who celebrate it?

Raising My Rainbow: Adventures in Raising a Fabulous, Gender Creative Son. Lori Duron, $17.00

RAISING MY RAINBOW is Lori Duron’s frank account of her and her family's adventures of distress and happiness raising a gender-creative son. Whereas her older son, Chase, is a Lego-loving, sports-playing boy's boy, her younger son, C.J., would much rather twirl around in a pink sparkly tutu, with a Disney Princess in each hand while singing Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi."  

C.J. is gender variant or gender nonconforming, whichever you prefer. Whatever the term, Lori has a boy who likes girl stuff — really likes girl stuff. He floats on the gender-variation spectrum from super-macho-masculine on the left all the way to super-girly-feminine on the right. He's not all pink and not all blue. Written in Lori's uniquely witty and warm voice and launched by her incredibly popular blog of the same name, RAISING MY RAINBOW is an unforgettable story.

Raising Ryland: Our Story of Parenting a Transgender Child with No Strings Attached. Hillary Whittington, $19.99

When Hillary and Jeff Whittington posted a YouTube video chronicling their five-year-old son Ryland’s transition from girl to boy, they didn’t expect it to be greeted with such fervor. Beautiful and moving, the video documenting Hillary and Jeff’s love for their child instantly went viral and has been seen by more than seven million viewers since its posting.

Now, for the first time, they tell their story in full, offering an emotional, moving account of their journey alongside their exceptional child. From the earliest stages of deciphering Ryland through clothing choices to examining the difficult conversations that have marked every stage of Ryland’s transition, Hillary Whittington shares her experiences as a mother through it all, demonstrating both the resistance and support that their family has encountered as they try to erase the stigma surrounding the word transgender. What emerges is a powerful story of unconditional love.

Raising The Transgender Child: a Complete Guide for Parents, Families & Caregivers. Michele Angello & Alisa Bowman, $24.50

Raising the Transgender Child helps readers champion and celebrate gender diverse children while at the same time shedding fear, anger, sadness, and embarrassment. With specific and actionable advice including coming-out letters, identity challenges, school and caregiver communications, the guide provides a wealth of science-backed information alongside friendly and practical wisdom that is sure to comfort, guide, and inspire the family and friends of transgender and gender diverse children.

Rethinking Normal: a Memoir in Transition. Katie Rain Hill, $21.99

Katie never felt comfortable in her own skin. She realized very young that a serious mistake had been made; she was a girl who had been born in the body of a boy. Suffocating under her peers’ bullying and the mounting pressure to be “normal,” Katie tried to take her life at the age of eight years old. After several other failed attempts, she finally understood that “Katie” — the girl trapped within her — was determined to live.

In this first-person account, Katie reflects on her pain-filled childhood and the events leading up to the life-changing decision to undergo gender reassignment as a teenager. She reveals the unique challenges she faced while unlearning how to be a boy and shares what it was like to navigate the dating world and experience heartbreak for the first time in a body that matched her gender identity. Told in an unwaveringly honest voice, Rethinking Normal is a coming-of-age story about transcending physical appearances and redefining the parameters of “normalcy” to embody one’s true self.

Some Assembly Required: the Not-So-Secret Life of a Transgender Teen. Arin Andrews, $21.99 (Ages 14 +)

We’ve all felt uncomfortable in our own skin at some point, and we’ve all been told that “it’s just a part of growing up.” But for Arin Andrews, it wasn’t a phase that would pass. He had been born in the body of a girl and there seemed to be no relief in sight. In this revolutionary memoir, Arin details the journey that led him to make the life-transforming decision to undergo gender reassignment as a high school junior. In his captivatingly witty, honest voice, Arin reveals the challenges he faced as a girl, the humiliation and anger he felt after getting kicked out of his private school, and all the changes — both mental and physical — he experienced once his transition began.

Some Assembly Required is a true coming-of-age story about knocking down obstacles and embracing family, friendship, and first love. But more than that, it is a reminder that self-acceptance does not come ready-made with a manual and spare parts. Rather, some assembly is always required.

Sometimes the Spoon Runs Away with Another Spoon. Jacinta Bunnell, illustrated by Nathaniel Kusinitz, $11.00

This radically different activity book takes anecdotes from the lives of real kids and mixes them with classic tales to create true-to-life characters, situations and resolutions. Featuring massive beasts who enjoy dainty jewelry and princess who build rocket ships, this fun for all-ages coloring book celebrates those who do not fit into disempowering gender categorizations, from sensitive boys to tough girls.

Speaking OUT: Queer Youth in Focus. Rachelle Lee Smith, $17.99

Speaking OUT: Queer Youth in Focus is a photographic essay that explores a wide spectrum of experiences told from the perspective of a diverse group of young people, ages fourteen to twenty-four, identifying as queer (i.e., lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning). Portraits are presented without judgment or stereotype by eliminating environmental influence with a stark white backdrop. This backdrop acts as a blank canvas, where each subject’s personal thoughts are handwritten onto the final photographic print. With more than sixty-five portraits photographed over a period of ten years, Speaking OUT provides rare insight into the passions, confusions, prejudices, joys, and sorrows felt by queer youth.

Straight Expectations: the Story of a Family In Transition. Peggy Cryden, $19.95

Ever since they were young, Peggy Cryden noticed her children's gender expression did not correspond with society's expectations of their biological gender. In this moving and honest memoir, Peggy details the experiences and challenges of raising both a gay son and a gay, transgender son and shares her family's journey of adversity and growth, which has helped inform her work as a psychotherapist.

Beginning with her own unconventional upbringing and personal relationships, the second half of the book follows her children from birth to adulthood and through their numerous experiences including coming out, depression, hate crime, relationships, school and various aspects to do with transitioning (legal, physical, medical, social) as well as their appearances in the media as a family. This book is insightful, charming and thought-provoking, and through levity and humour, offers a positive approach to parenting outside of convention.

10,000 Dresses. Marcus Ewert, $14.95   

Every night, Bailey dreams about magical dresses: dresses made of crystals and rainbows, dresses made of flowers, dresses made of windows...

Unfortunately, when Bailey's awake, no one wants to hear about these beautiful dreams. Quite the contrary. "You're a BOY!" Mother and Father tell Bailey. "You shouldn't be thinking about dresses at all." Then Bailey meets Laurel, an older girl who is touched and inspired by Bailey’s imagination and courage. In friendship, the two of them begin making dresses together and Bailey’s dreams come true!

This gorgeous picture book — a modern fairy tale about becoming the person you feel you are inside — will delight people of all ages.

This Day in June. Gayle Pitman, $14.50

In a wildly whimsical, validating, and exuberant reflection of the LGBT community, This Day In June welcomes readers to experience a pride celebration and share in a day when we are all united.

Also included is a Reading Guide chock-full of facts about LGBT history and culture, as well as a Note to Parents and Caregivers with information on how to talk to children about sexual orientation and gender identity in age-appropriate ways.

This Day In June is an excellent tool for teaching respect, acceptance, and understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

Trans Bodies, Trans Selves: a Resource for the Transgender Community. Edited by Laura Erickson-Schroth, $55.50

There is no one way to be transgender. Transgender and gender non-conforming people have many different ways of understanding their gender identities. Only recently have sex and gender been thought of as separate concepts, and we have learned that sex (traditionally thought of as physical or biological) is as variable as gender (traditionally thought of as social). While trans people share many common experiences, there is immense diversity within trans communities. Trans Bodies, Trans Selves is a revolutionary resource — a comprehensive, reader-friendly guide for transgender people, with each chapter written by transgender or genderqueer authors.

Inspired by Our Bodies, Ourselves, the classic and powerful compendium written for and by women, Trans Bodies, Trans Selves is widely accessible to the transgender population, providing authoritative information in an inclusive and respectful way and representing the collective knowledge base of dozens of influential experts. Each chapter takes the reader through an important transgender issue, such as race, religion, employment, medical and surgical transition, mental health topics, relationships, sexuality, parenthood, arts and culture, and many more. Anonymous quotes and testimonials from transgender people who have been surveyed about their experiences are woven throughout, adding compelling, personal voices to every page. In this unique way, hundreds of viewpoints from throughout the community have united to create this strong and pioneering book. It is a welcoming place for transgender and gender-questioning people, their partners and families, students, professors, guidance counselors, and others to look for up-to-date information on transgender life.

Trans Voices: Becoming Who You Are. Declan Henry, $17.95

Foregrounding the voices of transgender and non-binary people, this honest and insightful book is a compilation of the voices of those who have decided to undergo transition — both male-to-female and female-to-male. Drawing on over one hundred interviews with individuals, the book details the diverse experiences and challenges faced by those who transition, exploring a range of topics such as hormone treatments; reassignment surgeries; coming out; sex and sexuality; physical, emotional and mental health; transphobia; discrimination; and hate crime, as well as highlighting the lives of non-binary individuals and those who cross-dress to form a wider understanding of the varied ways in which people experience gender.

This powerful book is an ideal introduction to those keen to understand more about contemporary trans issues as well as those questioning their own gender identity.

Transfixed: a Love Story That Defies All Conventions. A Film by Alon Kol, $27.00 (DVD, 74 minutes)

As a society, we pride ourselves on respect for diversity and equality, but sometimes there are people who cross our paths who require a more complex kind of understanding. What happens when two people are so unique, so different, that they break every possible convention?

Transfixed is a documentary that tells the story of a highly unconventional romance. Martine Stonehouse and John Gelman are engaged, and are both living with Asperger Syndrome. Martine is a transsexual who is preparing for the surgery that will change her into the woman she has always believed herself to be. Martine's main motivation is her quest to marry John, who identifies "straight" and promises to end their relationship unless she "gets a vagina."

Before John and Martine can fulfill their dream of living as husband and wife, they will have to overcome Martine's battle to lose weight, John's stubborn-mindedness, a series of medical complications, financial woes, and a stressful race to pull off the ultimate wedding — one that simultaneously celebrates and smashes down romantic conventions, and one that is as unique and compelling as they are. At its core, Transfixedmakes us ask: What is love? What is a relationship? Martine and John's love may not be our ideal picture of romantic love, but somehow they make it work. They're one step beyond post-post modern — a quirky mixture of conservative dreams, liberal politics, and their own fearless and charming idiosyncrasies.

The Transgender Child: a Handbook for Families and Professionals. Stephanie Brill & Rachel Pepper, $24.95

Covering developmental, medical, social, school and legal issues, The Transgender Child is a comprehensive, first-of-its-kind guidebook for the unique challenges that families face when raising a child who steps outside of the “pink or blue box”.

The Transgender Teen: a Handbook for Parents and Professionals Supporting Transgender and Non-Binary Teens. Stephanie Brill & Lisa Kenney, $24.50

What do you do when your son announces he is transgender and asks that you call her by a new name? Or what if your child uses a term you’ve never heard of to describe themselves (neutrois, agender, non-binary, genderqueer, androgyne…) and when you didn’t know what they meant, they left the room and now won’t speak to you about it? Perhaps your daughter recently asked you not to use gendered pronouns when referring to ‘her’ anymore, preferring that you use “they”; you’re left wondering if this is just a phase, or if there’s something more that you need to understand about your child.

There is a generational divide in our understandings of gender. This comprehensive guidebook helps to bridge that divide by exploring the unique challenges that thousands of families face every day raising a teenager who may be transgender, non-binary, gender-fluid or otherwise gender-expansive. Combining years of experience working in the field with extensive research and personal interviews, the authors cover pressing concerns relating to physical and emotional development, social and school pressures, medical considerations, and family communications. Learn how parents can more deeply understand their children, and raise their non-binary or transgender adolescent with love and compassion.

Transgender Children and Youth: Cultivating Pride and Joy with Families in Transition. Elijah Nealy, $36.95

These days, it is practically impossible not to hear about some aspect of transgender life. Whether it is the bathroom issue in North Carolina, trans people in the military, or on television, trans life has become front and centre after years of marginalisation. And kids are coming out as trans at younger and younger ages, which is a good thing for them. But what written resources are available to parents, teachers and mental health professionals who need to support these children?

Elijah Nealy, a therapist and former deputy executive director of New York City’s LGBT Community Center, and himself a trans man, has written the first-ever comprehensive guide to understanding, supporting, and welcoming trans kids. Covering everything from family life to school and mental health issues, as well as the physical, social and emotional aspects of transition, this book is full of best practices to support trans kids.

Transgender Lives: Complex Stories, Complex Voices. Kristin Cronn-Mills, $41.50

Meet Katie, Hayden, Dean, Brooke, David, Julia, and Natasha. Each is transgender, and in this book, they share their personal stories. Through their narratives, you'll get to know and love each person for their humor, intelligence, perseverance, and passion. You'll learn how they each came to better understand, accept, and express their gender identities, and you'll follow them through the sorrows and successes of their personal journeys. Transgender Lives helps you understand what it means to be transgender in America while learning more about transgender history, the broad spectrum of transgender identities, and the transition process. You'll explore the challenges transgender Americans face, including discrimination, prejudice, bullying and violence, unequal access to medical care, and limited legal protections. For transgender readers, these stories offer support and encouragement. Transgender Lives is a space for trans voices to be heard and to express the complexities of gender while focusing on what it means to be human.

Transitioning Together: One Couple's Journey of Gender and Identity Discovery. Wenn & Beatrice Lawson, $24.95

This is the story of a long-lasting relationship, surviving against the odds. It is the story of Wenn and Beatrice Lawson, born almost twelve years apart in different countries with different cultures, who were both assigned female at birth. After nineteen years of marriage and four children, Wenn entered a same-sex relationship with Beatrice. Little did Beatrice know that twenty-two years later, Wenn would transition from female to male. This unique and honest memoir tells the story of Wenn's transition and Beatrice's journey alongside him.

Co-written by Wenn and Beatrice, who are both on the autism spectrum, this book offers a rare insight into an older couple's experience of transition, with particular emphasis on how Beatrice really felt about the changes. Without holding back, they tell the true story of the conflicts, challenges and growing celebration and joy that can arise from transitioning together as a couple.

Transitions of the Heart: Stories of Love, Struggle and Acceptance by Mothers of Transgender and Gender Variant Children.  Edited by Rachel Pepper, $22.95

TRANSITIONS OF THE HEART is the first collection to invite mothers of transgender and gender variant children to tell their own stories. Often "transitioning" socially and emotionally alongside their children, parents have their own parallel process to work through, and few resources to depend on. Editor Rachel Pepper has gathered voices of women from all walks of life, with children ranging in age from six to sixty, to share their experiences. These mothers have learned how to advocate for their children and themselves. By speaking out here, they are blazing a brave trail for others to follow.

Transparent: Love, Family and Living the T with Transgender Teenagers. Cris Beam, $15.95

When Cris Beam first moved to Los Angeles, she thought she might put in just a few hours volunteering at a school for gay and transgender kids while she got settled. Instead, she found herself drawn, more deeply than she could ever have imagined, into the pained and powerful group of transgirls she discovered.

In Transparent she introduces four of them and as she earns their trust she shows us their world, a dizzying mix of familiar teenage cliques and crushes with far less familiar challenges like how to morph your body on a few dollars a day. Funny, heartbreaking, defiant, and sometimes defeated, the girls form a singular community. But they struggle valiantly to resolve the gap between the way they feel inside and the way the world sees them. Beam's astute reporting, sensitive writing, and passionate engagement with her characters place this book in the ranks of the very best narrative nonfiction.

Transphobia — Deal With It. J. Wallace Skelton, illustrated by Nick Johnson, $24.95 (ages 9-13)

Transphobia is intolerance of any part of the range of gender identity. This accessible, illustrated book offers information, quizzes, comics and true-to-life scenarios to help kids better understand gender identity and determine what they can do to identify and counter transphobia in their schools, homes and communities. Considered from the viewpoint of gender explorers, gender enforcers and witnesses, transphobic behaviour is identified, examined and put into a context that kids can use to understand and accept themselves and others for whatever gender they are — even if that's no gender at all!

Undoing Homophobia in Primary Schools. The No Outsiders Project Team, $29.95

This book is a celebration of recognition, affirmation and inclusion. Primary teachers tell the story of how they have challenged the taken-for-granted norms and silences in primary schools around sexual orientation and gender expression. These norms and silences have left lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their families marginalized, unrepresented and subject to multiple discrimination, and have allowed embedded homophobia and transphobia to go largely unchallenged. Through their accounts of practice, reflections and interpretations, vignettes and images, the teachers describe how they have challenged this unaddressed area of inclusion across sites across England ranging from a tiny village church school to urban and suburban settings. Working within and beyond the curriculum, teachers have broken boundaries in primary practice for sexualities and gender equality.

This book shows it is not only through planned innovations and policy developments that change happens but also, and crucially, in the day-to-day moments where new thinking leads to new action for equality and social justice.

The Unfinished Dollhouse: a Memoir of Gender and Identity. Michelle Alfano, $22.95

The central metaphor of The Unfinished Dollhouse tells the story: on Frankie's fourth birthday, her parents Michelle and Rob purchased a kit to create a beautiful dollhouse. Michelle imagined building the home, buying the tiny pieces of furniture and accessories to fill it and, more importantly, the times she and her daughter would spend constructing the perfect dollhouse — a fantasy of domestic and familial happiness. Frankie expressed no interest in such typically girlish pursuits because Frankie harboured a secret — a secret about gender.

In the years to follow, Frankie's parents experienced an education in parenting a child transitioning from female to male — which pronouns to use, how to disclose the information to friends, family, school and how to deal with the reactions of all — some heartening, some surprising, some disappointing. In Michelle Alfano's intimate memoir, she recounts her experience as the mother of a transgender child.

The Voice Book for Trans and Non-Binary People: a Practical Guide to Creating and Sustaining Authentic Voice and Communication. Matthew Mills & Gillie Stoneham, $39.95

Written by two specialist speech and language therapists, this book explains how voice and communication therapy can help transgender and non-binary people to find their authentic voice. It gives a thorough account of the process, from understanding the vocal mechanism through to assimilating new vocal skills and new vocal identity into everyday situations, and includes exercises to change pitch, resonance and intonation. Each chapter features insider accounts from trans and gender diverse individuals who have explored or are exploring voice and communication related to their gender expression, describing key aspects of their experience of creating and maintaining a voice that feels true to them.

This guide is an essential, comprehensive source for trans and non-binary individuals who are interested in working towards achieving a different, more authentic voice, and will be a valuable resource for speech and language therapists/pathologists, voice coaches and healthcare professionals.

Where's the Mother? Stories from a Transgender Dad. Trevor MacDonald, $21.99

In a time when to most people “pregnancy” automatically means “motherhood,” what is it like to get pregnant, give birth, and breastfeed a child — all while being an out transgender man?

When Trevor MacDonald decided to start a family, he knew that the world was going to have questions for him.  Luckily for the reader, Trevor responds with grace and humour.  His stories convey the intimate and sometimes surprising realities of the transgender parenting experience. This memoir is a book about being a breastfeeding parent and a transgender man, and the many beautiful, moving, and difficult ways these two identities collide.

You and Your Gender Identity: a Guide to Discovery. Dara Hoffman-Fox, $25.99

Are you wrestling with questions surrounding your gender that just don’t seem to go away? Do you want answers to questions about your gender identity, but aren’t sure how to get started? In this groundbreaking guide, Dara Hoffman-Fox, LPC — accomplished gender therapist and thought leader whose articles, blogs, and videos have empowered thousands worldwide — helps you navigate your journey of self-discovery in three approachable stages: preparation, reflection, and exploration.

In You and Your Gender Identity, you will learn:

• Why understanding your gender identity is core to embracing your full being
• How to sustain the highs and lows of your journey with resources, connection, and self-care
• How to uncover and move through your feelings of fear, loneliness, and doubt
• Why it’s important to examine your past through the lens of gender exploration
• How to discover and begin living as your authentic self
• What options you have after making your discoveries about your gender identity