I’m a gay author, father, and voice actor living in Los Angeles. When I started writing All Kinds of Other, there was very little literature centering trans characters in YA fiction, and virtually none about trans masculine characters. Trans teens have to face a lot of challenges—in school, at home, even from the government that is supposed to protect them. It’s hard enough to just be a teenager, let alone face such discrimination. I wanted to write something that would reflect them and affirm their right to live and love, to be. Happily, since that time, there have been a number of books for teens that center trans characters, and I’m happy to include some of them here.
By James Sie
Two boys are starting over at a new high school. Jules is still figuring out what it means to be gay and just how out he wants to be. Jack is reeling from a fall-out with his best friend, and isn’t ready to let anyone else in just yet. The two boys meet, and the sparks are undeniable.
But then a video links Jack to a pair of popular transgender vloggers, and the revelations about Jack’s past thrust both Jack and Jules into the spotlight they’d tried to avoid. Suddenly they have a choice to make — between lying low, where it’s easier, or following their hearts.
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By Kacen Callender
This YA book is a vibrant look into the lives of queer art students living in New York City, full of heart and lived-in experience. Felix’s search for love and community is relatable but unique, and I love how Callender honestly and gracefully illustrates how fluid gender identity can be. Extra points for centering queer BIPOC characters.
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By Skylar Kergil
A rollicking and touching memoir from trans vlogging pioneer, artist, and musician Skylar Kergil. Skylar writes with honesty and wit, taking us through his whole childhood, coming out, and transitioning. If you’ve ever seen any of his transition vlogs on YouTube, you know how engaging Skylar is, and his voice shines through in this book. It feels very much like he’s talking to you over a cup of coffee.
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By Tobly McSmith
Another YA book set in New York, but this time in the world of a performing arts school. August Greene, a trans boy from a conservative Pennsylvania community, not only gets accepted into a prestigious performing arts academy in the big city but gets to live his authentic life while doing so. Trouble is, his parents don’t know he’s trans. McSmith is heavily involved in the NY theatre scene, and he writes with insight and accuracy about both trans issues and trans representation in the performing arts.
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By Maia Kobabe
Loved this—it was intimate and thought-provoking, a true look inside another person's coming of age. If you took Skylar Kergil's Before I Had the Words and mixed it with Alison Bechdel's Fun Home, you’d have an idea of what this graphic memoir is like. It perfectly limns the mind of someone's journey of self-discovery, someone who’s non-binary and (possibly) asexual. Kobabe writes (and draws) with honesty, humor, and heart, not trying to speak for all nb/ace people, but just eir own experience as thoughtfully as possible. Texas wanted to ban this book— it’s a testament to how truthful and potent it is.
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By Aiden Thomas
Trans representation can be found in all genres, and Cemetery Boys is proof of that. This Latinx YA fantasy book is also a love story, set in my town of Los Angeles. Thomas creates a rich mythology involving Latinx culture, ancient gods, and brujos, and folds it into a gay teenage love story involving a young trans man who wants to prove himself, and a ghost from the wrong side of the tracks. If you’re jonesing for something like Harry Potter but with centered (and unambiguous) queer characters, this would be the book for you!
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