Why am I passionate about this?
I love writing stories for young people in that “in-between” age: age 12, 13, and 14, when kids are figuring out who they are and who they want to become. For many young people, crushes are a huge part of this coming-of-age process—I know they were for me! When I was this age, there weren’t many books that explored crushes and the first romance for LGBTQ+ kids. I’m thrilled to be part of a wave of authors writing these stories now. And I’m so excited for a future where we have a wealth of books about the joy, heartbreak, and humor of all kinds of young love.
Erin's book list on LGBTQ+ romance for middle school readers
Why did Erin love this book?
This book perfectly captures the atmosphere of a summer trip that both feels like it lasts forever and is also over way too fast. I loved the Oregon beach setting and the slow-building connection between Jeremy and Evan, first as friendship and then maybe something more.
This is such a tender, beautiful, and vivid story—when I finished it, I really felt like I had just come back from a wistful seaside vacation myself! And as a runner, I enjoyed the way Jeremy and Evan connected while jogging together. Evan was a very kind and empathetic “coach.”
1 author picked The Language of Seabirds as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.
A sweet, tender middle-grade story of two boys finding
first love with each other over a seaside summer.
Jeremy is not excited about the prospect of spending the summer
with his dad and his uncle in a seaside cabin in Oregon. It's the
first summer after his parents' divorce, and he hasn't exactly
been seeking alone time with his dad. He doesn't have a choice,
though, so he goes ... and on his first day takes a walk on the beach
and finds himself intrigued by a boy his age running by. Eventually,
he and Runner Boy (Evan) meet --…