We Need YOU To Help Spread the Love about LGBTQ+ YA Books!

Calling all YA readers age 13 and up!

Random House Children’s Books is creating a special video tribute about the positive and lasting impact of LGBTQ+ books in the lives of readers across the country.

We hope you will consider sending in a short video and sharing YOUR story with us!

This video will be debuted at the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) annual awards night on November 6th, and will be made available to the public following the event.

Submit your videos by October 18, 2017!

We want to hear from YOU!

How have LGBTQ+ books made a difference in your life? Is there one story that was particularly meaningful to you? How has the presence of LGBTQ+ characters in stories impacted you? How has the experience of relating to characters in literature helped, supported, or influenced you? We are eager to hear your story, and thank you in advance for participating in this special project!

Eligibility Requirements & Participation Instructions

You can submit a simple iPhone / smart phone video.
Videos should be approximately :30 seconds.
Send your video and a signed release form to RHVideoSubmission@penguinrandomhouse.com
You can download the video release form here.
Participants must be 13 or older.
We will not be able to use every submission, and you will be notified if your video will be included.

Questions? Send to RHVideoSubmission@penguinrandomhouse.com

Want to start reading? Here are just a few of our favorite LGBTQ+ YA Books:

By

Based on true events—and narrated by a Greek Chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDS—Two Boys Kissing follows Harry and Craig, two seventeen-year-olds who are about to take part in a 32-hour marathon of kissing to set a new Guinness World Record. While the two increasingly dehydrated and sleep-deprived boys are locking lips, they become a focal point in the lives of other teens dealing with universal questions of love, identity, and belonging.

Boy Meets Boy

By David Levithan

This is the story of Paul, a sophomore at a high school like no other: The cheerleaders ride Harleys, the homecoming queen used to be a guy named Daryl (she now prefers Infinite Darlene and is also the star quarterback), and the gay-straight alliance was formed to help the straight kids learn how to dance.When Paul meets Noah, he thinks he’s found the one his heart is made for. Until he blows it. The school bookie says the odds are 12-to-1 against him getting Noah back, but Paul’s not giving up without playing his love really loud. His best friend Joni might be drifting away, his other best friend Tony might be dealing with ultra-religious parents, and his ex-boyfriend Kyle might not be going away anytime soon, but sometimes everything needs to fall apart before it can really fit together right.This is a happy-meaningful romantic comedy about finding love, losing love, and doing what it takes to get love back in a crazy-wonderful world.

Being Jazz

By Jazz Jennings

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. See Jazz’s story come to life with two inserts featuring personal photos.