I love these stories for children about gay and lesbian families for several reasons. First, as my boys grow up, I often wonder if or when they will come to me with a question that results in an uncomfortable conversation. You know – THOSE questions? The questions that you both dread and hope they will come to you with?
Reading age-appropriate stories for children about all kinds of families normalizes families of all shapes and sizes, which is crucial to raising kind and empathetic children. And hopefully, it helps my boys become comfortable coming to me with questions that they may perceive as uncomfortable.
Second, I loved reading a selection of these stories to my boys because the stories are each witty, sensitive, and beautifully illustrated – they’re just great stories! And, more importantly, they normalize families like their own.
Stories for Children About Families with Two Dads
At the penguin house at the Central Park Zoo, two penguins named Roy and Silo were a little bit different from the others. But their desire for a family was the same. And with the help of a kindly zookeeper, Roy and Silo got the chance to welcome a baby penguin of their very own.
Releasing in time for the tenth anniversary of And Tango Makes Three, this book and CD edition features narration by renowned actor Neil Patrick Harris.
A Tale of Two Daddies is a playground conversation between two children. The boy says he heard that the girl has two dads. The girl says that is right. She has Daddy and Poppa. True to a child’s curiosity, practical questions follow. “Which dad helps when your team needs a coach? / Which dad cooks you eggs and toast?” To which she answers: “Daddy is my soccer coach. / Poppa cooks me eggs and toast. There is also A Tale of Two Mommies.
Stella’s class is having a Mother’s Day celebration, but what’s a girl with two daddies to do? It’s not that she doesn’t have someone who helps her with her homework, or tucks her in at night. Stella has her Papa and Daddy who take care of her, and a whole gaggle of other loved ones who make her feel special and supported every day. She just doesn’t have a mom to invite to the party. Fortunately, Stella finds a unique solution to her party problem in this sweet story about love, acceptance, and the true meaning of family.
When a grouchy queen tells her layabout son that it’s time for him to marry, he sighs, “Very well, Mother…. I must say, though, I’ve never cared much for princesses.” His young page winks. Several unsatisfactory bachelorettes visit the castle before “Princess Madeleine and her brother, Prince Lee” appear in the doorway. The hero is smitten at once. “What a wonderful prince!” he and Prince Lee both exclaim, as a shower of tiny Valentine hearts flutters between them.
Rhythmic text and illustrations with universal appeal show a toddler spending the day with its daddies. From hide-and-seek to dress-up, then bath time and a kiss goodnight, there’s no limit to what a loving family can do together. Share the loving bond between same-sex parents and their children. You can also find Mommy, Mama, and Me.
Stories for Children About Families with Two Moms
Donovan’s two moms are getting married, and he can’t wait for the celebration to begin. After all, as ringbearer, he has a very important job to do. Any boy or girl with same-sex parents—or who knows a same-sex couple—will appreciate this picture book about love, family, and marriage. The story captures the joy and excitement of a wedding day while the illustrations show the happy occasion from a child’s point of view.
“Mommy, how are babies made?” Any parent who’s fielded this question knows how essential a good book can be to help guide a tricky conversation. But what if your family doesn’t fit the standard mold? How do you explain pregnancy and birth if your child has two moms? *It Takes Love* is for little kids in lesbian families born via donor insemination. Using simple, matter-of-fact language and bright, fun illustrations, it introduces the basics of reproduction and the concept of the donor. Both known donors and sperm banks are presented, but with a light touch. Because each family is unique, the book leaves space for parents to control the most sensitive part of their child’s story.
Olivia’s moms tell her the charming story of how they became a family through sperm donation. This vividly illustrated and humorous children’s book is a wonderful way for children conceived via donor sperm to learn about their origin.
This bedtime story about bedtime stories shows how a lively, curious boy helps one of his moms create a magical tale. Together they weave a nighttime adventure that lands young Noah and his singing cat Diva deep in dragon territory. Join them as they make an unexpected discovery and help a new friend find his way.
Emma can’t wait for her cousin Hannah’s wedding. She’s going to be the flower girl. That means she’ll wear a celery dress and walk down the aisle with the ring bear, leading the way for the happy bride and groom. Or at least, that’s what Emma assumes. But nothing turns out to be quite what she’s expecting.
A playful celebration of Lesbian Mothers and their children! “Oh The Things Mommies Do!” is a bouncy, and playful look at the joys of a two Mom family. With its catchy rhymes and vibrant illustrations, it is a pleasure for children and parents alike!
After learning about South Africa in school, the inquisitive and lighthearted Keesha dreams of one day going to see it for herself. She gets the surprise of a lifetime when her two moms decide to take her there for her birthday! On the family’s seven-day trip to the diverse country, they make new friends, try new foods, and learn all about South African culture.
Heather’s favorite number is two. She has two arms, two legs, and two pets. And she also has two mommies. When Heather goes to school for the first time, someone asks her about her daddy, but Heather doesn’t have a daddy. Then something interesting happens. When Heather and her classmates all draw pictures of their families, not one drawing is the same. It doesn’t matter who makes up a family, the teacher says, because “the most important thing about a family is that all the people in it love one another.”
Have fun with the kids, moms, dads and pets in this delightful book that celebrates LGBTQ families as it teaches young children the alphabet.
Marmee, Meema, and the kids are just like any other family on the block. In their beautiful house, they cook dinner together, they laugh together, and they dance together. But some of the other families don?t accept them. They say they are different. How can a family have two moms and no dad? But Marmee and Meema?s house is full of love. And they teach their children that different doesn’t mean wrong. And no matter how many moms or dads they have, they are everything a family is meant to be.
Stories for Children About Gay & Lesbian Families – Middle School
With four brothers, a dog, a cat, school projects, soccer matches, and a grumpy neighbor, the Fletchers are your typical American family…with two dads, and siblings who are adopted kids from various ethnic backgrounds. While 12-year-old Sam ponders whether trying out for the school play will interfere with his identity as a soccer player, 10-year-old Jax negotiates changing friendships and a veteran project that involves talking to the unfriendly Vietnam vet next door. Meanwhile, Eli, also age 10, finds that his new, academically oriented school isn’t everything he expected it would be, and six-year-old Frog attempts to convince his family that his kindergarten best friend is not imaginary. Turtles and kittens are requested, camping trips are taken, and holiday celebrations (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Chanukah, and Christmas) involve minor kitchen fires, missing turkeys, and other mishaps.
The Manny Files (mix)
“Be interesting.” That’s what the manny tells Keats Dalinger the first time he packs Keats’s school lunch, but for Keats that’s not always the easiest thing to do. Even though he’s the only boy at home, it always feels like no one ever remembers him. His sisters are everywhere!
In the subplot of this fourth book in the Magic Shop series, Charlie’s Uncle Bennie explains that he is gay. The two are able to have an open conversation about love, honesty, and respect, and the takeaway message is a beautiful one: “Love is nothing to be ashamed of.”
This isn’t at all the carefree story implied by the title and cover artwork–terminal cancer, AIDS, gay-bashing and death are treated tenderly here, in appropriate middle-reader fashion. Colin Mudford, an Australian boy, suspects that his parents favor his younger brother, Luke. When Luke collapses suddenly and is hospitalized, Colin wistfully imagines he has a malady of his own. Yet upon hearing that Luke will die of cancer, Colin sets out to find a doctor to cure him. Sent to live with relatives in England, Colin first tries soliciting the Queen’s help, then approaches hospital physicians. He eventually meets Ted, a homosexual whose lover is dying of AIDS. Colin and Ted support one another through a difficult time (including Ted’s assault by homophobic thugs), which enables Colin to shed his self-centered ways and allow a brave, resourceful and loving person to emerge.
Joe’s teacher asks his seventh-grade class to write an alpha biography throughout the year, presenting themselves and their lives in entries from A to Z. Joe’s essays begin and end with friends, from Addie, a long-time pal and confidant, to Zachary, a new student who, like Joe, has a unique approach to life. Throughout, Joe demonstrates that he truly is a one-of-a-kind kid, mostly comfortable with himself but still struggling with common adolescent issues. It’s difficult for him to relate to his athletic brother, and he misses his much-loved Aunt Pam, who moves to New York City. He also comes to grips with his sexuality, questioning gender expectations and traditional roles as he realizes he is gay. Because he is different, he is tormented by Kevin, who calls him a girl and faggot and falsely accuses him of kissing his friend Colin (a jock not yet ready to come out). Joe’s narration always feels honest if not entirely credible.
Twelve-year-old June Farrell is sure of one thing—she’s great at making pies—and she plans to prove it by winning a blue ribbon in the Champlain Valley Fair pie competition. But a backlash against Vermont’s civil union law threatens her family’s security and their business. Even when faced with bullying, June won’t give up on winning the blue ribbon; more importantly, she won’t give up on her family.
In this funny and insightful story, the dreams of many a small-town, theater-loving boy are reflected in the starry eyes of eighth-grader Nate. When Nate hops a Greyhound bus to travel across Pennsylvania to try out for the Broadway-bound musical based on the movie E.T., no one but his best friend, Libby, knows about it; not his athletic brother, religious father, or unhappy mother. Self-reliant, almost to an inauthentic fault, he arrives in Manhattan for the first time and finds his way into the audition with dramatic results, and when his estranged actress/waitress aunt suddenly appears, a troubled family history and a useful subplot surface. Nate’s emerging sexuality is tactfully addressed in an age-appropriate manner throughout, particularly in his wonderment at the differences between his hometown and N.Y.C., “a world where guys . . . can dance next to other guys who probably liked Phantom of the Opera and not get threatened or assaulted.”
Throughout the book, Percy and Annabeth make their harrowing way through the underworld to the Doors of Death. Meanwhile, Hazel, Leo, Frank, Piper, Jason, Nico, and Reyna endure their own perils, all the way through to the story’s climax. In addition to experiencing growth spurts, several of the teen demigods take significant steps toward understanding their powers, accepting their feelings, trusting each other, and taking responsibility for leadership. Demigod Nico comes out and admits he is in love with Percy.
Alice McKinley likes her life, but she senses things are changing. She gets a little bored by her best friends Elizabeth’s and Pamela’s obsession with clothes and makeup. She’s just not that interested. And though she is very interested in her boyfriend, Patrick, she’s not entirely sure how to keep their relationship going. Alice is struggling to figure out how she feels about things—and then how her feelings fits into what other people think she should be feeling.
Sylvie and Carl have always been best friends, and Sylvie’s always dreamed that they’d get married someday. But when she begins to realize that Carl may be more interested in boys than girls, Sylvie struggles to hold on to the pieces of her shattered dreams.
