Trans Stories in Middle Grade Literature

One of the best parts of being an adult is being able to see how far things have come over time. Back when I was a child, it was very difficult to find good LGBTQ representation in literature, and trans representation was especially difficult to come by. These days, I’m able to create full lists of those books for every age range! Today, let’s look at middle grade:
 

Dear Mothman by Robin Gow
When Noah, a sixth-grade trans boy, loses his best friend in a car accident, he writes letters to the cryptid Mothman to help him grieve. This novel, told in verse, is equal parts beautiful and heart-breaking.

 

Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff
Eleven-year-old Bug doesn’t share the same girly interests as best friend Moira and is trying to figure out why that’s the case. To top it off, there’s a ghost haunting Bug’s house that may or may not be connected to Bug’s late uncle. 

Obie is Man Enough by Schuyler Bailar
Obie loves to swim, and that doesn’t change when he comes out as transgender and switches to the boys’ team. Unfortunately, not everyone on the team is keen to have him there, and he must navigate bullies, crushes, and his own self-doubts to become the best swimmer he can be.
 

Skating on Mars by Caroline Huntoon
Mars, a nonbinary twelve-year-old, has skating skills so good that they catch the eye of a high school boy who dares them to compete in the boys’ league to face off against each other. Can they overcome the challenge?
 

This is Our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, and Us edited by Katherine Locke and Nicole Melleby
This is a collection of wonderful middle grade short stories with LGBTQIA+ representation, featuring great authors across literary genres.