Books

I Am Perfectly Designed is an exuberant celebration of loving who you are, exactly as you are, from Karamo Brown, the Culture Expert of Netflix's hit series Queer Eye, and Jason Brown―featuring illustrations by Anoosha Syed.

In this empowering ode to modern families, a boy and his father take a joyful walk through the city, discovering all the ways in which they are perfectly designed for each other.

"With tenderness and wit, this story captures the magic of building strong childhood memories. The Browns and Syed celebrate the special bond between parent and child with joy and flair...Syed's bright, cartoon illustrations enrich the tale with a meaningful message of kindness and inclusion."―Kirkus

By: Brad Meltzer (Author), Christopher Eliopoulos (Illustrator), 2024, Hardcover, Picture Book

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is the 32nd hero in the New York Times bestselling picture book biography series for ages 5 to 9.

Before Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the judge, she was a young Jewish girl growing up in Brooklyn, inspired by books, past female trailblazers, and her mother to make the world a better, more just place to be. So even when people turned her away—for being a girl and for being Jewish—she never stopped fighting for equal treatment for everyone by pushing back against unjust laws and the beliefs around them.  

This friendly, fun biography series inspired the PBS Kids TV show Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum. One great role model at a time, these books encourage kids to dream big.

Included in each book are:  

• A timeline of key events in the hero’s history 
• Photos that bring the story more fully to life 
• Comic-book-style illustrations that are irresistibly adorable
• Childhood moments that influenced the hero  
• Facts that make great conversation-starters 
• A virtue this person embodies: Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s perseverance to create justice and equality is highlighted.

You’ll want to collect each book in this dynamic, informative series!

Picture Book•HC•4/c illustrations•From the New York Times bestselling creators of I Am Enough comes the empowering follow-up for boys and girls, I Believe I Can—an affirmation of every child’s inherent self-worth and potential.

By: Precious Brady-Davis (Author), Joey Soloway (Introduction), 2021, Paperback

A powerful memoir of independence, releasing the past, and living the dream by award-winning trans advocate Precious Brady-Davis.

Precious Brady-Davis remembers the sense of being singular and grappling with “otherness.” Born into traumatic circumstances, Davis was brought up in the Omaha foster care system and the Pentecostal faith. As a biracial, gender-nonconforming kid, she felt displaced. Yet she realized by coming into her identity that she had a purpose all along.

In I Have Always Been Me, Brady-Davis reflects on a childhood of neglect, instability, and abandonment. She reveals her determination to dream through it and shares her profound journey as a trans woman now fully actualized, absolutely confident, and precious. She speaks to anyone who has ever tried to find their place in this world and imparts the wisdom that comes with surmounting odds and celebrating on the other side.

A memoir, a love story, and an outreach for the marginalized, Precious’s sojourn is a song of self-reliance and pride and an invitation to join in the chorus.

Four Seasons Volume 3 (I Hear the Sunspot Series)

Though handsome and well-liked, Kohei Sugihara has led a gloomy and withdrawn existence ever since he developed severe hearing loss in junior high. But in college, a chance encounter with his ever optimistic classmate Taichi Sagawa ignites an undeniable shared spark that eventually blossoms into love.
Graduation nears for Kohei, and with a job offer in hand from his top choice, he embarks on a summer internship to ease the transition. However, the experience quickly turns into a trial by fire, leaving Kohei struggling to find his way among the sometimes divisive opinions of his new coworkers.
“I’m always gonna be there to lift you to your feet.
Even when we get into a fight, I’m still on your side!”

Because of a hearing disability, Kohei is often misunderstood and has trouble integrating into life on campus, so he learns to keep his distance. That is until he meets the outspoken and cheerful Taichi. He tells Kohei that his hearing loss is not his fault. Taichi's words cut through Kohei's usual defense mechanisms and open his heart. More than friends, less than lovers, their relationship changes Kohei forever.

Kohei Sugihara, college student with hearing loss, and Taichi Sagawa, his ever-optimistic former classmate, met in a chance encounter that ignited an undeniable spark that would eventually blossom into love.

Now it’s spring and as Kohei nears graduation, his search for a job begins. Meanwhile, Taichi finds himself in charge of someone new at work. Life is busier than ever, but all in all, things seem to be looking up for the pair. That is, until the sudden appearance of Ena, one of Kohei’s old flames.

Kohei Sugihara, a college student with hearing loss, and Taichi Sagawa, his ever-optimistic former classmate, met in a chance encounter that ignited an undeniable spark that would eventually blossom into love.

Summer has at last arrived, but Kohei’s job search is sapping all his free time. Taichi, now a working professional, is struggling with his role as a mentor to the office’s new hire. And life only grows more complicated when Taichi receives a sudden phone call from his estranged father.

“You rescued me from a world without sound. If it wasn't for you, I never would've known the world was such an amazing place!”

Because of a hearing disability, university student Kohei had made a habit of distancing himself from those around him. But after meeting the exceedingly cheerful Taichi, he gradually begins to embrace a more positive outlook on life. Kohei eventually begins to see Taichi as more than a friend, and after he finally confesses his love to Taichi, the feelings become mutual.

In this new addition to the I Hear the Sunspot series, Kohei continues on as a student, while Taichi makes his way out into the working world to pursue his own calling and the two begin a new life together!

Due to the overwhelming success of I Hear the Sunspot, the sequel has finally arrived, I Hear the Sunspot: Theory of Happiness! How will this "more than friends, less than lovers" relationship evolve?

--he can't hear . . . ?

Because of a hearing disability Kohei is often alone. Taichi is outspoken and cheerful. At first, Kohei keeps himself well guarded, but after he meets Taichi he slowly learns to open up.

By: Kai Cheng Thom (Author), 2019, Paperback

Winner, Publishing Triangle Award for Trans and Gender Variant Literature; American Library Association Stonewall Honor Book

What can we hope for at the end of the world? What can we trust in when community has broken our hearts? What would it mean to pursue justice without violence? How can we love in the absence of faith?

In a heartbreaking yet hopeful collection of personal essays and prose poems, blending the confessional, political, and literary, Kai Cheng Thom dives deep into the questions that haunt social movements today. With the author’s characteristic eloquence and honesty, I Hope We Choose Love proposes heartfelt solutions on the topics of violence, complicity, family, vengeance, and forgiveness. Taking its cues from contemporary thought leaders in the transformative justice movement such as adrienne maree brown and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, this provocative book is a call for nuance in a time of political polarization, for healing in a time of justice, and for love in an apocalypse.

Dept. of Speculation meets Black Mirror in this lyrical, speculative debut about a queer mother raising her daughter in an unjust surveillance state

In a United States not so unlike our own, the Department of Balance has adopted a radical new form of law enforcement: rather than incarceration, wrongdoers are given a second (and sometimes, third, fourth, and fifth) shadow as a reminder of their crime—and a warning to those they encounter. Within the Department, corruption and prejudice run rampant, giving rise to an underclass of so-called Shadesters who are disenfranchised, publicly shamed, and deprived of civil rights protections.

Kris is a Shadester and a new mother to a baby born with a second shadow of her own. Grieving the loss of her wife and thoroughly unprepared for the reality of raising a child alone, Kris teeters on the edge of collapse, fumbling in a daze of alcohol, shame, and self-loathing. Yet as the kid grows, Kris finds her footing, raising a child whose irrepressible spark cannot be dampened by the harsh realities of the world. She can’t forget her wife, but with time, she can make a new life for herself and the kid, supported by a community of fellow misfits who defy the Department to lift one another up in solidarity and hope.

With a first-person register reminiscent of the fierce self-disclosure of Sheila Heti and the poetic precision of Ocean Vuong, I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself is a bold debut novel that examines the long shadow of grief, the hard work of parenting, and the power of queer resistance.

By: Todd Parr (Author), 2018, Hardcover, Picture Book

This sweet homage to our beautiful planet from New York Times bestselling author Todd Parr is the perfect simple introduction to environmental protection and conservation.

With his colorful illustrations, playful humor, and inclusive storytelling, beloved author Todd Parr has long been a favorite among young readers and caregivers. His books promote an essential message of love and acceptance that is inspiring, empowering, and accessible. 

I take care of the earth because I know I can do little things every day to make a BIG difference...

Todd Parr explores the timely subject of environmental protection and conservation in this sweet board book for the youngest budding environmentalists. I Love the Earth includes easy, kid-friendly ways we can work together to make the Earth feel good—from planting a tree and using both sides of the paper, to saving energy and reusing old things in new ways. Filled with Todd's signature playfulness and sensitivity, this book will inspire readers of all ages to do their part in keeping the Earth happy and healthy.

Any love story aficionado will say that the key to a successful couple is intense desire for one another-but what if the characters in question are an asexual woman with a passion for Boys Love stories and a gay man whose heart forever belongs to his oblivious childhood friend? Although romance will never be in the cards for newlyweds Yuriko and Gakurouta, the bond blossoming between them promises to be a wonderful relationship-the likes of which neither has ever experienced before…