At least 19 states have laws that either restrict the teaching of LGBTQ+ concepts in schools or allow parents to opt their students out of queer-inclusive lessons. As a result, there are many banned LGBTQ+ children’s books that children now have no or limited access to.

It’s a shame because banned LGBTQ+ children’s books often contain rare depictions of queer youth and their families as well as powerful lessons about love, exploring one’s own identity, and self-expression. That’s why we’ve created this list of regularly banned LGBTQ+ children’s books (or books whose use in the classrooms has resulted in consequences for teachers) — so that queer-inclusive parents and educators can help expose their young learners to ideas that some schools won’t allow.

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A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Marlon Bundo with Jill Twiss (2018)

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John Oliver helped create this book as a pro-gay parody of former Second Lady Karen Pence’s children’s book about the family’s real-life pet rabbit. In it, the boy bunny marries another boy bunny (and is told that it’s wrong by a bug resembling the anti-gay Vice President Mike Pence). As such, a 1st-grade teacher in Seminole County, Florida, was investigated for reading this book in class because it wasn’t on the district’s approved reading list.

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell (2005)

This real-life story about two male chinstrap penguins who raise a young chick in New York’s Central Park Zoo is probably one of the most frequently banned LGBTQ+ children’s books. In 2023, a Florida school district banned the book as part of the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. The book’s authors sued in response.

Call Me Max by Kyle Lukoff (2019)

This unique tale is about a young trans boy with supportive parents. The boy experiences misgendering and restroom pushback while socially transitioning in his elementary school. It is one of many children’s books with transgender & nonbinary main characters. A school in Texas called it “inappropriate” when a 4th-grade teacher read it to her class, and one Utah school district ended its literacy program after a teacher read it.

Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite (1990)

The pre-marriage equality children’s book is an adorable story about a boy spending time with his divorced father and his partner; it even has a 1996 sequel where the boy serves as his father’s best man at his same-sex wedding. A Florida school district removed the book from its shelves in 2023 over its alleged “adult content” and “sexually charged language,” even though the book has neither.

Heather Has Two Mommies by Lesléa Newman (1989)

This iconic and often-banned LGBTQ+ children’s book follows the young daughter of a lesbian couple as she starts her first day of school and draws a picture of her family. In 2021, the Pennridge School District in Pennsylvania removed the book from elementary school libraries, citing policies prohibiting materials that focus on “gender identity.”

I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings (2014)

Real-life trans youth activist Jazz Jennings co-authored this illustrated memoir at just 14. It has been banned more than almost any other children’s book in the country, according to PEN America, a free speech and anti-censorship organization.

King and King by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland (2000)

When the queen mother demands that her princely son marry, she invites eligible princesses to try and win his heart – little does she know that he has eyes for a fellow prince instead. The book gained attention in 2004, when North Carolina parents complained about a 2nd-grade teacher reading it to students.

My Shadow is Purple by Scott Stuart (2022)

This international best-seller by Australian author Scott Stuart follows a boy who doesn’t have a blue shadow like most boys or a pink shadow like most girls; when he wears a combination skirt and suit to his school dance, he learns that his various classmates’ shadows are also different colors. A 5th-grade teacher in Georgia was fired for reading the book to her class. She sued, but an appeals court upheld her dismissal, based on a state law forbidding the teaching of “divisive concepts.”

Pride Puppy! by Robin Stevenson (2021)

This delightfully inclusive and colorful ABC picture book is about an excited, mischievous puppy who attends a Pride event with its family, only to get loose just as the parade begins. The book was one of several banned LGBTQ+ children’s books at the center of the U.S. Supreme Court case Mahmoud v. Taylor, after some religious Maryland parents objected to its LGBTQ+ themes.

Stella Brings the Family by Miriam B. Schiffer (2015)

When Stella’s teacher announces a Mother’s Day party, she doesn’t know who to invite, since she only has two fathers and a bunch of loving single relatives; however, her dads come up with an ingenious solution that demonstrates just how welcoming and loving large families can be. The Hoboken Public Library in New Jersey defiantly read this title during its Banned Books Read-A-Thon event in honor of Pride Month, even though right-wingers tried to shut down the event.

The fight for inclusive stories continues

Book bans have real consequences, namely limiting access to diverse stories and perspectives for young, impressionable readers. The books on this list represent just a fraction of the titles being challenged in schools and libraries across the country.

By seeking out these stories, sharing them with the children in our lives, and supporting the authors and educators who champion them, we can help ensure that all children see themselves and their families reflected in the pages of a book and know that they are loved and accepted just as they are.

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