Queen of Faces by Petra Lord – Book Recommendation

March 24, 2026March 3, 2026 | Tasha

Cover image for Queen of Faces by Petra Lord, featuring a girl's face a wave, and a castle against a black starry and lightning-filled sky.

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Publication Date: February 3, 2026
Reviewed from library copy
ISBN: 9781250362971

In a world where the wealthy can switch bodies whenever they want or need to, Ana finds herself stuck in a decaying body of an Edgar, the lowest level body available when her last one caught an infection. Ana can’t afford a new body, unless she can start to make money. But when she fails the entrance exam for Paragon, the top magical school, for a third time, she can’t find another way out. Then the headmaster of Paragon offers her a deal. Become a mercenary for hire for him and she can start working as a servant at Paragon, a way to potentially be considered as a student. Given no choice, Ana agrees, but she soon discovers that heroes can be villains and opportunities can be traps.

Wow.This is one incredible fantasy novel that weaves dark academia with dystopia with trans elements. It is done skillfully and with such passion. The switching of bodies and genders is a core element of the book, speaking to people feeling disconnected with the body they are currently in and being able to become alluring and gorgeous if they have enough money and luck. The entire cast of characters is beautifully rendered and complex with heroes and villains intertwined at times.

A great teen fantasy with an LGBTQIA+ heart. Appropriate for ages 13+.

2026 Lambda Literary Awards Finalists

March 23, 2026March 20, 2026 | Tasha

Lambda Literary has announced the finalists for the 2026 Lambda Literary Awards which are the 38th year of these awards that celebrate the best in LGBTQ+ literature. The awards have many categories, three of which are specifically for books for youth. Here are those finalists:

LGBTQ+ CHILDREN’S BOOKS

The Bi Book by A.J. Irving, illustrated by Cynthia Alonso

Devin’s Gift by Alana Tyson, illustrated by Ebony Glenn

Jim! Six True Stories about One Great Artist: James Marshall by Jerrold Connors

O.K. Is Gay by Vincent X. Kirsch

Tales from Beyond the Rainbow by Pete Jordi Wood

A Year of Pride and Joy by Simon James Green

LGBTQ+ MIDDLE GRADE

Glitch Girl! by Rainie Oet

It’s All or Nothing, Vale by Andrea Beatriz Arango

Pasta Girls by Taylor Tracy

The Queen Bees of Tybee County by Kyle Casey Chu

A Song for You and I by K. O’Neill

LGBTQ+ YOUNG ADULT

Camila Núñez’s Year of Disasters by Miriam Zoila Pérez

Come Home to My Heart by Riley Redgate

He’s So Possessed with Me by Corey Liu

The Transition by Logan-Ashley Kisner

An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys by Rob Costello

Saber-Tooth by Robin Gow – Book Recommendation

March 19, 2026February 25, 2026 | Tasha

Saber-Tooth by Robin Gow

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Publication Date: January 27, 2026
Reviewed from NetGalley e-galley
ISBN: 9781419777387

Jasper cannot believe that his older brother is ignoring him just before he leaves for college far away. His brother had promised to take him to find fossils, but they never did. Jasper loves rocks and fossils, which is why when he picked his new name, he picked Jasper. Jasper feels so angry at his brother that he dumps an entire glass of lemonade on his brother’s college laptop, ruining it. When his brother leaves for college, Jasper is still angry, now at himself as well as his brother. When Jasper starts to hear the bones of a saber-tooth tiger speaking to him from inside the ground, the voice is friendly. It urges Jasper to dig and soon Jasper is staying up all night digging a hole in his backyard. But the voice changes and soon Jasper has to face that anger even when buried can be destructive.

This book is so multi-layered that it’s nearly impossible to write a coherent summary of it. The book is written in verse, sharing Jasper’s struggles with his anger, questioning whether he is ready to grow up as an eighth grader, finding new friends, but always being drawn back to the voice in his head, the saber-tooth. Jasper is also trans, an element that is important and yet not the focus of the book. I deeply appreciate the handling of the saber-tooth in the end. It does not become a figment of Jasper’s imagination or a sign of mental illness, it is very much alive and while symbolic is also tangible.

A verse novel with wildness, bite and rage.

Steam by Shaenon K. Garrity – Book Recommendation

February 5, 2026January 15, 2026 | Tasha

Steam by Shaenon K. Garrity, illustrated by Emily Holden

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: February 03, 2026
Reviewed from Edelweiss e-galley
ISBN: 9781534495869

When Ruby, a super genius raised in a university lab, escapes captivity, she must find a way to live among normal humans. She gets a job at a coffee shop near the university as a barista. She attempts to fulfill her function by helping the regulars at the coffee shop find love while still not giving her true identity away. As she starts pairing staff and customers the love takes off, and Ruby herself may have found her match too. But the lab hasn’t given up trying to get Ruby back for themselves, insisting that she isn’t human after all.

This graphic novel for teens is a delightful mix of lighthearted romance, caffeine and technology. There is just enough action to keep the book from being too frothy and compelling romantic pairings that are intelligent and embrace queerness and all ages. The illustrations echo the feel of the story with a lightness and an underlying love of the characters. Filled with found family and a built community, Ruby’s own humanness is the key to her survival in the end.

Grab a coffee and fall in love. Appropriate for ages 13+.

Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen – Book Recommendation

December 18, 2025November 25, 2025 | Tasha

Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen

Publisher: Random House

Publication Date: October 7, 2025

Reviewed from library copy

ISBN: 9780593125472

Angelica is burned out after trying to do too much. So when she gets an internship at the Log House Theater in town, she decides to focus all her attention on that. Oh, and perhaps also on texting with an account that seems to be related to the theater’s famous Per the Bear. As Angelica gets closer to Per, she is losing connections with her mother and her best friend. Meanwhile, Gable has returned to town and is living with his grandmother after his grandfather died. All of them are involved in the theater too. Gable had been best friends with Angelica before moving away, and now he happens to be the person behind Per the Bear in the costume and on the account.

What could have been just a frothy fun romance based on the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon becomes something much deeper in the hands of Nguyen. He deftly incorporates queerness into the tale as well as offering a story of loss, grief and community that resonates throughout the book. Beautifully designed and filled with lovely moments of connection and humor, this is a graphic novel worth sharing with your own Per.

Fun, deep and delightful. Appropriate for ages 12+.

On Starlit Shores by Bex Glendining – Book Recommendation

December 15, 2025November 25, 2025 | Tasha

On Starlit Shores by Bex Glendining

Publisher: Abrams Fanfare

Publication Date: September 30, 2025

Reviewed from library copy

ISBN: 9781419765049

Alex hasn’t been back to Indigo Harbour where her grandmother lived in years. Now her grandmother has died and Alex offers to help pack up her house. Her best friend Grim comes with her and the two explore Indigo Harbour, meeting the people who were close to Alex’s grandmother. When Alex discovers that her grandmother had a beloved girlfriend that she never knew about, she sets out to meet her. But Indigo Harbour has a certain magic about it. It’s a magic that makes people who leave forget it, that protects those who live there and that offers sanctuary to resident witches. Alex must remember her own memories and build new ones to discover who her grandmother was.

This YA graphic novel uses magical realism to grapple with loss. It takes a magical place, offering solace to those who may not have visited relatives as much as they would have liked in retrospect and giving space for grief. The beautiful town is a mix of warm acceptance for the queer characters as well as being a space for magical beings. The use of metaphor throughout is thoughtfully done, supporting the Alex through her journey.

A beautiful graphic novel about loss and love. Appropriate for ages 13+.

This Place Kills Me by Mariko Tamaki – Book Recommendation

October 16, 2025October 15, 2025 | Tasha

This Place Kills Me by Mariko Tamaki and Nicole Goux

Publisher: Abrams Fanfare

Publication Date: August 19, 2025

Reviewed from library copy.

ISBN: 9781419768460

Abby is a new transfer student at Wilberton Academy, a high school boarding school for girls. She’s struggled to make friends, especially seeming to antagonize her roommate no matter what she does. In a time before cell phones, Abby spends her time listening to her walkman as she walks the crowded halls. When she sits with one of the theater girls after a school party, she picks up the script that the girl leaves behind. The next morning, that girl is found dead in the woods near the school. Abby refuses to accept that she committed suicide, becoming a target herself for others to accuse.

A murder mystery nests with a boarding school tale nests with an ode to the 80s nests with a critical look at what being a lesbian meant in that time. This graphic novel deeply explores loneliness, queerness and abuse. It is a layered book, accomplishing so much thanks to the skill used in the graphic format, using the limitations of the time period to create isolation, and a strong main character that readers will adore.

A masterpiece of a teen graphic novel. Appropriate for ages 13-18.

2025 Lammy Award Winners

October 9, 2025October 8, 2025 | Tasha

The winners of the 2025 Lammy Awards have been announced. The awards recognize the best in LGBTQ+ literature and have a wide variety of categories. Below are the winners in the categories for books for youth:

LGBTQ+ CHILDREN’S BOOKS

WINNER

Glenn Burke, Game Changer: The Man Who Invented the High Five by Phil Bildner, illustrated by Daniel J. O’Brien

FINALISTS

Harper Becomes a Big Sister by Seamus Kirst

Jacob’s Missing Book by Sarah and Ian Hoffman

Just Us by Molly Beth Griffin, illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan

Love of the Half-Eaten Peach by Lee Wind, illustrated by Jieting Chen

LGBTQ+ MIDDLE GRADE

WINNER

Mallory in Full Color by Elisa Stone Leahy

FINALISTS

Murray Out of Water by Taylor Tracy

Noah Frye Gets Crushed by Maggie Horn

Splinter & Ash by Marieke Nijkamp

Wishbone by Justine Pucella Winans

LGBTQ+ YOUNG ADULT

WINNER

Icarus by K. Ancrum

FINALISTS

The Feast Makers by H. A. Clarke

Old Wounds by Logan-Ashley Kisner

So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole

Time and Time Again by Chatham Greenfield

Lambda Literary Award Finalists

July 31, 2025July 30, 2025 | Tasha

The finalists have been announced in a wide-range of categories for these annual LGBTQIA+ awards featuring titles from 2024. You can check out the full list on the Lambda Literary site. Here are the finalists in the juvenile categories:

LGBTQ+ CHILDREN’S BOOKS