I came across this list of books for children in families with gay  and LGBT parents and thought it might be useful as a resource: Gay-Themed Picture Books for Children. I especially liked the one titled A Family is a Family is a Family that talks about children who tell a teacher what makes their family special and hearing about all different kinds of families – one child is raised by a grandmother, one has two dads, one has a lot of step-siblings, and another has a new baby. Another book called Home At Last talks about a child who didn’t have a home for a long time and is adopted by two dads. There is even a book that delves into the topic of a child conceived through sperm donation called Family Stew. And, another book goes through a family whose child was conceived through surrogacy, Milo’s Adventures: A Story About Love. Other topics include gender nonconformity, AIDS and disease, bullying, cross-dressing, tomboys, and homophobia. There are books in Spanish, French, and many other languages listed in this blog.

The curator of the list cites three purposes of the list – 1) for parents who would like to find books for their children about the experience of being a child in a gay family or having gay family members; 2) for librarians who would like to develop collections; and 3) for counselors and therapists who would like to have books like this in their practices.

For many children, having books like this will give them something to identify with and help them understand that they are not alone or strange or weird. They will also help parents find the words to open discussions with children about topics that might be hard.

My mother instilled in me a love of reading from a very young age. She always believed that a person could learn anything in the world if they know how to read. She loved libraries and book stores, and even buying books at garage sales. She was always reading something.  If my Mom were still here, I’m sure she would want to read these books to help understand what some of the children experience.