“We’re trying to find the best books that reflect GLBTQ experiences,” says Nel Ward, chair of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Rainbow List committee. The committee, a joint initiative of the ALA’s GLBT and Social Responsibilities Round Tables, has just published its second annual list of recommended books for young readers from birth through age 18.

Unlike most other compilations of LGBT-inclusive children’s books, the Rainbow List is selective, chosen by a panel of librarians from across the country who work with young people. This year’s list of 34 titles published in the last 18 months represents 26 publishers/imprints and 36 authors and illustrators. They include two picture books, two middle-grade novels, two graphic books, one short story collection, one translation, and five nonfiction titles.

The committee chose four titles for special recognition:

• 10,000 Dresses, written by Marcus Ewert and illustrated by Rex Ray. Bailey dreams of wearing beautiful dresses, but her family disapproves of her understanding of her true self.
• Skim by Mariko Tamaki (text) and Jillian Tamaki (artwork). This graphic novel tells the story of Skim, a goth girl at an all-girls private school in Toronto who falls in love with her English teacher, Ms. Archer.
• Down to the Bone by Mayra Lazara Dole. In this novel with an all-Latino cast, sixteen-year-old Laura is outed at school, kicked out of her home, and dumped by her girlfriend, but ultimately finds herself and her community.
• Last Exit to Normal by Michael Harmon. Seventeen-year old Ben tries to adjust to his new home in rural Montana shortly after his dad comes out.

To be considered for the list, a book needs “significant” GLBTQ content, and must be well written, well illustrated, and appeal to young people. Ward says they evaluate the books with the same standards as other ALA book selection committees, including the ones that choose much-cited lists like Best Books for Young Adults and awards like the Newbery and Caldecott Medals.

The ALA backing is also important, Ward asserts, to inform librarians of the titles and provide justification for purchase. “Librarians are the people who will get these books into the hands of young people and their parents,” she says. The ALA’s Booklist, a periodical aimed at librarians and booksellers, will carry news of the Rainbow List in its March 15 issue.

This year’s books range across the entire GLBTQ spectrum, although most are focused on gay and lesbian experiences. A “wonderful breakthrough,” Ward says, is 10,000 Dresses, a picture book about a transgender child. “Typically the picture books will cover relatives,” she observes, “but they won’t cover the child themselves being part of GLBTQ.”

Although she is pleased with the quality of the books, she is disappointed there are so few for younger readers: only two picture books and two middle school novels. She would also have liked to see more nonfiction.

Some people, however, still consider GLBTQ-inclusive books inappropriate for young children. One of the books on this year’s list, Uncle Bobby’s Wedding, has already been challenged in at least two libraries, with patrons requesting that it be removed or placed in a special area. A picture book on last year’s list, And Tango Makes Three, was also the most-challenged book in the country in 2006 and 2007, according to the ALA.

Ward sees a growing acceptance of GLBTQ people, however, and feels the Rainbow List may play a part in that. “We need visibility for these experiences so that the young people who are dealing with them won’t feel invisible,” she says, “and so the young people who aren’t dealing with them at this time will recognize these things that happen to kids.”

Visit the Rainbow List Web site for the full list of titles.

Dana Rudolph is the founder and publisher of Mombian, a blog and resource directory for LGBT parents.