Fountaindale Public Library District: Rainbow Reads: LGBTQIA Teen Reads: September 2026 LGBTQIA+ Teen Reads

Buried Feelings
by Kit Rosewater

When a San Francisco treasure hunt ropes two ex-besties back together, they'll end up digging into their own complicated, buried feelings in this queer YA rom com A delightful romance, treasure hunt, and celebration of queer history all rolled into one.--Kelly Quindlen, bestselling author of She Drives Me Crazy Cam was the one who discovered the hunt. He brought it to Ivy like an offering, took her hand as they combed through San Francisco, searching for treasure and conspiring against the heteronormative agenda. But that was back then. Now juniors, they're both out and proud--Cam as a trans man and Ivy as gay--but their friendship isn't as assured. Problem is, Ivy can't reveal Cam's past betrayal without airing closely guarded secrets of her own. As Ivy comes across the missing link in the treasure hunt from their childhood, she's certain she can put the clues together and finally come out on top in the cat-and-mouse game Cam's been playing with her ever since their friendship ended. Once Cam gets wind of Ivy's renewed interest in the hunt, the ex-best friends will go head-to-head in their search for gold. But as they get digging, they'll uncover more things buried between them than they bargained for.

You Pierce My Soul
by Jessica Mary Best

Packed with shocking plot twists, You Pierce My Soul is a romantic and thrilling queer dystopian YA novel from a writer to watch. Snappy banter and heartfelt sapphic romance, wrapped in the sleek mystery of a Black Mirror episode.--Natalie Naudus, award-winning audiobook narrator and author of Gay the Pray Away In the utopian city of New Ionia, everyone gets a soulmate and Zada can't wait for hers. Now that she's eighteen, it's her turn to meet her destiny with the help of Heartsong, an algorithm that chooses your perfect match for you. Then Zada crashes into her soulmate, setting off their shared Heartsong, and the unthinkable happens: She feels nothing for him. But the program doesn't make mistakes, and by the end of the night, Zada is engaged to a man she doesn't love. Desperate, Zada turns to a surprising ally: her daringly beautiful former best friend, Daphne. Despite their estrangement, Daphne may be the only person who can help Zada uncover the truth about Heartsong. But can she trust her after all this time? And if what they find upends everything, can Zada find the courage to choose what she believes--and who she loves?

Olivia Gray Will Not Fade Away
by Ciera Burch

A middle schooler navigates the challenges of feeling invisible--literally and figuratively--as she comes to terms with her asexual identity in this thoughtful and accessible (Booklist, starred review) speculative novel perfect for fans of Ellie Engel Saves Herself and Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone. Seventh grade has just started, but Olivia Gray already knows this year is different. Her brother ignores her for his crush, and all her friends talk about is who likes who, something Olivia has never cared about--even when Robbie, the most popular boy in school, asks her to the fall formal. After unknowingly rejecting him, Olivia goes viral on the social app KruShh. As the chatter about Robbie and dating grows, Olivia starts to feel left out to the point of feeling invisible--literally. Seen only by her new librarian and a friendly kid named Jules, Olivia flickers in and out of sight whenever the topic of romance comes up. As she begins to realize she might be asexual, Olivia struggles to actually use the label because of the negative perception behind it. All she wants is to be normal, but can she really fit in without disappearing completely?

Lying, Stealing, and Other Ways to Save the Planet
by Curtis Campbell

A hilarious YA novel about coming of age in the shadow of climate change, overcoming cynicism, and the power of collaboration from the award-winning author of Dragging Mason County. Ever since the best story of his career became the worst humiliation of his life, teen reporter John O'Neil has gone rogue. He has turned his nose for news toward blackmailing those responsible, namely Lance McPhee, diabolical heir to the local country club. When John learns that the club plans to expand into a bird conservation area founded by his late grandfather, he begrudgingly joins forces with the school birdwatching club to expose the scandal. And if John ruins Lance's life along the way? He's only killing two birds with one stone.John races against the clock in a desperate bid at environmental espionage involving forgeries, a car chase, and a high-stakes heist. But it's a race John won't win without former best friend/co-reporter Rachel Miller, who just so happens to want him dead. Can this motley crew flock together long enough for their mission to take flight?

Queerleaders
by Olivia a. Cole

Two cheerleaders find themselves inconveniently tumbling head over heels for each other in this satirical, sapphic teen rom-com that's Bring It On meets She Drives Me Crazy. Oak Haven High doesn't have cheerleaders--it has queerleaders. It's a fun coincidence that every new varsity cheerleader since Davie Cathee took the squad by storm three years ago is--or soon comes out as--queer. But when a rumor sparks that this season, newly minted captain Davie has been specifically recruiting queer members only, Davie is accused of discrimination against straight students. She's given an ultimatum: recruit a straight athlete for the team or the funding for their competitive cheer season will take a major tumble. Enter Kendall Hayes, the edgy, mysterious new girl. When Davie sees that Kendall has a boyfriend, she quickly convinces her to join the squad. Problem solved. Until she finds out that Kendall's actually bisexual...and newly single. Now Kendall and Davie are faced with having to keep those details under wraps until nationals, which only gets more complicated when they start falling hard and fast for each other. Can Kendall go back in the closet long enough to save the squad? Or will Davie find the courage to love her new crush out loud, even if it might mean the end of the queerleaders?

Bad Queer
by Gayathiri Kamalakanthan

A luminous and romantic debut novel in verse about navigating first love as a non-binary teenager.Not to be missed.--Publishers Weekly starred review A thoughtful and nuanced take on relationships.--Kirkus starred review I feel invincible.Like I could run and runand never stop for breath.I feel a power in meI didn't know I had.The power to speak, to say what I need.Surya knows exactly who they are. Coming out as non-binary to their queer parents and best friend? A total non-event. Catching feelings for Blessing - the boy in drama club whose smile makes their heart race? That's trickier. As their final year of school unfolds and the two of them grow closer, Surya starts to question: Does Blessing really see them? Or just a version of them that doesn't exist? They'd ask their best friend for advice, but she's busy falling in love too. . . With gorgeous illustrations throughout, Bad Queer draws us deeply into queer friendship, family secrets, and the necessary act of loving yourself. Perfect for fans of Alice Oseman, Dean Atta, and Sarah Crossan. This is a love letter to queer futures - tender, curious, and fiercely alive.

The Last Best Quest Ever
by F. T. Lukens

A fraudulent teen quester must team up with a brooding, royal rival on a perilous adventure to save her brother's life in this witty...lively, heartfelt (School Library Journal, starred review) young adult romantasy full of mythical creatures by the New York Times bestselling author of Spell Bound and So This Is Ever After. Seventeen-year-old Ellinore has the best questing record in the kingdom. Not even Aven--the infuriatingly charming royal who's become her fiercest rival--can compete. But every one of Ellinore's triumphs is a lie. The monsters she's slain? Staged. The treasures she's claimed? Planted. Tired of the charade, she shocks the realm by retiring during a royal feast. Her hopes for a quiet life vanish when her reckless twin brother, Zig, bets his life on her ability to retrieve the horn of the mythical Elder Beast--a creature no one believes is real. To save him, Ellinore must return to the spotlight for one final quest. She's joined by Zig, eager to prove himself; Aven, determined to finally outshine her; and a ragtag crew of unlikely questers with big dreams, questionable skills, and a knack for trouble. As the stakes rise, Ellinore must decide who she really wants to be: the fraud the kingdom celebrates, the hero it needs, or someone entirely new.

We Could Be Anyone
by Anna-Marie McLemore

Two teen con-artists must execute an almost impossible scam at an exclusive mansion in this thriller that's White Lotus meets Mexican Gothic - for teens. Lola and I grew up hearing that we could become anything, but our parents hadn't meant it the way gringo parents did. They meant it as a warning. Lola and Lisandro are actors during Hollywood's Golden Age, but you won't see them on any silver screen. Instead, these siblings use their talents to scam the rich and famous out of their ill-begotten cash. They have their act down to a science: Lola plays the tragic ghost who haunts the mansions of the wealthy, and Lisandro plays the brave spiritualist who will help her soul find peace. For a small fee, of course. The siblings have their sights set on their next target: The Coterie, the opulent estate of newspaper tycoon Bixby Fairfax and his famous mistress Blythe Bell. A score this big will allow them to move... well, anywhere but here. But this job requires them to do something they've never done before: switch roles. And as strange things keep happening at The Coterie... things that even Lola and Lisandro can't explain. As they are drawn deeper into The Coterie's gleaming fa ade and tensions rise between brother and sister, one question looms over them. Will they be able to pull off their act? Or will this be their last performance? Brimming with Anne-Marie McLemore's signature atmospheric writing, We Could Be Anyone is perfect for readers who love: - Queer Romance - Con Artists - Old Money Glamor - Myths and Folklore - Ryan La Sala books

The Saw Mouth
by Cale Plett

For fans of The Last Bookstore on Earth and Compound Fracture, a heart-pounding rural horror following a genderqueer teen who survives a near-apocalypse, only to be hunted by a mysterious monster whose very existence is entwined with their own. From a breathtaking new voice in YA, this story is for anyone haunted by the sins of past generations--and fighting to right them. When Cedar was a child, fragmented, tortured souls woke up in the world's most complex machines, destroying them and pushing technology back decades. A fall. The Fall, some said, and they called it Autumn. Ten years later, following a family tragedy, Cedar moves to the nowhere town of Sawblade Lake only to find something hunting them. A long, bent shadow that reeks like rot and has the mouth of a deep crevice. It's after Cedar, and it's willing to go to any lengths to break them, including preying on Cedar's new queer family. The closer it circles, the more it seems to weave through Cedar's whole life. It might stretch back to their mother's gruesome, inexplicable death, to the murk of their missing family, to the house they grew up in. Back and back and back to the first day of Autumn. Cedar thought they understood how their world had changed, but they're far from dredging the bottom.

This Must Be the Place
by Kelly Quindlen

Inheriting a gay bar from your secretive great-uncle? Awkward. Trying to save it while catching feelings for the wrong girl? Complicated. From the author of She Drives Me Crazy comes an exuberant YA novel story about queer joy, found family, and standing your ground.

Something to Be Proud of (a Novel)
by Anna Zoe Quirke

A group of teens, led by sixteen-year-old aspiring comedian Imogen, come together to organize an accessible Pride festival while challenge stereotypes and confronting injustices in their school and beyond.

This Is How We Roll
by Rosiee Thor

2026 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers title Your friends gather around the table, character sheets at the ready. You dive into the fantasy: a dark dungeon crawling with enemies, the journey promising wealth or ruin, victory or defeat. Your party forges onward: roll Perception. . . . roll Stealth. . . . But not every question can be answered by the dice. Decisions like when to trust, how to love, and who we are can't be outsourced to a D20. We don't get skill modifiers in real life--and we definitely don't get fireball--but that doesn't mean we can't still find ways to access magic in our day-to-day. From exploring gender identity with an oath-bound paladin to playing out an in-game romance with your best friend, tabletop gaming paves the way for new relationships and shows us the richness of the worlds we inhabit, both fictional and real. Within these pages, adventure awaits--but first, it's time to roll for Initiative.