Pride Month Highlight: Edie Windsor
June is Pride Month! In celebration, we’re highlighting our profile of Edith “Edie” Windsor, a computer programmer and pioneering LGBTQ+ activist best known for her role in the landmark Supreme Court case, United States v. Windsor, that helped lead towards the eventual legalization of gay marriage in the United States.
Caribbean American Heritage Month Highlight: Helen Rodríguez-Trías
In celebration of Caribbean American Heritage Month in June, we’re highlighting our profile of Helen Rodríguez-Trías, a doctor and activist who played a pivotal role in the women’s health movement by advocating for the rights and freedoms of Puerto Rican women and other marginalized communities throughout her career.
June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month! These book recommendations for students of all ages are a great way to engage with LGBTQ+ history and history-makers, as well as the ongoing fight for equality—both this month, and all year long. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Early Readers (3K–Grade 2)
- And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell; illustrated by Henry Cole
- Drawing on Walls: A Story of Keith Haring by Matthew Burgess; illustrated by Josh Cochran
- Kapaemahu, by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, and Joe Wilson; illustrated by Daniel Sousa
- Kind Like Marsha: Learning from LGBTQ+ Leaders, by Sarah Prager; illustrated by Cheryl “Ras” Thuesday
- Sewing the Rainbow: The Story of Gilbert Baker and the Rainbow Flag, by Gayle E. Pitman; illustrated by Holly Clifton-Brown
Elementary (Grades 3–5)
- Ana on the Edge, by A.J. Sass
- Different Kinds of Fruit, by Kyle Lukoff
- The Ribbon Skirt, by Cameron Mukwa
- This Is Our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, and Us, edited by Katherine Locke and Nicole Melleby
- The Witch Boy, by Molly Knox Ostertag
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
- Alice Austen Lived Here, by Alex Gino
- Nikhil Out Loud, by Maulik Pancholy
- A Queer History of the United States for Young People, by Michael Bronski; adapted by Richie Chevat
- The Stonewall Riots: Making a Stand for LGBTQ+ Rights, by Archie Bongiovanni; illustrated by A. Andrews
- Troublemaker for Justice: The Story of Bayard Rustin, the Man Behind the March on Washington, by Jacqueline Houtman, Walter Naegle, and Michael G. Long
Upper Grades (Grades 9–12)
- All Boys Aren’t Blue, by George M. Johnson
- All Out: The No Longer Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages, edited by Saundra Mitchell
- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
- A Scatter of Light, by Malinda Lo
- Singled Out: The True Story of Glenn Burke, The First Openly Gay MLB Player and Inventor of the High Five, by Andrew Maraniss
You can find these books and many more great reads on Sora, our Citywide Digital Library, which provides free access to thousands of digital e-books and audiobooks for our students. You can also find even more great recommendations on our Pride Month webpage, as well as in the Come as You Are collection, which features a range of contemporary and historical titles concerning LGBTQ+ topics, characters, and events, including fiction and non-fiction works.
Missed our previous book recommendations?
Check them out in the "What We're Reading" Archive!
SPOTLIGHT ON OUR SCHOOLS
NYCPS students spent the month of May learning about and celebrating sustainability in our schools and city! First, students celebrated our final Climate Action Day of the year on May 21, 2025, which was all about ways to protect and conserve water. Then, school teams spent a day at Governor’s Island for the Youth Climate Summit, where they learned about environmental justice, met students and organizations who are passionate about sustainability, and created a climate action plan for their schools. Check out some of our favorite moments!
