At Children’s Books Ireland we champion diverse and inclusive books that best reflect the world, with characters of all genders and sexualities and families of all kinds. We believe that everyone deserves to see their story within the pages of an excellent book.
The Read with Pride reading guide 2026 contains 100 LGBTQ+ inclusive stories for young readers aged 0–18 with 100 recommended ‘read also’ titles for further reading.
One of the most beautifully designed books this reviewer has ever come across, Nature’s Dance combines design, artwork, and scientific research to celebrate ‘movement, cooperation, and the profound intelligence of the natural world.’
‘I loved you from the beginning,’ reads the love letter from the future that shapes Emma’s final year of high school and sets her on a new trajectory in all facets of her life.
Sa ghreannán iontach seo faighimid cuntas dialainne an déagóra Lia faoina saol agus í ina cónaí lena máthair sa chathair. Tá an bheirt acu an-mhór lena chéile agus tá caidreamh neamhghnách eatarthu – tá máthair Lia gafa le cluichí ríomhaire, ní féidir léi cócaireacht agus scanraíonn sí í féin lena taibhscéalta! Níl an t-ádh le máthair Lia ó thaobh cúrsaí grá de agus beartaíonn Lia chun cabhrú léi trí í a chur in aithne don chomharsan nua, Ruaidhrí.
‘Níl seans dá laghad ann go mbraitheann Nick an bealach céanna [fúmsa] … nó an mbraitheann?’ Sin an cheist atá ag déanamh tinnis do Charlie sa chéad leabhar Heartstopper. Ach tá deireadh le héiginnteacht agus le crá croí faoin tríú leabhar, más aon chomhartha an sliocht seo as dialann Nick: ‘is buachaillí muid go hoifigiúil agus is breá liom é sin a rá’.
When seventeen-year-old Sam, who has cerebral palsy, is once again excluded from a class trip because the school bus is not wheelchair accessible, he decides to start a fundraiser to raise money for an inclusive bus. While the bus may be the catalyst for this story, what unfolds goes far beyond any fundraiser.
Set in a South Asian-inspired world, The Ivory Key opens in a tangle of family and political tensions. Told from the point-of-view of four royal siblings: Vira, the self-doubting queen who needs to return magic to her failing kingdom; Riya, the sister who defected to a band of vigilantes; Ronak, the brother who wants to run away; and Kaleb, the brother who was framed for their mother’s death.
Noah, a teen trans boy, is eager to join a club at his new school so everyone will see him for his true gender. So, preferably this club would be the most masculine club possible, but when sports don’t start for a few months all that’s left is an Italian club known for loving football and Lamborghinis, which he figures is good enough! However, Noah soon realises this club is actually a cover for a covert operation run by its members, the Borrow a Boyfriend Club.
There’s nothing quite like the discovery of someone who loves you wholly and completely for who you are and every version of yourself you’ve ever been. That’s who Penny and Tate are for each other, they just haven’t quite figured it out yet. Growing up with moms who were best friends, Penny and Tate have been together through thick and thin while stuck in the never-ending tension of undiscovered feelings. When their moms combine their households, the girls are finally forced to face their feelings.
Navigating loss can be tough. Sixteen-year-old Noori’s grief is made even tougher as family tensions rise, leaving her feeling completely alone. Seventeen-year-old Aamir is running away from his past, and his grief. Over a week, the two become intertwined. Bonding over their shared love of Rumi’s poetry, their feelings of isolation and the unexpected invisible thread that links them together.
