Once upon a time, LGBTQ+ books were difficult to find, and LGBTQ+ graphic novels even rarer. Lucky for us, young adult books are much more inclusive these days, and graphic novels and memoirs featuring queer stories are becoming mainstream. Here are seven must-read LGBTQ+ graphic novels that are especially great for Pride Month, but don't hesitate to pick them up any day of the year!

opens in a new window

On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden

This ambitious and sprawling science fiction graphic novel follows Mia in two different timelines: at a boarding school in deep space, and after as a new restorer on a ragtag crew. At school, Mia fans in love with a fellow classmate Grace. After, she's lost Grace but hasn't lost hope they'll one day reconnect. This is a gorgeous graphic novel full of adventure, drama, hope, and love, populated by a wonderful cast of queer ladies and nonbinary characters.

opens in a new window

Kiss Number 8 by Colleen AF Venable and Ellen T. Crenshaw

Venable and Crenshaw team up to tell a coming-of-age story set in the early 2000s. Amanda is outgoing and tomboyish. She's kissed seven guys but is in no hurry to kiss Adam, her friend Laura's brother, despite pressure from her friends. Besides, her parents are hiding something. Something big. And finding out may mean confronting a lot of personal struggles, including Amanda's growing awareness that she'd rather kiss a girl than Adam. This is a nostalgic graphic novel that beautifully illustrates the complicated dynamics between friends, religious communities, and families.

opens in a new window

Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu

This humorous, exuberant graphic novel tells the story of Eric Bittle: junior figure skater champion, baker, vlogger, and newest member of Samwell University's hockey team. Samwell U's team is quite the switch from what Eric is used to—it's all male, and checking is allowed. On top of that, there's Eric's captain, a bossy guy who is as hot as he is brusque. Told from the POV of Eric's blog audience, Ukazu's first volume is a great story about misadventures in hockey, love, and pie, with a protagonist determined to succeed despite his lack of physical stature.

opens in a new window

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell

Freddy has a problem. She's in love with Laura Dean, but Laura Dean has dumped her. Three times, to be exact. Miserable, Freddy turns to an online advice column and a medium, neither of which prove to be very clear in their advice. Only when she starts losing friends does Freddy have to face a hard truth: maybe Laura Dean isn't the problem. Rendered in a dreamy black, white, and pink palette, this angsty story is the queer graphic novel equivalent of To All the Boys I've Loved Before!

opens in a new window

Bloom by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau

Ari has a goal: to move to the city and become famous with his band. In order to achieve this, he needs to find someone to be his replacement at his family's bakery. Enter Hector: easygoing, great in the kitchen, and makes Ari's heart race. The more time they spend together, the harder Ari falls—but how can it work out between them when they're headed in opposite directions? This is a lovely, soft story about first love, familial love, and the love of baking that will warm your heart. 

opens in a new window

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

In this historical tale, Prince Sebastian is in Paris with his parents to find a wife. Only he is far more interested in finding a dressmaker to commission gorgeous, elaborate dresses that he wears on secret excursions, assuming the identity of Lady Crystallia. He finds Frances, a talented young dressmaker willing to help him. But making dresses for the prince puts her forever in the shadows, and Frances cares too much about Sebastian and her own dreams to stay there forever. This is a glorious subversive book that reminds us that being queer isn't only about sexual orientation. It's a coming out story and a fairy tale, and like all fairy tales this has a truly happy ending.

opens in a new window

Spinning by Tillie Walden

Walden tells the story of her younger years as a figure skater coming to the realization that a childhood passion can't be sustained beyond her teen years. The memoir covers a wide range of subjects: ice skating, family, feeling isolated from friends and teammates, coming out as gay, and finding art as a refuge and a way forward. This is a quiet but powerful memoir of letting go and courageously forging a new path.

Tirzah Price is a contributing editor at Book Riot, where she covers YA, LGBTQ+ books, graphic novlels, and more. Find her on Twitter @TirzahPrice.