The 2026 Rainbow Book List proudly presents a curated selection of books that
celebrate the lives, experiences, and families of LGBTQIA+ youth, spanning from birth through age 18. This year’s list includes more than 160 titles published between July 1, 2024, and December 31, 2025.

At a time when queer stories are increasingly targeted for challenge and removal from public and school libraries, the continued existence of the Rainbow Book List is both necessary and intentional. This list exists to support librarians, educators, caregivers, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and community allies in identifying high-quality books that reflect and affirm diverse genders and sexual identities. In recent years, advocating for inclusive collections has become more difficult, and we recognize that this work may draw criticism from those who seek to censor or erase queer voices.

Despite these challenges, we remain encouraged by the abundance of powerful, joyful, and necessary LGBTQIA+ stories being published. Queer youth and families deserve to see themselves represented in all library collections. It is our hope that this list supports thoughtful, intentional collection development and affirms the importance of these stories. We are deeply grateful to the queer creators and publishers who persist in telling LGBTQIA+ stories with honesty and heart, even in the face of increasing challenges to their work.

Above all, this list is created with LGBTQIA+ youth and families at its heart. To those who see themselves reflected in these pages: we see you. Your stories, identities, and lived experiences matter, and they belong in libraries, classrooms, and homes. These books are offered not only as mirrors for those seeking representation, but as windows for understanding, empathy, and connection across our communities.

This past year, the Rainbow Book List committee assessed 417 books, enabling us to continue to offer two distinct top 10 lists. The Top Ten Titles for Young Readers are tailored for readers from birth to middle school, while the Top Ten Titles for Teen Readers cater to a young adult audience. Throughout the annotated list, the presence of an asterisk (*) signifies that a title has earned a spot on one of the top ten lists.

The Rainbow Book List is brought to you by the Rainbow Round Table of the American Library Association. Members of the 2026 Rainbow Book List are: Amanda A. (Chair), Melaina Squicciarini (Chair), Ashley B., C. Blyberg, Rachel Knight, Meagan Hopkins Looney, Ashley S. McGuire, Loren N., Ricardo Rodriguez, Sylvie Shaffer, Max Sparkman, Michelle Vacchio, Alicia G. Vaandering, and Dawn Zimmerer.

View the full 2026 Rainbow Booklist (PDF).