June is Pride month for the lesbian / gay / bisexual / transgender / queer community – a perfect time to explore these books with LGBTQ themes available at the Oakland Public Library. If you want more recommendations, check out the Rainbow Book lists for children and teens…and let us know here in the comments if you have any favorites to share! Happy reading, and happy Pride!

Picture Books

And Tango makes three / Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell; illustrated by Henry Cole.

Donovan's big day / Lesléa Newman; illustrations by Mike Dutton.

The family book / Todd Parr.

In our mothers' house / Patricia Polacco.

King & King / Linda de Haan & Stern Nijland.

Pugdog / Andrea ỦRen.

The sissy duckling  / Harvey Fierstein; illustrated by Henry Cole.

10,000 dresses / Marcus Ewert; illustrations by Rex Ray.

Chapter Books

After Tupac & D Foster / Jacqueline Woodson.

My mixed-up berry blue summer / Jennifer Gennari

The popularity papers: research for the social improvement and general betterment of Lydia Goldblatt & Julie Graham-Chang / Amy Ignatow.

Totally Joe / James Howe.

Nonfiction and a Comic too!

Drama / Raina Telgemeier; with color by Gurihiru.

The great big book of families / Mary Hoffman; pictures by Ros Asquith.

The Harvey Milk story / Kari Krakow; illustrated by David Gardner.

It's so amazing!: a book about eggs, sperm, birth, babies, and families / Robie H. Harris; illustrated by Michael Emberley.

Do you know where the newest and shiniest books are kept in your local library? If not, ask a staff member to show you the way! Most branches have a “new book” shelf where you can find these and other fresh, fantastic books for kids:

Picture Books

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons / written by Eric Litwin; created and illustrated by James Dean

H.O.R.S.E.: A Game of Basketball and Imagination / Christopher Myers

A Kiss Means I Love You / by Kathryn Allen; photographs by Eric Futran

Early Readers and Moving Up

Rabbit & Robot : The Sleepover / Cece Bell

Penny and Her Doll / Kevin Henkes

Lulu and the Duck in the Park / by Hilary McKay; illustrated by Priscilla Lamont

Earwig and the Witch / Diana Wynne Jones; illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky

Fiction

Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms: Magic, Mystery & a Very Strange Adventure / by Lissa Evans

Starry River of the Sky / Grace Lin

Who Could That Be at This Hour? / Lemony Snicket; art by Seth

Nanny Piggins and the Wicked Plan / by R.A. Spratt; illustrated by Dan Santat

Nonfiction

Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors?: The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell / Tanya Lee Stone; illustrated by Marjorie Priceman

Island: A Story of the Galápagos / Jason Chin

How Many Jelly Beans? / by Andrea Menotti; illustrated by Yancey Labat

Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95 / Phillip Hoose

Graphic Novels

Drama / Raina Telgemeier; with color by Gurihiru

A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse: A Toon Book / by Frank Viva

Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel / adapted and illustrated by Hope Larson

Have you discovered the children’s magazine section of your local library?

Magazines are current, browsable, fun -- and OPL has a huge selection of them available to check-out for three weeks at a time. From American Girl to Zoobooks, magazines cover a broad range of topics for all ages. There’s pleasure reading to be found for everyone here!

    

Babybug // Boys’ Life // Discovery Girls // Kiki // Mad // National Geographic Kids // Ranger Rick // Sports Illustrated for Kids // WWE Kids // Your Big Backyard

The library circulates poetry books all year long, but April, National Poetry Month, is their time to shine. Whether you’re looking for a traditional poem in picture book form to share with preschoolers, or a collection of silly rhymes for older kids, the library has you covered! Make a visit to the nonfiction section of your local branch – especially the 811.54s – to discover these and other wonderful poetry books for children:

All the World / written by Liz Garton Scanlon; illustrated by Marla Frazee

Creature Carnival / by Marilyn Singer; illustrations by Gris Grimly

The Dragons are Singing Tonight / written by Jack Prelutsky; pictures by Peter Sis

Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices / written by Paul Fleischman; illustrated by Eric Beddows

A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms / edited by Paul B. Janeczko; illustrated by Chris Raschka

¡Muu, moo!: Rimas de Animales = Animal Nursery Rhymes / selected by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy; English versions by Rosalma Zubizarreta; illustrated by Viví Escrivá

My People / written by Langston Hughes; photographs by Charles R. Smith, Jr.

Step Gently Out / poem by Helen Frost; photographs by Rick Lieder

Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature / written by Joyce Sidman; illustrated by Beth Krommes

Where the Sidewalk Ends / by Shel Silverstein

Won-Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku / written by Lee Wardlaw; illustrated by Eugene Yelchin