Christchurch City Libraries Ngā Kete Wānanga o Ōtautahi
Staff-created list
LGBTQIA+ folk have, of course, always existed, but many of the stories of our presence throughout history are only now being told. Here's a list of YA fiction set in the past - whether it's 30 or 300 years ago, these stories shine a light on the past and reimagine these worlds to put rainbow characters and stories front and centre. We use the hashtag #ownvoices when the author and the main character share an identity.
The list is ordered by the time period the book is set in. A Christchurch City Libraries' list.
Set in the early 90's, this story follows a young woman, Cam, who is dealing with the grief of losing her parents alongside the guilt because of the relie...Show more
Set in the early 90's, this story follows a young woman, Cam, who is dealing with the grief of losing her parents alongside the guilt because of the relief she experienced knowing they'll never know she had been kissing a girl when they died. When her sexuality is later discovered by her conservative aunt, she's sent to conversion therapy camp. Despite the heavy topic, the book is a wonder - it is a long, slow burn that really captures the details of the Cam and her journey of discovering her identity and the ways it might be threatened. It has wonderful representation and doesn't shy away from exploring the complexities of peoples opinions and beliefs. Also available as an eBook. #ownvoices
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Set in the early 90's, this story follows a young woman, Cam, who is dealing with the grief of losing her parents alongside the guilt because of the relie...Show more
Set in the early 90's, this story follows a young woman, Cam, who is dealing with the grief of losing her parents alongside the guilt because of the relief she experienced knowing they'll never know she had been kissing a girl when they died. When her sexuality is later discovered by her conservative aunt, she's sent to conversion therapy camp. Despite the heavy topic, the book is a wonder - it is a long, slow burn that really captures the details of the Cam and her journey of discovering her identity and the ways it might be threatened. It has wonderful representation and doesn't shy away from exploring the complexities of peoples opinions and beliefs. Also available as an eBook. #ownvoices
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New York, 1989. Reza, a closeted Iranian boy, has just moved to the city. All he's seen of gay life is photos in the news of men dying of AIDS, and he's t...Show more
New York, 1989. Reza, a closeted Iranian boy, has just moved to the city. All he's seen of gay life is photos in the news of men dying of AIDS, and he's terrified of coming out. Enter Judy, a creative and outspoken student with an out and proud best friend. Judy falls for Reza, and they begin dating - but as Reza begins to accept himself, how will he let Judy know the truth without damaging the most meaningful friendship he's ever had? This is a tear-jerking and at times brutal read, but it is also a passionate celebration of queer activism and hope. Fans of the TV show "It's A Sin" will love this book. #ownvoices
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New York, 1989. Reza, a closeted Iranian boy, has just moved to the city. All he's seen of gay life is photos in the news of men dying of AIDS, and he's t...Show more
New York, 1989. Reza, a closeted Iranian boy, has just moved to the city. All he's seen of gay life is photos in the news of men dying of AIDS, and he's terrified of coming out. Enter Judy, a creative and outspoken student with an out and proud best friend. Judy falls for Reza, and they begin dating - but as Reza begins to accept himself, how will he let Judy know the truth without damaging the most meaningful friendship he's ever had? This is a tear-jerking and at times brutal read, but it is also a passionate celebration of queer activism and hope. Fans of the TV show "It's A Sin" will love this book. #ownvoices
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Set in the 80's in Texas, about Aristotle, an angry teen with a brother in prison, and Dante, a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world...Show more
Set in the 80's in Texas, about Aristotle, an angry teen with a brother in prison, and Dante, a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But a friendship - intense and joyful and challenging - develops slowly between them, and it becomes a real protective factor in a difficult world. Also available as an eBook and as a downloadable audiobook. (And we're finally getting a sequel! Coming Oct 2021 - nearly a decade after the first one!) #ownvoices
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Set in the 80's in Texas, about Aristotle, an angry teen with a brother in prison, and Dante, a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world...Show more
Set in the 80's in Texas, about Aristotle, an angry teen with a brother in prison, and Dante, a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But a friendship - intense and joyful and challenging - develops slowly between them, and it becomes a real protective factor in a difficult world. Also available as an eBook and as a downloadable audiobook. (And we're finally getting a sequel! Coming Oct 2021 - nearly a decade after the first one!) #ownvoices
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Tammy and Sharon are paired as pen-pals in a school project, and as their friendship grows, their letters become a safe haven, a place where they can both...Show more
Tammy and Sharon are paired as pen-pals in a school project, and as their friendship grows, their letters become a safe haven, a place where they can both be fully themselves. Tammy knows she is a lesbian, but can't be out anywhere - school, church, and home are all unsafe places for people like her. Sharon is closely guarding secrets of her own, and all around them, anti-gay fervor is growing. Told through their letters, as well as diary entries (Tammy's diary takes the form of letters to gay activist Harvey Milk), this richly detailed story is moving, powerful, and joyful, and written by an award-winning author of historical YA. #ownvoices
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Tammy and Sharon are paired as pen-pals in a school project, and as their friendship grows, their letters become a safe haven, a place where they can both...Show more
Tammy and Sharon are paired as pen-pals in a school project, and as their friendship grows, their letters become a safe haven, a place where they can both be fully themselves. Tammy knows she is a lesbian, but can't be out anywhere - school, church, and home are all unsafe places for people like her. Sharon is closely guarding secrets of her own, and all around them, anti-gay fervor is growing. Told through their letters, as well as diary entries (Tammy's diary takes the form of letters to gay activist Harvey Milk), this richly detailed story is moving, powerful, and joyful, and written by an award-winning author of historical YA. #ownvoices
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Small town USA, 1973. 16-year-old Jonathan lives alone with his alcoholic father, and he retreats into the world and music of Ziggy Stardust to escape his...Show more
Small town USA, 1973. 16-year-old Jonathan lives alone with his alcoholic father, and he retreats into the world and music of Ziggy Stardust to escape his isolated life. In the real world, he's having trouble at school, and is receiving 'treatments' he hopes will succeed in making him hetrosexual. Then Web - a brooding and fearless boy in school - enters Jonathan's life and challenges him to love and accept himself for who he is. This intense novel sensitively captures the terrible reality of trauma and conversion therapy against the music, politics, and culture of the early 70s. #ownvoices
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Small town USA, 1973. 16-year-old Jonathan lives alone with his alcoholic father, and he retreats into the world and music of Ziggy Stardust to escape his...Show more
Small town USA, 1973. 16-year-old Jonathan lives alone with his alcoholic father, and he retreats into the world and music of Ziggy Stardust to escape his isolated life. In the real world, he's having trouble at school, and is receiving 'treatments' he hopes will succeed in making him hetrosexual. Then Web - a brooding and fearless boy in school - enters Jonathan's life and challenges him to love and accept himself for who he is. This intense novel sensitively captures the terrible reality of trauma and conversion therapy against the music, politics, and culture of the early 70s. #ownvoices
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When 18-year-old Janet stumbles across some lesbian romance novels, she develops a new-found desire to write her own story. But it is 1955, and she must k...Show more
When 18-year-old Janet stumbles across some lesbian romance novels, she develops a new-found desire to write her own story. But it is 1955, and she must keep her writing dreams, as well as her relationship, secret for fear of exposing her identity. 60 years later, Abby is researching lesbian pulp fiction for her senior class and is drawn to one author in particular - wrote under the pseudonym 'Marian Love' - and decides to track her down. Told in dual narratives, Pulp explores how far we've come and the connections between generations in an educational and gripping way. #ownvoices
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When 18-year-old Janet stumbles across some lesbian romance novels, she develops a new-found desire to write her own story. But it is 1955, and she must k...Show more
When 18-year-old Janet stumbles across some lesbian romance novels, she develops a new-found desire to write her own story. But it is 1955, and she must keep her writing dreams, as well as her relationship, secret for fear of exposing her identity. 60 years later, Abby is researching lesbian pulp fiction for her senior class and is drawn to one author in particular - wrote under the pseudonym 'Marian Love' - and decides to track her down. Told in dual narratives, Pulp explores how far we've come and the connections between generations in an educational and gripping way. #ownvoices
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Set in 1954, this is an engaging and detailed read about Lilly Hu, a Chinese-American 17-year-old who falls in love at the Telegraph Club, a lesbian bar. ...Show more
Set in 1954, this is an engaging and detailed read about Lilly Hu, a Chinese-American 17-year-old who falls in love at the Telegraph Club, a lesbian bar. Against the backdrop of San Francisco, Red-Scare paranoia, and a community of people living secret queer lives, Lilly navigates the discovery of her own identity and first love. This is a warm, atmospheric read about chosen family and self-discovery. #ownvoices
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Set in 1954, this is an engaging and detailed read about Lilly Hu, a Chinese-American 17-year-old who falls in love at the Telegraph Club, a lesbian bar. ...Show more
Set in 1954, this is an engaging and detailed read about Lilly Hu, a Chinese-American 17-year-old who falls in love at the Telegraph Club, a lesbian bar. Against the backdrop of San Francisco, Red-Scare paranoia, and a community of people living secret queer lives, Lilly navigates the discovery of her own identity and first love. This is a warm, atmospheric read about chosen family and self-discovery. #ownvoices
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If you like your history with a little bit of fantasy, this one is for you! Set in 1889 Paris, this book follows a diverse group of friends as they work t...Show more
If you like your history with a little bit of fantasy, this one is for you! Set in 1889 Paris, this book follows a diverse group of friends as they work together to pull off a dramatic heist against the backdrop of the Exposition Universelle (a World Fair). Full of mystery and magic and secret societies and all the decadence of the time, this is a real page-turner. Also available as an eBook and as a downloadable audiobook.
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If you like your history with a little bit of fantasy, this one is for you! Set in 1889 Paris, this book follows a diverse group of friends as they work t...Show more
If you like your history with a little bit of fantasy, this one is for you! Set in 1889 Paris, this book follows a diverse group of friends as they work together to pull off a dramatic heist against the backdrop of the Exposition Universelle (a World Fair). Full of mystery and magic and secret societies and all the decadence of the time, this is a real page-turner. Also available as an eBook and as a downloadable audiobook.
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This fast-paced novel combines mystery, adventure, and queer romance in a not-quite-historically-accurate but very fun tale of three 18th century teenager...Show more
This fast-paced novel combines mystery, adventure, and queer romance in a not-quite-historically-accurate but very fun tale of three 18th century teenagers on a grand tour of Europe. The narrator, Monty, is flawed, loveable, and laugh-out-loud hilarious, and his sister, Felicity, is a biting, intelligent, and strong-willed travel companion. There's a sequel narrated by her: 'The Ladies Guide to Petticoats and Piracy'. Also available as an eBook and as a downloadable audiobook.
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This fast-paced novel combines mystery, adventure, and queer romance in a not-quite-historically-accurate but very fun tale of three 18th century teenager...Show more
This fast-paced novel combines mystery, adventure, and queer romance in a not-quite-historically-accurate but very fun tale of three 18th century teenagers on a grand tour of Europe. The narrator, Monty, is flawed, loveable, and laugh-out-loud hilarious, and his sister, Felicity, is a biting, intelligent, and strong-willed travel companion. There's a sequel narrated by her: 'The Ladies Guide to Petticoats and Piracy'. Also available as an eBook and as a downloadable audiobook.
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'All Out' is an anthology of short stories featuring a diverse range of teens living full, queer lives across time. Written by an all-star line-up of some...Show more
'All Out' is an anthology of short stories featuring a diverse range of teens living full, queer lives across time. Written by an all-star line-up of some of the best YA authors in the business, this is a great read if you want bite size stories or to get a feel for a new author before you jump into one of their novels. From war torn 1870's Mexico, to a 16th century Spanish convent, to the death of Kurt Cobain and everything in between, there's a story in here that will grab you and let you see history in a whole new (rainbow coloured) light.
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'All Out' is an anthology of short stories featuring a diverse range of teens living full, queer lives across time. Written by an all-star line-up of some...Show more
'All Out' is an anthology of short stories featuring a diverse range of teens living full, queer lives across time. Written by an all-star line-up of some of the best YA authors in the business, this is a great read if you want bite size stories or to get a feel for a new author before you jump into one of their novels. From war torn 1870's Mexico, to a 16th century Spanish convent, to the death of Kurt Cobain and everything in between, there's a story in here that will grab you and let you see history in a whole new (rainbow coloured) light.
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