Central Kansas Library System

Lesbian. Bisexual. Queer. Transgender. Straight. Curious. This book is for everyone, regardless of gender or sexual preference. This book is for anyone who's ever dared to wonder. This book is for YOU. There's a long-running joke that, after "coming out," a lesbian, gay guy, bisexual, or trans person should receive a membership card and instruction manual. THIS IS THAT INSTRUCTION MANUAL. You're welcome. Inside you'll find the answers to all the questions...

"In this inspiring book, US Olympian and hockey star Kendall Coyne shares the grit and determination it took to break down barriers and achieve her dreams against tremendous odds, encouraging young people to follow their passions and never give up. The world told Kendall Coyne to slow down. They said "not so fast" when she picked up hockey skates instead of figure skates. They said "just a minute" when she tried out for the boy's team. They told her...

Beyoncé is undeniably one of the most powerful and popular artists in the world. From starting out as a member of Destiny's Child to embarking on her solo career, Beyoncé's journey has kept the world riveted, waiting for what will be next. In this book, you'll learn about her greatest hits in music, how hard she works to make her dreams come true, and how she inspires the world every day. Beyoncé is more than a hip star-she's a legend; a creative...

The riveting New York Times bestseller and Stonewall Book Award winner that will make you rethink all you know about race, class, gender, crime, and punishment. Artfully, compassionately, and expertly told, Dashka Slater's The 57 Bus is a must-read nonfiction book for teens that chronicles the true story of an agender teen who was set on fire by another teen while riding a bus in Oakland, California.
Two ends of the same

...

The extraordinary — and extraordinarily powerful — follow-up to Hey, Kiddo.

When Jarrett J. Krosoczka was in high school, he was part of a program that sent students to be counselors at a camp for seriously ill kids and their families. Going into it, Jarrett was worried: Wouldn't it be depressing, to be around kids facing such a serious struggle? Wouldn't it be grim?

But instead of the shadow of death,

...

A critical, unflinching cultural history and fierce beacon of hope for a better future, America Redux is a necessary and galvanizing read. What are the stories we tell ourselves about America? How do they shape our sense of history, cloud our perceptions, inspire us? America Redux explores the themes that create our shared sense of American identity and interrogates the myths we've been telling ourselves for centuries. With iconic American...

NPR's "All Things Considered," calls Queer Ducks "teenager-friendly. It's a young adult book filled with comics and humor and accessible science, and it's filled with research on the diversity of sexual behavior in the animal world." This groundbreaking illustrated YA nonfiction title from two-time National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author Eliot Schrefer is a well-researched and teen-friendly exploration of the gamut of queer...

The New York Times bestselling true story of an all-American girl and a boy from Zimbabwe and the letter that changed both of their lives forever.
It started as an assignment... Everyone in Caitlin's class wrote to an unknown student somewhere in a distant place.
Martin was lucky to even receive a pen-pal letter. There were only ten letters, and fifty kids in his class. But he was the top student, so he got the first one....

On a summer day in September 1666, the Great Fire of London began at Thomas Farriner's bakery on Pudding Lane. This nonfiction text gives students a sense of what life was like on that fateful day, and details the aftermath of the disastrous fire that changed London forever. Developed by Timothy Rasinski and featuring TIME content, this book includes essential text features like an index, captions, glossary, and table of contents. The intriguing sidebars,...

Sure, we all know the planet is in trouble. We hear talk all the time about climate change, air pollution from cars, oil spills into oceans, trash overflowing into waterways, and toxic chemicals leaking into our groundwater. Sigh. But the good news is there's a lot we can do to start cleaning up the Earth. And it starts with you!