Here and Queer is a helpful, friendly guide full of support and advice about living your best queer life, written for girls.
2023 Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year: Reference
This vibrant, inclusive guide, designed for all kinds of girls, is designed to help you be the strongest, proudest, happiest version of yourself! A celebration of the gift of queerness, it's packed full of heartfelt advice, comforting stories, and stylish illustrations, and will give you the tools you need to explore your own identity, on your own terms.
Author and YouTuber Rowan Ellis uses her personal experience to take you through queer life, from coming out and dealing with tough stuff, right through to finding friendships and celebrating Pride. There are also brilliant guest essays from contributors across the LGBTQ+ spectrum.
The book opens with guidance on understanding how you feel as a queer girl. From choosing your pronouns to navigating different labels and identities, Ellis helps girls understand that they are in control of their own identity, and that it's ok to not be sure straight away.
Moving onto a glossary of queer terms, Here and Queer helps introduce girls to the rainbow of definitions and terms which help queer people understand who they are and how they feel. The book then moves onto advice on coming out, for many one of the hardest steps to take on their journey to truly living their best lives.
Following are chapters on sex and romance, including helpful advice about your first time, as well as guides on consent and knowing how to make sure you build a healthy and supportive relationship with your partner.
There are also sections on dealing with bullies and stigma, finding your community, and looking after your mental health, including advice on how to help you find extra support if you need it. The book also has more information on queer ladies in history, and on the fight for equality undertaken by brave activists throughout history and today.
Stylishly designed with cool illustrations, this helpful, friendly guide will help all queer girls navigate the challenges of discovering and embracing their identities and flourishing in their own skins!
Rowan Ellis is a writer, video essayist, and LGBTQI+ advocate who creates content around queer history, pop culture, and activism. Her YouTube channel has over 170,000 subscribers and her videos have a collective total of nearly 8 million views. Her work has been covered in publications including Forbes, The Guardian, Teen Vogue, Elle UK, and BBC, and she is the co-founder and co-organiser of Ruckus Retreat, a residential retreat for creatives. She lives in London with her two cats–Persephone and Ichabod–and an oven perpetually full of baked goods.
Jacky Sheridan is an Irish illustrator who uses her unique humor and style to create fun, bold, and engaging work. She lends her illustration talent to artistic activism around causes such as queer rights, feminism, and body positivity.
“Pure queer joy!”—
Kirkus Reviews, starred review"...comprehensive and easily digestible"—
Publishers Weekly, starred review“A timely, inclusive, and necessary purchase for any library serving teenagers”—
Mallory Weber,
School Library Journal“A fresh, fun guide to living your best queer life”—
The Bookseller
