K Van Petten

We’ve got your summer soundtrack covered! Celebrating two of the most challenged books in America, Bushwick goes big in June with a kaleidoscopic double-bill about love and self-discovery. Gender Queer is the reigning banned book champ, sitting atop ALA’s list of most challenged books in 2023. Sex is a Funny Word has been banned and challenged for just about every topic it covers: sexual identity, sexual expression, and all of the weird, wonderful body parts that make us who we are. “Gender Queer serves multiple purposes…Telling the world all your most excruciating personal secrets while also making them aesthetically pleasing and readable certainly seems like it should be a simple enough task, but it’s harder than you might think.” —The Comics Journal “My hope is that we’re creating a world where there’s no shame for our kids to shed anymore. Sex Is a Funny Word is timely, important and engaging—and, as many parents will agree, a step in the right direction.” —Today’s Parent Heads up: Gender Queer dives into gender dysphoria and shares some mild depictions of sexual acts; Sex is a Funny Word has youth-friendly illustrations of body parts.