If you are looking for KS2 books to support RSHE lessons, or mapping out your PSHE scheme of work, you’ll know that one of the DfE statutory mandates is that, by the end of primary school, pupils need to understand that “families can look different, but all provide stability, love, and protection.”
An impactful way to teach children about diverse families is through sharing brilliant books. Books that give pupils ‘windows and mirrors’ moments. Books that allow them to see their own lives validated, or gain an insight into someone else’s reality. Books that reinforce the truth: families can look different, but all provide love, stability and protection.
Integrating inclusive stories (such as those listed below) into your English sessions, using them as class read-alouds (or within guided reading slots) makes embedding RSHE a natural part of the school day.
So here goes: 12 recommendations of KS2 books to support RSHE (‘different families’ topic), plus a completely free RSHE lesson plan and pupil worksheet on this topic to download.
KS2 Books to support RSHE Lessons
The Accidental Diary of BUG
Two Mums
Adoption
Hilarious and engaging. Find out more on my website.
The Dad Trap and The Last Firefox
Two Dads
Adoption
Heart-warming adventures.
Proud of Me and Max and Ella Stuck Together
Two Mums
Donor Conceived
Highly relatable, modern narratives.
The FAMOUS series
Two Mums
Fostering
Adventure comedies with comic strips – an excellent, sensitive choice for exploring the dynamics of fostering. Find out more on my website.
Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths
Intergenerational British-Chinese family
Relatable and funny.
The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh
Step-Families
A relatable comedy; great for empathy.
RSHE Learning Outcomes
Every book listed above serves as an excellent launchpad for meaningful classroom discussion. They allow you to challenge stereotypes naturally while reinforcing the core DfE message: family structures take many shapes, but safety, care, and love are universal.
By using real literature, you easily create a supportive, inclusive classroom environment where all children feel safe and visible.
Download Your Free RSHE Lesson Plan & Worksheet
If you want a FREE, simple, highly effective RSHE lesson plan and a student worksheet to teach a specific lesson on this topic, you can find one on this page of my website.
In this blog, I recommend 10 brilliant books that feature main characters with LGBT+ parents, and discuss why it’s important that all children get the opportunity to read them.
February is LGBT+ History Month – a time for commemorating the incredible things LGBT+ people have achieved throughout history, celebrating our present, and creating our future.
Over the past 50+ years Schools OUT have worked to #educateOUTprejudice and usualise LGBT+ lives, creating learning environments where all LGBT+ people feel safe, seen, and supported.
Like me, there are many authors working to normalise LGBT+ parents in children’s literature for the same reasons. Indeed, one of the main reasons I wrote my debut novel, The Accidental Diary Of B.U.G., was because my son was craving a funny, doodle-heavy book that featured a positive representation of a family like ours (2 mums, adopted children) – which I’ve previously blogged about here.
Positive Representation
It’s imperative that children with LGBT+ parents get opportunities to see a positive reflection of their very normal families in a good book for many reasons, not least of which is because representation is the key to successful reading for pleasure.
When a child sees themselves in a book, they feel validated, their self-confidence sky-rockets as they realise they’re not alone. Moreover, they’re more likely to read for pleasure and, if this habit is sustained, they’ll have better life chances, get better grades and report higher levels of wellbeing.
Understanding of difference
It’s of equal importance that all children have the opportunity to read great stories that, incidentally, contain families unlike their own. It helps them make sense of the world around them, boost their empathy levels and gain a deeper understanding of ‘different’ (and a recognition of the many similarities that unite humans).
Recommendations
That being said, here are ten recommendations from me for anyone seeking out fantastic books for your home, classroom or library, all of which feature main characters with LGBT+ parents.
10 children’s books featuring LGBT+ parents.
1. My Daddies by Gareth Peter and Garry Parsons
This heartfelt rhyming board book champions same-sex parents and the magic of reading between two dads and their adopted daughter.
PUBLISHER’S BLURB:
Set off on a series of incredible adventures with an adorable family as the stories they read burst into colourful life. Battle dragons, dodge deadly dinosaurs, zoom to the moon and explore the world in a hot air balloon, before winding down in a wonderfully cosy bedtime ending.
2. The Pirate Mums by Jodie Lancet-Grant and Lydia Corry
This swashbuckling adventurous picture book is perfect for introducing young children to the idea that families come in lots of shapes and sizes in a fun way.
PUBLISHER’S BLURB:
Billy’s family is not what you’d call ordinary. His mums won’t listen to NORMAL music. They love to sing sea shanties and dance jigs in the lounge. Their clothes are highly unusual, they have a rude parrot for a pet, and their taste in house design is, well . . . FISHY. Billy wishes his family could be more like everyone else’s, until an ocean adventure changes everything!
3. The Secrets of Sam and Sam by Susie Day
In this funny story about modern family life, the two Sams are m/f twins with the same mums and the same name, but very different personalities and lots of secrets.
PUBLISHER’S BLURB:
Sam likes being a twin. He likes having two mums. He likes cheese sandwiches and his dog and drawing comics with his friend Pea. He does not like humus – or heights . . .
His twin sister Sammie likes being a twin too. She knows that she’s perfect best friend material for somebody – the girls in her class just haven’t realised yet. And she knows that she’s the best Sam – Sam A.
Both Sam and Sammie – and everybody in their lives seems to be keeping secrets – which ones will come out?
4. The Last Firefox (3 book series) by Lee Newbury
Two loving dads support their adopted son in this exciting fantasy adventure about a young boy who rescues a magical firefox cub.
PUBLISHER’S BLURB (for book 1):
Between bullies at school and changes at home, Charlie Challinor finds life a bit scary. And when he’s made guardian of a furry fox cub called Cadno, things get a whole lot scarier.
Because Cadno isn’t just any fox: he’s a firefox – the only one of his kind – and a sinister hunter from another world is on his trail.
Swept up into an unexpected adventure to protect his flammable friend, Charlie’s going to need to find the bravery he never thought he had, if he’s going to save the last firefox . . .
5. The Accidental Diary of B.U.G. (3 book series) by Jen Carney
This is a laugh-out-loud contemporary diary series rooted firmly in reality and narrated by the sparky Billie Upton Green who, incidentally, was adopted by her two mums when she was a baby.
PUBLISHER’S BLURB (for Book 1):
Meet Billie Upton Green and her VERY accidental diary – and don’t you DARE call her B.U.G!
Billie has taken the new girl at school under her wing. She’ll teach her the important stuff – Biscuit Laws, Mrs Patterson and of course where to sneakily eat a Jaffa Cake. She might even get invited to the EVENT OF THE YEAR (Billie’s mums’ are getting married).
But then suspicion sets in. The new girl seems VERY close to Billie’s best friend Layla.
And she knows a LOT about the big school heist – the theft of Mrs Robinson’s purse. But, Billie is on to her. Well, as long as Patrick doesn’t catch her eating biscuits first.
6.The Famous Series (3 books) by Jen Carney
The protagonist of these funny realistic adventure stories is a kind-hearted boy called Ferris who opens his home and his heart to the children his two mums foster for varying lengths of time.
PUBLISHER’S BLURB (for Book 1):
A few things you should know about Ferris Foster:
1. He’s the cartooning genius behind ASTOUNDOG (star of The Hoot, available exclusively in his school playground) 2. His best friend is his actual dog, Aldo who is anything but astounding 3. He’s had 13 foster brothers and 8 foster sisters and now he’s about to meet his new foster sister, Tia, for the first time 4. His NEMESIS is his totally annoying neighbour Destiny Dean!
When Destiny boasts about videos of her dog, Princess Foo-Foo, going viral, Ferris foolishly claims that Aldo can easily become a BIGGER internet star.
There’s just one problem: Aldo has about as much talent as a teaspoon.
Then Ferris and Tia accidentally film Aldo doing what looks like an amazing trick . . . will Aldo finally live up to the name of his comic book alter-ego and wow the world with his skills or is this about to be the biggest EPIC FAIL ever?
7. The Dad Trap by Ian Eagleton
Instant enemies William and Florence are horrified to find out their dads are dating each other – and are forced to work together to split them up!
PUBLISHER’S BLURB:
When William and Florence meet on the first day of Year Six, they instantly dislike each other.
William is impulsive, endlessly chatty and struggles in school. His home life is safe and predictable – just him and Dad, who adopted him as a solo parent – and that’s how William likes it.
Florence is sullen, cold, and everything seems to come easily to her. She’s moved after her parents’ divorce – but she’s convinced she won’t be staying long because they’ll definitely get back together…
But then Florence and William find out that their dads have started seeing each other. Now they must put their differences to one side. Because only if they work together might they stand a chance of splitting up their dads… Let the sabotage commence!
8. The Doughnut Club by Kristina Rahim
This is a heart-warming and relatable story about donor conceived siblings Quinn and Olly who have two mums, and sixteen donor siblings.
PUBLISHER’S BLURB:
Donor conceived Quinn loves her family, but she often feels the odd one out. Not only because she’s the only one with red hair and green eyes, but because she would rather be quietly drawing than surfing or rock-climbing or whatever mad activity her mums and brother Olly might like to do on holiday.
But when Quinn’s mums tell her and Olly they have sixteen donor siblings, Quinn is really excited. Maybe one of them will be more like her! The only problem is her parents want them to wait until they are older to contact anyone.
As she tries to secretly find out more, Quinn starts to lose sight of what’s really important – especially when she starts to believe her worst enemy could be one of her siblings!
Can Quinn find a way back to her family, whilst finding a way to tell them how she really feels?
9. Nate Yu’s Blast From The Past by Maisie Chan
This is a captivating story steeped in history narrated by Nate (who has two mums) that explores identity, friendship, family and belonging.
PUBLISHER’S BLURB:
Nate Yu Riley loves three things: his Switch, his ant farm (especially Betsy, queen of the colony) and his family.
He’s not so sure about some other things, like moving to a big city, starting a new school, and his parents making him do Chinese stuff. They’re always trying to get him to embrace his heritage, but Nate can’t speak Chinese, and he doesn’t know anything about Chinese customs.
But when Nate comes across an old shell casing engraved with a Chinese dragon, he can’t stop thinking about it. And when he touches the shell, someone extraordinary appears. A ghost from long ago. Someone who needs Nate’s help – and Nate might just need his, too …
10. Nothing Ever Happens Here by Sarah Hagger-Holt
In this engaging and compassionately told story, Izzy’s family is under the spotlight when her dad comes out as Danielle, a trans woman.
PUBLISHER’S BLURB:
This is Littlehaven. Nothing ever happens here. Until the spotlight hits my family.
Izzy’s family is under the spotlight when her dad comes out as Danielle, a trans woman. Izzy is terrified her family will be torn apart. Will she lose her dad? Will her parents break up? And what will people at school say? Izzy’s always been shy, but now all eyes are on her. Can she face her fears, find her voice and stand up for what’s right?
It’s no secret that I’m passionate about the representation of different types of families in children’s books. Indeed, a conversation with my son about the lack of positive representation of children with same-sex parents in upbeat books was my starting point for my debut series, The Accidental Diary of B.U.G., which has been praised for its accessible, age-appropriate inclusion – shortlisted for the national Polari Prize and winner of the Sparks Children’s Book Award. (You can read about that conversation in this blog post.)
In my latest series, I’ve represented a foster family. Specifically, a blended foster family headed up by two mums.
The series starts with The Day My Dog Got Famous which tells the story of Ferris (the mums’ birth child) and his mission (with the help of his newly-placed foster sister) to make his dozy dog more like the cartoon canine he draws for fun. Why? So he can beat his boastful next door neighbour and her uber-talented poodle in an online pet-popularity contest.
Teacher feedback: “The Day My Dog Got Famous doesn’t just show the wonder of dogs but presents a sensitive window into the life of a foster family, as well as the emotions of a young boy who has to deal with children coming in and out of his home for varying lengths of time.”
Real-Life Inspiration
I was inspired to write this series by my sister who, in addition to having four of her own children, has fostered for over 20 years. And by my nephews and niece who, like my protagonist, Ferris, have generously opened their lives and their hearts to welcome foster children into their home for various periods of time.
Through funny capers with dogs, cartoons and comic strips, The Day My Dog Got Famous explores some of the emotions experienced by birth children who are part of blended families: frustration, connection, love and loss.
Teacher feedback: “…not just a fabulous story but one that is highly inclusive and one that balances humour with heartache to absolute perfection.”
Representing Children in Foster Care
A mother through adoption myself, and a previous panel member for both fostering and adoption agencies, through the series I’ve also dipped into some of the reasons children can find themselves foster care, how they feel, and the repercussions that can ensue – all at a level that children will understand.
In book one, The Day My Dog Got Famous, the family provides respite care for a child whose regular carer is in hospital.
In book two, The Day My School Got Famous, the family are fostering a child who has been removed from his mother and separated from his brother, and is soon going to be living with a relative.
In book threeThe Day My Brother Got Famous the focus is on a child who is looked after under a Special Guardianship arrangement and comes to the Fosters (yes, the main family are called Foster as well as being foster carers!) for a respite placement.
All three books include a long-term foster child with additional needs to represent the sad fact that such children often remain in the care system for longer than their peers. (I’m an experienced parent to a wonderful child with special needs. Showing that children with additional needs are much more than just their difficulties was also important to me when writing this series.)
The message that family is often bigger than biology is seeded through the series.
Parent feedback: “Where the book tips the line to excellent is the touches of diversity and the truths of human life…Ferris having a ‘hard to place’ foster sister, and two mums, and what that impact that has. It looks at the how and who can be in care, for respite or permanent – and what that looks like for existing children.”
Why represent foster families in children’s books?
It’s always about mirrors and windows for me.
REPRESENTATION – the mirror
Representation is the key to successful reading for pleasure – a well-known indicator of a child’s future life-chances and well-being.
In the UK alone, there are almost 54,000 foster families and approximately 70,000 foster children living with them.
These children deserve to see themselves in a funny book. As do the many birth children living in blended families.
EMPATHY – the window
Providing a sneak view into the life of someone else gives children with little (or no) experience of foster care the opportunity to learn about other children’s lives. This helps them to build empathy as they broaden their understanding of the world.
All the books in this series are available to buy from wherever you like to buy books, or to borrow from your local library.
It’s no secret that I’m passionate representing rainbow families in children’s books. Indeed, a conversation with my son about the lack of positive representation (particularly in funny books) was my starting point for The Accidental Diary of B.U.G. series which I’ve previously blogged about here.
In my opinion, the answer to this question is:
A. to give children with two mums or two dads the choice to read a book that reflects their reality
and
B. to help children from more traditional family units to broaden their understanding of the world.
Why is representing rainbow families in children’s books important?
According to the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education’s ‘Reflecting Realities’ report (2020), representation is the key to successful reading for pleasure (another of my passions).
Representing rainbow families in children’s books – as a mirror
When a child sees themselves in a book, they feel validated, their self-confidence sky-rockets as they realise they’re not alone. Moreover, they’re more likely to read for pleasure and, if this habit is sustained, they’ll have better life chances, get better grades and report higher levels of wellbeing (OECD).
So given that in 2019 (according the ONS) there were 212,000 same sex families in the UK (and three years on, this figure will surely be greater), representing rainbow families is key to reading for pleasure for a large number of children.
That’s the ‘mirror’ element of reading.
Representing rainbow families in children’s books – window
But reading about people who are different to you, is of equal importance. This is where ‘windows’ come in.
To be able to read about life from another person’s perspective, helps children to make sense of the world around them. When a reader from a family with a mum and a dad reads a book that contains a rainbow family, they learn to empathise and accept. Essential conversations are sparked which can often lead to a deeper understanding of ‘different’ and a celebration of the many similarities that unite humans.
So, in summary, from picture books for babes in arms, right through to longer reads for older children, books have a huge role to play in helping youngsters to understand our world. Whether that’s to boost an individual’s self-esteem, to help nurture empathy for different, or just to cement the fact that all family units, whatever they look like, are valid, worth writing about, normal.
Representing rainbow families in children’s books: some great recommendations:
Yes! BookTrust has some marvellous suggestions on these pages:
My Daddies written by Gareth Peter, illustrated by Garry Parsons – a rhyming picture book adventure that includes a celebration of adoption and is perfect for introducing children to a family with two loving fathers.
Love Makes a Familywritten and illustrated by Sophie Beer – a board book depicting a wide range of families and what they may typically do on a daily basis. I love this book’s main message: the one thing that makes every family is love.
The Pirate Mumswritten by Jodie Lancet Grant, illustrated by Lydia Corry – an adventure picture book that helps children to embrace uniqueness – whether that’s because you have two mums, or that your parents are pirates!
Uncle Bobby’s Weddingwritten by Sarah Brannen, illustrated by Lucia Soto – an uplifting celebration of love in all its forms. I vividly remember my nephew worrying I might not have time to play when I told him I was getting married!
The Accidental Diary of B.U.G.(3 books) written and illustrated by me! – think Wimpy Kids meets Tom Gates, but with a witty female protagonist who, incidentally, has two mums and was adopted as a baby.
The Last Firefox written by Lee Newbery, illustrated by Laura Catalan – a fantasy tale about finding your own courage with lovely representation of an adoptive family with same-sex parents (two dads).
Max Kowalski Didn’t Mean It by Susie Day – an exploration of masculinity told via an exciting adventure and including a family headed up by two fathers.
Proud of Me by Sarah Hagger-Holt – a lovely coming of age story with multiple LGBT themes, told from the point of view of twelve year old siblings Josh and Becky who have two mums.
It was a complaint from my son when he was about eleven that drove me to write the first draft of what has since been published by Puffin as The Accidental Diary of B.U.G. series.
At the time, the only kinds of books he’d read independently were laugh-out-loud funny, highly accessible to even the most reluctant reader, and (more often than not) heavily illustrated. (I’ll blog about my experience of the power of funny books for reluctant readers in a subsequent post.)
His complaint:Why do the main characters in these types of books never have two mums or two dads?
After failing to source him such a book, I figured I’d write one.
In all honesty, my initial draft was for his eyes only. Avoiding his reading kryptonite of text-heavy paragraphs in favour of interactive pages, doodles aplenty and gags about spellings, I created a protagonist whose life vaguely represented his reality (adopted by two mums) and I was overjoyed when he told me he loved it.
Mission accomplished!
Or so I thought…
A couple of years later, I shared the manuscript with my then eight-year-old daughter and was thrilled to see her as engrossed as my son had been. It was when she expressed how much she’d love all children to have access to a mainstream ‘laugh about it in the playground’ book that illustrated how perfectly ‘normal’ ‘different’ families actually are, that I knew I needed to try my luck at finding a publisher!
Positive representation, I’ve learned, matters enormously to all children. At the time of my son’s complaint, our bookshelves were sagging under the weight of books featuring children who had been adopted and children with same sex parents. The problem was, they were all picture books we’d shared when our children were small, non-fiction books a little too earnest in their ‘you’re so special’ message, a bit depressing, or contained too many emotional triggers.
We also had plenty of books that featured families very similar to ours as a matter of fact – manic parents making questionable packed lunches, children recounting school mishaps, curious family anecdotes and so on. But none of the main characters ever had same sex parents.
It was the light-hearted humour, combined with the honest, matter-of-fact, ‘this is who I am’ nature of Billie, the protagonist of The Accidental Diary of B.U.G. series, that my children took to. Not only did it satisfy their hunger to see themselves in a book, it enabled them to verbalize how a book like mine could fill the gap they were both acutely aware was missing from their peers’ libraries – a funny ‘middle grade’ read that would incidentally expose all children to the normality of everyday life of our kind of family.
You can find out more about The Accidental Diary of BUG on this page of my website.
I really enjoyed reading the adventures of Billie Upton Green (not Bug!!)! Billie is a delightful and relatable character, and her escapades are both funny and heart-warming. I particularly enjoyed the inclusivity in the text, and it’s a real joy to see such positive LGBTQ+ representation in children’s books. Jen has written a real treat for younger readers, and the artwork is fabulous, too!
― L. D. Lapinski, author of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency
Readers will love Billie’s adventures, and her funny, doodle-filled way of sharing them, as much as they love the Dork Diaries or Wimpy Kid stories, and it’s great too to see such a warm celebration of diverse family life.
― LoveReading4Kids
Carney’s lively, upbeat Billie is a welcome inclusive addition to the world of illustrated diaries. Her two mums feel like people I know, her weariness at explaining their existence just as familiar – and Billie herself is a treat, from her passion for biscuits to her determined pursuit of the school thief. Fun, funny, and deceptively clever.
Susie Day, author of Max Kowalski Didn’t Mean It
A brilliant, hilarious and heartwarming book! I’m pretty sure if I’d read this as a child it wouldn’t have taken me quite so long to understand and accept my own queer identity. Amazing for normalising same-sex parenting and adoption, completely laugh-out-loud funny and a feast for the eyes with lots of fun and engaging doodles. I loved it!
Abigail Balfe, author of A Different Sort of Normal
