Pride - Reading tips for children and young adults
June is the international Pride month and it is normally celebrated all over Norway. At NORLA, we condemn the recent tragic events related to the celebration of Pride in Oslo. At the same time, the event emphasize the importance of introducing gay themes, also to young reader. Therefore, we take part in Pride by sharing a selection of gay themed books available for children and young adults.
In 2022, the fifty-year anniversary of the decriminalisation of male homosexuality in Norway is being marked with exhibitions and events throughout the country. The centrepiece of these activities is the Queer Culture Year (Skeivt kulturår).
All books are originally published in Norwegian. Presentations available in English unless otherwise indicated.
Kari Stai: So-So Happy (Passe happy) (2021) | For readers 9-12 years old
Foreign sales to: Denmark.
Read more | See the author’s presentation on YouTube
Tone E. Solheim: The Blackbird Sings at Night (Svarttrasta syng om natta) (2021) | 12-16 years
Foreign sales to: Denmark.
Read more
Tom Erik Fure and Ingvild Th. Kristiansen (ill.): Benny Goes Crazy (Benny går amok) (2021, series) | 9-12 years
Third book in the series. The first title is sold for translation into Swedish.
Read more | About the series
Marte Mittet: Ulvehunger (2021) | 14+ years
Read more (in Norwegian only)
Mari Grydeland: Kys mik (2021) | 9-12 years
Read more (in Norwegian only) | See the author present the book on YouTube
Gro Dahle and Kaja Dahle Nyhus (ill.): Ollianna (2020) | 3-6 years
Foreign sales to: Sweden.
Read more
Mona Renolen, Marion Arntzen and Thor Walter Kristensen (ill.): Prinsesse Ivar og vennene på fest (2020) | 3-6 years
Read more (in Norwegian only)
Nora Dåsnes: Cross My Heart and Hope to Die (Ti kniver i hjertet) (2020) | 9-12 years
- Awarded Gold for Best Illustrated Children’s Book 2021 (The GRAFILL’s Visual Prize The Year’s Most Beautiful Books / The Norwegian Designer’s Guild). Winner of the 2020 Ministry of Culture’s Graphic Novel Prize and The 2020 Pondus Prize.
- Nominated for: The 2021/2022 Avid Reader Award “Bokslukerprisen” and the 2021 Children’s Book Prize (Bergen Library).
Foreign sales to: Danish, French, German, Italian, Korean, Polish, Spanish (Latin America and North America), Spanish (Spain), Swedish.
Read more | See the author present the book on YouTube
Alexander Kielland Krag: This Stays Between Us (Dette blir mellom oss) (2020) | Young adults – Instagram book
- Awarded Fast Company’s 2021 World Changing Ideas Awards in the media and entertainment category.
Foreign sales to: Danish.
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Line Baugstø: I am Leona (Jeg er Leona) (2020) | 9-12 years
- Awarded the 2020 Ministry of Culture’s Literary Prize.
- Nominated for the 2020 ARK Children’s Book Prize and the 2021/2022 Avid Reader Award “Bokslukerprisen”
Foreign sales to: Danish.
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Endre Lund Eriksen: Hvordan jeg tjente min første million (2020) | 12-16 years
Read more (in Norwegian only)
Ida Hegazi Høyer and Øivind Hovland (ill.): Kim Friele (2019) | 3-6 years
Read more (in Norwegian only)
Line Baugstø: If We Were Lions (Vi skulle vært løver) (2019) | 9-12 years
- Awarded the 2018 Norwegian Book Bloggers’ Prize.
- Nominated for the 2018 ARK Children’s Book Prize, the 2018 Avid Reader Award “Bokslukerprisen” and for the 2019 Children’s Book Prize.
Foreign sales to: Danish, Faroese, German, Italian, Swedish.
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Jenny Jordahl: Hannemone and Hulda (Hannemone og Hulda) (2017) | 4-6 years
Foreign sales to: Spain.
Read more
Monika Steinholm: Nærmere kommer vi ikke (2017) | 12-16 years
Foreign sales to: Poland.
Read more (in Norwegian only)
Ida Jackson and Jens A. Larsen (ill.): Bo Bear-series (Brillebjørn-serien) (2017-) | 0-3 years
A picture book series in 15 titles so far.
Foreign sales to: Danish (three titles).
Read more | The books have also been made into a TV-series by NRK
Linda Klakken: Stupid, Stupid Heart (Dumme, dumme hjarte) (2017) | 9-12 years
- Nominated for the 2018 Norwegian Writers for Children First Book Prize (“Trollkrittet”)
Read more
Harald Maximillian Stoltenberg: Sverre Skrot og ingenting (2017) 3-11 years
Read more (in Norwegian only)
Tor Fretheim: Leon’s Secret (Leons hemmelighet) (2017) | 13-18 years
Read more
Linde Hagerup and Jens A. Larsen Aas (ill.): A Brother Too Many (En bror for mye) (2016) | 8-13 years
- Nominated for the 2020 Deutscher Jungendliteraturpreis.
Foreign sales to: Faroe Islands, Germany, Russia.
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Heidi Sævareid: Lopsided (Slagside) (2016) | 12-16 years
- Shortlisted for the Brage Prize 2016 and for the Southern Norway’s Literature Prize 2016.
Read more
Harald Nortun: The Experiment (Eksperimentet) (2015) | 9-12 years
Foreign sales to: Belgium, Denmark, France, Sweden.
Read more
Lone Halvorsen, Maria Therese Olsen and Gina Snipp (ill.): Wilma har to mammaer (2015) | 3-6 years
Read more (in Norwegian only)
Hans Sande and Per Dybvig (ill.): In Love woth Billy Backfire (Forelska i Feisbukk) (2014) | 4-8 years
Read more
Thomas Marco Blatt: If You Lie (Hvis du lyver) (2014) | 10-13 years
Foreign sales to: Denmark.
Read more
Endre Lund Eriksen: The Summer Dad Turned Gay (Den sommeren pappa ble homo) (2012) | 12-16 years
Foreign sales to: Danish, Dutch, French, German.
Read more
Kari Tinnen and Mari Kanstad Johnsen (ill.): Barbiedoll Nils and the Gun Problem (Barbie-Nils og pistolproblemet) (2011) | 3-6 years
Foreign sales to: French, Korean and Spanish (Chile).
Read more
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Our selection is based on a list made by IBBY Norway (International Board on Books for Young People) in 2020 (in Norwegian only).
