Celebrate Pride Month

The majority of Pride events are held in June to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion in New York City on June 28, 1969…

which most historians consider to be the birth of the modern LGBT movement. At the time, police raids on bars catering to LGBT patrons were common, but that night, the patrons of the Stonewall Inn fought back.

While historical accounts of the night vary, the violent response ignited a national firestorm of activism that brought new visibility to the struggle for LGBT equality.

Source: GLAAD

Over time, the smaller marches and gatherings organized by community members evolved…

into a highly organized slate of events attracting a broad range of LGBT community members and straight allies. The increasing popularity and visibility of Pride events can partially be attributed to greater levels of acceptance towards the community.

While Pride events play a key role in raising the profile of the community and commemorating the history of the LGBT social movement, Pride also marks an opportunity for the community to come together, take stock, and recognize the advances and setbacks made in the past year. It is also a chance for the community to come together and celebrate in a festive, affirming atmosphere.

Source: GLAAD

Visit Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center’s events calendar for events happening in the Lehigh Valley.

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

For families looking for an inspiring picture book.

At the penguin house at the Central Park Zoo, two penguins named Roy and Silo were a little bit different from the others. But their desire for a family was the same. And with the help of a kindly zookeeper, Roy and Silo got the chance to welcome a baby penguin of their very own.

Drum Roll, Please by Lisa Jenn Bigelow

For readers looking for a relatable and amusing middle-grade novel.

Find the confidence to rock out to your own beat in this big-hearted middle-grade novel. Not to be missed by fans of Raina Telgemeier’s Drama and Tim Federle’s Better Nate Than Ever! 

Melly only joined the school band because her best friend, Olivia, begged her to. But to her surprise, quiet Melly loves playing the drums. It’s the only time she doesn’t feel like a mouse. Now she and Olivia are about to spend the next two weeks at Camp Rockaway, jamming under the stars in the Michigan woods. 

But this summer brings a lot of big changes for Melly: her parents split up, her best friend ditches her, and Melly finds herself unexpectedly falling for another girl at camp. To top it all off, Melly’s not sure she has what it takes to be a real rock ‘n’ roll drummer. Will she be able to make music from all the noise in her heart?

So This is Ever After by F.T. Lukens

For readers interested in an action-packed, humorous, romantic story

Arek has managed to fulfill the prophecy and save the Kingdom of Ere from its evil ruler, but the quest is not over because until they free the princess locked in one of the towers he has to assume the crown himself; only the princess proves to be very dead, and Arek is stuck as king.

Then he discovers that magic requires him to find a bride before his eighteenth birthday or wither away–but none of his female companions are interested, he does not want to marry a stranger, and anyway, the only person he is attracted to is Matt, aspiring wizard, best friend, and secret crush.

All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews

For readers looking for a heartwarming, coming-of-age story.

From an exhilarating new voice comes a dazzling debut novel about an Indian-American immigrant building a life for herself in the Midwest-a brilliant and utterly absorbing story of love, friendship, and precarity in 21st-century America.

Graduating into the trough of yet another American recession, Sneha is one of the fortunate ones. However mind-numbing the work, her entry-level consulting job is the key that unlocks every door: she can pick up the check for her growing circle of friends in Milwaukee, send money home to her parents in India, and dare to envision a stable future for herself. She even begins dating who she has long wanted-women-and soon develops a crush on Marina, a beautiful dancer who always seems just out of reach. But then, as quickly as it came together, Sneha’s life begins to fall apart. 

Her job and apartment are both suddenly and maddeningly in jeopardy, and closely-guarded secrets and buried traumas resurface, sending her spiraling into shame and isolation. When a chance encounter with Marina ignites an electric romance, it looks like salvation if only they can overcome the lie that threatens to undo the trust they’ve built. 
A novel of working lives, friendships, and self-discovery in flux, All This Could Be Different is a wry, intimate, and redemptive exploration of the freedom and fragility of youth, and what it means to devote oneself to others in search of a better world.