Anne UrsuVerified account

But could you address why authors’ books with LGBTQ+ themes were not included? From what I understand, specific books were requested by the authors but were then not placed on the presale list.

It’s a good question and should be addressed. We have included books with these themes and characters in the past, and a book with LGBTQ+ characters (Varian Johnson’s The Parker Inheritance) was included on this year’s list.

One book was not included because it was marked for an older age group than the middle-grade student audience. A second book identified was older, and we weren’t as familiar with it as the other books the author recommended.

We understand these decisions were not communicated clearly when the books were selected for the sale, and we will strive to be better collaborators with authors and illustrators in the future, so they know which books will be available for purchase.