Rainbow Boxes is:

A charitable initiative that aims to connect LGBTQIA books to readers, founded by YA authors Cori McCarthy and Amy Rose Capetta. Our work is inspired by the We Need Diverse Books campaign.

• Our ultimate goal is to send one Rainbow Box containing 15 carefully selected books to one community library and one GSA or LGBTQIA homeless shelter in every state in the United States.
• We want these books to reach teenagers who need to see themselves in stories. We also want to push back against the notion that these stories hold no interest outside of the LGBTQIA community. Inclusive fiction is for everyone!
• By buying from our local indie, we will be fully supporting authors and encouraging publishers to provide a range of LGBTQIA stories in the future. 

What We Need & What You Get

Every cent of every donation will go toward buying books and shipping them. The only overhead fee is the 4-9% that we will owe to IndieGoGo (percentage decreases from nine to four if we reach our project goal).

Titles Included in Each Rainbow Box:

(1) Magoon, Kekla. 37 Things I Love (In No Particular Order).

Genre: Contemporary

Identities: Questioning, Lesbian

Description: On the verge of finishing sophomore year, Ellis has to deal with her comatose father’s worsening condition, her strained relationship with her mother, and problems with her oldest friend. For readers who love a strong contemporary story with realistic teenage struggles at its heart, Ellis’s story is perfect.

(2) Lo, Malinda. Huntress.

Genre: Fantasy

Identities: Lesbian

Description: Kaede is of the earth, and Taisin is a sage-in-training. The two girls are chosen for a dangerous journey into the heart of the Fairy Queen’s kingdom. A perfect book for readers who loves an epic fantasy with lyrical writing.

(3) Cronn-Mills, Kirstin. Beautiful Music for Ugly Children.

Genre: Contemporary

Identities: Transgender

Description: Gabe was born as a bio girl, but with the help of his radio program and his best friend Paige, he’s “letting his B side play”, even when the world makes it difficult. This story has a strong music angle, a good sense of humor, and an unforgettable main character.

(4) Sharpe, Tess. Far From You.

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Identities: Bisexual, Lesbian

Description: Sophie has almost died twice. The second time, her best friend Mina was killed, and Sophie rushes to uncover who was really behind it. This book is fast-paced with fascinating, damaged characters.

(5) Saenz, Benjamin Alire. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.

Genre: Contemporary

Identities: Gay, Questioning

Description: This book chronicles several years in the lives of two boys as they form a strong friendship that holds strong during the transition to adulthood and the discovery of love. This beautifully written book is a celebration of both the universal and the unique in its characters.

(6) LaCour, Nina. Everything Leads to You.

Genre: Contemporary

Identities: Lesbian

Description: Emi is a precocious production designer who discovers a mysterious letter written by a Hollywood film legend—which leads her straight to Ava, a beautiful and struggling actress. This graceful book is a true love story, steeped in beauty and emotion.

(7) Farizan, Sara. If You Could Be Mine.

Genre: Contemporary Realism

Identities: Lesbian, supporting gay and transgender characters

Description: Sahar and her best friend Nasrin have fallen in love, but in Iran they can’t be together openly. When Nasrin’s parents arrange a marriage for her, Sahar comes up with a plan to become a man, since sex reassignment is legal in Iran. This is a fascinating look at how far we will go for the people we love.

(8) Levithan, David. Two Boys Kissing.

Genre: Contemporary

Identities: Gay, Transgender (F to M)

Description: This portrait of a group of gay teenagers centers around the efforts of two ex-boyfriends to break the world record for longest kiss. This heartbreaking and hopeful story is narrated by a Greek chorus of men who died in the AIDS epidemic.

(9) Duyvis, Corinne. Otherbound.

Genre: Fantasy

Identities: Bisexual, lesbian

Description: Nolan lives in our world, but whenever he closes his eyes, he sees through the eyes of Amara, a girl in another world—one full of magic and danger.

Intricate world-building and strong plot twists will pull in any fantasy lover.

(10) Charlton-Trujillo, e.E. Fat Angie.

Genre: Contemporary

Identities: Lesbian

Description: Fat Angie is struggling against the news that her war hero sister might be dead, when new girl KC Romance moves to town and shows Fat Angie how much potential she has to shake things up. This novel is equal parts funny and dark, with an unforgettable voice.

(11) Gregorio, I.W. None of the Above.

Genre: Contemporary

Identities: Intersex

Description: On the eve of taking things to the next level with her boyfriend, homecoming queen and track star Kristin finds out that she is intersex, throwing her life into turmoil and her identity into question. This novel is as thorough and informative as it is sensitive and engaging.

(12) Polonsky, Ami. Gracefully Grayson.

Genre: Contemporary

Identities: Transgender (M to F)

Description: Grayson Sender is living with a crushing secret: “he” is a girl, but wearing skirts at school doesn’t seem like an option until a special teacher gives Grayson a chance to shine as Persephone in the school play. A beautiful, and often painful, exploration of what it means to live as your true self when most of the world seems to be set against it.

(13) Albertalli, Becky. Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda

Genre: Contemporary

Identities: Gay

Description: When a classmate blackmails Simon, his sexuality—and that of his email pen pal, Blue—might become public knowledge. As the boys develop feelings for each other, things quickly become more complicated. This charming novel is a quick, voice-driven read.

(14) Konigsberg, Bill. Openly Straight.

Genre: Contemporary

Identities: Gay

Description: Rafe has been out since eighth grade, and his entire life seems to revolve around being known as gay. When he starts at a new school, he decides to keep his sexuality a secret, but that gets a lot harder when he falls in love. This witty coming-out-again tale is perfect for fans of funny contemporary. 

(15) London, Alex. Proxy.

Genre: Dystopian

Identities: Gay

Description: Knox was born into the wealthy Patron class and Syd is his proxy, which means that when Knox gets in trouble, Syd is punished for it. But when both boys want more control over their lives, they know they have to run. A fast-paced action thriller, this story is for anyone who loves The Hunger Games or Divergent.

BONUS: The Author Message Project

Once we have launched the Rainbow Boxes IndieGoGo page, we will be contacting the authors of all the books. It is our hope that each author will provide a short message for readers that will then be copied and pasted in each title that goes out.

The Rainbow Box Cost Breakdown

Book / Format / List Price with tax

37 Things I Love (In No Particular Order)    Paperback  $10.59

Huntress  Paperback  $10.60

Beautiful Music for Ugly Children   Paperback  $10.59

Far From You  Hardcover  $19.07

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe    Hardcover  $20.13

Everything Leads to You  Hardcover  $19.07

If You Could Be Mine    Paperback  $10.59

Two Boys Kissing  Hardcover  $18.01

Otherbound  Hardcover  $19.03

Fat Angie  Hardcover  $18.01

None of the Above  Hardcover  $19.07

Gracefully Grayson  Hardcover  $18.01

Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda    Hardcover  $19.07

Openly Straight    Hardcover  $19.07

Proxy  Hardcover  $19.07

Subtotal for books:   $249.98 + $9.22 for USPS media shipping rate. (Shipping will be paid for via a 10% discount from the indie bookstore that we are ordering the books through.)

The Impact

Our goal is to connect LGBTQIA books to readers. We believe that there is a wide potential audience that, for various reasons, might be going without these wonderful stories. By sending Rainbow Boxes to shelters and GSAs, we will deliver books directly to readers that need to see their lives and experiences reflected in literature.

We also want to push back against the notion that these are niche stories that hold no interest outside of the LGBTQIA community. Stories that reflect the inclusive reality of our world are for everyone. By sending Rainbow Boxes to public libraries, we hope to add these stories to circulation collections at a time when funds to acquire books are limited.

Risks & Challenges

Challenge 1: In creating Rainbow Boxes, we wanted to include titles that covered a wide range of identities. We limited ourselves to (a) books that featured LGBTQIA protagonists, (b) books that were available new, in quantity, and (c) books that we loved. We were delighted to find that it wasn't hard to come up with an intersectional set of books featuring POC leads as well as characters with disabilities and mental illnesses. That being said, there are still areas where representation lags, such as a lack of asexual or demisexual main characters, bisexual boys, and nonbinary characters. We believe that in supporting LGBTQIA fiction, anyone who donates to Rainbow Boxes will be sending a strong statement to the publishing world that we want and need an even wider range of representation, an inclusive vision that goes beyond the more visible members of the LGBTQIA community. 

Challenge 2: Once we have reached the end of our sixty day campaign, we will begin contacting small community libraries across the United States, as well as GSA and LGBTQIA shelters. Sadly, we know that not every library in this country will want a box of inclusive fiction, so we will be contacting the libraries to make sure that they are willing to put the books into general circulation. We will also encourage the librarians to place the books within the YA sections, and not to maroon them on their own shelf.

Challenge #3: Perks. We wish we could give you all t-shirts and tote bags and personal, hand-crafted rainbows to take home and keep forever as a reminder that you helped LGBTQIA books reach readers. But we're a small operation, (two authors!) and we're just starting out, so for right now we're all about the books. If we can do this in future years, we would love to give more back to our donors.

Other Ways You Can Help

We know there are times when donating to every good cause isn't in the budget, but there are other things you can do to help make Rainbow Boxes a success.

• Share! If you like what we're doing, share it on any and all social media platforms, talk about it with people or at events, share within the literary community, the LGBTQIA community, and beyond!
• Indiegogo has helpful share tools that you can use to make spreading the word about Rainbow Boxes quick and easy.
• If you're a writer, consider writing a message to your readership to let them know that you support Rainbow Boxes and LGBTQIA books!