Kyle Lukoff: Children's Book Author Focused on Representation
Table of Contents
Early Life and Education
Career as Author
Notable Works
Awards and Recognition
Controversy Over Books
Views on Book Bans
Early Life and Education
Kyle Lukoff grew up in Edmonds, Washington and attended Edmonds-Woodway High School. He went on to graduate from Barnard College in New York City in 2006, where he was a member of the Philolexian Society literary group. Lukoff earned his master's degree in library science from Queens College in 2012.
Career as Author
After working in libraries and bookstores, Lukoff decided to pursue writing full-time in 2020. His debut book, A Storytelling of Ravens was published in 2018. However, Lukoff is best known for writing children's books featuring transgender characters and themes. His goal is to increase representation of transgender people in literature, especially for young readers. In his interview with Amber LeMay that you can watch above, Kyle Lukoff explains how he got his start as an author, and how ofter he writes a new book.
Order Kyle Lukoff’s books today!
Notable Works
Some of Lukoff's most acclaimed works include:
When Aidan Became a Brother (2019) - A story about a transgender boy preparing for the arrival of a new baby sibling. This book won the 2020 Stonewall Children's Literature Award.
Call Me Max (2019) - An early reader book about a student who is transgender. Part of the Max and Friends series.
Too Bright to See (2021) - A middle grade novel featuring a transgender protagonist that deals with friendship, family, and identity. It received several honors, including the Stonewall Award and a Newbery Honor.
Awards and Recognition
Lukoff's books have earned him recognition including:
2022 Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Award for Too Bright to See
2022 Newbery Honor for Too Bright to See
2020 Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Award for When Aidan Became a Brother
2020 Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children
He was also a finalist for the 2021 National Book Award for Young People's Literature.
Controversy Over Books
While lauded by critics and LGBTQ advocates, some of Lukoff's books have also faced opposition and bans from conservative groups. When Aidan Became a Brother and Call Me Max were each banned twice in schools during the 2021-2022 academic year, according to PEN America.
Views on Book Bans
Regarding attempts to ban his books, Lukoff states: "This is very much about the rights of LGBTQ people and people of color to exist and to thrive in a society with full power and equality, if not equity." He sees the book bans as questioning the very right of transgender people like himself to exist. Despite the controversy, Lukoff remains committed to writing books that increase representation and understanding of transgender children and youth.
—This article was written, restructured, or adapted by Russell with information gathered from sources around the internet. Russell is the producer of Amber Live and is greatly overworked to pull it all together. If it’s on the internet, it must be true. (We’re kidding.) BUT, if you find any errors or omissions in the article, please let us know so that we may correct the issue. Thanks for your support!
