Beacon Press

A Queer History of the United States for Young People (ReVisioning History for Young People)

Recommended Ages

6th–12th grades

Many U.S. history programs mention LGBTQ+ people only briefly, if at all. “A Queer History of the United States for Young People” offers a fuller narrative, tracing queer lives, resistance, and community-building from early America to the present. Adapted by Richie Chevat from Michael Bronski’s award-winning adult volume, it uses sidebars, timelines, and archival images to make complex history accessible to teens. We appreciate its blend of storytelling and analysis, and the way it places queer history within broader struggles for civil rights and justice. It’s best for mature middle schoolers and high school students, especially in secular or affirming households. The frank discussion of discrimination and identity may not align with every family’s comfort level, but for those seeking inclusive history it’s a landmark resource. Pro tip: read alongside your teen and pause regularly to look up primary sources or local LGBTQ+ history, fostering connection between the text and real communities.

Well‑suited to middle‑ and high‑school students (generally grades 7 and up) who want to understand LGBTQ+ history—especially queer and questioning youth and their allies in families that affirm LGBTQ+ identities.

Pros

Adaptation of an award‑winning adult history that traces LGBTQ+ people and movements across U.S. history, with photos, sidebars, and short chapters; School Library Journal and social‑justice reviewers highlight it as a much‑needed, well‑researched resource that finally makes queer history accessible to teens. 

Cons

Covers discrimination, violence, and complex political issues, which can be emotionally challenging and require thoughtful adult facilitation; some reviewers feel certain sections are dense or disagree with the author’s interpretations; because it fills a contested curricular gap, it may face challenges or bans in some communities.

Because it directly supports secondary history, civics, and ethnic‑studies standards and is published by a mainstream academic press, many charters and ESAs will fund it as part of U.S. history or social‑justice coursework when purchased through approved vendors.

$14

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A Queer History of the United States for Young People (ReVisioning History for Young People)
$14.00 USD

Skills

What kids will learn
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History
History
US History
US History
Queer Studies
Queer Studies

A Queer History of the United States for Young People (ReVisioning History for Young People) Mission

A Queer History of the United States for Young People introduces readers to more than 400 years of LGBTQ+ history in what is now the United States, highlighting how queer people have always been part of the nation’s story. The book’s mission is to give young people historical context for current LGBTQ+ issues, show queer figures as full participants in social movements, and offer both mirrors and windows for readers of all identities.

A Queer History of the United States for Young People (ReVisioning History for Young People) Story

This volume adapts Michael Bronski’s award‑winning A Queer History of the United States, the first book in Beacon Press’s ReVisioning American History series, into an edition specifically for youth. Working with adapter Richie Chevat, Bronski reshaped the material with sidebars, definitions, and shorter chapters that weave together primary sources, biographies, and social‑movement history. The young‑people edition launched the ReVisioning History for Young People line and is widely used in classrooms, GSAs, and homeschool programs that want a well‑researched, narrative overview of U.S. LGBTQ+ history.

About Modular Learning

FAQ: Additional Details about A Queer History of the United States for Young People (ReVisioning History for Young People)

A typical lesson might find your teen curled up in a quiet corner, highlighter in hand, reading firsthand accounts from queer people in different eras, then emerging to excitedly connect a figure they’ve just discovered with a movie, song, or movement they recognize from today, while you jot their insights on a shared whiteboard timeline.

This volume adapts Michael Bronski’s groundbreaking queer history into a teen‑friendly format, tracing LGBTQ+ lives, activism, and culture from colonial times through the 21st century and emphasizing that queer people have always been part of the American story. Homeschoolers often assign it as a full‑year spine for U.S. history or a semester‑long queer‑studies elective, reading a chapter at a time, building timelines of key events, and using the primary‑source excerpts, photos, and sidebars as springboards for research projects or creative responses. 

Adult facilitation is highly recommended: parents or teachers can normalize asking questions, ensure respectful language, and help students process both joyful and painful aspects of queer history, especially if some family members are just beginning to learn this material.

Intended for roughly grades 7–12; students should be comfortable with upper‑middle‑school/YA nonfiction and ready to engage thoughtfully with topics like gender identity, sexuality, discrimination, and intersectionality.

This book is often a powerful fit for teens who are LGBTQ+, questioning, or highly empathetic, including those on the autism spectrum or who are gifted and craving honest, nuanced history. The episodic structure and strong narrative voice can work well for ADHD learners when read in small chunks, though some sensitive or trauma‑exposed kids may need adult co‑reading and discussion to process heavier topics.

Returns and exchanges follow the policies of the retailer you choose; most allow returns of new copies within a set timeframe if the book doesn’t fit your needs or arrives damaged.

Not appropriate for younger children; may conflict with the values or expectations of families who oppose LGBTQ+ inclusion or prefer to keep these topics entirely separate from history instruction.

For younger audiences, pair picture books that feature queer families and Pride history, or use titles like “Queer, There, and Everywhere” for a more biographical approach; resources from organizations like GLSEN or local LGBTQ centers can complement the historical narrative. 

Released in 2019, the young‑people’s edition draws on the Lambda Literary Award–winning adult book and has quickly become a staple in inclusive history collections; future printings may update statistics and contemporary references, but the core historical narrative is solid and current. 

Before assigning chapters, preview the book and plan check‑ins—invite students to note new vocabulary, surprising stories, and emotions that arise, and create a classroom or family agreement around respect and confidentiality.

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Meet Michael

Michael Bronski is an author, activist, and scholar who has been involved in LGBTQ+ politics since 1969 and is now a Professor of the Practice in Media and Activism at Harvard University. Best known for A Queer History of the United States—which won both a Lambda Literary Award and a Stonewall Book Award—he has written extensively on culture, sexuality, and social movements, bringing that depth of knowledge to the young‑reader adaptation of his landmark history.