Queer Cheer: Activities, Advice, and Affirmations for LGBTQ+ Teens

by Eric Rosswood, Jodie Anders

Self-Acceptance and Identity Affirmations for LGBT+ Teens (Ages 12-18)#1 New Release in LGBTQ+ Issues, Maturing, and Civil and Human Rights

A positive affirmations book with invaluable information for all queer teens

Inspirational and motivational quotes and information. Queer Cheer provides advice and words of wisdom encouraging teens to find—and keep—their inner rainbow. Covering topics relevant to lgbt+ teens today, this instructional book includes everything ranging from bullies and discrimination to acceptance and advocating change.

Illustrated words of encouragement from a friend. Authors Eric Rosswood and Jodie Anders know what it’s like to be a teen struggling with identity and societal norms. That’s why they’re fighting to counter the negativity facing queer teens now and in the future. Queer Cheer includes many teen voices offering tips, advice, related firsthand experiences, and other valuable knowledge.

Inside Queer Cheer,

Affirmations and words of wisdom focusing on areas specific to LGBT+ teensThought-provoking questions that lead to self-acceptance and encourage positive changeIllustrations and doodles that inspire, empower, and strengthen the hearts and minds of queer teens

Readers of LGBTQIA+ books for young adults such as This Book Is Gay, All Boys Aren’t Blue, or The ABC’s of LGBT+ will love Queer Cheer. Also don’t miss this multi-award-winning author’s other books including Journey to Parenthood, We Make It Better, and The Ultimate Guide for Gay Dads.

Genres: Nonfiction, LGBT, Queer

212 pages, Paperback

Published May 28, 2024

About the author

Eric Rosswood is a commentator on LGBTQ+ issues including civil rights, parenting, marriage, and politics. He has led panels on LGBTQ+ parenting for organizations such as Family Equality and the Modern Family Alliance. His bestselling book, Journey to Same-Sex Parenthood, won numerous awards including the best Parenting/Family/Relationships book in the IAN Book of the Year Awards, the best Parenting book in the Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, and the best LGBTQ Non-Fiction book in the International Best Book Awards. His picture book, STRONG, co-written with Rob Kearney with illustrations by Nidhi Chanani, received the Stonewall Honor from the American Library Association.

Reviews

[Kait W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a digital ARC of this title. This book focuses on building positivity and confidence around specific areas that affect queer teenagers lives. I think it does so very well and is best used as a resource for individual instances to bolster a teen than a cover-to-cover informational read through. The affirmations and personal stories for each topic will do a great deal to provide emotional support to teens dealing with similar concerns. I also appreciated many of the media recommendations that were made available throughout the book, and the organizations list at the back of the book for further resources.

I did question certain parts, such as the chart which checked off you should define someone based on their "style" and undefined "beliefs" which I'm unclear if that was meant to be religious beliefs.

Unrelated to the actual content of the book, my digital copy seemed to have quality issues that were consistent across all my devices. Many of the pages appeared blurry and difficult to read. There were also a few editing errors such as typos or ellipsis with the wrong number of dots, and one of the quotes was repeated from an earlier section and attributed to two different teens.

Overall I think this book does what it set out to do. It provides positive outlooks, affirmations, and activities through a queer lens and alongside relatable queer teen voices.

[Sherry Richert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! The cover itself is enough to make you want to read this book, isn’t it? It’s welcoming and inclusive. It’s filled with strength AND joy. It’s hopeful.

And you know what? The insides are every bit as good — if not better!

“Queer Cheer” is filled with caring guidance, positive affirmations, self-reflection questions, and action steps for LGBTQIA+ teens. It is also chock-full of story snippets + quotes from dozens of teens.

“Queer Cheer” is beautifully designed in rainbow colors and with uplifting graphics throughout.

If you have a young person in your life who could use some support and a boost of love, this is the book to give ‘em. Simply browsing through the pages is like a big hug.

Life these past few years has been hard on all of us. But it has been especially hard on our youth. And especially for LGBTQIA + teens. Let’s show them they are loved and accepted 100%. And let’s help them learn to fully love themselves.

Thanks Jodie and Eric for this colorful, loving book!

[Seras23 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it's a great resource for teens, and I think it's visually appealing in general. Probably my biggest concern is that while all of the colors of the background and the text are fun, I wonder how accessible it is for people with visual differences. There are some pages where my eyes were doing weird things like making one part of the page below where I was immediately reading start kind of flashing in my vision, and that gave me a little headache. And I don't usually have issues like that, so for people who already may have challenges with some colors or designs, I worry that this could be unreadable. Despite that, the information shared in the book is important and will be helpful for many. The inclusion of so much content directly from queer teens also makes this an extra valuable book.

[Kelly {SpaceOnTheBookcase] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Queer Cheer is a bright and inviting resource guide for all things Queer. Aimed at teenagers who are figuring out who they are, the book is filled with practical advice, talking points, activities and positive affirmations. Each chapter covers a topic like Confidence, Relationships, School…etc, and are designed so that the reader gets a breakdown of each topic while the breakdown is similar for each section. This makes it easier to follow and also easier to jump around if the reader is looking for specific advice.

I love that each chapter ends with the same Rainbow affirmation which instills a sense of self, purpose, and self-love into those who read it, say it, and feel it.

Thank you to the authors for the gifted copy to review.

[Red · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great resource for teens or anyone of any age questioning their identity.

[Danielle Grise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book includes motivational quotes and information for queer youth to be able to be true to themselves. It provides a smattering on a whole bunch of topics, but does not go into much depth with them. I would have liked more.