New Book Series About LGBT-Headed Families

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Rainbow Rumpus has just released a new book, "Breaking the Birthday Rules," to its series of free, downloadable books about LGBT-headed families which are available at http://www.rainbowrumpus.org/htm/printable.htm

Families appreciate the books as children head back to school. "They never talk about two mom families at my kids' school, and it really bothers my boys," said one mom. "I was so excited to find these books!"

Rainbow Rumpus's downloadable books help introduce the concept of families headed by LGBT parents to children's classrooms. �Each contains information about how to talk about LGBT-headed families with children in an age appropriate way and how to create a welcoming classroom for children from a diversity of family backgrounds.

Teachers also appreciate the resource. One teacher who downloaded the books said, "These books along with the activities and discussion questions are wonderful."�

Another teacher commented, "Until I found your site I had never found a good children's book that depicted a LGBT family, and I have been teaching young children for over 10 years!"

The newest book in the series, "Breaking the Birthday Rules" by Nina Powell, addresses a common school dilemma: who in a class gets invited to a birthday party, and how to handle being one of the kids who is left out. Every one of Rainbow Rumpus's books addresses universal themes that children from many family structures can identify with.

Rainbow Rumpus began publishing downloadable books in 2010 and has been adding three new titles a year to the series. The organization seeks to ensure that the two million U.S. kids and teens from LGBT-headed homes feel safe and welcomed.

The books enable kids to hear stories about families like theirs shared in public spaces, providing a vital sense of inclusion. Most families who download Rainbow Rumpus's books owned no other titles about LGBT-headed families previously. Publication of the books is supported by generous contributions from donors and in-kind design services from Trio Bookworks.

Rainbow Rumpus is the primary publisher of LGBT family fiction in the United States, publishing more new fiction each year than all other publishers combined.

Noted authors Marion Dane Bauer (Newbery Award), Nancy Garden (Margaret A. Edwards Award), Gregory Maguire (author of Wicked), and Jacqueline Woodson (Newbery honor) sit on the organization's author advisory board. Rainbow Rumpus executive director, Laura Matanah, a former elementary school teacher, was named a top-ten educator in the United States by Curve, the nation's best-selling lesbian magazine.

Visit www.rainbowrumpus.org for more information.