Kyle Lukoff is a young-adult and children's book author whose writing frequently discusses gender and sexuality. In Too Bright to See, he tells the story of Bug's self-discovery with a great deal of care and attention, highlighting Bug's feelings of confusion and discomfort. In offering this portrait of Bug, Lukoff is able to provide a window into feeling alienated from one's assigned gender. Lukoff, who is a transgender man, revisits this topic in other work, as he attempts to give insight into the complexities of this experience, highlighting the challenges and joys.
In his YA novel Different Kinds of Fruit, Lukoff tells the story of a young woman named Annabelle. Annabelle has just started the sixth grade and met a non-binary student named Bailey. The two become very close and spend a great deal of time together, as Annabelle develops a small crush. As they become closer, Annabelle learns that her father, like Bailey, is trans. This revelation causes her to see her family in a new way. At the same time, she reevaluates how friendly and caring the town she grew up really is. The book explores the ways in which people focus too much on sharply defined categories of gender and sexuality, causing them to miss the core of who people really are.
Lukoff's picture book, When Aidan Became a Brother, is about a boy named Aidan who is about to become a big brother. The book describes how Aidan's family initially thought he was a girl but quickly adjusted when they realized he was a transgender boy. He tries to prepare to get ready for the birth of his sibling and, in the process, learns that the most important part of being a good brother is loving without judgment. In Call Me Max, Lukoff writes about Max, a transgender boy. After asking to be called Max on the first day of school, he begins to open up to his friends and family and learn more about himself in the process.
In these books, Lukoff tries to make different aspects of being a transgender individual understandable to children and adolescents. In trying to render the lives of his characters, he seeks to give young readers the chance to see themselves in these stories and give them a sense of belonging and normalcy. In writing novels from the viewpoint and in the language of children and young adults, Lukoff allows them to more easily access the material of his stories.
