2026 is just around the corner and with that comes a whole bunch of books I can't wait to read.
The former librarian shares how her first job at her former high school changed the trajectory of her writing career.
The Young Adult Library Services Association announced the finalists for the Morris Award for a YA title by a previously unpublished author and the Excellence in Nonfiction Award for YA nonfiction books for ages 12 to 18.
In this Q&A series, SLJ poses five questions and a request for a book recommendation to a debut YA author. Jessica Walker discusses The Secret Astronomers in this latest installment.
Teen Librarian Karen Jensen reviews the audiobook version of THE DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY'S GUIDE TO MURDER by Kate Emery
In Dietrich’s book, Owen rooms with a prince of Hell; in Joyce’s book, the Princess of Hell plans an escape with Nate.
The 2025 YA Best Books list has a choice for every teen—long-anticipated companion novels, adorable rom-coms, and genre-bending romantasy.
Readers deserve a chance to discover as many different stories as possible.
A transgender teen struggles with a self-portrait assignment in this introspective and meditative look at gender and identity originally published in the Netherlands.
The author of the YA novel Not Today, Satan shares how a library story time with a favorite childhood author led to a book about the devil's daughter.
I wanted to bottle up all that magic from the past month by writing a book that might inspire other girls like me, while also channeling the fun and romance I’d experienced. And that was how my debut novel, You Had Me at Hello World, was born.
Whether they are returning home or going somewhere new for the holiday break, the promise of a magical Christmas romance awaits these teens.
E. Lockhart talks with SLJ about her favorite character in the We Were Liars universe, the gift of writing for young adults, and coming up with shocking plot twists.
The YA author shares how laughter through tears is a survival tactic employed by her protagonists—and Indigenous people—to get through difficult times.
Former ALA president Cindy Hohl and Printz-winning author Angeline Boulley discuss Sisters in the Wind, the foster system, and self-care.
Native American Heritage Month, celebrated in November, celebrates the rich histories, cultures, achievements, and stories of Indigenous peoples across the United States. Share these four YA titles, all with Indigenous protagonists, with young readers in time for NAHM and anytime during the year.
In this exclusive interview, J. Elle talks with SLJ about fantasy inspiring young adults' imaginations, how both she and her main character have grown over the course of three books, and what she hopes readers will take away from her trilogy.
What started out as a simple way to provide a voice to my younger self by giving my main character autism became a rallying cry.
To me, that’s the beauty of a great fictional monster. They hold up a mirror to our lives, and what we see might scare us, but it also provides the much needed sense that we’re not alone.
Take the next four (or more!) minutes to read an exclusive interview with Amber McBride about The Leaving Room, her latest novel in verse for young adults.
Author XiXi Tian joins us to talk about her new book, ALL THE WAY AROUND THE SUN.
Sonora Reyes joins us to talk about their new book. THE GOLDEN BOY'S GUIDE TO BIPOLAR.
The House of Hearts author shares with SLJ her love for the supernatural and discusses how teens can apply the otherworldly enchantment of dark academia to their own lives.
An inspiring story and a powerful look at what is happening not just to Yuli but in real-life classrooms all around our country. A good addition to high school collections.
In time for Latinx Heritage Month and the publication of Fall of the Fireflies, García McCall presents a guide to the supernatural gods, monsters, and fiends from the Aztec Pantheon that appear in her new series.
My upcoming novel, If Looks Could Kill, pits a modern yet mythical Medusa against the real-life, true-crime, name-unknown murderer we call Jack the Ripper.
In this exclusive interview, Chloe Gong talks with SLJ about her writing process and the themes in her new dystopian novel Coldwire, publishing in November.
This year marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth, and over the last half-decade, YA adaptations have brought even more excitement to her work.
I can’t wait for readers to experience the characters’ journeys to debutante delirium in the fashion capital of the world. Everyone is cordially invited to attend!
I promised myself when I began writing for teenagers in 2017, that I would tackle topics often silenced or totally ignored in households within my faith community specifically.
Kelley Armstrong talks with SLJ about danger, mystery, and romance in her upcoming book A Deadly Inheritance. Following the Q&A is an exclusive first look at the cover.
Contributor Riley Jensen shares a list of 5 YA books coming out September 2025.
Stephenie Meyer’s phenom turns 20 years old this year. For its milestone birthday, we explore Twilight's impact.
Teen Librarian Karen Jensen reviews April Henry's newest teen mystery/thriller, WHEN WE GO MISSING
In a deeply personal acceptance speech at ALA Annual in Philadelphia in June, the YA author discussed her life influences, racism in publishing, and professional uncertainty.
I always needed the girl I tried to leave. Every word we write shapes a chance to see the world and ourselves in new ways.
Contributor Riley Jensen shares some new YA coming out this August
Contributor Riley Jensen shares a list of books and shows for those who enjoyed the show The Good Place.
Are we in the midst of a dystopian revival? It certainly seems like it, and I AM HERE FOR IT. Like, literally.
Contributor Riley Jensen gives some show and book recommendations similar Squid Game.
I'm reading as fast as I can, but the book mail is arriving faster than I can read! Scroll on through all these recent arrivals here at TLT to find some great things to add to your TBR!
Bestselling author Rory Power’s new YA novel Kill Creatures is a tour de force of teenage friendship, crushes, and revenge. Here, she discusses it with SLJ.
A large percent of our disabled population is getting subpar care and the only way we’re ever truly going to see change is by speaking about and voting for health equity.
When we ban books or defund music programs, we don't just silence stories; we sever lifelines. We remove safe, creative pathways for young people to explore emotion, identity, and connection.
Spanning genres from fantasy to thriller to romance and everything in-between, these titles for teens are sure to delight.
Contributor Riley Jensen reviews The Dead of Summer by Ryan La Sala, coming September of this year.
Author E. L. Starling discusses how the movie Interstellar and family discussions about terraforming led to the book BOUND BY STARS
What if I wrote about a girl who was devoted to a dream but then lost it all: a girl who, like me, had been a bright, perfectionistic student, and gave everything to an institution that didn’t love her back?
Living and creating with my partner is one of the great joys of my life. Love is an experience. Love is work. It comes with ease and also requires discipline. Don’t think about it too much. Just do it.
Take the chance. I dare you.
In these stories, tween and teen protagonists with a range of abilities face real and fantastical challenges, from time loops to dust storms to going viral. Share these titles with readers in time for Disability Pride Month in July, and all throughout the year.
In this Q&A series, SLJ poses five questions and a request for a book recommendation to a debut YA author. Leon Egan shares about Lover Birds in this latest installment.
With Dan in Green Gables, I’d like to pay homage to a book that helped me through difficult times—and offer some compassion and love to my relatives in the Smoky Mountains by focusing on happy memories of them, and what could have been, if they’d only embraced me.
Sometimes, in order to honor their whole personage, instead of choosing approval or someone else’s desire, girls must choose themselves.
Big or small, we need to be talking about our boobs, especially with young women. Maybe our new battle cry for boobs should be, “We must—we must—we must DISCUSS our busts!”
A romantic comedy is delightful enough on its own, but traveling to a new destination through the eyes of one’s protagonist brings with it an additional sense of escapism and adventure, especially if traveling in real life isn’t possible.
Author Jamar J. Perry joins us to talk about his new book FINDING PRINCE CHARMING.
When I sat down to write VESUVIUS, my debut YA historical fantasy set in the final days of Pompeii, I did so to put queer people back in the narrative.
In these books that take place in part during the first semester of college, characters learn more about themselves during this time of transition—and maybe fall in love along the way.
Beloved YA author Tiffany D. Jackson, winner of this year’s Margaret A. Edwards Award, speaks to SLJ about the award, her expansive work, and how real life influences her stories.
Eventually, the time will come when you have to go your own way like me and Aaliyah. You’ve got this and if nobody else believes in you, don’t worry—I do.
Friends. FRIENDS. Look at all this glorious book mail. Behold the GIANT AMOUNT of books to arrive at my house in the past few weeks.
I hope you enjoy every step of their story, spend some well-earned time-away-from-time in Pocket, and try dressing for your own fairy tale.
From romance to fantasy to graphic novel to poetry—there’s a book for every teen’s summer reading pile in this roundup of diverse titles.
I hope readers close this book feeling the same kind of sleepy magic you experience watching the sunrise after a night spent sitting up and laughing with your best friends.
In this Q&A series, SLJ poses five questions and a request for a book recommendation to a debut YA author. A. A. Vacharat shares about This Moth Saw Brightness in this latest installment.
Books can show you a world where you belong, not just by yourself, but with a whole bunch of other people who understand you and care about you.
I was about to enter middle school, and I desperately yearned for a new obsession that could distract me from reality. I found it in the form of a cassette tape of the latest Backstreet Boys single, “All I Have to Give.”
This month's SLJ cover story is my piece on school shootings in middle grade and YA books.
Author Nova Ren Suma joins us to talk about her new book WAKE THE WILD CREATURES.
In this Q&A series, SLJ poses five questions and a request for a book recommendation to a debut YA author. Mina Ikemoto Ghosh shares about Hyo the Hellmaker in this latest installment.
Grab your towel, sunscreen, and snacks, and head out in the sunshine to enjoy some summertime stories. These 16 YA romances celebrate love and everything summer, from camp and vacation drama to days spent at jobs and on creative pursuits.
Author Riley Redgate joins us to talk about her new book COME HOME TO MY HEART.
Middle grade and YA authors tackle the unfathomable and the long reach of tragic events.
Starmer has beautifully captured how that post-graduation, pre-college summer can feel: full of potential, last chances, drawn-out goodbyes, and perfect moments that you wish could last forever.
Certain kinds of important, difficult, and formative queer experiences are not being truthfully explored in books for queer teens—primarily, I believe, because they make adult gatekeepers uncomfortable.
The characters in Love at Second Sight are not direct parallels to the Scooby Doo crew despite referencing them at one point, but they were one of many inspirations. And with that, I would like to introduce the Love at Second Sight characters through the lens of Scooby Doo.
Saturday, April 26 is my favorite day of the year! That's right, it's time for Teen Lit Con again in Mendota Heights, Minnesota! I'm excited to be presenting for the sixth year.
Losing anyone you love is a miserable, painful, and heartbreaking experience. But losing a friend is uniquely strange in the sense that the world isn’t really equipped to keep you in mind as you grieve.
Archaeologists, by definition, must care about the past; we wouldn’t be in this line of work if we didn’t. To care about the past, we have to connect to it. And it’s imagination, whatever form it takes, that makes this connection possible.
In this popular Q&A series, SLJ poses five questions and a request for a book recommendation to a debut YA author. Adina King shares about 'The House No One Sees' in this latest installment.
Where are the very real depictions of us saying, “yes, we have the thing, and it sucks, but we can still have amazing lives anyway, even when the disability causes us hardship.”
The hope is that LGBTQ+ teens can see that positive change is doable, even in difficult conditions, and that although it may not feel like it sometimes, it matters. They matter.
In this Q&A series, SLJ poses five questions and a request for a book recommendation to a debut YA author. Trisha Tobias shares about Honeysuckle and Bone in this latest installment.
The George M. Johnson memoir is No. 1 for the first time after Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer held the top spot the last three years. Two Ellen Hopkins titles made the list.
Teen librarian Karen Jensen shares some YA book recommendations inspired by the emotion themed characters in Disney's Inside Out movies
The judge ruled in favor of the ACLU of Colorado, which brought the lawsuit on behalf of two students in the Elizabeth School District; Texas bill that gives school boards authority over school library book selection passed the state senate; Oregon high school removed Flamer by Mike Curato after a student complaint.
These starred YA debuts released during the first three months of 2025 feature propulsive, thought-provoking plots from authors we’re sure to see more of in the future.
It’s that time my friends, Sunrise on the Reaping releases tomorrow. This Hunger Games title is highly anticipated, as many fans have hoped for a prequel with a young Haymitch Abernathy for a long time. While we wait to see exactly how that book unfurls, here are some great recommendations for your library teens who […]
From magic to murder, these YA novels set at boarding schools are full of secrets and page-turning plots to keep readers guessing.
Author Trang Thanh Tran joins us to talk about their new book THEY BLOOM AT NIGHT.
Even as we need to keep telling the painful truth of book bans, we also need to take extra care to celebrate and elevate the unique gifts that each book offers.
Author Jenna Voris joins us to talk about her new book, Say a Little Prayer.
Today’s guest post is by an Illinois youth services librarian known online as RAE, sharing her knowledge of queer YA coming out stories. Juliet Takes a Breath Latina Queer Lesbian Experience “Juliet Takes a Breath” is a coming-of-age teen book that digs into the curtails of a Puerto Rican college student from the Bronx, as […]
A bill to remove legal protections from school and public librarians advances in South Dakota; Livingston Parish, LA, has emptied the YA shelves in five branches and told librarians to read every title in search of sexually explicit material; and so much happening in Arkansas in the latest Censorship News.
I truly, firmly, believe that anyone can write a book. The thing that stops most people, isn’t talent, it’s time.
Teen librarian Karen Jensen reviews the Morris Award Finalist AISLE NINE by Ian X. Cho
Teen Librarian Jennifer Rummel shares some of her favorite romance books
We create the place we live in, but it also creates us, and it’s impossible to tell where one influence starts and the other begins.
These 12 recent YA titles celebrate romantic Black love in many forms, in different periods of history, and in real and fantasy realms. They include humor, queer love, and paranormal/sci-fi encounters, expanding the much-needed diversity within the romance genre.
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