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PREMIUM
Love, Canter, Action
This debut is an absolute delight to read; it’s perfect for readers who never outgrew horse stories.
PREMIUM
Come Home to My Heart
A realistic portrait of the plight of homeless queer youth across the United States as well as a beautiful story of first love, this novel is great for high schoolers or fans of a wholesome, romantic tearjerker.
With a new-era Pretty Little Liars vibe, this cautionary thriller is the perfect drama for Karen M. McManus and Rory Power fans.
PREMIUM
Death in the Cards
Recommended for libraries where Karen M. McManus and Maureen Johnson books are popular.
PREMIUM
Titan of the Stars
A mash-up of sci-fi and horror tropes fervently coalesce into a satisfying and fresh option for teens.
PREMIUM
That Devil, Ambition
Small doses of gore and horror heighten the stakes of this magical survival story. Recommended for general purchase.
PREMIUM
When We Go Missing
Recommended where Henry’s books and blends of coming-of-age and mystery are popular.
A thought-provoking, uncomfortable thriller that readers won’t be able to forget. Highly recommended.
A must-have flirtation-via-tropes tale with all the swooning and joy readers want in a love story.
PREMIUM
Out of Step, into You
This sport-centered story featuring Black characters will appeal to teens looking for a feel-good queer romance, particularly in a genre of sports that is rarely represented.
PREMIUM
Just Another Meet Cute
Tweens and teens will gravitate towards this book, especially fans of Sarah Dessen, Katherine Center, and Ann Liang. It’s a good purchase for classroom and school libraries.
PREMIUM
This Could Be Forever
Whether readers personally resonate with Deja’s or Raja’s experiences or are just interested in YA romance, LaDelle’s book provides a beautifully sweet reading experience.
PREMIUM
Vesuvius
A fun, unique historical romance for fans of Adam Silvera’s They Both Die at the End and Roman mythology. Consider for general purchase.
Highly recommended for libraries diversifying their YA romance collections with more stories that focus on managing identity, disability, and mental health anxieties in positive ways. A sure delight for fans of authors like Tashie Bhuiyan and Farah Heron.
PREMIUM
A Forgery of Fate
Hand to readers who like the ache of slow-burn romance and the whimsy of fairy tales. Highly recommended for all collections.
PREMIUM
His Face Is the Sun
Betrayal, murder, magic, and a monster combine within a desert setting for an ancient Egyptian-inspired Game of Thrones feel.
PREMIUM
It’s You Every Time
The “what if” plot of a fantasy romance serves a deeper purpose here as two teens grieve the death of loved ones.
PREMIUM
Audre & Bash Are Just Friends
A good choice for teens looking for a summer rom-com that has a bit of depth.
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.
Today we have an exclusive first look at The Last Witch: Blood & Betrayal, a YA fantasy tale set in medieval Ireland.
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.
Here are five quick reviews of graphic novels I've read in the past few weeks.
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.
Eventually, I decided that the nefarious plotting of my young tontine contenders was not only acceptable for middle grade but also funny—for the same reason that Home Alone is a comedy and not a horror movie.
Literally everyone in this fast-paced story is Up To Something and it's so satisfying as it's all revealed.
Optimism fosters a sense of collective action and shows that no effort is too small.
Teen librarian Karen Jensen shares an outline for a tween and teen program that teaches tech skills and encourages participants to create their own recipe cards for posterity
It's probably not wholly accurate to say that representation of trans and nonbinary characters seems more important than ever (again, it's always been important), but wow, does it sure feel extra necessary these days.
A remarkable debut novel which delves into both adolescent struggles and mental health.
PREMIUM
This Thing of Ours
A rich view into the many ways oppression marginalizes people and a loving portrait of an urban Black community, recommended for high school collections.
PREMIUM
Learning to Fall
This British import is an ode to the sport of roller derby and its inclusivity, and will be appreciated by older readers who enjoy the sport or are simply curious.
PREMIUM
The Payback Girls
An optional purchase for school or public libraries looking to satiate increased demand for YA thrillers.
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.
A great book told in two standout voices that takes young people and their interactions in the world seriously. A really good read.
Author Regina Linke talks about bringing ancient traditions to today's young readers
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.
Our characters, Bee and Alice, talk about the same things middle-grade readers do: how the world works, bodies, queerness, and what is fair and right.
Told with deep compassion and raw feelings, this book is not an easy read, but it's an important one.
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.”
What a great book. It's so full of love and joy and community, things that feel particularly needed considering the everythingness of everything these days.
Author Rune Kier Nielsen discusses climate change and encourages young people to be engaged with the discussion of their future
PREMIUM
Meet Me at Blue Hour
For readers who like to consider and think about the effect of technology on social interactions and the idea of scientific studies mixed with a little romance. Recommended.
PREMIUM
Wish Upon a K-Star
A readable, charming, drama-filled story with relatable characters, this book will appeal to readers who like romance and K-pop combined into one fun tale.
PREMIUM
Bad Influence
An enjoyable enough read for readers looking for a love story with a little drama. Includes language more suitable for older readers.
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.
A delinquent is recruited into a secret group of bodyguards to protect his classmate in this zany rom-com.
Maybe this book about love, empathy, community and fighting for all of those things when the world wants to break our spirit & hearts, is coming out at the exact time it needs to come out.
I appreciate their clear-eyed distrust of many long-held ideas and conventions. I’m encouraged about the future when I hear their incisive analyses and their validation of a variety of identities.
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.
PREMIUM
The Floating World
An interesting folklore-inspired fantasy with shades of Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone and Final Fantasy. Recommended for larger collections.
A deeply moving portrayal of contemporary teens living complex lives with dignity and courage, this should find a home in any library serving middle and high schoolers.
Required reading for fans of the original trilogy. A must-have in all collections.
Geared towards upper high school and college students (though also appropriate for younger high school students), this memoir of Christine Mari’s journey of self-discovery will resonate with young readers trying to find a sense of self.
Teen librarian Karen Jensen shares some YA book recommendations inspired by the emotion themed characters in Disney's Inside Out movies
Personally, I love poetry, but it can be a hard sell to kids. Many readers do not naturally gravitate to poetry books. Left to their own devices, teens and tweens are not stampeding to the poetry shelf. But if you can find a gateway, a poetry resource or activity that engages students deeply and gives […]
Disabled people deserve to appear in a variety of positive storylines, the same ones in which abled and neurotypical characters typically populate.
I'm so glad I had an afternoon of nothing planned, because once I got started on this book, I couldn't put it down.
My big hope is that after reading my book, kids will discuss and debate and define true kindness for themselves. Spread kindness like confetti—yes! But let’s also plant it deep inside.
PREMIUM
The Coven Tendency
A surreal fantasy like this will do well in collections for teens who enjoy reading about serious themes in magical settings.
Emezi’s latest novel will help readers see beauty in the void. Fans of their work or Nnedi Okorafor’s “Nsibidi Script” series will doubtlessly gravitate to this one.
A testament to how folklore, craftsmanship, and visual elements can come together to create an unforgettable reading experience.
PREMIUM
How to Tell a True Story
Engaging characters convey kindness, loyalty, and the price of honesty in this relatable portrayal of school and family life suitable for intermediate and middle school readers.
PREMIUM
The Summer I Ate the Rich
What starts off as a strong commentary about immigration, socioeconomic status, and healthcare in the U.S. falls flat by the conclusion.
Highly recommended, especially for those who grew up in a less-than-magical world.
PREMIUM
Messy Perfect
Cassie’s eventual confrontation with the various parts of her life and the impact of her decisions make this book the perfect addition to any well-rounded YA collection.
Completely charming and pithy, with laughs galore, this romance should be in all middle school and high school collections.
PREMIUM
The Notorious Virtues
For fans of Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen, Hamilton offers a thrilling fantasy that takes a critical look at the corrupting influence of power and the fight for a more equitable society.
PREMIUM
Night Swimming
Between the slow pacing and heavy 1990s references, this one will need to be hand sold to teens.
PREMIUM
Under the Fading Sky
A cautionary tale wrapped in a vivid slice of contemporary life, recommended for high school collections.
PREMIUM
If We Were a Movie
A breezy summer romance that celebrates friendship, forgiveness, and Black cinema.
PREMIUM
Where Shadows Meet
This YA fantasy has it all: a well-developed mythos, engaging emotional journeys, and captivating romance.
A mesmerizing ode to poetry, art, and love that stands the test of time, Selznick’s first title for young adults is recommended for all collections.
PREMIUM
I Love You S’more
Full of heart and a depth of understanding of young girls battling the forces of hormones, responsibilities, and social media, this is a must-read for fans of YA romance and queer romance.
For avid YA romance readers or casual readers with an interest in LGBTQIA+ experiences, this book provides a heartwarming and relatable overview of a teenager’s life.
PREMIUM
All the Stars Align
A good purchase for libraries looking for more romance with physical disability and queer rep.
A stellar debut about ignorance and privilege and the abuse of it that resonates beyond the final page.
Recommended for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Stranger Things, and Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s The Inheritance Games who relish conspiracy theories, weird phenomena, slow-burn romances, and tearful family reunions.
A tour de force trilogy for all collections. This final installment of the “Little Thieves” trilogy makes every page count as Vanja’s character arc comes to a close, grappling with forgiveness and restitution.
A profoundly beautiful, strange, and introspective love story, at turns soothing and scalding. Recommended for every collection.
A book that gets readers in its clutches and refuses to let them go; many will want to consume it in one sitting.
PREMIUM
What Comes After
While this may not be a must-have for all collections, it could be a solid addition to libraries where offbeat, darkly comedic stories like Lance Rubin’s Denton Little’s Deathdate are popular.
A roundup of graphic novels by and about transgender and nonbinary people.
What looks like a cute, illustrated graphic novel about two girls falling in love in bright, vivid color, is also a deep narrative about unfair labor practices, the place of women in society and work, and the power of queer love.
These excellent middle grade and YA titles use poetry to get at the heart of kids’ experiences. Share them for National Poetry Month and beyond.
I usually talk about fiction in these Take Five lists, but there's plenty of great nonfiction out there too as well as plenty of readers who really prefer to read nonfiction.
PREMIUM
Pride or Die
A swift and suspenseful mystery full of righteous anger, comedic cynicism, and queer joy in spite of small-minded attempts to suppress it.
A precious celebration of queer joy, resistance, and community; a deserved first selection for any well-rounded collection.
PREMIUM
Love at Second Sight
A must-have where fantasy is popular, especially for collections accessible to younger teens.
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