Award-Winning YA Books
What is the Best Fiction for Young Adults list?
The Best Fiction for Young Adults list is compiled annually by a committee of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) and comprises fiction appropriate for ages 12 to 18. All titles were published in the prior year unless otherwise noted.
To view the entire 2023 Best Fiction for Young Adults list, visit www.ala.org/yalsa/2023-best-fiction-young-adults.
2023 Top Ten Best Young Adult Fiction Books
Click to view the entire 2023 list of Best Young Adult Fiction Books.
All My Rage by Call Number: FIC (YA) TAHIR, S.Lahore, Pakistan. Then.
Misbah is a dreamer and storyteller, newly married to Toufiq in an arranged match. After their young life is shaken by tragedy, they come to the United States and open the Clouds' Rest Inn Motel, hoping for a new start.
Juniper, California. Now.
Salahudin and Noor are more than best friends; they are family. Growing up as outcasts in the small desert town of Juniper, California, they understand each other the way no one else does. Until The Fight, which destroys their bond with the swift fury of a star exploding. Now, Sal scrambles to run the family motel as his mother Misbah's health fails and his grieving father loses himself to alcoholism. Noor, meanwhile, walks a harrowing tightrope: working at her wrathful uncle's liquor store while hiding the fact that she's applying to college so she can escape him--and Juniper--forever. When Sal's attempts to save the motel spiral out of control, he and Noor must ask themselves what friendship is worth--and what it takes to defeat the monsters in their pasts and the ones in their midst.
Gideon Green in Black and White by Call Number: FIC (YA) HENRY, K.Gideon's short-lived run as a locally famous boy detective ended when middle school started, and everyone else-including his best friend, Lily-moved on while Gideon kept holding on to his trench coat, fedora, and his treasured film noir collection. Now he's sixteen and officially retired. That is, until Lily shows up suddenly at Gideon's door, needing his help. He might be mad at her for cutting him off with no explanation, but Gideon can't turn down a case. As a cover, Gideon joins Lily on the school paper. Surprisingly, he finds himself warming up to the welcoming, close-knit staff . . . especially Tess, the cute, witty editor-in-chief. But as the case gets bigger than Gideon or Lily could have anticipated, Gideon must balance his black-and-white quest for the truth with the full colors of real life-or risk a permanent fade to black.
I Must Betray You by Call Number: FIC (YA) SEPETYS, R.In a country governed by isolation, fear, and a tyrannical dictator, seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer, but he decides to use his position to try to outwit his handler, undermine the regime, give voice to fellow Romanians, and expose to the world what is happening in his country.
Man Made Monsters by Call Number: FIC (YA) ROGERS, A.Following one extended Cherokee family across the centuries, from the tribe's homelands in Georgia in the 1830s to World War I, the Vietnam War, our own present, and well into the future, each story delivers a slice of a particular time period that will leave readers longing for more.
The Door of No Return by Call Number: X ALEXANDER, K.ISBN: 9780316441865In his village in Upper Kwanta, 11-year-old Kofi loves his family, playing oware with his grandfather and swimming in the river Offin. He's warned though, to never go to the river at night. His brother tells him "There are things about the water you do not know. " Like what? Kofi asks. "The beasts." His brother answers. One fateful night, the unthinkable happens and in a flash, Kofi's world turns upside down. Kofi soon ends up in a fight for his life and what happens next will send him on a harrowing journey across land and sea, and away from everything he loves.
The Getaway by Call Number: FIC (YA) GILES, L.Jay discovers that mountain resort where he lives and works with his friends and family is also a doomsday oasis for the rich and powerful who expect top-notch customer service even as the world outside the resort's walls disintegrates.
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Call Number: FIC (YA) OH, A.In this retelling of the Korean legend The tale of Shim Cheong, sixteen-year-old Mina is swept away to the Spirit Realm, where, assisted by a motley crew of demons, gods, and lesser spirits, she sets out to awaken the sleeping Sea God and save her homeland and family from deadly storms.
The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Call Number: FIC (YA) BLUM, I.Hoodie Rosen's life isn't that bad. Sure, his entire Orthodox Jewish community has just picked up and moved to the quiet, mostly non-Jewish town of Tregaron, but Hoodie's world hasn't changed that much. He's got basketball to play, studies to avoid, and a supermarket full of delicious kosher snacks to eat. The people of Tregaron aren't happy that so many Orthodox Jews are moving in at once, but that's not Hoodie's problem. That is, until he meets and falls for Anna-Marie Diaz-O'Leary--who happens to be the daughter of the obstinate mayor trying to keep Hoodie's community out of the town. And things only get more complicated when Tregaron is struck by a series of antisemitic crimes that quickly escalate to deadly violence. As his community turns on him for siding with the enemy, Hoodie finds himself caught between his first love and the only world he's ever known.
The Summer of Bitter and Sweet by Call Number: FIC (YA) FERGUSON, J.Lou has enough confusion in front of her this summer. She’ll be working in her family’s ice-cream shack with her newly ex-boyfriend—whose kisses never made her feel desire, only discomfort—and her former best friend, King, who is back in their Canadian prairie town after disappearing three years ago without a word. But when she gets a letter from her biological father—a man she hoped would stay behind bars for the rest of his life—Lou immediately knows that she cannot meet him, no matter how much he insists. While King’s friendship makes Lou feel safer and warmer than she would have thought possible, when her family’s business comes under threat, she soon realizes that she can’t ignore her father forever.
The Sunbearer Trials by Call Number: FIC (YA) THOMAS, A.Transgender demigod Teo is unexpectedly selected for the Sunbearer Trials, a fierce competition among demigod heroes where the winner sacrifices the loser to Sol, their blood fueling the Sun Stones that protect Reino del Sol.
What is the Teens Top Ten?
The Teens' Top Ten is a "teen choice" list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year! Nominators are members of teen book groups in fifteen school and public libraries around the country. Nominations are posted on the Thursday of National Library Week, and teens across the country vote on their favorite titles each year. Readers ages twelve to eighteen will vote online between August 15 - October 15 on the Teens' Top Ten site. Learn more about the Teens Top Ten and view all of this year's nominees at ala.org/yalsa/teenstopten.
Want to nominate a book for next year's Teens Top Ten list? Submit your nomination here!
2022 Teens Top Ten Winners
10 Truths and a Dare by Call Number: Check it out on CloudLibrary!Publication Date: 2021-05-04It's Senior Party Week, that magical in-between time after classes have ended but before graduation, chock-full of gimmicky theme parties, last-minute bonding, and family traditions. Olivia couldn't be more ready. Class salutatorian and confident in her future at LSU, she's poised to sail through to the next phase of her life. But when the tiny hiccup of an unsigned off-campus P.E. form puts Olivia in danger of not graduating at all, she has one week to set things straight without tipping off her very big and very nosy extended family.
Ace of Spades by Call Number: FIC (YA) ABIKE-IYIMIDE, F.When two Niveus Private Academy students, Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, are selected to be part of the elite school's senior class prefects, it looks like their year is off to an amazing start. After all, not only does it look great on college applications, but it officially puts each of them in the running for valedictorian, too. Shortly after the announcement is made, though, someone who goes by Aces begins using anonymous text messages to reveal secrets about the two of them that turn their lives upside down and threaten every aspect of their carefully planned futures. As Aces shows no sign of stopping, what seemed like a sick prank quickly turns into a dangerous game, with all the cards stacked against them. Can Devon and Chiamaka stop Aces before things become incredibly deadly?
Tags: Black / African American, LGBTQ+
All of Us Villains by Call Number: FIC (YA) FOODY, A.Every generation, seven families select a champion to compete in a tournament to the death for control of high magick--the most powerful resource in the world--but this year, a salacious tell-all book draws reporters, tourists, and government agents to Ilvernath to watch the bloody curse unfold and some of the champions are determined to thwart their destinies and rewrite their stories.
All These Bodies by Call Number: FIC (YA) BLAKE, K.Sixteen bloodless bodies. Two teenagers. One impossible explanation.
Summer 1958. A gruesome killer plagues the Midwest, leaving behind a trail of bodies completely drained of blood.
Michael Jensen, an aspiring journalist whose father happens to be the town sheriff, never imagined that the Bloodless Murders would come to his backyard. Not until the night the Carlson family was found murdered in their home. Marie Catherine Hale, a diminutive fifteen-year-old, was discovered at the scene--covered in blood. She is the sole suspect in custody. Michael didn't think that he would be part of the investigation, but he is pulled in when Marie decides that he is the only one she will confess to. As Marie recounts her version of the story, it falls to Michael to find the truth: What really happened the night that the Carlsons were killed? And how did one girl wind up in the middle of all these bodies?
Concrete Rose by Call Number: FIC (YA) THOMAS, A.International phenomenon Angie Thomas revisits Garden Heights seventeen years before the events of The Hate U Give in this searing and poignant exploration of Black boyhood and manhood. If there's one thing seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter knows, it's that a real man takes care of his family. As the son of a former gang legend, Mav does that the only way he knows how: dealing for the King Lords. With this money he can help his mom, who works two jobs while his dad's in prison. Life's not perfect, but with a fly girlfriend and a cousin who always has his back, Mav's got everything under control. Until, that is, Maverick finds out he's a father. Suddenly he has a baby, Seven, who depends on him for everything. But it's not so easy to sling dope, finish school, and raise a child. So when he's offered the chance to go straight, he takes it. In a world where he's expected to amount to nothing, maybe Mav can prove he's different. When King Lord blood runs through your veins, though, you can't just walk away. Loyalty, revenge, and responsibility threaten to tear Mav apart, especially after the brutal murder of a loved one. He'll have to figure out for himself what it really means to be a man.
The Hawthorne Legacy by Call Number: FIC (YA) BARNES, J.The Inheritance Games ended with a bombshell, and now heiress Avery Grambs has to pick up the pieces and find the man who might hold the answers to all of her questions--including why Tobias Hawthorne left his entire fortune to Avery, a virtual stranger, rather than to his own daughters or grandsons. As the mystery grows and the plot thickens, Grayson and Jameson, two of the enigmatic and magnetic Hawthorne grandsons, continue to pull Avery in different directions. And there are threats lurking around every corner, as adversaries emerge who will stop at nothing to see Avery out of the picture--by any means necessary.
With nonstop action, aspirational jet-setting, Knives Out-like family intrigue, swoonworthy romance, and billions of dollars hanging in the balance, The Hawthorne Legacy will thrill Jennifer Lynn Barnes fans and new readers alike.
Here's to Us by Call Number: FIC (YA) ALBERTALLI, B.Ben survived freshman year of college, but he's feeling more stuck than ever. His classes are a slog, his part-time job working with his father is even worse, and his best friend Dylan's been acting weird for weeks. Ben's only real bright spot is his writing partner Mario, who's been giving him a lot of Spanish lessons and even more kisses. Mario's big Hollywood dreams make Ben start to dream bigger--and the choices he makes now could be the key to reshaping his future. So why can't he stop thinking about a certain boy from his past? Arthur is back in New York City for the first time in two years, ready to take the theater world by a storm as the world's best . . . intern to the assistant of an off-off-Broadway director. Of course, it sucks to be spending the summer apart from his sweet, reliable boyfriend, Mikey, but he knows their relationship is strong enough to weather the distance. Which is why it's no big deal when his ex-boyfriend Ben stumbles back into the picture. And it's definitely fine that Ben's blissfully happy with some mystery boy. First loves are special, but it's way too late for what-ifs. Right? Even as the boys try to shake off the past, they keep running into each other in the present. Is this the universe trying to tell them there's a do-over in their future?
The Ivies by Call Number: Check it out on CloudLibrary!Everyone knows the Ivies: the most coveted universities in the United States. Far more important are the Ivies. The Ivies at Claflin Academy, that is. Five girls with the same mission: to get into the Ivy League by any means necessary. I would know. I'm one of them. We disrupt class ranks, club leaderships, and academic competitions...among other things. We improve our own odds by decreasing the fortunes of others. Because hyper-elite competitive college admissions is serious business. And in some cases, it's deadly. Alexa Donne delivers a nail-biting and timely thriller about teens who will stop at nothing to get into the college of their dreams. Too bad no one told them murder isn't an extracurricular.
Rule of Wolves by Call Number: FIC (YA) BARDUGO, L.The wolves are circling and a young king will face his greatest challenge in the explosive finale of the instant #1 New York Times-bestselling King of Scars Duology.
We Can't Keep Meeting Like This by Call Number: Check it out on CloudLibrary!Quinn Berkowitz and Tarek Mansour’s families have been in business together for years: Quinn’s parents are wedding planners, and Tarek’s own a catering company. At the end of last summer, Quinn confessed her crush on him in the form of a rambling email—and then he left for college without a response. Quinn has been dreading seeing him again almost as much as she dreads another summer playing the harp for her parents’ weddings. When he shows up at the first wedding of the summer, looking cuter than ever after a year apart, they clash immediately. Tarek’s always loved the grand gestures in weddings—the flashier, the better—while Quinn can’t see them as anything but fake. Even as they can’t seem to have one civil conversation, Quinn’s thrown together with Tarek wedding after wedding, from performing a daring cake rescue to filling in for a missing bridesmaid and groomsman. Quinn can’t deny her feelings for him are still there, especially after she learns the truth about his silence, opens up about her own fears, and begins learning the art of harp-making from an enigmatic teacher. Maybe love isn’t the enemy after all—and maybe allowing herself to fall is the most honest thing Quinn’s ever done.
What is the Alex Award?
The Alex Awards are given to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18. The winning titles are selected from the previous year's publishing. The Alex Awards were first given annually beginning in 1998 and became an official ALA award in 2002. Learn more about the Alex Award at ala.org/yalsa/alex-awards.
The award is sponsored by the Margaret A. Edwards Trust. Edwards pioneered young adult library services and worked for many years at the Enoch Pratt Library in Baltimore. Her work is described in her book Fair Garden and the Swarm of Beasts, and over the years she has served as an inspiration to many librarians who serve young adults. The Alex Awards are named after Edwards, who was called “Alex” by her friends.
2023 Winners
Click to download the 2023 Official Nominations.
A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Call Number: FIC IRWIN, S.A whip-smart debut that follows the adventures of an entirely unconventional heroine who throws herself into the London Season to find a wealthy husband. But the last thing she expects is to find love... Kitty Talbot needs a fortune. Or rather, she needs a husband who has a fortune. Left with her father's massive debts, she has only twelve weeks to save her family from ruin. Kitty has never been one to back down from a challenge, so she leaves home and heads toward the most dangerous battleground in all of England: the London season. Kitty may be neither accomplished nor especially genteel-but she is utterly single-minded; imbued with cunning and ingenuity, she knows that risk is just part of the game. The only thing she doesn't anticipate is Lord Radcliffe. The worldly Radcliffe sees Kitty for the mercenary fortune-hunter that she really is and is determined to scotch her plans at all costs, until their parrying takes a completely different turn.... This is a frothy pleasure, full of brilliant repartee and enticing wit--one that readers will find an irresistible delight.
Babel : or the necessity of violence : an Arcane history of the Oxford translators' revolution by Call Number: SF KUANG, R.1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he'll enroll in Oxford University's prestigious Royal Institute of Translation--also known as Babel. Babel is the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver working--the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars--has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire's quest for colonization. For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide... Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?
Chef's Kiss: a graphic novel by Call Number: 741.597 MELNow that college is over, English graduate Ben Cook is on the job hunt looking for something...anything...related to his passion for reading and writing. But interview after interview, hiring committee after hiring committee, Ben soon learns getting the dream job won't be as easy as he thought. Proofreading? Journalism? Copywriting? Not enough experience. It turns out he doesn't even have enough experience to be a garbage collector! But when Ben stumbles upon a "Now Hiring--No Experience Necessary" sign outside a restaurant, he jumps at the chance to land his first job. Plus, he can keep looking for a writing job in the meantime. He's actually not so bad in the kitchen, but he will have to pass a series of cooking tests to prove he's got the culinary skills to stay on full-time. But it's only temporary...right? When Ben begins developing a crush on Liam, one of the other super dreamy chefs at the restaurant, and when he starts ditching his old college friends and his old writing job plans, his career path starts to become much less clear.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Call Number: SF TAN, S.Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin's magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind. Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor's son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince. To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream--striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Call Number: 92 MCCURDY, J.A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor--including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother--and how she retook control of her life.
Solito : a memoir by Call Number: 92 ZAMORA, J.A young poet tells the inspiring story of his migration from El Salvador to the United States at the age of nine in this gripping memoir of bravery, hope, and finding family.
The High Desert : Black. Punk. Nowhere. by Call Number: 741.509 SPOA formative coming-of-age graphic memoir by the creator of Afro-punk: a young man's immersive reckoning with identity, racism, clumsy teen love and belonging in an isolated California desert, and a search for salvation and community through punk.
The Kaiju Preservation Society by Call Number: SF SCALZI, J.The Kaiju Preservation Society is John Scalzi's first standalone adventure since the conclusion of his New York Times bestselling Interdependency trilogy. When COVID-19 sweeps through New York City, Jamie Gray is stuck as a dead-end driver for food delivery apps. That is, until Jamie makes a delivery to an old acquaintance, Tom, who works at what he calls "an animal rights organization." Tom's team needs a last-minute grunt to handle things on their next field visit. Jamie, eager to do anything, immediately signs on. What Tom doesn't tell Jamie is that the animals his team cares for are not here on Earth. Not our Earth, at at least. In an alternate dimension, massive dinosaur-like creatures named Kaiju roam a warm and human-free world. They're the universe's largest and most dangerous panda and they're in trouble. It's not just the Kaiju Preservation Society whose found their way to the alternate world. Others have, too. And their carelessness could cause millions back on our Earth to die.
True Biz by Call Number: FIC NOVIC, S.True biz? The students at the River Valley School for the Deaf just want to hook up, pass their history final, and have doctors, politicians, and their parents stop telling them what to do with their bodies. This revelatory novel plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf, where they'll meet Charlie, a rebellious transfer student who's never met another deaf person before; Austin, the school's golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and February, the headmistress, who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact, but might not be able to do both at the same time. As a series of crises both personal and political threaten to unravel each of them, Charlie, Austin, and February find their lives inextricable from one another-and changed forever. This is a story of sign language and lip-reading, cochlear implants and civil rights, isolation and injustice, first love and loss, and, above all, great persistence, daring, and joy. Absorbing and assured, idiosyncratic and relatable, this is an unforgettable journey into the Deaf community and a universal celebration of human connection.
Wash Day Diaries by Call Number: 741.597 ROWA captivating graphic novel love letter to the beauty and endurance of Black women, their friendships, and their hair. Wash Day Diaries tells the story of four best friends--Kim, Tanisha, Davene, and Cookie--through five connected short story comics that follow these young women through the ups and downs of their daily lives in the Bronx. The book takes its title from the wash day experience shared by Black women everywhere of setting aside all plans and responsibilities for a full day of washing, conditioning, and nourishing their hair. Each short story uses hair routines as a window into these four characters' everyday lives and how they care for each other.
What is the Coretta Scott King Award?
The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. The award commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and honors his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and world brotherhood.Learn more about the Alex Award at ala.org/rt/emiert/cskbookawards.
2023 Winners
The 2023 Coretta Scott King Book Awards John Steptoe Award for New Talent Author goes to Jas Hammonds for "We Deserve Monuments"
The Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent affirms new talent and offers visibility for excellence in writing and/or illustration at the beginning of a career as a published African American creator of children’s books. "We Deserve Monuments" is Hammonds' debut novel.
Find Hammonds online at jashammonds.com
We Deserve Monuments by Call Number: FIC (YA) HAMMONDS, J.When seventeen-year-old Avery moves to rural Georgia to live with her ailing grandmother, she encounters decade-old family secrets and a mystery surrounding the town's racist past.
Tags: Racism, LGBTQI+, African American
2023 Author and Illustrator Honor Book
Victory. Stand! : raising my fist for justice by Call Number: YA 92 SMITH, T.A groundbreaking and timely graphic memoir from one of the most iconic figures in American sports-and a tribute to his fight for civil rights. On October 16, 1968, during the medal ceremony at the Mexico City Olympics, Tommie Smith, the gold medal winner in the 200-meter sprint, and John Carlos, the bronze medal winner, stood on the podium in black socks and raised their black-gloved fists to protest racial injustice inflicted upon African Americans. Both men were forced to leave the Olympics, received death threats, and faced ostracism and continuing economic hardships. In his first-ever memoir for young readers, Tommie Smith looks back on his childhood growing up in rural Texas through to his stellar athletic career, culminating in his historic victory and Olympic podium protest. Cowritten with Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Honor recipient Derrick Barnes and illustrated with bold and muscular artwork from Emmy Award-winning illustrator Dawud Anyabwile, Victory. Stand! paints a stirring portrait of an iconic moment in Olympic history that still resonates today.
What is the Margaret A. Edwards Award?
The Margaret A. Edwards Award, established in 1988, honors an author, as well as a specific body of his or her work, for significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature. The annual award is administered by YALSA and sponsored by School Library Journal magazine. It recognizes an author's work in helping adolescents become aware of themselves and addressing questions about their role and importance in relationships, society, and in the world. The Edwards award celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2013. Learn more about this award at ala.org/yalsa/edwards-award.
2023 Winner
Click to view previous winners.
Jason Reynolds wins 2023 Edwards Award
Jason Reynolds is the recipient of the 2023 Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring his significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens for “When I was the Greatest”, “The Boy in the Black Suit”, “All American Boys”, “Ghost” and “Long Way Down”. The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), announced the award today during the ALA’s LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience held January 27-30, in New Orleans.
In his writing, Jason Reynolds presents teens with authentic mirrors and windows to the world. “When I was the Greatest” depicts how Ali, Needles, and Noodles’ new friendship changes as they navigate their busy, vibrant Brooklyn neighborhood.
Matt is “The Boy in the Black Suit,” a teen whose job in a local funeral home helps him begin the healing process after his mother’s death. “All American Boys,” coauthored by Brendan Kiely, addresses themes of police brutality and white privilege when Rashad is attacked by a police officer and Quinn has to decide whether or not to remain silent. “Ghost,” newest member of the Defenders track team, learns how to stop running from his past and start running toward his future. “Long Way Down” follows Will on his journey down an elevator while he considers avenging his brother’s death. Each of Reynolds’ books creates opportunities for discussion and reflection among teens.
Find Jason Reynolds online at jasonwritesbooks.com
All American Boys by Call Number: FIC (YA) REYNOLDS, J.All 16-year-old Rashad was looking for was a bag of chips. He never asked to be assaulted by aggressive cop Paul Galluzzo. One of the witnesses, varsity basketball player Quinn Collins, lost his father in Afghanistan and has since been raised by Paul. The video of the incident goes viral, Rashad stops coming to school, and everyone takes sides. Rashad and Quinn face difficult choices as they move toward a new understanding of their world.
The Boy in the Black Suit by Call Number: FIC (YA) REYNOLDS, J.Soon after his mother's death, Matt takes a job at a funeral home in his tough Brooklyn neighborhood and, while attending and assisting with funerals, begins to accept her death and his responsibilities as a man.
Ghost by Call Number: X REYNOLDS, J.Ghost wants to be the fastest sprinter on his elite middle school track team, but his past is slowing him down in this first electrifying novel of a brand-new series from Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award-winning author Jason Reynolds.
Long Way Down by Call Number: FIC (YA) REYNOLDS, J.As Will, fifteen, sets out to avenge his brother Shawn's fatal shooting, seven ghosts who knew Shawn board the elevator and reveal truths Will needs to know.
When I Was the Greatest by Call Number: FIC (YA) REYNOLDS, J.Ali lives in Bed-Stuy, a Brooklyn neighborhood known for guns and drugs, but he and his sister, Jazz, and their neighbors, Needles and Noodles, stay out of trouble until they go to the wrong party, where one gets badly hurt and another leaves with a target on his back.
Look Both Ways by Call Number: X REYNOLDS, J.A collection of ten short stories that all take place in the same day about kids walking home from school.
For Every One by Call Number: YA 811.6 REYOriginally performed at the Kennedy Center for the unveiling of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and later as a tribute to Walter Dean Myers, this stirring and inspirational poem is New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist Jason Reynolds's rallying cry to the dreamers of the world. Jump Anyway is for kids who dream. Kids who dream of being better than they are. Kids who dream of doing more than they almost dare to dream. Kids who are like Jason, a self-professed dreamer. In it, Jason does not claim to know how to make dreams come true; he has, in fact, been fighting on the front line of his own battle to make his own dreams a reality. He expected to make it when he was sixteen. He inched that number up to eighteen, then twenty-five years old. Now, some of those expectations have been realized. But others, the most important ones, lay ahead, and a lot of them involve kids, how to inspire them. All the kids who are scared to dream, or don't know how to dream, or don't dare to dream because they've NEVER seen a dream come true. Jason wants kids to know that dreams take time. They involve countless struggles. But no matter how many times a dreamer gets beat down, the drive and the passion and the hope never fully extinguish--because just having the dream is the start you need, or you won't get anywhere anyway, and that is when you have to take a leap of faith and...jump anyway.
Ain't Burned All the Bright by Call Number: FIC (YA) REYNOLDS, J.A smash up of art and text that viscerally captures what it means to not be able to breathe, and how the people and things you love most are actually the oxygen you most need.
What is the Morris Award?
The William C. Morris YA Debut Award, first given in 2009, honors a book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature. The winner is announced annually at the ALA Youth Media Awards, with a shortlist of up to five titles named the first week of December. The award's namesake is William C. Morris, an influential innovator in the publishing world and an advocate for marketing books for children and young adults. Bill Morris left an impressive mark on the field of children’s and young adult literature. He was beloved in the publishing field and the library profession for his generosity and marvelous enthusiasm for promoting literature for children and teens. Learn more about this award at ala.org/yalsa/morris-award.
2023 Winner
- The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Call Number: FIC (YA) BLUM, I.Hoodie Rosen's life isn't that bad. Sure, his entire Orthodox Jewish community has just picked up and moved to the quiet, mostly non-Jewish town of Tregaron, but Hoodie's world hasn't changed that much. He's got basketball to play, studies to avoid, and a supermarket full of delicious kosher snacks to eat. The people of Tregaron aren’t happy that so many Orthodox Jews are moving in at once, but that’s not Hoodie’s problem.
That is, until he meets and falls for Anna-Marie Diaz-O’Leary—who happens to be the daughter of the headstrong mayor trying to keep Hoodie’s community out of the town. And things only get more complicated when Tregaron is struck by a series of antisemitic crimes that quickly escalate to deadly violence.
As his community turns on him for siding with the enemy, Hoodie finds himself caught between his first love and the only world he’s ever known.
Tags: Orthodox Judaism, Antisemitism
2023 Finalists
- The Summer of Bitter and Sweet by Call Number: FIC (YA) FERGUSON, J.In this complex and emotionally resonant novel about a Metis girl living on the Canadian prairies, debut author Jen Ferguson serves up a powerful story about rage, secrets, and all the spectrums that make up a person-and the sweetness that can still live alongside the bitterest truth.
Tags: Family Life 
Wake the Bones by Call Number: FIC (YA) KILCOYNE, E.After dropping out of college, nineteen-year-old Laurel Early returns to her uncle's tobacco farm, where she encounters a monster as well as her mother's ghost, and soon Laureal realizes that she must tap into her own innate magic to save everyone she loves.
Tags: Grief, Magic, Ghosts
The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Call Number: FIC (YA) REYES, S.Sixteen-year-old Mexican American Yami Flores starts Catholic school, determined to keep her brother out of trouble and keep herself closeted, but her priorities shift when Yami discovers that her openly gay classmate Bo is also annoyingly cute.
Tags: Lesbians, Bisexuality, Mexican American, Suicide
Hell Followed with Us by Call Number: FIC (YA) WHITE, A.Sixteen-year-old trans boy Benji is on the run from the cult that raised him-the fundamentalist sect that unleashed Armageddon and decimated the world's population. Desperately, he searches for a place where the cult can't get their hands on him, or more importantly, on the bioweapon they infected him with. But when cornered by monsters born from the destruction, Benji is rescued by a group of teens from the local Acheson LGBTQ+ Center, affectionately known as the ALC. The ALC's leader, Nick, is gorgeous, autistic, and a deadly shot, and he knows Benji's darkest secret: the cult's bioweapon is mutating him into a monster deadly enough to wipe humanity from the earth once and for all. Still, Nick offers Benji shelter among his ragtag group of queer teens, as long as Benji can control the monster and use its power to defend the ALC. Eager to belong, Benji accepts Nick's terms...until he discovers the ALC's mysterious leader has a hidden agenda, and more than a few secrets of his own.
Tags: LGBTQI+, Cults
What is the YA Nonfiction Award?
YALSA's Award for Excellence in Nonfiction honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a Nov. 1 – Oct. 31 publishing year. The winner is announced annually at the ALA Youth Media Awards, with a shortlist of up to five titles named the first week of December. Learn more about this award at ala.org/yalsa/nonfiction-award.
2023 Winner
- Victory. Stand! : raising my fist for justice by Call Number: YA 92 SMITH, T.ISBN: 9781324003908"A groundbreaking and timely graphic memoir from one of the most iconic figures in American sports-and a tribute to his fight for civil rights. On October 16, 1968, during the medal ceremony at the Mexico City Olympics, Tommie Smith, the gold medal winner in the 200-meter sprint, and John Carlos, the bronze medal winner, stood on the podium in black socks and raised their black-gloved fists to protest racial injustice inflicted upon African Americans. Both men were forced to leave the Olympics, received death threats, and faced ostracism and continuing economic hardships. In his first-ever memoir for young readers, Tommie Smith looks back on his childhood growing up in rural Texas through to his stellar athletic career, culminating in his historic victory and Olympic podium protest. Cowritten with Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Honor recipient Derrick Barnes and illustrated with bold and muscular artwork from Emmy Award-winning illustrator Dawud Anyabwile, Victory. Stand! paints a stirring portrait of an iconic moment in Olympic history that still resonates today"-- Provided by publisher.
2023 Finalists
Abuela, Don't Forget Me by Call Number: YA 306.874 OGLRex Ogle's companion to Free Lunch and Punching Bag weaves humor, heartbreak, and hope into life-affirming poems that honor his grandmother's legacy. In his award-winning memoir Free Lunch, Rex Ogle's abuela features as a source of love and support. In this companion-in-verse, Rex captures and celebrates the powerful presence a woman he could always count on-to give him warm hugs and ear kisses, to teach him precious words in Spanish, to bring him to the library where he could take out as many books as he wanted, and to offer safety when darkness closed in. Throughout a coming of age marked by violence and dysfunction, Abuela's red-brick house in Abilene, Texas, offered Rex the possibility of home, and Abuela herself the possibility for a better life. Abuela, Don't Forget Me is a lyrical portrait of the transformative and towering woman who believed in Rex even when he didn't yet know how to believe in himself
American Murderer by Call Number: X 616.965 JARImagine microscopic worms living in the soil. They enter your body through your bare feet, travel to your intestines, and stay there for years sucking your blood like vampires. You feel exhausted. You get sick easily. It sounds like a nightmare, but that's what happened in the American South during the 1800s and early 1900s. Doctors never guessed that hookworms were making patients ill, but zoologist Charles Stiles knew better. Working with one of the first public health organizations, he and his colleagues treated the sick and showed Southerners how to protect themselves by wearing shoes and using outhouses so that the worms didn't spread. Although hookworm was eventually controlled in the United States, the parasite remains a serious health problem throughout the world. The topic of this STEM book remains relevant and will fascinate young readers interested in medicine, science, history-and gross stories about bloodsucking creatures
A Face for Picasso by Call Number: YA 92 HENLEY, A.At only eight months old, identical twin sisters Ariel and Zan were diagnosed with Crouzon syndrome -- a rare condition where the bones in the head fuse prematurely. They were the first twins known to survive it. Growing up, Ariel and her sister endured numerous appearance-altering procedures. Surgeons would break the bones in their heads and faces to make room for their growing organs. While the physical aspect of their condition was painful, it was nothing compared to the emotional toll of navigating life with a facial disfigurement. Ariel explores beauty and identity in her young-adult memoir about resilience, sisterhood, and the strength it takes to put your life, and yourself, back together time and time again.
Unequal by Call Number: YA 323.119 DYSInterconnected stories present a picture of racial inequality in America, showing systemic discrimination in all areas of society and showing the unbroken line of Black resistance to this inequality
What is the Odyssey Award?
This annual award is given to the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults available in English in the United States. The selection committee may also select honor titles. The Odyssey Award is jointly given and administered by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), divisions of ALA, and is sponsored by Booklist, a publication of the American Library Association. Learn more about this award at ala.org/yalsa/odyssey-award.
2023 Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production for Young Adults
The Honeys by Call Number: HOOPLA DIGITALStruggling to find their place at an elite summer camp after a family tragedy, gender-fluid Mars discovers a gruesome revelation. Subtle yet immersive sound effects and an audio narration by Pete Cross that empathetically embodies the range of characters enhance this atmospheric novel.
2023 Odyssey Honor Audiobooks
Demon in the Wood by Call Number: CLOUDLIBRARYThe graphic novel prequel to the Shadow and Bone series is artfully recreated as an exceptionally produced audio. A rich soundscape and a full cast transform this visual novel into a fantastic listening experience. It is a treat for fans, but also an entertaining stand-alone.
Inheritance by Call Number: HOOPLA DIGITALAcevedo passionately performs her spoken-word poem celebrating the complexities and the cultural legacy that hair symbolizes for her as an Afro-Dominican woman. She layers intonation, rhythm, pacing, and volume in crafting this recording, making it a dynamic addition and approachable entry point to the art form.
What is the Printz Award?
The Michael L. Printz Award is an award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. It is named for a Topeka, Kansas school librarian who was a long-time active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association. The award is sponsored by Booklist, a publication of the American Library Association. Learn more about this award at ala.org/yalsa/printz-award.
2023 Printz Award Winner
- All My Rage by Call Number: FIC (YA) TAHIR, S.Lahore, Pakistan. Then.
Misbah is a dreamer and storyteller, newly married to Toufiq in an arranged match. After their young life is shaken by tragedy, they come to the United States and open the Clouds' Rest Inn Motel, hoping for a new start.
Juniper, California. Now.
Salahudin and Noor are more than best friends; they are family. Growing up as outcasts in the small desert town of Juniper, California, they understand each other the way no one else does. Until The Fight, which destroys their bond with the swift fury of a star exploding. Now, Sal scrambles to run the family motel as his mother Misbah's health fails and his grieving father loses himself to alcoholism. Noor, meanwhile, walks a harrowing tightrope: working at her wrathful uncle's liquor store while hiding the fact that she's applying to college so she can escape him--and Juniper--forever. When Sal's attempts to save the motel spiral out of control, he and Noor must ask themselves what friendship is worth--and what it takes to defeat the monsters in their pasts and the ones in their midst. From one of today's most cherished and bestselling young adult authors comes a breathtaking novel of young love, old regrets, and forgiveness--one that's both tragic and poignant in its tender ferocity.
Tags: AAPI / Asian American, Pakistani American
2023 Printz Honor Books
Icebreaker by Call Number: FIC (YA) GRAZIADEI, A.Mickey James III is following in his father's (and grandfather's) skates by playing hockey at Hartland University, but he is not enjoying the situation: for one thing he is seriously depressed, unsure of anything, even whether he can make it as a hockey player (or wants to); more troubling his rival, Jaysen Caulfield, is also on the team and seems to bitterly resent him--and Mickey actually finds Jaysen very attractive and does not know how to deal with that.
Tags: LGBTQI+, Mental Health
When the Angels Left the Old Country by Call Number: FIC (YA) LAMB, S.ISBN: whUriel the angel and Little Ash (short for Ashmedai) are the only two supernatural creatures in their shtetl (which is so tiny, it doesn't have a name other than Shtetl). The angel and the demon have been studying together for centuries, but pogroms and the search for a new life have drawn all the young people from their village to America. When one of those young emigrants goes missing, Uriel and Little Ash set off to find her.
Tags: Immigrants, Missing persons
Scout's Honor by Call Number: FIC (YA) ANDERSON, L.Prudence Perry is a third-generation Ladybird Scout who must battle literal (and figurative) monsters and the weight of her legacy in this YA paranormal perfect for fans of Stranger Things and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Tags: Monsters, Supernatural
Queer Ducks (and Other Animals) by Call Number: YA 591.562 SCHA research-based exploration of queer behavior in different animal species is interspersed with personal anecdotes and interviews with scientists.
What is the Pura Belpre Award?
Named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library, the Pura Belpré Award is presented annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth. It is co-sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), divisions of the American Library Association (ALA), and REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking. Learn more about this award at ala.org/yalsa/pura-belpre-award.
2023 Young Adult Author Award Winner
Burn down, Rise Up by Call Number: FIC (YA) TIRADO, V.When an urban legend rumored to trap people inside subway tunnels seems to be behind mysterious disappearances in the Bronx, sixteen-year-old Raquel and her friends team up to save their city--and confront a dark episode in its history in the process.
Tags: African American, Hispanic American, Supernatural
2023 Young Adult Author Honor Books
Breathe and Count Back from Ten by Call Number: FIC (YA) SYLVESTER, N.Veronica, a Peruvian-American teen with hip dysplasia, auditions to become a mermaid at a Central Florida theme park in the summer before her senior year, all while figuring out her first real boyfriend and how to feel safe in her own body.
Tags: Teenagers with disabilities, Coming of Age
High Spirits : short stories on Dominican diaspora by Call Number: FIC (YA) GOMERA-TAVAREZ, C.High Spirits is a collection of eleven interconnected short stories from the Dominican diaspora, from debut author Camille Gomera-Tavarez. It is a book centered on one extended family - the Belens - across multiple generations. It is set in the fictional small town of Hidalpa - and Santo Domingo and Paterson and San Juan and Washington Heights too. It is told in a style both utterly real and distinctly magical - and its stories explore machismo, mental health, family, and identity. But most of all, High Spirits represents the first book from Camille Gomera-Tavarez, who takes her place as one of the most extraordinary new voices to emerge in years.
Tags: Family, Short Stories, Dominican Republic- The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Call Number: FIC (YA) REYES, S.Sixteen-year-old Mexican American Yami Flores starts Catholic school, determined to keep her brother out of trouble and keep herself closeted, but her priorities shift when Yami discovers that her openly gay classmate Bo is also annoyingly cute.
Tags: Lesbians, Bisexuality, Mexican American, Suicide
What is the Rainbow Book List?
The Rainbow Book List is an annual annotated bibliography consisting of quality LGBTQIA+ literature intended for readers from birth to age 18. This resource guide is meant to assist librarians, educators, parents, and others to ensure that everyone from babies and children to tweens and teens have access to selecting quality books with significant content regarding inclusion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and all that extends throughout the Rainbow spectrum. Learn more about the Rainbow Book List at glbtrt.ala.org/rainbowbooks.
2023 Rainbow Book List Top 10 Titles for Teen Readers
The City Beautiful by Call Number: FIC (YA) POLYDOROS, A.Alter Rosen lives in Chicago's Jewish community during the 1893 World's Fair. When a friend and roommate, Yakov, turns up dead, Alter is possessed by his dybbuk and must team up with a boy from his past to investigate the string of missing Jewish boys to save both the neighborhood and himself.
The Honeys by Call Number: FIC (YA) LA SALA, R.Genderfluid teen Mars is haunted by the violent death of his twin sister, Caroline, and he enrolls in the elite summer camp she attended to find out why she died. He's convinced the Honeys, the glamorous girls who attend to the camp beehives, know more than they're saying, but as the summer wears on, Mars finds that while he's distrustful of the Honeys, he still wants to be one.
Just Ash by Call Number: FIC (YA) SANTANA, S.Ash has always known he is intersex, but it's never been an issue. He knows he's a boy and was even raised as one. But when 16-year-old Ash suddenly gets his first period during soccer practice, his parents and pediatrician all say that Ash needs to live as a girl. Now Ash feels like he's in the wrong skin, forced to present as a girl and bullied by his classmates.
Loveless by Call Number: FIC (YA) OSEMAN, A.After a disastrous prom night, Georgia is determined to find love at university. But Georgia has never been in love before; she hasn't even had her first kiss! Unsure of what kind of person she's attracted to, Georgia starts to date one of her best friends, Jason, only to discover she s aromantic and asexual.
The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester by Call Number: FIC (YA) MACGREGOR, M.After nearly being killed by their schoolmates in a hate-motivated assault, autistic & nonbinary Sam starts over at a new school in a new state. However, their fascination with the "half-lived lives" of people who died before age 19 only grows as they move into a house where a teenage boy mysteriously died 30 years ago.
Nothing Burns As Bright As You by Call Number: FIC (YA) WOODFOLK, A.Told in memories over the course of one tumultuous day, this is the story of female friendship, first love, and personal reflection as the narrator learns that all decisions have consequences.- Queer Ducks (and Other Animals) by Call Number: YA 591.562 SCHQueer behavior is completely natural and can be found throughout the animal kingdom. This title dives into research on same-sex sexual attraction between various animals. Written with humor, this informative text is interspersed with comics of queer animals.
- The Summer of Bitter and Sweet by Call Number: FIC (YA) FERGUSON, J.Lou has enough confusion in front of her this summer. She’ll be working in her family’s ice-cream shack with her newly ex-boyfriend—whose kisses never made her feel desire, only discomfort—and her former best friend, King, who is back in their Canadian prairie town after disappearing three years ago without a word. But when she gets a letter from her biological father—a man she hoped would stay behind bars for the rest of his life—Lou immediately knows that she cannot meet him, no matter how much he insists. While King’s friendship makes Lou feel safer and warmer than she would have thought possible, when her family’s business comes under threat, she soon realizes that she can’t ignore her father forever.
- The Sunbearer Trials by Call Number: FIC (YA) THOMAS, A.Transgender demigod Teo is unexpectedly selected for the Sunbearer Trials, a fierce competition among demigod heroes where the winner sacrifices the loser to Sol, their blood fueling the Sun Stones that protect Reino del Sol.
When You Call My Name by Call Number: FIC (YA) SHAW, T.At the height of the AIDS crisis in New York City, Adam and Callum fall in love. At least, that's what Adam thinks. When Callum disappears, heartbroken Adam is unsure of what went wrong, until he finds Callum in a hospital for those with HIV and AIDS.
What is the Schneider Family Book Award?
The Schneider Family Book Awards honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. Learn more about this award at ala.org/awardsgrants/schneider-family-book-award.
2023 Teen Award Winner
The Words We Keep by When sixteen-year-old Lily Larkin's older sister, Alice, begins to struggle with her mental health, Lily attempts to keep everything together and perfect, despite her own growing anxiety.
Tags: Mental illness, Anxiety, Sisters
2022 Teen Honor Book
- Breathe and Count Back from Ten by Call Number: FIC (YA) SYLVESTER, N.Veronica, a Peruvian-American teen with hip dysplasia, auditions to become a mermaid at a Central Florida theme park in the summer before her senior year, all while figuring out her first real boyfriend and how to feel safe in her own body.
Tags: Teenagers with disabilities, Coming of Age
What is the Stonewall Award?
The first and most enduring award for LGBTQIA+ books is the Stonewall Book Awards, sponsored by the American Library Association's Rainbow Round Table. Since Isabel Miller's Patience and Sarah received the first award in 1971, many other books have been honored for exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender experience. Learn more about this award at ala.org/rt/rrt/award/stonewall/honored.
2023 Stonewall Honor Books in Young Adult Literature
I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Call Number: FIC (YA) MCQUISTON, C.After seventeen-year-olds Chloe and Shara, Chloe's rival for valedictorian, kiss, Shara vanishes leaving Chloe and two boys, who are also enamored with Shara, to follow the trail of clues she left behind, but during the search, Chloe starts to suspect there might be more to Shara and her small Alabama town than she thought.
Tags: Lesbians, Romance- The Summer of Bitter and Sweet by Call Number: FIC (YA) FERGUSON, J.In this complex and emotionally resonant novel about a Metis girl living on the Canadian prairies, debut author Jen Ferguson serves up a powerful story about rage, secrets, and all the spectrums that make up a person-and the sweetness that can still live alongside the bitterest truth.
Tags: Family Life 
Man o' War by Call Number: FIC (YA) MCCARTHY, C.On a field trip to SeaPlanet, seventeen-year-old Arab-American high school swimmer River McIntyre has a chance encounter with Indy, a happy, healthy queer person, which sets off a wrenching journey of self-discovery, from internalized homophobia and gender dysphoria, through layers of coming out, affirmation surgery, and true love.
Tags: Gender Identity, Arab American
2023 Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children's & Young Adult Literature Award Winners
- When the Angels Left the Old Country by Call Number: FIC (YA) LAMB, S.ISBN: whUriel the angel and Little Ash (short for Ashmedai) are the only two supernatural creatures in their shtetl (which is so tiny, it doesn't have a name other than Shtetl). The angel and the demon have been studying together for centuries, but pogroms and the search for a new life have drawn all the young people from their village to America. When one of those young emigrants goes missing, Uriel and Little Ash set off to find her.
Tags: Immigrants, Missing persons
What is the Walter Award?
The Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature, also known as “The Walter,” celebrates the legacy of author Walter Dean Myers (1937-2014). Myers served as the third National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature (2012-2013), authored over a hundred titles, and won countless awards, including two Newbery Honors, five Coretta Scott King Awards, the first-ever Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature, and was a three-time National Book Award finalist. Throughout his prolific, lauded career, Myers was a life-long champion of diversity in children’s and young adult books. Learn more about this award at diversebooks.org/programs/walter-awards.
2023 Teen Award Winner
- Man Made Monsters by Call Number: FIC (YA) ROGERS, A.An old-fashioned girl -- Man made monsters -- An un-fairy story -- Hell hound in no man's land -- Homecoming -- Maria most likely -- Me & my monster -- Shame on the moon -- Snow day -- Ama's boys -- American predators -- Manifesting joy -- Lens -- Ghost cat -- Happily ever after -- Deer women -- I come from the water -- The zombies attack the drive-in!
Abstract: Publisher Annotation: Following one extended Cherokee family across the centuries, from the tribe's homelands in Georgia in the 1830s to World War I, the Vietnam War, our own present, and well into the future, each story delivers a slice of a particular time period that will leave readers longing for more.
Tags: Families, Native American
2023 Teen Honor Books
- All My Rage by Call Number: FIC (YA) TAHIR, S.Lahore, Pakistan. Then.
Misbah is a dreamer and storyteller, newly married to Toufiq in an arranged match. After their young life is shaken by tragedy, they come to the United States and open the Clouds' Rest Inn Motel, hoping for a new start.
Juniper, California. Now.
Salahudin and Noor are more than best friends; they are family. Growing up as outcasts in the small desert town of Juniper, California, they understand each other the way no one else does. Until The Fight, which destroys their bond with the swift fury of a star exploding. Now, Sal scrambles to run the family motel as his mother Misbah's health fails and his grieving father loses himself to alcoholism. Noor, meanwhile, walks a harrowing tightrope: working at her wrathful uncle's liquor store while hiding the fact that she's applying to college so she can escape him--and Juniper--forever. When Sal's attempts to save the motel spiral out of control, he and Noor must ask themselves what friendship is worth--and what it takes to defeat the monsters in their pasts and the ones in their midst.
Tags: Immigrants, AAPI / Asian American, Pakistani American - The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Call Number: FIC (YA) REYES, S.Sixteen-year-old Mexican American Yami Flores starts Catholic school, determined to keep her brother out of trouble and keep herself closeted, but her priorities shift when Yami discovers that her openly gay classmate Bo is also annoyingly cute.
Tags: Lesbian, Bisexuality, Mexican American, Suicide
