Youth Adult Literature Reading List 17-25
Reynolds, J., and Priestly, C. (2018). Long Way Down. London: Faber and Faber.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Audience: 7th-9th Grade
Strengths: Written in verse form which is shorter and not so intimidating to more reluctant readers. He chose this format because he did not want his audience to be intimidated by his book. He wanted everyone to be able to read, comprehend, and think about the novel he wrote. He chose a topic that is relatable to many kids/young adults which makes the novel easier to comprehend and connect with.
Awards:
A Newbery Honor Book
A Coretta Scott King Honor Book
A Printz Honor Book
A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Winner for Young Adult Literature
Longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature
Winner of the Walter Dean Myers Award
An Edgar Award Winner for Best Young Adult Fiction
Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner
An Entertainment Weekly Best YA Book of 2017
A Vulture Best YA Book of 2017
A Buzzfeed Best YA Book of 2017
Other books by the author: As Brave As You, All American Boys, For Every One, When I Was the Greatest, Boy in the Black Suit
Similar books: Ghost, Dear Martin
Teaching Ideas: Siblings, Ghosts, Revenge, Violence, Reflection, Emotions, Gun Violence, Retaliation
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Author Talk:
Acevedo, Elizabeth. (2018). The Poet X. Harper Teen.
Summary: In the Poet X, a girl named Xiomara Batista battles with feeling unheard and unable to be comfortable in her Harlem neighborhood where she grew up. As she was growing into a woman and her body was changing she copes by dealing with fighting. She realizes she has a passion for writing and releases her frustrations into her notebook, which she can't live without. She ends up having to deal with and choose between what she wants and what her Mami wants for her in regards to following the expectations of the church. Xiomara learns that she may not always be able to follow what everyone else wants for her, and she learns not to be silent through slam poetry.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Audience: 7th Grade
Awards:
National Book Award for Young People's Literature
Michael L. Printz Award Winner
Pura Belpre Award Winner
Strengths: Able to hear strong voice in the novel. It is a novel that is easier to connect to because we all feel various types of pressure like Xiomara does throughout the novel.
Other Books By the Author: With the Fire On High,
Similar Books: Long Way Down, Dear Martin, On the Come Up
Teaching Ideas: Emotions, Feelings, Coming of age, Immigration, Coping, Relationships, Expectations, Family Pressure
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Book Review:
Alexander, Kwame. (2018). Rebound. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Summary: In Rebound, Chuck Bell, Josh and Jordan Bell's father, was learning moves of his own on the basketball court. In this novel we get to learn about who Chuck Bell was, and how he found his love for basketball and had the love of jazz music.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Audience: 5th-7th Grade
Awards:
New York Times Best Seller
ALA Notable Book
Texas Bluebonnet Award Winner
Strengths: All of the characters are very relatable and easy to connect to. The author wrote this novel as a poem, so it makes it easier to comprehend and more of a quick read for your reluctant readers.
Other Books By the Author: Booked, The Crossover, Swing, Solo
Similar Books: Watchdog, Mr. Gedrick and Me
Teaching Ideas: Basketball, Sports, African American Historical Fiction, Family, Ancestors, History, Recovery, Growing Up
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LaCour, N. (2019). We Are Okay. Penguin USA.
Summary: Marin tries to escape her trauma and pain by going off to the opposite coast to college in New York. She leaves away with her phone, wallet, and a picture of her mom while she is trying to cope with all of the tragedy. She grows up with no mom, and is raiser by a distant grandparent. She literally has no family. Her best friend Mabel doesn't even understand the struggles that she is dealing with until one day Mabel finally comes to visit Marin. This forces Marin to come face to face with her demons and struggles.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Audience: 8th-12th Grade
Awards:
Michael L. Printz Award Winner
Strengths: The story deals with tough topics such as loneliness and grief. It is filled with emotions and gives the readers a lot to experience through Marin and Mabel.
Other Books By the Author: Hold Still, Everything Leads to You
Similar Books: You Know Me Well, They Both Die at the End
Teaching Ideas: Friendship, LGBT Culture, Relationships, Coping, Death, Loneliness, Grief
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Summary: This novel exposes the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis. It gives the reader a harsh reality of what it is like to live in a war zone. It gives the reader background on events that have been happening since 2011, and it shows a true insight into what life is like for these refugees.
Genre: Nonfiction Graphic Novel
Audience: 7th grade
Awards:
Sibert Honor Medalist
New York Public Library Best of 2018
The Horn Book's Fanfare 2018 List
Kirkus Best Books of 2018
YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Winner
Strengths: Because it is written in graphic novel format it makes the topic not so intimidating for younger students, but still informational and engaging for them.
Other Books By the Author: Drowned City, The Dust Bowl
Similar Books: They Called Us Enemy, Hey, Kiddo, Illegal, Picture Us in the Light
Teaching Ideas: Hope, War, Devastation, Loss, Middle Eastern History, Civil Rights, Human Rights, Politics, Government
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Tynion, J. (2017). The Backstagers. Boom! Studios.
Summary: Jory is thrown into a whole new world when he is transferred to an all boys high school where no one likes him at all. The only people that accept Jory for who he is are the Backstagers. They are part of the stage crew who bring Jory into a new world of mystery, something Jory never would of expected. Their ultimate goal was to put together the best play that their high school had ever seen no matter what they had to overcome to do it.
Genre: Graphic Novel/Realistic Fiction
Audience: 6th Grade-8th Grade
Awards:
Great Graphic Novels for Teens List
Strengths: Written in a graphic novel format makes it engaging and interesting for reluctant readers because it is not so overwhelming. It has brightly colored illustrations and the story line is a mystery and fun for readers.
Other Books By the Author: Detective Comics, The Woods
Similar Books: The Backstagers Vol, 2, The Backstagers Vol 3., Lumberjanes Vol. 1, The Prince and the Dressmaker
Teaching Ideas: LGBT Culture, Kindness, Acceptance, Being new, Coming of age, Hobbies, Passion, Friendship
Book Reviews:
https://youtu.be/RXVaqjzdraY
https://youtu.be/PPQZYhUhZpM
King, A.S. (2010). Please Ignore Vera Dietz. Alfred A. Knopf.
Summary: Vera spends her entire childhood in love with her best friend Charlie. She knew everything about him and by far more than anyone else in the world. When Charlie tragically dies Vera has to make a choice on whether or not she is going to help clear Charlie's name or let things lie. She deals with the pressures of him coming back to even haunt her.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Audience: 10th Grade and Up
Awards:
Outstanding Books for the College Bound List
Strengths: This is a very impactful novel because it makes the reader think of the bigger picture here and what this generation is often lacking. Compassion. Think of things bigger than yourself. If you witness something bad think about what might happen if you don't react or tell someone else. This novel really helps you think about the repercussions and the causes and effects of things that are definitely relatable.
Other Books By the Author: Dig, Everybody Sees the Ants, Ask the Passengers
Similar Books: Winger, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Teaching Ideas: Family, Secrets, Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Friendship, Love, Guilt, Drugs, Choices
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Medina, T. (2017). I Am Alfonso Jones. Tu Books.
Summary: Alfonso Jones is a great student with a bright future ahead of him. He is loved by all. He gets the role of Hamlet in his school's old school hip hop rendition of the play after all of his hard work. Everything is working out for him piece by piece. He even gets up the guts to go speak to his best friend, Danetta, about his true feelings for her. In order to prepare for this big event he goes to buy a suit when things take a turn for the worst. Alfonso's life changes in an instant when an off duty officer thought that the suit hanger was a gun. Alfonso was shot and killed leaving his family and friends filled with grief and anger. This story follows Alfonso's life through the journey of the afterlife where he meets other people that were well known victims of police shootings as well.
Genre: Graphic Novel/Realistic Fiction
Audience: 8th-9th Grade
Awards:
2018 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens List
New York Public Library's list for Best Books for Teens
Strengths: A very taboo subject that is being discussed more often now than not is paired with beautifully detailed illustrations. Graphic novels are great to discuss tough issues because they make the reader more engaged and able to comprehend on a greater level.
Other Books By the Author: Thirteen Ways of Looking at Black Boys, Committed to Breathing
Similar Books: They Called Us Enemy, Monster: A Graphic Novel, The Silence of Our Friends
Teaching Ideas: Police brutality, African American Culture, Stereotyping, Acceptance, Grief, Loss, Understanding, Violence
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Yoon, D. (2019). Frankly in Love. G.P. Putnam's Sons.
Summary: This is a story about Frank Li. He is a Korean American high school senior in Southern California who is deeply in love with a white girl named Brit Means who is in his AP Calculus Class. The expectations for Frank is that he only dates Korean girls, so he turns to a family friend named Joy to make this tough situation work out. Joy is in a similar situation, so they both decide they will date eachother in order to please both of their families. All is good until Frank starts to question everything making him wonder if he really understands or knows anything at all.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Audience: 9th Grade and Up
Awards:
NYT Bestseller List (Chapter Books for 10+)
#1 Indie Bestseller
Strengths: This novel is very relatable because these are things that we experience in this current generation.
Other Books By the Author: This is his first novel.
Similar Books: Serpent and Dove, Permanent Record
Teaching Ideas: Generational Conflicts, Expectations, Relationships, Friendships, Acceptance, Traditional Values, First Loves
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