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September 2017 Debut YA Novels

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It’s time for another round-up of debut YA novels of the month — here’s what we’ve got for September.

This round-up includes debut novels, where “debut” is in its purest definition. These are first-time books by first-time authors. I’m not including books by authors who are using or have used a pseudonym in the past or those who have written in other categories (adult, middle grade, etc.) in the past. Authors who have self-published are not included here either.

All descriptions are from Goodreads, unless otherwise noted; I’ve found Goodreads descriptions to offer better insight to what a book is about over WorldCat. If I’m missing any debuts out in September from traditional publishers — and I should clarify that indie/small presses are okay — let me know in the comments.

As always, not all noted titles included here are necessarily endorsements for those titles. List is arranged alphabetically by title, with pub dates beside them. Starred titles are the beginning of a new series.

 

The Border by Steve Schafer (9/5)

One moment changed their lives forever.

A band plays, glasses clink, and four teens sneak into the Mexican desert, the hum of celebration receding behind them.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

Not fireworks―gunshots. The music stops. And Pato, Arbo, Marcos, and Gladys are powerless as the lives they once knew are taken from them.

Then they are seen by the gunmen. They run. Except they have nowhere to go. The narcos responsible for their families’ murders have put out a reward for the teens’ capture. Staying in Mexico is certain death, but attempting to cross the border through an unforgiving desert may be as deadly as the secrets they are trying to escape

 

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson (9/26)

Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized among them. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes – a weakness that could cost him his life.

Furious and devastated, Rook spirits her away to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into trust, then love, violating the fair folks’ ruthless Good Law. There’s only one way to save both their lives, Isobel must drink from the Green Well, whose water will transform her into a fair one—at the cost of her Craft, for immortality is as stagnant as it is timeless.

Isobel has a choice: she can sacrifice her art for a future, or arm herself with paint and canvas against the ancient power of the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.

 

*Even The Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett (9/5)

Kamzin has always dreamed of becoming one of the Emperor’s royal explorers, the elite climbers tasked with mapping the wintry, mountainous Empire and spying on its enemies. She knows she could be the best in the world, if only someone would give her a chance.

But everything changes when the mysterious and eccentric River Shara, the greatest explorer ever known, arrives in her village and demands to hire Kamzin—not her older sister Lusha, as everyone had expected—for his next expedition. This is Kamzin’s chance to prove herself—even though River’s mission to retrieve a rare talisman for the emperor means climbing Raksha, the tallest and deadliest mountain in the Aryas. Then Lusha sets off on her own mission to Raksha with a rival explorer who is determined to best River, and Kamzin must decide what’s most important to her: protecting her sister from the countless perils of the climb or beating her to the summit.

The challenges of climbing Raksha are unlike anything Kamzin expected—or prepared for—with avalanches, ice chasms, ghosts, and even worse at every turn. And as dark secrets are revealed, Kamzin must unravel the truth of their mission and of her companions—while surviving the deadliest climb she has ever faced.

 

 

Finding You by Lydia Albano (9/19)

Isla is kidnapped from a train platform in broad daylight, and thrust into a nightmare when she is sold to a sadistic aristocrat. Locked in a dungeon with a dozen other girls, Isla’s only comfort is a locket and the memory of the boy she loves. But as days pass and more girls disappear, she realizes that help is not coming… If they’re going to survive, they’ll have to escape on their own.

 

 

 

 

 

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust (9/5)

At sixteen, Mina’s mother is dead, her magician father is vicious, and her silent heart has never beat with love for anyone—has never beat at all, in fact, but she’d always thought that fact normal. She never guessed that her father cut out her heart and replaced it with one of glass. When she moves to Whitespring Castle and sees its king for the first time, Mina forms a plan: win the king’s heart with her beauty, become queen, and finally know love. The only catch is that she’ll have to become a stepmother.

Fifteen-year-old Lynet looks just like her late mother, and one day she discovers why: a magician created her out of snow in the dead queen’s image, at her father’s order. But despite being the dead queen made flesh, Lynet would rather be like her fierce and regal stepmother, Mina. She gets her wish when her father makes Lynet queen of the southern territories, displacing Mina. Now Mina is starting to look at Lynet with something like hatred, and Lynet must decide what to do—and who to be—to win back the only mother she’s ever known…or else defeat her once and for all.

Entwining the stories of both Lynet and Mina in the past and present, Girls Made of Snow and Glass traces the relationship of two young women doomed to be rivals from the start. Only one can win all, while the other must lose everything—unless both can find a way to reshape themselves and their story.

 

 

The Grave Keepers by Elizabeth Byrne (9/12)

Lately, Athena Windham has been spending all her spare time in her grave.

Her parents—owners of a cemetery in Upstate New York—are proud of her devoutness, but her younger sister, Laurel, would rather spend her time exploring the forest that surrounds the Windham’s’ property than in her own grave.

The Windham girls lead secluded lives—their older sister died in a tragic accident and their parents’ protectiveness has made the family semi-infamous.

As the new school year begins, the outside world comes creeping in through encounters with mean girls, a new friend, and a runaway boy hiding out in the cemetery. Meanwhile, a ghost hangs around the Windham property—the only grave keeper never to cross over—plotting how to keep the sisters close to home and close to her . . . forever.

 

I Hate Everyone But You by Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin (9/5)

Dear Best Friend,
I can already tell that I will hate everyone but you.
Sincerely,
Ava Helmer
(that brunette who won’t leave you alone)

We’re still in the same room, you weirdo.
Stop crying.
G

So begins a series of texts and emails sent between two best friends, Ava and Gen, as they head off to their first semesters of college on opposite sides of the country. From first loves to weird roommates, heartbreak, self-discovery, coming out and mental health, the two best friends will document every moment to each other. But as each changes and grows into her new life, will their friendship be able to survive the distance?

 

House of Ash by Hope Cook (9/26)

After hearing voices among an eerie copse of trees in the woods, seventeen-year-old Curtis must confront his worst fear: that he has inherited his father’s mental illness. A desperate search for answers leads him to discover Gravenhearst, a labyrinth mansion that burned down in 1894. When he locks eyes with a steely Victorian girl in a forgotten mirror, he’s sure she’s one of the fire’s victims. If he can unravel the mystery, he can save his sanity . . . and possibly the girl who haunts his dreams.

But more than 100 years in the past, the girl in the mirror is fighting her own battles. When her mother disappears and her sinister stepfather reveals his true intentions, Mila and her sister fight to escape Gravenhearst and unravel the house’s secrets—before it devours them both.

 

 

 

The Lives of Desperate Girls by MacKenzie Common (9/19)

Sixteen-year-old Helen Commanda is found dead just outside Thunder Creek, Ontario. Her murder goes unremarked, except for the fact that it may shed light on the earlier disappearance of Chloe Shaughnessy. Chloe is beautiful, rich and white. Helen is plain, and from the reservation. They had nothing in common except that they were teenage girls from an unforgiving small town. Only Chloe’s best friend Jenny Parker knows exactly how unforgiving, but she’s keeping some dangerous secrets of her own.

Jenny begins looking for answers about Helen’s life and death, trying to understand larger questions about her town and her best friend. But what can a teenage girl really accomplish where adults have failed? And how much is Jenny actually complicit in a conspiracy of silence?

 

 

Nyxia by Scott Reintgen (9/12)

Emmett Atwater isn’t just leaving Detroit; he’s leaving Earth. Why the Babel Corporation recruited him is a mystery, but the number of zeroes on their contract has him boarding their lightship and hoping to return to Earth with enough money to take care of his family.

Forever.

Before long, Emmett discovers that he is one of ten recruits, all of whom have troubled pasts and are a long way from home. Now each recruit must earn the right to travel down to the planet of Eden—a planet that Babel has kept hidden—where they will mine a substance called Nyxia that has quietly become the most valuable material in the universe.

But Babel’s ship is full of secrets. And Emmett will face the ultimate choice: win the fortune at any cost, or find a way to fight that won’t forever compromise what it means to be human.

 

 

Rebel Seoul by Axie Oh (9/15)

After a great war, the East Pacific is in ruins. In brutal Neo Seoul, where status comes from success in combat, ex-gang member Lee Jaewon is a talented pilot rising in the ranks of the academy. Abandoned as a kid in the slums of Old Seoul by his rebel father, Jaewon desires only to escape his past and prove himself a loyal soldier of the Neo State.

When Jaewon is recruited into the most lucrative weapons development division in Neo Seoul, he is eager to claim his best shot at military glory. But the mission becomes more complicated when he meets Tera, a test subject in the government’s supersoldier project. Tera was trained for one purpose: to pilot one of the lethal God Machines, massive robots for a never-ending war.

With secret orders to report on Tera, Jaewon becomes Tera’s partner, earning her reluctant respect. But as respect turns to love, Jaewon begins to question his loyalty to an oppressive regime that creates weapons out of humans. As the project prepares to go public amidst rumors of a rebellion, Jaewon must decide where he stands—as a soldier of the Neo State, or a rebel of the people.

 

Running Full Tilt by Michael Currinder (9/5)

Like most siblings, Leo and Caleb have a complicated relationship. But Caleb’s violent outbursts literally send Leo running. When the family is forced to relocate due to Caleb’s uncontrollable behavior, Leo tries to settle into a new school, joining the cross-country team and discovering his talent for racing and endurance for distance. Things even begin to look up for Leo when he befriends Curtis, a potential state champion who teaches Leo strategy and introduces him to would-be girlfriend, Mary. But Leo’s stability is short-lived as Caleb escalates his attacks on his brother, resentful of his sport successes and new friendships.

Leo can’t keep running away from his problems. But, with a little help from Curtis and Mary, he can appreciate his worth as a brother and his own capacity for growth, both on and off the field.

 

 

A Short History of The Girl Next Door by Jared Reck (9/26)

Fifteen-year-old Matt Wainwright is in turmoil. He can’t tell his lifelong best friend, Tabby, how he really feels about her; his promising basketball skills are being overshadowed by his attitude on the court, and the only place he feels normal is in English class, where he can express his inner thoughts in quirky poems and essays. Matt is desperately hoping that Tabby will reciprocate his feelings; but then Tabby starts dating Liam Branson, senior basketball star and all-around great guy. Losing Tabby to Branson is bad enough; but, as Matt soon discovers, he’s close to losing everything that matters most to him.

Humorous and heart-wrenching, A Short History of the Girl Next Door is perfect for readers who fell in love with All the Bright Places’ Finch or Stargirl’s Leo.

 

 

Speak Easy, Speak Love by McKelle George (9/19)

Six teenagers’ lives intertwine during one thrilling summer full of romantic misunderstandings and dangerous deals in this sparkling retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.

After she gets kicked out of boarding school, seventeen-year-old Beatrice goes to her uncle’s estate on Long Island. But Hey Nonny Nonny is more than just a rundown old mansion. Beatrice’s cousin, Hero, runs a struggling speakeasy out of the basement—one that might not survive the summer. Along with Prince, a poor young man determined to prove his worth; his brother John, a dark and dangerous agent of the local mob; Benedick, a handsome trust-fund kid trying to become a writer; and Maggie, a beautiful and talented singer; Beatrice and Hero throw all their efforts into planning a massive party to save the speakeasy. Despite all their worries, the summer is beautiful, love is in the air, and Beatrice and Benedick are caught up in a romantic battle of wits that their friends might be quietly orchestrating in the background.

 

Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman (9/26)

Kiko Himura has always had a hard time saying exactly what she’s thinking. With a mother who makes her feel unremarkable and a half-Japanese heritage she doesn’t quite understand, Kiko prefers to keep her head down, certain that once she makes it into her dream art school, Prism, her real life will begin.

But then Kiko doesn’t get into Prism, at the same time her abusive uncle moves back in with her family. So when she receives an invitation from her childhood friend to leave her small town and tour art schools on the west coast, Kiko jumps at the opportunity in spite of the anxieties and fears that attempt to hold her back. And now that she is finally free to be her own person outside the constricting walls of her home life, Kiko learns life-changing truths about herself, her past, and how to be brave.

 

 

 

The Thing With Feathers by McCall Hoyle (9/5)

Emilie Day believes in playing it safe: she’s homeschooled, her best friend is her seizure dog, and she’s probably the only girl on the Outer Banks of North Carolina who can’t swim.

Then Emilie’s mom enrolls her in public school, and Emilie goes from studying at home in her pj’s to halls full of strangers. To make matters worse, Emilie is paired with starting point guard Chatham York for a major research project on Emily Dickinson. She should be ecstatic when Chatham shows interest, but she has a problem. She hasn’t told anyone about her epilepsy.

Emilie lives in fear her recently adjusted meds will fail and she’ll seize at school. Eventually, the worst happens, and she must decide whether to withdraw to safety or follow a dead poet’s advice and “dwell in possibility.”

 

 

The Victoria In My Head by Janelle Milanes (9/19)

Victoria Cruz inhabits two worlds: In one, she is a rock star, thrashing the stage with her husky voice and purple-streaked hair. In the other, currently serving as her reality, Victoria is a shy teenager with overprotective Cuban parents, who sleepwalks through her life at the prestigious Evanston Academy. Unable to overcome the whole paralyzing-stage-fright thing, Victoria settles for living inside her fantasies, where nothing can go wrong and everything is set to her expertly crafted music playlists.

But after a chance encounter with an unattainably gorgeous boy named Strand, whose band seeks a lead singer, Victoria is tempted to turn her fevered daydreams into reality. To do that, she must confront her insecurities and break away from the treadmill that is her life. Suddenly, Victoria is faced with the choice of staying on the path she’s always known and straying off-course to find love, adventure, and danger.

 

 

Water in May by Ismee Williams (9/12)

Fifteen-year-old Mari Pujols believes that the baby she’s carrying will finally mean she’ll have a family member who will love her deeply and won’t ever leave her—not like her mama, who took off when she was eight; or her papi, who’s in jail; or her abuela, who wants as little to do with her as possible. But when doctors discover a potentially fatal heart defect in the fetus, Mari faces choices she never could have imagined.

Surrounded by her loyal girl crew, her off-and-on boyfriend, and a dedicated doctor, Mari navigates a decision that could emotionally cripple the bravest of women. But both Mari and the broken-hearted baby inside her are fighters; and it doesn’t take long to discover that this sick baby has the strength to heal an entire family.

 

 

 

A Guide To Incorporating HERE WE ARE: FEMINISM FOR THE REAL WORLD Into Classroom and Library Discussions/Curriculum

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An impetus for beginning the “Anatomy of a YA Anthology” series came from being asked a lot of questions about the anthology process while promoting the book when it first released. I got so many great questions that led me to want to know more about the process behind other author’s anthologies.

Another thing that I got asked in numerous places was if I would consider putting together some kind of discussion guide for Here We Are: Feminism For The Real World that could be used in classrooms and libraries. There is a reading group discussion guide available through Reading Group Choices, which I wrote and you can access here, but this sort of resource would be different. It would give concrete ideas for incorporating the book into classroom (or library) discussions, with places where individual essays could be paired with other topics of study in neat, creative, and thought-provoking ways.

Today, I bring that guide.

This resource guide is built in two different ways, in order to accommodate a wealth of ways to incorporate the book — or even pieces of it — into current curriculum. First, I’ve pulled together the general ways that the book fits within Common Core standards for literacy and for writing across a range of subjects and topics. Second, I’ve created a means of looking at each individual essay, the themes presented, possible discussion/writing ideas, and ways those essays may be worth looking at in conjunction with common class reading/study topics. It would be impossible to make a guide to cover every possible scenario, so this is a broad guide, but I’ve written in such a way to make it easy to search by topic/area of interest.

The guide focuses Common Core alignments with 9-10 and 11-12 grade, but these are easily applied to grades 6-8, as well. Likewise, I have selected not to repeat the questions from the Reading Group Choices guide, though those would allow a lot of opportunity in meeting literacy standards for writing.

If you’d like a downloadable version of this guide, you can access it here.

 

Here We Are: Feminism For The Real World Common Core Standards

CCSS.ELA.RI.9-10.1, 9-10.2, 9-10.3

CCSS.ELA.RI.9-10.4, 9-10.5, 9-10.6

CCSS.ELA.RI.9-10.7, 9-10.8

CCSS.ELA.RI.11-12.1, 11-12.2, 11-12.3

CCSS.ELA.RI.11-12.4, 11-12.5, 11-12.6

CCSS.ELA.RI.11-12.7

All CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10, 11-12 all.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1, 9-10.2, 9-10.3, 9-10.4

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1, 11-12.2, 11-12.3, 11-12.4

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10, 11-12 all.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.1, 9-10.2, 9-10.3, 9-10.4, 9-10.5, 9-10.6, 9-10.7, 9-10.8, 10.9

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.1, 11-12.2, 11-12.3, 11-12.4, 11-12.5, 11-12.6, 11-12.7, 11-12.8, 11-12.9

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10, 11-12 all.

 

Select Big Picture Topics and Themes For Exploration in Here We Are: Feminism For The Real World

  • How can art be used to make a statement?
  • Which pieces of art from this book would be hanging on the walls of various literary or historical figures and why?
  • Words like “feminism” seem straightforward but they’re quite complex. How does this book highlight the similarities and differences among different people about what feminism is and is not?
  • How does the format of a piece of writing impact the tone and the message within it?
  • What is the purpose of a personal essay? Where and how does it tell a story? Why do people choose to write about their own experiences?
  • Can personal essays be persuasive?
  • Read the different voices represented in this collection as a means of staff enrichment or development, as the range of experiences included here mirror today’s students.

 

Topics, Themes, and Ideas To Explore Within Each Piece of Here We Are: Feminism For The Real World

Each essay below is listed with general themes and topics for discussion and writing purposes. Most, if not all, of the essays could easily be worked into research within and across a variety of areas. Likewise, almost all of these authors are published in a variety of formats, from online journals to novels to well-established and award-winning nonfiction. There is excellent opportunity for author studies on any of the writers, as well as excellent opportunity to introduce new works by them to students who may enjoy what they read here.

Forever Feminist by Malinda Lo

  • Write about characters who have stuck with you or influenced your life.
  • Explore classic feminists in literature — current and historic.
  • The power of history and family history, particularly as it relates to refugee families.
  • China and World War II.
  • Author/Book connections: Madeleine L’Engle, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Little Women.

 

What Does “Feminism” Mean? A Brief History of the Word, from Its Beginnings All the Way up to the Present by Suzannah Weiss

  • Explore the idea of etymology.
  • How and why do the meanings of words change over time?
  • Does knowing the evolution of the word “feminism” change how you read and explore the idea in classic literature? In early feminist texts?
  • How has our idea of feminism evolved alongside or counter to the word’s evolution?
  • Research project idea: find early uses of a common word in primary/secondary sources and how it has changed (or not!) over time.
  • How has social media impacted the meanings that words have?

 

Bad Feminist: Take Two by Roxanne Gay (originally published in Gay’s essay collection Bad Feminist)

  • What makes a feminist “good” or “bad?”
  • What defines the idea of “good” and “bad?”
  • Identify a single strong female character and analyze why/how they are “good” or “bad” feminists. Compare them with other strong female characters.
  • Examine the tone of Gay’s piece and how it effects the overall theme and takeaways of the essay.

 

Privilege by Matt Nathanson

  • Analyze a selection of advertisements in print and in other forms of media to determine the messages sent to male vs. female readers. Consider and write about who those ads are really meant to reach.
  • What messages do girls and boys each receive growing up that creates a self-esteem gap? Where do those messages come from?
  • Identify and explore examples of male feminists through literature. What does or does not make them feminist?
  • What does “privilege” mean?

 

The Monster Book of Questions and Answers by Anne Thériault

  • How and why is mental illness a feminist issue?
  • Explore “what if” scenarios relating to well-known examples of those in history and literature who suffered mental illness. For example: what if Vincent Van Gogh had better access to mental health help? Would Sylvia Plath have fared better or worse in today’s slightly-more-accepting climate of mental health?
  • Using the “Ten Amazing Scientists” list at the end of the article as a springboard to researching famous women in science and their enduring legacies. Tie-in to Hidden Figures and other recent media on women in science.

 

Pretty Enough by Alida Nugent

  • How does the use of humor help convey its theme? How can humor help structure an effective essay?
  • Talk about why we need diverse representation in literature and history.
  • What messages — subtle or not — are sent to people in our culture who don’t fit the typical mold of white beauty? How do we deconstruct that model of the “ideal” look?

 

So I Guess This Is Growing Up by Liz Prince

  • How can comics be like personal essays?
  • In what ways do comics convey information that traditional texts can’t or don’t?
  • Create your own comic about a moment in your life that was important OR create a comic based on a character in a book you’ve read recently.

 

I Have Always Eaten The Bread by Lily Myers

  • What does the phrase “this is the shape I make today” mean? How does it apply in your own life?
  • Examine the messaging of men’s and women’s magazines. What do the covers and articles suggest about bodies, health, and/or what’s “good shape” in each? Compare and contrast.
  • What’s the psychology behind advertising? What messages do advertisers hope to convey to people?
  • Read this one alongside “Privilege” by Matt Nathanson to talk about gender, sexism, and social messaging.

 

Dragging Myself Into Self-Love by Constance Augusta Zaber

  • What are gender roles? Where do they come from and in what ways do they come into and play a part in our everyday lives?
  • Pick a fictional character or historical figure who defied conventional gender norms.
  • Pick a living individual who defies gender norms and highlight the ways they’ve been a trailblazer within their respective area of expertise.
  • Discuss what “choice feminism” is as a topic and why it’s not key to being a feminist or understanding feminism more broadly.
  • Read this one alongside “I Have Always Eaten The Bread” by Lily Myers and “Privilege” by Matt Nathanson to talk about peer pressure, self-love, self-recognition, and gendered messaging.

 

The Likability Rule by Courtney Summers

  • Explain what “The Likability Rule” means, citing examples in books, music, movies, or other media.
  • Why do we label some characters as “unlikable?”
  • Create a list of unlikable male characters in literature and apply the “likability” standards to them as outlined in the essay. Where do they fail to fit? Do they have more leeway than similarly unlikable female characters?

 

Broken Body, Worthless Girl, and Other Lies I Called The Truth by Kayla Whaley

  • Where does the idea of desirability come from? What messages do we receive about what does or doesn’t make a person, place, or idea something we desire?
  • Dive into the history of a disabled author or person from history and talk about the great contributions they’ve made.
  • How does this piece’s format — a letter to one’s younger self — convey its message? In what ways is it more effective than a more traditional personal essay?
  • Use the format to inspire a creative writing project: have an adult character from literature or history write a letter to their younger selves with the lessons they’ve learned.
  • Pair with Siobhan Vivian’s essay and Erika T. Wurth’s essay for more in-depth discussion of letters as means of persuasion and writing styles/techniques.

 

All The Bodies by Rafe Posey

  • How does this essay expand and/or explore the Langston Hughes essay “My Life As A Social Poet?”
  • Why is “feminism” a loaded concept, as stated? In what ways can it become less loaded, if it can be?
  • How does reading help encourage empathy?

 

Do Female Black Lives Matter Too? by Amandla Stenberg

  • How are black women represented in the media? In literature? Through history? Cite examples of good and bad representation.
  • Where do we see black women in literature?
  • What black women authors should become part of the literary canon?
  • This short piece notes that “When the media is not ignoring black women all together, they are disparaging them.” What does that mean?
  • Research project: highlight the life of a black woman from history or literature who made an impact in their given field.

 

An Interview With Laverne Cox: “I Absolutely Consider Myself a Feminist” by Tricia Romano

  • Explore feminism and womanism as noted in the interview, including bell hooks and Kimberlee Crenshaw, noted academic who coined the term “intersectionality.”
  • Read and analyze “Ain’t I A Woman?” by bell hooks. How does Cox see herself in light of this poem?

 

Feminism Is As Feminism Does by Mia and Michaela DePrince

  • Read Michaela DePrince’s memoir Taking Flight and compare/contrast her story there with how she’s pursued helping others in her young life.
  • How do you pursue a passion?
  • What does global feminism look like? How do Western feminists help women (and other genders) throughout the world?
  • Research an organization dedicated to helping women in another country. What and why do they do what they do? How have they helped those communities?
  • Explore some of the further reading and resources included in this essay to learn more about the issue of female genital mutilation and sexual violence. Pair this essay and research with the interview about girls’ stories and sexual assault with Laurie Halse Anderson and Courtney Summers.
  • Mia’s song at the end of the piece highlights early feminists. Who are they, and how and why have they influenced her in her own feminism?
  • How is songwriting an effective means of conveying an idea?

 

Somewhere In America by Zariya Allen

  • Explore the history of censorship in America. Dig into what censorship does and does not mean?
  • Select a frequently banned book and research why it’s controversial. How does/doesn’t that differ from what we see on the news or in the media?
  • How is poetry and effective means of highlighting an idea or topic?
  • Pair with “Shrinking Woman” by Lily Myers to talk about slam poetry and oral storytelling.
  • Watch both this piece and Lily’s via YouTube and compare/contrast the impact of hearing vs. reading it.

 

Choose Your Own Adventure: Why Fandom Is Right For You (Yes, You!) by Brenna Clarke Gray

  • Develop your own fan fiction for a character in a classroom read.
  • Or, write a short piece of fan fiction from the voice of a character in a book you’ve read.
  • Read a selection of fan fiction and discuss how, where, and why it’s effective creative writing. What keeps you reading? What makes you stop?
  • Discuss how fandom impacts the what/how/ways we connect with books and stories.
  • Read a book, then explore a selection of fan fiction and/or fan art from it. Write about how the fan work sticks to or strays from the original work.

 

Facets of Feminism by Mikki Kendall

  • Who are your feminist icons and why?
  • Research the variety of women named in this essay — historical and contemporary — and explore where, why, and how they’ve had their feminism criticized.
  • In what ways have historical feminists criticized modern feminists of color? Where, why, and how has this happened?
  • How do we allow new, younger voices take the mic up about feminism?
  • Read Alice Walker’s views on womanism and talk about the difference between feminism and womanism.
  • Pick one of the women named in this essay and research her life.

 

Don’t Cash Crop On My Cornrows by Amandla Stenberg

  • Research the history of jazz and blues. How do those music genres relate to hip hop?
  • How has black culture been bought and sold?
  • Why does it matter to see and read diverse literature? What is the power of #ownvoices (stories written by marginalized people about those from their same marginalization) vs. those stories which are diverse but written by those outsize a particular marginalized group?
  • Create a visual or write a short essay on recent trends in popular culture which had their roots in black culture.

 

A Conversation About Girls’ Stories and Girls’ Voices with Laurie Halse Anderson and Courtney Summers by Kelly Jensen

  • Use this interview as part of a novel study with Speak and/or All The Rage. 
  • Why is it that girls’ stories have been historically underrepresented?
  • Why is the Western literary canon primarily white men?
  • Explore rape culture as seen through classic literature. For example: How/where does The Scarlet Letter play into rape culture? Does the context of this story change some of its messaging?
  • Topics about women and literature abound: the use of male pen names, the meaning of genre vs. “literature,” and so forth.

 

Girl Lessons by Sarah McCarry

  • What messages might girls pull from the books that they read or the media they consume about how they should “be a girl?” About how they should relate to other girls?
  • Use this essay in conjunction with studies about gender norms and conformity.

 

The Princess and the Witch by Wendy Xu

  • What is cultural fetishization? Cite examples through modern and historical times.
  • Use this comic to discuss the power of comics as a medium of storytelling and information sharing.
  • How does this comic relate to Xu’s note on being fascinated with “Beauty and the Beast” while growing up?
  • Pull this piece with “Feminism is as Feminism Does” by the DePrince sisters, as well as with “Don’t Cash Crop On My Cornrows” by Amandla Stenberg to talk about global feminism, as well as cultural identity.
  • Compare and contrast Xu’s story about growing up as an Asian American with the experiences that Malinda Lo shares in her essay “Forever Feminist.”

 

Corny Won’t Kill Your Cred: Rearview Mirror Reflections on Feminism and Romance by Siobhan Vivian

  • Cite examples of teen romance in books and in the greater media and explore what the messages they share might be. What might readers walk away with about the ideas of love and romance from them?
  • Tie in with Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. What if Juliet had received a similar letter from her future self? What would change, if anything? Perhaps, going out on a limb, there’s an opportunity for Juliet to write a letter to her young self in an imagined world where she is still alive.
  • Compare and contrast the letter-style essay format with Kayla Whaley and Erika T. Wurths pieces.

 

Faith and the Feminist by Kay Mirza

  • Research project: explore famous Muslims in history, literature, and contemporary times.
  • Why does representation matter? How might Mirza’s experiences growing up have been influenced by seeing more Muslims in books and television?
  • Mirza’s essay explores the tensions between feminism — historical and modern — and her faith. In what ways have religion and other philosophies impacted history and/or literature?
  • Can one be religious and feminist? How does someone come to terms with some of their beliefs contradicting?

 

In Search of Sisterhood by Brandy Colbert

  • Where have you found sisters/brothers outside of your family? If you never have found a sister/brother in the world, why?
  • Research project: black women through history and/or literature.
  • Read in conjunction with Colbert’s novel Pointe and see where Colbert’s own shared experience appear in her novel.
  • Colbert wrote a list of great black girl friendships. Brainstorm and write about great black girl friendships in books.

 

A Feminist Love by Jessica Luther

  • What are some examples of messaging to women about romance?
  • Explore dating ads and the messages they present about gender and gender norms.
  • What and why are some couples seen as “power couples” through history or the media? Give examples.
  • How could the experiences Luther talks about in relation to her own marriage be useful in offering dating or romantic advice to literary characters?

 

The “Nice Girl” Feminist by Ashley Hope Pérez

  • Who are examples of “nice girls” in literature or history? What about in pop culture? What makes them “nice girls?”
  • Apply the tips of being a “nice girl” to a character in a book who might need it.
  • What are the differences and similarities between the “nice girl” and the “unlikable” girl? Are there equivalent labels for boys and other genders?

 

Shrinking Women by Lily Myers

  • Explore cultural messaging about women and self-esteem, especially as it relates to body image.
  • How and why is slam poetry and effective method for persuasion?
  • What characters or people from history would relate to this poem? How and why?
  • Pair with “Somewhere in America” and watch the performances of both poems on YouTube. How does the viewing experience differ from the reading experience of each of these poems?

 

Dear Teen Me: It Would Have Changed Everything; It Would Have Changed Nothing by Erika T. Wurth

  • Where and how do we typically learn about Native Americans? What sorts of stories are shared in the classroom and in popular media?
  • Why does representation matter? Tie this piece in with others on the same topic of representation and inclusivity.
  • Pair with reading Sherman Alexie’s Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. How does Junior’s experience compare with Wurth’s, if at all?

 

A Thousand Paper Cuts by Shveta Thakrar

  • How do underrepresented voices get heard? How do the works of marginalized groups get read and shared?
  • How is writing a feminist act? How is writing a political act?
  • An excellent piece to talk about the writing process more broadly and might make for a solid first day reading for a writing-focused course and/or a solid piece of inspiration in similar classes.

 

The Win That Comes From Losing by Wendy Davis

  • Explore “losers” through history and what experiences or victories came in time for them.
  • Discuss: when is it okay to lose? What do we learn from failing to achieve something we set out to achieve?
  • When is it okay to quit? Is it ever okay to be a “quitter?”
  • Write about a character who has suffered a big loss and how they used that loss to motivate them on their journey.
  • Contemporary research project: what initiatives or activities has Davis participated in since her loss? How has she continued to be active and engaged in her community (both the small and big community)?

 

Many Stories, Many Roads by Daniel José Older

  • Research the quote that leads off the essay. Who is it credited to and why is it an important introduction to Older’s essay? How does it tie into what the essay explores?
  • Using the definition of “feminist” explored, discuss how various characters through literature have found their way to feminism.
  • Pair this essay with luminaries included within it: Audra Lorde, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Ta-Nehisi Coates.
  • At the end of the essay, Older talks about “the beautiful struggle.” What does that mean? How does it play out in history or literature?

 

Reading Worthy Women by Nova Ren Suma

  • Do we all need to read the same sorts of books to be considered “well-read?” What does being “well-read” mean?
  • Why is the Western literary canon predominantly straight white male authors?
  • What makes some books “literature” and others not? Why do some get studied in school and other titles don’t?
  • What female authors should be part of a reading curriculum? What five female authors should everyone read in high school English classes?
  • Pair with essays about representation and voice.
  • This essay would pair excellently with the first class read of a book by a female author.

 

The Choice Is Yours by Kody Keplinger

  • Why are children a symbol of achievement for women? Is it the same for men?
  • What, exactly, is selfishness? How is one act considered selfish and another not? Who decides the line between the two?
  • Explore literary and historical examples of when a choice made early in one’s life has had a huge impact on them, especially if it was a choice met with significant resistance.

 

A Guide To Being A Teenage Superheroine

  • Create your own superhero identity and make yourself into a comic to tell your story.
  • Create a superhero identity for famous heroes and villains through history and/or literature.
  • An easy “introduce yourself” activity for new classes, as well as a way to introduce new characters in a book — one part of a reading assignment could be to develop a series of superhero profiles for a book’s main characters.
  • Discuss superhero identities broadly: why do they matter? Why do we like them so much? Where and how is it okay for superhero identities to grow and evolve? Pair up with discussions about race and gender changes in superhero stories (like Miles Morales, Thor, etc.).
  • Pair with discussion of mythology.

 

Don’t Peak in High School by Mindy Kaling

  • Why does pop culture romanticize high school?
  • Culturally, what does high school represent? Where and how has the representation changed through history?
  • Explore images and renderings of high school and the growth of teen culture after World War II.
  • Why are high school experiences of people of color lacking in pop culture and history? Tie back into discussion within other essays about representation of diverse experiences in literature and pop culture.
  • Write about your own high school experience and how it is similar and different from an example in a song, a book, a movie, or a television show.

 

Owning My Feminism by Kelly Jensen

  • How are feminists portrayed through history and in popular culture?
  • Imagine the impostor syndrome literary or historical figures have experienced: what were they thinking or feeling during some of their biggest, scariest moments? What about in their quieter and still important moments?
  • How can you own your feminism?

 

 

____________________

I hope this helps those of you looking for ways to incorporate the book and/or parts of it into your curriculum. I’ve heard from a number of readers that they’ve incorporated the book into unique and creative discussions, and I’d love to hear more about how you’ve used Here We Are with teens (or adults!).

For those who are interested, I do offer free Skype visits for teachers or librarians using Here We Are. All of the details for doing that are available here, as are details about the non-fiction writing for teens program I offer more locally (Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago, and Rockford areas are all local to me). You can find my contact information there, too, and I’m happy to hear feedback or suggestions for this curriculum guide.

If you’d like a downloadable version of this guide, you can access it here.

Teens of Color on 2018 YA Book Covers

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One of my favorite annual round-ups has been this one: a look at the YA books hitting shelves in the next year featuring teens of color front and center. It’s been refreshing to see this become more common, though as always, we could use more, more, more.

Here’s a look at some excellent 2018 book covers where teens of color are front and center. Not all covers for next year’s books have been revealed yet, so this isn’t comprehensive. Grab your TBR and pop these right on it. All descriptions are from Goodreads.

Know of any I’ve missed from traditional publishers? Lay ’em in the comments.

 

After The Shot Drops by Randy Ribay (March 6)

Bunny and Nasir have been best friends forever, but when Bunny accepts an athletic scholarship across town, Nasir is betrayed. Bunny feels out of place among his new, privileged peers, and Nasir spends more time with his cousin, Wallace, who is being evicted. Nasir can’t help but wonder why the neighborhood is falling over itself to help Bunny when Wallace is in trouble.

When Wallace makes a bet against Bunny, Nasir is faced with an impossible decision—maybe a dangerous one.

 

 

 

 

American Panda by Gloria Chao (February 6)

At seventeen, Mei should be in high school, but skipping fourth grade was part of her parents’ master plan. Now a freshman at MIT, she is on track to fulfill the rest of this predetermined future: become a doctor, marry a preapproved Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer, produce a litter of babies.

With everything her parents have sacrificed to make her cushy life a reality, Mei can’t bring herself to tell them the truth–that she (1) hates germs, (2) falls asleep in biology lectures, and (3) has a crush on her classmate Darren Takahashi, who is decidedly not Taiwanese.

But when Mei reconnects with her brother, Xing, who is estranged from the family for dating the wrong woman, Mei starts to wonder if all the secrets are truly worth it. Can she find a way to be herself, whoever that is, before her web of lies unravels?

 

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton (February 20, first in a series)

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.

But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.

With the future of Orléans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.

 

Blood Of A Thousand Stars by Rhoda Belleza (February 20, second in a series)

Empress

With a revolution brewing, Rhee is faced with a choice: make a deal with her enemy, Nero, or denounce him and risk losing her crown.

Fugitive

Framed assassin Alyosha has one goal in mind: kill Nero. But to get his revenge, Aly may have to travel back to the very place he thought he’d left forever—home.

Princess

Kara knows that a single piece of technology located on the uninhabitable planet Wraeta may be the key to remembering—and erasing—the princess she once was.

Madman

Villainous media star Nero is out for blood, and he’ll go to any means necessary to control the galaxy.

Vicious politics and high-stakes action culminate in an epic showdown that will determine the fate of the universe.

 

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (March 6, first in a series)

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now, Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers—and her growing feelings for the enemy.

 

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (April 3)

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville—derailing the War Between the States and changing America forever. In this new nation, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Reeducation Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.

But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.

 

Everywhere You Want To Be by Christina June (May 1)

Matilda Castillo has always done what she was told, but when she gets injured senior years, she watches her dreams of becoming a contemporary dancer slip away. So when Tilly gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend the summer with a New York dance troupe, nothing can stop her from saying yes–not her mother, not her fears of the big city, and not the commitment she made to Georgetown. Tilly’s mother allows her to go on two conditions: one, Tilly will regularly visit her abuela in New Jersey, and two, after the summer, she’ll give up dancing and go off to college.

Armed with her red vintage sunglasses and her pros and cons lists, Tilly strikes out, determined to turn a summer job into a career. Along the way she meets new friends … and new enemies. Tilly isn’t the only one desperate to dance, and fellow troupe member Sabrina Wolfrik intends to succeed at any cost. But despite dodging sabotage and blackmail attempts from Sabrina, Tilly can’t help but fall in love with the city, especially since Paolo, a handsome musician from her past, is also calling New York home for the summer.

As the weeks wind down and the competition with Sabrina heats up, Tilly’s future is on the line. She must decide whether to follow her mother’s path to Georgetown or leap into the unknown to pursue her own dreams.

 

A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena (February 27)

Sixteen-year-old Zarin Wadia is many things: a bright and vivacious student, an orphan, a risk taker. She’s also the kind of girl that parents warn their kids to stay away from: a troublemaker whose many romances are the subject of endless gossip at school.  You don’t want to get involved with a girl like that, they say. So how is it that eighteen-year-old Porus Dumasia has only ever had eyes for her? And how did Zarin and Porus end up dead in a car together, crashed on the side of a highway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia? When the religious police arrive on the scene, everything everyone thought they knew about Zarin is questioned. And as her story is pieced together, told through multiple perspectives, it becomes clear that she was far more than just a girl like that.

 

 

 

Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann (January 28)

Alice had her whole summer planned. Non-stop all-you-can-eat buffets while marathoning her favorite TV shows (best friends totally included) with the smallest dash of adulting–working at the library to pay her share of the rent. The only thing missing from her perfect plan? Her girlfriend (who ended things when Alice confessed she’s asexual). Alice is done with dating–no thank you, do not pass go, stick a fork in her, done.

But then Alice meets Takumi and she can’t stop thinking about him or the rom com-grade romance feels she did not ask for (uncertainty, butterflies, and swoons, oh my!).

When her blissful summer takes an unexpected turn, and Takumi becomes her knight with a shiny library employee badge (close enough), Alice has to decide if she’s willing to risk their friendship for a love that might not be reciprocated—or understood.

 

Love, Hate, and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed (January 16)

A searing #OwnVoices coming-of-age debut in which an Indian-American Muslim teen confronts Islamophobia and a reality she can neither explain nor escape–perfect for fans of Angie Thomas, Jacqueline Woodson, and Adam Silvera.

Maya Aziz is torn between futures: the one her parents expect for their good Indian daughter (i.e.; staying nearby in Chicago and being matched with a “suitable” Muslim boy), and the one where she goes to film school in New York City–and maybe, just maybe, kisses a guy she’s only known from afar. There’s the also the fun stuff, like laughing with her best friend Violet, making on-the-spot documentaries, sneaking away for private swimming lessons at a secret pond in the woods. But her world is shattered when a suicide bomber strikes in the American heartland; by chance, he shares Maya’s last name. What happens to the one Muslim family in town when their community is suddenly consumed with hatred and fear?

 

Meet Cute anthology by various YA authors (January 2)

Whether or not you believe in fate, or luck, or love at first sight, every romance has to start somewhere. MEET CUTE is an anthology of original short stories featuring tales of “how they first met” from some of today’s most popular YA authors.

Readers will experience Nina LaCour’s beautifully written piece about two Bay Area girls meeting via a cranky customer service Tweet, Sara Shepard’s glossy tale about a magazine intern and a young rock star, Nicola Yoon’s imaginative take on break-ups and make-ups, Katie Cotugno’s story of two teens hiding out from the police at a house party, and Huntley Fitzpatrick’s charming love story that begins over iced teas at a diner. There’s futuristic flirting from Kass Morgan and Katharine McGee, a riveting transgender heroine from Meredith Russo, a subway missed connection moment from Jocelyn Davies, and a girl determined to get out of her small town from Ibi Zoboi. Jennifer Armentrout writes a sweet story about finding love from a missing library book, Emery Lord has a heartwarming and funny tale of two girls stuck in an airport, Dhonielle Clayton takes a thoughtful, speculate approach to pre-destined love, and Julie Murphy dreams up a fun twist on reality dating show contestants.

This incredibly talented group of authors brings us a collection of stories that are at turns romantic and witty, epic and everyday, heartbreaking and real.

 

The Place Between Breaths by An Na (March 6)

Sixteen-year-old Grace is in a race against time—and in a race for her life—even if she doesn’t realize it yet…

She is smart, responsible, and contending with more than what most teens ever have to. Her mother struggled with schizophrenia for years until, one day, she simply disappeared—fleeing in fear that she was going to hurt herself or those she cared about. Ever since, Grace’s father has worked as a recruiter at one of the leading labs dedicated to studying the disease, trying to lure the world’s top scientists to the faculty to find a cure, hoping against hope it can happen in time to help his wife if she is ever found. But this makes him distant. Consumed.

Grace, in turn, does her part, interning at the lab in the gene sequencing department in hopes that one day they might make a breakthrough…and one day they do. Grace stumbles upon a string of code that could be the key. But something inside of Grace has started to unravel. Could her discovery just be a cruel side effect of the schizophrenia finally taking hold? Can she even tell the difference between what is real and what isn’t?

 

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (March 6)

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about. With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself.

So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out, much less speak her words out loud. But still, she can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.

Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.

Fans of Jacqueline Woodson, Meg Medina, and Jason Reynolds will fall hard for this astonishing own voices novel-in-verse by an award-winning slam poet, about an Afro-Latina heroine who tells her story with blazing words and powerful truth.

 

 

Ship It by Britta Lundin (Spring 18)

The story of a fanfic writer named Claire who just knows the two male characters on her favorite show are in love, and tries to convince the showrunner to make the relationship happen on screen when she’s invited on a Comic Con tour with the cast.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles (March 20)

When Marvin Johnson’s twin, Tyler, goes to a party, Marvin decides to tag along to keep an eye on his brother. But what starts as harmless fun turns into a shooting, followed by a police raid.

The next day, Tyler has gone missing, and it’s up to Marvin to find him. But when Tyler is found dead, a video leaked online tells an even more chilling story: Tyler has been shot and killed by a police officer. Terrified as his mother unravels and mourning a brother who is now a hashtag, Marvin must learn what justice and freedom really mean.

YA Cover Makeovers: 5 Redesigns To Consider

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It’s time for another round of YA cover makeovers. As usual, some of these are great redesigns, some are not so great, and some make you wonder why they were being changed at all. I’d love to know what you think of the covers, either the original or the redesign, in the comments, and if you have seen other recent changes worth noting, lay ’em in the comments, too. Original designs are on the left, and the paperback redesign is on the right.

 

 

Saving Hamlet by Molly Booth has undergone a pretty dramatic transformation. The original cover was entirely illustrative, and it was quite clear that the book had something to do with Hamlet. There’s Yorick there, as well as an image of the crown above the word “Hamlet,” and the spotlight gives a good indication it has something to do with theater. It’s a cute cover, though perhaps reads a little bit young. Yet, I can imagine the teens who see this being excited by it because they know exactly what it is they’re getting into.

The paperback redesign of this cover, though, didn’t strike me as YA when I first saw it. It reminded me of a romance novel, and that’s precisely why I stopped and looked at it more closely. This cover is very clever, incorporating parts of the original cover design into the new look. We have Yorick still, as well as the crown. We also have a font which, if not exactly the same, is really close to being the same. But the changes: we have a boy and a girl who are back to back. From afar, it looks like there are handcuffs, but upon a closer look, it’s clear each is holding their own hands and they’re hovering near the sword. This is a weird image, for sure, and while it’ll certainly appeal to readers seeking a romance, I’m not sure it hits the same demographic as the original cover. The new design also incorporates a tag line that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense without context: “Shakespeare gets real.” Was Shakespeare not real before? I can’t say I get it not having read the book.

Neither cover is better or worse. They cater to wildly different readerships. Saving Hamlet will hit shelves in paperback on November 7.

 

 

I kind of hated the original cover for Anna Banks’s Nemesis and I can say that I hate the paperback a little bit less. The original features a stone-faced girl and a color scheme that could only be described as bland. The only feature that stands out is her blonde hair, which tells me absolutely nothing about the book except that there’s a white girl at the center of the story. The tag line at the top, “She didn’t expect to fall in love — with her nemesis” only adds more to the nothing factor of the cover. It sounds like every other fantasy or dystopian novel tag line. It’s frustrating to not get a ready on genre at all, as I can’t tell who this book would be great for.

The paperback, which will be released October 3, isn’t hugely better in terms of giving a genre read, but from a design perspective, it’s worlds better. It looks, I think, a little more science fiction than fantasy, but that may be from the font alone — I can’t place it, but I’ve definitely seen that look for an author’s name. What this cover improves, though, is on color: we have at least a little bit. There’s also a nice sheen to the image in the center, and the girl on it is less easy to identify. The dropping of the tag line is also an improvement.

I don’t love either cover, but the paperback is much better, if for no reason other than it looks like it could be shelved alongside a bunch of other similar books for readers to pick up and know whether or not it is for them.

 

 

The Last True Love Story by Brendan Kiely came out last fall and it didn’t seem to land as loudly as it should have, given that Kiely had gained a significant amount of acclaim in his work with Jason Reynolds in American Boys. The cover for The Last True Love Story, however, is pretty quiet. It’s clear it’s a giant sky with movement, and the font itself sort of mirrors the look. It reads contemporary love story to me, though beyond the title, little exactly says that. . . and little indication of what is really inside the book. This is an example of a font-driven title that does the job of explaining the story but that doesn’t add much to the design itself.

The paperback, which just hit shelves, tells a little bit more. What’s interesting is how much it looks like a movie still: we see a girl who looks lost, we see the dreamy lights behind her, and then that’s mirrored by the dreamy motion and lights of the ferris wheel below. Brendan’s name has been moved from below the title to above, likely being the bigger selling feature than the title, and interestingly, the blurb from Julie Murphy takes up far more real estate on paperback than it did on the hard cover. Toning down the font for the title does the cover service, too. It’s not perfect, but this one screams mature, dreamy YA love story in a way the original doesn’t. The original nails YA love story but less of the “mature” and “dreamy” aspects. I’m really digging the buttery-yellow color for the author name, too — there’s a shade of yellow I’ve not seen much on YA books and adds to that dreamy feel.

My own reader tastes would pick up the paperback before the hard cover edition, but I can see the appeal for both. I think they hit the same readership, though they tell different stories.

 

 

Dust of 100 Dogs by AS King came out many years ago from Flux as a paperback original. This was King’s first book and one that doesn’t seem to get the same kind of talk or attention as her subsequent titles. It’s a pretty cool cover, focusing on three colors, a unique font design, and using the negative space really well.

King’s first book is being reissued on October 3 through Speak, an imprint of Penguin, which is where she’s now being published. The choice in reissuing is a smart one, given that she’s grown her audience since this book, and the designers were clever in making the new edition look really similar to the previous ones. The font is very close to being the same, though her name has been made white and more standard looking. There is now a list of acclaims beside her name, and a blurb from the New York Times. If you’re curious why they didn’t just keep the original design, my guess would be that it was copyrighted by the designer and/or house, so getting rights for that would be challenging. But the way they managed to keep it so similar, just using different pieces, is pretty impressive.

While I prefer the original cover, I’ve got no qualms with the reissue. I think the similarity is clever. I only wish that our girl was wearing something on her body in the new edition. Her boots blend in a little too much. (Also, look at how she went from knee-high heeled boots to less-high combat-style boots).

 

 

Here is the cover design baffling me the most out of the ones here. Krystal Sutherland’s Our Chemical Hearts hit shelves last fall with a cover that was super fresh and unique. I love the blue-hued fish and the way the font plays with the fish shapes. There’s a cool three dimensional effect, and it’s just so different. Does it say anything about the story? Absolutely not. This is a book about first love, but from that cover, you’d never know. And yet, the cover is cool and fresh enough to encourage readers to pick it up to find out what it could possibly be about. Fish? Maybe romance…but fish?

The paperback edition of the book, which hit shelves earlier this month, continues to tell us nothing about the story. It’s pretty, sure sure, but the choice in all lowercase letters for the title and author name is odd. This is a very bright and fun cover that achieves an effect of being just that. The blurbs for this book call it “John Green meets Rainbow Rowell” — we’re still not past that lazy and useless description — but the book doesn’t look like it would belong in the hands of fans of either of those authors. Working in favor of this cover over the original, though, is the blurb on top, as we know it’s a story about first love.

It also reminds me a lot of Natalie C. Parker’s forthcoming anthology Three Sides of a Heart.

Verdict? I really like the design and feel of both covers, yet neither one seems to fit the book. Either would stand out on a display but how would you know who to hand it to?

 

What do you think? Do you prefer any of these covers? Lay your opinions and thoughts in the comments.

On The Radar: September YA Reads To Know

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“On The Radar” is a monthly series meant to highlight between 9 and 12 books per month to fit a budget of roughly $300 or less. These lists are curated from a larger spreadsheet I keep with a running list of titles hitting shelves and are meant to reflect not only the big books coming out from authors readers know and love, but it’s also meant to showcase some of the titles that have hit my radar through review copies, publicity blasts, or because they’re titles that might otherwise not be readily seen or picked up through those traditional avenues. It’s part science and part art.

For September, I have cheated something pretty fierce, but for good reason. I’ve pulled 17 titles (I know), but I’ve done so because not all of these might be right for your purchasing purposes. Many titles this month are coming out as part of a series or from authors who have huge followings, and I wanted to hit not only those titles, but others which should be noted alongside the louder ones. Some of these have had great buzz or earned solid reviews or have something about them that make them worth knowing for the month of September.

Book descriptions come from Goodreads and reasons for putting on your radar are mine and mine alone! Titles are alphabetical, with pub dates beside them. Titles with a * in front of them are books that are starting or a continuation of a series.

 

*Before She Ignites by Jodi Meadows (9/12)

Before

Mira Minkoba is the Hopebearer. Since the day she was born, she’s been told she’s special. Important. Perfect. She’s known across the Fallen Isles not just for her beauty, but for the Mira Treaty named after her, a peace agreement which united the seven islands against their enemies on the mainland.

But Mira has never felt as perfect as everyone says. She counts compulsively. She struggles with crippling anxiety. And she’s far too interested in dragons for a girl of her station.

After

Then Mira discovers an explosive secret that challenges everything she and the Treaty stand for. Betrayed by the very people she spent her life serving, Mira is sentenced to the Pit–the deadliest prison in the Fallen Isles. There, a cruel guard would do anything to discover the secret she would die to protect.

No longer beholden to those who betrayed her, Mira must learn to survive on her own and unearth the dark truths about the Fallen Isles–and herself–before her very world begins to collapse.

 

Why it should be on your radar: It’s the first in a new series by Jodi Meadows, and it’s a series that involves dragons.

 

Disappeared by Francisco X. Stork (9/26)

Four Months Ago
Sara Zapata’s best friend disappeared, kidnapped by the web of criminals who terrorize Juarez.

Four Hours Ago
Sara received a death threat – and with it, a clue to the place where her friend is locked away.

Four Weeks Ago
Emiliano Zapata fell in love with Perla Rubi, who will never be his so long as he’s poor.

Four Minutes Ago
Emiliano got the chance to make more money than he ever dreamed – just by joining the web.

In the next four days, Sara and Emiliano will each face impossible choices, between life and justice, friends and family, truth and love. But when the web closes in on Sara, only one path remains for the siblings: the way across the desert to the United States.

 

Why it should be on your radar: A new Francisco X Stork book, and this one is about drug cartels…which has been one of the odd microtrends of this year.

 

Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart

The story of a young woman whose diabolical smarts are her ticket into a charmed life. But how many times can someone reinvent themselves? You be the judge.

Imogen is a runaway heiress, an orphan, a cook, and a cheat.
Jule is a fighter, a social chameleon, and an athlete.
An intense friendship. A disappearance. A murder, or maybe two.
A bad romance, or maybe three.
Blunt objects, disguises, blood, and chocolate. The American dream, superheroes, spies, and villains.
A girl who refuses to give people what they want from her.
A girl who refuses to be the person she once was.

 

 

Why it should be on your radar: A new book from E Lockhart has been generating a lot of buzz and will continue to do so.

 

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust (9/5)

At sixteen, Mina’s mother is dead, her magician father is vicious, and her silent heart has never beat with love for anyone—has never beat at all, in fact, but she’d always thought that fact normal. She never guessed that her father cut out her heart and replaced it with one of glass. When she moves to Whitespring Castle and sees its king for the first time, Mina forms a plan: win the king’s heart with her beauty, become queen, and finally know love. The only catch is that she’ll have to become a stepmother.

Fifteen-year-old Lynet looks just like her late mother, and one day she discovers why: a magician created her out of snow in the dead queen’s image, at her father’s order. But despite being the dead queen made flesh, Lynet would rather be like her fierce and regal stepmother, Mina. She gets her wish when her father makes Lynet queen of the southern territories, displacing Mina. Now Mina is starting to look at Lynet with something like hatred, and Lynet must decide what to do—and who to be—to win back the only mother she’s ever known…or else defeat her once and for all.

 

Why it should be on your radar: A stand alone fantasy called Frozen meets The Bloody Chamber.

 

Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore (9/19)

Jane has lived an ordinary life, raised by her aunt Magnolia—an adjunct professor and deep sea photographer. Jane counted on Magnolia to make the world feel expansive and to turn life into an adventure. But Aunt Magnolia was lost a few months ago in Antarctica on one of her expeditions.

Now, with no direction, a year out of high school, and obsessed with making umbrellas that look like her own dreams (but mostly just mourning her aunt), she is easily swept away by Kiran Thrash—a glamorous, capricious acquaintance who shows up and asks Jane to accompany her to a gala at her family’s island mansion called Tu Reviens.

Jane remembers her aunt telling her: “If anyone ever invites to you to Tu Reviens, promise me that you’ll go.” With nothing but a trunkful of umbrella parts to her name, Jane ventures out to the Thrash estate. Then her story takes a turn, or rather, five turns. What Jane doesn’t know is that Tu Reviens will offer her choices that can ultimately determine the course of her untethered life. But at Tu Reviens, every choice comes with a reward, or a price.

 

Why it should be on your radar: Kristin Cashore fans have been waiting for a new book from her for years and years, and this one goes in an entirely different genre direction than her “Graceling” series. I have to say, I’ve read middling reviews on this one, but that won’t stop it from being picked up.

 

The Last Jedi, Leia by Claudia Gray (9/1)

A young adult novel, written by New York Times Best-selling author Claudia Gray, about sixteen-year-old Princess Leia, set before A New Hope.

 

Why it should be on your radar: There is virtually no description of the book, but it’s part of the YA Star Wars novels, and it’s by Claudia Gray. That’s enough reason.

 

 

 

 

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu (9/19)

MOXIE GIRLS FIGHT BACK!

Vivian Carter is fed up. Fed up with a school administration at her small-town Texas high school that thinks the football team can do no wrong. Fed up with sexist dress codes, hallway harassment, and gross comments from guys during class. But most of all, Viv Carter is fed up with always following the rules.

Viv’s mom was a tough-as-nails, punk rock Riot Grrrl in the ’90s, and now Viv takes a page from her mother’s past and creates a feminist zine that she distributes anonymously to her classmates. She’s just blowing off steam, but other girls respond. As Viv forges friendships with other young women across the divides of cliques and popularity rankings, she realizes that what she has started is nothing short of a girl revolution.

 

Why it should be on your radar: Aside from the controversy surrounding the Kirkus review of this title, Mathieu’s latest is a feminist read which has been optioned by Amy Poehler’s production company. Lots of buzz already and I suspect it’ll only grow.

 

Neighborhood Girls by Jessie Ann Foley (9/12)

When Wendy Boychuck’s father, a Chicago cop, was escorted from their property in handcuffs for his shady criminal practices, she knew her life would never be the same. Her father gets a years-long jail sentence, her family falls on hard times, and the whispers around town are impossible to ignore. If that wasn’t bad enough, she gets jumped walking home from a party one night. Wendy quickly realizes that in order to survive her father’s reputation, she’ll have to make one for herself.

Then Wendy meets Kenzie Quintana—a cigarette-smoking, Catholic-school-uniform-skirt-hiking alpha—and she knows that she’s met her savior. Kenzie can provide Wendy with the kind of armor a girl needs when she’s trying to outrun her father’s past. Add two more mean girls to the mix—Sapphire and Emily—and Wendy has found herself in Academy of the Sacred Heart’s most feared and revered clique. Makeover complete.

But complete is far from what Wendy feels. Instead, she faces the highs and lows of a vapid, toxic friendship, the exhaustion that comes with keeping up appearances, and the only loss that could hurt more than losing herself

 

Why it should be on your radar: Foley’s first book, The Carnival at Bray, was a Morris and a Printz short list title. This is her sophomore release.

 

 

Odd and True by Cat Winters (9/12)

Trudchen grew up hearing Odette’s stories of their monster-slaying mother and a magician’s curse. But now that Tru’s older, she’s starting to wonder if her older sister’s tales were just comforting lies, especially because there’s nothing fantastic about her own life—permanently disabled and in constant pain from childhood polio.

In 1909, after a two-year absence, Od reappears with a suitcase supposedly full of weapons and a promise to rescue Tru from the monsters on their way to attack her. But it’s Od who seems haunted by something. And when the sisters’ search for their mother leads them to a face-off with the Leeds Devil, a nightmarish beast that’s wreaking havoc in the Mid-Atlantic states, Tru discovers the peculiar possibility that she and her sister—despite their dark pasts and ordinary appearances—might, indeed, have magic after all.

 

Why it should be on your radar: Cat Winters was a Morris finalist a few years back, and she’s continued putting out really unique titles. This one is part historical, part gothic-y horror, and it’s a stand alone.

 

*One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake (9/19)

The battle for the Crown has begun, but which of the three sisters will prevail?

With the unforgettable events of the Quickening behind them and the Ascension Year underway, all bets are off. Katharine, once the weak and feeble sister, is stronger than ever before. Arsinoe, after discovering the truth about her powers, must figure out how to make her secret talent work in her favor without anyone finding out. And Mirabella, once thought to be the strongest sister of all and the certain Queen Crowned, faces attacks like never before—ones that put those around her in danger she can’t seem to prevent.

 

Why it should be on your radar: It’s the sequel to Three Dark Crowns.

 

The Ravenous by Amy Lukavics (9/26)

From the outside, the Cane family looks like they have it all. A successful military father, a loving mother and five beautiful teenage daughters. But on the inside, life isn’t quite so idyllic: the Cane sisters can barely stand each other, their father is always away, and their neglectful mother struggles with addiction and depression.

When their youngest and most beloved sister, Rose, dies in a tragic accident, Mona Cane and her sisters are devastated. And when she is brought back from the dead, they are relieved. But soon they discover that Rose must eat human flesh to survive, and when their mother abandons them, the sisters will find out just how far they’ll go to keep their family together.

 

Why it should be on your radar: Amy Lukavics is writing some the darkest, creepiest horror in YA right now. Readers itching for that will gobble this up.

 

*Shadowhouse Fall by Daniel José Older (9/12)

Sierra and her friends love their new lives as shadowshapers, making art and creating change with the spirits of Brooklyn. Then Sierra receives a strange card depicting a beast called the Hound of Light — an image from the enigmatic, influential Deck of Worlds. The shadowshapers know their next battle has arrived.

Thrust into an ancient struggle with enemies old and new, Sierra and Shadowhouse are determined to win. Revolution is brewing in the real world as well, as the shadowshapers lead the fight against systems that oppress their community. To protect her family and friends in every sphere, Sierra must take down the Hound and master the Deck of Worlds… or risk losing them all.

 

Why it should be on your radar: It’s the sequel to the New York Times bestseller and fan favorite Shadowshaper.

 

There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins (9/26)

One-by-one, the students of Osborne High are dying in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasing and grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and the hunt intensifies for the killer, the dark secrets among them must finally be confronted.

International bestselling author Stephanie Perkins returns with a fresh take on the classic teen slasher story that’s fun, quick-witted, and completely impossible to put down.

 

Why it should be on your radar: Stephanie Perkins wrote a horror novel. And this horror novel sounds fabulous, too, given the love Perkins has for the genre.

 

 

They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera (9/5)

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure and to live a lifetime in a single day.

 

Why it should be on your radar: As Adam Silvera grows as a writer, so does his fan base. It’s his second release of the year and it’s another title featuring queer and diverse characters.

 

 

 

*Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas (9/5)

Chaol Westfall has always defined himself by his unwavering loyalty, his strength, and his position as the Captain of the Guard. But all of that has changed since the glass castle shattered, since his men were slaughtered, since the King of Adarlan spared him from a killing blow, but left his body broken.

His only shot at recovery lies with the legendary healers of the Torre Cesme in Antica—the stronghold of the southern continent’s mighty empire. And with war looming over Dorian and Aelin back home, their survival might lie with Chaol and Nesryn convincing its rulers to ally with them.

But what they discover in Antica will change them both—and be more vital to saving Erilea than they could have imagined.

 

Why it should be on your radar: This is the sixth book in the wildly popular “Throne of Glass” series.

 

*Warcross by Marie Lu (9/12)

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

 

Why it should be on your radar: It’s the first book in a new series by bestseller Marie Lu.

 

You Bring The Distant Near by Mitali Perkins (9/12)

This elegant novel captures the immigrant experience for one Indian-American family with humor and heart. Told in alternating teen voices across three generations, You Bring the Distant Near explores sisterhood, first loves, friendship, and the inheritance of culture–for better or worse.

From a grandmother worried that her children are losing their Indian identity to a daughter wrapped up in a forbidden biracial love affair to a granddaughter social-activist fighting to preserve Bengali tigers, Perkins weaves together the threads of a family growing into an American identity.

Here is a sweeping story of five women at once intimately relatable and yet entirely new.

 

Why it should be on your radar: Perkins writes cross cultural novels that are really damn good, and this one sounds no different. I’ve read a lot of great reviews of this one, too.