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STACKED

books

  • STACKED
  • About Us
  • Categories
    • Audiobooks
    • Book Lists
      • Debut YA Novels
      • Get Genrefied
      • On The Radar
    • Cover Designs
      • Cover Doubles
      • Cover Redesigns
      • Cover Trends
    • Feminism
      • Feminism For The Real World Anthology
      • Size Acceptance
    • In The Library
      • Challenges & Censorship
      • Collection Development
      • Discussion and Resource Guides
      • Readers Advisory
    • Professional Development
      • Book Awards
      • Conferences
    • The Publishing World
      • Data & Stats
    • Reading Life and Habits
    • Romance
    • Young Adult
  • Reviews + Features
    • About The Girls Series
    • Author Interviews
    • Contemporary YA Series
      • Contemporary Week 2012
      • Contemporary Week 2013
      • Contemporary Week 2014
    • Guest Posts
    • Link Round-Ups
      • Book Riot
    • Readers Advisory Week
    • Reviews
      • Adult
      • Audiobooks
      • Graphic Novels
      • Non-Fiction
      • Picture Books
      • YA Fiction
    • So You Want to Read YA Series
  • Review Policy

Hello! My Name Is In The YA Book Title: 2023 Edition

February 13, 2023 |

Over the last several years, the full name as part of a YA book title has been a big trend. It’s one I’ve talked about enjoying before, in part because it makes the title a little bit more memorable–I might not remember the whole title nor whether it begins with an “A” or “The” or “This” or “That,” but chances are I’ll be more likely to remember it’s a book with a specific name in it. This is good service for those who help others find books as well. But much as I enjoy this structure, we may have hit saturation point. I think there’s still something to be said about how it’s especially powerful when the name is one tied to a cultural background, but perhaps it’s a styling that is worth taking a hard look at. Is it still effective? I don’t have an answer to this. I know I’ve seen a couple of YA books with “Margo/t” as the title character and I suspect keeping those straight would be hard for the average reader, let alone someone whose work is in YA books.

In 2023, we will see another collection of full names in YA book titles. Here’s a look at what they are and what they’re all about. Details for the titles come from Amazon, as those tend to have the strongest book descriptions.

It shouldn’t be hugely surprising to note most of these books are contemporary YA. A few of these titles have yet to have a book description or title released, as they’re projected to publish at the end of the year.

 

Arya Khanna’s Bollywood Moment by Arushi Avachat (Fall 2023; no cover yet)

Arya Khanna’s life gets a Bollywood spin when her older sister gets engaged.

Shaadi preparations are in full swing, which means lehenga shopping, taste testing, dance rehearsals, and best of all, that Alina is home. For the first time in three years, the Khannas are together again, and Arya is determined to keep the peace. She stifles the lingering resentment she still feels towards Alina, plays mediator during bitter mother-daughter fights, and welcomes Nikhil into the family with open arms.

Outside of shaadi planning, Arya’s senior year dreams are unraveling. In between class and her part-time gig as a bookshop assistant, Arya struggles to navigate the aftermath of a bad breakup between her two best friends and a tense partnership (turned friendship turned romance) with former rival, student body president Dean Merriweather.

Arya’s always considered herself a problem solver—the past three years have made her an expert in confronting adversity. But shaadi season teaches Arya new realities: Mamma’s sadness isn’t mendable, some friendships are meant to end, and life doesn’t always work out like the Bollywood movies Arya loves so dearly.

 

bianca toree is afraid of everything book coverBianca Torre Is Afraid of Everything by Justine Pucella Winans (4/11)

Sixteen-year-old Bianca Torre is an avid birder undergoing a gender identity crisis and grappling with an ever-growing list of fears. Some, like Fear #6: Initiating Conversation, keep them constrained, forcing them to watch birds from the telescope in their bedroom. And, occasionally, their neighbors. When their gaze wanders to one particular window across the street, Bianca witnesses a creepy plague-masked murderer take their neighbor’s life. Worse, the death is ruled a suicide, forcing Bianca to make a choice—succumb to their long list of fears (including #3 Murder and #55 Breaking into a Dead Guy’s Apartment), or investigate what happened.

Bianca enlists the help of their friend Anderson Coleman, but the two have more knowledge of anime than true crime. As Bianca and Anderson dig deeper into the murder with a little help from Bianca’s crush and fellow birding aficionado, Elaine Yee (#13 Beautiful People, #11 Parents Discovering They’re a Raging Lesbian), the trio uncover a conspiracy much larger—and weirder—than imagined. And when the killer catches wind of the investigation, suddenly Bianca’s #1 fear of public speaking doesn’t sound so bad compared to the threat of being silenced for good.

In this absurdist, darkly comical YA thriller that is a deceptively deep exploration of anxiety and identity, perhaps the real murder investigation is the friends we make along the way.

 

Carlos Alejos Has to Lose His Chichos by Mathew Rodriguez (Winter 2023, no description or cover yet)

 

The Fall of Whit Rivera by Crystal Maldonado (Fall 2023, no description or cover yet)

 

Gita Desai Is Not Here to Shut Up by Sonia Patel (Fall 2023, no cover and description from the publisher)

[F]ollows a teen whose first semester at college begins to unravel as trauma from her childhood becomes impossible to ignore. A heartrending story about never letting go of your voice.

 

gloria buenrosto book coverGloria Buenrostro Is Not My Girlfriend by Brandon Hoàng (6/27)

Gary Võ is one of the few Vietnamese kids in his school and has been shy for as long as he can remember―being ignored and excluded by his classmates comes with the territory. So when the most popular guy in his grade offers Gary the opportunity to break into his inner circle, Gary jumps at the chance. All he needs to do is steal the prized possession of the most beautiful and untouchable girl they know―Gloria Buenrostro.

But as Gary gets to know Gloria, he’s taken in by her authenticity and genuine interest in who he really is. Soon, they’re best friends. Being part of the “in crowd” has always been Gary’s dream, but as he comes closer to achieving infamy, he risks losing the first person who recognizes his true self. Gary must consider if any amount of popularity is worth losing a true friend.

 

 

 

The Great and Powerful Gracie Byrne by Shannon Takaoka (Fall 2023, no cover or description yet)

 

imposter syndrome book coverImposter Syndrome and Confessions of Alejandra Kim by Patricia Park (2/21)

Alejandra Kim doesn’t feel like she belongs anywhere. At her wealthy Manhattan high school, her súper Spanish name and súper Korean face do not compute to her mostly white “woke” classmates and teachers. In her Jackson Heights neighborhood, she’s not Latinx enough. Even at home, Ale feels unwelcome. And things at home have only gotten worse since Papi’s body was discovered on the subway tracks.

Ale wants nothing more than to escape the city for the wide-open spaces of the prestigious Wyder University. But when a microaggression at school thrusts Ale into the spotlight—and into a discussion she didn’t ask for—Ale must discover what is means to carve out a space for yourself to belong.

Patricia Park’s coming-of-age novel about a multicultural teen caught between worlds, and the future she is building for herself, is an incisive, laugh-out-loud, provocative read.

 

 

luis ortega survival club book coverThe Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes (5/23)

Ariana Ruiz wants to be noticed. But as an autistic girl who never talks, she goes largely ignored by her peers—despite her bold fashion choices. So when cute, popular Luis starts to pay attention to her, Ari finally feels seen.

Luis’s attention soon turns to something more, and they have sex at a party—while Ari didn’t say no, she definitely didn’t say yes. Before she has a chance to process what happened and decide if she even has the right to be mad at Luis, the rumor mill begins churning—thanks, she’s sure, to Luis’s ex-girlfriend, Shawni. Boys at school now see Ari as an easy target, someone who won’t say no.

Then Ari finds a mysterious note in her locker that eventually leads her to a group of students determined to expose Luis for the predator he is. To her surprise, she finds genuine friendship among the group, including her growing feelings for the very last girl she expected to fall for. But in order to take Luis down, she’ll have to come to terms with the truth of what he did to her that night—and risk everything to see justice done.

 

margo zimmerman gets the girl book coverMargo Zimmerman Gets the Girl by Sara Waxelbaum, Brianna R. Shrum (5/2)

This charming YA rom-com follows Margo, who suddenly realizes that she’s gay but has no clue how to express her identity, so she enlists out-and-proud Abbie to act as her tutor on everything “Queer 101”…and first love.
 
Margo Zimmerman is gay, but she didn’t know until now. An overachiever at heart, Margo is determined to ace her newly discovered gayness. All she needs is the right tutor.

Abbie Sokoloff has her own gayness down to a science. But a flunking grade in US History is threatening her acceptance to her dream school. All she needs is the right tutor.

Margo agrees to help Abbie get her history grade up in exchange for “Queer 101” lessons. But as they spend more and more time together, Margo realizes she doesn’t want just any girl—she wants the girl.

 

nigeria jones book coverNigeria Jones by Ibi Zoboi (5/9)

Warrior Princess. That’s what Nigeria Jones’s father calls her. He has raised her as part of the Movement, a Black separatist group based in Philadelphia. Nigeria is homeschooled and vegan and participates in traditional rituals to connect her and other kids from the group to their ancestors. But when her mother—the perfect matriarch of their Movement—disappears, Nigeria’s world is upended. She finds herself taking care of her baby brother and stepping into a role she doesn’t want.

Nigeria’s mother had secrets. She wished for a different life for her children, which includes sending her daughter to a private Quaker school outside of their strict group. Despite her father’s disapproval, Nigeria attends the school with her cousin, Kamau, and Sage, who used to be a friend. ­There, she begins to flourish and expand her universe.

As Nigeria searches for her mother, she starts to uncover a shocking truth. One that will lead her to question everything she thought she knew about her life and her family.

From award-winning author Ibi Zoboi comes a powerful story about discovering who you are in the world—and fighting for that person—by having the courage to be your own revolution.

 

rana joon book coverRana Joon and The One and Only Now by Shideh Etaat (7/25)

This lyrical coming-of-age novel for fans of Darius the Great Is Not Okay and On the Come Up, set in southern California in 1996, follows a teen who wants to honor her deceased friend’s legacy by entering a rap contest.

Perfect Iranian girls are straight A students, always polite, and grow up to marry respectable Iranian boys. But it’s the San Fernando Valley in 1996, and Rana Joon is far from perfect—she smokes weed and loves Tupac, and she has a secret: she likes girls.

As if that weren’t enough, her best friend, Louie—the one who knew her secret and encouraged her to live in the moment—died almost a year ago, and she’s still having trouble processing her grief. To honor him, Rana enters the rap battle he dreamed of competing in, even though she’s terrified of public speaking.

But the clock is ticking. With the battle getting closer every day, she can’t decide whether to use one of Louie’s pieces or her own poetry, her family is coming apart, and she might even be falling in love. To get herself to the stage and fulfill her promise before her senior year ends, Rana will have to learn to speak her truth and live in the one and only now.

 

renaissance of gwen hathaway book coverThe Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher (3/14)

Dumplin‘ meets Well Met in this novel about finding your place in the world, learning love is a risk worth taking, and discovering what happens when you take your fate into your own hands.

Since her mother’s death, Madeline “Gwen” Hathaway has been determined that nothing in her life will change ever again. That’s why she keeps extensive lists in journals, has had only one friend since childhood, and looks forward to the monotony of working the ren faire circuit with her father. Until she arrives at her mother’s favorite end-of-tour stop to find the faire is under new management and completely changed.

Meeting Arthur, the son of the new owners and an actual lute-playing bard, messes up Maddie’s plans even more. For some reason, he wants to be her friend – and ropes her into becoming Princess of the Faire. Now Maddie is overseeing a faire dramatically changed from what her mother loved and going on road trips vastly different from the routine she used to rely on. Worst of all, she’s kind of having fun.

Ashley Schumacher’s The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is filled with a wise old magician who sells potion bottles, gallant knights who are afraid of horses and ride camels instead, kings with a fondness for theatrics, a lazy river castle moat with inflatable crocodile floaties, and a plus-sized heroine with a wide open heart… if only she just admits it.

 

riley weaver book coverRiley Weaver Needs a Date to the Gaybutante Ball by Jason June (5/23)

Femme, gay teen podcaster Riley Weaver has made it to junior year, which means he can finally apply for membership into the Gaybutante Society, the LGBTQ+ organization that has launched dozens of queer teens’ careers in pop culture, arts, and activism. The process to get into the Society is a marathon of charity events, parties, and general gay chaos, culminating in the annual Gaybutante Ball. The one requirement for the ball? A date.

Then Riley overhears a cis gay classmate, Skylar, say that gay guys just aren’t interested in femme guys or else they wouldn’t be gay. Riley confronts Skylar and makes a bet to prove him wrong: Riley must find a masc date by the time of the ball, or he’ll drop out of the Society entirely. Riley decides to document the trials and tribulations of dating when you’re gay and femme in a brand new podcast. Can Riley find a fella to fall for in time? Or will this be one massive—and publicly broadcast—femme failure?

This new novel from Jason June explores how labels can limit and liberate us, and shows just what can happen when you bet on yourself.

 

rubi ramos book coverRubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success by Jessica Parra (5/16)

Graduation is only a few months away, and Rubi Ramos’s “recipe for success” to get into prestigious Alma University is already off track.

When Alma waitlists Rubi’s application, Rubi will need to be distraction-free to make the grade and keep her parents―who have wanted this for her for years―from finding out. Which means falling for her cute surfer-slash-math tutor, Ryan, definitely won’t work. And neither will breaking her mother’s ban on baking―her parents didn’t leave Cuba so she could bake just like them.

But some recipes are begging to be tampered with.

When the First Annual Bake Off comes to town, Rubi’s passion for baking goes from subtle simmer to full boil. Add to the mix her crush on Ryan may be turning into a full-fledged relationship and Rubi’s life is suddenly so different from what it was. She’s not sure if she has what it takes to win the Bake Off, or where the relationship with Ryan is going, but there’s only one way to find out―even if it means going against her parents’ priorities.

Now Rubi must differentiate between the responsibility of unfulfilled dreams she holds and finding the path she’s meant for.

A joyful novel of first romance, new possibilities, and the chance to define yourself, Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success is a novel that will find its way into your heart and never leave.

 

ro deveareux book coverSeven Percent of Ro Devereux by Ellen O’Clover (1/17)

Ro Devereux can predict your future. Or, at least, the app she built for her senior project can.

Working with her neighbor, a retired behavioral scientist, Ro created an app called MASH, designed around the classic game Mansion Apartment Shack House, that can predict a person’s future with 93% accuracy. The app will even match users with their soulmates. Though it was only supposed to be a class project, MASH quickly takes off and gains the attention of tech investors.

Ro’s dream is to work in Silicon Valley, and she’ll do anything to prove to her new backing company—and the world—that the app works. So it’s a huge shock when the app says her soulmate is Miller, her childhood best friend with whom she had a friendship-destroying fight three years ago.

Now thrust into a fake dating scenario, Ro and Miller must address the years of pain between them if either of them will have any chance of achieving their dreams. And as the app takes on a life of its own, Ro sees that it’s affecting people in ways she never expected—and if she can’t regain control, it might take her and everything she believes in down with it.

 

take a bow book coverTake a Bow, Noah Mitchell by Tobias Madden (1/3)

There Are No Cheat Codes for Showmance

Seventeen-year-old gaymer Noah Mitchell only has one friend left: the wonderful, funny, strictly online-only MagePants69. After years playing RPGs together, they know everything about each other, except anything that would give away their real life identities. And Noah is certain that if they could just meet in person, they would be soulmates. Noah would do anything to make this happen―including finally leaving his gaming chair to join a community theater show that he’s only mostly sure MagePants69 is performing in. Noah has never done anything like theater―he can’t sing, he can’t dance, and he’s never willingly watched a musical―but he’ll have to go all in to have a chance at love.

With Noah’s mum performing in the lead role, and former friends waiting in the wings to sabotage his reputation, his plan to make MagePants69 fall in love with him might be a little more difficult than originally anticipated.

And the longer Noah waits to come clean, the more tangled his web of lies becomes. By opening night, he will have to decide if telling the truth is worth closing the curtain on his one shot at true love.

 

tim te maro book coverTim Te Maro and the Subterranean Heartsick Blues by HS Valley (2/14)

What happens when your enemy becomes your friend … with benefits? 

Red, White and Royal Blue meets The Magicians in this surprising, wildly original and joyously funny LGBTQ YA novel set in a magical boarding school.

Tim Te Maro and Elliott Parker – classmates at Fox Glacier High School for the Magically Adept – have never gotten along. But when they both get dumped the day before the big egg-baby assignment, they reluctantly decide to ditch their exes and work together. When the two boys start to bond over their magically enchanted egg-baby, they realize that beneath their animosity is something like friendship … or physical attraction.

Soon, a no-strings-attached hook-up seems like a good idea. Just for the duration of the assignment. After all, they don’t have feelings for each other … so what could possibly go wrong?

From debut Kiwi author H.S. Valley, the latest winner of the Ampersand Prize, comes this gleefully addictive romantic comedy that’s perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell and David Levithan. In a word – it’s magic.

bridget bloom book coverThe Unstoppable Bridget Bloom by Allison L. Bitz (5/2)

A bright and fun fat-positive YA novel about learning how to express yourself when what has always defined you is no longer an option. Perfect for fans of Julie Murphy and Emma Lord.

Bridget Bloom’s out-of-this-world voice is the perfect fit for center stage. When Bridget’s admitted to Richard James Academy, a college prep boarding school with a prestigious music program—where heartthrob Duke Ericson attends—all her dreams are on track to come true: leave the hometown where she’s never belonged, fall in love, and launch her Broadway career.

But upon arriving at the academy, she learns that due to her low music theory scores, she’s not eligible to perform or earn the sponsorship she needs to afford the tuition. Worst of all, Dean of Students Octavia Lawless, the one person with the power to reverse the decision, challenges her to work on her humility . . . by not singing at all.

Without her voice, Bridget will have to get out of her comfort zone and find a new way to shine. Good thing she is unstoppable!

 

Wren Martin Ruins It All by Amanda DeWitt (Fall 2023, no cover yet)

Now that Wren Martin is student council president (on a technicality, but hey, it counts) he’s got it all figured out. His first order of business: abolish his school’s annual Valentine’s Day Dance, a drain on the school’s resources and general social nightmare—especially when you’re asexual. His greatest opponent: Leo Reyes, vice president and all-around annoyingly perfect student, who has a solution to Wren’s problem with the budget. A sponsorship from Lovr, the anonymous dating app that’s swept the nation. The theme: 21st Century Masquerade. Suddenly, Wren’s plan for a dance-less senior year has turned into heading the biggest dance Rapture High has ever seen. He’s even secretly signed up for the app, just to start a list of grievances for the student council advisor.

When Wren accidentally starts up a conversation with one of his matches, who was forced to join the app by meddling friends, he realizes that things might be getting a little out of his control. He never meant to like his anonymous match, nicknamed Lovr Boy, and he certainly didn’t mean to develop a crush on him. Wren decided a long time ago that dating while asexual wasn’t worth the hassle, but the anonimity of the app has made things more complicated, not less, when it gives him permission to start catching feelings he always avoided before. The Valentine’s Day Dance is rapidly approaching, and Wren isn’t sure what will kill him first: the dance, his love life, or the growing realization that Leo’s perfect life might not be so perfect after all.

 

Filed Under: title trends, titles, ya fiction, Young Adult, young adult fiction

It’s (Not) Always Sunny with YA Sunflower Book Covers

January 16, 2023 |

Here’s a fun little trend in the world of YA book covers over the last couple of years: sunflowers. But they’re not always sunny, happy sunflowers gracing these covers. In some instances, they’re downright terrifying sunflowers. The kind of sunflowers that makes you wonder why you’re not more suspicious of such towering plants that take hold in mid to late summer.

I’ve rounded up a few recent YA sunflower book covers. I love how none of these are exactly, err, sunny at all.

Descriptions come from ‘zon, and cover artist information is included where possible. Can you think of other YA sunflower covers from the last year or two? I’d love to hear them.

 

things that grow book cover

Things That Grow by Meredith Goldstein; Cover designed by Celeste Knudsen

When Lori’s Dorothy Parker–loving grandmother dies, Lori’s world is turned upside down. Grandma Sheryl was everything to Lori—and not just because Sheryl raised Lori when Lori’s mom got a job out of town. Now Lori’s mom is insisting on moving her away from her beloved Boston right before senior year. Desperate to stay for as long as possible, Lori insists on honoring her grandmother’s last request before she moves: to scatter Sheryl’s ashes near things that grow.

Along with her uncle Seth and Chris, best friend and love-of-her-life crush, Lori sets off on a road trip to visit her grandmother’s favorite gardens. Dodging forest bathers, scandalized volunteers, and angry homeowners, they come to terms with the shape of life after Grandma Sheryl. Saying goodbye isn’t easy, but Lori might just find a way to move forward surrounded by the people she loves.

 

 


the undead truth of us book cover

The Undead Truth of Us by Britney S. Lewis; Cover Design by Zareen Johnson and illustrated by  Adekunle Adeleke

Sixteen-year-old Zharie Young is absolutely certain her mother morphed into a zombie before her untimely death, but she can’t seem to figure out why. Why her mother died, why her aunt doesn’t want her around, why all her dreams seem suddenly, hopelessly out of reach. And why, ever since that day, she’s been seeing zombies everywhere.

Then Bo moves into her apartment building―tall, skateboard in hand, freckles like stars, and an undeniable charm. Z wants nothing to do with him, but when he transforms into a half zombie right before her eyes, something feels different. He contradicts everything she thought she knew about monsters, and she can’t help but wonder if getting to know him might unlock the answers to her mother’s death.

As Zharie sifts through what’s real and what’s magic, she discovers a new truth about the world: Love can literally change you―for good or for dead.

In this surrealist journey of grief, fear, and hope, Britney S. Lewis’s debut novel explores love, zombies, and everything in between in an intoxicating amalgam of the real and the fantastic.

 

we deserve monuments book cover

We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds; Cover design by Beth Clark and Sarah Kaufman, art by Laylie Frazier.

What’s more important? Knowing the truth or keeping the peace?

Seventeen-year-old Avery Anderson is convinced her senior year is ruined when she’s uprooted from her life in DC and forced into the hostile home of her terminally ill grandmother, Mama Letty. The tension between Avery’s mom and Mama Letty makes for a frosty arrival and unearths past drama they refuse to talk about. Every time Avery tries to look deeper, she’s turned away, leaving her desperate to learn the secrets that split her family in two.

While tempers flare in her avoidant family, Avery finds friendship in unexpected places: in Simone Cole, her captivating next-door neighbor, and Jade Oliver, daughter of the town’s most prominent family—whose mother’s murder remains unsolved.

As the three girls grow closer—Avery and Simone’s friendship blossoming into romance—the sharp-edged opinions of their small southern town begin to hint at something insidious underneath. The racist history of Bardell, Georgia is rooted in Avery’s family in ways she can’t even imagine. With Mama Letty’s health dwindling every day, Avery must decide if digging for the truth is worth toppling the delicate relationships she’s built in Bardell—or if some things are better left buried.

 

where darkness  blooms book coverWhere Darkness Blooms by Andrea Hannah; Cover Design by Olga Grlic and art by Marcela Bolívar (2/21/23)

The town of Bishop is known for exactly two things: recurring windstorms and an endless field of sunflowers that stretches farther than the eye can see. And women―missing women. So when three more women disappear one stormy night, no one in Bishop is surprised. The case is closed and their daughters are left in their dusty shared house with the shattered pieces of their lives. Until the wind kicks up a terrible secret at their mothers’ much-delayed memorial.

With secrets come the lies each of the girls is forced to confront. After caring for the other girls, Delilah would like to move on with her boyfriend, Bennett, but she can’t bear his touch. Whitney has already lost both her mother and her girlfriend, Eleanor, and now her only solace is an old weathervane that seems to whisper to her. Jude, Whitney’s twin sister, would rather ignore it all, but the wind kicks up her secret too: the summer fling she had with Delilah’s boyfriend. And more than anything, Bo wants answers and she wants them now. Something happened to their mothers and the townsfolk know what it was. She’s sure of it.

Bishop has always been a strange town. But what the girls don’t know is that Bishop was founded on blood―and now it craves theirs.

 

Filed Under: book covers, cover design, cover designs, Cover Trends, ya fiction, Young Adult

Early 2023 YA Nonfiction for Your TBR

January 3, 2023 |

YA nonfiction continues to be one of the underdogs of the literary world. There are few awards dedicated to honoring the work, and as much as some of us have rallied for Goodreads to make it a category for their annual readers’ choice awards, they haven’t (and I suspect they will not). It also doesn’t get the same social media attention as fiction does. All of that is unfortunate, especially because it is both a growing and wonderful arena of books. We know teens are big nonfiction readers, and books written with them as an audience in mind matters. Because I keep track and read YA nonfiction, I find it worthwhile to roundup the upcoming new releases as much as I can to give these books a boost they might not otherwise see in “most anticipated” and similar roundups. That all said, let’s take a look at some of the early 2023 YA nonfiction you’ll want on your radar.

These are all YA nonfiction books hitting shelves between January and the end of April. I’ve pulled descriptions from Amazon. As usual, because it is harder to track down all of the nonfiction being published for young adults, this list is far from comprehensive. It leans more heavily on narrative nonfiction than more of the how-to style nonfiction. If you know of other YA nonfiction hitting shelves in the first few months of the year not included, I’d love to hear about them in the comments. Usual disclaimers apply here that one of the tricky parts of YA nonfiction is that many are published for 10-14 or 12-18, so some of these titles might lean more toward middle grade than YA.

Early 2023 YA Nonfiction

cash is queen book coverCash is Queen : A Girl’s Guide to Securing, Spending and Stashing Cash by Davinia Tomlinson and Andrea Oerter (1/3)

The world’s first money book written exclusively for girls, Cash is Queen is designed to deliver the sophistication, practicality, and fun guaranteed to appeal to today’s young woman.

Study after study shows that women are far happier discussing virtually anything else but bank balances, and this lack of confidence in openly discussing money matters is crippling the female population financially. Women negotiate less in salary discussions, are excessively cautious and risk averse when it comes to investing, and lack the general awareness around how to optimize retirement savings to guarantee a comfortable retirement.

With clear explanations and empowering text by experienced financial expert Davinia Tomlinson, you’ll learn that establishing a positive relationship with money as an adult must be cultivated in childhood.

Cash is Queen explains in a tone that’s relatable, fresh, and fun, everything a young girl needs to know about saving, spending, and stashing her cash, helping girls everywhere establish positive financial habits that will last a lifetime.

Non-patronizing or preachy, this book is essential reading for young girls everywhere as they enter adulthood and begin the journey of discovery in identifying the mark they would like to leave in the world.

dark testament book coverDark Testament: Blackout Poems by Crystal Simone Smith (1/3)

In this extraordinary collection, the award-winning poet Crystal Simone Smith gives voice to the mournful dead, their lives unjustly lost to violence, and to the grieving chorus of protestors in today’s Black Lives Matter movement, in search of resilience and hope.

With poems found within the text of George Saunders’s Lincoln in the Bardo, Crystal Simone Smith embarks on an uncompromising exploration of collective mourning and crafts a masterwork that resonates far beyond the page. These poems are visually stark, a gathering of gripping verses that unmasks a dialogue of tragic truths―the stories of lives taken unjustly and too soon.

Bold and deeply affecting, Dark Testament is a remarkable reckoning with our present moment, a call to action, and a plea for a more just future.

Along with the poems, Dark Testament includes a stirring introduction by the author that speaks to the content of the poetry, a Q&A with George Saunders, and a full-color photo-insert that commemorates victims of unlawful killings with photographs of memorials that have been created in their honor.

 

female gifted and black book coverFemale, Gifted, and Black: Awesome Art and Literary Pioneers Who Changed the World (Black Historical Figures, Women in Black History) by Becca Anderson and M.J. Fievre  (1/10)

Learn about amazing women in Black history. Whether you learned about these women in school or not, these Black historical figures changed society and inspired future generations. Read all about these powerful women in black history such as Amanda Gorman, Alice Walker, Warsan Shire, Eartha Kitt, Gloria Hendry, Issa Rae, Pearl Bailey, Shonda Rhimes and so many more. From artists to writers, models to dancers, Female, Gifted and Black inspires you to be a trailblazer with these stories of strength, perseverance, and talent.

Dive into this Black history book. Driven by female empowerment, this collection of biographies tells the unique stories of these powerful women in Black history who made a difference. From artists to activists, Female, Gifted and Black showcases a plethora of passions and skills to prove that Black is beautiful. These mighty women in Black history prove that your passions and drive are the most powerful things you have.

Inside Female, Gifted and Black, you’ll learn to:

  • Recognize the importance of honoring Black intelligence, willpower, and passion
  • Celebrate the strength of these revolutionary women in Black history
  • Channel your inner womanhood
  • Discover powerful stories of accomplishments achieved by Black historical figures

 

doomed book coverDoomed: Sacco, Vanzetti, and The End of the American Dream by John Florio, Ouisie Shapiro (1/24)

In the early 1920s, a Red Scare gripped America. Many of those targeted were Italians, Eastern Europeans, and other immigrants.

When an armed robbery resulting in the death of two people broke headlines in Massachusetts, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti―both Italian immigrants―were quick to be accused.

A heated trial ensued, but through it all, the two men maintained their innocence. The controversial case quickly rippled past borders as it became increasingly clear that Sacco and Vanzetti were fated for a death sentence. Protests sprang up around the world to fight for their lives.

Learn the tragic history we dare not repeat in Doomed: Sacco, Vanzetti, and the End of the American Dream, an action-packed, fast-paced nonfiction book filled with issues that still resonate today.

 

how to be a young antiracist book coverHow to Be a (Young) Antiracist : How to Be a (Young) Antiracist by Ibrim X. Kendi and Nic Stone (1/31)

The New York Times bestseller How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi is shaping the way a generation thinks about race and racism. How to be a (Young) Antiracist is a dynamic reframing of the concepts shared in the adult book, with young adulthood front and center. Aimed at listeners 12 and up and co-authored by award-winning children’s book author Nic Stone, How to be a (Young) Antiracist empowers teen listeners to help create a more just society. Antiracism is a journey—and now young adults will have a map to carve their own path. Kendi and Stone have revised this work to provide anecdotes and data that speaks directly to the experiences and concerns of younger listeners, encouraging them to think critically and build a more equitable world in doing so.

 

 

 

change the game book coverColin Kaepernick: Change the Game by Colin Kaepernick, Eve L. Ewing, Orlando Caicedo (Illustrated by) (3/7)

A high school senior at a crossroads in life and heavily scouted by colleges and Major League Baseball (MLB), Colin has a bright future ahead of him as a highly touted prospect. Everyone, from his parents to his teachers and coaches, is in agreement on his future. Everyone but him.

Colin isn’t excited about baseball. In the words of five-time all-star MLB player Adam Jones, “Baseball is a white man’s sport.” He looks up to athletes like Allen Iverson: talented, hyper-competitive, unapologetically Black, and dominating their sports while staying true to themselves. College football looks a lot more fun than sleeping on hotel room floors in the minor leagues of baseball. But Colin doesn’t have a single offer to play football. Yet. This touching YA graphic novel memoir explores the story of how a young change-maker learned to find himself, make his own way, and never compromise.

 

 

in limbo book coverIn Limbo: A Graphic Memoir by Deb JJ Lee (3/7)

A debut YA graphic memoir about a Korean-American girl’s coming-of-age story―and a coming home story―set between a New Jersey suburb and Seoul, South Korea.

Ever since Deborah (Jung-Jin) Lee emigrated from South Kora to the United States, she’s felt her otherness.

For a while, her English wasn’t perfect. Her teachers can’t pronounce her Korean name. Her face and her eyes―especially her eyes―feel wrong.

In high school, everything gets harder. Friendships change and end, she falls behind in classes, and fights with her mom escalate. Caught in limbo, with nowhere safe to go, Deb finds her mental health plummeting, resulting in a suicide attempt.

But Deb is resilient and slowly heals with the help of art and self-care, guiding her to a deeper understanding of her heritage and herself.

This stunning debut graphic memoir features page after page of gorgeous, evocative art, perfect for Tillie Walden fans. It’s a cross section of the Korean-American diaspora and mental health, a moving and powerful read in the vein of Hey, Kiddo and The Best We Could Do.

 

nearer my freedom book coverNearer My Freedom: The Interesting Life of Olaudah Equiano by Himself by Monica Edinger, Lesley Younge (3/7)

Millions of Africans were enslaved during the transatlantic slave trade, but few recorded their personal experiences. Olaudah Equiano’s The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano is perhaps the most well known of the autobiographies that exist. Using this narrative as a primary source text, authors Monica Edinger and Lesley Younge share Equiano’s life story in “found verse,” supplemented with annotations to give readers historical context. This poetic approach provides interesting analysis and synthesis, helping readers to better understand the original text. Follow Equiano from his life in Africa as a child to his enslavement at a young age, his travels across the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, his liberation, and his life as a free man.

 

 

hidden systems book coverHidden Systems: Water, Electricity, the Internet, and the Secrets Behind the Systems We Use Every Day by Dan Nott (3/14)

We use water, electricity, and the internet every day–but how do they actually work? And what’s the plan to keep them running for years to come? This nonfiction science graphic novel takes readers on a journey from how the most essential systems were developed to how they are implemented in our world today and how they will be used in the future.

What was the first message sent over the internet? How much water does a single person use every day? How was the electric light invented?

For every utility we use each day, there’s a hidden history–a story of intrigue, drama, humor, and inequity. This graphic novel provides a guided tour through the science of the past–and reveals how the decisions people made while inventing and constructing early technology still affect the way people use it today.

Full of art, maps, and diagrams, Hidden Systems is a thoughtful, humorous exploration of the history of science and what needs to be done now to change the future.

 

michi challenges history book coverMichi Challenges History : From Farm Girl to Costume Designer to Relentless Seeker of the Truth: The Life of Michi Weglyn by Ken Mochizuki (3/14)

A powerful biography of Michi Weglyn, the Japanese American fashion designer whose activism fueled a movement for recognition of and reparations for America’s World War II concentration camps.

The daughter of Japanese immigrants, Michi Nishiura Weglyn was confined in Arizona’s Gila River concentration camp during World War II. She later became a costume designer for Broadway and worked as the wardrobe designer for some of the most popular television personalities of the ’50s and early ’60s.

In 1968, after a televised statement by the US Attorney General that concentration camps in America never existed, Michi embarked on an eight-year solo quest through libraries and the National Archives to expose and account for the existence of the World War II camps where she and other Japanese Americans were imprisoned. Her research became a major catalyst for passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, in which the US government admitted that its treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II was wrong.

Thoroughly researched and intricately told, Michi Changes History is a masterful portrayal of one woman’s fight for the truth―and for justice.

 

share better book coverShare Better and Stress Less by Whitney Phillips, Ryan Milner (3/14)

We know that pollution damages our physical environments—but what about the digital landscape? Touching on everything from goat memes gone wrong to conflict in group chats to the sometimes unexpected side effects of online activism, this lively guide to media literacy draws on ecological, social justice, and storytelling frameworks to help readers understand how information pollution spreads and why. It also helps them make sense of the often stressful and strange online world. Featuring a hyperconnected cast of teens and their social-media shenanigans, reader-friendly text tackles the thorny topic of internet ethics while empowering—and inspiring—young readers to weave a safe, secure, and inclusive digital world. Readers are invited to delve further into the subject with the help of comprehensive source notes and a bibliography in the back matter.

 

 

 

rising class book coverRising Class : How Three First-Generation College Students Conquered Their First Year by Jennifer Miller (3/28)

This eye-opening YA narrative nonfiction follows three first-generation college students as they navigate their first year―and ultimately a global pandemic.

Making it through the first year of college is tough. What makes it even tougher is being the first in your family to do so. Who can you turn to when you need advice?

Rising Class follows three first-generation freshmen, Briani, Conner, and Jacklynn, as they not only experience their first semester of college, but the COVID-19 pandemic that turned their Spring semester upside down. From life in the ivy league to classes at a community college, this nonfiction book follows these students’ challenges, successes, and dreams as they tackle their first year of college and juggle responsibilities to their families back home.

Eye-opening and poignant, Jennifer Miller writes a narrative nonfiction story that speaks to new beginnings, coming of age, and perseverance.

 

unaccompanied book cover

Unaccompanied: Stories of Brave Teenagers Seeking Asylum by Tracy White (3/28)

This book tells the true stories of five brave teens fleeing their home countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guinea, on their own, traveling through unknown and unfriendly places, and ultimately crossing into the US to find refuge and seek asylum. Based on extensive interviews with teen refugees, lawyers, caseworkers, and activists, Tracy White shines a light on five individual kids from among the tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors who enter the U.S. each year. In stark black and white illustrations, she helps us understand why some young people would literally risk their lives to seek safety in the US. Each one of them has been backed into a corner where emigration to the US seems like their only hope.

 

ay mija book cover¡Ay, Mija! (A Graphic Novel) : My Bilingual Summer in Mexico by Christine Suggs (4/4)

In this bilingual, inventive, and heartfelt debut, graphic novel talent Christine Suggs explores a trip they took to Mexico to visit family, embracing and rebelling against their heritage and finding a sense of belonging.

Sixteen-year-old Christine takes their first solo trip to Mexico to spend a few weeks with their grandparents and tía. At first, Christine struggles to connect with family they don’t yet share a language with. Seeing the places their mom grew up—the school she went to, the café where she had her first date with their father—Christine becomes more and more aware of the generational differences in their family.

Soon Christine settles into life in Mexico, eating pan dulce, drawing what they see, and growing more comfortable with Spanish. But when Mom joins their trip, Christine’s two worlds collide. They feel homesick for Texas, struggle against traditions, and miss being able to speak to their mom without translating. Eventually, through exploring the impacts of colonialism in both Mexico and themselves, they find their place in their family and start to feel comfortable with their mixed identity.

 

questions i am asked about the holocaustQuestions I Am Asked About The Holocaust : A Young Reader’s Edition by Hédi Fried(Author), Laila Ekboir(Illustrator), Alice E. Olsson(Translator) (4/4)

Hédi Fried was nineteen when the Nazis arrested her family and transported them to Auschwitz. While there, apart from enduring the daily horrors at the concentration camp, she and her sister were forced into hard labor before being released at the end of the war.

After settling in Sweden, Hédi devoted her life to educating young people about the Holocaust. In her 90s, she decided to take the most common questions, and her answers, and turn them into a book so that children all over the world could understand what had happened.

This is a deeply human book that urges us never to forget and never to repeat.

 

 

 

where to start book coverWhere to Start : A Survival Guide to Anxiety, Depression, and Other Mental Health Challenges by Mental Health America, illustrated by Gemma Correll (4/11)

It can be extremely hard to figure out what’s going on in our own heads when we are suffering—when we feel alone and unworthy and can’t stop our self-critical inner voice. And it’s even more difficult to know where to go for answers. But this book can help. Here you’ll find clear, honest, jargon-free information about all the most common mental illnesses, including a first self-assessment test; tips on how to get help and how to talk about your mental health with friends, family, and medical professionals; and tools for staying healthy. Plus, the book’s accessible and reassuring information and resources are interspersed with insightful and very funny drawings by acclaimed cartoonist Gemma Correll. This will be a book that you’ll cherish.

 

work what you got book coverWork What You Got by Zion Clark, James S. Hirsch (4/11)

When a baby named Zion was born in 1997 to an imprisoned, drug-addicted mother, his future seemed bleak. Born without legs due to a rare condition called caudal regression syndrome, Zion was abandoned and shunted to a foster-care system ill-equipped to care for him. In this stirring memoir, readers will follow as he is bounced from home to home, subjected to abuse, neglect, and inconceivable hardship. Somehow, Zion finds supportive angels along the way: his first two foster families, who offer a haven; the wrestling coach who senses his “warrior spirit” and nurtures it; the woman of fierce faith who adopts a seventeen-year-old and cheers his every match. From play-by-play narration of how Zion adapts wrestling moves to defeat able-bodied opponents, wielding phenomenal arm and hand strength, to accounts of his extraordinary work ethic, unflagging optimism, and motivational speaking, this is an inspirational story of courage that will appeal to any athlete who respects determination, any young person facing adversity, and any reader who wants to believe in the human spirit.

money out loud book coverMoney Out Loud : All the Financial Stuff No One Taught Us by Berna Anat and Monique Sterling (4/25)

So no one taught you about money, either? Let’s figure this me$$ out together. 

In this illustrated, deeply unserious guide to money, Berna Anat—aka the Financial Hype Woman—freaks out her immigrant parents by doing the unthinkable: Talking about money. Loudly. 

Because we’re done staying silent, anxious, and ashamed about our money. It’s time to join the party and finally learn about all the financial stuff that always felt too confusing. Stuff like:

  • How to actually budget, save, and invest (but also make it fun) 
  • How our traumas shape our most toxic money habits, and how to create new patterns
  • How to build wealth in a system designed to keep us broke 
  • How to use money to fund our biggest dreams—and change the world

No more keeping our money on mute. It’s time to grab the mic.

 

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, nonfiction, ya, Young Adult, young adult non-fiction

I Had a Baby

August 3, 2022 |

It’s been a minute, hasn’t it? And by a minute, I mean…a few months. A lot has happened in my life since I last posted here. I’m reading a lot less and writing basically none, and that’s due mainly to the fact that I added a small human to my family in May. While I had an overall average pregnancy (no major complications, the usual aches and pains – uncomfortable but manageable), my birth and postpartum were pretty traumatic. I’m fine and so is the baby, but it was definitely not the birth experience I hoped for. However, now that we’re currently exiting the “fourth trimester” and kinda sorta getting the hang of taking care of a baby, I find myself with some time to do a little more than just feed the baby, burp the baby, change the baby, rock the baby, and try to squeeze in some food and sleep for myself.

As far as my reading life goes, I did read a few helpful pregnancy books before delivering, plus I occasionally page through a couple of baby-care books when I can. I’m also forcing myself to read a chapter or two of an actual print book – not related to babies, just for fun – every week. I thought I’d be able to continue my audiobook listening, but I’ve found it difficult to be able to focus enough on the stories while caring for the baby. Those tasks demand just enough of my mental energy to make following a book at the same time mostly impossible. Instead, I put on some low-energy television that I can still follow while only paying half attention to it (Survivor was our show of choice in the first month, but I mainly re-watch crime procedurals now).

I’m hoping to be able to get back into reading and writing more as the baby sleeps longer and my family gets more efficient and practiced with our baby-care duties. To kick off this goal, here’s a rundown of my recent reads.

Pregnancy and Baby-Related

Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom is Wrong – and What You Really Need to Know by Emily Oster

I dislike the clickbait subheads on Oster’s books, but I really appreciate her straightforward discussions about pregnancy and caring for an infant. She’s an economist who writes about where the “conventional pregnancy wisdom” comes from – namely, the studies behind the advice and guidance doctors, other mothers, and the internet give new parents.

I found this book super helpful for right-sizing the actual risk of my activities to my baby in utero, and the conclusions I drew are mainly that there’s a lot less risk than you’d think. Just as I expected, much of the guidance about what to avoid (anything that tastes good or is mildly exciting) is fear-mongering and not based on science. For the most part, the only things that will harm a fetus are binge drinking (small amounts of alcohol are fine and not shown to cause harm), excessive caffeine (two cups of coffee a day are fine), and smoking and other recreational drug use (any amount). Foods pregnant people are often told to avoid, like sushi, are fine to consume if they’re from a provider you trust and stored safely. In my area of the world, food-borne illness such as listeria has more widely been found in melon, ice cream, and prepared salads, none of which pregnant people are told to avoid.

Oster does a good job of laying out the facts about each study, including whether it’s a good study in the first place or if there’s actually been a study done on a particular piece of guidance at all (it’s really hard to do ethical studies on pregnancy!). She repeatedly emphasizes that she wants the reader to draw her own conclusions about what she should or should not do/consume, giving examples from her own life (she chose to continue to eat turkey sandwiches; a friend of hers chose to avoid them). For my part, it helped me as a first-time mother calm my fears about harming my child and made me feel a bit freer in those precious months before my life would change entirely.

Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, from Birth to Preschool by Emily Oster

What I remember most from this follow-up to Expecting Better is that women who forego the epidural tend to push for shorter amounts of time and have faster recoveries. Because of this, I wrote in my birth plan that I wanted to wait and see how my pain was before getting the epidural. I ended up asking for it before I was even admitted to the hospital because the pain was so bad – I believe I would have passed out from it if I hadn’t gotten the pain relief. It was definitely the right choice for me and if I have another baby, I will take the epidural immediately again. (I also only pushed for about 15 minutes so it doesn’t seem like it had any effect on that!) This is another good book from Oster, though I admit not a lot of it stuck with me.

Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy, Second Edition by Myra J. Wick, M.D., Ph.D.

I chose this as my pregnancy preparedness guide because I wanted an alternative to What to Expect When You’re Expecting, which had reviews that indicated even the most current edition had out of date information and the writing style spoke down to its audience. This is a straightforward, no-nonsense book from the experts that breaks down a pregnancy week by week, discussing what symptoms are normal, what symptoms are more serious and may require medical attention, and other useful ways to prepare for a new baby.

 

Mayo Clinic Guide to Your Baby’s First Years, Second Edition by Walter J. Cook, M.D., and Kelsey M. Klaas, M.D.

More of the same from the Mayo Clinic. This guide discusses common themes in the first half (feeding, sleeping) and then goes month-by-month in the second, covering milestones and normal growth.

 

 

 

Baby 411: Your Baby, Birth to Age 1 by Dr. Ari Brown and Denise Fields

This is a great dip-in, dip-out guide to everything baby. We’ve used it when we had a specific question or concern – just turn to that page and find the answer. It’s interesting to see what advice conflicts with the Mayo Clinic book or the pediatrician. The authors of Baby 411 suggest using distilled water, then boiling it, before mixing it with powdered formula (the former because of fluoride that newborns don’t need; the latter to sterilize the powder, which does not come sterilized). Our pediatrician says neither is necessary for an otherwise healthy newborn. So while there are many good books on the subject of babies, some discretion and decision-making will always be required.

 

Just for Fun

There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool

This is the print book I’m currently making my way through. I bought it at the last Texas Book Festival pre-Covid; it was among the set of books I purchased that I read fairly quickly after buying them, which is unusual for me (like many a bookworm, I acquire many more books than I actually read). This was one of the few I hadn’t gotten around to yet. It’s an epic YA fantasy with an ensemble cast about a world whose Prophets disappeared many years ago – and a prophecy that speaks of the birth of a new Prophet that could either save or destroy everything. Five teenagers, some with magical powers, are each caught up in the adventure.

I’m halfway through it, which feels like a minor miracle considering my reading is constantly interrupted or simply relegated to the back burner in favor of other activities (mostly feeding myself and sleeping). I’m enjoying the book, but not loving it, and I think that’s largely due to the fact that it’s really difficult for me to push from my mind thoughts about what I Should Be Doing (laundry, listening for the baby waking up, washing bottles, tidying the house, etc., etc.) and focus on just reading. The book is a bit of a slow burn as Pool slowly reveals how each character is connected to each other and to the larger story. Chapters cycle through each character’s point of view, making this a good readalike for teens who enjoyed that aspect of Game of Thrones but want something a bit more on their level.

The Mother in Law by Sally Hepworth

I had never heard of this author before, but I really enjoyed this story about the tense relationship between a woman and her mother-in-law, and what happens when the mother-in-law is found dead (presumably murdered). This is less domestic noir and more tragic family story with a bit of suspense thrown in. Hepworth is really good at crafting three-dimensional, difficult, but sympathetic characters, and the mother-in-law in this story stuck with me long after I finished the book and learned how she died. If you enjoy psychological thrillers but want something a bit less soapy, I recommend giving Hepworth’s books a try (I also read and can recommend The Good Sister).

 

The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

This author duo specializes in melodramatic psychological thrillers with a huge twist (or two) at the end. They are a lot of fun, though not of the highest quality. I started this one on audio while pregnant and finished it while caring for a newborn. I got a bit impatient with it, though, knowing that there would be a trademark Hendricks/Pekkanen twist at the end, and I looked up spoilers online before finishing it. The twist isn’t nearly as clever or satisfying at the one in their first hit, The Wife Between Us, and it made the book mostly forgettable for me, but it was an enjoyable few hours that helped pass the time in those first few long nights with a newborn at home.

 

 

Filed Under: Adult, nonfiction, Reviews, ya, ya fiction, Young Adult, young adult fiction

Early 2022 YA Nonfiction Books

January 17, 2022 |

Nonfiction for young readers — that 10-18 range, which spans both middle grade readers and teen readers — always seems to be one of the categories that doesn’t land on a whole lot of lists. I suspect part of it has to do with the fact these books are still not as widely publicized or reviewed as their fictional counterparts, part of it has to do with the fact it’s a bit of a strange age-range, part of it has to do with the stigma around nonfiction for young readers being “report books” still, and part of it has to do with the fact that many YA-centric reviews/blogs/publicity avenues ultimately cater to the adult reader of YA, as opposed to the young reader. Again, not a slight.

Young readers are the target market of nonfiction for young readers. How the word about these books spreads is just different.

One of the things that makes this category of books so special and has for the better part of the last decade is that they’re inclusive. They showcase a wide range of stories, of insights, and of perspectives.

This isn’t a comprehensive list because finding publishers of YA nonfiction isn’t easy and few lists exist that compile large numbers of titles (this might be one of the only!). I have done my best to include as many as I could find, and I welcome folks to drop other titles they know about in the comments.

It’s also challenging to differentiate between books which are meant to help students with research projects — aka, reference books — and those meant to be more leisure reading without looking at them first hand. That doesn’t mean these two types of nonfiction are at odds but rather, it’s something that makes highlighting narrative nonfiction a little trickier. You’ll see below I have included the kind of leisure reading that encourages creativity and trying out new skills, without being tied to research/school-style assignments.

Children’s nonfiction writer Melissa Stewart has a tremendous resource on the five types of nonfiction I highly recommend reading if this is a category that interests you. I don’t include what she calls active nonfiction, nor do I tend to include tie-ins to franchises, fan service materials, and similar nonfiction that’s highly browsable. Last year, I put together a guide to some of the titles within these five types of nonfiction for young adults for Book Riot, so if you want to dive even deeper, you can.

All descriptions are from Goodreads, as are publication dates. Especially with the pandemic and printer challenges, publication dates can shift and change. Note, too, that these books cover a slightly different age range that typical YA books. Some will skew a little younger and encompass middle grade readers.

 

Early 2022 YA nonfiction pinterest image

 

 

Early 2022 YA Nonfiction Book Releases

 

January

The overground railroad book coverThe Overground Railroad by Candacy Taylor

Overground Railroad chronicles the history of the Green Book, which was published from 1936 to 1966 and was the “Black travel guide to America.” For years, it was dangerous for African Americans to travel in the United States. Because of segregation, Black travelers couldn’t eat, sleep, or even get gas at most white-owned businesses.

The Green Book listed hotels, restaurants, department stores, gas stations, recreational destinations, and other businesses that were safe for Black travelers. It was a resourceful and innovative solution to a horrific problem. It took courage to be listed in the Green Book, and the stories from those who took a stand against racial segregation are recorded and celebrated.

This young reader’s edition of Candacy Taylor’s critically acclaimed adult book Overground Railroad includes her own photographs of Green Book sites, as well as archival photographs and interviews with people who owned and used these facilities. The book also includes an author’s note, endnotes, bibliography, timeline, and index.

 

freedom book coverFreedom! The Story of the Black Panther Party by Jetta Grace Martin, Joshua Bloom, Waldo E. Martin Jr.

There is a saying: knowledge is power. The secret is this. Knowledge, applied at the right time and place, is more than power. It’s magic.

That’s what the Black Panther Party did. They called up this magic and launched a revolution.

In the beginning, it was a story like any other. It could have been yours and it could have been mine. But once it got going, it became more than any one person could have imagined.

This is the story of Huey and Bobby. Eldridge and Kathleen. Elaine and Fred and Ericka.

The committed party members. Their supporters and allies. The Free Breakfast Program and the Ten Point Program. It’s about Black nationalism, Black radicalism, about Black people in America.

From the authors of the acclaimed book, Black Against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party, and introducing new talent Jetta Grace Martin, comes the story of the Panthers for younger readers—meticulously researched, thrillingly told, and filled with incredible photographs throughout. Freedom! The Story of the Black Panther Party.

 

when the world runs dry book coverWhen The Water Runs Dry by Nancy F. Castaldo

What would you do if you turned on the faucet one day and nothing happened? What if you learned the water in your home was harmful to drink? Water is essential for life on this planet, but not every community has the safe, clean water it needs. In When the World Runs Dry, award-winning science writer Nancy Castaldo takes readers from Flint, Michigan, and Newark, New Jersey, to Iran and Cape Town, South Africa, to explore the various ways in which water around the world is in danger, why we must act now, and why you’re never too young to make a difference.

Topics include: Lead and water infrastructure problems, pollution, fracking contamination, harmful algal blooms, water supply issues, rising sea levels, and potential solutions.

augusta savage book coverAugusta Savage by Marilyn Nelson

Augusta Savage was arguably the most influential American artist of the 1930s. A gifted sculptor, Savage was commissioned to create a portrait bust of W.E.B. Du Bois for the New York Public Library. She flourished during the Harlem Renaissance, and became a teacher to an entire generation of African American artists, including Jacob Lawrence, and would go on to be nationally recognized as one of the featured artists at the 1939 World’s Fair. She was the first-ever recorded Black gallerist. After being denied an artists’ fellowship abroad on the basis of race, Augusta Savage worked to advance equal rights in the arts. And yet popular history has forgotten her name. Deftly written and brimming with photographs of Savage’s stunning sculpture, this is an important portrait of an exceptional artists who, despite the limitations she faced, was compelled to forge a life through art and creativity.

 

 

 

February

and we rise book coverAnd We Rise by Erica Martin

In stunning verse and vivid use of white space, Erica Martin’s debut poetry collection walks readers through the Civil Rights Movement—from the well-documented events that shaped the nation’s treatment of Black people, beginning with the “Separate but Equal” ruling—and introduces lesser-known figures and moments that were just as crucial to the Movement and our nation’s centuries-long fight for justice and equality.

A poignant, powerful, all-too-timely collection that is both a vital history lesson and much-needed conversation starter in our modern world. Complete with historical photographs, author’s note, chronology of events, research, and sources.

 

 

 

become an app inventor book coverBecome an App Inventor by Karen Lang

Have you ever wanted to build your own mobile apps? App Inventor, a free and revolutionary online program from MIT, lets you do just that. With the help of this companion guide chock-full of colorful graphics and easy-to-follow instructions, readers can learn how to create six different apps, including a working piano, a maze game, and even their own chat app to communicate with friends–then use what they’ve learned to build apps of their own imagination. User-friendly code blocks that snap together allow even beginners to quickly create working apps. Readers will also learn about young inventors already using their own apps to make a difference in their communities, such as the girls from Moldova whose app helps alert residents when local well water is contaminated. Or the boys from Malden, Massachusetts, whose app lets users geotag potholes to alert city hall when repairs are needed. With this inspiring guide, curious young dreamers can become real inventors with real-world impact.

 

 

in harm's way book coverIn Harm’s Way by Michael J. Tougias, Doug Stanton

On July 30, 1945, the U.S.S. Indianapolis was torpedoed in the South Pacific by a Japanese submarine. An estimated 300 men were killed upon impact; close to 900 sailors were cast into the Pacific Ocean, where they remained undetected by the navy for nearly four days and nights. Battered by a savage sea, they struggled to stay alive, fighting off sharks, hypothermia, and hallucinations.

By the time rescue arrived, all but 316 men had died. The captain’s subsequent court-martial left many questions unanswered: How did the navy fail to realize the Indianapolis was missing? And how did these 316 men manage to survive against all odds?

This thrilling wartime account of heroism and survival, Book 5 in the True Rescue narrative nonfiction series, is inspiring and unforgettable—the perfect choice for young adventure-seekers.

 

cramm this book book coverCramm This Book by Olivia Seltzer

Take a stand! Raise your voice! Join the movement and change the world!

But first–know what’s actually going on in it.

Read this book for the scoop behind the scoop of the day: for the context you need to understand everything from the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East to the origins of Black Lives Matter and Me Too to the full deal with all of the wildfires and hurricanes we see each year.

From the founder of The Cramm, a news outlet by and for a new generation, comes a dive into the history that’s shaped the world as it is today, looking at the wars, the movements, the disasters, and more–the points that have set the stage for what we see and read in the news on a daily basis.

Are you ready to take to the streets and take on the world? Then Cramm This Book and get going.

What are you waiting for?

 

spearhead book coverSpearhead by Adam Makos

Adapted for young adults from the New York Times bestseller, a riveting and true WWII story of a young man–an American tank gunner–who meets his destiny in an iconic armor duel and forges an enduring bond with his enemy.

Shut the hatches. It’s time to roll out. You’ll find yourself behind enemy lines with Clarence Smoyer and the 3rd Armored Division, the workhorse unit knows as Spearhead, the best in the tank armor ranks.

You’ll feel as if you are right beside Clarence and his fellow crew members–all formerly strangers from across America who have now become family to each other. You will be jarred by enemy fire, and then explore the other side, stepping into the boots of German tanker soldier, Gustav Schaefer and his crew. You’ll witness the heartbreaking tragedy, when an innocent young woman is caught in the crossfire. You’ll see what happens when all of these lives collide, and realize how the aftershock still affects the survivors more than a half a century later. A riveting and true account of the perils of war as well as the prospect of forgiveness.

 

close-up on war book coverClose-Up on War: The Story of Pioneering Photojournalist Catherine Leroy in Vietnam by Mary Farrell

From award-winning journalist and children’s book author Mary Cronk Farrell comes the inspiring and fascinating story of the woman who gave a human face to the Vietnam War. Close-Up on War tells the story of French-born Catherine Leroy, one of the war’s few woman photographers, who documented some of the fiercest fighting in the 20-year conflict. Although she had no formal photographic training and had never traveled more than a few hundred miles from Paris before, Leroy left home at age 21 to travel to Vietnam and document the faces of war. Despite being told that women didn’t belong in a “man’s world,” she was cool under fire, gravitated toward the thickest battles, went along on the soldiers’ slogs through the heat and mud of the jungle, crawled through rice paddies, and became the only official photojournalist to parachute into combat with American soldiers. Leroy took striking photos that gave America no choice but to look at the realities of war—showing what it did to people on both sides—from wounded soldiers to civilian casualties.

Later, Leroy was gravely wounded from shrapnel, but that didn’t keep her down more than a month. When captured by the North Vietnamese in 1968, she talked herself free after photographing her captors, scoring a cover story in Life magazine. A recipient of the George Polk Award, one of the most prestigious awards in journalism, Leroy was one of the most well-known photographers in the world during her time, and her legacy of bravery and compassion endures today.

Farrell interviewed people who knew Leroy, as well as military personnel and other journalists who covered the war. In addition to a foreword by Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Peter Arnot, the book includes a preface, author’s note, endnotes, bibliography, timeline, and index.

 

March

race of the century book coverThe Race of the Century by Neal Bascomb

There was a time when running the mile in four minutes was believed to be beyond the limits of human foot speed. In 1952, after suffering defeat at the Helsinki Olympics, three world-class runners each set out to break this barrier: Roger Bannister was a young English medical student who epitomized the ideal of the amateur; John Landy the privileged son of a genteel Australian family; and Wes Santee the swaggering American, a Kansas farm boy and natural athlete.

Spanning three continents and defying the odds, these athletes’ collective quest captivated the world. Neal Bascomb’s bestselling adult account adapted for young readers delivers a breathtaking story of unlikely heroes and leaves us with a lasting portrait of the twilight years of the golden age of sport.

 

 

 

the greatest stories ever played book coverThe Greatest Stories Ever Played by Dustin Hansen

We all know that video games are fun, but can a video game make you cry? Can it tell you a powerful love story? Can a video game make you think differently about war? About the environment? About the choices you make?

Whether it’s playing through blockbuster-esque adventures (Uncharted, God of War, The Last of Us), diving deep into hidden bits of story and lore (Red Dead Redemption II, Bioshock, Journey) or building relationships that change the fate of the world itself (Persona 5, Undertale), video games are bringing stories to life in ways that are immediate, interactive and immersive.

Focusing on some of the best, most memorable, experiences in gaming, The Greatest Stories Ever Played, examines the relationship between gaming and storytelling in a new way.

murder among friends book coverMurder Among Friends by Candace Fleming

In 1924, eighteen-year-old college students Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb made a decision: they would commit the perfect crime by kidnapping and murdering a child they both knew. But they made one crucial error: as they were disposing of the body of young Bobby Franks, whom they had bludgeoned to death, Nathan’s eyeglasses fell from his jacket pocket.

Multi-award-winning author Candace Fleming depicts every twist and turn of this harrowing case–how two wealthy, brilliant young men planned and committed what became known as the crime of the century, how they were caught, why they confessed, and how the renowned criminal defense attorney Clarence Darrow enabled them to avoid the death penalty.

Following on the success of such books as The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh and The Family Romanov, this acclaimed nonfiction writer brings to heart-stopping life one of the most notorious crimes in our country’s history.

 

April

girls who green the world book coverGirls Who Green The World by Diana Kapp, Ana Jarén (Illustrated by)

Part biography, part guidebook to the contemporary environmental movement, this book is the perfect gift for future and current activists and changemakers! Girls Who Green the World features the inspiring stories of 34 revolutionaries fighting for our future!

An inspired collection of profiles, featuring environmental changemakers, social entrepreneurs, visionaries and activists.

Journalist Diana Kapp has crisscrossed this country writing for and about empowered girls, girls who expect to be leaders, founders and inventors. This book takes it a step further. It says to girls: while you’re striving to be CEOs and world leaders, consider solving the biggest challenge of our lifetime, too–because you can do both at the same time, and here are 34 women doing just that.

 

how to be a difficult bitch book coverHow To Be a Difficult Bitch by Halley Bondy, Mary C. Fernandez, Sharon Lynn Pruitt-Young

In the past, being a “difficult bitch” was bad. Girls weren’t supposed to call people out for their BS, stand up for themselves, or do their own thing. This book embraces the insult with irreverent humor, encouraging readers to be themselves no matter what, including an exploration of the ways this phrase can be interpreted differently among people of different backgrounds.

Being a powerhouse is a choice. It’s a lifestyle. It’s a code of ethics. It takes work, a thick skin, and perseverance. In this book, you’ll learn the ins and outs of being a Difficult Bitch, from school to friends to body to life.

 

 

 

saving earth book coverSaving Earth by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovic

By 1979, we knew nearly everything we understand today about climate change–including how to stop it. Over the next decade, a handful of scientists, politicians, and strategists, led by two unlikely heroes, risked their careers in a desperate, escalating campaign to convince the world to act before it was too late. Losing Earth is their story, and ours.

Expanded into full book form from the riveting 2018 issue of New York Times Magazine, and adapted here for younger readers, Losing Earth tells the human story of climate change from the distant past into the present day, wrestling with the long shadow of our failures, what might be ahead for today’s youth, and crucial questions of how we understand the world we live in. It is a call to action, a riveting dramatic history, and a rare literary achievement.

 

 

the woman who split the atom book coverThe Woman Who Split The Atom by Marissa Moss

As a female Jewish physicist in Berlin during the early 20th century, Lise Meitner had to fight for an education, a job, and equal treatment in her field, like having her name listed on her own research papers.

Meitner made groundbreaking strides in the study of radiation, but when Hitler came to power in Germany, she suddenly had to face not only sexism, but also life-threatening anti-Semitism as well. Nevertheless, she persevered and one day made a discovery that rocked the world: the splitting of the atom. While her male lab partner was awarded a Nobel Prize for the achievement, the committee refused to give her any credit.

Suddenly, the race to build the atomic bomb was on—although Meitner was horrified to be associated with such a weapon. “A physicist who never lost her humanity,” Meitner wanted only to figure out how the world works, and advocated for pacifism while others called for war.

The book includes an afterword, author’s note, timeline, select terms of physics, glossary of scientists mentioned, endnotes, select bibliography, index, and Marissa Moss’s celebrated drawings throughout. The Woman Who Split the Atom is a fascinating look at Meitner’s fierce passion, integrity, and her lifelong struggle to have her contributions to physics recognized.

 

you are more than magic book coverYou Are More Than Magic by Minda Harts

For girls of color, figuring out how to find your voice and make sure everyone around you can hear it is essential. In this book, Minda Harts acts like the reader’s big sister–she knows what it’s like to be a Black girl in high school, and she’s giving the reader advice based on her own experience and her own success, in high school, college, and beyond. Full of anecdotes, thought exercises, how-tos, and encouragement, this book tackles topics from how to build your squad to how to stand up for yourself when the system doesn’t have your best interests at heart. Minda’s voice is warm and validating, and the advice focuses on introspection, helping each reader find her own way. Each chapter ends with a series of questions that helps the reader decide on the best next moves for her.

 

 

 

ready for launch book coverReady for Launch by Scott Kelly

Astronaut Scott Kelly uses his unusual path to success to motivate everyone who thinks that shooting for the stars is beyond their reach in this gifty package, perfect for graduations and other life-changing moments.

How did a distracted student with poor grades become the record-breaking astronaut and commander of the International Space Station? People think that astronauts are always perfect. Failure’s not an option, right? But Scott believes that it’s our mistakes and challenges that can lead to greatness. Not everyone’s road to achievement is a straight line up. Most of us need to navigate a bumpier road full of obstacles to get where we want to be. Using ten life-changing moments, Scott shares his advice for mastering fear and failure and using it to see the world with fresh eyes. Unusual lessons from his path to space can prepare everyone for success on the ground.

 

the world turned upside down book coverThe World Turned Upside Down by Tim Grove

In October 1781, American, French, and British forces converged on a small village named Yorktown—a place that the British would try to forget and Americans would forever remember. In his riveting, balanced, and thoroughly researched account of the Revolutionary War’s last pivotal conflict, author–historian Tim Grove follows the true stories of American, French, and British players, whose lives intersected at Yorktown.

Through very different viewpoints—from General George Washington to the notorious traitor Benedict Arnold, from young French hero Lafayette to British General Lord Cornwallis, and an enslaved man named James who became a spy, The World Turned Upside Down tells the story of bold decisions made by famous military leaders, as well as the everyday courage shown by civilians. For every side involved, the world forever turned upside down at Yorktown.

Profusely illustrated with archival images, broadsides, and letters, the book includes a timeline, endnotes, bibliography and index.

 

we have a dream book coverWe Have a Dream by Mya-Rose Craig, Sabrena Khadija (Illustrated by)

Indigenous people and people of color are disproportionately affected by climate change. And yet they are underrepresented within the environmental movement. But not anymore.

Written by the extraordinary environmental and campaigner for equal rights Mya-Rose Craig—aka Birdgirl—this book profiles 30 young environmental activists who are Indigenous people or people of color, from communities on the frontline of global climate change. Each speaks to the diverse set of issues they are fighting for, from water conservation, to deforestation, to indigenous rights, and shares their dream . . .
A dream for climate justice.
A dream for a healthy planet.
A dream for a fairer world, for all.

 

 

the code breaker book coverThe Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna and the Race to Understand Our Genetic Code by Walter Isaacson, Sarah Durand (Adapted by)

When Jennifer Doudna was a sixth grader in Hilo, Hawaii, she came home from school one afternoon and found a book on her bed. It was The Double Helix, James Watson’s account of how he and Francis Crick had discovered the structure of DNA, the spiral-staircase molecule that carries the genetic instruction code for all forms of life.

This book guided Jennifer Doudna to focus her studies not on DNA, but on what seemed to take a backseat in biochemistry: figuring out the structure of RNA, a closely related molecule that enables the genetic instructions coded in DNA to express themselves. Doudna became an expert in determining the shapes and structures of these RNA molecules —an expertise that led her to develop a revolutionary new technique that could edit human genes.

Today gene-editing technologies such as CRISPR are already being used to eliminate simple genetic defects that cause disorders such as Tay-Sachs and sickle cell anemia. For now, however, Jennifer and her team are being deployed against our most immediate threat—the coronavirus—and you have just been given a front row seat to that war.

Filed Under: book lists, Young Adult, young adult non-fiction

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