Book List – 2019 Teens’ Top Ten

The Teens’ Top Ten is a “teen choice” list – see the 2019 winners!

Teens Top 10 2019

2019 Teens’ Top Ten list announced!

Nominators are members of teen book groups school and public libraries around the country. Nominations are posted on the Thursday of National Library Week, and teens across the country vote on their favorite titles each year. Readers ages twelve to eighteen voted online on the Teens’ Top Ten site.

The Teens’ Top Ten is a project of ALA’s Young Adult Library Services Association. For more great reads visit their Teen Book Finder Database.

Download a pdf file of the Teens’ Top Ten list.

TitleAuthorDescription
#MurderTrending Gretchen McNeilDee has been wrongfully convicted and sent to an island dubbed Alcatraz 2.0., where the worst criminals are murdered in terrifyingly creative ways for an app called Postman. She refuses to go down when she knows she's innocent. Can she make it out with her Death Row Breakfast Club before they're all killed off one by one?
WildcardMarie LuAfter making it out of the Warcross Championships alive, Emika Chen is determined to stop Hideo's NeuroLink algorithm that can control minds. As Emika bands with the Phoenix Riders, she finds herself under a bounty, one that makes her chances of survival depend on Zero and the Blackcoats. Emika soon learns that Zero isn't what he seems - and that his protection comes at a price.
The Cruel PrinceHolly BlackA human raised in the world of faeries, 17-year-old Jude does whatever is necessary to rise to the top, even if it means going against her own values. As she cuts her path into the dangerous world of Faerie court, she also must make choices concerning not only her family, but also her heart.
ThunderheadNeal ShustermanIn the future, the Thunderhead is the perfect ruler of a perfect world, but its perfect world is starting to spiral out of control. Rowan is hunting down scythes that have abused their position, and Citra is challenging old ideas as Scythe Anastasia. When Citra's life is put in danger, and other forces come into play, the Thunderhead is forced to watch as his world crashes down.
Children of Blood and BoneTomi AdeyemiZelie Adebola is a diviner, daughter of a powerful Maji. But magic died after the treacherous King Saran found out how to destroy it and killed every Maji in Orisha, including her mother. Now Zelie must fight through pain and hardship to get magic back for the sake of her people and Orisha itself.
The Prince and the DressmakerJen WangPrince Sebastian has a secret that he keeps from everyone else. At night, he puts on a dress and disguises as Lady Crystallia. Only his dressmaker Frances knows about it. This means that both the prince and Frances would have to keep this a secret. But can Frances continue to defer her dreams to protect a friend?
American PandaGloria Chao17-year-old Taiwanese Mei is excited to finally be enjoying college life at MIT. What's less exciting, though, is the family pressure to become a doctor despite being a major germaphobe with a passion for dancing rather than anything medical. Things don't get any less complicated when Mei develops a forbidden crush on her Japanese classmate, Darren. Connecting with Darren against her parents' wishes, Mei begins to realize her own individual cultural identity.
Batman: NightwalkerMarie LuBruce Wayne is about to inherit his parents' fortune and their company, but first must do community service and ends up volunteering at Arkham Asylum. There, he meets Madeline who is unlike any one he has ever seen. Bruce must uncover why Madeline is there in the first place to make sure the people he cares about don't end up dead.
Speak: The Graphic NovelLaurie Halse Anderson and Emily CarrollMelinda has a terrible secret; she was raped at a party during the summer by a high school senior. When she starts high school in the fall, she is shunned by her classmates because she called the police to the party at which she was attacked. This graphic novel describes her imminent struggle to overcome the shame of being a victim and an outcast.
The Poet XElizabeth AcevedoXiomara 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. When she discovers slam poetry, it becomes a way to help her understand her mother’s religion and her own relationship to the world.

Book List – YALSA 2020 Great Graphic Novels for Teens

The official titles of YALSA’s 2020 Great Graphic Novels for Teens list have been announced. | Teens

YALSA Top Graphic Novels 2019

The official titles of YALSA’s 2020 Great Graphic Novels for Teens list have been announced.

The list consists of 103 titles selected from 178 official nominations – view the full list here.

The YALSA blogging team chose the following titles as its top ten – click the title to put on hold and pick up at a library near you!

TOP  TEN

Bloom. By Kevin Panetta. Art by Savanna Ganucheau. A recent high school graduate, Ari, works in his family-owned bakery and plays in an indie band with 4 of his best friends in a small coastal town. When an accident occurs at the bakery, Ari has to rethink what he wants to do with his life and what will bring him happiness.

Cosmoknights: Book One. By Hanna Templer. Art by the author. Pan lives a very ordinary world on a planet called Verdian. She spends most of her time working in her father’s shop and hanging out with her friend, Tara, who is a princess. But when Tara’s life takes a very different turn, Pan gets a chance to bring down an archaic medieval-type jousting tradition.

I Was Their American Dream: a Graphic Memoir. By Malaka Gharib. Art by the author. Malaka tells her story of being Filipino, Egyptian and American growing up in Cerritos, California. She details her life of being the “perfect Filipino kid” during the year with her mom while also trying to navigate the customs of her father’s home in Egypt during the summer.

Kiss Number 8. By Colleen AF Venable. Art by Ellen T. Crenshaw. The first seven kisses 16-year-old Amanda has experienced were less than exceptional. But after finding out that her father, her ultimate best friend, is keeping a secret from her, and realizing she may have a crush on Cat, her best friend from her conservative Catholic school, everything in Amanda’s life starts to shift. Which leads to her 8th kiss—the one that changes everything.

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me. By Mariko Tamaki. Art by Rosemary Valero-O’Connell. Laura Dean has broken up with Freddy three times. Laura Dean keeps coming back and Freddy keeps taking her back despite Laura Dean’s blatant cheating. After visiting a medium, Freddy finds herself questioning whether or not Laura Dean can be monogamous and how she can get on with her life without Laura Dean.

The Life of Frederick Douglass: A Graphic Narrative of a Slave’s Journey from Bondage to Freedom. By David F. Walker. Art by Damon Smyth, Marissa Louise. The story of Frederick Douglass from his birth into slavery to his celebration by dignitaries is brought to readers in this spectacular graphic novel.

Pumpkinheads. By Rainbow Rowell. Art by Faith Erin Hicks. On their final night of work at DeKnock’s Pumpkin Patch, high school seniors and “Patch” friends Josiah and Deja decide to make their final shift an adventurous one as they explore the park’s many sights and tasty treats in search of the Fudge Girl, Josiah’s long-time, unrequited crush.

Simon & Louise. By Max de Radiguès. Art by the author. The school year is over and it’s time for Louise to leave on her family vacation for two months, leaving boyfriend Simon on his own. Within a day, Louise has changed her Facebook status to “single” and Simon has no idea why. Louise tells him her Dad forbids the relationship, but Simon refuses to accept that and leaves home to hitchhike to the beach town to win Louise back.

They Called Us Enemy. By George Takei and Justin Eisinger. Art by Harmony Becker. Before he was Sulu on the starship Enterprise, boldly going where no one has gone before, actor George Takei was a little boy struggling to understand why his family was packing up and going to live in a horse stable. Readers see history in a clear, concise, compelling context and follow Takei on his journey from childhood ignorance to righteous teenage anger and finally to a life of dedicated activism.

Witch Hat Atelier. By Kamome Shirahama. Art by the author. Coco dreams of being a magician. In her world, the only way to learn magic is to already be a witch and Coco is not. One day a band of traveling witches comes to town, and Coco meets the enigmatic Qifrey. Her world is turned upside down when she accidentally performs a spell that traps her mother in stone. To rescue her, she must leave with Qifrey and become his magical apprentice in a land far from home.

Book List – 2018 Teens’ Top Ten

The Teens’ Top Ten is a “teen choice” list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year!

TitleAuthor
Turtles All the Way Down John Green
One of Us is LyingKaren M. McManus
WarcrossMarie Lu
Wonder Woman: Warbringer Leigh Bardugo
CaravalStephanie Garber
Long Way Down Jason Reynolds
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican DaughterErika L. Sánchez
Paper HeartsAli Novak
Strange the Dreamer Laini Taylor
Once and For AllSarah Dessen

2018 Teens’ Top Ten list announced!

Nominators are members of teen book groups in fifteen school and public libraries around the country. Nominations are posted on the Thursday of National Library Week, and teens across the country vote on their favorite titles each year. Readers ages twelve to eighteen voted online between August 15 and Teen Read Week™ (October 7-13, 2018) on the Teens’ Top Ten site.

The Teens’ Top Ten is a project of ALA’s Young Adult Library Services Association. For more great reads visit their Teen Book Finder Database.

Download a pdf file of the Teens’ Top Ten list.

Books about Bullies and Bullying for Teens and their Allies

A great list of fiction and nonfiction books about bullies and bullying for teens, their parents, and caregivers.

NONFICTION

The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander: From Preschool to High School: How Parents and Teachers Can Help Break the Cycle of Violence, by Barbara Coloroso (2008) – A guide for parents and educators offers advice on recognizing bullying behavior while making suggestions on how to appropriately discipline bullies, protect children, and formulate constructive school and community practices.

Bullying: Deal With It Before Push Comes to Shove, by Elaine Slavens (2003) – Offers advice on how to deal with bullying, for targets, bullies, and witnesses.

Bullying: Replies, Rebuttals, Confessions, and Catharsis: an Intergenerational and Multicultural Anthology, edited by Magdalena Gómez and María Luisa Arroyo (2012) – Springfield community leaders and activists Gómez and Arroyo worked with children, teenagers, and parents—both the victims and the bullies—to put together this searing anthology of original essays, poetry, plays, and commentary on how bullying has affected their lives.

Cyberbullying, by Lauri S. Freidman (2011) – Explores the issues surrounding cyberbullying–bullying through the Internet–by placing opinions from a wide range of sources in a pro/con format.

Cyber Bullying: Protecting Kids and Adults from Online Bullies, by Samuel C McQuade (2009) – Before the advent of the widespread use of the internet, bullying was confined to school grounds, classrooms, and backyards. Now, the virulence of bullying has taken on new meaning, as bullies take to the web to intimidate, harass, embarrass, and offend others. Through email, cell phones, text messaging, and social networking sites, bullies can carry out their bullying in many cases without ever having to confront their victims, and often without consequence.

Dear Bully: Seventy Authors Tell Their Stories, edited by Carrie Jones and Megan Kelley Hall (2011) –A timely and moving collection of personal stories about bullying from authors as varied as Lauren Kate, Jon Scieszka, Alyson Nöel, Lauren Oliver, Mo Willems and many others.

Girls against Girls: Why We are Mean to Each Other and How We Can Change, by Bonnie Burton (2009) – This guide for teenage girls explains why girls can sometimes be mean to each other, what to do if you are a victim of bullying, and the importance of treating other girls with respect.

Hey, Back Off!: Tips for Stopping Teen Harassment, by Jennie Withers with Phyllis Hendrickson (2011) – Offers tips, strategies, and explanations about what harassment is; discusses how the behavior originates from personality types; and examines how to deal with the harassers.

I Have Been Cyberbullied, Now What?, by Caitie McAneney (2016)
Coverage includes the many faces of cyberbullying, consequences of cyberbullying, rights and laws, and surviving cyberbullying.

It Gets Better: Coming out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living,  by Dan Savage and Terry Miller (2015) –Authors and public figures share their stories about being LGBT teens and dealing with bullying and other hardships.

I Wrote on All Four Walls: Teens Speak Out on Violence, edited by Fran Fearnley (2004) – Nine teens share their experiences with violence and bullying.

Letters to a Bullied Girl: Messages of Healing and Hope, by Olivia Gardner with Emily and Sarah Buder (2008) –Draws on the correspondence between an epileptic victim of bullying and a pair of sisters who started a letter campaign on her behalf, in a volume that presents more than one hundred letters of encouragement received by the author.

Life at School and in the Community (Teens: Being Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, or Transgender Series),  by Richard Worth (2010) – Strategies for coming out to ones friends, interacting with school personnel, and dealing with bullies. Advice is also given on how to organize groups such as gay-straight alliances.

Masculinity, Bullying, and Aggression: a Guy’s Guide, by Sam Navarre (2012) – Explores the best and worst ways to handle aggression, the facts on bullying and cyberbullying, and how best to handle anger in everyday situations.

The Survival Guide to Bullying: Written by a Teen, by Aija Mayrock (2015) – The Survival Guide to Bullying covers everything from cyber bullying to how to deal with fear and how to create the life you dream of having. From inspiring “roems” (rap poems), survival tips, personal stories, and quick quizzes, this book will light the way to a brighter future.

Surviving Bullies and Mean Teens, by Mary P. Donahue, Ph.D. (2018) –
This book explains how bullying happens and offers solutions for teens to get through it safely. They’ll be given tips and strategies designed to help them make healthy choices, leading to a happier life, minus the bullies.

Teen Cyberbullying Investigated: Where Do Your Rights End and Consequences Begin?, by Tom Jacobs (2010) –Presents a collection of landmark court cases involving teens and charges of cyberbullying–including sending threatening emails, spreading hateful comments on blogs and sending threatening messages using a false identity–urging readers to think about how the computer can change their lives and hurt others.

Understanding Girl Bullying and What to Do about It : Strategies to Help Heal the Divide, by Julaine E. Field, et al. (2009) –This book covers the causes and characteristics of girl bullying; outlines assessment, prevention, and intervention methods; and provides an original 10-session curriculum for small groups. (Annotation from Amazon.com)

Vicious: True Stories by Teens about Bullying, edited  by Hope Vanderberg (2012) –Essays by teens address bullying: physical, verbal, relational, and cyber. These stories will appeal to readers because the cruelty and hurt are unmistakably real—and the reactions of the writers are sometimes cringe-worthy, often admirable, and always believable.

We Want You to Know: Kids Talk About Bullying, by Deborah Ellis (2010) –
Presents interviews with students who have been bullied, as they describe their experiences with peers, parents, teachers, and school administrators, along with advice on the best methods that can be used to stop bullying behavior.

Why Good Kids Act Cruel : The Hidden Truth about the Pre-teen Years, by Carl E Pickhardt (2010) –Why Good Kids Act Cruel is the first book to give parents the tools they need to understand why cruelty happens at this age and how to help their child through this difficult stage. This highly informative and useful book explains the psychology of early adolescent change, the short and long term effects of social cruelty, what parents can do, what the school can do, and much more.

Words Wound : Delete Cyberbullying and Make Kindness Go Viral, by Justin W. Patchin and Sameer Hinduja (2013) –Written by experts in cyberbullying prevention and reviewed by teens, this book provides strategies for kids who are being bullied online, as well as for those who have taken part in bullying others. It also presents ways for teens to make their schools and their communities kinder places that are free from online cruelty. This book gives teens the tools they need to keep themselves and others safe.

FICTION

Ahgottahandleonit, by Donovan Mixon (2017) – Tim’s a dyslexic black kid on the mean streets of Newark. He wants to do what is right, but anger boils deep inside him. Despite everything, Tim wants his life to matter.

Avengers: No More Bullying, by various authors (2015) – The Avengers have always stood up for those who cannot stand up for themselves, but this time they’re in for a bombastic adventure of the highest order! Swing along with Spidey and a gathering of his amazing friends as they take on this important social issue in the inimitable Mighty Marvel Manner! Featuring guest stars from across the Marvel Universe, including Thor, Hercules, Daredevil and the Guardians of the Galaxy!

Backlash, by Sarah Darer Littman (2015) – When Christian, a boy she knows only through Facebook, posts a lot of nasty comments on her page, fifteen-year-old Lara tries to kill herself–but that is only the beginning of the backlash for her sister, Sydney; her former friend Bree; and her classmates.

The Bully (Bluford Series), by Paul Langan (2002) –Darrell Mercer, a 9th grader at Bluford, is at the center of this story. Darrell and his mother move to the Bluford area in the middle of the school year. Physically smaller than his peers, Darrell quickly becomes a target for Tyray Hobbs, the freshman class bully.

By the Time You Read This, I’ll Be Dead, by Julie Anne Peters (2010)
High school student Daelyn Rice, who has been bullied throughout her school career and has more than once attempted suicide, again makes plans to kill herself, in spite of the persistent attempts of an unusual boy to draw her out.

Bystander, by James Preller (2009) – Thirteen-year-old Eric discovers there are consequences to not standing by and watching as the bully at his new school hurts people, but although school officials are aware of the problem, Eric may be the one with a solution.

Cracked, by K.M. Walton (2012) – A teen takes a bottle of pills and lands in the psych ward with the bully who drove him to attempt suicide in this gripping novel.

Crossing Lines, by Paul Volponi (2011) –High school senior Adonis struggles to do the right thing when his fellow football players escalate their bullying of a new classmate, Alan, who is transgender.

A Cut Too Far, by Herman Brown (2015) – Chace has been bullied for years by Ivan, first for his facial deformity then for his mother’s Iranian-American boyfriend, but when he decides to pay back Ivan’s Internet attacks with a cyberthreat of his own, he faces suspension from school–and worse.

The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin, by Josh Berk (2010) – When Will Halpin transfers from his all-deaf school into a mainstream Pennsylvania high school, he faces discrimination and bullying, but still manages to solve a mystery surrounding the death of a popular football player in his class.

Dog Sense, by Sneed B Collard (2008) – After he and his mother move from California to Montana to live with his grandfather, thirteen-year-old Guy gradually adjusts to the unfamiliar surroundings, makes a friend, and learns to deal with a bully, with the help of his Frisbee-catching dog.

Everybody Sees the Ants, by A.S. King (2012) –Experiencing vivid dreams about meeting his long-lost POW/MIA grandfather, Lucky Linderman struggles to fit into a home life marked by a distant father, a weary mother and a cruel bully who compromises Lucky’s grasp on reality.

Fat Angie, by E. E. Charlton-Trujillo (2015) – Her sister was captured in Iraq, she’s the resident laughingstock at school, and her therapist tells her to count instead of eat. Can a daring new girl in her life really change anything?

Freak Show, by James St. James (2007) – Billy, a budding drag queen, survives bullying that would reduce most people to quivering jelly — and falls in love with a football player.

The Guardian, by Joyce Sweeney (2009) – When thirteen-year-old Hunter, struggling to deal with a harsh, money-grubbing foster mother, three challenging foster sisters, and a school bully, returns to his childhood faith and prays to St. Gabriel, he instantly becomes aware that he does, indeed, have a guardian.

Jumped, by Rita Williams-Garcia (2009) –The lives of Leticia, Dominique, and Trina are irrevocably intertwined through the course of one day in an urban high school after Leticia overhears Dominique’s plans to beat up Trina and must decide whether or not to get involved.

None of the Above, by I. W. Gregorio (2015) – A groundbreaking story about a teenage girl who discovers she was born intersex… and what happens when her secret is revealed to the entire school.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind (Gifted Series, Vol. 1), by Marilyn Kaye (2009) –
Amanda Beeson is Queen Bee at Meadowbrook Middle School. If you’re not friends with Amanda, you’re nobody. But one morning gorgeous, popular Amanda looks in the mirror and sees a very diifferent face staring back at her. The Queen Bee is about to get a taste of life in someone else’s shoes.

Poison Ivy, by Amy Goldman Koss (2006) – In a government class three popular girls undergo a mock trial for their ruthless bullying of a classmate.

Revelación, by Patricia Murdoch (2008) – For most of her life, Julie felt powerless whenever Dana entered her space, whether it was inside or outside school. Dana thrived on making Julie feel less than human by subjecting her to vicious verbal comments that went beyond the normal high school taunts. Then it all changed when Julie sneaked into her brother’s backpack and downloads photos of a sleazy party where Dana exposed more than personality. Now Julie has to decide how far she’ll go to get even with all the nastiness that Dana has dished out to her. Translation of Exposure by Patricia Murdoch.

Scrawl, by Mark Shulman (2010) – When eighth-grade bully Tod and his friends get caught committing a crime on school property, his penalty, staying after school and writing in a journal, reveals aspects of himself that he prefers to keep hidden.

Screenshot, by Donna Cooner (2018) – Sixteen-year-old Skye Matthews is always careful with her social media accounts, but when her friend Asha posts an embarrassing video of Skye at a sleepover her perfect reputation and her dream of a summer internship with the Colorado senator is endangered–someone took a screenshot before the video was deleted and is threatening to share the photo online, unless Skye does whatever they ask.

Shooter, by Walter Dean Myers (2004) – When his friend goes on a shooting rampage at school, misfit Cameron has to rethink his views on his life and his place in the world, in a powerful tale told through interviews, diary excerpts, and newspaper articles.

A Silent Voice, by Yoshitoki Ōima (2015) – When a grade school student with impaired hearing is bullied mercilessly, she transfers to another school. Years later, one of her former tormentors sets out to make amends.

Some Girls Are, by Courtney Summers (2010) – Regina, a high school senior in the popular–and feared–crowd, suddenly falls out of favor and becomes the object of the same sort of vicious bullying that she used to inflict on others, until she finds solace with one of her former victims.

Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson (1999) – A traumatic event near the end of the summer has a devastating effect on Melinda’s freshman year in high school, as classmates torment her through rumors and exclude her from clubs and gatherings.

Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher (2007) – Por Trece Razones: una Novela (Spanish) – When high school student Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing thirteen cassette tapes recorded by his classmate Hannah, who committed suicide, he spends a bewildering and heartbreaking night crisscrossing their town, listening to Hannah’s voice recounting the events leading up to her death.

This Is What I Did, by Ann Dee Ellis (2009) –Bullied because of an incident in his past, eighth-grader Logan is unhappy at his new school and has difficulty relating to others until he meets a quirky girl and a counselor who believe in him.

Twisted, by Laurie Halse Anderson (2007) – After finally getting noticed by someone other than school bullies and his ever-angry father, seventeen-year-old Tyler enjoys his tough new reputation and the attentions of a popular girl, but when life starts to go bad again, he must choose between transforming himself or giving in to his destructive thoughts.

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, by Meg Medina (2015) –Yaqui Delgado Quiere Darte una Paliza (Spanish) – A Latina girl is targeted at her new school and learns to stand up for herself.

Updated – September 2018

Book List – Young Adult Books About Superheroes

Infinity War left you wrecked? Check out some more light-hearted books about superheroes!

Renegades, by Marissa Meyer
The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone…except the villains they once overthrew. Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova’s allegiance is to the villains who have the power to end them both.

Wonder Woman: Warbringer,  by Leigh Bardugo
Diana longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters. But when the opportunity finally comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law—risking exile—to save a mere mortal. Even worse, Alia Keralis is no ordinary girl and with this single brave act, Diana may have doomed the world. Alia just wanted to escape her overprotective brother with a semester at sea. She doesn’t know she is being hunted. When a bomb detonates aboard her ship, Alia is rescued by a mysterious girl of extraordinary strength and forced to confront a horrible truth: Alia is a Warbringer—a direct descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery. Together, Diana and Alia will face an army of enemies—mortal and divine—determined to either destroy or possess the Warbringer. If they have any hope of saving both their worlds, they will have to stand side by side against the tide of war.

Not Your Sidekick,  by C. B. Lee
Welcome to Andover, where superpowers are common, but internships are complicated. Just ask high school nobody, Jessica Tran. Despite her heroic lineage, Jess is resigned to a life without superpowers and is merely looking to beef up her college applications when she stumbles upon the perfect (paid!) internship—only it turns out to be for the town’s most heinous supervillain. On the upside, she gets to work with her longtime secret crush, Abby, whom Jess thinks may have a secret of her own. Then there’s the budding attraction to her fellow intern, the mysterious “M,” who never seems to be in the same place as Abby. But what starts as a fun way to spite her superhero parents takes a sudden and dangerous turn when she uncovers a plot larger than heroes and villains altogether.

Vicious,  by V. E. Schwab
Victor and Eli started out as college roommates―brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find―aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge―but who will be left alive at the end?

Steelheart, by Brandon Sanderson
How far would you go for revenge if someone killed your father? If someone destroyed your city? If everything you ever loved was taken from you? David Charleston will go to any lengths to stop Steelheart. But to exact revenge in Steelheart’s world, David will need the Reckoners—a shadowy group of rebels bent on maintaining justice. And it turns out that the Reckoners might just need David too.

Miles Morales: Spider-man, by Jason Reynolds
“Everyone gets mad at hustlers, especially if you’re on the victim side of the hustle. And Miles knew hustling was in his veins.” Miles Morales is just your average teenager. Dinner every Sunday with his parents, chilling out playing old-school video games with his best friend, Ganke, crushing on brainy, beautiful poet Alicia. He’s even got a scholarship spot at the prestigious Brooklyn Visions Academy. Oh yeah, and he’s Spider Man. But lately, Miles’s spidey-sense has been on the fritz. When a misunderstanding leads to his suspension from school, Miles begins to question his abilities. After all, his dad and uncle were Brooklyn jack-boys with criminal records. Maybe kids like Miles aren’t meant to be superheroes. Maybe Miles should take his dad’s advice and focus on saving himself. As Miles tries to get his school life back on track, he can’t shake the vivid nightmares that continue to haunt him. Nor can he avoid the relentless buzz of his spidey-sense every day in history class, amidst his teacher’s lectures on the historical “benefits” of slavery and the importance of the modern-day prison system. But after his scholarship is threatened, Miles uncovers a chilling plot, one that puts his friends, his neighborhood, and himself at risk. It’s time for Miles to suit up.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World: Squirrel Meets World, by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale
Fourteen-year-old Doreen Green moved from sunny California to the suburbs of New Jersey. She must start at a new school, make new friends, and continue to hide her tail. Yep, Doreen has the powers of…a squirrel! After failing at several attempts to find her new BFF, Doreen feels lonely and trapped, liked a caged animal. Then one day Doreen uses her extraordinary powers to stop a group of troublemakers from causing mischief in the neighborhood, and her whole life changes. Everyone at school is talking about it! Doreen contemplates becoming a full-fledged Super Hero. And thus, Squirrel Girl is born! She saves cats from trees, keeps the sidewalks clean, and dissuades vandalism. All is well until a real-life Super Villain steps out of the shadows and declares Squirrel Girl his archenemy. Can Doreen balance being a teenager and a Super Hero? Or will she go…NUTS?

Black Widow: Forever Red, by Margaret Stohl
Natasha Romanoff is one of the world’s most lethal assassins. Trained from a young age in the arts of death and deception, Natasha was given the title of Black Widow by Ivan Somodorov, her brutal teacher at the Red Room, Moscow’s infamous academy for operatives. Ava Orlova is just trying to fit in as an average Brooklyn teenager, but her life has been anything but average. The daughter of a missing Russian quantum physicist, Ava was once subjected to a series of ruthless military experiments—until she was rescued by Black Widow and placed under S.H.I.E.L.D. protection. Ava has always longed to reconnect with her mysterious savior, but Black Widow isn’t really the big sister type. Until now. When children all over Eastern Europe begin to go missing, and rumors of smuggled Red Room tech light up the dark net, Natasha suspects her old teacher has returned—and that Ava Orlova might be the only one who can stop him. To defeat the madman who threatens their future, Natasha and Ava must unravel their pasts. Only then will they discover the truth about the dark-eyed boy with an hourglass tattoo who haunts Ava’s dreams…

Updated – September 2018

Book List – Young Adult Books About Transgender People

An up-to-date book list of fiction and nonfiction titles.

Fiction

Almost Perfect, by Brian Katcher (2009)
With his mother working long hours and in pain from a romantic break-up, eighteen-year-old Logan feels alone and unloved until a zany new student arrives at his small-town Missouri high school, keeping a big secret.

The Art of Being Normal, by Lisa Williamson (2015)
Two British transgender teens try to come to terms with their lives while facing serious bullying in their school.

Beautiful Music for Ugly Children, by Kirstin Cronn-Mills (2012)
Gabe has always identified as a boy, but he was born with a girl’s body. With his new public access radio show gaining in popularity, Gabe struggles with romance, friendships, and parents–all while trying to come out as trans. An audition for a station in Minneapolis looks like his ticket to a better life in the big city. But his entire future is threatened when several violent guys find out Gabe, the popular DJ, is also Elizabeth from school

Being Emily, by Rachel Gold (2012)
They say that whoever you are it’s okay, you were born that way. Those words don’t comfort Emily, because she was born Christopher and her insides know that her outsides are all wrong. They say that it gets better, be who are you and it’ll be fine. For Emily, telling her parents who she really is means a therapist who insists Christopher is normal and Emily is sick. Telling her girlfriend means lectures about how God doesn’t make that kind of mistake. Emily desperately wants high school in her small Minnesota town to get better. She wants to be the woman she knows is inside, but it’s not until a substitute therapist and a girl named Natalie come into her life that she believes she has a chance of actually Being Emily.

Dreadnought, by April Daniels (2017)
Danny is trying to hide that she’s transgender from her friends and family, but when she’s given the powers of a superhero – and a girl’s body – she has to balance both her identity and her role as a hero.

Gracefully Grayson, by Ami Polonsky (2014)
Grayson, a transgender twelve-year-old, learns to accept her true identity and share it with the world.

I Am J, by Cris Beam (2011)
J always felt different. He was certain that eventually everyone would understand who he really was: a boy mistakenly born as a girl. Yet as he grew up, his body began to betray him; eventually J stopped praying to wake up a “real boy” and started covering up his body, keeping himself invisible – from his family, from his friends…from the world. But after being deserted by the best friend he thought would always be by his side, J decides that he’s done hiding – it’s time to be who he really is. And this time he is determined not to give up, no matter the cost.

If I Was Your Girl, by Meredith Russo (2016)
Amanda Hardy is the new girl in town with a big secret: she used to be Andrew Hardy. She vows to stay isolated but falls for one of the boys. Will he accept her for who she is?

Parrotfish, by Ellen Wittlinger (2007)
When Grady comes out to his family that he’s trans, he isn’t prepared for the backlash he receives from his family and friends. He finds support in some of his school’s outcasts and starts to become who he truly is.

Spy Stuff, by Matthew J. Metzger (2016)
Anton never thought anyone would ever want to date him. Everyone knows nobody wants a transgender boyfriend, right? So he’s as shocked as anyone when seemingly-straight Jude Kalinowski asks him out, and doesn’t appear to be joking. The only problem is… well, Jude doesn’t actually know. Anton can see how this will play out: Jude is a nice guy, and nice guys finish last. And Anton is transgender, and transgender people don’t get happy endings. If he tells Jude, it might destroy everything. And if Jude tells anyone else… it will.

Symptoms of Being Human, by Jeff Garvin (2016)
Riley Cavanaugh, whose father is a prominent politician in a conservative Southern California county, navigates being gender fluid, anxiety, and a new school.

Wandering Son, by Takako Shimura (2011)
The fifth grade. The threshold to puberty, and the beginning of the end of childhood innocence. Shuichi Nitori and his new friend Yoshino Takatsuki have happy homes, loving families, and are well-liked by their classmates. But they share a secret that further complicates a time of life that is awkward for anyone: Shuichi is a boy who wants to be a girl, and Yoshino is a girl who wants to be a boy.

When the Moon Was Ours, by Anna-Marie McLemore (2016)
In a tale of magical realism that stings of emotions strongly felt in our world, close friends Miel and Sam are as equally unique as they are mysterious: roses grow and blossom from Miel’s wrists, and Sam hangs moons that he painted in the trees. When the Bonner girls, four sisters rumored to be witches, want Miel’s roses for themselves, Sam and Miel must face hard questions about love, identity, and the secrets we keep.

Nonfiction

Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen, by Jazz Jennings (2016)
Teen activist and trailblazer Jazz Jennings–named one of “The 25 most influential teens” of the year by Time–shares her very public transgender journey, as she inspires people to accept the differences in others while they embrace their own truths.

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, by Susan Kuklin (2014)
In a sorely needed resource for teens and, frankly, many adults, author/photographer Kuklin shares first-person narratives from six transgender teens, drawn from interviews she conducted and shaped with input from her subjects. While Kuklin’s subjects are candid about the difficulties of coming out as transgender to family and friends and the patience that transitioning often requires, their honest, humorous, and painful remarks about their relationships with gender are often downright revelatory.

Coming Out as Transgender, by Corina Brezina (2017)
An accessible guide to coming out to family and friends, this title provides transgender readers with insight about what steps to take when thinking about coming out.

The Full Spectrum: A New Generation of Writing about Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Other Identities, by David Levithan and Billy Merrell (2006)
Teens are more aware of sexuality and identity than ever, and they’re looking for answers and insights, as well as a community of others. In order to help create that community, YA authors David Levithan and Billy Merrell have collected original poems, essays, and stories by young adults in their teens and early 20s. The Full Spectrum includes a variety of writers—gay, lesbian, bisexual, straight, transitioning, and questioning—on a variety of subjects: coming out, family, friendship, religion/faith, first kisses, break-ups, and many others.

Health Issues When You’re Transgender, by Susan Meyer (2017)
Readers will learn about mental and emotional health, gender dysphoria, hormone replacement therapy (including puberty-blocking hormones), gender affirmation surgery, and more. They’ll be reminded that, while surgery and hormone treatments can be lifesaving, they are neither right for every transgender person nor a requirement for being transgender. They’ll also read about the barriers to care that transgender people frequently face and get advice on dealing with a health care system marked by cissexism.

Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love, and So Much More, by Janet Mock (2014)
This powerful memoir follows Mock’s quest for identity, from an early, unwavering conviction about her gender to a turbulent adolescence in Honolulu that saw her transitioning during the tender years of high school, self-medicating with hormones at fifteen, and flying across the world alone for sex reassignment surgery at just eighteen. With unflinching honesty, Mock uses her own experience to impart vital insight about the unique challenges and vulnerabilities of trans youth and brave girls like herself.

Rethinking Normal: A Memoir in Transition, by Katie Rain Hill (2014)
In this first-person account, Katie reflects on her pain-filled childhood and the events leading up to the life-changing decision to undergo gender reassignment as a teenager. She reveals the unique challenges she faced while unlearning how to be a boy and shares what it was like to navigate the dating world and experience heartbreak for the first time in a body that matched her gender identity. Told in an unwaveringly honest voice, Rethinking Normal is a coming-of-age story about transcending physical appearances and redefining the parameters of “normalcy” to embody one’s true self.

Some Assembly Required: the Not-So-Secret Life of a Transgender Teen, by Arin Andrews (2014)
Seventeen-year-old Arin Andrews shares all the hilarious, painful, and poignant details of undergoing gender reassignment as a high school student in this winning teen memoir.

Transgender Rights and Protections, by Rebecca T. Klein (2014)
This title examines the rights of the transgender community and the areas in which further action is still needed for their protection. Readers are presented with useful information on how to become trans allies and how to fight against trans discrimination in their day-to-day lives.

Download a pdf file of the Young Adult Books About Transgender People booklist

Updated – September 2018