Best Young Adult Books

A teenage girl, Starr Carter, must navigate between two worlds: her poor neighborhood and her wealthy prep school. After witnessing the fatal shooting of her unarmed childhood friend at the hands of a police officer, Starr must decide whether or not to speak out and risk her own safety. The Hate U Give is a powerful exploration of racial tensions and police brutality that will leave readers questioning their own assumptions and beliefs.

In Nazi Germany, a young girl falls in love with books and words. From stealing books from book burnings to the mayor's wife's library, Liesel's love affair with literature blooms with the help of her foster father. But when her family hides a Jew in their basement, the danger intensifies. Markus Zusak's superbly crafted writing tells a timeless story of love and loss in a tumultuous era.

A 16-year-old gay boy named Simon prefers to keep his sexuality and drama under wraps, but when his emails fall into the wrong hands, he's blackmailed into playing wingman for a class clown. Simon's once-tight-knit friend group starts to strain, while Blue, the boy he's been emailing, grows more flirtatious. Simon must navigate his comfort zone and avoid compromising himself or his friendships while trying to connect with an adorable guy he's never met.

In a dystopian future, the nation of Panem forces each district to send a boy and girl to fight to the death in the annual Hunger Games. When 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen takes her sister's place, she must fight to survive while navigating complex choices of survival, humanity, and love.

A heart-wrenching yet witty tale about Hazel, a terminally ill teen who finds unexpected love in Augustus at a cancer support group. This powerful story explores the beauty and pain of life, love and mortality in a bold, raw, and insightful way.

In a world where magic has been stripped away, Zélie Adebola and her people are left without hope. They were targeted by a ruthless king who killed their loved ones and took away their powers. But Zélie is determined to bring back the magic and fight against the monarchy. Along with a rogue princess, she must outsmart the crown prince and navigate the dangerous grounds of Orïsha. However, her greatest challenge may be controlling her powers and fighting her growing attraction to her enemy. Will she succeed in her mission or will she be her own downfall?

This novel follows a teenage mother, Emoni Santiago, who faces tough decisions daily to support her daughter and abuela. But in the kitchen, she finds solace and adds a little magic to every dish. With dreams of becoming a chef, Emoni struggles to pursue her passion while navigating life. Elizabeth Acevedo's stunning prose brings Emoni's story to life, showcasing the power of talent, pride, and determination.

Two high schoolers, Natasha and Daniel, cross paths in New York City and fall in love. But with Natasha's family facing deportation, their time together may be limited. As their connection grows stronger, fate seems to have a hand in their future. Winner of multiple awards, this touching story explores the complexities of love, destiny, and the power of the universe.

This classic American novel tells the story of a young girl growing up in a sleepy Southern town and the moral crisis that shakes her community to its core. With universal themes of innocence and experience, love and hate, and kindness and cruelty, this Pulitzer Prize-winning book has sold over 18 million copies and been translated into forty languages. Harper Lee's simple love story is now regarded as a masterpiece of American literature.

Embark on a thrilling journey through space and time with Meg Murry, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin as they search for Meg's missing father, a scientist who vanished while working on a secret government project involving a mysterious concept called a tesseract. A Wrinkle in Time is a unique and captivating story that will leave readers on the edge of their seats. Winner of the Newberry Medal in 1963, this book is a must-read for fans of science fiction and adventure.