6 Diverse Teen Authors

So many wonderful books are written by diverse and neurodiverse authors. Let’s get to know six amazing writers!

Edward Underhill: Transgender

Edward is a queer, trans man who grew up in Wisconsin. Underhill is a young adult author and composer who writes music for cartoons. He wrote ghost stories for the campus magazine while studying at Oberlin Conservatory. In addition to writing novels, he wrote music for Kid Cosmic on Netflix. He “is passionate about representation both on the screen and on the page.”

  • Title:  Always the Almost
  • Genre:  Transgender Romantic Comedy
  • Publisher:  Wednesday Books
  • Release Date:  February 14, 2023
  • Reading Level:  Gr. 7-12
  • ISBN:  9781250835208

  • Title:  This Day Changes Everything
  • Genre:  Transgender Romantic Comedy
  • Publisher:  Wednesday Books
  • Release Date:  February 13, 2024
  • Reading Level:  Gr. 7-12
  • ISBN:  9781250835222

Jackie Khalilieh: Palestinian- Canadian, Autism

Palestinian-Canadian Jackie lives just outside of Toronto, Canada. Her main female characters tend to reflect her heritage and autism.

  • Title:  Something More
  • Genre Romantic Comedy
  • Publisher:  Tundra Books
  • Release Date:  June 6, 2023
  • Reading Level:  Gr. 7-12
  • ISBN:  9781774882139

Alechia Dow: Black, Queer, & Body Image

Alechia was a pastry chef and librarian before becoming an author of Science Fiction. She has a passion for representing African Americans and characters whose bodies are not perfect in the sense of how society presents them. She embraces the perfect imperfections of her characters.

  • Title:  The Sound of Stars
  • Genre:  Science Fiction
  • Publisher:  Inkyard Press
  • Release Date:  February 25, 2020
  • Reading Level:  Gr. 8-12
  • ISBN:  9781335406699

  • Title:  The Kindred
  • Genre:  Science Fiction
  • Publisher:  Inkyard Press
  • Release Date:  January 4, 2022
  • Reading Level:  Gr. 8-12
  • ISBN:   978-1335418616

  • Title:  A Song of Salvation
  • Genre:  Science Fiction
  • Publisher:  Inkyard Press
  • Release Date:  July 11, 2023
  • Reading Level:  Gr. 8-12
  • ISBN:   9781335453723

Mark Oshiro: Latinx, Queer

Mark is a Latinx Queer author who uses the pronouns they/them. They co-authored a book with Rick Riordan They live in Atlanta, Georgia and according to his About Me page, he loves to pet every dog he meets.

  • Title:  Each of Us a Desert
  • Genre:  Magical Realism
  • Publisher:  Tor Teen
  • Release Date:  November 9, 2021
  • Reading Level:  Gr. 7-12
  • ISBN:  9781250169228

  • Title:  Into the Light
  • Genre:  Thriller
  • Publisher:  Tor Teen
  • Release Date:  March 28, 2023
  • Reading Level:  Gr. 7-12
  • ISBN:  9781250812254

Malinda Lo: Chinese, Queer

Award winning and New York Times bestselling author Malinda Lo has written seven novels. She currently lives in Massachusetts with her wife and dog.

  • Title:  Last Night at the Telegraph Club
  • Genre:  Historical, Asian American
  • Publisher:  Dutton Books for Young Readers
  • Release Date:  December 28, 2021
  • Reading Level:  Gr. 9-12
  • ISBN:  9780525555278

  • Title:  A Scatter of Light
  • Genre:  Asian Teen Fiction
  • Publisher:  Dutton Books for Young Readers
  • Release Date:  October 4, 2022
  • Reading Level:  Gr. 8-12
  • ISBN:  9780525555285

Kelly Andrew: Deaf

Kelly Andrew lives just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Her debut novel The Whispering Dark features a female, deaf lead.

  • Title:  The Whispering Dark
  • Genre:  Fantasy, Dark Fantasy
  • Publisher:  Scholastic Press
  • Release Date:  October 18, 2022
  • Reading Level:  Gr. 9-12
  • ISBN:  9781338809473

-Jennifir Huston

References

About me. Jackie Khalilieh. (n.d.-a). https://www.jackiekhalilieh.com/about-me 

About. Kelly Andrew. (n.d.). https://www.authorkellyandrew.com/about 

About. Malinda Lo. (n.d.). https://www.malindalo.com/about 

About. Mark Oshiro. (n.d.). https://www.markoshiro.com/about/ 

About. Mysite. (n.d.). https://www.alechiadow.com/about-7 Edward Underhill. EDWARD UNDERHILL. (n.d.). https://www.edward-underhill.com/

Great Graphic Novels (#GGN2024) Featured Review: The Spirit of Denendeh, Vol. 1: A Blanket of Butterflies by Richard Van Camp, Scott B. Henderson, and Donavan Yaciuk

  • The Spirit of Denendeh, vol. 1: A Blanket of Butterflies
  • by Richard Van Camp, Scott B. Henderson, and Donovan Yaciuk
  • Highwater Press
  • Publication Date: September 6, 2022
  • ISBN-13: 9781774920404

In Fort Smith, NWT in Canada, a Japanese man from Nagasaki, Shinobu, finds his family’s samurai armor at a museum, but the sword is missing. He makes an attempt to reclaim the sword from a local criminal, “Benny the Bank,” but is left for dead after a brutal fight. A young Dene boy, Sonny, brings Shinobu back to his Ethsi (grandmother in Tłı̨chǫ) and the two save his life. As he heals, Shinobu learns about Dene culture as well as a way to retrieve his sword without more violence. 

This graphic novel, while short in length, does an excellent job of conveying historical fact, action, and the importance of reconciliation and restitution. Within the story, the history of the atomic bomb on the Dene Tłı̨chǫ and other Indigenous Canadians is explored as well as the impact it has to this day, augmented by an essay at the end of the book. Based on the real-life story of samurai armor found in the Northern Lights Museum, this story explores one possibility for the armor’s presence. Back matter in the book presents a likely theory of the armor’s origin relating to Canada’s history toward Japanese Canadians in World War II. This graphic novel is not all history, though, and action sequences are enhanced by the addition of color in this new edition. The heart of the story is the representation of Dene Laws with regards to respect and love; Shinobu’s sword is not returned through the use of violence, but rather through respect and empathy, even between enemies. 

This graphic novel should do well with readers of other Dene graphic literature, such as Kwändǖr by Cole Pauls or the collection of Indigenous stories, This Place: 150 Years Retold. Fans of the historical manga, The Elusive Samurai by Yusei Matsui, will also enjoy the present-day portrayal of samurai history found here. Finally, this is an excellent resource to share with teens who want to learn more after watching Oppenheimer, as it provides an Indigenous perspective of the history and harm of the atomic bomb that teens may be unfamiliar with.

-Rachel Johannigmeier

Other Nominated Titles

Release Date: October 18, 2022
Release Date: January 3, 2023
Release Date: April 4, 2023
Release Date: May 7, 2023

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (#QP2024) Feature Review: A Whole Song and Dance by Sarvenaz Tash

  • A Whole Song and Dance
  • by  Sarvenaz Tash
  • Publisher: Disney Publishing
  • Imprint: Disney Hyperion
  • Release date: April 4, 2023
  • ISBN: 9781368077552

Nasrin has been accepted into NYU’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts. Unfortunately, her parents think she is attending business school instead. She intends to tell them once she is settled in New York City but quickly gets swept up in the rigor of class and lands a role in a musical web series that oddly parallels her own life. With her coursework, shooting schedule, and tutor sessions with her adorable stats teacher’s assistant, Nasrin has a lot on her plate. But things get much more complicated when her parents make a surprise move to New York City and it becomes much more difficult to keep all of the lies straight.

Nasrin approaches life like a musical, but she is still very much present in the real world, even if her parents don’t quite believe that. Many scenes offer a glimpse into drama classes, theater rehearsals, and backstage at a TV show. Nasrin is surrounded by a cast of characters that pull her in different directions and add depth to the story including her parents who immigrated from Iran and created a wildly popular restaurant app and her cousin on student visa from Iran who is determined to experience every bit of the American college life, even if it means possibly blackmailing Nasrin. 

Drama kids will see themselves in this book. Similar titles to read if you enjoy this are Mazie by Melanie Crowder and Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things by Jacqueline Firkins

– Cathy DeCampli

Other Nominated Titles

Release Date: January 31, 2023
Release Date: February 21, 2023

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2024) Featured Review: The Sharp Edge of Silence by Cameron Kelly Rosenblum

  • The Sharp Edge of Silence
  • by Cameron Kelly Rosenblum
  • Publisher: Quill Tree Books
  • Release date: April 11, 2023
  • ISBN: 9780062932105

“Who will you be at Lycroft Phelps?” is the question posed to three students–Charlotte, Max, and Quinn–and each student with whom Dean Frye corresponds, but it is these three around whom this story revolves. Charlotte is a gifted ballerina and choreographer. She is most well known for dating Sebastian “Seb” McNeilly, the “genetic miracle” who also seems completely besotted with her–even as he must mysteriously cancel plans that both of them seem to be looking forward to.  Max is a scholarship student who becomes an unlikely coxswain for the Varsity 1 boy’s crew team, and in so doing, is invited to join “Slycroft” a secret society created as a rebellion against the admittance of girls to the school. Once limited to porn and pranks, Slycroft now has a tradition of setting bounties on the female attendees, and members take the girls’ panties as evidence of sexual conquest. Quinn is a legacy student who is determined to kill Colin Pearce, the Slycroft Lord of the Book. Quinn’s ingenuity at obtaining a security guard’s gun and a chance meeting with Charlotte who has discovered the Slycroft clubhouse brings Quinn’s motive into sharp relief and sets into motion an investigation and revenge plot that could tarnish the stellar reputation of Lycroft Phelps.

Told from the perspectives of Quinn, Charlotte, and Max, and supplemented with letters and emails between Lycroft Phelps faculty and administration, this is a deep dive into the bowels of rape culture and its effect on victims.  The circumstances surrounding Quinn’s rape include her own use of alcohol and the initial consensual nature of the encounter. The aftermath, including self-harm and rage at her feelings of powerlessness and the inevitability of Colin escaping any accountability for the attack, are realistically portrayed.  Author Cameron K. Rosenblum explores the varying levels of participation by each of the key male players. What could easily become male-bashing, instead, is a nuanced exploration of peer pressure and the need to stand against the elements that make rape culture possible. From start to finish, The Sharp Edge of Silence has a solidly paced plot with characters who have believable interests and motivations.  Language denigrating the female population at the school is accurately portrayed despite how difficult it can be to read. The sexual bounty, expectation for “bros” to fit a specific kind of sexual behavior, and hotness correlations are immediately recognizable by teens who have stumbled into them.  All of the elements combine to create an important story that celebrates justice and the reclamation of one’s bodily autonomy.


The alternating first person narration gives this an appeal for any teen who prefers gritty, hopeful slice-of-life stories. You’d Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow, The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg, and The Secrets We Keep by Cassie Gustafson all deal with varying shades of sexual assault and the healing that comes from naming the trauma and getting help.

 -Jodi Kruse

Other Nominated Titles

Release Date: January 24, 2023

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.
The Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee appreciates teen feedback as members evaluate the nominated titles. Teen librarians are encouraged to share the List of Potential Nominees under consideration with their patrons and solicit feedback using the link: https://bit.ly/BFYA24TeenFB

Great Graphic Novels (#GGN2024) Featured Review: Blue Box, Vol. 1, by Kouji Miura

  • Blue Box, vol. 1
  • by Kouji Miura
  • VIZ Media
  • Publication Date: November 1, 2022
  • ISBN-13: 9781974734627

Blue Box, vol. 1 is the first volume in a new series written and drawn by Kouji Miura. Taiki is on the school badminton team, and practices in the school gym at the same time as Chinatsu, an upperclassman. Chinatsu is a star on the girls’ basketball team and very popular. When Taiki first sees her, he instantly falls in love. During their days in the gym, the two get to know each other. Unaware of Taiki’s feelings, Chinatsu offers to help him improve at badminton and qualify for nationals. To complicate matters more, Chinatsu’s parents move away, and Taiki’s mother offers to let her stay at their house for the remainder of the school year. Now Taiki has to face his embarrassment and agony of having his sempai and crush living with him!

Blue Box combines the themes of sports, humor, friendship and romance in a new manga series with big teen appeal. The art fits the mold of realistic high school manga, and readers will jump right into the familiar feel. Supporting characters have their own storylines and are used for more than just comic relief. The anxiety and doubts that both Chinatsu and Taiki face about their sports careers mirror what real life teen athletes often go through. Miura manages to balance both Taiki’s crush on Chinatsu and the importance of their respective disciplines. Much of the story focuses on the bond the two main characters create through their love of sports, and how their friendship helps each other become better at them.

Recommend Blue Box to teens who enjoy sports manga such as Blue Lock by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Haikyu! by Haruichi Furudate. Teen readers who like sports combined with romance should also read the Wandance series by Coffee and Cheeky Brat by Miyuki Mitsubachi.

Jacqueline Bush

Other Nominated Titles

Release Date: March 14, 2023
Release Date: July 18, 2023
Release Date: August 8, 2023
Release Date: August 29, 2023

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2024) Featured Review: Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu

  • Stars and Smoke
  • by Marie Lu
  • Narrated by Becca Q. Co
  • Macmillian Audio
  • Publication Date: March 28, 2023
  • ISBN: 9781250877451

Winter Young is a pop star phenomenon. Sydney Cossette is the youngest-ever member of an elite covert ops group, Panacea. Winter is known world round while no one truly knows Sydney. They live worlds apart until Winter is recruited to join the ranks of Panacea’s elite spies to take down a criminal tycoon, Eli Morrison. The assignment is to infiltrate Eli’s house, Winter is the perfect person to get past Morrison’s security as entertainment for his daughter’s birthday party, and Sydney is assigned to be Winter’s bodyguard and his fake love interest. Their mission starts off smoothly, but the longer Winter and Sydney are in Morrison’s home, the more dangerous their assignment becomes, and the more their fake relationship begins to feel real.  

Becca Q. Co expertly brings to life Marie Lu’s latest novel. Co’s narration adds drama to the slow-burn espionage romance. She breathes life into Winter and Sydney as they follow the twists, turns, and dangers of going against an international drug lord. Lu’s signature writing is evident in the intricate and sprawling plot, strong charming characters that walk off the page, and masterful world-building. Fans of Ally Carter and Jennifer Lynn Barnes will enjoy this fast-paced adventure that is perfect for reluctant readers

–Rebecca Baldwin

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (#QP2024) Feature Review: The Black Queen by Jumata Emill

  • The Black Queen
  • by Jumata Emill
  • Publisher: Delacorte Press
  • Imprint: Penguin Random House 
  • Release date: January 31, 2023
  • ISBN: 9780593568545

Nova is set to be the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High School. Her friend Duchess is thrilled to finally have representation on the homecoming court and sees it as a start to fighting racism at her school. Popular, white Tinsley was supposed to be homecoming queen and carry on her family’s tradition of being crowned queen. When Nova is found murdered the night of her coronation, everyone, including Duchess, suspects Tinsley. But as the investigation goes on more clues develop and soon Tinsley and Duchess are teaming up to find the true killer and bring justice for Nova.

The combination of social justice, petty high school drama and twisty mystery make this a fantastic ride of a read. The mystery is solved at just the right pace with clues and suspects falling off one by one until the final reveal. The commentary on institutional racism in schools and small towns helps drive the story forward and gives even more depth to the plot. 

Readers who enjoy books that are more than just a thrill will devour this quick read. Also those who enjoy small town murder-mysteries. For those looking for another complex mystery with hints of social justice should read Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé or The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson.

– Rachel Adams

Release Date: April 3, 2023
Release Date: September 13, 2022

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2024) Featured Review: The Minus-One Club by Kekla Magoon

  • The Minus-One Club
  • by Kekla Magoon
  • Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
  • Release date: January 24, 2023
  • ISBN: 9781250806208

When fifteen year-old Kermit returns to school after losing his older sister in a car accident, he finds a message signed “-1” in his locker, inviting him into a group of fellow students dealing with grief. The unlikely mix of students crosses cliques and grades and includes Kermit’s long-time crush, Matt. The club is always there for each other but has one rule: you don’t talk about what happened to your loved one.

This title shows a realistic and nuanced approach to grieving. Strong characters strengthen the impact of the intricate exploration of the intersectionality of religion, personal identity, and loss. Kermit’s struggle is universal.

A life-affirming read for teens experiencing hardship, The Minus-One Club will appeal to readers looking for authentic characterization and relatable realistic fiction. Comparable titles include Chaos Theory by Nic Stone for the similar subject matter about depression and loss, Golden Boys by Phil Stamper for the exploration of identity, and What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum for unlikely friendships and dealing with grief.

-Emily Williams

Other Nominated Titles

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.
The Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee appreciates teen feedback as members evaluate the nominated titles. Teen librarians are encouraged to share the List of Potential Nominees under consideration with their patrons and solicit feedback using the link: https://bit.ly/BFYA24TeenFB

Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2024) Featured Review: The Queens of New York by E.L. Shen

  • The Queens of New York
  • by E.L. Shen
  • Publisher: Quill Tree Books
  • Release date: June 6, 2023
  • ISBN: 9780063237957

Jia, Everett, and Ariel are best friends.  While they attend different schools and come from vastly different families, one thing that remains the same is their immovable friendship.  As summer begins in New York City, the three friends embark on separate journeys.  Everett heads to Ohio for an intense musical theater workshop, Ariel sets off for San Francisco to attend pre-college courses on a STEM scholarship, and Jia stays home to help with her family’s restaurant and to keep an eye on her little sister and ailing grandmother.  While they are scattered across the country, they never lose sight of their relationship and draw on each other’s strengths to get through the challenges each one faces during this summer of reckoning.

A diverse cast of characters comes together in an outstanding example of teenage friendship.  Told through three distinct voices with interjections of texts and emails, readers will identify with the authentic portrayal of teen relationships and struggles such as conforming to parental ideals and the loss of a loved one.

Teens who enjoy realistic fiction and coming of age stories will love The Queens of New York.  Readers who are looking for a summer vacation, beach, or airplane read, will devour this tale of summer romances, heartaches, and victories. Perfect for fans of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares and Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen.

– Maryjean Riou

Other Nominated Titles

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title 

suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.
The Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee appreciates teen feedback as members evaluate the nominated titles. Teen librarians are encouraged to share the List of Potential Nominees under consideration with their patrons and solicit feedback using the link: https://bit.ly/BFYA24TeenFB

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2024) Featured Review: Nightbirds by Kate J. Armstrong

  • Nightbirds
  • by Kate J. Armstrong
  • Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld
  • Books on Tape | Listening Library
  • Publication Date: February 28, 2023
  • ISBN: 9780593664292

With a kiss, Nightbirds bestow powerful magical gifts, as long as you have enough money to pay for it. In a world of prohibition on magic, the Nightbirds, or magically gifted young women, are the wealthy’s most notorious open secret.  This season’s Nightbirds, Matilde, Æsa, and Sayer, need to serve their benefactors while snaring a lord to marry so that the tradition can continue. However, when a deadly plot threatens the Nightbirds and their world, these young women learn there are far more secrets than they could have ever expected. Matilde, Æsa, and Sayer will need to rely on old and new friends to stay alive and decide what their future will hold. 

Political intrigue, magical secrets, and romance push this novel forward like a runaway train and keep listeners hanging onto every word. Narrator, Saskia Maarleveld matches this fast pace expertly by adding to the excitement and playing up the intrigue. Not only will listeners be pulled in by the plot, but Maarleveld’s skillful narration creates distinct voices for the masterfully developed characters of the novel. Nightbirds breathes to life a new fantasy series that readers will devour and impatiently wait for more. If your reader has finished Holly Black’s Cruel Prince or Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas and is looking for something more, give this new series a try.

-Sarah Carpenter

Other Nominated Titles

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.