The Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers list identifies titles aimed at encouraging reading among teens who dislike to read for whatever reason. The list selects both fiction and nonfiction. Click on the title of each book to be taken to the blog post featuring a review, or browse all blog posts here. You can see the finalized 2020 list and previous lists on the YALSA website and on the Teen Book Finder app.
#QP2020 Nomination Posts
Fiction
- With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
- Swingby Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess
- Love from A-Z by S.K. Ali
- Michigan vs. The Boys by Carrie S. Allen
- Roamby C.H. Armstrong
- Life is Short and Then You Die: First Encounters with Murder edited by Kelley Armstrong
- Mammoth by Jill Baguchinsky
- Goodbye, Perfectby Sara Barnard
- The Lovely and the Lostby Jennifer Lynn Barnes
- The Truth and Lies of Ella Blackby Emily Barr
- The Justice Project by Michael Betcherman
- Heart of the Moors: An Original Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Novel by Holly Black
- This Book is Not Yet Ratedby Peter Bognanni
- Born Scared by Kevin Brooks
- XL by Scott Brown
- Wicked Fox by Kat Cho
- The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu
- My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life by Rachel Cohn
- The Revolution of Birdie Randolphby Brandy Colbert
- Suggested Reading by Dave Connis
- You Owe Me A Murderby Eileen Cook
- Creep by Eireann Corrigan
- New Kid by Jerry Craft
- House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
- Pretty in Punxsutawney by Laurie Boyle Crompton
- Belly Upby Eva Darrows
- Simon & Louise by Max de Radiguès
- 500 Words or Less by Juleah Del Rosario
- I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver
- In the Key of Nira Ghani by Natasha Deen
- My Ideal Boyfriend is a Croissant by Laura Dockrill
- Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly
- The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake
- Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan
- Past Perfect Life by Elizabeth Eulberg
- Here to Stay by Sara Farizan
- Teen Titans: Raven (Teen Titans #1)by Kami Garcia
- An Absolutely Remarkable Thingby Hank Green
- Changeling (Sorcery and Society #1) and Fledgeling (Sorcery and Society #2) by Molly Harper
- Have a Little Faith in Me by Sonia Hartl
- Testimony From Your Perfect Girlby Kaui Hart Hemmings
- UNpregnant by Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan
- The Lonely Dead by April Henry
- Run, Hide, Fight Back by April Henry
- Fifteen and Change by Max Howard
- The Past and Other Things that Should Stay Buriedby Shaun David Hutchinson
- I’m Not Dying With You Tonight by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal
- The Me I Meant To Beby Sophie Jordan
- Keeper of the Bees by Meg Kassel
- Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
- A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
- The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan
- Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
- It’s the End of the World As I Know It by Matthew Landis
- Through the White Wood by Jessica Leake
- Loki: Where Mischief Lies by Mackenzi Lee
- Sleeping in My Jeans by Connie King Leonard
- Warrior of the Wild by Tricia Levenseller
- The Unfortunatesby Kim Liggett
- Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott
- If You’re Out There by Katy Loutzenhiser
- The Giver (Graphic Novel) by Lois Lowry, adapted by P. Craig Russell
- Smooth Criminals by Kurt Lustgarten and Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith
- A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
- Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
- Heroineby Mindy McGinnis
- Fear of Missing Out by Kate McGovern
- Two Can Keep A Secretby Karen M. McManus
- Don’t Date Rosa Santosby Nina Moreno
- Salt by Hannah Moskowitz
- Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale by Lauren Myracle
- Grand Theft Horse by Greg Neri
- Mike by Andrew Norriss
- Midas by Ryan North
- The Good Sonby Pierre-Jacques Ober
- Mera: Tidebreakerby Danielle Paige
- Bloom by Kevin Panetta & Savanna Ganucheau
- In the Hall with a Knife: A Clue Mystery by Diana Peterfreund
- The Liar’s Daughter by Megan Cooley Peterson
- Wilder Girls by Rory Powers
- Patron Saints of Nothingby Randy Ribay
- Truly Madly Royally by Debbie Rigaud
- Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds
- Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell
- Since We Last Spoke by Brenda Rufener
- A Sky For Us Alone by Kristin Russell
- Birthday by Meredith Russo
- Mean by Justin Sayre
- Not Even Bones (Market of Monsters #1) by Rebecca Schaeffer
- Only Ashes Remain (Market of Monsters #2) by Rebecca Schaeffer
- Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte
- On A Scale of 1 to 10 by Ceylan Scott
- A Danger to Herself and Othersby Alyssa B. Sheinmel
- Dryby Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
- The Size of the Truth by Andrew Smith
- The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkeller
- Jackpot by Nic Stone
- These Witches Don’t Burnby Isabel Sterling
- Four Three Two Oneby Courtney Stevens
- Harley Quinn: Breaking Glassby Mariko Tamaki
- Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Meby Mariko Tamaki
- On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
- The Haunted by Danielle Vega
- Kiss Number 8by Colleen AF Venable
- Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson and Ellen Hagan
- Girls With Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young
- Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America edited by Ibi Zoboi
Nonfiction
- SHOUT by Laurie Halse Anderson
- Monstrous: The Lore, Gore, and Science Behind Your Favorite Monsters by Carlyn Beccia
- Bad Boys of Fashion: Style Rebels and Renegades Through the Ages by Jennifer Croll
- Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death by Caitlin Doughty
- I Am Hermes!: Mischief-Making Messenger of the Gods by Mordicai Gerstein
- Unpunished Murder: Massacre at Colfax and the Quest for Justice by Lawrence Goldstone
- P is for Pterodactylby Raj Haldar & Chris Carpenter
- Spooked! How a Radio Broadcast and The War of the Worlds Sparked the 1938 Invasion of America by Gail Jarrow
- No More Excuses: Dismantling Rape Culture by Amber J. Keyser
- Disaster Strikes!: The Most Dangerous Space Missions of All Time by Jeffrey Kluger
- Fake News: Separating Truth from Fiction by Michael Miller
- It’s Trevor Noah: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood (Adapted for Young Readers) by Trevor Noah
- The Stonewall Riots: Coming Out in the Streets by Gayle E. Pitman
- Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic, A Young Adult Adaptation by Sam Quinones
- We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories From Refugee Girls Around the World by Malala Yousafzai
The 2020 Quick Picks Blogging Team was:
- Lorrie Roussin, coordinator
- Kathleen Barker
- Alison Gray
- Aimee Haslam
- Jessica Levy
- Elizabeth Nebeker
- Cathy Outten
- Kathleen Reynolds
- Jessica Smith
- Kelsey Socha
- Kristen Thorp
Other Years’ Blog Posts: