The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), announces its 2026 Best Fiction for Young Adult (BFYA) book list.
The list of 61 titles is drawn from 65 official nominations, which were posted and discussed in blog posts on The Hub. The list identifies titles to provide librarians and library workers with a resource to use for collection development and reader’s advisory purposes. The titles are all fiction books written for teens ages 12 to 18 that incorporate outstanding literary quality and effectiveness of presentation, as well as appeal to the personal reading tastes of the teens.
In addition to the full list, the blogging team chose the following titles as its top ten:
- All the Noise at Once. By DeAndra Davis. 2025. 384 p. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, $19.99 (9781665952651)
- Best of All Worlds. By Kenneth Oppel. 2025. 256 p. Scholastic Press, $19.99 (9781546158202).
- Cope Field. By T. L. Simpson. 2025. 272 p. North Star Editions, $14.99 (9781635831054).
- The Corruption of Hollis Brown. By K. Ancrum. 2025. 384 p. Harper Collins Publishing, $19.99 (9780063285835).
- His Face is the Sun. By Michelle Jabes Corpora. 2025. 528 p. Sourcebooks Fire, $19.99 (9781464224584).
- Kill Creatures. By Rory Power. 2025. 288 p. Delacorte Press, $19.99 (9780593302316).
- They Bloom at Night. By Trang Thanh Tran. 2025. 272 p. Bloomsbury, $19.99 (9781547611119).
- Top Heavy. By Rhonda DeChambeau. 2025. 352 p. Holiday House, $19.99 (9780823458134).
- Truth Is. By Hannah V. Sawyerr. 2025. 480 p. Amulet Books, $21.99 (9781419776830).
- The Unexpected Consequence of Bleeding on a Tuesday. By Kelsey B. Toney. 2025. 304 p. Random House Books for Young Readers, $19.99 (9780593811511)
“The 2026 BFYA team worked hard to put together this list of the best in young adult literature that have high teen appeal,” said Coordinator Molly Dettmann. “Our blogging team read hundreds of books and discussed them virtually, taking care to create a list that will be especially helpful in supporting librarians in curating collections of engaging young adult fiction that will connect to teen readers. We worked to uplift titles librarians might otherwise not purchase for their collections due to limited budgets and the sheer mass of published works each year for teens.”
YALSA’s portfolio of book and media awards helps strengthen library services for and with teens by identifying quality, age appropriate resources for librarians and library workers to share with the teens in their communities. Learn more about YALSA’s other book and media lists here.
The members of the 2026 Best Fiction for Young Adults Blogging Team are: Coordinator Molly Dettmann, Oklahoma; Cathy DeCampli, New Jersey; Michael Fleming, Washington; Alejandria Galarza, Illinois; Amy Kilkenny, Wisconsin; Jessica Lorentz Smith, Oregon; Julianne Novetsky, Michigan; Melissa Palmer, New York; Erica Schimmel, Colorado; Carolyn Vidmar, Maryland; Courtney Waters, Missouri.
The mission of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) is to support library staff in alleviating the challenges teens face, and in putting all teens—especially those with the greatest needs—on the path to successful and fulfilling lives. For more information about YALSA or to access national guidelines and other resources go to www.ala.org/yalsa, or contact the YALSA office by phone, 800-545-2433, ext. 4390; or e-mail: yalsa@ala.org.
2026 Best Fiction for Young Adults
The members of the 2026 Best Fiction for Young Adults Blogging Team are: Coordinator, Molly Dettmann (Oklahoma), Cathy DeCampli (New Jersey), Michael Fleming (Washington), Alejandria Galarza (Illinois), Amy Kilkenny (Wisconsin), Beth Krebs-Smith (Wisconsin),
Jessica Lorentz Smith (Oregon), Julianne Novetsky (Michigan), Melissa Palmer (New York), Erica Schimmel (Colorado), Carolyn Vidmar (Maryland), Courtney Waters (Missouri)
*Denotes Top Ten Titles
All Better Now. By Neal Shusterman. 2025. 528 p. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $21.99 (9781534432758). Gr. 9 – 12.
After a virus leaves survivors in a state of contentment, three teens find themselves in an international battle that will either spread the disease or destroy it at any cost.
*All the Noise at Once. By DeAndra Davis. 2025. 384 p. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, $19.99 (9781665952651) Gr. 8 – 12.
Aiden’s brother, Brandon, gets him a second chance to be on the football team, but not all of Aiden’s new teammates welcome the autistic teen with open arms. When a physical fight leads to police intervention, Brandon is unjustly arrested – leaving Aiden to fight to clear his name.
And the Trees Stare Back. By Gigi Griffis. 2025. 368 p. Holiday House, $19.99 (9780823459124) Gr. 9 – 12
In Soviet-era Estonia, sixteen‑year‑old Vik’s sister returns unchanged after vanishing into a cursed bog, and nothing about her seems real. A chilling folk‑horror steeped in history, grief, and political oppression, this novel is a lyrical, haunting exploration of trauma, identity, and resistance.
Aisle Nine. Ian X. Cho. 2024. 272 p. HarperCollins, $19.99 (9780063206809) Gr. 9 – 12.
Jasper learns to navigate life as a 17-year-old who can’t remember anything about themself while fighting demons, crushing on someone at his work, and avoiding the portal to hell that has manifested in aisle nine of the mart where he works as a clerk.
The Art Thieves. By Andrea L. Rogers, 2024. 400 p. Levine Querido, $18.99 (9781646143788). Gr. 7 – 12.
In 2052 Cherokee teen, Stevie, lives in a world slowly being ravaged by climate change, when she meets a boy from the future who steals art to bring as messages of hope and perseverance in the years after the devastation that is just about to begin in her time.
*Best of All Worlds. By Kenneth Oppel. 2025. 256 p. Scholastic Press, $19.99 (9781546158202). Gr. 8 – 12.
After being trapped for three years on a goat farm under a mysterious dome, teen Zay is excited when a new family suddenly appears, but their need to escape could put Zay and his family in danger.
Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe. By C.B. Lee. 2025. 388 p. Feiwel & Friends, $19.99 (9781250778024). Gr. 8 – 12.
Two girls from alternate versions of Earth- one mundane, one magical – meet by chance in a coffee shop and fall for each other as increasing instability between their universes threatens their newfound happiness.
Compound Fracture. By Andrew Joseph White. 2024. 371 p. Peachtree Teen, $19.99 (9781682636121). Gr. 9 – 12.
In rural Twist Creek County, West Virginia, trans teen Miles is assaulted by local bullies, including the sheriff’s son, and threatened into silence by the sheriff. Miles and other townsfolk set out to put an end to the corrupt sheriff and his feud with Miles’s family.
“WHAT’S MORE SCARY THAN GHOSTS”:CHECK OUT OUR INTERVIEW WITH ANDREW JOSEPH WHITE HERE!
*Cope Field. By T. L. Simpson. 2025. 272 p. North Star Editions, $14.99 (9781635831054). Gr. 9 – 12.
After landing in community service, baseball superstar, Craw Cope, meets a girl who gets him to think outside his father’s demanding dream to follow in his Major League baseball footsteps.
*The Corruption of Hollis Brown. By K. Ancrum. 2025. 384 p. Harper Collins Publishing, $19.99 (9780063285835). Gr. 9 – 12.
Hollis Brown’s life is upended when he offers a strange boy shelter, unknowingly trading his own body in the process. A chilling, yet tender thriller, this title explores the evolving connection between Hollis and Walt, who now share the same body, and features strong secondary characters and impactful social commentary.
A Cruel Thirst. By Angela Montoya. 2024. 394 p. Joy Revolution, $18.99 (9780593643372). Gr. 9 – 12.
Carolina, a vampire hunter, and Lalo, a vampire, must ignore their distaste, and growing attraction, of each other in order to destroy a common enemy.
Dear Manny. By Nic stone. 2025. 224 p. Crown Books for Young Readers, $12.99 (9780593308042). Gr. 8 – 12.
Third in the Dear Martin series, this installment focuses on Jared, the rich white boy, and his struggle to find his way in life while dealing with family traditions and expectations. He hopes to find a person he likes being at the end of the struggle.
Diet Soda Club. By Chaz Hayden. 309 p. Candlewick, $18.99 (9781536223125). Gr. 9 – 12.
When Reed Beckett’s mother suddenly disappears, he’s left to care for his ailing sister, forcing him to turn to desperate means to keep them afloat.
The Dividing Sky. By Jill Tew. 2024. 352 p. Joy Revolution, $19.99 (9780593710357). Gr. 8 – 12. In a future ruled by a ruthless corporation, Liv sells memories for LifeCorps. While on a dangerous mission that erases her memories, she joins forces with the police officer tracking her. Together, they uncover LifeCorp’s secrets and confront their feelings as they try to survive their journey.
Dust. By Alison Stine. 2024. 320 p. Wednesday Books, $20.00 (9781250878731). Gr. 7 – 12.
Partially deaf, white teen, Thea, struggles with isolation and extreme poverty on the family’s newly acquired farm in rural Colorado. As dust storms ravage the area, Thea meets neighbors and learns that survival will require support from the community Thea’s father is set on avoiding.
Everything is Poison. By Joy McCullough. 2025. 304 p. Dutton Books for Young Readers, $19.99 (9780593855874). Gr. 9 – 12.
In 17th century Rome, 16 year-old Carmela has just started working in her mother’s apothecary and is eager to put her knowledge to use, but an error in judgement reawakens suspicions of witchcraft, putting the apothecary and everyone connected to it in jeopardy.
The Grove. By Brooks Whitney Phillips. 2025. 291 p. Viking, $19.99 (9780593202128). Gr. 8 – 12.
A lyrical coming-of-age story set in the 1960s about two sisters that examines issues of generational trauma, poverty, racism, and growing up in the wake of life-altering secrets.
Heir. By Sabaa Tahir. 2024. 512 p. G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, $21.99 (9780593616949). Gr. 7 – 12.
Aiz, a believer, Sirsha, a castaway, and Quil, an heir to an empire embark on journeys brutal and dangerous as slowly their stories become intertwined hunting for an elusive killer and a god only one of them can hear. With war on the horizon will they survive their dangerous treks?
*His Face is the Sun. By Michelle Jabes Corpora. 2025. 528 p. Sourcebooks Fire, $19.99 (9781464224584). Gr. 9 – 12.
Plagued by corruption and historical prophecies, this foursome must combine talents to bring down the evil king and save their lands from over-farming and unreasonable taxes to the throne.
I Am Not Jessica Chen. By Ann Liang. 2025. 320 p. Harlequin, $19.99 (9781335523129). Gr. 9 – 12.
When Jenna’s wish to become her high-achieving cousin Jessica comes true, Jenna is certain life will be perfect. But things aren’t always what they seem. As people begin forgetting Jenna existed, she must decide if living Jessica’s life is worth walking away from who she’s always wanted to be.
I Am The Swarm. By Hayley Chewins. 2025. 326 p. Viking, $19.99 (9780593623862). Gr. 9 – 12.
Nell comes into her own magic that manifests her emotions with appearances of swarms of different bugs that demonstrate to the reader how Nell is feeling about her challenges socially, with her family, her music teacher, and her love interest.
*Kill Creatures. By Rory Power. 2025. 288 p. Delacorte Press, $19.99 (9780593302316). Gr. 9 – 12
A year after killing her three best friends, Nan is forced to confront buried truths when one of them mysteriously reappears.
Lady’s Knight.By Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. 2025. 432 p. Storytide, $19.99 (9780062893390). Gr. 7 – 12
As the “prize” to be awarded to the winning knight of the tournament, Lady Isobelle is desperate to avoid her fate. Meanwhile, the blacksmith’s daughter, Gwen, is trying to figure out how to enter the tournament as a knight. When the two meet, plans are formed as sparks fly.
Last Bookstore on Earth. By Lily Braun-Arnold. 2025. 320 p. Delacorte Press, $19.99 (9780593899489). Gr. 7 – 12.
After a chemical storm kills her family and ravages her New Jersey town, Liz Flannery moves into the bookstore where she worked before her world fell apart. Alone in the crumbling store, Liz knows that she must prepare for another storm coming soon, but other threats loom even closer.
Legendary Frybread Drive-In. By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Kate Hart, Eric Gansworth, Marcella Bell, Darcie Little Badger, Karina Iceberg, Kaua Mahoe Adams, Andrea L. Rogers, Cheryl Isaacs, Christine Hartman Derr, Brian Young, K. A. Cobell, Jen Ferguson, A. J. Eversole, Byron Graves, Angeline Boulley, David A. Robertson. 2025. 352 p. Heartdrum, $19.99 (9780063314269). Gr. 8 – 12.
In this anthology of loosely-connected short stories by Indigenous and First Nations authors, teens from across North America each find their way to the famous, yet mysterious, Sandy June’s Legendary Frybread Drive-In where the food is superlative and the company edifying.
“WE WANTED A BOOK THAT FELT LIKE A HUG”: CHECK OUT OUR INTERVIEW WITH CYNTHIA LEITICH SMITH HERE!
Lucy, Uncensored.By Mel Hammond and Teghan Hammond. 2024. 256 p. Knopf Books for Young Readers, $19.99 (9780593814055). Gr. 9 – 12.
Best friends Lucy and Callie dream of leaving their small town and enrolling in a college drama program. But when their campus visit ends in disaster, they decide to set off on a road trip to explore other options.
Night Owls. A. R. Vishny. 2024. 356 p. Harper Collins, $19.99 (9780063327306) Gr. 9 – 12
Sisters Clara and Molly have kept themselves alive for centuries running the local movie theater during the day and turning into blood-thirsty, man-devouring owls in secret by night. They follow simple rules that Molly is starting to question, including to never fall in love.
Nobody in Particular. Sophie Gonzales. 2025. 352 p. Wednesday Books, $21.99 (9781250352491). Gr. 8 – 12.
At her new boarding school, American scholarship student Danni befriends Princess Rosemary, heir to the small European country in which their school is located. The two fall hard for each, but the expectations of Rose’s future role as queen pose a significant threat to their relationship.
The Notorious Virtues. ByAlwyn Hamilton. 2025. 497 p. Viking Children’s Books, $22.99 (9780451479662) Gr. 8 – 12.
After the current heir of the Holtzfall family, the richest and most powerful family in Walstad, is murdered, the next generation of descendants must compete in the Veritaz Trials, a series of magical and potentially deadly tests, to determine which among them will become the new heir.
Not for the Faint of Heart. Lex Croucher. 2024. 400 p. Wednesday Books, $20.00 (9781250847232) Gr. 9 – 12.
Set in the medieval world of Robin Hood, things seem to be going as planned when Mariel—Robin Hood’s teenage granddaughter—and her band of Merry Men kidnap a cheerfully quippy local healer, Clem, until they realize Mariel’s father has been kidnapped by the Sheriff of Nottingham.
On the Wings of la Noche. By Vanessa L. Torres. 2025. 343 p. Alfred A. Knopf, $19.99 (9780593426173). Gr. 9 – 12.
As a Lechuza, it’s Noche’s job to escort souls into the afterlife, but when her girlfriend dies, Noche can’t say goodbye. As Noche struggles to move on while also developing feelings for someone else, soon Noche will have to make a choice.
The Otherwhere Post. By Emily J. Taylor. 2025. 416 p. G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, $20.99 (9780593404546). Gr. 9 – 12.
Years ago, Maeve lost everything when her father destroyed an entire world. Present day, Maeve receives a mysterious letter claiming her father’s innocence. To learn the truth, Maeve infiltrates The Otherwhere Post as an apprentice to learn Scriptomancy, which allows carriers to enchant letters and travel between worlds.
Our Infinite Fates. By Laura Stevens. 2025. 353 p. St. Martin’s Press, $17.99 (9781250333889). Gr. 8 – 12.
Over the span of 1000 years, Evelyn and Arden have lived many lives. In some, they fall in love; in all lives, one kills the other. This is until Evelyn reaches their current life, where they are determined to put an end to what they’ve been told is their fate.
On Again, Awkward Again. Erin Entrada Kelly and Kwame Mbalia. 2025. 262 p. Harry N. Abrams Inc, $19.99 (9781419775635). Gr. 7 – 12.
High school freshmen Pacita (Pacy) Mercado and Cecil Holloway have no interest in romance – until they meet each other, that is. But can they overcome their own awkwardness or will it derail their relationship before it even has a chance to start?
Pick the Lock. By A.S. King. 2024. 383 p. Dutton Children’s Books, $19.99 (9780593353974). Gr. 9 – 12.
16-year-old Jane’s mother, a feminist punk-rock legend, is trapped in her husband’s system. To free her, Jane must pick apart the lies and manipulation to root out the truth and process by writing a punk opera.
Rosa By Any Other Name. By Hailey Alcaraz. 2025. 408 p. Viking, $20.99 (9780593525579). Gr. 9 – 12.
Inspired by Romeo and Juliet, this novel follows Rosa Capistrano, a Mexican American teen passing as white during the civil rights era. When a forbidden love leads to tragedy, Rosa must confront prejudice and risk everything to stand up for justice, identity, and the truth.
Salvación. By Sandra Proudman. 2025. 336 p. Wednesday Books, $21.99 (9781250895080). Gr. 8 – 12.
In this feminist homage to El Zorro, 17-year-hold Lola de la Peña dons the mask of Salvación to protect her town of Coloma and all that she holds dear.
A Second Chance on Earth. By Juan Vidal. 2024. 216 p. Holiday House, $18.99 (9780823457113). Gr. 8 – 12.
After his father’s fatal motorcycle accident, Marcos Cadena finds solace in writing and in reading his father’s copy of One Hundred Years of Solitude. A summer in Cartagena deepens Marcos’ bond with his family, heritage, and self.
Shampoo Unicorn. By Sawyer Lovett. 2025. 320 p. Hyperion, $18.99 (9781368108959). Gr. 9 – 12.
Rural Appalachian queer teen Brian and his friends use their podcast to solve a mystery, and heal themselves and make connections along the way.
Songlight. By Moira Buffini. 2024. 376 p. Harper Collins, $19.99 (9780063358218). Gr. 9 – 12. Elsa lives in a world where her songlight is abhorred and referred to as inhuman. She only knows of one other person, Rye, who shares this ability and suddenly, he is snatched from her life.
The Story of My Anger. Jasmine Mendez. 2025. 336 p. Dial Books, $19.99 (9780593531877). Gr. 7 – 12.
When her drama club teacher again gives the starring role in the play to a white student, and her favorite teacher’s class library and lesson plans are censored, Yuli joins her friends in creating a guerilla theatre club.
Sometimes the Girl. By Jennifer Mason-Black. 2025. 304 p. Carolrhoda Lab, $19.99 (9781728493299). Gr. 9 – 12.
Holiday’s summer job cataloging a legendary author’s attic becomes a journey into grief, creative ambition, and healing connection. A poetic, character driven coming of age novel that explores intergenerational queer kinship, artistic identity, and the courage to reclaim your voice.
These Vengeful Gods. By Gabe Cole Novoa. 2025. 432 p. Random House Books for Young Readers, $19.99 (9780593898123). Gr. 7 – 12.
When their uncles are arrested, Crew must risk revealing their identity as a descendant of the god of Death by entering the deadly Tournament of the Gods. As they fight for their loved ones, they’ll uncover secrets that could change the world.
*They Bloom at Night. By Trang Thanh Tran. 2025. 272 p. Bloomsbury, $19.99 (9781547611119). Gr. 9 – 12.
Noon and her mother have been searching the algae bloom-infested waters near their home in coastal Louisiana for Noon’s missing father and brother ever since a catastrophic hurricane tore through the area, but something else lurks in the water, calling out to Noon.
This is the Year. By Gloria Munoz. 2025. 368 p. Holiday House, $18.99 (9780823458363). Gr. 9 – 12.
After the death of her twin sister, Juli must now decide to join the five year space excursion to colonize the moon, or stay with her mother and friends who also lost someone with the death of her sister.
This Moth Saw Brightness. ByA. A. Vacharat. 2025. 448 p. Dutton Children’s Books, $20.99 (9780593698600). Gr. 9 – 12.
In the very near future, high school senior ‘Wayne (the “D” is invisible) Le accepts an invitation to participate in a seemingly innocuous study that winds up being anything but.
*Top Heavy. By Rhonda DeChambeau. 2025. 352 p. Holiday House, $19.99 (9780823458134). Gr 8 – 12.
Life gets complicated for Esme when she and her best friend are invited to the Elite dance team, where tuition and recital costumes carry a price tag that is out of reach. Then, one night with friends, a stranger gropes her chest, and everything begins to fall apart.
The Thrashers. By Julie Soto. 2025. 343 p. Wednesday Books, $20.00 (9781250377173). Gr. 9 – 12.
After a classmate dies by suicide on prom night, Jodi and her friend group come under investigation, exposing secrets and triggering a series of sinister events that threaten to destroy them all.
The Trouble with Heroes. By Kate Messner. 2025. 368 p. Bloomsbury, $17.99 (9781547616398). Gr 3 – 8.
Finn, a 13-year-old boy grieving the death of his father, vandalizes the headstone of a woman in the local graveyard. The woman’s granddaughter agrees to drop charges if Finn climbs all 46 peaks of the Adirondacks, something her grandmother loved to do.
*Truth Is. By Hannah V. Sawyerr. 2025. 480 p. Amulet Books, $21.99 (9781419776830). Gr. 9 – 12.
Truth dreams of freedom from her past and small town, while navigating an unplanned pregnancy and complicated relationships. After her abortion, joining a slam poetry team helps her process her experiences, until a viral video of her performance thrusts her into the spotlight.
Truth, Lies, and the Questions in Between. By L.M. Elliott. 2025. 384 p. Little, Brown and Company, $18.99 (9781643752822). Gr. 9 – 12.
Patty may be one of the first female Congressional pages, but she’d never consider herself a feminist. But when she begins to witness some of the most influential political moments of her time, including the Watergate trials and Roe V. Wade, she begins to question everything she’s ever been taught.
Under the Same Stars. By Libba Bray. 2025. 471 p. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $24.99 (9780374388942). Gr. 9 – 12.
In three tumultuous and interconnected settings- late 1930’s/early 1940’s Germany, West Berlin in 1980, and New York City in 2020 – three teens find their paths to resisting oppression in the face of extraordinary circumstances.
*The Unexpected Consequence of Bleeding on a Tuesday. By Kelsey B. Toney. 2025. 304 p. Random House Books for Young Readers, $19.99 (9780593811511). Gr. 7 – 12.
When her dreams for the future seem to be ruined by the devastating period pain her doctors have been dismissing for years, and her new school isn’t supportive of students experiencing chronic illness, Delia rallies with new friends to fight for the care they deserve.
The Unfinished. By Cheryl Isaacs. 2024. 336 p. Heartdrum, $19.99 (9780063287389). Gr. 7 – 12.
After unwittingly unleashing a malevolent force on her town, Avery must use the wisdom of her Kanyen’kehá:ka ancestors to save her town and her friends.
The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine. By Lindsay A. Franklin. 2025. 416 p. Enclave Escape, $24.99 (9798886051780). Gr. 8 – 12.
In a desperate bid to find her long-lost sister, Emlyn DuLaine travels through a portal to a world that closely resembles the world she created in the stories she used to share with her sister.
Unhallowed Halls. By Lili Wilkinson. 2025. 464 p. Delacorte Press, $19.99 (9780593811016). Gr. 9 – 12.
Looking for somewhere to finally belong, a young misfit finds more than she bargained for at the exclusive and mysterious boarding school Agathion College.
Up in Smoke. By Nick Brooks. 2025. 256 p. Henry Holt and Co., $19.99 (9781250359926). Gr. 9 – 12.
A woman is shot and killed and Cooper’s friend/big brother figure, Jason, is the prime suspect. Will Cooper be able to help his friend avoid prison while trying to keep himself out of trouble?
“THE CLIMATE ENCOURAGED ME TO WRITE A BOOK LIKE THIS NOW”: CHECK OUT INTERVIEW WITH NICK BROOKS HERE!
Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire. By Don Martin. 336 p. Page Street YA, $18.99 (9798890032706). Gr. 7 – 12
Witch-in-training Verity Vox receives a mysterious message summoning her to Foxfire, a town cursed by a traveling magician named Earl. Verity arrives and offers help, but discovers that the townspeople don’t trust outsiders, especially witches. Can Verity work to gain their trust and break the curse?
Wake the Wild Creatures. By Nova Ren Suma. 2025. 384 p. Little Brown & Co., $18.99 (9781616206727). Gr. 9 – 12.
High up in the Catskills in an abandoned mountaintop hotel, Talia and her mother have created a community of like-minded women, but their lives are upended when Talia is captured by law enforcement and sent to live with her aunt.
When Devils Sing. By Xan Kaur. 2025. 400 p. Henry Holt and Co., $21.99 (9781250357175), Gr. 8 – 12.
Every 13 years, the cicadas descend on Carrion. Along with that, some townspeople go missing. Legend has it that the devil walks among them, offering deals to those most vulnerable. But the cost of these deals can be huge…and painful.
When We Ride. By Rex Ogle. 2025. 336 p. Norton Young Readers, $24.99 ( 9781324052821). Gr. 9 – 12.
Benny and Lawson are more than best friends, they’re brothers. Benny gives Lawson rides as long as Lawson is not carrying, but their brotherly bond is tested when Lawson digs himself even deeper into dealing while Benny just wants a better life and future after graduation.
“IF YOU’RE GONNA RUN, RUN TO THE LIBRARY”: CHECK OUT OUR INTERVIEW WITH REX OGLE HERE!