The members of the Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers Blogging Team are: Coordinator Leanna Chappell, Swanton Public Library, Swanton, OH, Katie Bruechert, Thoreau Middle School, Vienna, VA Jacqueline Bush, Stratford Library Association, Stratford, CT, Jessica DeWitz, King County Library System, Sammamish and Fall City, WA, Bridget Healey, Washington Irving Middle School, Springfield, VA, Lily Mayfield, Thomas Ford Memorial Library, Western Springs, IL, Maryanne Olson, Haverford Township Free Library, Havertown, PA , Josie Snow, Montrose High School, Montrose, CO, Emily Williams, Metropolitan Library System, Oklahoma City, OK, Gail Zachariah, Whiting Library, Chester, VT
*= top 10 selection
AB= recommended audiobook
Top Ten
All the Blues in the Sky. Renée Watson. 2025. 208 p. Bloomsbury Children’s Books, $17.99 (9781547605897). Gr. 4-8. *AB
When Sage’s best friend dies, Sage doesn’t know how to move forward. However with the help of her grief group, family, and friends, Sage finds her feet again. This hopeful and touching depiction of grief is perfect for any reader who is looking for understanding when a loved one dies.
The Assassin’s Guide to Babysitting. Natalie C. Parker. 2025. 320 p. Candlewick, $19.99 (9781536230093). Gr. 9-12. *
In a world of powerful Talents, Tru hides her rare ability to be unharmed. Raised by an ex-assassin, she keeps a low profile until a babysitting job goes wrong and she’s forced to confront danger, uncover secrets, and face the truth about herself.
Best of All Worlds. Kenneth Oppel. 2025. 256 p. Scholastic Press, $19.99 (9781546158202). Gr. 7-12. *AB
Transported to another world under a dome while on vacation with his father and stepmother, Xavier Oaks must learn to survive without modern technology while (seemingly) not on Earth. He questions why his family was moved – especially when another family suddenly appears.
Blood in the Water. Tiffany D. Jackson. 2025. 272 p. Scholastic Press, $18.99 (9781338849912). Gr. 6-9.*
When Brooklyn girl Kaylani goes to stay with family friends for the summer in Martha’s Vineyard, she gets wrapped up in solving the suspicious death of a local teen boy.
The Factory. Catherine Egan. 2025. 320 p. Scholastic, $8.99 (9781339034218). Gr. 6-9. *
Asher Doyle is invited to join the Factory, as part of a secret experiment for teenagers. Thinking it will save his life and his mother, he agrees, but soon comes to regret his decision when he finds out the Factory is filled with horrors he never anticipated.
Family Force V: Book One. Matt Braly, Ainsworth Lin (illustrator). 2025. 232 p. Image Comics, $16.99 (9781534340336). Gr. 7-11. *
Maise may look like a normal teen, but she’s secretly part of a family of alien-fighting team members known as the Moon Troopers. When she misses an important fight to spend time with a friend, a tragedy occurs that makes fighting alien kaiju even more dangerous.
Out of Air. Rachel Reiss. 2025. 304 p. Wednesday Books, $20.00 (9781250366146). Gr. 8-12. *
Phoebe and her tight-knit group of friends travel to Australia for a scuba diving trip. While there, she and her best friend (and crush) Gabe discover a mysterious cave that might be linked to rumors of a local cursed treasure and begin developing painful physical transformations.
The Story of My Anger. Jasmine Mendez. 2025. 336 p. Dial Books, $19.99 (9780593531877). Gr. 7-12. *
Yuli Lopez wants nothing more than to finally get cast in a leading role. But when she is passed over yet again for a White girl and a beloved teacher’s books are banned, Yuli cannot hide her anger anymore. She and her friends form an activist guerilla theater troupe to call out inequality.
Twenty-four Seconds From Now… Jason Reynolds. 2024. 272 p. Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, $19.99 (9781665961271). Gr. 9-12. *AB
In 24 seconds, Neon is about to have sex for the first time with his girlfriend of 24 months, Aria. But in those 24 seconds, Neon flashes back to certain moments and other little things that have built a sometimes sweet, sometimes passionate, and always deeply supportive relationship.
When We Ride. Rex Ogle. 2025. 336 p. Norton Young Readers, $18.99 (9781324052821). Gr. 9-12. *AB
Diego is a hard worker whose loyalty to his best friend Lawson is increasingly tested as Lawson starts dealing drugs, threatening the life towards which Diego is working.
Check our our interview with Rex Ogle here!
Fiction
All’s Fair in Love and Field Hockey. Kit Rosewater. 2025. 320 p. Delacorte Romance, $12.99 (9780593898451). Gr. 7-12.
Evelyn’s focus senior year is on getting her field hockey team to the nationals, but she becomes distracted by a rival team’s new member, Rosa. Soon she begins to meet with Rosa in secret to trade hockey tips, leading to confusion when her feelings for Rosa start to change.
Biology Lessons. Melissa Kantor. 2025. 272 p. Feiwel & Friends, $19.99 (9781250334046). Gr. 9-12.
Grace’s plans for college are derailed when she unexpectedly becomes pregnant. Abortion is illegal in Texas, and with parents who would expect her to keep the baby, Grace doesn’t know where to turn to get her future back on track – until she finds a helpful number in a bathroom stall.
Breath of the Dragon. Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee. 2025. 352 p. Wednesday Books, $21.00 (9781250391148). Gr. 8-12.
After their exile from the East, Li Jun enters the Guardian’s Tournament against his father’s wishes. But as he fights through the increasingly deadly Tournament, Jun realizes there’s more at stake than proving his worth as a fighter; the fate of everyone and everything he loves hangs in the balance.
A Catalog of Burnt Objects. Shana Youngdahl. 2025. 368 p. Dial Books, $19.99 (9780593405512). Gr. 7-12. AB
Teen coding expert Caprice thinks she knows how the next year will go. But the return of her addict brother and a new love interest muddle her plans before her entire world is thrown into turmoil after a devastating forest fire destroys her town.
Deadstream. Mar Romasco-Moore. 2025. 320 p. Viking Books for Young Readers, $12.99 (9780593691885). Gr. 9-12.
Being a streamer online has given Teresa friends, purpose and refuge from her anxiety – until she witnesses a bizarre, potentially supernatural incident on a well-known streamer’s feed and decides to investigate, turning herself into the next target.
Honeysuckle and Bone. Trisha Tobias. 2025. 320 p. Sweet July Books, $19.99 (9781638931027). Gr. 9-12. AB
Attempting to run away from her past, Carina escapes to Jamaica to work for a wealthy family only to discover more deadly secrets in a haunted paradise.
How to Survive a Slasher. Justine Pucella Winans. 2025. 304 p. Bloomsbury YA, $19.99 (9781547616312). Gr. 10-12.
Queer teen CJ relies on their knowledge of horror-movie rules to survive when an unfinished manuscript thrusts them into the center of a new murder spree in a town notorious for its past massacres.
It’s All or Nothing, Vale. Andrea Beatriz Arango. 2025. 272 p. Random House Books for Young Readers, $17.99 (9780593810927). Gr. 5-9. AB
Valentina is the top junior fencer at her gym – until the accident. Now Vale’s been cleared to fence again, but she can’t move like before, and there’s a new number one, Myrka. As Vale tries to catch up to Myrka, she realizes there’s more than her injury holding her back.
Legendary Frybread Drive-In. Cynthia Leitich Smith (editor/contributor), 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.
A magical restaurant accessible to teens of every tribal Nation, Sandy June’s Legendary Frybread Drive-In is serving up just what you need, when you need it.
Check out our interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith here!
Like Water for Dragons. Maija Barnett. 2025. 200 p. West 44 Books, $25.80 (9781978597655). Gr. 7-12.
C-235’s organs will be harvested when he turns 18 to support the Dragons, genetically superior soldiers fighting in the war between humans and sentient AI. But C can read, and Dragon-in-training Ethan helps him escape. If C can learn to intercept AI data, he can prove his – and others’ – worth.
Marisol Acts the Part. Elle Gonzalez Rose. 2025. 320 p. Joy Revolution, $19.99 (9780593900529). Gr. 7-12. AB
Teen celebrity Marisol’s breakout hit series has just wrapped and her long-time boyfriend breaks up with her. When she books a role on his new show, she’s off to NYC to discover that “going serious” might be harder than she thought – until sparks start to fly with the show’s lead Jamila.
Midnights with You. Clare Osongco. 2024. 368 p. Disney Hyperion, $18.99 (9781368101936). Gr. 7-12.
Deedee takes secret driving lessons from her new neighbor Jay. Their tumultuous relationship provides an outlet for Deedee to explore how to move forward from years of her mother’s emotional abuse and her feelings of isolation as a half Filipino teen in a mostly white town.
Murder Between Friends. Liz Lawson. 2025. 384 p. Delacorte Press, $19.99 (9780593301036). Gr. 7-12.
Jake Hanson is being retried for murder. Grace’s eyewitness testimony put him away, but lately she’s been doubting what she saw. Grace is determined to settle her suspicions and enlist the help of her ex-best friend, Ally, and her ex-boyfriend/younger brother of the accused, Henry, to find the murderer.
Needy Little Things. Channelle Desamours. 2025. 320 p. Wednesday Books, $20.00 (9781250334817). Gr. 8-12. AB
When the second time a person close to her goes missing – and seeing the lack of community response for a missing Black girl – Sariyah puts her exceptional skill of hearing the needs of those around her to use to try to solve this case before it’s too late.
One of the Boys. Victoria Zeller. 2025. 344 p. Levine Querido, $19.99 (9781646145027). Gr. 8-12. AB
After coming out as trans, Grace decides to rejoin her high school football team as their star kicker. Bolstered by strong friendships, Grace navigates the challenges of this decision in a timely story that is full of heart.
The Poetry of Car Mechanics. Heidi E.Y. Stemple. 2025. 256 p. Wordsong, $19.99 (9781662660214). Gr. 4-8. AB
Dylan feels lost; his mother is absent, and his grandfather doesn’t seem to care. The only place he finds peace is in the woods behind his grandfather’s auto shop. One afternoon he finds an injured hawk and takes it to a sanctuary, where he finds new purpose and connection.
The Rose Bargain. Sasha Peyton Smith. 2025. 400 p. HarperCollins, $19.99 (9780063372528). Gr. 8-12.
In her bid to save her family from social and financial ruin, Ivy Benton agrees to compete for the fae queen’s son’s hand in marriage. But all fae bargains come with a cost, and Ivy may not be prepared to pay it.
The Scammer. Tiffany D. Jackson. 2025. 368 p. Quill Tree Books, $19.99 (9780063271272). Gr. 9 and up. AB
Jordyn is excited to begin her adult life as a freshman at a historically black college with her new roommates. When a persuasive leader turns everyone’s heads and builds a cult-like following, Jordyn has to find a way to open her friends’ eyes before it’s too late.
Solar Punks. Gume Laurel III. 2025. 200 p. West 44 Books, $25.80 (9781978597624). Gr. 7-12.
Told in sparse yet beautiful verse, surfer Veny’s lonely life in a near-future ravaged by climate change is upended when he is rescued by Mateo, a stranger to the isolated colony where he lives.
Starstuff: Ten Science Fiction Stories to Celebrate New Possibilities. Wade Roush and
William Alexander (editors/contributors), A. R. Capetta, Maddi Gonzalez, Carlos Hernandez, Kekla Magoon, Jenn Reese, David A. Robertson, Eliot Schrefer, Fran Wilde. 2025. 288 p. MIT Kids Press, $19.99 (9781536236392). Gr. 4-8.
This collection of adventurous science fiction short stories features writing by 10 notable middle grade authors and explores alternate dimensions, artificial intelligence, space exploration, future technology, astrophysics, and more.
Stranded. Nikki Shannon Smith. 2024. 240 p. Scholastic Inc., $7.99 (9781339011240). Gr. 5-8.
Nature-loving Ava escapes New York City to go live with her aunt Raven in the Adirondack Mountains, a dream come true. But when Raven has to cut Ava’s visit short, Ava accidentally ends up stranded alone in her cabin in the mountains – and winter is coming.
That Kind of Girl. Natalie C. Anderson. 2025. 304 p. Nancy Paulsen Books, $19.99 (9780593406298). Gr. 7-12. AB
Sixteen-year-old Roxie, an amateur detective, and Inez, a part‐time maid and sex worker, become suspects in a murder at an elite prep school. Told in alternating points of view, this gripping YA thriller weaves a tension-filled mystery involving family secrets, hidden treasures, and betrayal.
Titan of the Stars. E. K. Johnston. 2025. 304 p. Tundra Books, $19.99 (9781774884089). Gr. 9-12.
Trapped on a spaceship with a terrifying alien threat, two teens fight for their lives as the passengers around them turn on each other.
The Trouble with Heroes. Kate Messner. 2025. 368 p. Bloomsbury Children’s Books, $17.99 (9781547616398). Gr 3-8. AB
Finn is in big trouble: he is failing seventh grade and he got caught vandalizing a headstone. As punishment, he has been challenged to hike 46 mountains with a goofy dog by summer’s end. The hikes help Finn process the loss of his father and provide inspiration for making amends.
Up in Smoke. Nick Brooks. 2025. 256 p. Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), $19.99 (9781250359933). Gr. 9-12. AB
Monique and Cooper team up to clear the name of their friend and brother after a protest that turns deadly. As the two race to unmask the real killer, Monique is determined to prove her brother’s innocence, while Cooper hides a secret about what really happened that day.
We Fell Apart. E. Lockhart. 2025. 320 p. Delacorte Press, $22.99 (9780593899168). Gr. 7-12.
Matilda discovers family secrets while fostering new relationships the summer her estranged father invites her to his secluded beach home in this compelling standalone addition to the We Were Liars series.
We Won’t All Survive. Kate Alice Marshall. 2025. 336 p. Viking Books for Young Readers, $12.99 (9780593691830). Gr. 9-12.
Mercy is a survivor. She saved her sister and others from a mass shooting, but her medical bills drained her sister’s college fund, so Mercy signs up for a Survivor-style reality show to repay her. But when Mercy arrives at the show location, something seems off. Then people start dying.
Graphic Novel or Illustrated Text
Almost Sunset. Wahab Algarmi. 2025. 224 p. HarperAlley, $15.99 (9780063355668). Gr. 3-7.
Hassan juggles school, soccer, gaming, and the long fasts of Ramadan, a month many classmates do not understand. With support from his family and community, he struggles to balance homework, friendships, and faith, ultimately discovering what Ramadan truly means to him.
Cry Out Loud. Tara O’Connor. 2025. 256 p. Random House Graphic, $17.99 (9780593125533). Gr. 7-12.
Rebellious teen Nell O’Brien is sent to a remote Irish island, where she discovers a dangerous family secret that could cost her life. With the help of a mysterious local, she faces her ancestors and tries to break a centuries-old curse.
Dan in Green Gables: A Modern Reimagining of Anne of Green Gables. Rey Terciero, Claudia Aguirre (illustrator). 2025. 256 p. Penguin Workshop, $24.99 (9780593385579). Gr. 7-12.
Fifteen-year-old Dan Stewart-Alvarez is abandoned in rural Tennessee with his grandparents by his free-spirited mother. His grandparents are strangers, and to make matters worse, his abrasive grandfather does not seem to approve of anything Dan does – or is.
The Flip Side. Jason Walz. 2025. 304 p. Rocky Pond Books, $17.99 (9780593618011). Gr. 7-12. AB
After the death of his best and only friend Evan, Theo finds himself in a desolate, flipped version of Earth haunted by monsters projecting his darkest thoughts with only one troubled teen, Emma, to help him in this hauntingly illustrated depiction of mental health issues, grief, and coping with trauma.
I Shall Never Fall in Love. Hari Conner. 2024. 288 p. HarperAlley, $18.99 (9780358682387). Gr. 8-12.
Eleanor and George (never Georgiana) are best friends, though now that George is the heir to their estate, they struggle with their complicated feelings for Eleanor. Eleanor, not sure of her own feelings, tries to matchmake her cousin Charlotte, who has her own ideas about who is a suitable match.
The Kiss Bet, Vol. 1. Ingrid Ochoa. 2025. 288 p. WEBTOON Unscrolled, $18.99 (9781998341146). Gr. 8-12.
Sara Lin is a high school senior, and has never been kissed. Her best friend Patrick makes a bet for her to kiss a strange boy on the subway, which ends in disaster. The bets don’t end, and Sara Lin finds herself in many hilarious yet embarrassing situations at school.
This Place Kills Me. Mariko Tamaki & Nicole Goux. 2025. 272 p. Abrams Fanfare, $26.99 (9781419768460). Gr. 9-12.
Abby’s attempts to fit into her new boarding school are thwarted when she’s caught up in a murder mystery while also navigating her closeted queer identity.
We Could Be Magic. Marissa Meyer, Joelle Murray (illustrator). 2025. 256 p. Feiwel & Friends, $17.99 (9781250379399). Gr. 7-12.
Tabi lands her dream job at the theme park Sommerland’s summer program, which shaped her childhood view of magic and love. Struggling to keep the magic alive when she is assigned to the taco stand, Tabi works on her princess audition while trying to create magical memories.
NONFICTION
Beyond the Board: The Untold Story of the World’s Most Daring Big Wave Surfer. Maya Gabeira. 2025. 264 p. Amulet Books, $19.99 (9781419760020). Gr. 8-12. AB
A thoughtful coming of age tale and action-packed memoir about beating the odds from acclaimed surfer and Guinness world-record holder Maya Gabeira.
Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown. Candace Fleming. 2025. 368 p. Anne Schwartz Books, $19.99 (9780593480069). Gr. 7-12. AB
This sweeping account chronicles the story of Jim Jones, from Jones’s upbringing to his founding of the Peoples Temple and the ways he manipulated his followers, turning what seemed to be an inclusive socialist movement into a cult experimenting with mind control and, ultimately, murder.
How the Word is Passed: Remembering Slavery and How it Shaped America (Young Readers Edition). Clint Smith, Sonja Cherry-Paul (adapter). 2025. 336 p. Little, Brown and Company, $18.99 (9780316578509). Gr. 5 and up. AB
This young readers’ edition of Smith’s award-winning book takes readers on a journey to eight different historical sites to examine how each place communicates the story of American slavery.
The Six: The Untold Story of America’s First Women Astronauts (Young Readers Edition). Lauren Grush with Rebecca Stefoff. 2025. 320 p. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $17.99 (9781534497047). Gr. 3-7.
Before Sally Ride made history, five other women joined her in breaking NASA’s gender barrier. This engaging narrative follows their struggles, triumphs, and teamwork as they trained to take on space exploration and change history.
The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement. Sharon McMahon. 2024. 320 p. Thesis, $32.00 (9780593541678). Gr. 10 and up.
A powerful collection of twelve true stories that spotlight ordinary Americans whose quiet bravery shaped the nation. From teachers to families torn apart by injustice, McMahon uncovers overlooked individuals who made a lasting impact. Inspiring and deeply human, this book celebrates resilience, hope, and the many forms courage can take.