Category: Awards and Selected Lists

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2027) Featured Review: A Potion, a Powder, a Little Bit of Magic: Or, Like Lighting in an Umbrella Storm by Philip C. Stead

  • A Potion, a Powder, a Little Bit of Magic: Or, Like Lightning in an Umbrella Storm
  • by Philip C. Stead; narrated by Daniel Henning
  • Listening Library
  • Release date: April 7, 2026 
  • ISBN: 9798899737749

Bernadette’s job is not easy. In a kingdom governed by an erratic, impulsive king, the castle literally rests on top of 24 goats’ backs. As you might imagine, it’s not a great system, and the goats’ care falls to Bernadette. When one of the goats runs away, the young goat keeper sets out on a quest to find him with the help of a very forgetful wizard and a boat that Does Not Grant Wishes. Author Philip C. Stead writes himself into the story, periodically interrupting the narrative as he struggles to satisfyingly resolve Bernadette’s tale. The chapters unfold out of chronological order, in humorous, tongue-in-cheek prose.

Narrator Daniel Henning is the ideal match for this deliberately chaotic, whimsical tale. He gives every character—human, wizard, and goat alike—a distinct, memorable voice, leaning fully into the book’s absurdist comedy while maintaining control and consistency. Hearing the chapters read aloud in Henning’s steady, confident narration, actually helps listeners track the story’s many threads more easily than a silent read might. His comedic timing and gift for character work (and goat noises) keep the tone light and the plot moving. Henning turns the complex tale into an accessible, laugh-out-loud listen.

Though A Potion, A Powder, A Little Bit of Magic is published as middle grade, its wordplay, metafictional structure, and subversion of typical storytelling conventions give it real crossover appeal for older teens, particularly fans of absurdist and subversive humor. It’s giving Monty Python meets The Princess Bride.

This is a great listen-alike for fans of The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows, and The Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket.

-Jessica Schwartz

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.

Follow YALSA’s The Hub on YouTube for exclusive author interviews!

2027 Best Fiction for Young Adults Summer Round-Up

Each quarter, the Selected Lists teams compile the officially nominated titles to date. These titles have been suggested by the team or through the title suggestion form, read by multiple team members, and received approval to be designated an official nomination. At the end of the year, each team will choose the final list of nominations and determine the Selected List’s Top Ten from these titles.

– Erica Schimmel, 2027 BFYA Coordinator

You Pierce My Soul. By Jessica Mary Best, 2026. 320 p. Quirk Books, $12.99 (9781683695004 ). Gr. 9-12.

When the “perfect match” promised by the government’s Heartsong program proves to not be Zada’s actual love, she turns to the one person she can trust: Daphne, the former friend who makes Zada’s heart skip a beat. Together, they’ll fight to uncover the lies at the foundation of their society.

Anna-Jane and the Endless Summer. By Paige Classey, 2026. 400 p.Random House Books for Young Readers, $17.99 (9780593905647). Gr. 3-7.

Anna-Jane is headed back to summer camp where her days will be filled with swimming, reading, crafts and friends. But when townspeople start disappearing and the internet and phones go out, the campers must work together to survive what just might be the end-of-the-world.

What We Did to Survive. By Megan Lally, 2026. 288 p. Sourcebooks Fire, $12.99 (9781728270173). Gr. 9-12

Hannah is enjoying spring break in Mexico with her best friend Emmy and Emmy’s older brother, Jackson. After Emmy meets Ben at the resort, the four mark their final day of vacation by chartering a sailboat. As they cruise into open water, a storm brews and tensions rise.

In Case I Go Missing. By R.N. Swann, 2026. 400 p.Viking Books for Young Readers, $20.99 (9780593695333 ). Gr. 7-12.

Convinced their friend’s disappearance is more than the “teenage runaway” police are claiming it to be, Fenny and Sam dig into an investigation that will uncover more secrets and scandals than they ever expected from their small town.

The Game of Oaths. By S.C. Bandreddi, 2026. 432 p. Candlewick, $19.99 (9781536252637 ). Gr. 9-12.

When she’s chosen to compete in this year’s Game of Oaths, le Cirque des Ombres performer Falan believes it’s her chance for revenge on the circus’ Enchanteur Jean-Pierre for murdering her best friend in the previous year’s games. But to get her revenge, she must first survive the brutal games.


An Expanse of Blue. By Kauakanilehua Mahoe Adams, 2026. 464 p. Heartdrum, $19.99 (9780063417953 ). Gr. 8-12.

Native Hawaiian teen, Aouli, lives in the Pacific Northwest, where the gloomy weather mirrors problems with her family, friends and the expectations placed on her. But with love and guidance from Aunty Ehu and others in her community, Aouli finds her voice and her inner strength.

Postscript. By Cory McCarthy, 2026. 240 p. Dutton Books for Young Readers, $1.99 (9780593618240 ). Gr. 11-12.

A ragtag community of apocalypse survivors becomes found family when West, a teen who has been on his own since the age of twelve, comes into their lives.

Change of Plans. By Sarah Dessen, 2026. 368 p. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $21.99 (9798347108770 ). Gr. 7-12.

Finley has her life all figured out, but that life is tied to her boyfriend Colin. When he breaks up with her just after graduation, Finley discovers she can create her own story, even if it means a change of plans.

Augusta Pine Does Not Exist. By Emily Lloyd-Jones, 2026. 416 p. Balzer + Bray, $20.99 (9781250410528). Gr. 8-12.

Choosing to give up her identity after accidentally killing someone, Augusta Pine becomes a trained secret agent. Undercover in Portland when a group of cyberterrorists take over her smart building home, Augusta must use all her skills to save herself and residents, including her grandmother, in this high-stakes, high-action thriller.

Together We See. By Ari Tison, 2026. 320 p. Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), $20.99 (9780374389512). Gr. 7-12. 

After their land-activist father’s suspicious death, Bribri-American Ulá and her brother travel to Costa Rica to investigate as they make final arrangements. 

Tested. By Anna Monders, 2026. 336 p. Aladdin, $17.99 (9781665972796 ). Gr. 5-12.

Following the Great Dying, fate is determined by a genetic aptitude test. Mikayla’s results are in and her score is low enough to completely derail her future. If she can’t figure out a way to improve her score, her Elite life may turn into exile life.

The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue. By Zoulfa Katouh, 2026. 368 p. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $19.99 (9780316351942 ). Gr. 7-12

Navigating the grief of losing her mother and the loss of her “blessing”, Syrian American Jihad is sent to an elite school to finish senior year. There she deals with bullying and isolation as the only Muslim there. Jihad finds a way to process the tragedy with a special sketchpad.

Sundown Girls. By L.S. Stratton, 2026. 320 p.G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers , $19.99 (9798217004942 ). Gr. 7-12.

When sixteen-year-old Naomi embarks on a mountain vacation with her newly reunited family, she encounters a terrifying ghost and the spectre of girls gone missing.

The Sun and the Starmaker. By Rachel Griffin, 2026. 448 p. Sourcebooks Fire, $19.99 (9781728256184). Gr. 9-12.

When 18-year old Aurora discovers she holds the rare ability to control light from the sun, she leaves everything behind to begin training as the next Starmaker, and finds love and adventures along the way.

The Escape Game. By Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss, 2026. 416 p. G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, $22.99 (9798217006120 ). Gr. 9-12.

A group of rag-tag teens are selected to participate in the popular television show, The Escape Game, but more than just money is at stake if they don’t win. Can they survive?

Medicine Wheels. By Byron Graves, 2026. 352 p. Heartdrum, $19.99 (9780063160422 ). Gr. 7-12. 

Riveting and dealing with heavy topics such as grief, loss and dysfunction as well as joy in first love, friendship and family. This book would appeal to fans of realistic fiction as well as sports literature.  Recommended for fans of Angelline Boulley and Eric Gansworth.

Check out our personal interview with Byron Graves!

Ambrosia Lee Drops the Mic. By Patricia Park, 2026. 304 p. Crown Books for Young Readers, $19.99 9798217029761 ). Gr. 9 -12.

With her childhood acting career drying up, Ambrosia decides to try a new path: stand-up comedy. As she navigates family drama, new and old love interests, and stereotypes, she’ll find her own voice may be stronger than any role she’s ever played.

Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (#QP2027) Feature Review: 99 Things to do Before You Finish High School by Steven Jenkins, Erika Stalder & Evan Villas: Illustrated by Azadeh Houshyar

  • 99 Things to do Before You Finish High School 
  • by Steven Jenkins, Erika Stalder & Evan Villas; illustrated by Azadeh Houshyar 
  • Zest Books 
  • Publication Date: March 3, 2026
  • ISBN:  979-83-480-2511-3

Divided into categories such as “To Express Yourself,” “Because You’re Only Young Once,” and “For your Personal Development,” this book has 99 ideas for teens to expand their world and help their community. Each suggested activity has step-by-step instructions and a sidebar with helpful tips. For example in the “Take a Road Trip” the How-To steps include  “Assemble a crew, Set your itinerary, Agree on a budget, Put safety first.” There’s also a packing list and tips on road playlists. Readers can skim through the various parts and jump around finding ideas and activities that spark interest.

The small size of the book (6.75″ x 6.75″) is appealing as being able to flip through the book invites a reader who doesn’t want a long read. Most ideas are no more than two pages, so it isn’t too intimidating and readers can flip to the sections that appeal to them like “For Your Community and Environment” which offers volunteer ideas or “To Express Yourself” that has creative activities and ideas. Some ideas require money and sometimes readers may need adult help or support. This will most likely be attractive to younger teens, trying to expand their world as they move into High School.

 Display with books like Powerful Life Skills for Teens by Galina Gaona and Everything You Need to Know Before You’re 18 (But Won’t Get Taught in School) by Ferne Bowe, and 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey.

–Teka Keane

Follow YALSA’s The Hub on YouTube for exclusive author interviews!

Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2027) Featured Review: Augusta Pine Does Not Exist by Emily Lloyd-Jones

At 15 years old, a teenager did the unthinkable: she killed someone. Though accidental, her hacking mistake directly led to her crush’s death. Faced with life in prison, she accepts an alternative offer from a secretive government agency: give up your identity, and become Augusta Pine, a highly trained undercover operative. Three years and countless missions later, she’s undercover again and living in the building where her grandmother lives, hoping for time to watch her grandmother even if she can’t contact her. When cyberterrorists take over the building, Augusta has to use all of her training to save herself, her grandmother, and the other residents.   

A compelling plot and fast-paced action combine to make this a page-turning read. Augusta is not only likeable and funny, but is also a well-defined, engaging character whose motivations and emotions will be relatable for teen readers. The setting blends sci-fi and realism, with worldbuilding and technology descriptions that bring the reader into Augusta’s world. Flashbacks enhance the present-day story, adding depth to the narrative. All combined, a fun read for young adults.

Augusta Pine Does Not Exist will appeal to teen readers who enjoy high stakes, suspenseful stories woven with humor. It will also appeal to readers who appreciate fast-paced stories. The high action and developed plot will appeal to both reluctant and advanced readers.

Readers who enjoyed The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe or Teen Killers Club by Lily Sparks will also enjoy Augusta Pine Does Not Exist. It may also appeal to fans of mystery writers like Holly Jackson or action series like Alex Rider by Anthony Horowitz.

-Erica Schimmel

Follow YALSA’s The Hub on YouTube for exclusive author interviews!

Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2027) Featured Review: What We Did to Survive by Megan Lally

High School Senior Hannah is enjoying spring break with her best friend, Emmy, and her family in Mexico. Unfortunately, this includes Emmy’s older brother (and Hannah’s crush), Jackson. After Emmy meets Ben at the resort, the four of them decide to mark their final day of vacation by chartering a sailboat. As they cruise into open water, a storm kicks up and tensions rise. 

Megan Lally turns a getaway in paradise into a claustrophobic thrill ride in What We Did to Survive. This survival thriller is filled with interesting characters, like the Nickelback-loving boat captain, and tense relationships. With the popularity of YA thrillers, this book has tons of teen appeal. 

Teens who have a taste for thrillers and survival stories will appreciate What We Did to Survive. 

If you enjoyed Don’t Let In the Cold by Keely Parrack, Under the Surface by Diana Urban, or Five Survive by Holly Jackson, you may enjoy What We Did to Survive by Megan Lally.

-Alejandria Garcia

Follow YALSA’s The Hub on YouTube for exclusive author interviews!

Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2027) Featured Review: The Danger of Small Things by Caryl Lewis

Many years have passed since the last bee died and the world as we know it took a sharp turn for the worst. Now, young girls are sent off to live in facilities where their duty is to hand-pollinate plants with a small paint brush. Jess is one of those girls, but she’s different from the rest. She was raised in a home where creativity was allowed, and is one of the few that knows how to read and the power of creativity and the written word. When a surprising ally smuggles paint into the facility, Jess knows it falls on her to inspire change where it may seem impossible.

The Danger of Small Things features a story that will appeal to teens with its strong world-building and character development. Readers will be drawn in by the intensifying plot and eager to read how Jess’s story concludes.

Teens that appreciate dystopian and sci-fi stories will enjoy this book. 

Similar books include Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Lily Braun-Arnold’s The Last Bookstore on Earth, and of course, Suzanne Collin’s The Hunger Games.

–Amy Kilkenny

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Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2027) Featured Review: The Better to Eat You With by Tehlor Mejia

  • The Better to Eat You With 
  • Author: Tehlor Mejia
  • Narrated by Victoria Villarreal
  • Penguin Random House
  • Publication Date: September 23, 2025
  • ISBN: 9798217157129

Evan’s annual summers at a rented cabin have always been a haven for her, when she gets to see her best friend, Billie, again. But so many things are changing: Evan’s parents are arguing more and more, Billie seems more interested in boys than in spending time with Evan, and Evan can’t shake her mom’s voice from her head, reminding Evan to make healthy, perfect food choices and constantly watch what she eats. And the more she listens to the voice, the more sinister clues she finds of a mysterious creature terrorizing the resort… 

Evan and her complex, competing inner narratives come alive through Victoria Villarreal’s narration. Each character is distinct, including the voices that Evan hears in her mind throughout the summer, from the one that sounds a lot like her mom to the inner knowing of her body’s hunger. The audiobook heightens the suspense that is core to this middle grade horror novel that is light on gore but still darkly allegorical.

The Better to Eat You With is recommended for fans of Happy Town by Greg van Eekhout, Blood in the Water by Tiffany Jackson, and Louder than Hunger by John Chu.

-Lee Cooney (they/them)

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.

Follow YALSA’s The Hub on YouTube for exclusive author interviews!

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2027) Featured Review: Beth is Dead by Katie Bernet

  • Beth Is Dead
  • Author: Katie Bernet
  • Narrated by Caitlin Kelly, Emily Tremaine, Ferdelle Capistrano, and Piper Goodeve
  • Simon and Schuster Audio
  • Publication Date: January 6, 2026 
  • ISBN: 9781668157596

The March sisters are as famous as their father who wrote a wildly controversial bestseller based on their lives. Feminists excoriate him for taking advantage of his daughters, and stalkers are doing the freaky things stalkers do, so there are plenty of suspects when Beth March winds up dead at the bottom of a ravine. Determined to discover her killer, Jo March begins a dogged search for answers. 

Four heavy hitting narrators bring the story to life with pitch perfect renditions of the March sisters. Past and present events are telegraphed well, and the vocal mannerisms are distinctive, keeping this complexly plotted reimagined classic clear for readers.

This is an ideal suspense/thriller listen for teens who liked That’s Not My Name written by Megan Lally and narrated by Sophie Amoss and Robb Moreira, or 49 Miles Alone written by Natalie D. Richards and narrated by Victoria Rillarreal, Laura Knight Keating, and Suzy Jackson.  For teens who are looking for reimagined classics, suggest Rosa By Any Other Name by Hailey Alcaraz and narrated by Victoria Villarreal or Bad Girls Never Say Die by Jennifer Mathieu with narration by Sandy Rustin.

-Jodi Kruse

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.

Follow YALSA’s The Hub on YouTube for exclusive author interviews!

Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (#QP2027) Feature Review: Bad Kid: My Life as a “Troubled Teen” by Sofia Szamosi

When Sofia was thirteen years old, her mother signed her daughter up for a special program for “troubled teens” several states away. Two men came and forcefully transported her to the wilderness experience. From there, Sofia found herself trapped in a cycle of mandatory attendance in many of these supposedly therapeutic programs because of her mother’s fear and the label of being a “bad kid”.

The artwork is clear and gripping, and shows the emotion and frustration of Sofia and her fellow bad kids as they move from program to program. The stark palette of black, white, and red highlight the emotion of the story, as color is used infrequently for emphasis. Readers will read with fascination as the author describes her personal experience with the unregulated intervention industry. Teens are finely attuned to what is and is not fair treatment, and this graphic memoir explores the personal and intimate coming-of-age story of the author’s struggle and limited access to education, communication with family, and basic freedoms. 

Comparable titles include: Bad Boy by Walter Dean Myers, Shackled: A Tale of Wronged Kids, Rogue Judges, and a Town that Looked Away by Candy J. Cooper, Wild Bird by Wendelin Van Draanen, and Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American by Laura Gao. Recent documentaries about the troubled teen industry, including The Program and Hell Camp, might also be of interest.

 

–Emily Williams

Follow YALSA’s The Hub on YouTube for exclusive author interviews!

Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2027) Featured Review: An Expanse of Blue by Kauakanilehua Mahoe Adams

  • An Expanse of Blue
  • by Kauakanilehua Mahoe Adams
  • Heartdrum
  • Publication Date: May 19, 2026
  • ISBN: 978-0063417953

Native Hawaiian teen, Aouli Smith, lives in the Pacific Northwest, where the gloomy weather mirrors her problems with her family,  her friends and the expectations her family and church place on her. But with love and guidance from Aunty Ehu and others in her Native Hawaiian community, Aouli finds the courage and strength to spread her wings and choose something different for herself and her sister.   

This novel-in-verse is written as if you are reading Aouli’s song journal. Above all else, this book is character driven with lines that hit you with an emotional gut punch. Readers will genuinely feel that Aouli is a real person–she just leaps off the page. While not an action-centered plot, the format and structure are immersive and the pages just fly by. The use of white space on the page represents the emotional depth in a compelling way without getting heavy-handed and bogged down with prose. It wrestles with real emotions and questions about identity. While you see growth on the page and the story ends on an uplifting note, readers are free to guess what happens next. This would be an excellent choice for book clubs or as a buddy read. Much like real life, not everything is tied up at the end with a bow on it, but the ending is still satisfactory for the reader. 

Fans of novels-in-verse and coming-of-age stories will gravitate toward this one. 

This is a great readalike for fans of All the Fighting Parts by Hannah Sawyyer, The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo and Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo.

-Megan Nigh 

Check out our blogpost featuring a personal interview with Kauakanilehua Mahoe Adams, “Verse as a Comfort Blanket“!