Tag: jason reynolds

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2026) Featured Review: Soundtrack by Jason Reynolds

  • Soundtrack
  • by Jason Reynolds
  • Narrated by Nile Bullock, Mekhi Hewling, Jade Williams, Brandon Miles, Ryan Vincent Anderson, Amir Royale, Jasmin Richardson, Christopher Grant, Khaya Fraites, Nadine Simmons, Robb Moreira, We Ani, Rocky Anicette and Brandiss Seward
  • Penguin Random House Audio
  • Publication Date: June 3, 2025
  • ISBN: 9780593863466

Soundtrack, written by #1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds, takes listeners on a vibrant journey back to early 2000s New York City, where music pulses through the streets and dreams are built one beat at a time.

Stuy has always wanted to follow in his mother’s footsteps—she was a founding member of the legendary punk band, The Bed-Stuy Magic Dusters. With her guidance, he picks up the drums and joins forces with his friends Dunks, Alexis, Keith, and Frankie. Performing in the subway under the name Soundtrack, the crew unexpectedly explodes into an underground sensation, and their rise begins to transform their lives in powerful and unpredictable ways.

Brought to life by a dynamic full cast and set to an original score by Grammy winner Justin Ellington, this audiobook original is a cinematic, heart-thumping story of friendship, music, identity, and a city that shapes its youth as much as they shape it. Soundtrack is fast-paced, emotionally rich, and incredibly entertaining. The full cast brings each character to life with energy and authenticity, making this feel more like an audio drama than a traditional audiobook. The production is next-level—complete with immersive sound effects and an original score that perfectly complements the story. It’s emotional, joyful, and bursting with the spirit of early 2000s New York City. If you love coming-of-age stories, found family dynamics, or audiobooks that feel like a full sensory experience, Soundtrack is a must-listen.

 Comparable Book Recommendations

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton

Comparable for: music history, band dynamics, complex characters
 Told through an oral history format, this novel follows the rise (and fallout) of an iconic 1970s rock duo. Like Soundtrack, it blends music, identity, and social commentary with a unique structure that works beautifully as an audiobook.

 Solo by Kwame Alexander with Mary Rand Hess

Comparable for: lyrical storytelling, self-discovery, music themes
 Told in verse, this YA novel follows Blade, the son of a washed-up rock star, as he searches for his own identity beyond his family’s fame. Music pulses through the story, and the audiobook version is especially impactful.

Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson

Comparable for: Brooklyn setting, teen friendship, rising through music
 Set in 1990s Brooklyn, three teens team up to turn their murdered friend’s music into a posthumous hip-hop career. It’s filled with heart, hustle, and love for NYC’s music scene—perfect for fans of Soundtrack’s vibe and emotional depth.

-Amanda Hunt

Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (#QP2026) Feature Review: Twenty-Four Seconds From Now… by Jason Reynolds

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 the moments – the first dates, the conversations with parents and friends, the awkward first meet-up with a temperamental pet dog – and all the other little things that have built a sometimes sweet, sometimes passionate, and always deeply supportive relationship.

Heart-warming, funny, and immensely relatable, this book is a fast-paced, read-in-one sitting selection for any teen directly navigating or starting to think about romantic relationships. In his romance debut, Reynolds, a popular choice for teen readers already, deftly crafts a protagonist who is charmingly awkward and compellingly real. The language of the book is easily accessible for a wide range of teen readers and never condescends. Reynolds presents a positive and respectful relationship in a way that should inspire rather than preach at teens, particularly teenaged boys. Bonus points for positive, diverse interactions with a variety of characters in Neon’s life – from parents to neighbors to grandparents – and how the book reflects the importance of a warm, safe, and mentoring community for teens.

This book is a perfect choice for any teen who is thinking about “doing it” but also any fans of romance or realistic fiction. Similar titles include Jason Reynolds’ earlier work (especially Look Both Ways), Ben Philippe (Charming as a Verb, The Field Guide to the North American Teenager), and Jennifer Han (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before).


–Maryanne O.

2025 Top Ten Amazing Audiobooks

Each year, YALSA’s Amazing Audiobooks Blogging Team selects and annotates an annual list of notable audio recordings significant to young adults from those released in the past two years. The name of the list became Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults with the 2009 list and was previously known as Selected Audiobooks for Young Adults.

Suggest a Title for the 2026 List Here [coming soon]

See Current Committee Contacts Here

Download the Complete 2025 List Here

  • The Diablo’s Curse
  • By Gabe Cole Novoa
  • Read by Vico Ortiz
  • 2024. 12 hr. Listening Library, DD (9780593795033). Gr. 9-12.
  • Dami, a demon seeking humanity, must cancel all their deals, but the final deal with Silas complicates things. Ending it would mean Silas’s death. Together, they race to break Silas’s curse before time runs out. The narrator’s natural accent and tone enhance the story, immersing listeners in this gripping world.
  • Diet Soda Club
  • By Chaz Hayden
  • Read by Michael Crouch
  • 2024. 8 hr. Listening Library, DD (9780593664346). Gr. 9-12.
  • This is the story of Reed Beckett and his 10-year-old sister, Beatrice. With their father dead and their mother absent, Reed juggles school and caring for Beatrice, who is often hospitalized. To support them, Reed secretly sells fake IDs with help from Helena, his childhood friend. Michael Crouch’s narration brilliantly captures Reed’s struggles and resilience.
  • Everything We Never Had
  • By Randy Ribay
  • Read by Ramón de Ocampo, Jesse Inocalla, Manny Jacinto & JB Tadena. 2024. 7 hr. Listening Library, DD (9780593866733). Gr. 7-12.
  • Four generations of Filipino Americans, trying to make their own way, grapple with identity, masculinity, family relationships, and cultural understanding. Each teen has his own narrator and each narrator animates their section to create distinct characters. The story weaves between timelines to let each boy tell his own story.
  • My Salty Mary
  • By Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
  • Read by Nneka Okoye. 2024. 10 hr. HarperAudio, DD (9780063308855). Gr. 8-12.
  • In My Salty Mary, a mermaid-turned-pirate fights to captain a ship and become Pirate Queen after Blackbeard’s death. Mary’s fierce determination fuels her pirate ambitions, defying all who doubt her. The narrator skillfully varies tone and pitch, creating engaging character distinctions that enhance the story’s vibrant and adventurous spirit.
  • Pick the Lock
  • By A.S. King
  • Read by Max Meyers, Jorjeana Marie & A.S. King. 2024. 10.75 hr. Listening Library, DD (9780593744390). Gr. 9-12.
  • This story follows Jane Vandermaker-Cook as she tries to reconnect with her absent mother. Living in a Victorian mansion with her odd family, Jane discovers a lifetime of security footage that changes everything. This innovative audiobook blends music and multiple narrators to create a deeply immersive, emotionally charged experience, mirroring the punk opera Jane is composing.
  • Snowglobe
  • By Soyoung Park
  • Read by Shannon Tyo, Greta Jung, and Jeena Yi. Translated by Joungmin Lee Comfort. 2024.10.5 hr. Listening Library, DD (9780593794937). Gr. 7-12.
  • The only joy in Chobahm’s frozen world is 24/7 reality television from the domed paradise of Snowglobe. When Snowglobe’s darling commits suicide, Chobahm takes her place, finding the truth is far from what she imagined. The narrators deftly craft similar, yet unique characters, a balancing act critical to the story.
  • Somewhere Beyond the Sea
  • By TJ Klune
  • Read by Daniel Henning
  • 2024. 15.75hr. Macmillan Audio, DD (9781250331601). Adult.
  • We return to Marsyas Island and Arthur Parnassus’ extraordinary children. Arthur’s testimony before the Department in Charge of Magical Youth about his tragic past should have set him free. Instead, it threatens their very future. Daniel Henning brings all of these beloved characters to life with heart and humor.
  • Swarm 
  • By Jennifer D. Lyle
  • Read by Krystal Hammond. 2023. 10.75 hr. Blackstone Publishing, DD (9798212195775). Gr. 8-12.
  • A gripping survival tale, Swarm plunges readers into a world ravaged by climate change and butterfly-like monsters invading all continents. Sixteen-year-old Shur, her brothers, and friends are trapped in their suburban home, battling escalating dangers. Narrator Krystal Hammond expertly conveys the characters’ fear, anxiety, and resolve, keeping listeners riveted as they anticipate the next terrifying twist.
  • Twenty-Four Seconds From Now…: A LOVE Story. 
  • By Jason Reynolds
  • Read by Guy Lockard. 2024. 4.5 hr. Simon & Schuster Audio, DD (9781668118689). Gr. 9-12.
  • High school senior Neon, trapped in his girlfriend Aria’s bathroom and his own thoughts, reflects on their relationship as he prepares for a significant first with her. Well paced and humorous narration highlight the emotional gravity of first love, friendships, family loss, and the uncertainties of life after high school.

Committee Members


Coordinator: Haley Shaw, Ohio University Zanesville Campus Library, Zanesville, OH;

Bloggers: Sarah Carpenter, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma Heights, OH; Kate Covintree, Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School Library, Bloomfield Hills, MI; Jeannine Everett, Briar Woods High School, Ashburn, VA; Lex Ferguson, Galion Public Library, Galion, OH; Stephanie Galvan Russell, Dailey Middle School Library, Austin, TX; Ellen McTyre, Bronxville Public Library, Westchester County, NY; Lorrie Roussin, Luna Middle School Library, San Antonio, TX; Lynda Salem Poling, Long Beach Department of Library, Arts and Culture, Long Beach, CA; Ellen Spring, Rockland School District, Rockland, ME;

The committee would like to acknowledge Ellen Spring. She was a member of our team and helped contribute several wonderful books to our list. She passed away in October. Ellen was a school librarian and actively participated in many ALA committees including the John Newbery Award Selection Committee. We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with her and offer our condolences to her family and friends.

2025 Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults List

YALSA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults Blogging Team presents fiction titles published for young adults in the past 14 months that are recommended reading for ages 12 to 18. The purpose of the annual list it to provide librarians and library workers with a resource to use for collection development and reader’s advisory purposes.

Although now a blogging team, the group was originally a committee. The committee evolved from a committee established under the School Libraries Section of ALA, which was charged with producing a list of 1930’s “Best Books for Young People.” The committee has undergone several changes of focus and names over the years, including the Book Selection Committee (1954), and later the Committee for the Selection of Significant Adult Books for Young People (1963). It became the Best Books for Young Adults Committee (BBYA) in 1966. As publishing for the young adult market grew exponentially (over 2,000 titles per year in 2008) and seven other YALSA selection and award lists for young adults were created since its inception, Best Books for Young Adults was restructured and named Best Fiction for Young Adults by the YALSA Board of Directors at the Midwinter Meeting in 2010.

Suggest a Title for the 2026 List Here

See Current Committee Contacts Here

Download the Complete 2025 List Here

Click the titles to be directed to the original reviews. Click the authors names to be directed to author’s website.

  • All the Fighting Parts
  • by Hannah V. Sawyerr
  • 2023, Amulet, $19.99, (9781419762611), Gr. 9 – 12
  • Sixteen-year-old Amina Conteh clashes with her religious father in many ways, and is forced to spend more time at their church because of her rebelliousness. When she is assaulted by a church leader, Amina uses poetry to find her voice and seek justice for what happened to her.
  • Bright Red Fruit 
  • By Safia Elhillo
  • 2024. 368 p. Make Me a World, $19.99 (9780593381229), Gr. 8 – 12
  • When sixteen-year-old Samira’s overprotective Sudanese immigrant mother grounds her for the umpteenth time, she takes refuge in an online poetry community. There she meets Horus, an older poet. When she ignores her friends’ warnings about him, there’s more at risk than her reputation, risks her mom didn’t prepare her for.

  • Dragonfruit
  • By Makiia Lucier
  • 2024. 356 p. Clarion Books, $19.99 (9780358272106). Gr. 8 – 11.
  • As a child, Hanalei and the princess of Tamarind were poisoned. Hanalei’s father stole a rare dragon egg intended to resurrect the princess and fed it to Hanalei, forcing them into exile. Now years later, Hanalei has a chance to find a new dragon egg and right the past.
  • Libertad
  • Bessie Flores Zaldivar
  • 2024. 417 p. Dial Books, $19.99 (9780593696125). Gr. 9 – 12.
  • Libertad Morazán creates an anonymous Instagram profile to share her political poetry about the 2017 Honduran presidential election, while trying to reconcile her feelings for her best friend, Cami, and her new girlfriend, Dani. After tragedy strikes her family, Libertad has to decide the best course of action for her future.
  • Looking for Smoke
  • By K.A. Cobell
  • 2024. 402 p. Heartdrum, $19.99 (9780063318670). Gr. 9 – 12.
  • When a Blackfeet girl is found murdered during a giveaway honoring a missing teen girl, four teens with complicated pasts find themselves named suspects. They have to work together to clear their names. But as time goes on, it looks increasingly likely that one of the four is the murderer.
  • The Merciless King of Moore High
  • By Lily Sparks
  • 2024. 365 p. Flux, $16.99 (9781635830965). Gr. 9 – 12.
  • Exiled from her school and left to fend for herself against the monsters outside, Kay seeks shelter with the rival school, Moore High, and its king. However, she soon discovers a deadly secret that could destroy both schools.
  • Rez Ball
  • By Byron Graves
  • 2023. 357 p. Heartdrum, $19.99 (9780063160378). Gr. 9 – 12.
  • Tre Brun is trying to prove he’s a great basketball player, but it’s hard when everyone compares him to his older brother Jaxon who died in a car accident. Jaxon nearly took Red Lake Reservation High School state. Now Tre is ready to take his team to state. . .and win.
  • Thirsty
  • By Jas Hammonds
  • 2024. 318 p. Roaring Brook Press, $19.99 (9781250816597). Gr. 9 – 12.
  • As a biracial girl from a poor background, Blake Brenner has just wanted to feel seen. Now four years into a relationship with her beautiful and rich girlfriend who enables her drinking problem, Blake must navigate the summer before college and pledging a secret sorority for women of color.
  • Twenty-Four Seconds from Now… : A Love Story
  • By Jason Reynolds
  • 2024. 239 p. Atheneum, $19.99 ( 978-1665961271). Gr. 9 – 12
  • Neon is just twenty-four seconds away from losing his virginity to Aria, but nerves are getting the best of him. Told in reverse, the story unravels the moments that brought Neon to this moment, highlighting the relationship advice he receives from significant figures in his life.
  • Under This Red Rock
  • By Mindy McGinnis
  • 2024. 326 p. Katherine Tegen Books, $19.99 (9780063230415). Gr. 10 – 12.
  • Neely, still reeling from her brother’s suicide, has been secretly living with schizophrenia. She finds comfort and stability working as a guide in the caverns–until her coworker and crush Mila is found brutally murdered and Neely begins to worry she’s the one responsible.

Committee Members

Coordinator: Jodi Kruse

Team members: Cathy DeCampli, Molly Dettmann, Michael Fleming, Candace Fox, Alicia Kalan, Beth Krebs-Smith, Kameron Morton, Megan Nigh, Julianne Novetsky, Yona Yurwit

Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2025) Featured Review: Twenty-Four Seconds From Now by Jason Reynolds

Aria Wright appeared in Neon Benton’s life for the first time twenty-four months ago, with a dog (which made him nervous) during his grandfather’s funeral. And now Neon is twenty-four seconds away from having sex with Aria, for the first time, if only he can manage to get out of his head and over his nerves. Told in reverse, the story slowly reveals the tender moments that lead Neon to the bathroom he’s currently freaking out in, and the relationship advice he receives along the way from important people in his life. 

While this is a book about Neon’s first time, it is more a story about the pivotal moments leading up to that, the important people in Neon’s life, and the solid foundation they have helped to lay through advice and example. Reynolds, has again, crafted a beautifully lyrical, sex-positive, and vulnerable book that reads like poetry. Neon is likeable and so relatable that every teen will see a little of themselves in his experiences.  

For teens looking for an authentic portrayal of a relationship full of anticipation, awkwardness, nerves, and honesty this will be a hit.  It will appeal to teens who enjoy a quiet poetic love story like those written by David Levithan or male protagonists who challenge toxic stereotypes like Brandon Hoàng’s Gloria Buenrostro is Not My Girlfriend or Isaac Blum’s The Judgment of Yoyo Gold. 

– Alicia Kalan

Other Nominated Titles

Released: March 24, 2024
Release: October 15, 2024
Release: July 23, 2024

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/BFYA25TeenFB

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2024) Featured Review: Miles Morales: Suspended by Jason Reynolds

  • Miles Morales Suspended: A Spider-Man Novel
  • by Jason Reynolds
  • Narrated by Guy Lockard and Nile Bullock
  • Simon and Schuster Audio
  • Publication Date: May 2, 2023
  • ISBN: 9781797145600

Miles must serve a day of in-school suspension as a result of the events in the previous book, where he took down The Wardens and pushed back against his racist history teacher. It seems that his spidey sense is on the fritz again, but Miles is having trouble dodging his detention teacher and figuring out what is happening. Using his powers and sleuthing, Miles determines that super termites have begun attacking the school, specifically the history books with black and brown histories. While these evil termites must be stopped, Miles is going to need to find a way to do that without extending his suspension.

Yet again, Jason Reynolds’s mastery elevates this superhero storyline and plays with the setting by reducing the timeline of events to one day. Narrators Lockard and Bullock expertly match Reynolds’s prowess by providing a layered audio reading of this story. The audible “bzzzs” and “whams” add to the superhero world and Miles’s voice shows how this story matters even beyond the Spiderverse. Even if bugs make you squeamish, this audiobook has so much more to offer. Both fans of superhero comics and Jason Reynolds’s other works will find something awesome in this title.

-Sarah Carpenter

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 (#BFYA2023) Featured Review of Kiss and Tell by Adib Khorram

Kiss and Tell by Adib Khorram
Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication Date: March 22, 2022
ISBN: 9780593325261

Hunter is a member of the internationally beloved boy band Kiss and Tell, on their first North American tour. He’s also the only queer member of the band, and going through his first breakup. A messy, public breakup, after his ex posts their texts online. As if that’s not enough, he’s contending with The Label creating and controlling his image of the perfect queer teen role model, and a budding romance with another musician on the tour. Homophobia is present in the text, though never condoned.

Continue reading Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2023) Featured Review of Kiss and Tell by Adib Khorram

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2023) Featured Review of Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds

Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds
Narrated By: Jason Reynolds, Nile Bullock, Tatum Marylin Hall, JaQwan J. Kelly, DePre Owens
Imprint/Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audiobooks
Publication Date: January 11, 2022
ISBN: 9781797137544

In ten-sentences, Jason Reynolds explores the impact of racism, police brutality, and the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic as experienced by a Black family. Reynolds poetically expresses the fear and pain of the year 2020 while highlighting the importance of human connection.

Continue reading Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2023) Featured Review of Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds

Great Graphic Novels (#GGN2023) Featured Review of Graceling: The Graphic Novel by Kristin Cashore and Gareth Hinds

Graceling: The Graphic Novel by Kristin Cashore and Gareth Hinds
Etch / Clarion Books
Publication Date: November 16, 2021
ISBN-13: 9780358250470

Celebrated illustrator Gareth Hinds adapts Kristin Cashore’s high-fantasy YA classic, Graceling! Katsa was born graced with lethal fighting skills, put to brutal use by her king from a young age. Out on a mission, she crosses paths with a mysterious fighter, the first to ever come close to beating her in combat. The fight changes her, and a series of related events work to unravel the mundane life of servitude and violence Katsa has always known.

Continue reading Great Graphic Novels (#GGN2023) Featured Review of Graceling: The Graphic Novel by Kristin Cashore and Gareth Hinds

Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (#QP2023) Featured Review of You’d Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow

You’d Be Home Now
by Kathleen Glasgow
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Imprint: Delacorte Press
Release date: September 28, 2021
ISBN: 9780525708049

Emory is lucky. She survived the car crash that killed the super popular Candy MontClair and provided the impetus for Emory’s older brother, Joey, to be shipped off to a rehab program in Colorado. Now left with physical and emotional scars from the trauma, Emory is trying to recover even as her mother places more responsibility on her to regulate the newly returned Joey’s behavior. Feeling unseen leaves Emory vulnerable to manipulation by her crush while weighing her down by the fear that her failures could be the cause of Joey’s relapse.

Continue reading Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (#QP2023) Featured Review of You’d Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow