Young Adult

The story of Rex’s efforts to navigate his first semester of sixth grade – who to sit with, not being able to join the football team, Halloween in a handmade costume, classmates and a teacher who take one look at him and decide he’s trouble – all while wearing secondhand clothes and being hungry. A story of hardship threaded with hope and moments of grace.

Gosh – I messed up and should have included this last month, but the uplifting stories included in this book are an important reminder for Americans interested in unification instead of divisiveness. This powerful play, written by students of Stuyvesant High School based on their interviews with the school community, remembers those who were lost and those who were forced to witness the 9/11 tragedy. Here, in their own words, are the firsthand stories of a day we will never forget.

No parents, no rules. Fender, Linnea, Lucas, and Kate are celebrating Kate’s birthday in a luxury hotel. They’re here to have fun and make forever memories. They all know not to bring up what happened last year, especially on this weekend. All that matters is having the most epic time ever. But the party is over. Someone is leaving messages at their door. Someone who knows exactly what happened a year ago. Someone who wants revenge. Scream-worthy Halloween read for teens.

Through engaging youth profiles, step-by-step exercises and practical tips, Thompson shows teens how they can start making a difference today.

This mesmerizing blend of biography, memoir and scientific mystery dives deep into obsession, resilience and the thin line between order and chaos. Equal parts haunting and inspiring, it challenges us to reconsider how we find meaning when the world refuses to make sense.

Lyrical, compact fantasy that burns with quiet rage and dazzling beauty – weaving a tale of power, exile and the stories that shape empires. Both intimate and epic, it’s a masterclass in how the voices of the overlooked can rewrite history.

Spanning four generations, this sweeping yet intimate novel captures the weight of heritage, masculinity and the fragile threads between fathers and sons. Powerful and deeply human, it reveals how identity and love are passed down (and reshaped) across time.

Equal parts hilarious and horrifying, this sharp YA debut turns a Black Friday shift into a full-blown apocalypse. Packed with monsters, mystery and heart, it’s a wild ride about identity, survival and finding connection when the world goes to hell…literally.

At seventeen years old, Meda is ripped from her family to train as a shape-shifting operative for the Agency. It's her job to seek out and discredit political figures. Meda finds herself caught in a political conspiracy that shakes her to her core, and it’ll take all her strength to trust her own instincts and stop following orders.

An incarcerated teen writes letters to his best friend about his experiences in the American juvenile justice system in this award-winning sequel to Stone’s Dear Martin.

It was 20 years ago this month that Hurricane Katrina's monstrous winds and surging water overwhelmed the protective levees around low-lying New Orleans, Louisiana. Property damages across the Gulf Coast topped $100 billion. One thousand eight hundred and thirty-three people lost their lives. The riveting tale of this historic storm and the drowning of an American city is one of selflessness, heroism and courage – and also of incompetence, racism, and criminality. This graphic novel captures tragedy and triumph in one of the worst natural disasters in American history.

In this young readers edition of her New York Times bestseller Professional Troublemaker, Ajayi Jones uses her honesty and humor to inspire teens to be their bravest, boldest, truest selves – in order to create a world they would be proud to live in. Good way to start the school year on a positive note.

The famed author brings into light one of fiction’s most fascinating characters: the madwoman in the attic from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. Antoinette Cosway is a sensual and protected young woman who is sold into marriage to the prideful Mr. Rochester. Rhys portrays Cosway amidst a society so driven by hatred and so skewed in its sexual relations, that it can literally drive a woman out of her mind.

Vibrant story of George, Garrett, Rall and Rasul – four children raised by Nanny, their fiercely devoted grandmother. The boys hold one another close through early brushes with racism, memorable experiences at the family barbershop and first loves and losses. And with Nanny at their center, they are never broken. Johnson captures the unique experience of growing up as a Black boy in America through rich family stories that explore themes of vulnerability, sacrifice and culture.

Do you freak out at small things? These feelings are a normal part of life for everybody but sometimes they're just too much and it seems like you're the only one the planet that feels them. Harper shows young readers the science behind why your brain is acting up and ideas for new ways to respond when you're feeling scared, sad, anxious or angry.