Teen Middle (Grades 6-8)
by Jamie Sumner
Twelve-year-old Ellie, who has cerebral palsy, finds her life transformed when she moves with her mother to small-town Oklahoma to help care for her grandfather, who has Alzheimer's Disease.
by Samuel Pollen
Fourteen-year-old Max records his efforts to control his anorexia in a therapist-prescribed journal that also chronicles his parents' difficult relationship and his feelings for a new girl at school, Evie.
by Varsha Bajaj
Told from two viewpoints, sixth-graders Karina and Chris use social media to stand up to racism in Houston, Texas, after an attack puts Karina's Indian American grandfather in the hospital.
by Brigit Young
THE PRETTIEST: It’s the last thing Eve Hoffmann expected to be, the only thing Sophie Kane wants to be, and something Nessa Flores-Brady knows she’ll never be...until a list appears online, ranking the top fifty prettiest girls in the eighth grade. Eve is disgusted by the way her body is suddenly being objectified by everyone around her. Sophie is sick of the bullying she’s endured after being relegated to number two. And Nessa is tired of everyone else trying to tell her who she is. It’s time for a takedown. As the three girls band together, they begin to stand up not just for themselves, but for one another, too.
Teen High (Grades 9-12)
by Patrice Caldwell
From folktales retold to futuristic societies, this collection of stories centers on Black women and gender nonconforming individuals dealing with love and betrayal, strength and resistance. In all of them, the heroines shine brightly-- characters in which you cannot help but see yourself reflected.
by Tiffany Jewell
Learn about identities, true histories, and anti-racism work ... This book is written so young people will feel empowered to stand up to the adults in their lives. This book will give them the language and ability to understand racism and a drive to undo it.
by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed
Jamie Goldberg, who chokes when speaking to strangers, and Maya Rehrman, who is having the worst Ramadan ever, are paired to knock on doors and ask for votes for the local state senate candidate.
by Leah Thomas
Kalyn, living under a pseudonym, and Gus, who has cerebral palsy, get caught in an uproar in Samsboro, Kentucky as the truth about the brutal murder of Gus's father by Kalyn's comes to light.
Check out our Teen Middle and Teen High book lists for more titles featuring diverse characters!
Stephani Lindsey
Youth Specialist
#WeKnowBooks
