Month: April 2020

Hey YA Readers!

Let’s talk a bit about bodies and disability in YA. I’ve adapted this from a post much earlier this year (remember when we thought January was long? Now it feels like an eternity ago).

In 2016, authors Corinne Duyvis and Kayla Whaley wrote this about the state of disability representation on book covers for young readers:

“Given the consistency with which this erasure happens, it’s safe to say these aren’t oversights or missteps. They are likely intentional choices made with a non-disabled audience in mind, and as a result, disabled readers may browse hundreds of books in any given bookstore’s YA section and not see a single visibly disabled character on the cover.

Disabled readers deserve to see themselves represented. They deserve to be visible on the covers of the books they star in. They deserve to be treated with the same respect as their non-disabled counterparts.

It’s time we see more and better disability representation on our covers.”

Their piece examined the places where disability representation was front and center on book covers, as well as the gaping holes when it comes to representation.

Representation on book covers has shifted significantly since 2016. It’s far from perfect, of course, and there never will be a “perfect” when it comes to representation. Readers and those working within the publishing industry can only continue to speak up and out and demand more. That’s how the work has been done, particularly in relation to teens of color showing up on YA book covers.

Over the last few years, there’s been more movement toward seeing disabled teens on YA book covers. Certainly, there are limitations to how disabled teens can be represented on a book cover, as Duyvis and Whaley describe in their exploration. But there are also tremendous possibilities.

Though it’s far from perfect, though there is so much more work to be done, 2020 is looking better when it comes to disabled teens on YA book covers.

Find below a look at some of the rad YA book covers featuring disabled teens hitting shelves this year. Where designer and artist information is readily available, it’s been included.

It’s worth noting that, despite the strides made to bring more representation to YA book covers, the books below don’t represent the diversity of writers in this category. That said, it’s utterly refreshing to see the characters depicted as more than solely white.

THE ORACLE CODE BY MARIEKE NIJKAMP, ILLUSTRATED BY MANUEL PREITANO (Available now)

Cover illustration by Manuel Preitano

What could be more important to see than a teen using a wheelchair who also happens to be a tech whiz…and a superhero? Nijkamp is a disabled writer, and this book puts the disability narrative front and center in a vital way. This graphic novel showcases Barbara’s use of mobility devices not just on the cover, but throughout the story, too.

GLITCH KINGDOM BY SHEENA BOEKWEG (Available now)

Cover designed by Katie Klimowicz and cover art by Rich Davies

There is so much to love about this book cover: there’s a fat protagonist, and we get a glimpse of that. But more, we have a teen using a wheelchair on the cover—and it’s a teen of color. She’s not made to be a stereotype in any capacity, and more, because this is a book about teens who get stuck inside of a video game, we know immediately that teen is a gamer and, most likely, nerdy.

FINDING BALANCE BY KATI GARDNER (September 29, FLUX)

Cover design by Sarah Taplin

Gardner’s book features an amputee front and center, and not only that, the bright, hopeful colors do an amazing job striking a balance between the reality of the character depicted with strength. The story follows two teens who survived childhood cancer, including Mari who became an amputee from it. This is an #OwnVoices novel, and Gardner has written about the importance of this cover for her book and for representation more broadly.

SIX ANGRY GIRLS BY ADRIENNE KISNER (August 18)

Cover art by Noel Klamus

While a broken bone doesn’t necessarily qualify as a disability—at least under the Americans with Disabilities Act—very rarely are they depicted on book covers, and more, they can and do cause (usually) temporary physical challenges. Kisner’s book cover is especially worth including because the girl with the broken bone is a black girl.

I’m pleased to say my next anthology Body Talk, which hits shelves August 18 also features visually disabled teens on it, corresponding with the raw, powerful, and empowering essays from a wide range of writers about the various experiences of living in and having a body.

I got to reveal the cover on site today, and I’m excited to also share it here:

You can read more about it on site today. The cover is designed by  Laura Palese and the art by Kelly Bastow.

Four or five covers does not a sea change make, but let’s hope that this begins a wave of continued efforts to better depict the wide array of ways people look, move, and interact with the world on YA book covers. Like we’ve seen with the growth in YA books about disabled characters, we can continue to push for better visual representation.

Thanks for hanging out, y’all, and we’ll see you again later this week!

— Kelly Jensen, @heykellyjensen on Instagram and editor of Body Talk, (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, and Here We Are.

Hey YA Pals!

I hope you’re all hanging in there, staying as healthy physically and mentally as possible. I know you’re getting barraged with tips and tricks for finding peace, and of course, you’re going to hear read some books! Dig into that TBR!

In addition to that, may I offer a mindfulness meditation that’s accessible to everyone with a camera phone or digital camera–and even absolutely doable for those without either? You may or may not know I’m a 500-hr certified yoga teacher (think master’s degree level) in addition to being a Book Rioter, and I’ve found variations on this meditation so helpful in my non-pandemic life and suspect it’ll be the same in this one.

If the idea of meditation or mindfulness make you roll your eyes: fair! They’ve been made to be Really Virtuous Things when frankly, they’re not. They’re as easy as you make them, and it comes down to simply just noticing the world you’re in, right where you’re at, right when you’re there. Reading a book and being fully immersed? That’s a kind of meditation in and of itself.

So this one: grab that camera phone or camera. Go for a safe and physically-distanced walk. Snap photos of anything yellow. For those without cameras, just look for yellow.

That’s all. Capture yellow, wherever you see it. Don’t worry about whether the photo is good or not – this isn’t about that. It’s about just noticing the yellow in the world around you. If you’re stuck on direction when you go for your walk, may I suggest only taking right-hand turns?

If you do this in the next week, tag me on Instagram (@heykellyjensen) so I can see what you found. It’s a treasure hunt for yellow. That’s all!

Here’s one I took this week for inspiration:

And now onto the books!

All of these deals are good as of Friday, April 3. I’ve pulled together a huge list with a variety of YA genres and styles represented.

A Lite Too Bright by Samuel Miller is about a teen on a cross-country train trip to process grief and his grandfather’s last week of life. Sounds awesome. $2.

Creepy girls with powers = Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand is $2.

Food lovers, as well as people who love delicious prose will love With The Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo. $3.

Maybe you want to begin a supernatural fantasy series? Julie Kagawa’s The Iron King is a great one to begin with. $4.

I adore Shane Burcaw’s humor and his first memoir Laughing At My Nightmare is $3.

Monica Hesse’s The War Outside is $2.

Grab Solo by Kwame Alexander book and discover some reading magic. $2.

April is National Poetry Month and there are a couple of poetry collections you should snag: Light Filters In by Caroline Kaufman ($2) and Voices In The Air by Naomi Shihab Nye ($2).

If you’re leaning into pandemic reading, Not A Drop To Drink by Mindy McGinnis is $2.

Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters by Emily Roberson looks like a great read. $3.

Remember when Patrick Flores-Scott joined Eric and me on Hey YA? Grab his American Road Trip for $3.

There might not be sports to watch, but you can read a sports book. Carl Deuker’s High Heat is $3.

Solstice by Lorence Alison is a “tropical horror comedy.” Sign me up, as well as everyone who loved the mess of what was/was not the Fyre Festival. $3.

Not The Girls You’re Looking For by Aminah Mae Safi has been on my TBR for a long time and for $3, I should pick it up.

Past Perfect Life by Elizabeth Eulberg is $3.

For fans of love stories and crosswords, pick up Arvin Ahmadi’s Down and Across. $3.

Samira Ahmed’s powerful Internment is $2.

A favorite YA author around these parts is Bryan Bliss and his We’ll Fly Away is $1.

Cherie Dimaline’s  The Marrow Thieves is $5, and for readers who haven’t picked up this gem of Canadian YA lit, here’s your sign to do so.

Dumplin‘ is $1! Read it then watch it on the ‘Flix.

I absolutely loved the Pan’s Labyrinth novelization by Guillermo del Toro and Cornelia Funke and hope you’ll grab it for $1. Doesn’t matter if you’ve seen the movie or have: it’s a treasure in and of itself for fans of dark, lush, fairy-tale fantasy.

Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli is $2. Read it, watch the adaptation, and fall in love.

Feed by MT Anderson is one of the creepiest books out there with one of the best opening lines in YA. It’s also $1 right now.

Also your time to read Code Name Verity if you haven’t and love historical fiction. $3.

An oldie but a goodie: The Skin I’m In by Sharon G. Flake is $3.

You’re not going to be lacking in great reading with any of the above titles, y’all!

We’ll see you again on Monday.

— Kelly Jensen,@heykellyjensen on Instagram and editor of (Don’t) Call Me Crazy and Here We Are.