Author: Kelly Jensen

Why Nonfiction for Young Readers Matters

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date November 2, 2020

Sponsored by Kingdom of Sea and Stone by Mara Rutherford, published by Inkyard Press

Ever since Nor was forced to go to a nearby kingdom in her sister’s place, she’s wanted nothing more than to return to the place and people she loves. But when her wish comes true, she soon finds herself cast out from both worlds, with a war on the horizon.

As an old enemy resurfaces more powerful than ever, Nor will have to keep the kingdom from falling apart. There are forces within the world more mysterious than Nor ever guessed—can she stay alive long enough to conquer them?

Hey YA Readers!

Welcome to November, a month for celebrating all things nonfiction. In the Monday newsletters this month, I’m going to highlight some of the best in YA nonfiction and today kicks off with the why of it.

Once again, Goodreads has put forth their annual Goodreads Choice Awards without a category for nonfiction for young readers. It’s something they do annually, and it always feels like such a slight for a giant category of powerful books that deserve their time in the spotlight. The following piece is adapted from a post I wrote about needing to highlight incredible nonfiction for young readers back in 2016, and it still stands true in 2020.

Note that something a little bit tricky about nonfiction for young readers is often the age range doesn’t align neatly with traditional middle grade and YA categorization. It’s not uncommon to see books for ages 10 and up, as opposed to more traditional 8-12 or 12 and up. This isn’t true for all nonfiction for young readers, but worth keeping in mind through the month and in your explorations of nonfiction.

Where’s The Love for Nonfiction for Young Readers?

Perusing the lists for this year’s Goodreads Choice nominees, categories aren’t entirely surprising. There’s YA fiction, YA science fiction and fantasy, poetry, debut novels (which cover both adult and young adult categories), romance, autobiography, and more. But missing from the lists?

Nonfiction for young readers.

Is it that no one is reading these books? Or is it that we’re not talking about them in such a way that makes them stand out as the kinds of books worth reading for pleasure? Is it because these books aren’t marketed toward adult readers in the same way that many YA books are?

As our canon of young readers literature grows and the books become better and better, it’s worth pausing to take a look at what it is we’re really talking about with YA lit. YA encompasses both fiction and nonfiction, genre and non-genre, and all of those aspects of YA help make it the rich, wide collection that it is.

A quick perusal of any bookstore’s YA section showcases at least a stack of nonfiction titles. If you haven’t paid attention lately, perhaps now is the time to pause — maybe you’d be surprised to know that the nonfiction arena of YA contains the most obvious and celebrated diversity so far. There are memoirs by young people of color, gripping adventure stories by people of all abilities and backgrounds, and collective works that introduce readers to a wide array of science, historical, and cultural topics that, though available in adult nonfiction, are written to and for young readers in thoughtful, encouraging, engaging, and exciting ways. These books do not dumb down any topics but instead engage young readers in ways that appeal specifically to them.

Just this year alone, nonfiction in YA has tackled topics like anti-racism, Black voting rights, being an immigrant from Korea, Charles Lindbergh, a visual history of protest, Gloria Steinem, queer consciousness, and so much more. These are highly appealing titles for young readers . . . as well as those of us who enjoy good books, period.

One thing I didn’t anticipate as I began writing more about nonfiction was the response I’d get from parents, teachers, librarians, and others who work with younger readers. They’ve thanked me — these are the kinds of books their kids love, but they’re also the kinds of books that are hard to find and hard to make sense of because they don’t get the same kind of attention in the book world as fiction does.

So let me issue a challenge to readers of middle grade and YA: pick up a nonfiction title or two. Enjoy the way those books are packaged and thoughtfully constructed. Examine how creative the narrative threads are or the ways the author selected their focus on a topic. Challenge yourself to find bias in those titles and whether or not the argument is well defended throughout the story. Pick up an interesting fact or two that you can carry with you always — for me, that would be Nellie Bly’s pet monkey (she picked that up in her round-the-world trip) and how that pet monkey destroyed her dishes upon her return home from her biography Ten Days a Madwoman.

Then share those books. Share them with other readers, young or not-so-young, and then keep exploring. For those who write about books, create more book lists or discussions that include nonfiction. Spread the word about these books as much as you do fiction; in many cases, they’re as gripping narratively as the latest suspense title. While we have to work harder now to find these books, that work is rewarding because of the treasures that exist in nonfiction.

The selection of nonfiction for young readers is a deep pool that keeps getting better and better.

Keep your eyes here throughout the month for excellent YA nonfiction recommendations and themed lists to help you wade even further into this exciting category of books.

Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you Thursday!

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

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Get Your YA Ebook Deals While They’re Hot!

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date October 30, 2020

Sponsored by Kingdom of Sea and Stone by Mara Rutherford, published by Inkyard Press

Hey YA Readers!

Here’s your biweekly curated list of the best YA ebook deals you can snag. There’s something here for every type of reader. All deals are current as of Friday, October 30, and note that because a lot of deals expire at the end of a month, you’ll want to grab these sooner, rather than later.

Get your seasonal reading fix with Pumpkinheads, a graphic novel by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks, for $3.

The Naturals by Jennnifer Lynn Barnes, a teen crime thriller, is on sale for $1. Good news: if you love it, there are more books to this series to enjoy.

Daniel Kraus’s Bent Heavens is one of my favorite 2020 reads. It’s science fiction horror featuring an alien story that asks very human questions. $3.

Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon, which is on my TBR, is a perfect dark read for the season and on sale for $2.

If you need a good rom com, I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forest will do you well. Featuring a ballerina and a road trip! $3.

Marie Lu’s recent standalone fantasy The Kingdom of Back is $3.

One of my favorite graphic memoirs in recent memory is Robin Ha’s Almost American Girl, which is on sale for $2.

Want a ghostly graphic novel? Vera Brosgol’s Anya’s Ghost is $3.

Itching for some new takes on classic Edgar Allan Poe stories? His Hideous Heart edited by Dahlia Adler and featuring some of the best writers of YA today is currently $3.

Black girl magic is the theme of the anthology A Phoenix First Must Burn edited by Patrice Caldwell. Grab it for $3.50.

A pair of witchy reads you’ll want to snag: Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor is $3 and These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling is $3. Both are the first books in a series.

Grab Malinda Lo’s Huntress while it’s on sale for $2.

While you’re digging into the Malinda Lo backlist, do not miss out on her science fiction duology Adaptation and Inheritance. Each one is a whole $1.

So! Many! Good! Deals! Treat yourself and load up your ereader for the long nights and, if applicable, the cooler weather.

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

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YA Book News and New YA Books: October 29, 2020

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date October 27, 2020

Sponsored by White Fox by Sara Faring with Fierce Reads

“A ghost story that will spook even the most hardened grown-ups.” —Entertainment Weekly
After their world-famous mother disappears under mysterious circumstances, sisters Manon and Thais are sent away from their remote Mediterranean home by their father. Lured home a decade later by the death of their father, the sisters discover their mother’s legendary last work, White Fox, a screenplay filled with enigmatic metaphors. The clues in this dark fairytale draw them deep into society’s surreal underbelly, into the twisted secrets hidden by their glittering family, to reveal the truth about their mother—and themselves.

Hey YA Fans!

I hope you’re able to be reading something excellent right now. I’ll admit, my reading has been slow all year long, and that’s especially been the case the last few weeks.

Let’s take a look at the latest in YA book news and new YA books for this week. Note that it’s a little quieter than normal on both fronts.

YA Book News

This is going to be neat to see: Victoria Aveyard and Soman Chainani are combining their two YA book series into a graphic novel.
I don’t know if the Summer of ’85 film is only in the UK or there’s access to it elsewhere, but because it’s based on a very early gay YA novel, I wanted to include a link to a review of it for those who want to seek it out.
Quibi apparently had the rights to Alex Morel’s Survive, a YA novel about plane crash survivors. It’s unclear what’ll happen to the adaptation now. (Nice use of “up in the air” there, Kirkus).
The adaptation of Children of Blood and Bone is going to Lucasfilm, which is the first non-franchise film for the company.
Some additional adaptation news for VE Schwab: her short story from the anthology Vampires Never Get Old is getting a series treatment.
Jennifer Donnelly’s Poisoned was optioned for potential adaptation.

New YA Books

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco (series)

Magic Dark and Strange by Kelly Powell

Monsters Among Us by Monica Rodden

Sisters of Shadow and Light by Sara B. Larson (paperback, series)

Songs From The Deep by Kelly Powell (paperback)

A Thousand Fires by Shannon Price (paperback)

The Valley and the Flood by Rebecca Mahoney

Warriors of Wing and Flame by Sara B. Larson (series)

This Week at Book Riot

If you love Hallmark Christmas movies, you’ll want to read these YA books.
A reader shares her thoughts on Edward and Midnight Sun.
Take a quiz and discover which YA romance you should cozy up with this season.
New graphic novels hitting shelves this fall for children and teens.
I absolutely loved this look at how The Baby-Sitters Club novels were turned into graphic novels.
Why Tiffany D. Jackson’s “stressed” writing style matters so much.
Last, but not least, add some YA graphic memoirs to your TBR.

Love magical stories? Then you might need this sweet magic enamel pin. $8.

Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you on Saturday with your YA ebook deals.

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

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Don’t Sleep On These 2020 Debut YA Novels

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date October 23, 2020

Sponsored by The audiobook edition of Skyhunter by Marie Lu

New York Times-bestselling author Marie Lu is back with an adrenaline-laced novel about the lengths one warrior will go to fight for freedom and those she loves. Talin is a Striker, a member of an elite fighting force that stands as the last defense for the only free nation in the world: Mara. When a mysterious prisoner is brought to Mara’s capital, Talin senses there’s more to him than meets the eye. What is he hiding? This audiobook about loyalty is read by Natalie Naudus and includes a bonus conversation between the author and narrator. Start listening to Skyhunter now!

Hey YA Readers!

There really hasn’t been a standout YA book this year. Which isn’t to say there aren’t stacks and stacks of awesome YA reads, but rather, because this has been such an unusual year (understatement), many books have just not seen the same kind of attention they would have in less weird years.

For debut authors, it’s been especially bizarre. To launch your first book in a world full of chaos means even more unknowns than usual.

But dang, there have been some outstanding debut YA novels this year. Let’s take a look at six that you shouldn’t sleep on — grab ’em if you haven’t yet gotten the chance!

I’ve pulled descriptions from the publisher, since I, too, have slept on many of these. Which isn’t to say I don’t want to read them, but rather, my attention span for reading in 2020 hasn’t been the norm. Short notes in bold beneath titles are my own.

Beyond The Ruby Veil by Mara Fitzgerald

Emanuela Ragno always gets what she wants. With her daring mind and socialite schemes, she refuses to be the demure young lady everyone wants her to be. In her most ambitious move yet, she’s about to marry Alessandro Morandi, her childhood best friend and the heir to the wealthiest house in Occhia. Emanuela doesn’t care that she and her groom are both gay, because she doesn’t want a love match. She wants power, and through Ale, she’ll have it all.

But Emanuela has a secret that could shatter her plans. In the city of Occhia, the only source of water is the watercrea, a mysterious being who uses magic to make water from blood. When their first bruise-like omen appears on their skin, all Occhians must surrender themselves to the watercrea to be drained of life. Everyone throughout history has given themselves up for the greater good. Everyone except Emanuela. She’s kept the tiny omen on her hip out of sight for years.

When the watercrea exposes Emanuela during her wedding ceremony and takes her to be sacrificed, Emanuela fights back…and kills her. Now Occhia has no one to make their water and no idea how to get more. In a race against time, Emanuela and Ale must travel through the mysterious, blood-red veil that surrounds their city to uncover the secrets of the watercrea’s magic and find a way to save their people-no matter what it takes.

This is the first book in a series.

Blazewrath Games by Amparo Ortiz

Lana Torres has always preferred dragons to people. In a few weeks, sixteen countries will compete in the Blazewrath World Cup, a tournament where dragons and their riders fight for glory in a dangerous relay. Lana longs to represent her native Puerto Rico in their first ever World Cup appearance, and when Puerto Rico’s Runner―the only player without a dragon steed―is kicked off the team, she’s given the chance.

But when she discovers that a former Blazewrath superstar has teamed up with the Sire―a legendary dragon who’s cursed into human form―the safety of the Cup is jeopardized. The pair are burning down dragon sanctuaries around the world and refuse to stop unless the Cup gets cancelled. All Lana wanted was to represent her country. Now, to do that, she’ll have to navigate an international conspiracy that’s deadlier than her beloved sport.

A stand alone fantasy!

Displacement by Kiku Hughes

Kiku is on vacation in San Francisco when suddenly she finds herself displaced to the 1940s Japanese-American internment camp that her late grandmother, Ernestina, was forcibly relocated to during World War II.

These displacements keep occurring until Kiku finds herself “stuck” back in time. Living alongside her young grandmother and other Japanese-American citizens in internment camps, Kiku gets the education she never received in history class. She witnesses the lives of Japanese-Americans who were denied their civil liberties and suffered greatly, but managed to cultivate community and commit acts of resistance in order to survive.

Kiku Hughes weaves a riveting, bittersweet tale that highlights the intergenerational impact and power of memory.

A historical graphic novel.

The Falling In Love Montage by Ciara Smyth

Seventeen-year-old cynic Saoirse Clarke isn’t looking for a relationship. But when she meets mischievous Ruby, that rule goes right out the window. Sort of.

Because Ruby has a loophole in mind: a summer of all the best cliché movie montage dates, with a definite ending come fall—no broken hearts, no messy breakup. It would be the perfect plan, if they weren’t forgetting one thing about the Falling in Love Montage: when it’s over, the characters have fallen in love…for real.

Read your way into a lesbian rom-com.

Ghost Wood Song by Erica Waters

If I could have a fiddle made of Daddy’s bones, I’d play it. I’d learn all the secrets he kept.

Shady Grove inherited her father’s ability to call ghosts from the grave with his fiddle, but she also knows the fiddle’s tunes bring nothing but trouble and darkness.

But when her brother is accused of murder, she can’t let the dead keep their secrets.

In order to clear his name, she’s going to have to make those ghosts sing.

The description for this one makes it sound so perfectly eerie and bonus, it’s queer!

The Loop by Ben Oliver

It’s Luka Kane’s sixteenth birthday and he’s been inside The Loop for over two years. Every inmate is serving a death sentence with the option to push back their execution date by six months if they opt into “Delays”, scientific and medical experiments for the benefit of the elite in the outside world.

But rumors of a war on the outside are spreading amongst the inmates, and before they know it, their tortuous routine becomes disrupted. The government issued rain stops falling. Strange things are happening to the guards. And it’s not long until the inmates are left alone inside the prison.

Were the chains that shackled Luka to his cell the only instruments left to keep him safe? In a thrilling shift, he must overcome fellow prisoners hell-bent on killing him, the warden losing her mind, the rabid rats in the train tunnels, and a population turned into murderous monsters to try and break out of The Loop, save his family, and discover who is responsible for the chaos that has been inflicted upon the world.

The first in a series that’s been compared to The Fifth Wave and Maze Runner.

The Silence of Bones by June Hur

I have a mouth, but I mustn’t speak;

Ears, but I mustn’t hear;

Eyes, but I mustn’t see.

1800, Joseon (Korea). Homesick and orphaned sixteen-year-old Seol is living out the ancient curse: “May you live in interesting times.” Indentured to the police bureau, she’s been tasked with assisting a well-respected young inspector with the investigation into the politically charged murder of a noblewoman.

As they delve deeper into the dead woman’s secrets, Seol forms an unlikely bond of friendship with the inspector. But her loyalty is tested when he becomes the prime suspect, and Seol may be the only one capable of discovering what truly happened on the night of the murder.

But in a land where silence and obedience are valued above all else, curiosity can be deadly.

Oh, a YA historical mystery!

The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow

Two years ago, a misunderstanding between the leaders of Earth and the invading Ilori resulted in the deaths of one-third of the world’s population.

Today, seventeen-year-old Ellie Baker survives in an Ilori-controlled center in New York City. With humans deemed dangerously volatile because of their initial reaction to the invasion, emotional expression can be grounds for execution. Music, art and books are illegal, but Ellie still keeps a secret library.

When young Ilori commander M0Rr1S finds Ellie’s library, he’s duty-bound to deliver her for execution. The trouble is, he finds himself drawn to human music and in desperate need of more.

Humanity’s fate rests in the hands of an alien Ellie should fear, but M0Rr1S has a potential solution―thousands of miles away. The two embark on a wild and dangerous journey with a bag of books and their favorite albums, all the while creating a story and a song of their own that just might save them both.

There are not many stand alone science fiction/fantasy reads in YA, but here’s one for your shelf!

So! Many! Great! Books! I hope you’ve found one or several new ones for your TBR.

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

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

What's Up in YA

YA Book News and New YA Books: October 22, 2020

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date October 20, 2020

Sponsored by Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer with Fierce Reads

A new spin from #1 bestselling author Marissa Meyer!

Prudence Daniels is always quick to cast judgment on the residents of her coastal town. Her dreams of karmic justice are fulfilled when, after a night out with her friends, she wakes up with the sudden ability to cast instant karma on those around her.

When Pru starts to uncover the truth, her newfound karmic insights reveal how thin the line is between virtue and vanity, generosity and greed . . . love and hate… and fate.

Hey YA Readers!

For a year that’s been twelve years long, it’s amazing we’re this close to the end of it, isn’t it?

Let’s dive into this week’s YA book news and new YA books. We have less on the news side and more on the new books side, which means you’ll be able to allocate a little more time for your next favorite read.

YA Book News

A Black woman is now on board to direct the adaptation of Angie Thomas’s On The Come Up — Wanuri Kahiu is the same director who will be working on the adaptation of The Black Kids.
This is publishing insider baseball, but for those who love that kinda news, there’s been a change to the Jimmy Patterson line of books for young readers.
The new Gayle Forman book coming out next year is the fourth one I can think of from within the last year that’s set at an indie bookstore. The others are Aminah Mae Safi’s This Is All Your Fault, Jennifer Dugan’s Verona Comics (technically an indie comic shop), Recommended For You by Laura Silverman, and The Summer of Everything by Julian Winters. I highlighted these books in a June 2020 newsletter.
I Know What You Did Last Summer is getting a TV series adaptation.
Peep the cover and synopsis of the new Tahereh Mafi book.

New YA Books

Among The Beasts and Briars by Ashley Poston

The Brightest Night by Jennifer L. Armentrout (series)

The Burning Shadow by Jennifer L. Armentrout (series, paperback)

Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate the Reading and Writing of YA edited by Nova Ren Suma and Emily X.R. Pan

The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson (paperback)

Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters by Emily Roberson (paperback)

My Heart Underwater by Laurel Flores Fantauzzo

Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly

Rebel Sisters by Tochi Onyebuchi (series)

A Treason of Thorns by Laura E. Weymouth (paperback)

Warmaidens by Kelly Coon (series)

You Were Never Here by Kathleen Peacock

This Week at Book Riot

I dug into why I related to Jessica Darling from the Sloppy Firsts book so deeply . . . and why her books, which will be getting a rerelease with updated language and covers in the spring, will still resonate with YA readers 20 years later.
Sink your teeth into some excellent vampire YA.
Fantasy YA about girls of the high seas.

How great are these YA book pencils? The set of seven comes out to $15.

Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you again on Monday!

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

What's Up in YA

Print-at-Home YA Book Art

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date October 19, 2020

Sponsored by Smash It! by Francina Simone, published by Inkyard Press

Olivia “Liv” James is done with letting her insecurities get the best of her. So, she does what any self-respecting hot mess of a girl who wants to SMASH junior year does . . . she makes a list–a F*ck-It list.
She kicks it off by trying out for the school musical, saying yes to a date and making new friends. However, with change comes a lot of missteps, and being bold means following her heart. So, what happens when Liv’s heart is interested in three different guys—and two of them are her best friends?

Hey YA Pals!

Let’s look at some rad YA book art today. Specifically, this roundup of YA book art is all for purchase, but rather than needing to wait to receive it in the mail, you can immediately download and print them. This means you can often adjust the size, can print however you prefer, and you can frame with whatever you’ve got handy (or choose not to frame at all!).

Note: this roundup is primarily featuring books by white authors. This is because of the limitations on what the roundup is (printable book art) and not a reflection of either YA or fandom art and goods more broadly.

A gorgeous print honoring Queen of Nothing by Holly Black. $5.

“You belonged in the library as much as any book” is such a great quote. From Sorcery of Thorns. $6.

The quote alongside the carousel makes this print from Caraval kind of creepy, doesn’t it? $4.

I really love how minimalist this Lara Jean quote print is! $6.

Why not have the cover of Rainbow Rowell’s Carry On on your wall? $9.

Love Simon (Love, Simon)? You’ll love this quote from Becky Albertalli’s book. $4.

I’ve never read Throne of Glass, but this art is so gorgeous that I want it. $6.

A quote for the Darkling fans in the Grishaverse. $8.

Last, but not least, a gorgeous Strange The Dreamer quote print. $7.

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

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

What's Up in YA

🔥 🔥 Sizzling YA Ebook Deals

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date October 16, 2020

Sponsored by Winter, White and Wicked by Shannon Dittemore and Amulet Books.

Mad Max: Fury Road meets Frozen in a striking new fantasy novel. On an island cursed by eternal winter, rig driver Sylvi takes comfort in two things: the solitude of the roads and the favor of Winter, an icy spirit who has protected her since childhood. But when her best friend disappears, Sylvi must make a dangerous haul for a smuggler she wouldn’t normally work with. Sylvi will do whatever it takes to save her friend, but soon she’ll have to choose: safety, anonymity, and the favor of Winter—or the future of the island that she calls home.

Hey YA Readers!

Grab your ereader and prepare to fill it with so much excellent YA to dive into now and through the season of early darkness.

I’m putting this newsletter together early, so know these deals may have expired by the time you open it up (fingers crossed that’s not the case!).

Bent Heavens by Daniel Kraus is a fabulous horror read about aliens…and humans. $3.

I’ve had Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon on my TBR for a while. For $2, it’s time for me to act!

Celebrate Latinx literature beyond Latinx Heritage Month with Sister Chicas by Lisa Alvarado, Ann Hagman Cardinal, and Jane Alberdeston Coralin. $2

Kristina Forest’s I Wanna Be Where You Are is the perfect read for right now, and it’s on sale for $3.

Grab War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi for a whopping $3.

A twist on the story of the Queen of Hearts sound like your jam? Heartless by Marissa Meyer is $3.

Want a fantasy read? The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu is $3.

The Never-Tilting World by Rin Chupeco is on sale for $2.

If you’ve got an itch for some vampire YA, The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh is $3.

Another vampire YA for you to sink your teeth into: Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith. $2.

Perhaps you’re looking for something witchy, and if that’s the case, grab The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw. $2.

Kat Cho’s Wicked Fox is on sale for $4.

Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake and Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol are perfect for those seeking good ghost stories. $3 each.

Last. but not least, you can take flight with Faith: Taking Flight by Julie Murphy for $2.

Here’s to finding your next favorite YA read!

Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you on Monday.

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

What's Up in YA

This Week’s YA Book News and New YA Books: October 15, 2020

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date October 13, 2020

YA Book News

Here are the National Book Award finalists for Young People’s Literature.
Hello, Pride adaptation!!
Check out the cover for the third book on Julie Murphy’s “Dumplin'” series: Puddin‘.
Make sure you have the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival on your virtual calendar for December.
Claudia Gray’s “Leia” YA book is being made into manga.
HBO Max will air the Lumberjanes animated show.
The trailer for Netflix’s November-releasing YA adaptation of Dash and Lily is up!

New YA Books

Above All Else by Dana Alison Levy

Beyond the Ruby Veil by Mara Fitzgerald (series)

Butterfly Yellow by Thanhhà Lai (paperback)

Charming as a Verb by Ben Philippe

Color Outside The Lines edited by Sangu Mandanna (paperback)

Come On In edited by Adi Alsaid

Concrete Kids by Amyra León (paperback, nonfiction)

Daughters of Jubilation by Kara Lee Corthron

Descent by Roland Smith (series)

Everything I Thought I Knew by Shannon Takaoka

A Golden Fury by Samantha Cohoe

The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White (paperback, series)

In The Study With The Wrench by Diana Peterfreund (series)

Junk Boy by Tony Abbott

A Kingdom for a Stage by Heidi Heilig (series, paperback)

Lightbringer by Claire Legrand (series)

Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel by Jason Reynolds and illustratted by Danica Novgorodoff

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco (paperback, series)

The Puppetmaster’s Apprentice by Lisa DeSelm

Rural Voices edited by Nora Shalaway Carpenter

The Shadow War by Lindsay Smith

Storm The Earth by Rebecca Kim Wells (series)

Taking On The Plastics Crisis by Hannah Testa (paperback, nonfiction)

Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi (paperback)

This Is All Your Fault by Aminah Mae Safi

Time Travel for Love and Profit by Sarah Lariviere

The Truth Project by Dante Medema

We Were Restless Things by Cole Nagamatsu

When You Ask Me Where I’m Going by Jasmin Kaur (paperback)

Winter, White and Wicked by Shannon Dittemore

You Know I’m No Good by Jessie Ann Foley

This Week at Book Riot

A deep dive into Native American and Indigenous children’s and young adult literature.
10 of the best YA books set in the 90s.
YA books featuring bilingual main characters.
Get witchy with these YA witch books.
Looking at why the medieval girl in a tower trope still exists in YA.
YA books about aliens and the unexplained.

Check out this awesome gallery of YA book covers that are available as a digital download. Perfect for your classroom or your library (or bedroom or office…). $10. Next week, you’ll get to see so many more similar rad printable YA art options.

Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you on Saturday with great YA ebook deals.

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

What's Up in YA

Great Latinx YA Books For Your TBR

Post author By Kelly Jensen
Post date October 9, 2020

Sponsored by Smash It! by Francina Simone, published by Inkyard Press

Hey YA Readers!

If you haven’t listened to the episode of Hey YA Extra Credit from this summer where YA Bookstagrammer and Blogger Carmen of Tomes and Textiles dig into Latinx YA, make sure you do.

We’re rolling into the last week of the month-long celebration of Latinx heritage, and because there has been so much incredible Latinx YA hittingn shelves over the last couple of years, I didn’t want to miss the chance to highlight a handful of titles for you to pick up after the month ends. I’m not going to repeat any of the titles from the Hey YA episode, meaning that you will get to know so many incredible reads between this newsletter and that show.

Because I’ve not read all of these books yet (I know!) I’m relying on descriptions from the publisher. But do know that my TBR is as massive as yours and only gets bigger the more books I discover.

A Breath Too Late by Rocky Callen

Seventeen-year-old Ellie had no hope left. Yet the day after she dies by suicide, she finds herself in the midst of an out-of-body experience. She is a spectator, swaying between past and present, retracing the events that unfolded prior to her death.

But there are gaps in her memory, fractured pieces Ellie is desperate to re-assemble. There’s her mother, a songbird who wanted to break free from her oppressive cage. The boy made of brushstrokes and goofy smiles who brought color into a gray world. Her brooding father, with his sad puppy eyes and clenched fists. And Ellie’s determined to find out why a piece of her was left behind.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him.

When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.

Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From by Jennifer De Leon

Liliana Cruz is a hitting a wall—or rather, walls.

There’s the wall her mom has put up ever since Liliana’s dad left—again.

There’s the wall that delineates Liliana’s diverse inner-city Boston neighborhood from Westburg, the wealthy—and white—suburban high school she’s just been accepted into.

And there’s the wall Liliana creates within herself, because to survive at Westburg, she can’t just lighten up, she has to whiten up.

So what if she changes her name? So what if she changes the way she talks? So what if she’s seeing her neighborhood in a different way? But then light is shed on some hard truths: It isn’t that her father doesn’t want to come home—he can’t…and her whole family is in jeopardy. And when racial tensions at school reach a fever pitch, the walls that divide feel insurmountable.

But a wall isn’t always a barrier. It can be a foundation for something better. And Liliana must choose: Use this foundation as a platform to speak her truth, or risk crumbling under its weight.

How To Build a Heart by Maria Padian

One young woman’s journey to find her place in the world as the carefully separated strands of her life — family, money, school, and love — begin to overlap and tangle.

All sixteen-year-old Izzy Crawford wants is to feel like she really belongs somewhere. Her father, a marine, died in Iraq six years ago, and Izzy’s moved to a new town nearly every year since, far from the help of her extended family in North Carolina and Puerto Rico. When Izzy’s hardworking mom moves their small family to Virginia, all her dreams start clicking into place. She likes her new school—even if Izzy is careful to keep her scholarship-student status hidden from her well-to-do classmates and her new athletic and popular boyfriend. And best of all: Izzy’s family has been selected by Habitat for Humanity to build and move into a brand-new house. Izzy is this close to the community and permanence she’s been searching for, until all the secret pieces of her life begin to collide.

Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Meija and Anna-Marie McLemore

There hasn’t been a winner of the Miss Meteor beauty pageant who looks like Lita Perez or Chicky Quintanilla in all its history.

But that’s not the only reason Lita wants to enter the contest, or her ex-best friend Chicky wants to help her. The road to becoming Miss Meteor isn’t about being perfect; it’s about sharing who you are with the world—and loving the parts of yourself no one else understands.

So to pull off the unlikeliest underdog story in pageant history, Lita and Chicky are going to have to forget the past and imagine a future where girls like them are more than enough—they are everything.

Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

It’s been three years since ICE raids and phone calls from Mexico and an ill-fated walk across the Sonoran. Three years since Sia Martinez’s mom disappeared. Sia wants to move on, but it’s hard in her tiny Arizona town where people refer to her mom’s deportation as “an unfortunate incident.”

Sia knows that her mom must be dead, but every new moon Sia drives into the desert and lights San Anthony and la Guadalupe candles to guide her mom home.

Then one night, under a million stars, Sia’s life and the world as we know it cracks wide open. Because a blue-lit spacecraft crashes in front of Sia’s car…and it’s carrying her mom, who’s very much alive.

As Sia races to save her mom from armed-quite-possibly-alien soldiers, she uncovers secrets as profound as they are dangerous in this stunning and inventive exploration of first love, family, immigration, and our vast, limitless universe.

And just because, here are a few Latinx YA books that’ll be available in 2021 that should be on your TBR now.

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado (February 2)

Charlie Vega is a lot of things. Smart. Funny. Artistic. Ambitious. Fat.

People sometimes have a problem with that last one. Especially her mom. Charlie wants a good relationship with her body, but it’s hard, and her mom leaving a billion weight loss shakes on her dresser doesn’t help. The world and everyone in it have ideas about what she should look like: thinner, lighter, slimmer-faced, straighter-haired. Be smaller. Be whiter. Be quieter.

But there’s one person who’s always in Charlie’s corner: her best friend Amelia. Slim. Popular. Athletic. Totally dope. So when Charlie starts a tentative relationship with cute classmate Brian, the first worthwhile guy to notice her, everything is perfect until she learns one thing–he asked Amelia out first. So is she his second choice or what? Does he even really see her? UGHHH. Everything is now officially a MESS.

Once Upon a Quinceanera by Monica Gomez-Hira (March 2)

Carmen Aguilar just wants to make her happily ever after come true. Except apparently “happily ever after” for Carmen involves being stuck in an unpaid summer internship. Now she has to perform as a party princess! In a ball gown. During the summer. In Miami.

Fine. Except that’s only the first misfortune in what’s turning out to a summer of Utter Disaster.

But if Carmen can manage dancing in the blistering heat, fending off an oh-so-unfortunately attractive ex, and stopping her spoiled cousin from ruining her own quinceañera—Carmen might just get that happily ever after—after all.

Your Heart, My Sky by Margarita Engle (March 23)

The people of Cuba are living in el período especial en tiempos de paz—the special period in times of peace. That’s what the government insists that this era must be called, but the reality behind these words is starvation.

Liana is struggling to find enough to eat. Yet hunger has also made her brave: she finds the courage to skip a summer of so-called volunteer farm labor, even though she risks government retribution. Nearby, a quiet, handsome boy named Amado also refuses to comply, so he wanders alone, trying to discover rare sources of food.

A chance encounter with an enigmatic dog brings Liana and Amado together. United in hope and hunger, they soon discover that their feelings for each other run deep. Love can feed their souls and hearts—but is it enough to withstand el período especial?

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

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