Best Fiction for Young Adults

The Best Fiction for Young Adults list honors the best fiction books published for teens each year.

Best Fiction for Young Adults

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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 91��ý, 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.

See Current Committee Contacts Here

Current Lists

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*Denotes Top Ten Titles

Always the Almost. By Edward Underhill. 2023. 307 p. Wednesday Books, $18.99 (9781250835208). Gr. 9 - 12.

Miles makes a New Year's resolution to win back his ex-boyfriend and defeat his piano rival. When he meets Eric, a kind and thoughtful new kid, and starts practicing with a new piano teacher, Miles begins to learn more about himself and what he really wants.

Ander and Santi Were Here. By Jonny Garza Villa. 2023. 355 p. Wednesday Books, $18.99 (9781250843999). Gr. 9 - 12.

Nonbinary teen, Ander, is preparing to leave for college but is spending one last year working at their family's taqueria and painting murals in San Antonio. When they meet the new waiter Santi, everything changes.

As You Walk On By. By Julian Winters. 2023. 328 p. Viking, $18.99 (9780593206508). Gr. 9 - 12.

Seventeen year-old Theo finds himself hiding in a bedroom during a party following his promposal that goes horribly wrong. As, one by one, Theo’s fellow classmates pop into that bedroom seeking refuge of their own, an unlikely group forms that changes the status quo.

*Becoming a Queen. By Dan Clay. 2023. 407 p. Roaring Brook Press, $19.99 (9781250843098). Gr. 8 - 12.

Mark Davis wore a pretty dress and his boyfriend broke up with him. Now Mark is on his road to a new romance and self-acceptance when tragedy strikes, and he must figure out who he wants to be in order to move on.

Bianca Torre is Afraid of Everything. By Justine Pucella Winans. 2023. 362 p. Clarion Books, $19.99 (9780358721642). Gr. 9 - 12.

Bianca Torre enjoys bird and people from their bedroom window. When they witness the murder of their neighbor, they start a bizarre journey to solve the murder, despite having a long list of fears. Through the process, they also find themselves and valuable relationships.

Bittersweet in the Hollow. By Kate Pearsall. 2023. 373 p. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, $18.99 (9780593531020). Gr. 9 - 12.

One year after Linden James returns from the woods with no memory of what happened on Summer Solstice, another girl is found murdered in the same woods. Linden and her sisters use their family’s controversial magic to discover what lurks in the woods before it can strike again.

The Buried and the Bound. By Rochelle Hassan. 2023. 375 p. Roaring Brook Press, $19.99 (9781250822208). Gr. 9 - 12.

When the barrier between her hometown and the adjacent fairyland in the woods starts thinning, Aziza must team up with a cursed high school student and a mysterious necromancer to save the city they call home.

The Chalice of the Gods. By Rick Riordan. 2023. 268 p. Disney-Hyperion, $19.99 (9781368098175). Gr. 5 - Up.

Percy Jackson returns with the need to acquire three godly letters of recommendation in order to get into the same college as his girlfriend.

Chaos Theory. By Nic Stone. 2023. 278 p. Crown Books for Young Readers, $18.99 (9780593307700). Gr. 8 - 12.

Genius high school senior, Shelbi, meets politician's son, Andy, on one of his worst days, and reaches out to help. Their unlikely friendship becomes more, but they both have complicated pasts that might end up keeping them apart.

City of Nightmares. By Rebecca Schaeffer. 2023. 374 p. Clarion, $18.99 (9780358647300). Gr. 9 - 12.

No one dreams in Newham, where pills and treated water keep sleeping people safe from transforming into literal Nightmares. After surviving a ferry bombing, self-described coward Ness works with the other survivor, Cy, a Nightmare, to investigate why they are still being targeted, leading them to uncover a dark conspiracy.

Cruel Illusions. By Margie Fuston. 2022. 503 p. Margaret K. McElderry Books, $21.99 (9781665902106). Gr. 9 - 12.

Following her mother’s murder by a vampire, Ava leaves her brother and new foster family to join a mysterious magic troupe that performs impossible illusions. Recognizing her hidden powers, they invite her to compete in a dangerous game to become a magician and join them as vampire hunters.

*Dear Medusa. By Olivia Cole. 2023. 377 p. Labyrinth Road, $18.99 (9780593485736). Gr. 9 - 12.

After being sexually abused by a popular teacher at her school Alicia feels cut off from the world around her, until one day, she gets a note from another survivor.

Delicious Monsters. By Liselle Sambury. 2023. 504 p. Margaret K. McElderry Books, $21.99 (9781665903493). Gr. 9 - 12.

Two young women's experiences with a haunted manor in northern Ontario intersect as Brittney researches Daisy's hotly debated disappearance.

*Divine Rivals. By Rebecca Ross. 2023. 357 p. Wednesday Books, $18.99 (9781250857439). Gr. 10 - 12.

As the war between the gods creeps closer to the city, Iris and Roman fiercely compete to become the new newspaper columnist for the prestigious Oath Gazette. Their lives become further entwined and complicated thanks to the magical letters they unknowingly write to each other.

A Door in the Dark. By Scott Reintgen. 2023. 361 p. Margaret K. McElderry Books, $19.99 (9781665918688). Gr. 10 - 12.

Working class wizard Ren Monroe does her best at Balmerick University to prove her magic prowess so she can be recruited by a major house. When a portal spell malfunctions, she is transported with five other students to dangerous wilderness days from home.

The Do-Over. By Lynn Painter. 2022. 291 p. Simon & Schuster, $19.99 (781534478862). Gr. 9 - 12.

Emilie Hornby gets stuck in a time loop where she is forced to relive the most dreadful Valentine's Day over and over again, but she soon discovers that running into her grumpy and cute Chemistry partner may not be the worst thing to ever happen.

The Dos and Donuts of Love. By Adiba Jaigirdar. 2023. 321 p. Feiwel and Friends, $19.99 (9781250842114). Gr. 8 - 12.

Shireen Malik is determined to win the Junior Irish Baking Show to save her parents' struggling donut shop, but finds herself partnered with her ex-girlfriend. Navigating friendships, romantic entanglements, and the competition is enough to challenge any baker.

The Fall of Whit Rivera. By Crystal Maldonado. 2023. 342 p. Holiday House, $19.99 (9780823452361). Gr. 9 - 12.

Whit Rivera has recently been diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome and is learning to navigate her new life. Together with her two best friends and her middle school ex-boyfriend, Whit plans the Fall Fest of her dreams and might just find love along the way.

*For Lamb. By Lesa Cline-Ransome. 2023. p. Holiday House, $18.99 (9780823450152). Gr.

Lamb's forbidden friendship with a white girl in 1940s Mississippi has devastating consequences for her and her family.

Forever Is Now. By Mariama Lockington. 2023. 398 p. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $19.99 (9780374388881). Gr. 9 - 12.

A painful breakup coupled with witnessing police brutality toward another young Black woman triggers Sadie’s agoraphobia and anxiety, effectively ending her summer plans. Sadie works toward a fuller life with the help of her family, friend, and a new neighbor on his own mental health journey.

Forget Me Not. By Alyson Derrick. 2023. 308 p. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $19.99 (9781665902373). Gr. 9 - 12.

After an accident leaves Stevie with a case of amnesia, she no longer remembers her tender romance with Nora nor their plans to flee their conservative home town. Slowly, Stevie must struggle to remember her own full identity and who really matters in her life.

Give Me a Sign. By Anna Sortino. 2023. 303 p. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, $18.99 (9780593533796). Gr. 7 - 10.

Lilah is hard of hearing and uses hearing aids, but she feels like she doesn't fit in with the hearing world. She learns to embrace her Deaf identity while working as a junior counselor at a summer camp for the deaf and blind, while also making friends and starting a summer romance.

Gloria Buenrostro Is Not My Girlfriend. By Brandon Hoàng. 2023. 293 p. Farrar Straus Giroux, $19.99 (9780374388577). Gr. 8 - 12.

Gary Võ's revelation that he has an “in" with the untouchable Gloria Buenrostro has the potential of lifting him and his best friend, Preston, out of social obscurity--if he is willing to betray Gloria's trust in the relationship the two of them have built.

Going Bicoastal. By Dahlia Adler. 2023. 325 p. Wednesday Books, $20.00 (9781250871640). Gr. 9 - 12.

Jewish, bisexual Natalya has to choose between trying something new and scary or making the familiar new again in this light-hearted rom-com, which tells two parallel romance storylines: one where Natalya spends her summer in LA with her estranged mother and one where she stays in NYC with her dad.

Gone Wolf. By Amber McBride. 2023. 348 p. Feiwel & Friends, $17.99 (9781250850492). Gr. 4 - 7.

Imogen is a “blue" and wants to be free to make her own choices. However, her role is to be "spare parts" for Lark, a white boy.

Gorgeous Gruesome Faces. By Linda Cheng. 2023. 311 p. Roaring Brook Press, $19.99 (9781250864994). Gr. 9 - 12.

After a scandal that ended her popstar career, Sunny finds herself face-to-face with her demons when she enters a K-Pop competition alongside her former bandmate. When contestants start getting injured, Sunny becomes worried that her former bandmate is responsible.

Heartbreak Boys. By Simon James Green. 2022. 376 p. Clarion Books, $18.99 (9780358617259). Gr.8 - 12.

Jack and Nate used to be best friends, but have not spoken in years. When they find out on prom night that their boyfriends have secretly been seeing each other, they take off on a summer road trip to prove that they are living their best lives and start to remember along the way why they were friends and why now maybe they could be more.

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute. By Talia Hibbert. 2023. 319 p. Joy Revolution, $19.99 (9780593482339). Gr. 9 - 12.

Celine and Brad used to be best friends, until Brad ditched Celine for the in-crowd. Now, they’re academic rivals. When they both sign up for a survival course in the woods, with a scholarship as the grand prize, their competition brings up long-buried resentments, but also the possibility of reconciliation.

How To Succeed in Witchcraft. By Aislinn Brophy. 2022. 406 p. G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, $18.99 (9780593354520). Gr. 9 - 12.

Shay Johnson is one of the top witches at her school To win the coveted Brockton Scholarship, ensuring her admittance to the college of her dreams, Shay must step outside her comfort zone to do the school musical with a teacher who has questionable motives.

*I Kick and I Fly. By Ruchira Gupta. 2023. 336 p. Scholastic Press, $18.99 (9781338825091). Gr. 7 - 12.

Heera is a girl, told since she was little, that she is destined for a life of prostitution. She is invited into a hostel for endangered girls and is given the chance to learn kung fu and, in the process, learn about how strong she really is.

If Tomorrow Doesn't Come. By Jen St. Jude. 2023. 397 p. Bloomsbury YA, $19.99 (9781547611362). Gr. 10 - 12.

Avery is ready to end her life when she receives a call that an asteroid is imminent and will end the world for everyone. With a handful of days left, she must decide how and with whom to spend the remaining time.

Invisible Son. By Kim Johnson. 2023. 404 p. Random House, $18.99 (9780593482100). Gr. 9 - 12.

Andres Jackson just spent two months incarcerated for a crime he didn't commit. A restorative justice program allows him to return to his family home in Northeast Portland but his plans for returning to school and establishing his innocence are interrupted by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Izzy at the End of the World. By K. A. Reynolds. 2023. 330 p. Clarion Books, $19.99 (9780358467779). Gr. 5 - 9.

Izzy Wilder is a fourteen-year-old autistic girl who recently lost her mom. Now living with her grandparents, Izzy witnesses a bright light that causes everyone she knows to vanish. With only her beloved dog left of her family, Izzy must try to survive.

The Lake House. By Sarah Beth Durst. 2023. 354 p. HarperTeen, $19.99 (9780063214071). Gr. 9 - 12.

Three girls arrive at a remote island summer camp to find the lodge burned to the ground and no others around. Even without cell service, they figure rescue will come soon, until they find a dead body in the woods and realize they’re not as alone as they thought.

Mascot. By Charles Waters and Traci Sorrell. 2023. 248 p. Charlesbridge, $13.57 (9781623543808). Gr. 5 - 8.

Seven middle school English-Honors students must debate the pros and cons of keeping their future high school’s Indigenous mascot.

Miles Morales Suspended. By Jason Reynolds. 2023. 303 p. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, $19.99 (9781665918466). Gr. 7 - 12.

Miles Morales, Spider-Man, is stuck serving an undeserved In School Suspension along with his crush Alica Carson and a nefarious library aid. Miles’s Spidey senses go on full alert when he hears an unnatural sound that results in an epic adventure to save history from being destroyed.

The Minus-One Club. By Kekla Magoon. 2023. 360 p. Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), $19.99 (9781250806208). Gr. 9 - 12.

After fifteen year-old Kermit loses his older sister in a car accident, he finds a message signed "-1" in his locker, inviting him into an unlikely group of fellow students dealing with grief.

Nigeria Jones. By Ibi Zoboi. 2023. 369 p. Balzar + Bray, $17.99 (9780062888846). Gr. 7 - 12.

Growing up in a Black Nationalist compound, Nigeria Jones has accepted her father’s philosophies without question. His decision to begin a relationship with a younger woman in the absence of Nigeria’s mother as well as his restrictions prohibiting her from attending the private school her mother wanted her to attend are causing Nigeria not just to question him, but to rebel.

*Plan A. By Deb Caletti. 2023. 404 p. Labyrinth Road, $18.99 ( 9780593485552). Gr. 10 - 12.

Ivy and her boyfriend Lorenzo embark on a cross-country road trip from Texas to Oregon so Ivy can legally choose to end an unintended pregnancy. Along the journey, Ivy finds support through many surprisingly encouraging encounters in this story with a sweetly developed romance, healing, and hope.

*Promise Boys. By Nick Brooks. 2023. 294 p. Henry Holt and Co., $19.99 (9781250866974). Gr. 9 - 12.

J.B., Ramón, and Trey are students at the prestigious and strict Urban Promise Prep School when their principal is murdered and the three become the prime suspects.

The Queens of New York. By E.L. Shen. 2023. 326 p. Quill Tree Books, $19.99 (9780063237957). Gr. 8 - 11.

Summer has just begun when three best friends, Everett, Jia and Ariel head separate ways for a summer of discovery, romance, and most importantly, friendship. That summer will also test their relationship and create opportunities for personal growth.

Rain Rising. By Courtne Comrie. 2022. 327 p. Harper, $16.99 (9780063159730). Gr. 5 - 12.

Rain is struggling to find out who she is and where she fits in during her eighth grade year of school when her beloved older brother is attacked during a college visit in what appears to be a racially motivated beating.

Reggie and Delilah's Year of Falling. By Elise Bryant. 2023. 392 p. Balzer + Bray, $18.99 (9780063212992). Gr. 8 - 11.

A New Year’s Eve gig that Delilah can’t get out of and a little peer pressure forcing Reggie to attend a party where Delilah’s band is performing is the beginning of a relationship that neither of them can seem to escape.

Remind Me to Hate You Later. By Lizzy Mason. 2023. 308 p. Bloomsbury YA, $18.99 (9781547609185). Gr. 9 - 12.

Reeling from the death of her best friend, Jules, by suicide. Natalie must learn how to move on with her life as she grapples with blaming herself and Jules’s mom, a lifestyle blogger. Told in dual narration between Jules and Natalie.

Rhythm and Muse. By India Hill Brown. 2023. 248 p. Quill Tree Books, $19.99 (9780063217553). Gr. 8 - 12.

Darren is pining for Delia, but is too in his own head to tell her how he feels. That's when his best friend sends a song Darren has recorded to Delia as an entry into a contest to find a new intro to her podcast. Now Darren needs to step up and own his music or lose Delia.

*Saints of the Household. By Ari Tison. 2023. 312 p. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $19.99 (9780374389499). Gr. 9 - 12.

Max and Jay are brothers who have relied on each for everything including protecting their mother from an abusive father. After a violent altercation with a classmate, they begin a journey of healing through an exploration of their Bribri American identity as well as looking outward to others for help.

The Secrets We Keep. By Cassie Gustafson. 2022. 340 p. Simon & Schuster BFYR, $19.99 (9781665906944). Gr.. 9 - 12.

Fifteen-year-old Emma’s life is turned upside down when her father is accused of molesting Hannah, her best–and only–friend in this hopeful story of two sexual abuse survivors.

The Sharp Edge of Silence. By Cameron Kelly Rosenblum. 2023. 473 p. Quill Tree Books, $19.99 (9780062932105). Gr. 9 - 12

Quinn, Max, and Charlotte must decide how far they are willing to go to end the tacitly accepted rape culture at their prestigious boarding Lycroft Phelps School.

She Is a Haunting. By Trang Thanh Tran. 2023. 341 p. Bloomsbury, $18.99 (9781547610815). Gr. 9 - 12.

When Jade Nguyen visits her estranged father in Vietnam, she plans to help him restore his French colonial home, in exchange for the college money he promised. Instead, she finds the house haunted by its past, hungry for visitors, and willing to keep her entire family within its walls forever.

A Spark in the Cinders. By Jenny Elder Moke. 2023. 361 p. Disney Hyperion, $18.99 (9781368039918). Gr. 8 - 10.

Aralyn finds herself aligned with her former stepsister, Cinderella, on a quest to save the kingdom of Novador from the machinations of the scheming Lady Tremaine who plans to marry off Aralyn’s youngest sister to a rival prince.

Spell Bound. By F.T. Lukens. 2023. 323 p. Margaret K. McElderry Books, $19.99 (9781665916226). Gr. 7 - 12.

Rook is a genius who grew up around magic, but isn't magical. He gets a job working in the office of the famous sorceress Antonia Hex who handles magical emergencies. Rook soon realizes he must break the rules in order to become who he was always meant to be.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth. By Andrew Joseph White. 2023. 381 p. Peachtree Teen, $19.99 (9781682636114). Gr. 10 - 12.

Silas, attempting to escape an arranged marriage, is forced to attend a finishing school for “Veil Sickness,” an illness that is claimed to make violet-eyed people go mad. When the ghosts of missing girls speak to him, he struggles to find the truth of their whereabouts and possible deaths.

Star Splitter. By Matthew Kirby. 2023. 305 p. Dutton Books for Young Readers, $18.99 (9780735231665). Gr. 7 - 12.

In 2199, space exploration and teleportation are routine and considered safe. However, when 17-year-old Jessica is made to travel via teleportation to be reunited with her parents and assist them with a science expedition, she wakes up confused and alone on a crashed lander.

Stateless. By Elizabeth Wein. 2023. 384 p. Little, Brown and Company, $18.99 (9780316591249). Gr. 8 - 12.

As the only female pilot in a high stakes aviation race for young people set during pre WW II Europe, Stella North must band together with other young pilots to solve a mystery of why one pilot seemingly purposefully caused the death of another.

*Their Vicious Games. By Joelle Wellington. 2023. 407 p. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $19.99 (9781665922425). Gr. 9 - 12.

Adina struggles after losing her admission to Yale and her potential gleaming future. When the elite Remingtons invite her to participate in the Finish, she has an opportunity to gain it all back and then some. Yet, the price of the competition might be more than she bargained for.

This Dark Descent. By Kalyn Josephson. 2023. 387 p. Roaring Brook Press, $20.99 (9781250812360). Gr. 9 - 12.

A young woman desperate to save her family, a practitioner of forbidden magic longing for safety, and a crafty nobleman with high ambitions come together to win a deadly enchanted horse race that promises to solve all their problems, if it doesn’t destroy them first.

This Delicious Death. By Kayla Cottingham. 2023. 290 p. Sourcebooks Fire, $11.99 (9781728236445). Gr. 9 - 12.

A new pathogen requires individuals to eat synthetic human meat to not turn into monsters. All is going well until people start disappearing at a music festival. As users of the synthetic meat, Zoey, Celeste and their friends are determined to solve the mystery before more people get hurt.

This Time It's Real. By Ann Liang. 2023. 337 p. Scholastic Press, $18.99 (9781338827118). Gr. 9 - 12.

When Eliza’s “true” essay about her fake relationship goes viral and she is offered the chance at an internship, she makes a deal with a famous classmate to partake in a mutually beneficial fake romance, but it becomes hard to separate her real feelings and keep up with the lies.

Those Pink Mountain Nights. By Jen Ferguson. 2023. 328 p. Heartdrum, $19.99 (9780063086210). Gr. 9 - 12.

Berlin is a perfectionist, Cam is a high school dropout, and Jessie is the rich girl. They all work at Pink Mountain Pizza and discover that they just might need each other to find a missing Indigenous girl and prevent the corporate buyout of their favorite pizza place.

Unraveller. By Frances Hardinge. 2023. 423 p. Amulet Books, $24.99 (9781419759314). Gr. 6 - 9.

In Raddith, a marshy country bordered by the dangerous Wilds, terrible curses are commonplace. Kellen, a young man with the strange power to unravel curses, is hired to unravel a curse that leads him to uncover a conspiracy to create more cursers and use them to target specific people--including him.

*Warrior Girl Unearthed. By Angeline Boulley. 2023. 396 p. Henry Holt and Company, $19.99 (9781250766588). Gr. 9 - 12.

Perry Firekeeper-Birch finds herself embroiled in a plot to steal the remains of her tribal ancestors before they are turned over to a university museum or sold to private collectors.

We Are All So Good at Smiling. By Amber McBride. 2023. 283 p. Feiwel & Friends, $19.99 (9781250780386). Gr. 9 - 12.

Whimsy is back in the hospital to treat her ongoing clinical depression. This time proves different and life changing when she meets a boy there named Faerry. Over time she realizes they both share magic, a fear of the forest, and a dark forgotten secret.

We Deserve Monuments. By Jas Hammonds. 2022. 375 p. Roaring Brook Publishers, $18.99 (9781250816559). Gr. 9 - 12.

Avery is nursing a broken heart when her parents drag her from her Washington, D. C. home to Georgia to care for her crabby grandmother, Mama Letty. New friends, new loves, and the painful mystery of her grandfather’s death at the hands of the sheriff make for an emotional visit.

What Happened to Rachel Riley?. By Claire Swinarski. 2023. 343 p. Quill Tree Books, $19.99 (9780063213098). Gr. 5 - 8.

When Anna starts eighth grade at a new school, she is immediately drawn to the mystery surrounding Rachel Riley, a former popular student who the entire eighth grade class has shunned. Anna decides to use her fact-finding skills to create a podcast dedicated to figuring out what happened to Rachel Riley.

What Stalks Among Us. By Sarah Hollowell. 2023. 385 p. Clarion Books, $19.99 (9780063251816). Gr. 9 - 12.

When Sadie and Logan skip school they find themselves in a corn maze. A corn maze that they’ve entered over and over again stuck in a time loop. Can they work together to escape the maze before they’re consumed by it forever.

When the Angels Left the Old Country. By Sacha Lamb. 2022. 400 p. Levine Querido, $19.99 (9781646141760). Gr. 9 - 12.

A patient angel and a mischievous demon who have been studying Talmud together for centuries in their little Russian shtetl travel to America to perform a mitzvah, locating a young woman who left for the "golden land" to find her fortune but hasn't been heard from since.

Where You See Yourself. By Claire Forrest. 2023. 306 p. Scholastic Press, $19.99 (9781338813838). Gr. 10 - 12.

Effie, a high school senior with cerebral palsy, grapples with advocating for herself, deciding which college to attend, and revealing her feelings to the guy she has had a secret crush on for years.

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Becoming a Queen. By Dan Clay. 2023. 407 p. Roaring Brook Press, $19.99 (9781250843098). Gr. 8 - 12.

Dear Medusa. By Olivia Cole. 2023. 377 p. Labyrinth Road, $18.99 (9780593485736). Gr. 9 - 12.

After being sexually abused by a popular teacher at her school Alicia feels cut off from the world around her, until one day, she gets a note from another survivor.

Divine Rivals. By Rebecca Ross. 2023. 357 p. Wednesday Books, $18.99 (9781250857439). Gr. 10 - 12.

For Lamb. By Lesa Cline-Ransome. 2023. p. Holiday House, $18.99 (9780823450152). Gr.

Lamb's forbidden friendship with a white girl in 1940s Mississippi has devastating consequences for her and her family.

I Kick and I Fly. By Ruchira Gupta. 2023. 336 p. Scholastic Press, $18.99 (9781338825091). Gr. 7 - 12.

Plan A. By Deb Caletti. 2023. 404 p. Labyrinth Road, $18.99 ( 9780593485552). Gr. 10 - 12.

Promise Boys. By Nick Brooks. 2023. 294 p. Henry Holt and Co., $19.99 (9781250866974). Gr. 9 - 12.

J.B., Ramón, and Trey are students at the prestigious and strict Urban Promise Prep School when their principal is murdered and the three become the prime suspects.

Saints of the Household. By Ari Tison. 2023. 312 p. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $19.99 (9780374389499). Gr. 9 - 12.

Their Vicious Games. By Joelle Wellington. 2023. 407 p. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $19.99 (9781665922425). Gr. 9 - 12.

*Warrior Girl Unearthed. By Angeline Boulley. 2023. 396 p. Henry Holt and Company, $19.99 (9781250766588). Gr. 9 - 12.

Perry Firekeeper-Birch finds herself embroiled in a plot to steal the remains of her tribal ancestors before they are turned over to a university museum or sold to private collectors.

More Information

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Purpose

Background

YALSA's Best Fiction for Young Adults (BFYA) Blogging Team evolved from a committee established under the School Libraries Section of 91��ý, which was charged with producing a list of 1930s "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, and in 2018 was again restructured to the BFYA Blogging Team.

Blogging Team Function Statement

YALSA's Best Fiction for Young Adults Blogging Team selects significant fiction books (not including graphic novels) published for young adults and annotates the selected titles.

Audience

The list is prepared for librarians to use with young adults and annotations will be written to attract the teen reader. It is a general list of fiction titles selected for their demonstrable or probable appeal to the personal reading tastes of the young adult. Such titles should incorporate acceptable literary quality and effectiveness of presentation. Standard selection criteria consistent with 91��ý’s Library Bill of Rights shall be applied.

Frequency of List

The Best Fiction for Young Adults selection list will be produced annually. In addition, a list of officially nominated titles will be shared with the young adult library community each month through YALSA's communication channels.

Blogging Team Makeup

Blogging team members, including coordinators, are appointed on a volunteer basis and serve a term of one year. There are 10-14 voting blogging team members, including the coordinator. Each term begins Jan 1 of the current year and ends Dec 31. Members who have served two consecutive years may not be appointed to the blogging team for three years from the conclusion of their last term. If someone resigns, the current Hub Manager appoints a new person to finish out that particular term. Reappointment is not automatic, but instead is based upon participation. Any individual who wishes to be appointed for a second year must fill out a Selection Blogging Team Volunteer Form the fall prior to their desired reappointment.

Members who have served two consecutive years as a team member may not be appointed to the same blogging team for three years from the conclusion of their last term. This guideline will not apply to the Coordinator. In extreme circumstances, and at the Member Manager’s discretion, an exception may be made if a blogging team member resigns suddenly. The YALSA staff liaison, after discussion with the Blogging Team Coordinator, may determine that the best course of action is to fill the vacancy with an experienced blogging team member, and appoint a member in good standing who successfully served on a blogging team during the previous three years.

Responsibilities of regular blogging team positions

Members are required to attend all blogging team virtual meetings and read widely from books eligible for nomination. Additional information about blogging team member responsibilities is available from YALSA’s Handbook.

Special positions within Blogging Team

In addition to the coordinator and 10-14 personal blogging team members, the Best Fiction for Young Adults Blogging Team can also include a Booklist consultant.

Responsibilities of special positions

A blogging team coordinator is appointed on a volunteer basis by The Hub Member Manager to a one-year term; and, as such, has the right to vote, to validate titles (by a vote) for consideration on the list and to enter into discussion of titles. It should be understood, however, that the primary responsibility of the coordinator is facilitator of the blogging team's charge, including all business matters. The coordinator should only discuss a title after other blogging team members have had an opportunity to speak so as not to unduly influence the decision.
Booklist will designate a member of their staff to serve as a consultant, who is a nonvoting member of the blogging team.
YALSA’s Communication Assistant serves as a staff liaison to this blogging team.

Title Acquisition and Eligibility

How titles are acquired:

While YALSA's BFYA Blogging Team may receive books from publishers, it is the blogging team’s responsibility to look more widely. Members must make every effort to seek out eligible titles to consider. Other ways to obtain eligible titles include but are not limited to:

Picking up galleys at winter and Annual 91��ý meetings and at other conferences.
Examining review copies received in the work place.
Browsing new titles at bookstores.
Borrowing books on interlibrary loan.
Sharing books among members by mail.

What makes a title eligible or ineligible

The BFYA blogging team considers any fiction title published for a teen audience from November 1 of the previous calendar year through December 15 of the current calendar year. The coordinator is responsible for verifying the eligibility of all nominated titles. A book originally published outside the United States will be considered according to its U.S. publication year. Books published outside of the United States are not eligible unless a U.S. edition is available. Titles that are self-published, published only in eBook format, and/or published from a publisher outside of the US will not be considered eligible until the first year the book is available in print or distributed through a US publishing house.

A work of fiction is defined as: a novel in prose or verse with one or more authors, or a collection of short prose or verse by one or more authors

Publisher solicitation

All blogging team members must comply with YALSA’s Awards Blogging Team Conflict of Interest Policy. The staff liaison is responsible for contact with the publishers.
If members receive, or are offered, unsolicited copies of books from publishers, they may accept the titles.
Blogging team members must not solicit publishers for favors, invitations, etc. If members receive these, however, they will use their own judgment in accepting. Publishers understand that such acceptance in no way influences members’ actions or selections.

Suggested selection criteria

“Best” is defined as: of the highest quality, excellence, or standing. As applied to teen fiction, this means that YALSA's BFYA Blogging Team looks for outstanding titles of fiction that are of interest and value to teenagers.
Titles are selected for their demonstrated or probable appeal to the personal reading tastes of young adults
Appeal and popularity are not synonymous
Titles from a series should be considered on their individual merits
In addition to the question of appeal, blogging team members should consider the following when assessing titles: language, plot, style, setting, dialog, characterization, and design

Creation of the List

Nominations may be accepted from the field up to November 1 of that calendar year.

How nominations are solicited

Anyone can nominate titles for YALSA’s lists and awards. Nomination forms are available on the YALSA website at (select an award or list and then select the “Nominate a title” link).

Nominations from authors or publishers for their own titles are not eligible for the list.

Field nominations

Field nominations, which are nominations that come from someone who is not a member of the blogging team, require a second from a BFYA blogging team member. The coordinator informs the blogging team of field nominations, which remain active until all nominations are closed. If no blogging team member seconds the field nomination, the title is dropped from consideration.

Availability of nominations

The blogging team will consider and vote on books published within their assigned calendar year, January 1 to December 31, in addition to those published between September 1 and December 31 of the previous year.

Voting procedures

Final selections are at the last group meeting of the calendar year. Members can vote only on nominated books they have read. A book must receive a minimum of 7 "yes" votes to be placed on the final list regardless of the number of the 10-14-member blogging team present and voting. Members can only vote on books they have read. If a blogging team member must leave before the final vote, that member must give a signed ballot to the coordinator who will then designate a voting proxy for the absent member. The final vote will be counted by an individual designated by the coordinator.

Annotations

After the final discussion and selection, titles are then annotated by the blogging team. These annotations must be completed at the last meeting of the blogging team. Annotations will be written to attract the teen reader.

Distribution

The annotated list is disseminated each January. Nominations will be updated as frequently as the blogging team likes and will be made available via YALSA’s blog site The Hub. The complete and final annotated list will be available at the end of each calendar year.

Following its last meeting the blogging team will provide the YALSA Office with the final annotated list of selected titles. The final annotated list will be made available on the YALSA website and will also appear in a spring issue of Booklist. YALSA will include the final BFYA list in its annual Best of the Best for Young Adults compilation of selection and award titles for young adults.

Use and Reproduction

YALSA's Best Fiction for Young Adults list may be reproduced under "fair use" standards. As stated in Section 107 of The Copyright Act of 1976, factors to be considered shall include:

the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
the nature of the copyrighted work;
the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole

Sample citation

YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Blogging Team. "2011 Best Fiction for Young Adults."

Young Adult Library Services Association.[insert dater published on the web]. Young Adult Library Services Association, Web. [insert date accessed by user]. <;.

For more information about acceptable use of YALSA's lists of recommended reading, and/or to request permission to reproduce the list, please contact 91��ý's Rights and Permission Manager at permissions@ala.org.

Revision

Last revision, December, 2017. These procedures are subject to review and possible revision by the YALSA Board of Directors.

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