Teen Book Recommendations:
POC
(protagonists that aren’t white/Caucasian)
((please note that some of these books have multiple main characters! Some other main
characters may be white, but these books also include main characters that are not))
** = Books owned by Langley-Adams Library
Books NOT owned by us can be ordered through our consortium.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian – Sherman Alexie**
Bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding
cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to
take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the
rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other
Indian is the school mascot.
**
Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of
a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences,
coupled with poignant drawings by Ellen Forney that reflect the
character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native
American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined
to live.
American Born Chinese – Gene Luen Yang
All Jin Wang wants is to fit in. When his family moves to a new neighborhood,
he suddenly finds that he's the only Chinese American student at his school.
Jocks and bullies pick on him constantly, and he has hardly any friends. Then, to
make matters worse, he falls in love with an all-American girl...
Born to rule over all the monkeys in the world, the story of the Monkey King is
one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables. Adored by his subjects, master of
the arts of kung-fu, he is the most powerful monkey on earth. But the Monkey
King doesn't want to be a monkey. He wants to be hailed as a god...
Chin-Kee is the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype, and he's ruining his cousin
Danny's life. Danny's a popular kid at school, but every year Chin-Kee comes to
visit, and every year Danny has to transfer to a new school to escape the shame.
This year, though, things quickly go from bad to worse...
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe – Benjamin
Alaire Saenz**
**
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all
who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at
the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the
loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a
special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it
is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important
truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.
The Boy in the Black Suit – Jason Reynolds**
Just when seventeen-year-old Matt thinks he can’t handle one more piece of
terrible news, he meets a girl who’s dealt with a lot more—and who just
might be able to clue him in on how to rise up when life keeps knocking him
down—in this wry, gritty novel from the author of When I Was the Greatest.
**
(Memoir) ^
Matt wears a black suit every day. No, not because his mom died—although
she did, and it sucks. But he wears the suit for his gig at the local funeral
home, which pays way better than the Cluck Bucket, and he needs the
income since his dad can’t handle the bills (or anything, really) on his own.
So while Dad’s snagging bottles of whiskey, Matt’s snagging fifteen bucks an
hour. Not bad. But everything else? Not good. Then Matt meets Lovey. She’s
got a crazy name, and she’s been through more crazy than he can imagine.
Yet Lovey never cries. She’s tough. Really tough. Tough in the way Matt
wishes he could be. Which is maybe why he’s drawn to her, and definitely
why he can’t seem to shake her. Because there’s nothing more hopeful than
finding a person who understands your loneliness—and who can maybe
even help take it away.
**
Brown Girl Dreaming – Jacqueline Woodson**
**
(Memoir ) ^
Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt
halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it
was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and
1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing
awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful,
each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a
glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the
world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding
her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she
struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her
and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer
she was to become.
The Crossover – Kwame Alexander**
**
"With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . .The court is SIZZLING. My
sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. Cuz tonight I'm
delivering," announces dread-locked, 12-year old Josh Bell. He and
his twin brother Jordan are awesome on the court. But Josh has
more than basketball in his blood, he's got mad beats, too, that tell
his family's story in verse, in this fast and furious middle grade
novel of family and brotherhood.
Josh and Jordan must come to grips with growing up on and off the
court to realize breaking the rules comes at a terrible price, as their
story's heart-stopping climax proves a game-changer for the entire
family.
**
Eleanor and Park – Rainbow Rowell**
Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.
Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his
head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem
drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.
**
Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at
her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his
chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep
promises...Park.
Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two starcrossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost
never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.
Everything, Everything – Nicola Yoon**
**
My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I
don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The
only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.
But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my
window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black Tshirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair
completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back.
His name is Olly.
**
Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For
example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly
going to be a disaster.
Holding Up the Universe – Jennifer Niven**
Everyone thinks they know Libby Strout, the girl once dubbed “America’s Fattest
Teen.” But no one’s taken the time to look past her weight to get to know who
she really is. Following her mom’s death, she’s been picking up the pieces in the
privacy of her home, dealing with her heartbroken father and her own grief.
Now, Libby’s ready: for high school, for new friends, for love, and for every
possibility life has to offer. In that moment, I know the part I want to play here at
MVB High. I want to be the girl who can do anything.
**
Everyone thinks they know Jack Masselin, too. Yes, he’s got swagger, but he’s
also mastered the impossible art of giving people what they want, of fitting in.
What no one knows is that Jack has a newly acquired secret: he can’t recognize
faces. Even his own brothers are strangers to him. He’s the guy who can reengineer and rebuild anything, but he can’t understand what’s going on with the
inner workings of his brain. So he tells himself to play it cool: Be charming. Be
hilarious. Don’t get too close to anyone.
Until he meets Libby. When the two get tangled up in a cruel high school
game—which lands them in group counseling and community service—Libby
and Jack are both pissed, and then surprised. Because the more time they spend
together, the less alone they feel. Because sometimes when you meet someone,
it changes the world, theirs and yours.
If You Could Be Mine – Sara Farizan
Seventeen-year-old Sahar has been in love with her best friend, Nasrin, since
they were six. They’ve shared stolen kisses and romantic promises. But Iran is a
dangerous place for two girls in love—Sahar and Nasrin could be beaten,
imprisoned, even executed if their relationship came to light.
So they carry on in secret—until Nasrin’s parents announce that they’ve
arranged for her marriage. Nasrin tries to persuade Sahar that they can go on as
they have been, only now with new comforts provided by the decent, well-to-do
doctor Nasrin will marry. But Sahar dreams of loving Nasrin exclusively—and
openly.
Then Sahar discovers what seems like the perfect solution. In Iran,
homosexuality may be a crime, but to be a man trapped in a woman’s body is
seen as nature’s mistake, and sex reassignment is legal and accessible. As a man,
Sahar could be the one to marry Nasrin. Sahar will never be able to love the one
she wants, in the body she wants to be loved in, without risking her life. Is saving
her love worth sacrificing her true self?
The Immortal Rules – Julie Kagawa
Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walledin city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of
them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of
them—the vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night
Allie herself dies and becomes one of the monsters.
Forced to flee her city, Allie must pass for human as she joins a ragged
group of pilgrims seeking a legend—a place that might have a cure for the
disease that killed off most of civilization and created the rabids, the
bloodthirsty creatures who threaten human and vampire alike. And soon
Allie will have to decide what and who is worth dying for… again.
More Happy Than Not – Adam Silvera
In the months after his father's suicide, it's been tough for 16-year-old
Aaron Soto to find happiness again--but he's still gunning for it. With the
support of his girlfriend Genevieve and his overworked mom, he's slowly
remembering what that might feel like. But grief and the smile-shaped scar
on his wrist prevent him from forgetting completely.
When Genevieve leaves for a couple of weeks, Aaron spends all his time
hanging out with this new guy, Thomas. Aaron's crew notices, and they're
not exactly thrilled. But Aaron can't deny the happiness Thomas brings or
how Thomas makes him feel safe from himself, despite the tensions their
friendship is stirring with his girlfriend and friends. Since Aaron can't stay
away from Thomas or turn off his newfound feelings for him, he considers
turning to the Leteo Institute's revolutionary memory-alteration procedure
to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he truly is.
Why does happiness have to be so hard?
Ms. Marvel – G. Willow Wilson**
Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City — until she's
suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the
new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes
the Marvel Universe by storm! When Kamala discovers the dangers
of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them, as well.
Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight
of the legacy before her be too much to bear? Kamala has no idea,
either. But she's comin' for you, Jersey!
**
Otherbound – Corinne Duyvis
Amara is never alone. Not when she's protecting the cursed princess
she unwillingly serves. Not when they're fleeing across dunes and
islands and seas to stay alive. Not when she's punished, ordered
around, or neglected.
She can't be alone, because a boy from another world experiences all
that alongside her, looking through her eyes.
Nolan longs for a life uninterrupted. Every time he blinks, he's yanked
from his Arizona town into Amara's mind, a world away, which
makes even simple things like hobbies and homework impossible.
He's spent years as a powerless observer of Amara's life. Amara has
no idea . . . until he learns to control her, and they communicate for
the first time. Amara is terrified. Then, she's furious.
All Amara and Nolan want is to be free of each other. But Nolan's
breakthrough has dangerous consequences. Now, they'll have to
work together to survive--and discover the truth about their
connection.
Princess Princess Ever After – Katie O’Neill**
When the heroic princess Amira rescues the kind-hearted princess Sadie
from her tower prison, neither expects to find a true friend in the bargain.
Yet as they adventure across the kingdom, they discover that they bring
out the very best in the other person. They'll need to join forces and use
all the know-how, kindness, and bravery they have in order to defeat their
greatest foe yet: a jealous sorceress, who wants to get rid of Sadie once
and for all.
**
Join Sadie and Amira, two very different princesses with very different
strengths, on their journey to figure out what happily ever after really
means -- and how they can find it with each other.
Rani Patel in Full Effect – Sonia Patel**
**
Almost seventeen, Rani Patel appears to be a kick-ass Indian girl breaking
cultural norms as a hip-hop performer in full effect. But in truth, she's a
nerdy flat-chested nobody who lives with her Gujarati immigrant parents
on the remote Hawaiian island of Moloka'i, isolated from her high school
peers by the unsettling norms of Indian culture where "husband is God."
Her parents' traditionally arranged marriage is a sham. Her dad turns to
her for all his needs—even the intimate ones. When Rani catches him
two-timing with a woman barely older than herself, she feels like a
widow and, like widows in India are often made to do, she shaves off her
hair. Her sexy bald head and hard-driving rhyming skills attract the
attention of Mark, the hot older customer who frequents her parents'
store and is closer in age to her dad than to her. Mark makes the moves
on her and Rani goes with it. He leads Rani into 4eva Flowin', an
underground hip hop crew—and into other things she's never done. Rani
ignores the red flags. Her naive choices look like they will undo her but
ultimately give her the chance to discover her strengths and restore the
things she thought she'd lost, including her mother.
The Reader – Traci Chee**
Sefia lives her life on the run. After her father is viciously murdered, she flees to
the forest with her aunt Nin, the only person left she can trust. They survive in
the wilderness together, hunting and stealing what they need, forever looking
over their shoulders for new threats. But when Nin is kidnapped, Sefia is
suddenly on her own, with no way to know who’s taken Nin or where she is. Her
only clue is a strange rectangular object that once belonged to her father left
behind, something she comes to realize is a book.
**
Though reading is unheard of in Sefia’s world, she slowly learns, unearthing the
book’s closely guarded secrets, which may be the key to Nin’s disappearance and
discovering what really happened the day her father was killed. With no time to
lose, and the unexpected help of swashbuckling pirates and an enigmatic
stranger, Sefia sets out on a dangerous journey to rescue her aunt, using the
book as her guide. In the end, she discovers what the book had been trying to tell
her all along: Nothing is as it seems, and the end of her story is only the
beginning.
Shadowshaper – Daniel Jose Older**
**
**
Sierra Santiago was looking forward to a fun summer of making art, hanging
out with her friends, and skating around Brooklyn. But then a weird zombie
guy crashes the first party of the season. Sierra's near-comatose abuelo
begins to say "No importa" over and over. And when the graffiti murals in
Bed-Stuy start to weep.... Well, something stranger than the usual New York
mayhem is going on.
Sierra soon discovers a supernatural order called the Shadowshapers, who
connect with spirits via paintings, music, and stories. Her grandfather once
shared the order's secrets with an anthropologist, Dr. Jonathan Wick, who
turned the Caribbean magic to his own foul ends. Now Wick wants to
become the ultimate Shadowshaper by killing all the others, one by one.
With the help of her friends and the hot graffiti artist Robbie, Sierra must
dodge Wick's supernatural creations, harness her own Shadowshaping
abilities, and save her family's past, present, and future.
Since You Asked – Maurene Goo**
A humorous, debut novel about a Korean-American teenager who
accidentally lands her own column in her high school newspaper, and
proceeds to rant her way through the school year while struggling to
reconcile the traditional Korean values of her parents with contemporary
American culture.
**
Sound – Alexandra Duncan
As a child, Ava’s adopted sister Miyole watched her mother take to the
stars, piloting her own ship from Earth to space making deliveries. Now a
teen herself, Miyole is finally living her dream as a research assistant on
her very first space voyage. If she plays her cards right, she could even be
given permission to conduct her own research and experiments in her own
habitat lab on the flight home. But when her ship saves a rover that has
been viciously attacked by looters and kidnappers, Miyole—along with a
rescued rover girl named Cassia—embarks on a mission to rescue Cassia’s
abducted brother, and that changes the course of Miyole’s life forever.
The Summer of Chasing Mermaids – Sarah Ockler
The youngest of six talented sisters, Elyse d'Abreau was destined for stardom—until
a boating accident took everything from her. Now, the most beautiful singer in
Tobago can't sing. She can't even speak.
Seeking quiet solitude, Elyse accepts a friend's invitation to Atargatis Cove. Named
for the mythical first mermaid, the Oregon seaside town is everything Elyse's home
in the Caribbean isn't: an ocean too cold for swimming, parties too tame for singing,
and people too polite to pry—except for one.
Christian Kane is a notorious playboy—insolent, arrogant, and completely charming.
He's also the only person in Atargatis Cove who doesn't treat Elyse like a glass
statue. He challenges her to express herself, and he admires the way she treats his
younger brother, Sebastian, who believes Elyse is the legendary mermaid come to
life.
When Christian needs a first mate for the Cove's high-stakes Pirate Regatta, Elyse
reluctantly stows her fear of the sea and climbs aboard. The ocean isn't the only
**
thing making waves, though—swept up in Christian's seductive tide and entranced
by the Cove's charms, Elyse begins to wonder if a life of solitude isn't what she
needs. But changing course again means facing her past. It means finding her inner
voice. And scariest of all, it means opening her heart to a boy who's best known for
breaking them...
This Side of Home – Renee Watson
Identical twins Nikki and Maya have been on the same page for everything—
friends, school, boys and starting off their adult lives at a historically AfricanAmerican college. But as their neighborhood goes from rough-and-tumble to
up-and-coming, suddenly filled with pretty coffee shops and boutiques, Nikki
is thrilled while Maya feels like their home is slipping away. Suddenly, the
sisters who had always shared everything must confront their dissenting
feelings on the importance of their ethnic and cultural identities and, in the
process, learn to separate themselves from the long shadow of their identity
as twins.
Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel – Sara Farizan
**
High-school junior Leila has made it most of the way through Armstead
Academy without having a crush on anyone, which is something of a relief.
Her Persian heritage already makes her different from her classmates; if
word got out that she liked girls, life would be twice as hard. But when a
sophisticated, beautiful new girl, Saskia, shows up, Leila starts to take risks
she never thought she would, especially when it looks as if the attraction
between them is mutual. Struggling to sort out her growing feelings and
Saskia's confusing signals, Leila confides in her old friend, Lisa, and grows
closer to her fellow drama tech-crew members, especially Tomas, whose
comments about his own sexuality are frank, funny, wise, and sometimes
painful. Gradually, Leila begins to see that almost all her classmates are
more complicated than they first appear to be, and many are keeping
fascinating secrets of their own.
Tiny Pretty Things – Sona Charaipotra/Dhonielle Clayton
Gigi, Bette, and June, three top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet
school, have seen their fair share of drama. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just
wants to dance—but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette's
desire to escape the shadow of her ballet star sister brings out a dangerous
edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or her
controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever. When every
dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab
to be the best of the best.
Under a Painted Sky – Stacey Lee**
**
**
Missouri, 1849: Samantha dreams of moving back to New York to be a
professional musician—not an easy thing if you’re a girl, and harder still if
you’re Chinese. But a tragic accident dashes any hopes of fulfilling her
dream, and instead, leaves her fearing for her life. With the help of a
runaway slave named Annamae, Samantha flees town for the unknown
frontier. But life on the Oregon Trail is unsafe for two girls, so they disguise
themselves as Sammy and Andy, two boys headed for the California gold
rush. Sammy and Andy forge a powerful bond as they each search for a link
to their past, and struggle to avoid any unwanted attention. But when they
cross paths with a band of cowboys, the light-hearted troupe turn out to be
unexpected allies. With the law closing in on them and new setbacks coming
each day, the girls quickly learn that there are not many places to hide on
the open trail.
The Wrath and the Dawn – Renee Ahdieh**
In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a
new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster.
Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around
her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend
falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his
next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the
caliph's reign of terror once and for all.
**
Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant,
ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But
something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what
she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart.
Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an
unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it
seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever
secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as
retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world
of stories and secrets?
**
X – Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon**
Malcolm Little’s parents have always told him that he can achieve anything,
but from what he can tell, that’s a pack of lies—after all, his father’s been
murdered, his mother’s been taken away, and his dreams of becoming a
lawyer have gotten him laughed out of school. There’s no point in trying, he
figures, and lured by the nightlife of Boston and New York, he escapes into a
world of fancy suits, jazz, girls, and reefer. But Malcolm’s efforts to leave the
past behind lead him into increasingly dangerous territory. Deep down, he
knows that the freedom he’s found is only an illusion—and that he can’t run
forever.
**
X follows Malcolm from his childhood to his imprisonment for theft at age
twenty, when he found the faith that would lead him to forge a new path
and command a voice that still resonates today.
Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass – Meg Medina**
**
One morning before school, some girl tells Piddy Sanchez that Yaqui Delgado
hates her and wants to kick her ass. Piddy doesn’t even know who Yaqui is,
never mind what she’s done to piss her off. Word is that Yaqui thinks Piddy is
stuck-up, shakes her stuff when she walks, and isn’t Latin enough with her
white skin, good grades, and no accent. And Yaqui isn’t kidding around, so
Piddy better watch her back. At first Piddy is more concerned with trying to
find out more about the father she’s never met and how to balance honors
courses with her weekend job at the neighborhood hair salon. But as the
harassment escalates, avoiding Yaqui and her gang starts to take over Piddy’s
life. Is there any way for Piddy to survive without closing herself off or
running away? In an all-too-realistic novel, Meg Medina portrays a
sympathetic heroine who is forced to decide who she really is.