YA

Twenty-Four Seconds from Now . . .

The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature from 2020-2022 and winner of the Kirkus Prize (among countless other accolades), Jason Reynolds promises to charm readers with his usual sweet, exuberant prose in the story of Neon, a teenager facing his first time. Judy Blume has already chimed in to give her approval, calling this novel “fresh from start to finish.”

The Thirteenth Child

By Erin A. Craig

Erin A. Craig is a master at developing her characters, giving them real-world obstacles to work through while adding a hint of magic to keep readers on their toes.

Spectacular

Illustrated by Rosie Fowinkle

Stephanie Garber gives fans of the wildly popular Caraval series plenty to rejoice over this holiday season with Spectacular, a novella that brings back beloved characters as they prepare to celebrate the Great Holiday. Garber promises whimsy and magic in this new adventure illustrated by Rosie Fowinkle.

Rani Choudhury Must Die

By Adiba Jaigirdar

The Henna Wars, Adiba Jaigirdar’s debut novel, was named one of Time’s 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time, and readers haven’t been disappointed by subsequent offerings such as Hani & Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating. In this new sapphic romance, two Bangladeshi Irish girls—and rivals—discover they’ve been dating the same boy, and join forces to compete at the European Young Scientist Exhibition with an app designed to expose cheaters. But what if in the course of their revenge plot, their frenemy relationship starts turning into something more?

Not for the Faint of Heart

By Lex Croucher

We adored Gwen & Art Are Not in Love, Lex Croucher’s “quirky, queer Arthurian remix with serious undertones.” In Not For the Faint of Heart, the bestselling author moves onto the legend of Robin Hood—well, specifically Robin Hood’s granddaughter, Mariel, a new captain of the Merry Men.

Heir

By Sabaa Tahir

Heir offers a welcome blend of mystique and weightiness—plus a dollop of romance—that will delight anyone seeking more complexity in young adult fantasy.

The Forbidden Book

By Sacha Lamb

Based on Jewish mythology concerning the dybbuk, a disembodied spirit that inhabits the body of a living person, The Forbidden Book is a fantastic coming-of-age tale with resonant political themes.

Flamboyants

Illustrated by Charly Palmer

George M. Johnson made waves with their critically acclaimed debut, All Boys Aren’t Blue, which became a bestseller—as well as the second-most challenged book in the United States in 2022 and 2023. Their new young adult nonfiction book, Flamboyants, spotlights queer Black icons from the 1920s such as Zora Neale Hurston and Josephine Baker. The biographies are accentuated by colorful illustrations from Charly Palmer, winner of the 2018 Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award.