Keep your classroom library current with these amazing September 2023 YA new releases.
Secrets Never Die by Vincent Ralph
An exciting thriller where a former child star’s secrets come to life. Male POV. I can see pairing it with books like We Were Liars by e. lockhart or I Know What You Did Last Summer.
Rez Ball by Byron Graves
Ojibwe boy longs to bring pride to his reservation through basketball. Could be paired with Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley, or Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Pena.
All the Fighting Parts by Hannah V. Sawyerr
For fans of verse novels and The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. A starred Kirkus review. Trigger warning: The main character is assaulted by her pastor.
Goddess Crown by Shade Lapite
Afro-fantasy, a novel in which a girl raised in rural parts of the kingdom must go to court and survive the dangers there. Pair with Raybearer by Jordan Fueko and Binti by Nnedi Okorafor. To give more complex recommendations, have students try Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. A starred Kirkus review.
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
Gothic horror set in the late 1800s in London. The main character is a trans man who serves as a medium to the spirit world. His parents are preparing to marry him off because he appeared female at birth. I can see a wide range of recommendations for this title, depending on the student’s interest. Some that come to mind are Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, The Supernatural Enhancements by Edgar Cantero, A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab, and Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. A starred Kirkus review.
2023 Recommendations
Check out all by 2023 recommendations here.
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