by Lesa Cline-Ransome

The story of an interracial friendship between two teenage girls in the Jim Crow South that leads to tragic consequences for the Lamb family. The novel, set in Jackson, Mississippi in the late 1930s, explores themes of racism, hate, and the struggle for survival in a racially charged environment. 

by Monica Hesse

Hanneke, a young woman in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, becomes involved in the Dutch resistance while searching for a missing Jewish girl. As she delves deeper into the dangerous world of underground resistance, Hanneke uncovers shocking truths and learns the power of courage and sacrifice. The novel explores themes of love, loss, and the importance of standing up for what is right, even in the face of overwhelming adversity.

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by Irene Latham and Charles Waters

Written in verse, this is a fictionalized account of the last slave ship to bring captives from Africa to the United States. This powerful and stunning novel is based on a true story that is not well known.

by Malinda Lo

This 2021 winner of the National Book Award follows the blossoming romance between Lily and Kathleen in San Francisco's Chinatown in the 1950s.

by Joy McCullough

In the room beneath a stage’s trapdoor, Shakespeare’s dead teenage girls compare their experiences and retell the stories of their lives, their loves, and their fates in their own words. This is a brilliant testament to how young women can support each other and reclaim their stories in the aftermath of trauma.

by Ruta Sepetys

Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer, but Romanians aren't free to dream; they are bound by rules and force. Amidst the tyrannical dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu in a country governed by isolation and fear, Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer. 

by Amor Towles

An Odyssey story centered on a group of young men who were incarcerated together in a juvenile detention center. This joyride follows the motley crew as they set out from Nebraska in June, 1954, in an old Studebaker in pursuit of a better future.

by Elizabeth Wein

It is 1937. Stella is representing Britain in Europe’s first air race for young people. As the only female pilot, she will face constant challenges to prove she is worthy. Right at the start, one of the competitors resorts to cutthroat sabotage. Who among them is capable of murder?