Books From Around the World
Embedded Files
Afghanistan
Fiction 12+
Hardcopy
A Land of Permanent Goodbyes (2018) follows Tareq, a Syrian teenager whose family must flee after bombs destroy their city. Their search for safety takes them from Syria to Turkey and across the sea toward Greece, with danger at every stage of the journey.
Narrated partly by Destiny, the novel places one family’s grief within the wider refugee crisis. As Tareq faces loss, exploitation, and uncertainty, he also encounters courage and unexpected kindness. The story explores displacement, survival, and the hope that keeps people moving forward after war has taken almost everything.
Atia Abawi is an Afghan American journalist, author, and television writer. Born in Germany and raised in Virginia, she reported for CNN and NBC from Afghanistan and across the Middle East. Her books include The Secret Sky, A Land of Permanent Goodbyes, and She Persisted: Sally Ride. Her fiction draws on firsthand reporting and explores how war and displacement reshape ordinary lives.
Biographical fiction 14+
Based on Enaiatollah Akbari’s true story, In the Sea There Are Crocodiles (2010) follows a ten-year-old boy whose mother takes him from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan to Pakistan and leaves him there for his safety. Alone, Enaiat begins a dangerous five-year journey through Iran, Turkey, and Greece before seeking asylum in Italy. The book is a moving story of migration, courage, survival, and hope.
Fabio Geda is an Italian novelist, journalist, and former social worker. Much of his writing focuses on children, migration, and people facing difficult social circumstances. His experience working with young people influenced In the Sea There Are Crocodiles, which he wrote after interviewing Afghan refugee Enaiatollah Akbari.
Albania
Literary Fiction 14+
Hardcopy
The File on H by Ismail Kadare follows two Irish scholars who travel to rural Albania in the 1930s to record traditional epic songs. Their research soon attracts the attention of suspicious officials, who fear that the pair may be spies.
Through this unusual and quietly tense story, Kadare explores folklore, national identity, language, censorship, and the uneasy relationship between art and political power. It is an atmospheric, thought-provoking novel for readers interested in history, culture, and the power of storytelling.
Ismail Kadare was born in Gjirokastër, Albania, in 1936. He was Albania’s best-known modern writer and an important voice in European literature. His novels often draw on Albanian history, myth, and folklore while examining dictatorship, surveillance, freedom, and the ways people preserve their identity through stories.
Angola
Historical Fiction / Romance 13+
eBook
Our Beautiful Darkness (2024 English translation) by Ondjaki, illustrated by António Jorge Gonçalves and translated from Portuguese by Lyn Miller-Lachmann, is set in Angola during the civil war of the 1990s. During a blackout, a teenage boy and girl sit together in the darkness and begin talking about their families, memories, fears, dreams, and the uncertain world around them. As their conversation deepens, the darkness becomes a space where they can be honest and vulnerable with one another, and where friendship begins to shift toward first love. Quiet, poetic, and intimate, the book combines personal memory with Angola’s history and explores adolescence, war, storytelling, tenderness, and hope. It was shortlisted for the 2025 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Ondjaki is an Angolan writer, poet, and filmmaker born in Luanda in 1977. Ondjaki is the pen name of Ndalu de Almeida. He writes poetry, novels, short stories, drama, film scripts, and books for young readers, often drawing on Angolan history, memory, childhood, and everyday life. His work has received major international recognition, including the José Saramago Prize. Our Beautiful Darkness brings his lyrical storytelling to young adult readers through a story of first love set against the backdrop of Angola’s civil war.
Argentina
Mystery 11+
The Reel Wish (2024) by Yamile Saied Méndez follows Flor, a twelve-year-old Argentine American girl whose greatest dream is to become a figure skater. When an unexpected opportunity brings her closer to achieving that dream, Flor must balance ambition with family responsibilities, friendship, and learning to believe in herself. The novel celebrates perseverance, creativity, and finding joy in pursuing what you love.
Yamile Saied Méndez was born and raised in Rosario, Argentina, before immigrating to the United States. She is one of the most prominent contemporary Argentine-born authors writing for children and young adults in English. Her work often explores family, identity, resilience, and Latin American heritage.
Literary Fiction 14+
Hardcopy
Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges is a celebrated collection of short stories that blends fantasy, philosophy, detective fiction, and literary puzzles. Its imagined libraries, labyrinths, secret societies, alternate realities, and shifting identities invite readers to question what is real and how knowledge is created.
Stories such as “The Library of Babel,” “The Garden of Forking Paths,” and “Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote” explore infinity, time, language, memory, and imagination. It is a challenging but rewarding choice for readers who enjoy ideas as much as plot.
Jorge Luis Borges was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1899. He is one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century and a central figure in Argentine and world literature. His writing often explores books, dreams, mirrors, labyrinths, identity, and the boundary between fiction and reality.
Historical Thriller / Mystery 15+
Hardcopy
The Darkness of Colours (2024 English translation) by Martín Blasco, translated from Spanish by Claire Storey, is a historical thriller set across two time periods. In 1885, five babies are kidnapped as part of a disturbing social experiment designed to test the influence of nature and upbringing. Twenty-five years later, the children—now adults—suddenly return to their biological families with little memory of what happened to them. When a journalist begins investigating, he uncovers a dark story involving manipulation, identity, science, and power. Fast-paced and unsettling, the novel explores nature versus nurture, memory, morality, and the dangers of treating human lives as experiments. It won the 2025 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Martín Blasco is an Argentinian author and screenwriter born in Buenos Aires in 1976. He studied film and has worked in television as well as writing fiction for children and young adults. Several of his books have received international recognition, including selections for the White Ravens catalogue, and he won the Colibrí Medal from IBBY Chile for his YA novel Los extrañamientos. The Darkness of Colours, translated into English by Claire Storey, won the 2025 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Armenia
Literary Fiction / Magical Realism / Community 15+
Three Apples Fell from the Sky (2015; English translation 2020) by Narine Abgaryan, translated from Russian by Lisa C. Hayden, is set in Maran, a remote Armenian mountain village whose dwindling population has endured famine, earthquake, war, loss, and isolation. At the centre of the story is Anatolia, a fifty-eight-year-old widow who believes her life is nearing its end—until an unexpected relationship with the village blacksmith, Vasily, changes both of their futures. Around them, the lives and memories of the villagers intertwine through stories of love, grief, superstition, family, and survival. Warm, humorous, and touched with magical realism, the novel explores community, resilience, aging, memory, tradition, and the persistence of hope after hardship.
Narine Abgaryan is an Armenian novelist and children’s author born in Berd, Armenia, in 1971. She studied Russian language and literature in Yerevan and has written fiction for both children and adults. Her work is deeply connected to Armenian landscapes, family life, memory, folklore, and community. Three Apples Fell from the Sky became an international bestseller, has been translated into around thirty languages, and won the Yasnaya Polyana Literary Award.
Australia
Realistic Fiction 14+
Hardcopy
Nobody in Particular (2025) is a contemporary young adult novel about a teenage girl navigating friendships, romance, and identity while dealing with public expectations and private feelings. As she figures out who she wants to be, she learns that love and self-acceptance don’t always look the way people expect. Honest and relatable, the book is perfect for readers who enjoy realistic stories about growing up and being true to yourself.
Sophie Gonzales is an Australian young adult author known for writing inclusive, character-driven novels that explore identity, relationships, and belonging.
Realistic Fiction 14+
The Gaps (2021) is a thought-provoking Australian young adult novel that explores grief, friendship, and the impact of social media. After a teenage girl goes missing, the lives of those around her are thrown into turmoil. Told through multiple perspectives, the story follows young people struggling to understand what happened while dealing with rumours, online speculation, and their own feelings of guilt and loss. Sensitive and compelling, the novel examines how communities respond to tragedy and how people cope with the unanswered questions left behind.
Leanne Hall is an Australian author known for writing thoughtful and emotionally rich fiction for young adults. Her novels often explore relationships, identity, social issues, and the challenges faced by teenagers. Hall's work is widely respected for its realistic characters and insightful treatment of contemporary topics.
Dystopian 14+
Hardcopy
Future Girl (2016) is a dystopian science-fiction novel set in a future Melbourne where environmental collapse and social division have transformed society. The story follows Piper, a teenage girl living in a highly controlled city where resources are scarce and inequality is extreme. After discovering hidden truths about her world and her own identity, Piper must decide whether to accept the system she has always known or fight for a different future. The novel explores technology, environmental sustainability, social justice, and personal resilience.
Asphyxia is an Australian Deaf artist, writer, and activist. She is known for creating stories that center Deaf experiences, disability representation, and social change. Future Girl was inspired in part by her experiences growing up Deaf and her passion for environmental and human-rights issues.
Contemporary Fiction / Mystery Ages 15+
Hardcopy
Jellicoe Road (2006) by Melina Marchetta follows Taylor Markham, a student at an Australian boarding school. As the school’s leader in its yearly territory wars with local teenagers and visiting cadets, Taylor has plenty to manage. Then Hannah, the woman who has cared for her, disappears. An unfinished manuscript Hannah leaves behind tells the story of five young people who lived on Jellicoe Road years earlier. Searching for Hannah and for answers about her own childhood, Taylor begins to see how their story connects to hers. Friendship, first love, grief, and belonging run through this layered mystery.
Melina Marchetta is an Australian author who lives in Sydney. A former high school teacher, she writes fiction for young adults and adults, including Looking for Alibrandi and Saving Francesca. Her books are known for their vivid teenage characters and complex relationships. Jellicoe Road won the 2009 Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in young adult literature.
Realistic Fiction · Ages 10+
Hardcopy
Two Hands Together (2000) by Diana Kidd follows Lily and Ella, who become friends when Ella’s family moves next door. Lily cannot understand why her father refuses to welcome the Rileys or let her visit them. As the girls’ friendship grows, Lily begins to recognise the prejudice behind his behaviour. Set in Australia, this short novel explores racism, family loyalty, and the difficulty of challenging someone you love.
Diana Kidd was an Australian children’s author and teacher whose books often explored friendship across cultural divides and the effects of prejudice. Her other works include Onion Tears and The Fat and Juicy Place. Kidd died in 2000, just as Two Hands Together was sent to print.
Realistic Fiction 14+
Hardcopy
Zac & Mia (2013) by A. J. Betts follows two seventeen-year-olds receiving cancer treatment in neighbouring rooms of a Perth hospital. Recovering from a bone-marrow transplant, logical and statistics-obsessed Zac is isolated from the outside world. Mia is angry, impulsive and determined to conceal her diagnosis from her friends. Their relationship begins with knocks through a shared wall and develops through messages, arguments and an unexpected friendship. Alternating between their perspectives, the novel presents illness without sentimentality, capturing the fear, boredom, physical changes and emotional isolation experienced by young patients. Funny, compassionate and ultimately hopeful, it explores identity, vulnerability, family support and the courage required not only to survive treatment but also to face life beyond the hospital.
A. J. Betts is an Australian author, teacher and speaker based in Fremantle, Western Australia. Her experience teaching teenagers in a hospital oncology ward inspired Zac & Mia and gives the novel’s setting and emotions their authenticity. Her other books include Shutterspeed, Wavelength, the dystopian novels Hive and Rogue, and the contemporary novel One Song. Zac & Mia won the Text Prize, the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award and the Ethel Turner Prize for Young People’s Literature. It was subsequently adapted into an American television series that won two Daytime Emmy Awards. Betts also holds a PhD examining the importance of wonder in life, reading and writing.
Horror / Dark Comedy 16+
Hardcopy
Aisle Nine (2024) by Ian X. Cho turns an ordinary supermarket shift into a fight to survive the apocalypse. Seventeen-year-old Jasper works at a discount store where a portal in aisle nine regularly releases demons. Struggling with memory loss, he also cannot understand why Kyle Kuan, the girl he likes, seems to hate him. When they discover they share visions of an approaching disaster, they must work together to uncover the truth before Black Friday arrives. Blending horror, dark humour, and mystery, the novel explores identity, friendship, and consumer culture—and asks whether the real monsters are always the obvious ones.
Ian X. Cho is a young adult author based on Australia’s Gold Coast. A freelance graphic designer who also creates 2D pixel animations, he combines imaginative storytelling with an interest in visual creativity. His debut novel, Aisle Nine, was a finalist for the 2025 William C. Morris Award and won the 2025 Readings Young Adult Prize.
Fantasy 13+
If You Could See the Sun (2022) is a contemporary fantasy novel set at an elite international boarding school in Beijing. The story follows Alice Sun, a Chinese American scholarship student who feels invisible among her wealthy classmates—until she develops the extraordinary ability to literally become invisible. To earn money and secure her future, Alice begins using her power to complete secret tasks for other students through an anonymous app. But as the jobs become riskier and her powers increasingly unpredictable, Alice must confront questions about identity, privilege, ambition, and what she is willing to sacrifice to belong.
Ann Liang is a Chinese Australian author of young adult fiction known for blending romance, humor, and contemporary themes with memorable characters. Her acclaimed novels include If You Could See the Sun, This Time It's Real, I Hope This Doesn't Find You, and A Song to Drown Rivers. Liang's work often explores identity, cultural expectations, friendship, and belonging, drawing on her experiences growing up between cultures.
Realistic Fiction 12+
Hardcopy
Not Like Other Girls (2005) centers around a young girl named Hannah, who feels out of place among her peers and struggles with societal expectations of femininity. As she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, Hannah learns to embrace her unique identity and challenges the stereotypes that have confined her.
Meredith Adamo is an Australian author and educator, known for her work in literature and her contributions to teaching and storytelling.
Historical Fiction 12+
The Book Thief (2005) by Markus Zusak is set in Nazi Germany during World War II and is narrated by Death. The story follows Liesel Meminger, a young girl sent to live with foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann. As Liesel discovers the power of words, she steals books to read and share with others, bringing comfort during difficult times. When her family hides a Jewish man named Max Vandenburg in their basement, Liesel learns about courage, friendship, and the importance of standing up for what is right. The novel explores the resilience of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.
Markus Zusak is an Australian author best known for The Book Thief, an international bestseller translated into dozens of languages and adapted into a feature film. His novels are celebrated for their unique storytelling, memorable characters, and powerful themes of hope, humanity, and the importance of words.
Austria
Literary Fiction 14+
Hardcopy
The Collected Stories by Stefan Zweig brings together vivid, psychologically intense short fiction by one of Austria’s most admired twentieth-century writers. His characters often face moments of powerful emotion, moral conflict, obsession, loss, or sudden change.
Set across Europe and beyond, these stories explore love, ambition, identity, chance, and the pressures of social expectation. Zweig’s elegant, suspenseful writing pays close attention to what people think and feel beneath the surface, making this a compelling choice for readers who enjoy character-driven literary fiction.
Stefan Zweig was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1881. A novelist, biographer, essayist, and playwright, he became one of the most widely read European writers of his time. Forced into exile by the rise of Nazism, he wrote with insight about European culture, displacement, and the complexities of human emotion.
Bangladesh
Realistic Fiction 11+
Samira Surfs (2021) is a contemporary middle-grade novel about courage, identity, and friendship. Set in Bangladesh, the story follows Samira, a girl living in a Rohingya refugee camp who discovers a passion for surfing. Despite cultural expectations, limited opportunities, and the challenges of refugee life, Samira dreams of riding the waves and finding her own path. The novel highlights resilience, hope, gender equality, and the experiences of displaced young people.
Rukhsanna Guidroz is a Bangladeshi American author whose writing often focuses on underrepresented voices, social justice, and global issues affecting children and families. Samira Surfs was inspired by real-life surfing programs for girls in refugee communities.
Romance 13+
The Love Match (2023) by Priyanka Taslim is a charming YA romantic comedy set in a Bangladeshi American community. Zahra Khan dreams of attending college and becoming a writer, but her parents are worried about tradition and arrange a matchmaking competition to help her find a suitable husband. Hoping to avoid the process, Zahra enters the competition with her own plan—only to find herself caught between two very different boys while learning more about family, love, and her own future.
Priyanka Taslim is a Bangladeshi American author whose work celebrates Bangladeshi culture, Muslim communities, and the experiences of South Asian American teens.
Belarus
Historical Nonfiction / World War II / Oral History 12+
Last Witnesses: Adapted for Young Adults (2021) by Svetlana Alexievich, translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, brings together the memories of people who experienced World War II as children in the Soviet Union. Many were separated from their parents, displaced, orphaned, caught in bombings and occupations, or forced to survive without adult protection. Rather than presenting war through generals and battles, Alexievich builds the book from individual voices and childhood memories, showing how hunger, fear, bereavement, kindness, and survival shaped an entire generation. The young-adult edition preserves the immediacy of these testimonies while making Alexievich’s acclaimed oral history accessible to younger readers.
Svetlana Alexievich is a Belarusian investigative journalist, oral historian, and Nobel Prize–winning author born in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, in 1948 and raised largely in Belarus. She developed a distinctive form of nonfiction built from many individual testimonies, allowing ordinary people to describe major historical events in their own voices. Her books include The Unwomanly Face of War, Last Witnesses, Zinky Boys, Voices from Chernobyl, and Secondhand Time. She received the 2015 Nobel Prize in Literature for her “polyphonic writings,” which document suffering, courage, memory, and everyday life under Soviet and post-Soviet history.
Belgium
Realistic Fiction / Family / Disability 11+
The Blue Wings (2018; English translation 2020) by Jef Aerts, translated from Dutch by Laura Watkinson and illustrated by Martijn van der Linden, follows brothers Josh and Jadran as their family adjusts to a new blended household. Jadran is older but has an intellectual disability, and Josh often feels responsible for looking after him. When the brothers rescue an injured young crane, Jadran becomes determined to care for it and teach it to fly. What begins as an act of compassion leads to increasingly difficult choices for the family and forces Josh to confront the tension between loving his brother and carrying too much responsibility for him. Tender and emotionally complex, the novel explores sibling love, disability, family change, responsibility, loyalty, and letting go. It was shortlisted for the 2021 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize, won a Zilveren Griffel, and was selected for the 2020 IBBY Honour List.
Jef Aerts is a Belgian author of children’s literature, novels, and poetry who grew up near Leuven. After studying literature and theatre, he worked as a dramaturge and journalist before focusing increasingly on children’s writing. His books are known for poetic language, emotional depth, and thoughtful portrayals of family relationships and difficult choices. The Blue Wings won a Zilveren Griffel and represented Flanders on the 2020 IBBY Honour List.
Graphic Novel / Science Fiction 12+
The Big Tournament: Magda, Intergalactic Chef (2025 English translation) by Nicolas Wouters, illustrated by Mathilde Van Gheluwe and translated from French by Ann-Marie Boulanger, follows young chef Magda as she is chosen to represent her planet in a prestigious intergalactic cooking competition. Surrounded by more experienced competitors, Magda must overcome self-doubt while trying to make her family and community proud. As the tournament progresses, however, she begins to discover that something more troubling lies beneath its glamorous surface. Colourful, funny, and fast-paced, the graphic novel combines science fiction and cooking with themes of family, community, environmentalism, colonialism, competition, and courage. It was selected as a 2026 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize Honor Book.
Nicolas Wouters is a Belgian comic-book writer, illustrator, teacher, and filmmaker born in Brussels in 1984. He studied communication, screenwriting, and comics, and later completed a doctorate in art and art sciences. Alongside his work as an author, he teaches comics and visual storytelling in Brussels. He created the Magda, Intergalactic Chef trilogy with illustrator Mathilde Van Gheluwe, combining imaginative adventure with contemporary social and environmental themes.
Graphic Nonfiction / History 13+
Hardcopy
The History of World War II: A Graphic Novel presents the major events, leaders, battles, and turning points of the Second World War in an accessible visual format. Using illustrations, maps, timelines, and concise explanations, the book introduces readers to the rise of fascism, the conflict in Europe and the Pacific, the Holocaust, resistance movements, and the war’s global consequences. The graphic-novel format makes a complex period of history more approachable while still addressing the scale and seriousness of the conflict. It was selected as a 2026 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize Honor Book.
Arnaud de la Croix is a Belgian historian and author who has written widely on European and world history for general audiences. His work often aims to make complex historical subjects accessible through clear narrative and visual storytelling. In The History of World War II: A Graphic Novel, he combines historical research with the graphic-novel format to introduce younger readers to the causes, events, and consequences of the Second World War.
Historical Fiction / Adventure 14+
Daughter of Doom (2025 English translation) by Jean-Claude van Rijckeghem, translated from Dutch by Kristen Gehrman, is set in Denmark around AD 870 during the Viking Age. The novel follows Yrsa, a young woman who has grown up in a warrior community and believes she can glimpse the fate woven for people by the Norns. When a high-ranking Christian hostage named Sister Job is brought to the village, the two form an unlikely bond. After a violent assault forces them to flee, they set out across a dangerous world shaped by war, religion, fate, and survival. The novel blends historical adventure with questions about faith, free will, identity, and the expectations placed on young women. It was shortlisted for the 2026 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Jean-Claude van Rijckeghem is a Belgian author and screenwriter who writes historical fiction for young adults. His books often feature strong young protagonists navigating societies shaped by war, gender expectations, class, and political change. His other translated novel, Ironhead, or Once a Young Lady, also received international attention. Daughter of Doom was originally published in Dutch and later translated into English by Kristen Gehrman.
Literary Fiction 14+
Hardcopy
Fear and Trembling by Amélie Nothomb is a sharp, darkly humorous novel about a young Belgian woman who takes a job at a large Japanese company. Hoping to build a life in Tokyo, she instead finds herself struggling with the company’s strict hierarchy, expectations, and unspoken rules.
As her position is gradually reduced, the narrator confronts questions of identity, language, cultural difference, pride, and belonging. Short, intelligent, and provocative, this semi-autobiographical novel is a strong choice for readers interested in Japan, workplace culture, and stories told with wit and irony.
Amélie Nothomb was born in Etterbeek, Belgium, in 1966. A Belgian Francophone novelist, she spent much of her childhood in different countries because of her father’s diplomatic work, including several years in Japan. Her fiction often explores identity, culture, isolation, power, and the strange rituals of everyday life.
Historical Fiction / Adventure / Gender 15+
Ironhead, or Once a Young Lady (2022 English translation) by Jean-Claude van Rijckeghem, translated from Dutch by Kristen Gehrman, is set in Ghent in 1808 during the Napoleonic Wars. Eighteen-year-old Constance “Stance” Hoste is expected to behave like a respectable young woman, but she has little interest in the life planned for her. When circumstances force her to flee, she cuts her hair, dresses as a man, and eventually joins Napoleon’s army. The novel alternates between Stance and her younger brother Pieter as both are drawn into war, family crisis, and personal transformation. Fast-paced and often funny, it explores gender expectations, freedom, family loyalty, class, courage, and the search for an independent life. It was shortlisted for the 2023 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Jean-Claude van Rijckeghem is a Belgian author, screenwriter, and film producer known for historical fiction featuring strong young protagonists. His books often explore gender roles, social expectations, war, religion, and personal freedom with a mix of humour and adventure. Ironhead, or Once a Young Lady received starred reviews and was selected for the 2023 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize shortlist. His later novel Daughter of Doom was also shortlisted for the GLLI prize in 2026.
Bolivia
Historical Fiction · Ages 15+
Hardcopy
Tree Girl (2004) by Ben Mikaelsen follows Gabriela, a young girl who loves climbing trees in the forests of Guatemala. From the branches of one tree, she witnesses an attack that destroys her village. Forced to flee, Gabriela joins refugees travelling towards the Mexican border while searching for her younger sister, Alicia. As she faces hunger, danger, and grief, she struggles to hold on to the identity she once embraced as “Tree Girl.” Based on a story told to Mikaelsen in Guatemala, the novel explores survival, family, and the effects of war.
Content note: graphic wartime violence
Ben Mikaelsen is a writer of books for young people. His novels include Touching Spirit Bear, Petey, and Tree Girl. His work often centres on young people facing difficult choices and finding resilience. Tree Girl was inspired by an account shared with him in Guatemala.
Speculative Horror / Dystopian Fiction 16+
Thousands of Eyes (English translation 2026) by Maximiliano Barrientos, translated from Spanish by Thomas Bunstead, is a dark speculative-horror novel set across three different periods in Bolivia. In the 1970s, a father and son flee a violent cult obsessed with speed and a powerful muscle car. In 1990, teenage metalhead Federico is haunted by the death of his older brother in a drag-racing accident and begins experiencing disturbing visions and physical transformations. A century later, a seventeen-year-old girl crosses a devastated landscape after the cult’s apocalyptic beliefs have reshaped the world. Blending body horror, dystopian fiction, heavy-metal culture, science fiction, and gothic imagery, the novel explores grief, obsession, violence, technology, faith, and the boundaries between human beings and machines.
Maximiliano Barrientos is a Bolivian writer born in Santa Cruz de la Sierra in 1979. He lives and teaches in Bolivia and has published fiction, essays, and cultural writing throughout Latin America. His work is known for combining literary fiction with music, violence, speculative elements, and contemporary Bolivian life. Thousands of Eyes is his English-language debut, introducing his work to a wider international readership.
Bosnia Herzegovina
Memoir / Nonfiction 15+
eBook
Bluebird: A Memoir (2009) by Vesna Marić recounts her departure from Bosnia at sixteen, when war forced her and her sister to leave for Britain on a refugee convoy. Arriving in the unfamiliar surroundings of northern England, she faces the challenges of a new language, cultural misunderstandings, and being labelled a refugee. With humour, honesty, and vivid observations, Marić describes friendships, first love, and the everyday experiences of rebuilding her life. Moving between memories of Bosnia and her life in Britain, the memoir explores displacement, identity, belonging, and the distance between how refugees are perceived and who they really are.
Vesna Marić is a Bosnian-born writer from Mostar. Born in 1976, she left Bosnia and Herzegovina at sixteen as part of a convoy of refugees travelling to Britain. Her memoir, Bluebird, draws on this experience and was longlisted for the 2010 Orwell Book Prize. Her first novel, The President Shop (2021), explores a family’s conflicting loyalties to an authoritarian leader. Across these works, Marić examines how political upheaval shapes personal lives, relationships, and the meaning of home.
Memoir / Nonfiction 12+
The Cat I Never Named: A True Story of Love, War, and Survival (2020) by Amra Sabic-El-Rayess with Laura L. Sullivan is a memoir based on Amra's childhood during the Bosnian War (1992–1995). Growing up in Bihać, Bosnia, Amra's life changes dramatically as war, ethnic violence, and shortages threaten her family and community. Throughout the conflict, her beloved cat, Maci, becomes a symbol of hope, comfort, and resilience. The book offers a powerful firsthand account of survival, friendship, courage, and the human impact of war.
Amra Sabic-El-Rayess is a Bosnian American author, educator and survivor of the Bosnian Genocide. Originally from Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina, she immigrated to the United States in 1996 and is now a professor and researcher at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her work focuses on education, resilience, social transformation and the prevention of hatred and targeted violence. She is also the author of the award-winning memoir The Cat I Never Named. Three Summers was written with Laura L. Sullivan, an American author of books for middle-grade and young-adult readers.
Memoir / Nonfiction 12+
Three Summers: A Memoir of Sisterhood, Summer Crushes, and Growing Up on the Eve of War (2024) by Amra Sabic-El-Rayess with Laura L. Sullivan recounts three unforgettable summers from Amra’s childhood in Bosnia. Amra and her four cousins spend their holidays swimming, exploring, sharing secrets and navigating the excitement and embarrassment of growing up on their family’s small island in the Una River.
Beyond their close-knit world, however, ethnic and religious tensions are beginning to divide their community. As the threat of war draws closer, the five girls discover that their friendship and love for one another can provide strength in the face of prejudice and fear. Warm, humorous and deeply moving, this middle-grade memoir explores sisterhood, first crushes, identity, belonging, resilience and the gradual loss of childhood innocence on the eve of the Bosnian War.
Amra Sabic-El-Rayess is a Bosnian American author, educator and survivor of the Bosnian Genocide. Originally from Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina, she immigrated to the United States in 1996 and is now a professor and researcher at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her work focuses on education, resilience, social transformation and the prevention of hatred and targeted violence. She is also the author of the award-winning memoir The Cat I Never Named. Three Summers was written with Laura L. Sullivan, an American author of books for middle-grade and young-adult readers.
Brazil
Philosophical Fiction 13+
The Alchemist (1988) by Paulo Coelho follows Santiago, a young Andalusian shepherd who dreams of finding treasure near the Egyptian pyramids. Believing that the dream may reveal his destiny, he leaves his familiar life in Spain and begins a journey across North Africa. Along the way, Santiago encounters people who teach him about courage, love, sacrifice, and the mysterious language of the world. Each challenge brings him closer to understanding his “Personal Legend,” the life he feels called to pursue. Written as a simple but thoughtful fable, the novel explores the importance of listening to one’s heart, learning from experience, and continuing towards a dream despite uncertainty and disappointment.
Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian novelist known for spiritual and philosophical stories that explore personal purpose, faith, and self-discovery. Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1947, he worked as a songwriter, journalist, theatre actor, and director before dedicating himself to literature. A pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago inspired his first major book, The Pilgrimage. His best-known novel, The Alchemist, has reached readers around the world and appears in more than eighty languages. Coelho has also written Brida, Veronika Decides to Die, and Eleven Minutes. He belongs to the Brazilian Academy of Letters and serves as a United Nations Messenger of Peace.
Contemporary Fiction / LGBTQ+ 14+
eBook
This Is Our Place (2022 English edition) by Vitor Martins, translated from Brazilian Portuguese by Larissa Helena, follows three queer teenagers living in the same house in a small Brazilian town across three different decades. In 2000, Ana is preparing to leave her childhood home and her girlfriend behind; in 2010, Greg moves in with his aunt while his parents separate; and in 2020, Beto is forced to put his dreams on hold during the Covid-19 pandemic. Narrated by the house itself, the novel explores family, first love, identity, change, and the ways different generations can be connected without ever meeting. It won the 2023 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Vitor Martins is a Brazilian author, illustrator, and translator from Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro. His young adult novels frequently explore queer identity, friendship, family, body image, and belonging with warmth and humour. His debut novel, Here the Whole Time, was also a GLLI Translated YA Book Prize winner, making This Is Our Place his second book to receive the award.
Contemporary Fiction / LGBTQ+ 14+
eBook
Here the Whole Time (2020 English translation) by Vitor Martins, translated from Brazilian Portuguese by Larissa Helena, follows Felipe, a shy, fat teenager who is looking forward to spending summer break alone—until he learns that Caio, his longtime crush, will be staying at his house for two weeks. What begins as an awkward and anxiety-filled situation gradually becomes a tender story about friendship, attraction, self-confidence, body image, and learning to see yourself with greater kindness. Warm, funny, and emotionally honest, the novel explores insecurity, bullying, family relationships, queer identity, and first love. It was a 2021 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize co-winner.
Vitor Martins is a Brazilian author, illustrator, and translator from Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro. His young adult novels frequently explore queer identity, friendship, family, body image, and belonging with warmth and humour. His debut novel, Here the Whole Time, was also a GLLI Translated YA Book Prize winner, making This Is Our Place his second book to receive the award.
Contemporary Fiction / LGBTQ+ 16+
eBook
Where We Go from Here (2020 English translation) by Lucas Rocha, translated from Brazilian Portuguese by Larissa Helena, follows three young men in Brazil whose lives intersect through HIV. Ian has just tested positive and is struggling with fear and uncertainty; Victor is living with HIV and has learned how to manage the condition; and Henrique is navigating relationships, stigma, and the possibility of intimacy. Through their connected stories, the novel explores friendship, love, sexuality, prejudice, health, disclosure, and the importance of accurate information about HIV. Compassionate and hopeful, it challenges stigma while showing how support and knowledge can change lives. It was a 2021 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize co-winner.
Lucas Rocha is a Brazilian author and librarian whose work focuses on LGBTQ+ young adult experiences, relationships, identity, and social issues. Where We Go from Here was his first novel to be translated into English and received significant international recognition, including being named a 2021 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize co-winner. His writing is known for combining accessible storytelling with thoughtful treatment of sexuality, health, stigma, and community.
Cambodia
Contemporary Fiction · Ages 12+
Hardcopy
Lucy and Linh (2016) by Alice Pung follows Lucy, a scholarship student entering a prestigious girls’ school in Australia. She hopes the opportunity will open doors, but soon finds herself navigating unfamiliar rules about wealth, popularity, and belonging. The Cabinet, a powerful group of students, welcomes her into its circle. As Lucy grows closer to them, she feels increasingly distant from her family, her old neighbourhood, and Linh, who reminds her of the person she used to be. Told in Lucy’s observant, often funny voice, the novel asks how much someone should change to fit in.
Alice Pung is an Australian writer and lawyer based in Melbourne. Her parents migrated from Cambodia shortly before she was born. She has written memoirs, fiction, and books for younger readers, and edited Growing Up Asian in Australia. Her writing often explores family, identity, and the experience of moving between different social worlds.
Historical Fiction / Khmer Rouge / Survival 15+
In the Shadow of the Banyan (2012) by Vaddey Ratner follows seven-year-old Raami, a Cambodian girl from a privileged family whose life is shattered when the Khmer Rouge seize power in 1975. Forced from Phnom Penh with her family, Raami endures displacement, forced labour, hunger, separation, and the deaths of people she loves. As the regime attempts to erase individual identity and memory, she clings to the stories, poetry, and traditional legends taught to her by her father. Closely inspired by Ratner’s own childhood experiences, the novel explores family, survival, memory, loss, Cambodian culture, and the effort to preserve humanity under extreme oppression. It was a PEN/Hemingway Award finalist and became a New York Times bestseller.
Vaddey Ratner is a Cambodian-born American novelist and survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime. Born in Phnom Penh, she was a child when her family was forced from the city after the Khmer Rouge takeover. She survived years of forced displacement and deprivation before eventually escaping Cambodia with her mother. Her debut novel, In the Shadow of the Banyan, draws closely on those experiences while transforming them into fiction. Ratner’s writing is known for combining Cambodian history, folklore, memory, and lyrical storytelling with themes of loss, resilience, and survival.
Cameroon
Coming of Age / Migration / LGBTQ+ 15+
A Long Way from Douala (2018; English translation 2021) by Max Lobe, translated from French by Ros Schwartz, follows Jean and his older friend Simon as they travel across Cameroon in search of Jean’s brother Roger, who has run away hoping to reach Europe and become a professional footballer. Their journey takes them through buses, towns, police stations, and areas threatened by Boko Haram, exposing them to the realities of migration, corruption, violence, sexuality, and social inequality. Despite the serious subject matter, the novel is lively, funny, and affectionate in its portrayal of contemporary Cameroon. At its heart, it explores brotherhood, friendship, grief, queer identity, and the powerful dreams that lead young people to imagine a future elsewhere.
Max Lobe is a Cameroonian-born writer based in Switzerland. Born in Douala in 1986, he moved to Switzerland at eighteen, where he studied communication and journalism and later public policy and administration. His fiction frequently explores migration, sexuality, religion, violence, and the experiences of African and migrant communities. His novel Confidences won the 2017 Ahmadou Kourouma Prize, and A Long Way from Douala was his first novel translated into English.
Canada
Graphic Novel / Biography 10+
The Unbeatable Sonya Ballantyne (2024) by Sonya Ballantyne, with Rhael McGregor and A.B. Whitecalf, illustrated by Kielamel Sibal, is an inspiring graphic memoir about perseverance, identity, and the transformative power of storytelling. Growing up as a Cree girl in Canada, Sonya often felt like she didn't fit in. Through books, imagination, and her determination to tell her own stories, she gradually found the confidence to embrace who she was. Honest, humorous, and deeply personal, the graphic novel explores themes of Indigenous identity, family, resilience, creativity, representation, and believing in yourself despite life's challenges.
Sonya Ballantyne is a Canadian writer, filmmaker, and journalist of Cree heritage from the Misipawistik Cree Nation in Manitoba. She is a passionate advocate for Indigenous representation in literature, film, and popular culture, creating stories that celebrate Indigenous voices while challenging stereotypes. Through her work, Ballantyne encourages young readers to embrace their identities, value their cultures, and recognise the power of their own stories. The Unbeatable Sonya Ballantyne is an uplifting celebration of resilience, creativity, and finding your place in the world.
Realistic Fiction 11+
Restart (2017) by Gordon Korman follows Chase Ambrose, a middle-school student who falls from his roof and loses all memory of who he is. As Chase begins rebuilding his life, he discovers that before the accident he was known as a bully—someone many classmates feared or disliked. Faced with the gap between who he used to be and who he wants to become, Chase must decide whether people can truly change and what it means to earn forgiveness.
Gordon Korman is a bestselling Canadian author who has written more than one hundred books for young readers. Known for popular novels such as Restart, Ungifted, The Unteachables, Linked, and Snoop, he is celebrated for combining humor, adventure, and relatable characters with thought-provoking themes. His books are widely read in schools and libraries around the world.
Science Fiction Romance 13+
Meet Me at Blue Hour (2025) by Sarah Suk follows seventeen-year-old Yena Bae, who is spending the summer in Busan, South Korea, working at her mother’s clinic, where painful memories can be erased. Yena has felt isolated since her childhood best friend, Lucas, unexpectedly moved away four years earlier without saying goodbye.
Eighteen-year-old Lucas returns to Busan after his grandfather is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He hopes that an experimental treatment at the clinic can restore his grandfather’s memories. When Yena encounters Lucas, she makes a devastating discovery: he has erased every memory of her. As the two reconnect, they begin uncovering what happened between them and why Lucas chose to forget. Emotional and thought-provoking, the novel explores first love, grief, family, identity, medical ethics and whether loving someone is worth the pain of losing them.
Sarah Suk is a Korean Canadian author of contemporary and speculative young-adult fiction. Based in Vancouver, she is the award-winning author of Made in Korea, The Space Between Here & Now and Meet Me at Blue Hour, as well as the co-writer of John Cho’s middle-grade novel Troublemaker. Her stories frequently explore memory, identity, family, Korean culture and the complicated relationships that shape young people’s lives.
Science Fiction 14+
Kingdom of Without (2024) by Andrea Tang is a fast-paced YA cyberpunk thriller set in a futuristic city shaped by technology, inequality, and corporate power. The story follows a group of young outcasts pulled into a dangerous heist that could expose secrets at the heart of their society. As alliances shift and betrayals emerge, they must navigate surveillance, hacking, artificial intelligence, and powerful organizations determined to maintain control. The novel combines action-packed adventure with thoughtful questions about freedom, identity, and justice.
Andrea Tang is a Chinese Canadian author known for speculative fiction that blends technology, social issues, and diverse perspectives. Her work often explores how individuals challenge systems of power while searching for belonging and purpose.
Fiction 14+
eBook & Hard Copy
Life of Pi (2001) by Yann Martel tells the story of Piscine "Pi" Patel, a teenage boy from India whose family owns a zoo. When their ship sinks while crossing the Pacific Ocean, Pi finds himself stranded on a lifeboat with an unlikely companion: a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. As the two struggle to survive, Pi's extraordinary journey becomes a meditation on faith, storytelling, survival, truth, and what it means to be human.
Yann Martel is a Canadian author whose novel won the 2002 Booker Prize and became an international bestseller. The book has been translated into dozens of languages and adapted into the Academy Award-winning film directed by Ang Lee.
Mystery/Historical Thriller 14+
Hardcopy
The Red Palace (2022) by June Hur is a historical mystery set in 1758 Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. The story follows Hyeon, an eighteen-year-old palace nurse from a difficult family background who has worked hard to earn a respected position at court. When four women are murdered inside the palace, Hyeon becomes drawn into the investigation, especially after her beloved mentor is accused of the crimes. Working alongside young police inspector Seo Eojin, she searches for the truth while navigating court politics, rigid social hierarchies, prejudice, and secrets powerful people would rather keep hidden. Atmospheric and suspenseful, the novel combines murder mystery, history, and political intrigue with themes of justice, loyalty, identity, courage, and the dangers of challenging authority.
June Hur is a Korean Canadian author of young-adult historical mysteries inspired by Korean history and culture. Her novels include The Silence of Bones, The Forest of Stolen Girls, The Red Palace, and A Crane Among Wolves. Hur is known for combining carefully researched historical settings with gripping mysteries, strong young protagonists, and questions of justice, identity, and social inequality. Her work introduces readers to lesser-known periods of Korean history while creating immersive, suspenseful stories with emotional depth.
Graphic Memoir / Body Image / Mental Health 14+
My Body in Pieces (2019; English translation 2021) by Marie-Noëlle Hébert, translated from French by Shelley Tanaka, is a deeply personal graphic memoir about growing up with intense dissatisfaction about one’s body. Moving between childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood, Hébert reflects on bullying, family comments, beauty standards, eating, self-esteem, and the pressure to look a certain way. Drawn almost entirely in graphite pencil, the memoir uses fragmented images and memories to show the emotional impact of body shame and the difficult process of learning self-acceptance. Honest and sometimes painful, the book explores body image, depression, family relationships, loneliness, and recovery. It was shortlisted for the 2023 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize and the original French edition won the 2020 Prix des libraires du Québec.
Marie-Noëlle Hébert is a Canadian author and illustrator from Quebec who lives in Montreal. Largely self-taught as an artist, she studied advertising illustration at Collège Salette and has worked in illustration for books and film projects. My Body in Pieces was her first graphic novel and draws directly on her own experiences with body image and self-esteem. The original French edition, La grosse laide, won the 2020 Prix des libraires du Québec, and the English translation was shortlisted for the 2023 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Chile
Literary Fiction 16+
Hardcopy
The Stories of Eva Luna by Isabel Allende is a collection of imaginative, often moving short stories told through the voice and vision of Eva Luna, a gifted storyteller. Set largely in Latin America, the stories bring together love, loss, injustice, family, memory, and moments of the extraordinary within everyday life.
Allende combines rich characters with elements of magical realism to explore power, poverty, gender, political violence, and resilience. The collection is an excellent choice for readers interested in varied perspectives, vivid storytelling, and literature that connects personal lives to wider social questions.
Isabel Allende is a Chilean writer, born in Lima, Peru, in 1942 to Chilean parents. One of the most widely read Spanish-language authors in the world, she is known for fiction that blends history, family stories, politics, and magical realism. Her work often centres women’s lives, memory, exile, and the enduring power of storytelling.
Literary Fiction 16+
Isabel Allende is a Chilean American novelist, feminist, and philanthropist whose writing combines personal experience with major historical events. Born in Peru and raised in Chile, she worked as a journalist before publishing her first novel, The House of the Spirits, in 1982. Her many books include Daughter of Fortune, Paula, The Japanese Lover, and The Wind Knows My Name. Allende often writes about displacement, political conflict, family memory, and the experiences of women. Chile awarded her its National Prize for Literature in 2010, and President Barack Obama presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014. She also received the National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
Isabel Allende is a Chilean writer, born in Lima, Peru, in 1942 to Chilean parents. One of the most widely read Spanish-language authors in the world, she is known for fiction that blends history, family stories, politics, and magical realism. Her work often centres women’s lives, memory, exile, and the enduring power of storytelling.
China
Fantasy 10+
Ruby Lost and Found (2022) by Christina Li follows Ruby Chu, a Chinese American girl whose family is struggling financially while trying to keep their small restaurant afloat in San Francisco's Chinatown. Feeling overlooked and burdened by family responsibilities, Ruby discovers a mysterious old journal that leads her on a journey through her neighborhood's history and her own family's past. Along the way, she learns about community, resilience, friendship, and what it truly means to belong.
Christina Li is a Chinese American author whose work focuses on family, identity, community, and cultural heritage. Her novels are known for being warm, accessible, and emotionally resonant for middle-grade readers.
Realistic Fiction 10+
Hardcopy
New From Here (2022) by Kelly Yang follows Knox Wei-Evans, a Chinese American boy whose life changes overnight when his family leaves Hong Kong at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and relocates to California. Suddenly separated from friends, adapting to a new school, and facing rising anti-Asian prejudice, Knox must navigate uncertainty while helping care for his siblings and supporting his family through a challenging period.
Kelly Yang is a Chinese American author best known for Front Desk, Three Keys, and Parachute Kids-adjacent themes of immigration, family sacrifice, and belonging. She is one of the most widely read middle-grade authors in schools today.
Autobiographical Poetry 10+
Hardcopy
The Scorpion and the Night Blossom (2025) by Amélie Wen Zhao is a sweeping young adult fantasy inspired by Chinese mythology and folklore. The story follows a young heroine drawn into a dangerous world of gods, spirits, curses, and political intrigue. As ancient powers awaken and rival forces clash, she must navigate shifting alliances, uncover long-buried secrets, and decide what she is willing to sacrifice for those she loves. Richly atmospheric and romantic, the novel blends mythological elements with high-stakes adventure.
Ching Yeung Russell is a Chinese American author who grew up in mainland China and Hong Kong. She began writing letters for relatives when she was eight and developed an early love of classical Chinese poetry. Her books draw on childhood memories and introduce young readers to Chinese family life, history, and culture. Russell has written several middle-grade novels, including First Apple, as well as Tofu Quilt, which received the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. She frequently visits schools to speak with students about reading, writing, and her experiences growing up in Hong Kong.
Historical Fiction / Family / Coming of Age 11+
Bronze and Sunflower (2005; English translation 2015/2017) by Cao Wenxuan, translated from Chinese by Helen Wang and illustrated by Meilo So, is set in rural China during the Cultural Revolution. Sunflower is a young girl who moves to the countryside with her artist father, who has been sent to a rural cadre school. After her father dies unexpectedly, she is taken in by a poor farming family whose son, Bronze, has not spoken since being traumatised by a fire. Bronze and Sunflower quickly become inseparable, and together they face poverty, natural disasters, hunger, family hardship, and loss. Gentle but emotionally powerful, the novel explores friendship, family, resilience, sacrifice, dignity, and the ability to find beauty and joy in difficult circumstances. It was shortlisted for the 2019 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize and received numerous international honours.
Cao Wenxuan is a Chinese author and professor of literature and one of China’s most prominent writers for children and young adults. Born in Jiangsu Province in 1954, he experienced rural life during the Cultural Revolution, experiences that have influenced much of his fiction. He teaches Chinese literature at Peking University and has written numerous acclaimed novels for younger readers. In 2016, Cao became the first Chinese writer to receive the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing, one of the world’s most prestigious honours in children’s literature. Bronze and Sunflower was his first full-length novel published in English.
Historical Fiction · Ages 12+
Hardcopy
Ties That Bind, Ties That Break (1999) by Lensey Namioka tells the story of Ailin, a girl growing up in China in 1911. Her older sisters have had their feet bound, and her family expects her to do the same. Ailin refuses: she loves running and cannot bear to give up that freedom. Her decision ends her arranged engagement and, as she grows older, puts her place in the family at risk. With few paths open to an unmarried young woman, Ailin must find a way to support herself and shape her own future. The novel explores courage, family expectations, and change.
Lensey Namioka is a Chinese-born American author of books for children and young adults. Born in Beijing, she moved to the United States as a child and later studied mathematics. Her books include the Yang family stories as well as Ties That Bind, Ties That Break. She often writes about family and the choices young people face across cultures.
Graphic Novel / Fantasy / Adventure 12+
Seekers of the Aweto: The Hunt Is On (2021 English edition) by Nie Jun, translated into English by Edward Gauvin, follows Xinyue, his brother Qiliu, and their mother, who travel along a fantastical version of the Silk Road searching for aweto, a rare plantlike treasure believed to cure illness and, in its rarest form, grant eternal life. Their search depends on harvesting aweto from enormous earth deities, but after one expedition Xinyue discovers the child of one of these creatures and secretly becomes its protector. He soon finds himself caught between his family’s livelihood, the warriors searching for the young deity, and his growing sense that the creatures they hunt may deserve protection rather than exploitation. Visually rich and fast-paced, the graphic novel blends Chinese mythology, fantasy, adventure, environmental themes, family loyalty, and questions about greed and responsibility.
Nie Jun is a Chinese comics artist, author, and illustrator based in Beijing. He began drawing by copying lianhuanhua, traditional Chinese sequential art, before becoming influenced by comics and illustration from Europe, Japan, and elsewhere. He also teaches drawing to university students. His books include My Beijing: Four Stories of Everyday Wonder and the Seekers of the Aweto series, which combines Chinese cultural and mythological influences with imaginative fantasy storytelling.
Family Drama 13+
Heiress Apparently (2023) by Diana Ma follows Gemma Huang, a Chinese American teenager whose life is turned upside down when she discovers that she may be the heir to a vast family fortune in Taiwan. Suddenly thrust into a world of wealth, social expectations, family secrets, and elite matchmaking, Gemma must decide who she wants to be and whether money and status are worth sacrificing her independence and values.
Diana Ma is a Chinese American author known for writing contemporary YA fiction featuring Asian American protagonists navigating family, identity, and cultural expectations.
Fantasy 13+
A Thousand Steps into Night (2022) by Traci Chee is a lyrical fantasy inspired by Japanese mythology and folklore. Miuko is an ordinary innkeeper's daughter whose life changes forever when she is cursed with a deadly touch after encountering a powerful spirit. Determined to break the curse before she loses her humanity, she embarks on a perilous journey through a magical world filled with gods, demons, shapeshifters, and legendary creatures. Along the way, Miuko discovers that true strength lies not in perfection but in compassion, resilience, and accepting every part of herself. Rich in folklore and adventure, the novel explores themes of identity, courage, friendship, transformation, and the power of choice.
Traci Chee is an American author of Chinese American heritage whose bestselling novels are celebrated for their imaginative storytelling, rich world-building, and emotionally complex characters. Best known for the acclaimed Reader Trilogy, Chee draws inspiration from mythology, history, and diverse cultural traditions to craft unforgettable fantasy adventures. A Thousand Steps into Night was longlisted for the National Book Award and has been widely praised for its beautiful prose, immersive Japanese-inspired setting, and thoughtful exploration of identity, belonging, and self-acceptance.
Fantasy 14+
The Scarlet Alchemist (2024) by Kylie Lee Baker is a dark fantasy inspired by Chinese history and mythology. The story follows Zilan, a gifted young alchemist with a dangerous secret: she can raise the dead. In a world where magical ability determines status and opportunity, Zilan dreams of becoming a royal alchemist and lifting her family out of poverty. But when she becomes entangled in imperial politics, court intrigue, and forbidden magic, she discovers that power always comes with a cost.
Kylie Lee Baker is a Chinese American author known for blending East Asian cultural influences with gothic fantasy, horror, and richly atmospheric storytelling.
Fantasy 15+
The Three-Body Problem (Chinese original 2008; English translation 2014) by Cixin Liu, translated by Ken Liu, is a complex science fiction novel that begins during China’s Cultural Revolution and expands into a story about physics, alien contact, virtual reality, and the future of humanity. When scientists begin encountering mysterious events connected to a secret project, they uncover evidence of an approaching extraterrestrial civilization. The novel explores science, morality, survival, and humanity’s place in the universe.
Cixin Liu is one of China’s most internationally acclaimed science fiction authors. The Three-Body Problem won the Hugo Award and became a major global bestseller.
Memoir/History 16+
eBook
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China (1991) by Jung Chang tells the extraordinary true story of three generations of women living through a century of upheaval in China. Chang recounts the life of her grandmother, whose feet were bound and who became a warlord’s concubine; her mother, a committed Communist who endured persecution and imprisonment; and her own childhood under Mao. From the Japanese occupation and the Communist Revolution to the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, intimate family experiences reveal the human consequences of political extremism. Combining personal testimony with sweeping history, the memoir explores courage, loyalty, oppression, survival and the strength of family bonds. It is a powerful account of women whose lives were transformed by forces beyond their control, yet who struggled to preserve their dignity and humanity.
Jung Chang is a Chinese-born British writer whose work explores the personal impact of modern Chinese history. Raised in Sichuan during Mao’s Cultural Revolution, she moved to Britain in 1978 and later became an internationally bestselling author. Wild Swans has been translated into dozens of languages and has sold millions of copies worldwide. Chang is also the author of Empress Dowager Cixi and Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister, and co-author of Mao: The Unknown Story. Her books remain unavailable through official publication in mainland China.
Colombia
Fantasy 12+
The Immortal Boy (Spanish original; English translation 2024) by Francisco Montaña Ibáñez follows a boy who discovers that immortality is not the gift it first appears to be. As he navigates a world shaped by memory, loss, and wonder, he begins to question what makes life meaningful. Blending fantasy with philosophical reflection, this thought-provoking novel explores friendship, mortality, and the importance of human connections. A moving story that invites young readers to reflect on what it truly means to be alive.
Francisco Montaña Ibáñez is a Colombian author, educator, and literary advocate known for writing thoughtful fiction for young people. His work often explores imagination, ethics, identity, and the emotional challenges of growing up, earning recognition across Latin America.
Literary Fiction / Magical Realism 16+
Hardcopy
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez follows seven generations of the Buendía family in the imagined Colombian town of Macondo. Blending the ordinary with the extraordinary, the novel tells of love, war, ambition, memory, loss, and the repeating patterns that shape family and history.
Dreamlike events are presented as part of everyday life, while the story also reflects on colonialism, political conflict, solitude, and the power of storytelling. Rich, complex, and highly influential, it is an excellent choice for older readers and students of world literature.
Gabriel García Márquez was born in Aracataca, Colombia, in 1927. A journalist, novelist, and Nobel Prize-winning writer, he is one of the central figures of Latin American literature. His work helped bring magical realism to international attention, combining myth, history, humour, and social criticism to create unforgettable fictional worlds.
Croatia
Literary Fiction / War / Coming of Age 15+
In Late Summer (2022; English translation 2025) by Magdalena Blažević, translated from Croatian by Anđelka Raguž, is narrated by Ivana, a fourteen-year-old girl whose life in a rural Bosnian village is shattered by war. The novel begins with the textures of ordinary family life—summer heat, animals, food, relatives, friendship, and the landscape—before violence enters the village and destroys the world Ivana knows. Told from the perspective of a girl who has already been killed, the story moves through memory rather than conventional chronology, giving the novel a haunting, lyrical quality. It explores childhood, family, friendship, war, grief, memory, and the abrupt destruction of everyday life. The novel won the Tportal Award for Best Croatian Novel and was shortlisted for the 2026 Dublin Literary Award.
Magdalena Blažević is a Bosnian-born writer who writes in Croatian. Born in Žepče, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 1982, she studied Croatian and English language and literature and has published both short fiction and novels. Her work frequently focuses on women, rural Bosnia, memory, violence, and the lingering effects of war. In Late Summer draws on personal experience and centres the voice of a fourteen-year-old girl killed during the Bosnian War.
Cuba
Mystery / Thriller · Ages 10+
Hardcopy
Concealed (2021) by Christina Diaz Gonzalez follows a girl who has been Ivette, Joanna, and now Katrina. She and her parents are in witness protection, so every move means a new name, appearance, and story. Katrina knows almost nothing about the past they are hiding. When her parents disappear, she and her new friend Parker set out to find them. Each clue raises more questions about who is pursuing her family—and how much her parents have told her. This fast-paced mystery explores trust, family, and identity.
Christina Diaz Gonzalez is an American author who was born and raised in Florida to Cuban parents. She lives in Miami and has written mysteries, historical fiction, and graphic novels for young readers, including The Red Umbrella and Invisible. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked as a lawyer. Concealed won the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery.
Czech Republic
Literary Fiction / Existential Classic 14+
Hardcopy
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka begins when Gregor Samsa wakes to find that he has been transformed into a giant insect. Unable to work or communicate as before, he becomes increasingly isolated from his family and from the life he once knew.
This unsettling, often darkly comic novella explores alienation, family responsibility, identity, shame, and the pressure to be useful to others. Its strange premise makes it memorable, while its questions about belonging and human dignity remain powerfully relevant.
Franz Kafka was born in Prague, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in 1883. A German-speaking Jewish writer, he is one of the most influential authors of the twentieth century. His fiction often portrays people facing confusing systems, impossible expectations, isolation, and anxiety; the word “Kafkaesque” is now used to describe such situations.
Literary Fiction / Philosophical Novel 16+
Hardcopy
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera follows the interconnected lives of Tomáš, Tereza, Sabina, and Franz against the backdrop of Prague in the late 1960s and the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.
Through love affairs, friendship, art, and political upheaval, the novel asks whether a life is made meaningful by freedom, commitment, memory, or responsibility. Thoughtful and complex, it explores desire, identity, exile, personal choice, and the impact of history on private lives.
Milan Kundera was born in Brno, Czechoslovakia, in 1929. A Czech-born novelist who later lived and wrote in France, he is known for fiction that combines philosophical questions with intimate human stories. His work often examines love, power, history, memory, freedom, and life under political oppression.
Denmark
Fantasy 11+
The Missing Barbegazi (2019) by H. S. Norup is a magical adventure set in the snowy Swiss Alps. When twelve-year-old Tilda discovers that the Barbegazi—mysterious mountain creatures with enormous feet who protect lost travellers—are disappearing, she embarks on a quest to uncover what is happening. Drawing on Alpine folklore, the novel combines mystery, fantasy, and environmental themes in a story about courage, friendship, and protecting the natural world.
H. S. Norup is a Danish author who writes children's and young adult fiction inspired by folklore, mythology, and history. Her books often introduce readers to lesser-known legends and cultures while exploring themes of adventure, identity, and belonging.
Fantasy 12+
Hardcopy
The Shamer's Daughter series (2000-2005) follows Dina, a young girl who inherits the power to make others feel intense shame with just a glance, a gift passed down by her mother, the Shamer. As she embarks on dangerous adventures, Dina must navigate dark magic, political intrigue, and her own growing understanding of the responsibilities tied to her unique ability.
Lene Kaaberbøl is a Danish author, educated in literature and language at the University of Copenhagen, best known for her Shamer's Daughter series, and has also worked as a translator and editor.
Memoir / Travel Writing 16+
Hardcopy
Out of Africa by Karen Blixen, writing as Isak Dinesen, is a memoir of her years managing a coffee farm in Kenya in the early twentieth century. Blixen recalls the landscape, daily life on the farm, friendships, loss, and her changing relationship with a place she came to love.
Written in a reflective and lyrical style, the book explores memory, belonging, independence, and the effects of change. It also presents colonial-era Kenya through a European settler’s perspective, making it valuable for critical discussion of voice, representation, history, and power.
Karen Blixen was born in Rungstedlund, Denmark, in 1885. She wrote internationally under the name Isak Dinesen and is best known for her fiction and memoirs. Her work is admired for its evocative writing about place, human relationships, memory, and loss.
Dominican Republic
Contemporary Fiction 14+
Hardcopy
Clap When You Land (2020) by Elizabeth Acevedo is a critically acclaimed novel in verse that tells the story of two teenage girls—Camino in the Dominican Republic and Yahaira in New York City—whose lives are unexpectedly intertwined after a devastating plane crash reveals a family secret. As the sisters navigate grief, identity, and the complexities of love and belonging, they gradually discover one another and redefine what family means. Written in powerful, lyrical verse, the novel explores themes of loss, resilience, culture, sisterhood, and finding hope in the face of unimaginable change.
Elizabeth Acevedo is a Dominican American poet, novelist, and National Book Award-winning author from New York City. Renowned for her powerful storytelling and spoken-word performances, her work celebrates identity, family, heritage, and the experiences of Afro-Latinx communities. Through lyrical language and unforgettable characters, Acevedo has become one of the most influential voices in contemporary young adult literature, inspiring readers around the world.
Contemporary Fiction 14+
Hardcopy
The Poet X (2018) is a powerful coming-of-age novel told in verse. It follows Xiomara Batista, a Dominican American teenager in Harlem who feels unheard at home and constrained by her mother’s strict religious expectations. Xiomara secretly pours her frustrations, questions, and dreams into poetry. When she joins her school’s spoken-word poetry club, she begins to discover the courage to express herself and claim her own voice.
Elizabeth Acevedo is a Dominican American poet, novelist, and National Book Award-winning author from New York City. Renowned for her powerful storytelling and spoken-word performances, her work celebrates identity, family, heritage, and the experiences of Afro-Latinx communities. Through lyrical language and unforgettable characters, Acevedo has become one of the most influential voices in contemporary young adult literature, inspiring readers around the world.
Contemporary Fiction 14+
Hardcopy
With the Fire on High (2019) by Elizabeth Acevedo follows Emoni Santiago, a high school senior in Philadelphia who balances her education, a part-time job, and raising her young daughter with the support of her grandmother. In the kitchen, Emoni has an extraordinary gift for turning food into something memorable. When she joins a culinary arts class that includes a trip to Spain, she begins to imagine a future built around cooking. Pursuing that dream, however, means making room for her own ambitions while caring for the people who depend on her. Warm and vivid, the novel explores teen parenthood, Afro-Latinx identity, family responsibility, economic hardship, and the courage to shape one’s own future.
Elizabeth Acevedo is a Dominican American poet, novelist, and National Book Award-winning author from New York City. Renowned for her powerful storytelling and spoken-word performances, her work celebrates identity, family, heritage, and the experiences of Afro-Latinx communities. Through lyrical language and unforgettable characters, Acevedo has become one of the most influential voices in contemporary young adult literature, inspiring readers around the world.
Ecuador
Literary Fiction / Coming of Age / Afro-Ecuadorian Identity 16+
Carnaval Fever (English translation 2026) by Yuliana Ortiz Ruano, translated from Spanish by Madeleine Arenivar, follows Ainhoa, a young girl growing up in Esmeraldas, Ecuador, in the 1990s within a large Afro-Ecuadorian family led by her grandmother and aunts. Through Ainhoa’s observant, lyrical voice, the novel captures the music, dance, humour, spirituality, and communal life surrounding Carnaval while also confronting poverty, migration, machismo, and violence against women. As Ainhoa grows older, she becomes increasingly aware of the dangers and expectations surrounding girlhood and womanhood. Vivid and experimental, the novel explores race, gender, family, sexuality, memory, music, and the resilience of Afro-Ecuadorian women and communities.
Yuliana Ortiz Ruano is an Ecuadorian writer, poet, editor, and cultural worker born in Esmeraldas in 1992. Her writing is strongly rooted in Afro-Ecuadorian culture, particularly the history, language, music, and everyday life of Ecuador’s Pacific coast. She studied literature and creative writing at the Universidad de las Artes and has published several poetry collections as well as fiction. Fiebre de carnaval, the Spanish original of Carnaval Fever, won Ecuador’s Joaquín Gallegos Lara Prize for best novel in 2022.
Egypt
Fantasy 13+
Spice Road (2023) by Maiya Ibrahim is set in a richly imagined desert kingdom inspired by Arabian history and mythology. Imani, a gifted warrior with magical abilities, has spent her life protecting her homeland from dangerous monsters. When she learns that her long-lost brother may still be alive and has joined the kingdom's greatest enemy, she secretly leaves on a perilous journey across the legendary Spice Road to find him. Along the way, Imani must confront ancient magic, hidden truths, and difficult choices that challenge everything she believes about loyalty, family, and destiny.
Maiya Ibrahim is a Canadian author of Egyptian heritage whose debut novel, Spice Road, launched the acclaimed Spice Road Trilogy. Drawing on Middle Eastern history, folklore, and culture, her novels feature immersive world-building, unforgettable characters, and themes of courage, identity, family, and belonging.
Fantasy 13+
Serpent Sea (2024) by Maiya Ibrahim continues the story of Imani after the events of Spice Road. With her world forever changed, Imani embarks on a dangerous voyage across the mysterious Serpent Sea in search of answers that could save her kingdom. As political tensions rise and ancient magic awakens, she must navigate shifting alliances, mythical creatures, and difficult choices about loyalty, power, and family. Along the way, Imani discovers that the greatest threats may come not only from monsters, but also from the secrets people keep.
Maiya Ibrahim is a Canadian author of Egyptian heritage whose debut novel, Spice Road, launched the acclaimed Spice Road Trilogy. Drawing on Middle Eastern history, folklore, and culture, her novels feature immersive world-building, unforgettable characters, and themes of courage, identity, family, and belonging.
Graphic Novel / Contemporary Fiction 13+
Huda F Are You? (2023) by Huda Fahmy is a heartfelt and humorous graphic novel about identity, belonging, and growing up. After moving to a new town, Huda finds herself struggling to fit in while everyone around her seems to know exactly who they are. As one of the few visibly Muslim students at her school, she wrestles with questions about friendship, family, faith, and self-confidence. Filled with warmth, wit, and relatable moments, the story explores themes of identity, cultural heritage, adolescence, resilience, and discovering that being yourself is enough.
Huda Fahmy is an American author and illustrator of Egyptian American heritage, best known for creating graphic novels that celebrate the experiences of Muslim teenagers with honesty, humour, and authenticity. Through engaging storytelling and expressive artwork, she explores family, faith, identity, and belonging while challenging stereotypes and encouraging empathy. Following the success of Huda F Cares? and Yes, I'm Hot in This, Huda F Are You? continues her acclaimed series, offering readers an uplifting and relatable coming-of-age story.
El Salvador
Contemporary Fiction 14+
The Weight of Everything (2023) by Marcia Argueta Mickelson is a moving coming-of-age novel about grief, identity, and healing. After the sudden death of her older brother, fifteen-year-old Stevie struggles to cope with overwhelming loss while trying to support her family and hold herself together. As she begins to confront her emotions, Stevie discovers that healing is not about carrying every burden alone but about finding connection, forgiveness, and hope. Thoughtful and deeply compassionate, the novel explores mental health, family relationships, resilience, and the courage it takes to move forward after tragedy.
Marcia Argueta Mickelson is a Salvadoran American author and educator whose writing often explores identity, family, culture, and emotional resilience. Drawing on her own experiences and heritage, she creates authentic stories that highlight the challenges and strengths of young people navigating complex lives. The Weight of Everything has been praised for its honest portrayal of grief, mental health, and the importance of community, making it a powerful addition to contemporary young adult literature.
Equatorial Guinea
Contemporary Fiction / LGBTQ+ / Coming of Age 16+
La Bastarda (2016; English translation 2018) by Trifonia Melibea Obono, translated from Spanish by Lawrence Schimel, follows Okomo, a teenage girl from Equatorial Guinea who lives under the strict expectations of her Fang family and community. Curious about the father she has never known, Okomo begins questioning the rules that govern her life and gradually forms connections with others who live outside accepted social norms, including her gay uncle and a group of young women considered “indecent” by the community. As Okomo falls in love with one of the girls, she is forced to confront expectations around gender, sexuality, family, and tradition. The novel explores identity, belonging, patriarchy, sexuality, and the tension between personal freedom and cultural expectations. It was shortlisted for the 2019 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Trifonia Melibea Obono is an Equatorial Guinean novelist, journalist, academic, and LGBTQ+ activist born in Evinayong, Equatorial Guinea, in 1982. She has studied political science, journalism, international development, gender, and equality, and has taught at the National University of Equatorial Guinea. Her writing frequently examines women’s lives, sexuality, gender inequality, and the legacies of colonialism in Equatorial Guinea. La Bastarda was the first novel by a woman from Equatorial Guinea to be translated into English, bringing an important Afro-Hispanic and LGBTQ+ perspective to international readers.
Ethiopia
Contemporary Fiction / Coming of Age / Family 14+
While Waiting for September (2026) by Hiwot Walelign Workneh follows two young Ethiopians in the uncertain period after finishing school and before beginning university or college. Both are carrying private worries about family, the future, and the choices they are expected to make. When they meet, friendship, affection, and a sense of possibility begin to change the way they see themselves and their circumstances. As they gradually open up about hidden fears and difficult experiences, they learn that their pasts do not have to determine what comes next. Warm and hopeful, the novel explores friendship, courage, family expectations, identity, young love, and the transition into adulthood. Rights material describes it as a coming-of-age novel celebrating “friendship, being brave, dealing with difficult choices and ultimately being yourself.”
Hiwot Walelign Workneh is an Ethiopian novelist, academic, journalist, editor, and translator based in Addis Ababa. She has worked in Ethiopian media for more than a decade and has an academic background in English literature. Her first young-adult novella won the national Burt Award competition in Ethiopia in 2017. Her fiction focuses particularly on the realities, struggles, resilience, and aspirations of Ethiopian young people. While Waiting for September is her second young-adult book and was published in 2026.
Finland
Historical Fiction 13+
Maresi: Red Mantle (Finnish-Swedish original 2014; English translation 2016) by Maria Turtschaninoff is the first book in The Red Abbey Chronicles. The story follows Maresi, a young girl living in the Red Abbey, a peaceful refuge where women and girls can learn, study, and live freely. When a new arrival named Jai escapes a brutal and oppressive homeland, the abbey's safety is threatened. As danger approaches, Maresi must draw upon her courage, knowledge, and compassion to protect her community. The novel explores freedom, friendship, education, resilience, and the power of women supporting one another.
Maria Turtschaninoff is a Finnish author who writes in Swedish and is internationally acclaimed for her feminist fantasy novels. Her work combines rich world-building with themes of social justice, gender equality, environmental awareness, and personal growth. Maresi has won numerous literary awards and has been translated into many languages.
Graphic Novel / Fantasy / Folklore 14+
eBook
Oksi (2021 English translation) by Mari Ahokoivu, translated from Finnish by Silja-Maaria Aronpuro, is a haunting graphic novel rooted in Finnish folklore. It follows Poorling, a strange little creature who longs to be accepted by her bear mother, Umi, and to belong among her brothers. As Poorling discovers the power to transform, her search for identity and belonging draws her into a darker world of magic, violence, rejection, and ancient forces. Blending mythology, fantasy, horror, and family drama, the book explores motherhood, identity, creation and destruction, trust, betrayal, and redemption. Oksi won the 2022 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Mari Ahokoivu is a Finnish comics artist, illustrator, and graphic novelist born in Finland in 1984. She has been publishing comics professionally since 2007 and is known for work that blends fantasy, folklore, dark humour, and visual experimentation. She both wrote and illustrated Oksi, which was first published in Finnish in 2018 and later translated into English by Silja-Maaria Aronpuro. Ahokoivu has received major recognition in Finland, including the Finnish Comics Society’s Puupäähattu award.
France
Historical Non-Fiction 10+
Hmong: A Graphic History (2022) by Vicky Lyfoung, translated by Kaoly Yang, introduces readers to the history, culture, and experiences of the Hmong people through an engaging graphic novel format. Beginning with Hmong origins in ancient China and tracing migrations across Southeast Asia, the book explores key historical events including the Secret War in Laos, refugee experiences, and the resettlement of Hmong communities around the world. Through accessible storytelling and striking illustrations, readers gain insight into a culture that is often overlooked in traditional history texts.
Vicky Lyfoung is a Hmong French author and educator whose work focuses on preserving and sharing Hmong history and culture for younger generations.
Historical Non-Fiction 12+
The Bodyguard Unit: Edith Garrud, Women’s Suffrage, and Jujitsu (2024 English edition) tells the remarkable true story of Edith Garrud, a pioneering martial arts instructor who trained a secret group of women to protect suffragette leaders in early twentieth-century Britain. When activists campaigning for women’s right to vote faced harassment, arrest, and violence, Garrud and her students used jujitsu to defend themselves and support the movement. Through dynamic illustrations and engaging storytelling, this graphic novel brings to life a fascinating chapter of history while exploring themes of courage, equality, activism, and standing up for change.
Clément Xavier and Lisa Lugrin are French graphic novel creators known for transforming historical events into accessible and engaging stories for young readers. Illustrator Albertine Ralenti brings the narrative to life with vivid artwork that captures both the energy of the suffrage movement and the determination of its participants. Together, they shine a light on an inspiring but often overlooked figure in the fight for women's rights.
Realistic Fiction 12+
No and Me (French original 2007; English translation 2010) by Delphine de Vigan follows Lou Bertignac, a highly intelligent thirteen-year-old girl living in Paris. For a school project, Lou decides to interview No, an eighteen-year-old homeless young woman she meets at a train station. As their friendship develops, Lou becomes increasingly aware of the realities of homelessness, social inequality, and the challenges faced by vulnerable people. Through Lou's perspective, the novel explores empathy, friendship, family relationships, and the transition from childhood to adolescence.
Delphine de Vigan is a French novelist whose work often examines family dynamics, social issues, and human relationships. No and Me became an international bestseller and has been praised for its sensitive portrayal of homelessness and adolescence.
Historical Fantasy / Romance / Adventure 12+
The Book of Pearl (2018 English edition) by Timothée de Fombelle, translated from French by Sarah Ardizzone and Sam Gordon, follows Joshua Pearl, a boy who has been exiled from a fairy-tale world and finds himself in Paris on the eve of World War II. Taken in by a family who run a marshmallow shop, Joshua gradually loses his memories of the magical world he came from and of the girl he loves. Determined not to forget, he begins collecting strange objects that might prove his past was real. Blending wartime historical fiction with fairy-tale fantasy, romance, mystery, and adventure, the novel explores memory, love, exile, storytelling, and the need to hold on to the parts of ourselves that others cannot see. It was shortlisted for the 2020 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Timothée de Fombelle is a French author and playwright known for imaginative novels that combine adventure, history, fantasy, and emotionally rich storytelling. His books include Toby Alone, Vango, A Prince Without a Kingdom, and The Book of Pearl. He lives in Paris, and his work has been translated into many languages. The Book of Pearl was also nominated for the Carnegie Medal and selected for the IBBY Honour List for translation.
Fantasy / Adventure / Romance 13+
A Winter’s Promise (2013; English translation 2018) by Christelle Dabos, translated from French by Hildegarde Serle, is the first book in The Mirror Visitor series. It follows Ophelia, a quiet young woman with two unusual gifts: she can read the past of objects she touches and travel through mirrors. When she is unexpectedly betrothed to Thorn, a powerful and enigmatic man from a distant floating world, Ophelia is forced to leave her family and travel to a dangerous court filled with political intrigue, hidden alliances, and secrets. As she tries to understand the motives behind her marriage and survive the hostility around her, she begins to discover that much more is at stake than her own future. The novel blends fantasy, mystery, romance, and court intrigue while exploring identity, power, loyalty, and independence.
Christelle Dabos is a French fantasy author best known for The Mirror Visitor series. Born in 1980 and raised in Cannes, she later moved to Belgium. Her writing is known for intricate world-building, unusual magical systems, political intrigue, and strong female protagonists. A Winter’s Promise launched her international career and became the first volume in a four-book series that has been translated into many languages.
Contemporary Fiction / Humour / Coming of Age 13+
Piglettes (2017 English edition) by Clémentine Beauvais, translated from French by the author herself, follows Mireille, Astrid, and Hakima, three teenage girls who have been cruelly voted the “ugliest girls” at their school in an online contest. Rather than allowing the humiliation to define them, the girls decide to turn the experience into something of their own and set off on a bicycle journey to Paris. Funny, sharp, and uplifting, the novel explores cyberbullying, body image, friendship, racism, self-confidence, and the pressure placed on girls to meet narrow standards of beauty. Piglettes received a 2019 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize Honor and won several major awards in France, including the Prix Sorcières.
Clémentine Beauvais is a French author, translator, and academic born in 1989 and based in the United Kingdom. She writes for children and young adults in both French and English and has taught English and education at the University of York. Her books often combine humour with thoughtful exploration of adolescence, identity, friendship, body image, and social expectations. Beauvais translated Piglettes into English herself, and the novel became a 2019 GLLI Translated YA Honor Book.
Historical Fiction / Holocaust / Nazi Germany 14+
Max (2012; English translation 2016/2017) by Sarah Cohen-Scali, translated from French by Penny Hueston, is a disturbing historical novel set in Nazi Germany and centred on the real Lebensborn programme. Max is conceived as part of the Nazi attempt to create children who conform to its ideal of the “Aryan” race and is raised from birth within an ideology of obedience, racial superiority, and hatred. As he grows older, Max is exposed to the indoctrination and brutality of the regime, including the kidnapping and “Germanisation” of children from occupied countries. His worldview begins to change when he forms an unexpected relationship with Lukas, a boy whose identity challenges everything Max has been taught to believe. Chilling and provocative, the novel explores indoctrination, racism, identity, friendship, morality, and the consequences of dehumanising ideology. It was shortlisted for the 2019 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Sarah Cohen-Scali is a French author born in Morocco who writes fiction for both young adults and adults. Her work often explores difficult historical and moral subjects. Max received numerous literary awards in France, including the 2013 Prix Sorcières, and brought her work to a wider international readership through Penny Hueston’s English translation. The novel is particularly noted for confronting the Nazi Lebensborn programme and the effects of ideological indoctrination from a highly unusual perspective.
Graphic Novel / War / Child Soldiers 14+
Tamba: Child Soldier (2019 English edition) by Marion Achard, illustrated by Yann Dégruel and translated from French by Montana Kane, follows Tamba Cisso, a boy kidnapped at the age of eight and forced to become a child soldier. Taken from his family and subjected to violence, intimidation, and indoctrination, Tamba is made to participate in atrocities before eventually finding an opportunity to escape. The story also follows his difficult journey toward recovery, including life in a refugee camp and his testimony before a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Powerful and unsettling without being gratuitous, the graphic novel explores war, trauma, survival, guilt, reconciliation, and the exploitation of children in armed conflict. It was shortlisted for the 2020 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Marion Achard is a French writer and circus performer, while Yann Dégruel is a French comics artist and illustrator. Achard has written numerous books for children and young adults, and Tamba: Child Soldier was her first graphic novel. Dégruel has illustrated and created many graphic works for younger readers, including adaptations of classic literature. Together, they use visual storytelling to bring attention to the experiences of children forced into armed conflict.
Graphic Novel / LGBTQ+ / Coming of Age 15+
Luisa: Now and Then (2016; English translation 2018) by Carole Maurel, translated from French by Nanette McGuinness and adapted by Mariko Tamaki, follows thirty-two-year-old Luisa, a food photographer in Paris whose life is disrupted when her fifteen-year-old self suddenly appears in the present. As the two versions of Luisa get to know one another, each is forced to confront choices, fears, and questions about identity, relationships, and sexuality. Blending time travel with emotional realism, the graphic novel explores self-acceptance, regret, coming out, love, and the distance between who we imagined we would become and who we actually are. Luisa: Now and Then was a 2020 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize Honor Book and a 2019 Stonewall Book Award Honor Book.
Carole Maurel is a French graphic novelist, illustrator, and animator born in 1980. After studying animation, she worked in audiovisual production before moving into comics and graphic novels. Her work often explores identity, relationships, women’s experiences, sexuality, and social expectations. She wrote and illustrated Luisa: Now and Then, originally published in French as Luisa, ici et là, and has also worked on titles including Coming In, Nellie Bly, and Bobigny 1972.
Historical Fiction 16+
eBook
HHhH (2012) by Laurent Binet recounts Operation Anthropoid, the daring mission to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich, one of the most powerful and ruthless figures in Nazi Germany. In 1942, Czechoslovak resistance fighters Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš are parachuted into occupied territory and sent to Prague to carry out an almost impossible task. As their paths draw closer to Heydrich’s, the novel explores courage, resistance, sacrifice and the devastating consequences of challenging tyranny. Binet also steps into the narrative, questioning how a writer can faithfully reconstruct the lives of real people without distorting history. Blending meticulous research, suspense and metafiction, HHhH is both a gripping account of wartime resistance and a compelling reflection on truth, memory and the responsibilities of historical storytelling.
Laurent Binet is a French novelist and former teacher whose writing combines history, politics and playful experimentation with literary form. His debut novel, HHhH, became an international bestseller and won the Prix Goncourt du Premier Roman in 2010. His other works include The 7th Function of Language, Civilisations and Perspectives. Binet is recognised for transforming major historical events and figures into inventive narratives that question how history is remembered, interpreted and rewritten.
Classic Fiction 16+
Hardcopy
In Search of Lost Time is Marcel Proust’s landmark seven-volume novel about memory, identity, love, art, and the changing world of French society.
Beginning with the narrator’s childhood memories in Combray, the novel follows his encounters, relationships, and reflections across many years. A sensory experience—most famously the taste of a madeleine—unlocks a powerful exploration of how memory shapes our understanding of the past and ourselves.
Marcel Proust was a French novelist, critic, and essayist. His work is celebrated for its intricate style and profound exploration of memory and time.
Literary Fiction 16+
Hardcopy
Originally published in 1932, Journey to the End of the Night is a dark, semi-autobiographical novel following Ferdinand Bardamu through the violence of the First World War, colonial Africa, industrial America, and impoverished Paris.
Through Bardamu’s disillusioned perspective, Céline offers an uncompromising critique of war, colonialism, poverty, and social injustice. The novel is renowned for its innovative, conversational style and its bleak, satirical view of modern life.
Louis-Ferdinand Céline was a French writer and physician. Journey to the End of the Night is his most influential novel. His literary legacy is also controversial because of his political views.
Georgia
Historical Fiction / Literary Fiction 16+
eBook
The Lack of Light (2022; English translation 2025) by Nino Haratischwili follows four girls growing up in Tbilisi during the turbulent years surrounding the collapse of the Soviet Union and Georgia’s civil conflicts of the 1990s. Bound by an intense friendship, Keto, Dina, Nene and Ira come of age amid political instability, violence, family tensions and rapid social change. Years later, a photography exhibition brings the surviving friends back together and forces them to confront memories they have tried to leave behind. Moving between past and present, the novel explores friendship, loyalty, trauma, love, memory and the ways political upheaval shapes individual lives. It also offers a powerful portrait of Georgia during one of the most difficult periods in its recent history.
Nino Haratischwili is a Georgian-born novelist, playwright and theatre director who was born in Tbilisi and later moved to Germany. She writes in German and is one of the most internationally recognised contemporary writers of Georgian origin. Her novels include The Eighth Life (for Brilka) and The Lack of Light, both of which explore Georgian history, family relationships, political upheaval and the lasting effects of the Soviet and post-Soviet eras. Her work has been widely translated and has received major literary recognition in Europe.
Epic Poetry / Classic Literature 15+
eBook
The Man in the Panther’s Skin by Shota Rustaveli is Georgia’s national epic and one of the most important works of medieval Georgian literature. Written in the late 12th or early 13th century, the poem follows the intertwined adventures of heroic knights whose quests are driven by friendship, loyalty, love, courage and honour. Moving across imagined kingdoms and distant lands, the story combines romance, adventure and philosophical reflection while celebrating ideals of generosity, equality and devotion. Although rooted in the medieval world, the poem continues to hold deep cultural significance in Georgia and offers readers an important window into Georgian literary heritage, values and identity.
Shota Rustaveli was a medieval Georgian poet and is regarded as one of the greatest figures in Georgian literature. He is believed to have lived during the reign of Queen Tamar, a period often described as Georgia’s Golden Age. Rustaveli’s masterpiece, The Man in the Panther’s Skin, became a foundational work of Georgian culture and has been translated into many languages. Its themes of friendship, loyalty, love, courage and human dignity have helped it remain central to Georgian national identity for centuries.
Germany
Contemporary Mystery / Romance 13+
A Castle in the Clouds (2017; English translation 2020) by Kerstin Gier, translated from German by Romy Fursland, follows seventeen-year-old Sophie, who is working as an intern at an aging grand hotel high in the Swiss Alps. As the hotel prepares for its glamorous New Year’s Eve celebration, Sophie begins to notice that some of the guests are not quite who they claim to be. Strange behaviour, hidden motives, valuable jewels, and an increasingly dangerous mystery pull her into an adventure that could threaten both her job and her safety. Witty and atmospheric, the novel blends mystery, romance, humour, and suspense while exploring independence, trust, and finding your own path. It was shortlisted for the 2021 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Kerstin Gier is a German author of young adult and adult fiction born in 1966. She is internationally known for imaginative novels that combine romance, mystery, humour, and fantasy. Her books include the bestselling Ruby Red trilogy, the Silver trilogy, and A Castle in the Clouds, and her work has been translated into many languages. She lives near Cologne, Germany.
Fantasy / Mystery / Gothic Romance 13+
The Forgotten Book (2018 English translation) by Mechthild Gläser, translated from German by Romy Fursland, follows sixteen-year-old Emma, who returns to the prestigious boarding school run by her father and discovers an old journal hidden in an abandoned room. She soon realizes that anything she writes in the book can come true. What first seems exciting quickly becomes dangerous when Emma learns that someone else knows about the book and is determined to possess it. With the help of the mysterious Darcy de Winter, she begins uncovering secrets involving the journal, a missing twin, and the school’s past. Blending fantasy, mystery, boarding-school drama, gothic atmosphere, and Jane Austen-inspired romance, the novel explores power, responsibility, trust, and the consequences of getting exactly what you wish for. It was shortlisted for the 2021 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Mechthild Gläser is a German author of young adult fantasy known for stories that combine literature, magic, mystery, and romance. Her novels often feature bookish protagonists, supernatural elements, and literary references. The Forgotten Book draws particularly on Pride and Prejudice, while remaining an original fantasy mystery rather than a direct retelling. Her work has reached an international audience through English translation, and The Forgotten Book was shortlisted for the 2021 GLLI Translated YA Book Prize.
Graphic Novel / Horror / Dystopian Fiction 14+
Ever After (2020 English edition) by Olivia Vieweg is a post-apocalyptic graphic novel set in Germany after a zombie-like outbreak has devastated society. Vivi and Eva are two young women travelling between fortified safe zones when their train breaks down, leaving them stranded in the countryside among the undead. Vivi is struggling with grief and guilt over the loss of her sister, while Eva is hiding the fact that she may be infected. As they travel together, they face zombie attacks, fear, memory, and the emotional consequences of survival. Dark, atmospheric, and visually distinctive, the book blends horror and action with themes of friendship, trauma, guilt, and resilience. It was shortlisted for the 2021 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Olivia Vieweg is a German graphic novelist, illustrator, and screenwriter born in Jena in 1987. She studied visual communication at Bauhaus University Weimar and is known for graphic novels that combine manga-influenced artwork with horror, fantasy, and emotionally complex characters. Her works include Ever After, Huck Finn, and Heavy Sea, My Dear. The original German version of Ever After began as her university work and was later adapted into a feature film. Vieweg lives and works in Weimar.
Biography / History 16+
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy (2010) by Eric Metaxas tells the story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian and pastor who opposed the Nazi regime and became involved in resistance efforts against Adolf Hitler. The biography follows Bonhoeffer from his early theological work and international experiences to his leadership in the Confessing Church, his involvement in the German resistance, and his eventual imprisonment and execution in 1945. The book explores faith, conscience, courage, moral responsibility, and the difficult choices individuals face under dictatorship. It also provides a detailed account of Germany during the rise of Nazism and the Second World War.
Eric Metaxas is an American author, speaker, and broadcaster born in New York City to parents of Greek and German heritage. He has written biographies, essays, and works on religion, history, and public life. His books include Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, Amazing Grace, and Martin Luther. His writing often focuses on historical figures whose lives were shaped by questions of faith, conscience, and moral courage.
Ghana
Realistic Fiction 12+
Crossing the Stream (2021) is an award-winning middle-grade novel by Ghanaian author Elizabeth-Irene Baitie. The story follows Ato, a twelve-year-old boy in Ghana who dreams of visiting Nnoma, an island bird sanctuary his late father helped create. To win a school competition, Ato and his friends begin a project that leads them into family secrets, environmental questions, and fears connected to his grandmother’s home. Warm, thoughtful, and suspenseful, the novel explores courage, grief, family healing, friendship, and learning to face what frightens us.
Elizabeth-Irene Baitie is a Ghanaian children’s and young adult author based in Accra. She has received recognition including the Children’s Africana Book Award, the Burt Award for African Young Adult Literature, and the Macmillan Writer’s Prize for Africa. Her books often combine adventure, family relationships, Ghanaian settings, and coming-of-age themes.
Realistic Fiction 12+
Flying Through Water(2024) is a gripping survival story by Ghanaian author Mamle Wolo. Set in contemporary Ghana, the novel follows Sena, a boy from a rural village whose dreams of helping his family are shattered when he falls into the hands of human traffickers. Forced into dangerous labour on a remote fishing island, Sena must rely on courage, resilience, and determination to survive and find a way home. Inspired by real issues affecting children in West Africa, the novel explores themes of poverty, family, freedom, and hope while highlighting the strength of the human spirit.
Mamle Wolo is a Ghanaian-German author, poet, and screenwriter based in Accra, Ghana. She is known for writing stories that celebrate Ghanaian culture while addressing important social issues affecting young people. Her novel The Kaya Girl won the 2011 Burt Award for African Literature (Ghana) and was later recognized as a Children’s Africana Book Award Honor Book for older readers.
Realistic Fiction 13+
Goldenborn (2026) by Ama Ofosua Lieb follows Akoma Addo, a seventeen-year-old who secretly investigates magical crimes in San Francisco’s near-future AfricaTown. Since a mysterious sphere of light left her father in a coma, Akoma has tried to avoid the supernatural. When a murder victim is discovered in molten gold and ash, however, the investigation leads her to Anansi, the Ghanaian trickster god of stories. He offers Akoma a dangerous bargain: help him catch the killer and awaken the ancestral magic hidden within her, and he may be able to restore her father. As Akoma conceals the truth from those she loves and grows closer to the mysterious Xander, she must decide whom she can trust. Rooted in Ghanaian mythology, the novel explores grief, family, identity, cultural inheritance, storytelling, truth, power, trust, and first love.
Ama Ofosua Lieb is a Ghanaian-born author who has lived in Canada, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Nigeria, South Africa, and the United States. She earned degrees in economics and sociology from Stanford University and now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family. Goldenborn, her debut novel, was selected as a Good Morning America YA Book Club Pick and a 2026 Golden Poppy Book Award finalist, while Lieb was named a Publishers Weekly 2026 Writer to Watch.
Realistic Fiction 14+
The Deep Blue Between (2020) by Ayesha Harruna Attah follows twin sisters Hassana and Husseina, who are separated after their village in northern Ghana is attacked. Forced onto different paths across West Africa, each girl faces challenges involving survival, identity, family, and belonging while searching for a way back to one another. Inspired by historical events and West African cultures, the novel explores resilience, migration, faith, and the enduring bonds of family.
Ayesha Harruna Attah is a Ghanaian author whose novels often focus on African history, identity, and the experiences of young people. Her work has received international acclaim for its rich storytelling and vivid portrayal of West African cultures and landscapes.
Realistic Fiction 14+
Serwa Boateng's Guide to Vampire Hunting (2022) by Roseanne A. Brown follows Serwa Boateng, a spirited Ghanaian American girl who discovers that her family's tradition of protecting magical creatures also includes hunting vampires. When dangerous vampires begin appearing in her suburban Maryland community, Serwa must embrace her destiny while balancing school, friendships, and family expectations. Inspired by Ghanaian folklore, the novel blends humor, adventure, and fantasy while exploring courage, identity, family, and cultural heritage.
Roseanne A. Brown is a Ghanaian American author best known for writing fantasy inspired by West African history and mythology. She gained international recognition with her bestselling YA fantasy duology A Song of Wraiths and Ruin. Through her novels, Brown celebrates African folklore and culture while creating exciting adventures featuring strong, relatable young protagonists.
Realistic Fiction 16+
Homegoing (2016) by Yaa Gyasi, narrated by Dominic Hoffman, begins with two half-sisters born in eighteenth-century Ghana. Effia is married to a British slave trader and lives in Cape Coast Castle, while Esi, unknown to her sister, is imprisoned in the castle’s dungeon and transported across the Atlantic into slavery. The novel follows their descendants across three centuries in Ghana and the United States, moving through the transatlantic slave trade, British colonialism, plantation slavery, convict labor, the Great Migration, segregation, the civil-rights era, and twentieth-century Harlem. Through interconnected personal stories, the novel explores slavery, colonialism, racism, family, identity, migration, inherited trauma, memory, resistance, and the lasting influence of history on later generations.
Yaa Gyasi is a Ghanaian American novelist born in Mampong, Ghana, and raised primarily in Huntsville, Alabama. She studied English and creative writing at Stanford University and earned an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Homegoing, her debut novel, won the National Book Critics Circle’s John Leonard Prize, the PEN/Hemingway Award, and the American Book Award. Gyasi was also selected for the National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35 and received the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Literature.
Greece
Historical Fiction 11+
eBook
The Wildcat Behind Glass (1963; new English translation 2024) by Alki Zei, translated from Greek by Karen Emmerich, is set on a Greek island in 1936 as dictatorship and fascism begin to reshape everyday life. Seven-year-old Melia and her older sister Myrto spend their summer surrounded by family stories, games, and the mysterious stuffed wildcat kept in their great-aunt’s house. But as political tensions grow, their cousin Nikos is forced into hiding, adults become fearful of the authorities, and the sisters begin to understand that the world around them is changing. Told through a child’s perspective, the novel explores family, freedom, courage, political division, and the gradual loss of innocence under authoritarian rule. The 2024 translation was named a 2025 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize Honor Book.
Alki Zei was a Greek novelist and one of the most important figures in modern Greek children’s literature. Born in Athens in 1923, she studied philosophy, drama, and screenwriting and was also active in left-wing politics. Political persecution led her to spend periods in exile in the Soviet Union and later in Paris before returning to Greece in 1974. Her novels often combine children’s perspectives with major historical and political events, exploring freedom, resistance, family, and social change. The Wildcat Behind Glass was her first novel and became a classic of Greek children’s literature, translated into many languages.
Mathematical Fiction 13+
eBook
Uncle Petros and Goldbach’s Conjecture (2000) by Apostolos Doxiadis follows a young man determined to uncover the truth about his reclusive uncle. Petros is dismissed by his family as a failure, but he was once a brilliant mathematician who devoted his life to proving Goldbach’s Conjecture—the deceptively simple claim that every even number greater than two can be expressed as the sum of two prime numbers. As his nephew investigates Petros’s past, he discovers a story of extraordinary ambition, intellectual obsession and devastating disappointment. Blending fiction with the history of mathematics, the novel features celebrated figures such as Hardy, Ramanujan, Gödel and Turing. It explores genius, perseverance, failure, family expectations and the sacrifices people make in pursuit of an impossible dream.
Apostolos Doxiadis is a Greek writer, playwright and filmmaker whose work brings mathematics and storytelling together. After studying mathematics at Columbia University and in Paris, he turned to the arts. His international bestseller Uncle Petros and Goldbach’s Conjecture helped establish mathematical fiction as a recognised genre. He is also the co-author of the acclaimed graphic novel Logicomix.
Guatemala
Contemporary Fiction 14+
Hardcopy
We Are Not from Here (2020) by Jenny Torres Sanchez follows three Guatemalan teenagers, Pulga, Chico, and Pequeña, whose lives become threatened by gang violence. Believing that remaining at home will lead to death, they flee Guatemala and travel north through Mexico toward the United States. Their journey takes them aboard La Bestia, a dangerous network of freight trains used by many migrants seeking safety. Along the way, the friends face hunger, exploitation, violence, and constant uncertainty. Told through alternating perspectives, the novel presents migration as a desperate search for survival rather than a simple choice. It explores friendship, trauma, displacement, and the hope of finding a place where life can begin again.
Jenny Torres Sanchez is an American author and former English teacher whose fiction centres young people facing injustice and difficult choices. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she draws inspiration from her family’s Central American heritage and from the experiences of immigrant communities. Her novels include Because of the Sun, The Fall of Innocence, and Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia. We Are Not from Here received a Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Honor and appeared on several best-book lists. Sanchez writes with honesty and compassion about grief, identity, migration, and the resilience of teenagers. She lives in Orlando, Florida, with her family.
Guyana
Poetry 13+
Border Zone (2004) by John Agard is a powerful collection of poems that explores identity, history, migration, language, and belonging through wit, imagination, and striking imagery. Drawing on his experiences growing up in Guyana and later living in the United Kingdom, Agard invites readers to question borders—both physical and psychological—and to celebrate the richness of cultural diversity. His poems blend humour with serious reflection, encouraging readers to think critically about history, race, colonialism, freedom, and what it means to belong in an increasingly interconnected world. Accessible yet thought-provoking, the collection explores themes of identity, heritage, language, justice, migration, and the power of storytelling.
John Agard is a Guyanese British poet, playwright, and children's author celebrated for his vibrant use of language and his exploration of culture, identity, and social justice. Born in Georgetown, Guyana, he moved to Britain in 1977 and has become one of the most influential contemporary poets writing in English. His poetry frequently combines Caribbean rhythms, humour, and oral storytelling traditions while challenging readers to rethink history and question assumptions. Agard has received numerous literary honours, including the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry (2012), and many of his poems are studied in schools around the world for their powerful messages about diversity, equality, and human connection.
Haiti
Realistic Fiction 14+
Hardcopy
Nigeria Jones (2023) by Ibi Zoboi follows sixteen-year-old Nigeria, who has been raised within the Movement, a Black separatist community founded and led by her powerful activist father in Philadelphia. Homeschooled, vegan and deeply connected to the Movement’s traditions, Nigeria has always been taught exactly what to believe and who she should become. When her mother suddenly disappears, Nigeria must care for her baby brother while taking on responsibilities she never wanted. She then discovers that her mother secretly hoped she would attend a private Quaker school outside the Movement. Defying her father, Nigeria enrols and begins questioning her upbringing, her family and the meaning of freedom. This compelling novel explores Black identity, feminism, activism, grief, family loyalty and the courage to define oneself.
Ibi Zoboi is a Haitian American author born in Port-au-Prince and raised in New York City. Her young-adult novel American Street was a National Book Award finalist, and her other works include Pride, My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich and Punching the Air, co-written with Yusef Salaam. She has also written Star Child, a biography of Octavia E. Butler, and edited the anthology Black Enough. Nigeria Jones received the 2024 Coretta Scott King Author Award. Zoboi’s writing frequently explores Black identity, immigration, family, history and belonging.
Realistic Fiction 14+
Pride (2018) by Ibi Zoboi is a contemporary reimagining of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, set in Brooklyn. Seventeen-year-old Zuri Benitez is proud of her Afro-Latino roots, her close-knit family, and her rapidly changing Bushwick neighbourhood. When the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, Zuri immediately clashes with their younger son, Darius, whom she sees as arrogant and disconnected from the community. As their paths continue to cross, however, both begin to question their assumptions about one another. Blending romance, humour, family relationships and social commentary, Pride explores identity, class, gentrification, cultural pride and belonging while giving Austen’s familiar story a fresh, contemporary voice.
Ibi Zoboi is a Haitian American author born in Port-au-Prince and raised in New York City. Her young-adult novel American Street was a National Book Award finalist, and her other works include Pride, My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich and Punching the Air, co-written with Yusef Salaam. She has also written Star Child, a biography of Octavia E. Butler, and edited the anthology Black Enough. Nigeria Jones received the 2024 Coretta Scott King Author Award. Zoboi’s writing frequently explores Black identity, immigration, family, history and belonging.
Romance 14+
A Girl's Guide to Love & Magic (2023) by Debbie Rigaud follows Cinnamon, a Haitian American teenager from a family with magical abilities who dreams of finding true love. When a spell meant to help with romance goes unexpectedly wrong, Cinnamon finds herself navigating magical mishaps, complicated friendships, family expectations, and questions about what love really means. Set against a vibrant backdrop inspired by Haitian culture and folklore, the novel blends humour, romance, and self-discovery.
Debbie Rigaud is a Haitian American author known for writing joyful, contemporary stories that celebrate Black teens, family, culture, and identity. Her novels often feature strong community connections, humour, and themes of personal growth.
Hong Kong
Realistic Fiction 10+
New From Here (2022) by Kelly Yang follows Knox Wei-Evans, a Chinese American boy whose life changes overnight when his family leaves Hong Kong at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and relocates to California. Suddenly separated from friends, adapting to a new school, and facing rising anti-Asian prejudice, Knox must navigate uncertainty while helping care for his siblings and supporting his family through a challenging period.
Kelly Yang is a Chinese American author best known for Front Desk, Three Keys, and Parachute Kids-adjacent themes of immigration, family sacrifice, and belonging. She is one of the most widely read middle-grade authors in schools today.
Hungary
Historical Fiction 14+
eBook
Abigail (1970; English translation 2020) by Magda Szabó follows fourteen-year-old Gina Vitay, who is suddenly sent away from Budapest to a strict boarding school during World War II. Angry, confused, and isolated from her father, Gina struggles to adapt to the school’s rigid rules and traditions. She eventually learns about Abigail, a mysterious figure whom students believe helps those in danger. As the war intensifies, Gina begins to understand why she was sent away and discovers that the people around her may be protecting her in ways she never imagined. Blending coming-of-age, mystery, friendship, and wartime tension, the novel explores courage, trust, loyalty, resistance, and the loss of innocence.
Magda Szabó was a Hungarian novelist, poet, and translator and is regarded as one of Hungary’s most important 20th-century writers. Born in Debrecen in 1917, she lived through war, dictatorship, and censorship, experiences that shaped much of her writing. Her novels often explore family relationships, memory, secrecy, morality, and the pressures of history on individual lives. Her best-known works in English include Abigail, The Door, and Katalin Street. Abigail became one of her most beloved novels in Hungary and has introduced a new generation of international readers to her work.
Iceland
Realistic Fiction 12+
The Casket of Time (2019 English translation; Icelandic original 2013) by Andri Snær Magnason follows Sigrún, a teenage girl whose family enters “TimeBoxes” to sleep through a global crisis, hoping to wake when the world is better. When Sigrún wakes too early, she finds society abandoned and nature taking over. Blending fantasy, science fiction, fairy tale, and environmental themes, the novel explores responsibility, climate crisis, greed, and courage.
Andri Snær Magnason is an Icelandic author from Reykjavík whose work includes children’s books, fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and environmental writing. The Casket of Time won major Icelandic children’s literature awards and is published in English.
India
Fantasy 13+
The Ivory Key (2022) is an epic fantasy inspired by Indian history and mythology. In the kingdom of Ashoka, magic is powered by a rare substance called vichr. When the supply begins to run out, four estranged royal siblings must work together to uncover the secret of its source. Forced into an uneasy alliance, they embark on a dangerous journey filled with political intrigue, ancient mysteries, betrayal, and hidden magic. As family loyalties are tested, each sibling must decide what they are willing to sacrifice for their kingdom. Rich in world-building and adventure, the novel explores power, identity, and the bonds of family.
Akshaya Raman is an Indian-American author who grew up in the United States while maintaining strong connections to her South Asian heritage. She writes fantasy novels inspired by Indian culture, history, and mythology, bringing diverse voices and settings to the young adult fantasy genre. The Ivory Key is her debut novel and the first book in a fantasy series.
Fantasy 12+
The Dream Runners (2024) by Shveta Thakrar is a lush fantasy adventure inspired by Indian mythology and folklore. The story follows two teens whose lives become intertwined through a magical realm connected to dreams. As ancient forces stir and hidden truths emerge, they must navigate a world where dreams hold power, myths come alive, and the boundary between imagination and reality begins to blur. Richly imagined and atmospheric, the novel combines adventure, magic, and self-discovery with themes rooted in South Asian storytelling traditions.
Shveta Thakrar is an Indian American author best known for Star Daughter and Divining the Leaves. Her work is celebrated for weaving Hindu mythology, folklore, and contemporary themes into beautifully crafted fantasy worlds.
Realistic Fiction 11+
The Bridge Home (2019) by Padma Venkatraman follows Viji, an eleven-year-old girl who flees an abusive home in India with her younger sister, Rukku. Alone on the streets of Chennai, they find refuge beneath a bridge where they form an unlikely family with two homeless boys. Together they face hunger, danger, illness, and poverty, while discovering friendship, loyalty, and hope. Told through Viji's powerful voice, the novel shines a light on the lives of street children while celebrating resilience and human connection.
Padma Venkatraman is an Indian American author known for award-winning novels that combine compelling storytelling with social issues. Her books often highlight underrepresented voices and global perspectives.
Romance 13+
Kismat Connection (2024) by Ananya Devarajan is a contemporary YA romance centered on Madhuri Iyer and Arjun Mehta, whose families have long imagined they would one day be a perfect match. As cultural expectations, family traditions, and personal ambitions collide, the two teenagers must decide whether destiny ("kismat") should determine their futures—or whether they should define happiness on their own terms. Set against the backdrop of Indian American family life, the novel combines romance, humour, and self-discovery with thoughtful reflections on identity and belonging.
Ananya Devarajan is an Indian American author whose novels explore family relationships, cultural identity, and the experiences of South Asian teens growing up between cultures.
Romance 13+
When Dimple Met Rishi (2017) by Sandhya Menon follows Dimple Shah, an ambitious Indian American teenager who dreams of becoming a web developer and attending a prestigious coding program. Her parents, however, are more concerned about finding her the perfect husband. Enter Rishi Patel, a romantic and tradition-minded teen who arrives at the same summer program believing that he and Dimple are there to begin an arranged courtship approved by their families. What follows is a funny, heartfelt, and charming story about family expectations, cultural identity, friendship, and first love.
Sandhya Menon is an Indian American author whose novels helped bring South Asian American teen experiences into mainstream YA romance. When Dimple Met Rishi became a bestseller and remains one of the most influential diverse YA romances of the past decade.
Contemporary Fiction 14+
While You Were Dreaming (2024) by Alisha Rai is a contemporary young adult novel that blends romance, mystery, and social justice. Sonia Patil's quiet life changes overnight when she rescues a stranger during a public act of violence. Suddenly thrust into the spotlight, Sonia must navigate media attention, complicated friendships, first love, and difficult questions about identity, privilege, and belonging. As she uncovers hidden truths and learns to trust her own voice, Sonia discovers that courage is not only found in extraordinary moments but also in the choices we make every day. The novel explores themes of family, cultural identity, activism, resilience, and finding the confidence to shape your own future.
Alisha Rai is an American author of Indian heritage, best known for her bestselling contemporary romance novels. With While You Were Dreaming, she makes her young adult debut, bringing her trademark warmth, emotional depth, and diverse characters to a coming-of-age story. Rai's writing celebrates identity, relationships, and self-discovery while encouraging readers to embrace empathy, authenticity, and the power of speaking up for what matters.
Fantasy 14+
Monsters Born and Made (2022) by Tanvi Berwah is an action-packed fantasy inspired by South Asian mythology and culture. Koral and her family survive by raising fearsome maristags—powerful sea monsters—on an island where wealth and privilege determine who lives and who suffers. When her younger sister falls gravely ill, Koral enters the deadly Glory Race, a competition traditionally reserved for the elite, risking everything to win the prize money needed to save her family. Filled with breathtaking world-building, dangerous creatures, and thrilling adventure, the novel explores themes of inequality, family loyalty, courage, sacrifice, and the fight against injustice.
Tanvi Berwah is an Indian author whose stories are inspired by South Asian folklore, history, and mythology. Her writing combines immersive fantasy with compelling social themes, creating richly imagined worlds that examine class, survival, identity, and resilience. Monsters Born and Made, her debut novel, has been widely praised for its original setting, unforgettable monsters, and fast-paced storytelling, establishing Berwah as an exciting new voice in young adult fantasy.
Contemporary Fiction 13+
Hardcopy
Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet (2006) by Kashmira Sheth follows sixteen-year-old Jeeta as her family arranges marriages for her two older sisters in Mumbai. Jeeta questions the customs her mother accepts, especially the belief that a girl’s future depends on marriage, obedience, and fair skin. Encouraged by her new friend Sarina, she becomes more confident about her education and her ambition to study law. When she falls for Sarina’s cousin Neel, Jeeta must balance her feelings with loyalty to her tradition-bound family. Warm and thoughtful, the novel explores colourism, gender expectations, family duty, education, and the tension between tradition and personal choice.
Kashmira Sheth is an Indian American author whose books draw on her experiences of India and the United States. Born and raised in Gujarat, she moved to the United States at seventeen and earned a degree in microbiology from Iowa State University. She worked as a scientist before becoming an author of picture books, middle-grade fiction, and young adult novels. Her writing often explores migration, family relationships, Indian culture, and the challenges young people face when navigating different traditions. Her books have received numerous honours and have been translated into several languages.
Indonesia
Thriller 10+
The Songbird and the Rambutan Tree (2024) by Lucille Abendanon follows Emmy, a Dutch girl growing up in Batavia—present-day Jakarta—in 1942. She loves her home and wants to remain near her Javanese best friend, Bakti, despite the inequalities created by Dutch colonial rule. When the Japanese army invades the Dutch East Indies, Emmy’s world is shattered. Separated from her family and friends and imprisoned with other women and children in the Tjideng internment camp, she must find the courage to survive, reclaim her voice, and hold on to hope. Inspired by the experiences of the author’s grandmother, the novel explores friendship, war, colonialism, privilege, injustice, displacement, identity, belonging, courage, and resilience.
Lucille Abendanon is a multicultural author who spent her childhood between England and South Africa and has lived in several countries, including Vietnam, Thailand, Turkey, and the Netherlands. Her experiences of moving between cultures shape her interest in identity and belonging. The Songbird and the Rambutan Tree, her debut novel, was inspired by her grandmother Emmy’s experiences as a prisoner in Tjideng during World War II.
Young Adult Romantic Comedy 12+
Didn’t See That Coming (2023) by Jesse Q. Sutanto follows Kiki Siregar, a confident seventeen-year-old gamer living in Indonesia. Online, Kiki pretends to be a boy to avoid harassment from male players. Even her closest gaming friend, known only as Sourdawg, does not know her real identity. When Kiki transfers to an elite private school and discovers that Sourdawg is one of her new classmates, she must determine who he is while concealing her own secret. As an online friendship begins to turn into real-life romance, Kiki confronts sexism, bullying, family expectations, and the challenge of being herself. The novel explores identity, online safety, gender discrimination, friendship, honesty, courage, and first love.
Jesse Q. Sutanto is an Indonesian Chinese author known for writing bestselling novels for both young readers and adults. She enjoys blending humor, mystery, and fantasy while drawing inspiration from Asian cultures and folklore. Through stories like Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit, Sutanto introduces readers to rich mythological traditions while creating fun and relatable adventures.
Thriller 14+
The Obsession (2024) by Jesse Q. Sutanto follows Delilah, a teenager whose life is turned upside down when admiration from a classmate becomes something much darker. What begins as unwanted attention escalates into stalking, manipulation, and fear, forcing Delilah to confront questions about safety, trust, and control. Refusing to remain a victim, she takes matters into her own hands, leading to a tense and suspenseful battle of wits. Fast-paced and psychologically gripping, the novel explores the impact of obsession in the age of social media and constant connectivity.
Jesse Q. Sutanto is an Indonesian Chinese author known for writing bestselling novels for both young readers and adults. She enjoys blending humor, mystery, and fantasy while drawing inspiration from Asian cultures and folklore. Through stories like Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit, Sutanto introduces readers to rich mythological traditions while creating fun and relatable adventures.
Iran
Fantasy 10+
Rostam Wrecks the Realm (2026) by Olivia Abtahi follows Rostam Zamini, a boy who has only recently adjusted to life on Enceladus, one of Saturn’s moons, when his family must move again—this time to the remote planet Pars-1. Desperate to impress his new classmates and earn some “space cred,” Rostam makes a bargain with Zahhak, an ancient demon prince from Persian mythology. In exchange for popularity, Rostam agrees to find a legendary golden mace from the Shahnameh, or Persian Book of Kings. When he delivers it, however, he accidentally destroys the planet’s ancient red sun and plunges Pars-1 into darkness. Rostam must accept responsibility for his choices and find a way to save his new home. Combining futuristic space travel with Persian mythology, the novel explores belonging, friendship, family, discrimination, inequality, exploitation, courage, and the consequences of seeking approval. It contains fantasy violence, dangerous creatures, forced labor, and moments of suspense.
Olivia Abtahi is an Iranian Argentine American author and filmmaker who writes books for children and young adults. She studied film at New York University and now lives in Denver, Colorado. Her debut novel, Perfectly Parvin, received an SCBWI Golden Kite Honor and a YALSA Odyssey Honor. Her other books include Azar on Fire, the New Visions Award–winning Twin Flames, and the acclaimed picture book The Interpreter. Rostam Wrecks the Realm was named a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and received starred reviews for its imaginative combination of science fiction, Persian mythology, humor, and social themes.
Fantasy 12+
Twin Flames (2022) by Olivia Abtahi follows twin sisters Sanam and Mina, who discover they possess extraordinary magical powers connected to ancient Persian mythology. Although they share a powerful bond, the sisters have very different personalities and ambitions. When dangerous forces begin to threaten their family and community, they must learn to work together while confronting secrets about their heritage, identity, and the true nature of their powers.
Olivia Abtahi is an Iranian American author whose work often draws upon Persian culture, mythology, and family traditions. Twin Flames is notable for bringing Persian-inspired fantasy into middle-grade fiction, a perspective still relatively rare in children's publishing.
Nonfiction 12+
Everything Sad Is Untrue (a true story) (2020) by Daniel Nayeri tells the remarkable story of Khosrou, a boy growing up in Iran whose family is forced to flee because of their Christian faith. After years as refugees, they eventually settle in the United States, where Khosrou—now Daniel—must navigate a new language, a new culture, and the challenge of explaining his past to classmates who do not understand his experiences. Told through stories, memories, myths, and humour, the book explores what it means to belong, remember, and tell your own story.
Daniel Nayeri is an Iranian American author best known for writing stories that draw on themes of migration, identity, and belonging. After emigrating from Iran as a child, he often incorporates elements of his own experiences into his work. His memoir Everything Sad Is Untrue (a true story) won the Michael L. Printz Award and numerous other honors, while The Teacher of Nomad Land received the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, earning acclaim for bringing an overlooked historical story to life.
Historical Fiction 13+
The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams (2023) by Daniel Nayeri is a wildly imaginative historical fantasy set along the ancient Silk Road. The story follows Omar, a young boy tasked with accompanying the legendary storyteller and dream seller Samir on a dangerous journey. The problem? Everyone seems to want Samir dead. As assassins, bandits, rulers, and rivals pursue them, Omar discovers that stories can be as powerful as weapons, and that truth often depends on who is telling it.
Daniel Nayeri is an Iranian American author best known for writing stories that draw on themes of migration, identity, and belonging. After emigrating from Iran as a child, he often incorporates elements of his own experiences into his work. His memoir Everything Sad Is Untrue (a true story) won the Michael L. Printz Award and numerous other honors, while The Teacher of Nomad Land received the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, earning acclaim for bringing an overlooked historical story to life.
Realistic Fiction 14+
Darius the Great Is Not Okay (2018) by Adib Khorram follows Darius Kellner, a Persian-American teenager struggling with depression, family expectations, and feeling like an outsider in both the United States and his Iranian heritage. When he travels to Iran to visit his grandparents, Darius forms an unexpected friendship that helps him better understand himself, his culture, and what it means to belong. The novel is a heartfelt exploration of identity, mental health, family, and friendship.
Adib Khorram is an Iranian-American author known for writing young adult fiction that celebrates Persian culture and explores themes of identity, mental health, and belonging. Darius the Great Is Not Okay was his debut novel and received widespread acclaim for its authentic representation of a teen living with depression.
Fantasy 14+
eBook and Hardcopy
Every Spiral of Fate (2025) is fantasy novel about magic, love, and dangerous secrets as characters fight to protect their world while facing impossible choices and powerful forces. It is the fourth book in the This Woven Kingdom series. The story blends adventure, romance, and spectacular magical battles that keep readers turning pages.
Tahereh Mafi is an Iranian-American author best known for the Shatter Me series, writing lyrical young adult fiction that explores identity, trauma, love, and power.
Contemporary Fiction / Romance · Ages 14+
Hardcopy
A Very Large Expanse of Sea (2018) by Tahereh Mafi is set in 2002, a year after the September 11 attacks. Sixteen-year-old Shirin has started at yet another high school. As a Muslim girl who wears a hijab, she faces stares, insults, and prejudice, and has learned to keep her distance from other students. Music and breakdancing with her brother give her a place to be herself. Then she meets Ocean James, who seems genuinely interested in getting to know her. Shirin must decide whether she can trust him enough to let him past the defences she has built. The novel explores first love, identity, and Islamophobia.
Tahereh Mafi is an Iranian-American author best known for the Shatter Me series, writing lyrical young adult fiction that explores identity, trauma, love, and power.
Realistic Fiction U FIC NAZ 14+
Hardcopy
Only This Beautiful Moment (2024) delves into the lives of three generations of Iranian-American men, exploring themes of identity, love, and the complexities of family dynamics. It has garnered critical acclaim, winning the 2024 Stonewall Book Award and the Lambda Literary Award for Young Adult Literature.
Abdi Nazemian is an Iranian-American author, screenwriter, and producer, known for his works that often explore LGBTQ+ themes and Iranian-American experiences.
Iraq
Contemporary Fiction / Iraqi American / Social Issues 14+
In the Country I Love (2026) by Alaa Al-Barkawi follows two Iraqi American best friends, Yassir Al-Azzawi and Khaled Al-Hakim, whose families have been estranged for years. Seventeen-year-old Yassir is a single father struggling academically and questioning his Shia faith, while Khaled appears to be the ideal student but is carrying family secrets of his own. After a series of incidents involving school, police, Islamophobia, and a hate crime, long-buried tensions within both families begin to surface. Told through multiple perspectives and across different moments in time, the novel explores friendship, faith, Iraqi American identity, generational trauma, racism, family expectations, and the lasting effects of war. Kirkus recommends it for ages 14–18.
Alaa Al-Barkawi is a first-generation Iraqi American Shia Muslim writer. She co-runs QuillersSWANA, a literary organization supporting Southwest Asian and North African writers, and serves as a Literary Peace Ambassador for Threads of Peace. She holds a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and has worked with refugee and immigrant students for nearly a decade. In the Country I Love is her debut novel.
Ireland
Historical Fiction 11+
No Ballet Shoes in Syria (2019) by Catherine Bruton follows Aya, an eleven-year-old Syrian refugee who has recently arrived in Britain with her mother and younger brother. Struggling to adapt to a new country while worrying about family members left behind, Aya unexpectedly discovers a talent for ballet. When she earns a chance to audition for a prestigious dance school, she must balance her dreams with the realities of refugee life and the challenges facing her family.
Catherine Bruton is an Irish author known for writing middle-grade and young adult fiction that often explores nature, adventure, and emotional growth.
Science Fiction 12+
After (2024) is a fast-paced science fiction adventure set in a future world recovering from catastrophe. When a teenage boy wakes up with no memory of who he is or how he survived, he is forced to navigate a dangerous landscape filled with secrets, abandoned technology, and competing groups struggling for control. As he searches for the truth about his past, he uncovers clues that could change the future of the world itself. Suspenseful and thought-provoking, the novel explores themes of identity, memory, survival, and the impact of technology on society.
Pádraig Kenny is an Irish author known for imaginative middle-grade and young adult fiction that blends adventure, science fiction, and heartfelt storytelling. His acclaimed novels include Tin, Pog, The Monsters of Rookhaven, and After. Kenny's books often feature memorable characters, questions about humanity and belonging, and richly imagined worlds that appeal to readers who enjoy both action and deeper themes.
Gothic Fantasy 12+
The Monsters of Rookhaven (2020) by Pádraig Kenny, illustrated by Edward Bettison, is set in a mysterious mansion hidden deep in the Irish countryside. The house is home to a family of monsters—creatures unlike anything found in ordinary fairy tales—who live by one rule: remain hidden from the human world. When a lonely human girl named Mirabelle discovers the house and befriends its unusual residents, she becomes entangled in a struggle that threatens both worlds. As danger approaches, the monsters and Mirabelle must learn what it truly means to belong, trust, and protect one another.
Pádraig Kenny is an Irish author known for imaginative middle-grade and young adult fiction that blends adventure, science fiction, and heartfelt storytelling. His acclaimed novels include Tin, Pog, The Monsters of Rookhaven, and After. Kenny's books often feature memorable characters, questions about humanity and belonging, and richly imagined worlds that appeal to readers who enjoy both action and deeper themes.
Israel
Historical Fiction / Holocaust / World War II 12+
When We Had Wings by Tami Shem-Tov is a historical novel inspired by the experiences of children connected to Janusz Korczak’s orphanage in Warsaw during the Holocaust. The story follows young people whose lives are transformed by war, persecution, separation, and loss, while also showing the importance of friendship, courage, dignity, and hope. Through a young reader’s perspective, the novel introduces the realities of Nazi occupation and Jewish persecution without losing sight of the humanity and resilience of the children at its centre. It offers an accessible way for secondary students to engage with Holocaust history through personal experience and storytelling.
Tami Shem-Tov is an Israeli author of children’s and young adult literature whose work often explores history, identity, memory, and the experiences of young people during times of conflict. She has written a number of acclaimed books for younger readers and is known for making difficult historical subjects accessible through carefully researched, emotionally engaging stories. When We Had Wings reflects her interest in Jewish history, childhood, and the moral choices people make in times of danger.
Contemporary Fiction / Identity / Social Issues 16+
Dancing Arabs (2002; English translation 2004) by Sayed Kashua, translated from Hebrew by Miriam Shlesinger, is a semi-autobiographical novel about a Palestinian citizen of Israel growing up between Arab and Jewish communities. The unnamed narrator leaves his hometown of Tira after winning a place at an elite Jewish boarding school in Jerusalem, where he becomes increasingly conscious of language, class, prejudice, and the expectations attached to his identity. As he tries to assimilate and gain acceptance, he finds himself caught between different cultures and increasingly uncertain about where he belongs. Darkly humorous and often uncomfortable, the novel explores identity, discrimination, assimilation, family, nationalism, and the psychological cost of trying to fit into a society divided by ethnicity and politics.
Sayed Kashua is a Palestinian writer and journalist who was born in Tira and is a citizen of Israel. He writes primarily in Hebrew and is known for using humour and satire to explore the experiences of Palestinian citizens of Israel, particularly questions of identity, belonging, language, and life between Arab and Jewish societies. His books include Dancing Arabs, Let It Be Morning, Second Person Singular, and Track Changes. He also created the acclaimed television series Arab Labor. Kashua later moved to the United States, where he has taught at the University of Illinois.
Italy
Historical Fiction 11+
Iqbal (2001; English translation) by Francesco D'Adamo is a powerful historical novel inspired by the true story of Iqbal Masih, a Pakistani boy who became an international symbol in the fight against child labour. Told through the eyes of his friend Fatima, the story follows a group of children forced to work in a carpet factory under harsh and dangerous conditions. Despite the risks, Iqbal's courage and determination inspire the children to dream of freedom and stand up against injustice. Based on real events, the novel explores themes of human rights, courage, friendship, hope, justice, resilience, and the power of one person to make a difference.
Francesco D'Adamo is an Italian author best known for writing historical and socially conscious fiction for young readers. His novels often explore issues of justice, inequality, and human dignity through compelling stories inspired by real events. Iqbal has been translated into many languages and has become a widely used classroom text around the world, helping young readers develop empathy and a deeper understanding of global issues. D'Adamo's work encourages students to think critically about fairness, courage, and the importance of standing up for the rights of others.
Dark Fairy Tale / Illustrated Fiction 14+
You Can’t Kill Snow White (2022 English edition) by Beatrice Alemagna, translated from French by Karin Snelson and Emilie Robert Wong, retells the familiar Snow White story from the perspective of the jealous queen. Rather than presenting a simple battle between good and evil, the book enters the queen’s troubled inner world and explores the fear, envy, narcissism, rage, and obsession that drive her actions. Alemagna’s unsettling paintings make the story feel more psychological and disturbing than traditional versions of the fairy tale, while also asking readers to think about cruelty, beauty, innocence, punishment, and the darker parts of human nature. It was shortlisted for the 2023 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize. The publisher recommends it for ages 14+.
Beatrice Alemagna is an Italian author and illustrator born in Bologna and based in Paris. She has written and illustrated dozens of internationally acclaimed books, known for distinctive artwork that combines painting, collage, texture, and experimental visual storytelling. Her work has been translated widely, and she has been repeatedly nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award and shortlisted for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. You Can’t Kill Snow White was created specifically as a visually sophisticated picture book for teenagers and adults.
Contemporary Thriller / Crime / Survival 14+
Run for Your Life (2018 English translation) by Silvana Gandolfi, translated from Italian by Lynne Sharon Schwartz, follows two boys whose lives become connected through violence and organized crime in Sicily. Santino witnesses the murder of his father and grandfather after they cross the Mafia and must decide whether to cooperate with the police or remain silent under the code of omertà. Meanwhile, twelve-year-old Lucio travels south from Livorno with his younger sister after receiving a mysterious message about their missing mother. As their stories converge, the novel becomes a tense survival thriller about courage, family, fear, and choosing what is right when the consequences are dangerous. Inspired by a real-life Mafia episode, it was shortlisted for the 2021 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize and was also a 2019 Batchelder Honor Book.
Silvana Gandolfi is an Italian author of children’s and young adult literature and one of Italy’s most widely translated writers for younger readers. She is known for combining adventure and suspense with serious social and ethical questions. Her books include Run for Your Life and Aldabra, or The Tortoise Who Loved Shakespeare, and she has received the Andersen Prize, one of Italy’s major awards for children’s literature. She lives in Rome.
Historical / Literary Fiction 16+
My Brilliant Friend (2012 English edition) by Elena Ferrante, translated by Ann Goldstein, follows Elena and Lila from childhood through adolescence in a working-class neighbourhood of 1950s Naples. Elena is diligent and eager to succeed at school; Lila is fiercely intelligent, rebellious, and unpredictable. Their friendship becomes a source of inspiration, jealousy, loyalty, and competition as education and family expectations begin to lead them towards different futures. Against a backdrop of poverty, neighbourhood violence, and restrictive gender roles, the novel explores who gets the opportunity to develop their talents—and what it costs to pursue a life beyond the world that shaped them. It is the first book in Ferrante’s acclaimed Neapolitan Quartet.
Elena Ferrante is an internationally acclaimed Italian novelist who writes under a pseudonym. Her Neapolitan Quartet traces the complex friendship of Elena and Lila against the changing social landscape of Italy. Her other novels include The Days of Abandonment, The Lost Daughter, and The Lying Life of Adults. Known for her intense portrayal of friendship, ambition, class, and women’s lives, Ferrante examines the tension between belonging to a community and seeking independence. Her work has reached readers worldwide through translation, and My Brilliant Friend was adapted into an HBO television series.
Historical Mystery / Literary Fiction 16+
Hardcopy
Set in a Benedictine monastery in northern Italy in 1327, The Name of the Rose follows Brother William of Baskerville and his novice, Adso of Melk, as they investigate a series of mysterious deaths.
As they search the monastery’s labyrinthine library for answers, the novel explores faith, reason, knowledge, power, and censorship against the background of medieval Europe. Blending a murder mystery with historical fiction and philosophical ideas, it is a richly detailed and intellectually demanding read.
Umberto Eco was an Italian novelist, philosopher, medievalist, and semiotician. The Name of the Rose was his internationally acclaimed debut novel.
Ivory Coast
Realistic Fiction 14+
Aya: Life in Yop City (French original 2005; English edition 2007) by Marguerite Abouet, illustrated by Clément Oubrerie, is a graphic novel set in 1970s Côte d’Ivoire. The story follows Aya, a thoughtful and ambitious teenager living in Yopougon (known as Yop City), a working-class neighbourhood of Abidjan. While Aya dreams of becoming a doctor, her friends navigate relationships, family expectations, and the challenges of growing up. Full of humour, warmth, and everyday drama, the novel offers a vivid portrait of urban African life rarely seen in children's and young adult literature.
Marguerite Abouet is an Ivorian author who grew up in Abidjan before moving to France. Through the Aya series, she sought to present a positive and authentic portrayal of life in Côte d’Ivoire, challenging stereotypes about Africa. Clément Oubrerie is a French illustrator whose artwork helped make the series internationally acclaimed.
Japan
Graphic Novel / Fantasy 12+
The Worst Ronin (2024) by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, illustrated by Faith Schaffer, is a fast-paced graphic novel inspired by Japanese folklore and samurai legends. Chihiro has always dreamed of becoming a legendary warrior, but when she is unexpectedly paired with the grumpy, washed-up ronin Tatsuo, her adventure is nothing like she imagined. Together they battle dangerous spirits, mysterious monsters, and unexpected enemies while learning that true heroism comes from perseverance, friendship, and believing in yourself. Filled with humour, action, and heart, the story explores themes of courage, teamwork, resilience, identity, and finding strength in unlikely places.
Maggie Tokuda-Hall is an American author of Japanese American heritage whose work celebrates adventure, folklore, and diverse voices. She writes award-winning books for young readers that blend imagination with themes of identity, belonging, and social justice. Illustrator Faith Schaffer brings the story to life with dynamic artwork that captures the excitement, humour, and emotional depth of the characters. The Worst Ronin is a vibrant graphic novel that introduces readers to Japanese-inspired fantasy through an engaging and accessible adventure.
Historical Fiction 11+
Dust of Eden (2014) by Mariko Nagai tells the story of Mina Masako Tagawa, a thirteen-year-old Japanese American girl living in Seattle during the Second World War. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, fear and racism spread across the United States, and the government forces Mina’s family from their home to an incarceration camp in Idaho. Through poems, letters, and brief reflections, Mina records the loss of her freedom and her separation from her best friend. She also struggles to understand why her own country treats her family as the enemy. This novel in verse explores prejudice, national identity, friendship, and the strength people find in family and hope.
Mariko Nagai is a Japanese-born poet, novelist, translator, and educator whose writing often recovers voices that history has overlooked. Born in Tokyo, she grew up in Belgium and the United States. She earned a degree in English and American literature from Boston University and later completed a master’s degree in creative writing at New York University. Nagai has received Pushcart Prizes for both poetry and fiction. Her books for young readers include Dust of Eden, Under the Broken Sky, and The Sword of Yesterday. She teaches creative writing and Japanese literature at Temple University, Japan Campus, where she also serves as a professor and faculty adviser.
Fantasy / Adventure 12+
The Village Beyond the Mist (2025 English translation) by Sachiko Kashiwaba, translated from Japanese by Avery Fischer Udagawa and illustrated by Miho Satake, follows a young girl who becomes separated from her planned summer destination and discovers a mysterious village hidden beyond the mist. As she meets its unusual residents and gradually becomes part of their world, she is drawn into a series of strange, whimsical, and sometimes unsettling experiences. Blending fantasy, adventure, and coming-of-age, the novel explores independence, courage, curiosity, belonging, and the discovery of unfamiliar communities. The story was originally published in Japan in 1975 and later became one of the inspirations associated with the imaginative tradition that includes Spirited Away.
Sachiko Kashiwaba is a Japanese author of children’s and young adult fantasy whose work often blends everyday life with magical and folkloric elements. Born in 1953, she has published numerous novels for young readers and is widely respected in Japan for imaginative storytelling rooted in Japanese culture and folklore. Her books include The Village Beyond the Mist and Temple Alley Summer, both of which have reached English-language readers through translation. Her work frequently explores wonder, courage, identity, and the boundary between ordinary and magical worlds.
Contemporary Fiction 13+
Before the Coffee Gets Cold (2015; English translation 2019) by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is a gentle and thought-provoking novel set in a small Tokyo café where customers can travel back in time—but only under very specific rules. Each visitor hopes to revisit a meaningful moment with someone they have lost, to say goodbye, seek forgiveness, or find closure. Although the past cannot be changed, the experience transforms how they understand the present and face the future. Told through a series of interconnected stories, the novel blends magical realism with heartfelt emotion, exploring themes of love, family, friendship, regret, forgiveness, memory, and the importance of cherishing every moment.
Toshikazu Kawaguchi is a Japanese playwright, theatre director, and bestselling author. Originally written as an award-winning stage play, Before the Coffee Gets Cold was later adapted into a novel that became an international phenomenon, selling millions of copies and inspiring a bestselling series translated into more than forty languages. Kawaguchi's writing is celebrated for its warmth, simplicity, and emotional depth, using elements of magical realism to explore universal questions about relationships, loss, hope, and the value of time. His stories continue to resonate with readers around the world, reminding us that while we cannot change the past, we can always change how we live today.
Contemporary Fantasy / Coming of Age 13+
The Cat Who Saved Books (2017; English translation 2021) by Sosuke Natsukawa, translated from Japanese by Louise Heal Kawai, follows Rintaro Natsuki, a quiet high-school student grieving the death of his grandfather. Rintaro expects to close the second-hand bookshop he has inherited, but then a talking tabby cat named Tiger appears and asks for his help rescuing books that are being mistreated or neglected. Their journey takes them through a series of strange labyrinths, where Rintaro encounters people who value books for speed, status, or profit rather than for the ideas and experiences they contain. Warm, philosophical, and imaginative, the novel explores grief, courage, friendship, reading, critical thinking, and the power of literature to connect people.
Sosuke Natsukawa is a Japanese physician and novelist born in Osaka Prefecture in 1978 and based in Nagano. He graduated from Shinshu University School of Medicine and continues to work as a doctor alongside his writing. His literary career began with the bestselling Kamisama no Karute (God’s Medical Records) series, which sold more than three million copies in Japan and was adapted for film. The Cat Who Saved Books became an international bestseller and was his first novel translated into English.
Fantasy / Adventure 13+
eBook
The Beast Player (2018 English translation) by Nahoko Uehashi, translated from Japanese by Cathy Hirano, follows Elin, a young girl whose mother cares for dangerous serpent-like beasts called Toda. After tragedy separates Elin from her family, she grows up learning to understand the natural world and develops an extraordinary ability to communicate with powerful creatures known as Royal Beasts. As she becomes caught between political factions, military power, and traditions she increasingly questions, Elin must decide what kind of person she wants to become. The novel blends fantasy, adventure, politics, ecology, and coming-of-age while exploring compassion, responsibility, freedom, and the consequences of controlling nature. It won the 2020 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize and also received a Michael L. Printz Honor and Batchelder Honor.
Nahoko Uehashi is a Japanese fantasy author and cultural anthropologist born in Tokyo in 1962. Her academic background in cultural anthropology, including fieldwork with Indigenous communities in Australia, strongly influences the societies, environments, and cultures she creates in her fiction. Her major works include the Moribito series, The Beast Player, and The Deer King. Uehashi received the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing in 2014, one of the highest international honours in children’s literature.
Graphic Novel / LGBTQ+ / Family 13+
eBook
My Brother’s Husband (English editions 2017–2018) by Gengoroh Tagame, translated from Japanese by Anne Ishii, follows Yaichi, a single father in Tokyo, whose life changes when Mike Flanagan arrives from Canada. Mike is the widower of Yaichi’s estranged twin brother, Ryoji. While Yaichi initially feels uncomfortable and unsure how to respond, his young daughter Kana immediately welcomes Mike into the family. Through their time together, Yaichi is forced to confront assumptions he has never questioned about sexuality, family, prejudice, and acceptance. Warm, thoughtful, and often moving, the two-volume manga explores grief, cultural attitudes, parenthood, and what it means to belong to a family. It won the inaugural 2019 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Gengoroh Tagame is a Japanese manga artist and author born in 1964 and based in Tokyo. He studied at Tama University of Art and became a full-time manga artist in the 1990s. My Brother’s Husband was his first all-ages work and brought his writing to a much broader international audience. The book received the Japan Media Arts Festival Award for Outstanding Work of Manga and the 2018 Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia. Tagame’s work often explores LGBTQ+ identity, family, prejudice, acceptance, and relationships.
Fantasy 14+
Songs for Ghosts (2024) by Clara Kumagai is a beautifully crafted fantasy inspired by Japanese folklore and history. Set in Japan, the novel follows a teenage musician who becomes entwined with restless spirits, ancient traditions, and long-forgotten family secrets. As the boundary between the living and the dead begins to blur, she must uncover the truth behind a haunting curse while discovering the healing power of memory, music, and love. Atmospheric and deeply emotional, the story explores themes of grief, identity, family, sacrifice, cultural heritage, and the enduring connections that transcend death.
Clara Kumagai is a Canadian author of Japanese and Canadian heritage who lives in Japan. Drawing on her multicultural background, she writes lyrical young adult fiction inspired by Japanese mythology, folklore, and contemporary life. Her acclaimed novels blend magical realism with emotional depth, exploring themes of identity, belonging, memory, and resilience. Songs for Ghosts showcases her gift for creating hauntingly beautiful stories that celebrate the power of culture, storytelling, and human connection.
Fantasy 14+
If Cats Disappeared from the World (2012; English translation 2014) by Genki Kawamura is a poignant and thought-provoking novel that explores what truly gives life meaning. When a young postman learns he has only a short time to live, he is offered an extraordinary bargain by the Devil: for each additional day of life he receives, something must disappear from the world forever. As everyday objects—and eventually beloved cats—are placed at risk, he begins to reflect on love, loss, friendship, family, and the memories that define who we are. Blending gentle humour, magical realism, and heartfelt emotion, the novel explores themes of mortality, gratitude, relationships, purpose, and appreciating the ordinary moments that make life extraordinary.
Genki Kawamura is a Japanese author, filmmaker, and film producer whose work is celebrated for its emotional depth and imaginative storytelling. Before becoming a novelist, he produced several award-winning Japanese films, bringing a cinematic quality to his writing. If Cats Disappeared from the World became an international bestseller, selling millions of copies and being translated into more than thirty languages. His novels invite readers to reflect on life's biggest questions through simple yet profound stories that celebrate human connection, compassion, and the beauty of everyday life.
Contemporary Fiction / Mental Health / Coming of Age 14+
Colorful (1998; English translation 2021) by Eto Mori, translated from Japanese by Jocelyne Allen, follows a soul that is given another chance at life by inhabiting the body of Makoto Kobayashi, a fourteen-year-old boy who has recently died by suicide. Told that this second chance is temporary, the narrator must discover what serious mistake they committed in a previous life while also trying to understand Makoto’s family, friendships, and unhappiness. As the story unfolds, the narrator begins to see that other people’s lives are more complicated than they first appear. Thoughtful, compassionate, and often surprisingly funny, the novel explores depression, suicide, family conflict, friendship, identity, empathy, and the possibility of seeing life differently. It was shortlisted for the 2022 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Eto Mori is a Japanese novelist and children’s author born in Tokyo in 1968. She has written widely for children, teenagers, and adults and is known for emotionally perceptive stories about adolescence, family, identity, and human relationships. Colorful became one of her best-known novels in Japan, won the Sankei Children’s Book Award, and has been adapted several times for film and animation. The English translation by Jocelyne Allen introduced the novel to a wider international readership.
Fantasy 15+
The Devotion of Suspect X (2005; English translation 2011) by Keigo Higashino is an ingenious psychological mystery that turns the traditional detective story on its head. When a single mother and her daughter accidentally kill an abusive ex-husband, their quiet, brilliant neighbour—a gifted mathematics teacher—devises an extraordinary plan to protect them from suspicion. As Detective Kyoichiro Kaga investigates the seemingly impossible case, he becomes locked in a battle of wits with his former university rival, the physicist Manabu Yukawa. Combining intellectual puzzles with profound emotional depth, the novel explores themes of love, sacrifice, justice, obsession, morality, and the extraordinary lengths people will go to protect those they care about.
Keigo Higashino is a Japanese bestselling author and one of the world's most acclaimed writers of crime fiction. A former engineer, he is renowned for crafting intelligent mysteries that combine intricate plots with deep psychological insight. His internationally celebrated novels, including The Devotion of Suspect X, Journey Under the Midnight Sun, and Malice, have won numerous literary awards and been adapted into films and television series. Higashino's work has been translated into more than forty languages, earning him a global reputation for redefining the modern detective novel through compelling characters, moral complexity, and brilliantly constructed mysteries.
Fantasy 15+
Malice (2007; English translation 2014) by Keigo Higashino is a gripping psychological mystery that challenges readers to look beyond the question of who committed the crime and instead ask why. When bestselling novelist Kunihiko Hidaka is found murdered on the eve of his move overseas, Detective Kyoichiro Kaga quickly identifies the killer. Yet as the investigation unfolds, the seemingly straightforward case becomes an intricate puzzle of hidden motives, buried resentments, and carefully constructed lies. Masterfully plotted, the novel explores themes of truth, friendship, jealousy, ambition, revenge, and the complexity of human relationships, keeping readers questioning every assumption until the final page.
Keigo Higashino is a Japanese bestselling author and one of the world's most acclaimed writers of crime fiction. A former engineer, he is renowned for crafting intelligent mysteries that combine intricate plots with deep psychological insight. His internationally celebrated novels, including The Devotion of Suspect X, Journey Under the Midnight Sun, and Malice, have won numerous literary awards and been adapted into films and television series. Higashino's work has been translated into more than forty languages, earning him a global reputation for redefining the modern detective novel through compelling characters, moral complexity, and brilliantly constructed mysteries.
Fiction 14+
Love Me Tomorrow (2025) by Emiko Jean follows Ava, a Japanese American teenager whose carefully planned future begins to unravel as she faces family expectations, first love, friendship, and the uncertainty of life after high school. As Ava navigates relationships and difficult choices, she learns that happiness doesn't always follow the path others have chosen for her.
Emiko Jean is a Japanese American author best known for Tokyo Ever After, Tokyo Dreaming, and Mika in Real Life. Her novels are celebrated for authentic portrayals of Japanese American identity, family dynamics, and contemporary teen life.
Fiction 14+
Tokyo Ever After (2021) by Emiko Jean follows Izumi Tanaka, a Japanese American teenager from Northern California who discovers that her previously unknown father is the Crown Prince of Japan. Suddenly whisked away to Tokyo, Izumi must navigate royal protocol, media attention, cultural expectations, and first love while trying to reconcile her American upbringing with her Japanese heritage.
Inspired by the premise of The Princess Diaries, the novel offers a modern story grounded in bicultural identity and family relationships.
Emiko Jean is a Japanese American author best known for Tokyo Ever After, Tokyo Dreaming, and Mika in Real Life. Her novels are celebrated for authentic portrayals of Japanese American identity, family dynamics, and contemporary teen life.
Contemporary Fiction 15+
Kitchen (1988; English translation 1993) by Banana Yoshimoto is a beautifully understated novel about grief, healing, and the unexpected families we create. The story follows Mikage Sakurai, a young woman who finds comfort in cooking after the death of her grandmother. Taken in by a friend and his unconventional family, Mikage gradually learns to rebuild her life through friendship, love, and the quiet routines of everyday living. Told with warmth, sensitivity, and touches of magical realism, the novel explores themes of loss, resilience, identity, loneliness, family, acceptance, and the healing power of human connection.
Banana Yoshimoto is a Japanese bestselling author whose distinctive voice has made her one of the most influential contemporary writers in Japan. Since the publication of Kitchen, she has written numerous acclaimed novels that blend everyday life with emotional insight and subtle elements of the surreal. Her works frequently explore themes of grief, memory, love, family, and personal transformation, resonating with readers around the world. Translated into more than thirty languages, Yoshimoto has received numerous international literary awards and is celebrated for her lyrical prose, compassionate storytelling, and ability to find hope and beauty in life's most difficult moments.
Mathematical Fiction 15+
Hardcopy
Math Girls by Japanese author Hiroshi Yuki follows three high school students who meet to explore mathematics together. Through their conversations, puzzles, and developing friendships, they work through ideas that take them beyond the classroom textbook.
The story blends a light romance with detailed mathematical explanations. Readers can follow the characters’ curiosity, pause to try a problem themselves, or explore a proof in depth. It is an inviting choice for students who enjoy mathematics and want to see how mathematicians think.
Hiroshi Yuki is a Japanese author who writes about mathematics, programming, and cryptography. He is best known for the Math Girls series, which brings mathematical ideas to life through conversations among curious students. Combining storytelling with detailed explanations, his books invite readers to explore problems, compare approaches, and enjoy the process of discovery. The series has earned a publishing award from the Mathematical Society of Japan. Yuki’s work shows how mathematics can be both rigorous and creative.
Jordan
Realistic Fiction 10+
Other Words for Home (2019) by Jasmine Warga follows Jude, a Syrian girl who leaves her home with her mother to live with relatives in the United States. As Jude adjusts to a new language, school, friendships, and cultural expectations, she also worries about the family and country she left behind. Told in verse, the novel explores identity, belonging, courage, and what it means to make a new home without forgetting the old one.
Jasmine Warga is an Arab American author whose books often explore family, identity, migration, and belonging. Her writing is known for warmth, empathy, and accessible storytelling for young readers.
Contemporary / War Fiction 13+
Wild Poppies (2023 English translation) by Haya Saleh, translated from Arabic by Marcia Lynx Qualey, follows two Syrian brothers, Omar and Sufyan, whose family is forced to flee after their father is killed during the civil war. Fifteen-year-old Omar tries to keep the family together through cautious, practical choices, while twelve-year-old Sufyan becomes involved with a group that promises food and money in exchange for increasingly dangerous tasks. When Sufyan is taken away and drawn into armed extremism, Omar must find the courage to rescue him. Told through the alternating perspectives of the two brothers, the novel explores war, displacement, family responsibility, radicalization, survival, and the difficult choices young people face in conflict. Wild Poppies was shortlisted for the 2024 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Haya Saleh is a Jordanian author, journalist, and writer of children’s and young adult literature. Her work often addresses the experiences of young people living through conflict, displacement, and social change in the Arab world. Wild Poppies, originally published in Arabic in 2020, was translated into English by Marcia Lynx Qualey and brought her work to a wider international readership.
Kenya
Contemporary Fiction / Education / Social Issues 13+
Never Say Never (2012) by Anthony Mugo follows Daniel Muthini Njoki, a Kenyan teenager from a poor single-parent household whose life is derailed when he is arrested and sent first to a remand home in Murang’a and then through a series of approved schools and rehabilitation institutions. Despite being an innocent inmate, Daniel struggles through harsh conditions, bullying, discipline, uncertainty, and repeated setbacks while holding on to his determination to continue his education. Eventually, he reaches Kabete, completes his secondary-school examinations, and earns the possibility of going to university. The novel explores poverty, injustice, resilience, institutional life, education, family conflict, and the determination to build a better future. It won the inaugural Burt Award for African Writing in Kenya in 2012.
Anthony Mugo is a Kenyan author based in Nairobi who writes fiction for young people as well as mystery fiction. He studied economics at Moi University and first gained recognition through the National Book Development Council of Kenya’s Budding Writers prizes in 2009 and 2010. Never Say Never, which draws partly on his own struggles to obtain an education, won the 2012 Burt Award for African Writing, and his later novel Ask the Stars won the same award in 2014.
South Korea
Realistic Fiction 14+
eBook and Hardcopy
A Step from Heaven (2001) by An Na is a powerful novel told through the eyes of Young Ju, who emigrates from South Korea to the United States as a young child. Her family believes America is a "step from heaven," but instead they face poverty, language barriers, cultural adjustment, and domestic abuse. As Young Ju grows from childhood into adolescence, she struggles to balance Korean traditions with American life while finding her own voice and strength.
An Na was born in South Korea and immigrated to the United States as a child. She writes from her own experience of growing up between two cultures.
Contemporary Fiction 11+
When Tomorrow Burns (2024) by Tae Keller is a heartfelt survival story about family, resilience, and hope in the face of climate change. Twelve-year-old Marigold lives in a future where devastating wildfires have become a constant threat. When a massive fire forces her family to flee their mountain home, Marigold must navigate uncertainty, loss, and difficult choices while discovering the strength of her community and her own courage. Combining an exciting survival adventure with thoughtful reflections on environmental responsibility, the novel explores themes of family, climate resilience, friendship, belonging, hope, and the power of working together during times of crisis.
Tae Keller is a Korean American author celebrated for writing thoughtful middle-grade novels that blend emotional depth with elements of folklore, family, and identity. She won the 2021 Newbery Medal for When You Trap a Tiger, a novel inspired by Korean folklore and intergenerational storytelling. Through her books, Keller explores themes of courage, cultural heritage, empathy, and resilience, encouraging young readers to find hope and strength even in challenging circumstances. Her stories have received widespread critical acclaim for their warmth, authenticity, and memorable characters.
Historical Fiction / Thriller 13+
ASAP (2024) by Axie Oh follows Sori and Nathaniel, two Korean American teenagers living in Seoul who unexpectedly reconnect after a chance encounter. As they navigate school, friendships, family expectations, and questions about their futures, their relationship begins to deepen. Set against the vibrant backdrop of contemporary Seoul, the novel explores identity, belonging, first love, and the challenges of balancing personal dreams with the expectations of others.
Axie Oh is a Korean American author known for writing young adult novels that blend romance, contemporary life, and Korean culture. Her books, including The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea and XOXO, have gained international popularity for their engaging characters and vivid settings.
Realistic Fiction 12+
Finding Junie Kim (2021) by Ellen Oh follows Junie Kim, a Korean American girl struggling with bullying, loneliness, and feelings of not fitting in at school. When she learns about her grandparents' experiences during the Korean War, Junie begins to see her own challenges in a new light. As family stories of survival, loss, courage, and resilience unfold, she discovers a deeper connection to her heritage and gains strength to face difficulties in her own life.
Ellen Oh is a Korean American author, editor, and literary advocate known for championing diversity in children's and young adult literature. She is the author of numerous acclaimed novels and a co-founder of We Need Diverse Books, an organization dedicated to increasing representation in publishing. Her work often explores identity, culture, community, and the experiences of young people navigating a multicultural world.
Graphic Memoir 13+
Almost American Girl (2020) by Robin Ha tells the story of her move from Seoul, South Korea, to Huntsville, Alabama, at age fourteen. What begins as a summer visit becomes a permanent move when her mother announces she is getting married. Robin must adjust to a new school, a new language and a new stepfamily while missing her friends and the comics she loved in Korea. Angry with her mother and unsure where she belongs, she gradually finds connection through a comic-drawing class. Told in vivid illustrations, this memoir explores immigration, identity, family and the power of art to help someone find her place.
Robin Ha is a Korean American author and illustrator who grew up reading and drawing comics in Seoul. She moved to the United States at fourteen and later studied illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design. Her books include the bestselling comic cookbook Cook Korean! and the graphic novel The Fox Maidens. In Almost American Girl, Ha draws on her own experiences to tell a personal story about starting over, finding community and building an identity across two cultures.
Contemporary Fiction 14+
Hardcopy
Emergency Contact (2018) by Mary H. K. Choi follows Penny Lee, a Korean American student who leaves home to study creative writing at college in Austin, Texas. There she meets Sam, a twenty-one-year-old café manager struggling with anxiety, financial hardship and an uncertain future. After an unexpected encounter, they agree to become each other’s emergency contacts. Their friendship develops primarily through text messages, allowing them to share fears and ambitions they find difficult to express face-to-face. Smart, funny and emotionally honest, the novel explores loneliness, anxiety, cultural identity, family relationships and the complicated ways technology can help people form genuine connections.
Mary H. K. Choi is a Korean American author, journalist and editor. She was born in Seoul, moved to Hong Kong as a baby and relocated to Texas shortly before turning 14. She later attended the University of Texas at Austin and now lives in Brooklyn. Before writing novels, Choi worked extensively in cultural journalism, contributing to The New York Times, The Atlantic, GQ, Wired and other publications. She was also a culture correspondent for Vice News, wrote comics for Marvel and DC, and hosts podcasts about careers, creativity and mental health.
Science Fiction / Dystopian Fiction 14+
Snowglobe (2020; English translation 2024) by Soyoung Park, translated from Korean by Joungmin Lee Comfort, is a dystopian science-fiction novel set in a frozen future where most people live in poverty outside the climate-controlled city of Snowglobe. Inside the dome, wealthy residents live as celebrities whose lives are constantly broadcast to the outside world. When famous star Haeri suddenly dies, teenager Chobahm is recruited to take her place and preserve the illusion that everything is perfect. As Chobahm enters a world of wealth, fame, surveillance, and manipulation, she begins to uncover disturbing secrets beneath Snowglobe’s glamorous surface. Fast-paced and suspenseful, the novel explores inequality, identity, media influence, privilege, and the cost of living under constant observation. Snowglobe was shortlisted for the 2025 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Soyoung Park is a South Korean author whose fiction combines speculative storytelling with contemporary social themes. Snowglobe became a bestseller in Korea and gained international attention following its English translation. Her work explores technology, fame, inequality, surveillance, identity, and the pressures created by highly controlled societies. The English edition of Snowglobe was shortlisted for the 2025 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Contemporary Fiction / Coming of Age / Neurodiversity 14+
Almond (2017; English translation 2020) by Sohn Won-pyung, translated from Korean by Sandy Joosun Lee, follows Yunjae, a teenager born with a condition that makes it difficult for him to recognize and express emotions. His mother and grandmother try to help him understand other people by teaching him emotional cues and social responses, but after a sudden tragedy, Yunjae is left largely on his own. His life begins to change when he meets Gon, a volatile and angry boy whose emotions seem almost overwhelming by comparison. Through their unlikely friendship, Yunjae begins to understand connection, empathy, grief, courage, and what it means to care for another person. Quiet, moving, and accessible, the novel explores identity, friendship, trauma, emotional difference, and the possibility of personal growth. It was named a 2021 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize Honor Book.
Sohn Won-pyung is a South Korean novelist, filmmaker, and screenwriter born in Seoul in 1979. She studied sociology and philosophy before training in film directing. Almond, her debut novel, became an international bestseller and has been translated into many languages. Her writing often explores identity, human relationships, empathy, isolation, and the ways people learn to understand one another.
Laos
Realistic Fiction 12+
A Year Without Home (2021) by V.T. Bidania follows Maxine, an eleven-year-old girl whose family is forced to leave Bangladesh after political violence threatens their safety. They relocate to St. Louis, Missouri, where Max must cope with culture shock, homesickness, language differences, and the challenge of building a new life while worrying about the family members left behind.
V.T. Bidania is a Hmong American author whose family fled Laos as refugees after the Vietnam War and later settled in the United States. Drawing on her family's experiences, she writes heartfelt middle-grade novels that explore identity, immigration, belonging, and Hmong culture.
Lithuania
Historical Fiction 14+
I Must Betray You (2022) by Ruta Sepetys is set in Romania in 1989, during the final months of Nicolae Ceaușescu's brutal communist dictatorship. The novel follows Cristian Florescu, a seventeen-year-old boy who dreams of becoming a writer. When Romania's secret police blackmail him into becoming an informant, Cristian is forced to navigate a dangerous world where friends, neighbours, and even family members may be spying on one another. As revolution begins to stir across Eastern Europe, he must decide whether to remain silent or risk everything to fight for freedom.
Ruta Sepetys is a Lithuanian-American author renowned for her historical fiction that uncovers overlooked stories from history. Her novels, including Between Shades of Gray, have won numerous awards and are praised for their meticulous research and emotional storytelling.
Historical Fiction 14+
Salt to the Sea (2016) by Ruta Sepetys follows four young people—Joana, a Lithuanian nurse; Florian, a Prussian art restorer; Emilia, a Polish refugee; and Alfred, a German sailor—as they struggle to survive the final months of World War II. Their paths converge aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship carrying thousands of refugees toward what they hope will be safety. Inspired by one of history’s deadliest maritime disasters, the novel explores war, displacement, trauma, courage, compassion, survival, and the importance of remembering overlooked histories.
Ruta Sepetys is a Lithuanian-American author renowned for her historical fiction that uncovers overlooked stories from history. Her novels, including Between Shades of Gray, have won numerous awards and are praised for their meticulous research and emotional storytelling.
Historical Fiction 10+
The Bletchley Riddle (2024) by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin follows siblings Jakob and Lizzie Novis during the summer of 1940. While mathematical genius Jakob works secretly at Bletchley Park to break Nazi Germany’s Enigma code, determined Lizzie begins an investigation into their mother’s mysterious disappearance. Surrounded by spies, secrets, and wartime danger, the siblings must solve interconnected puzzles without knowing whom they can trust. The novel explores codebreaking, courage, family, secrecy, teamwork, truth, and the hidden contributions of young people and women during World War II.
Ruta Sepetys is a Lithuanian-American author renowned for her historical fiction that uncovers overlooked stories from history. Her novels, including Between Shades of Gray, have won numerous awards and are praised for their meticulous research and emotional storytelling.
Madagascar
Realistic Fiction 12+
Hardcopy
King of Nothing (2024) by Nathanael Lessore follows Anton, the self-proclaimed king of Year 9 at his South London school. Feared by the other students and determined to protect his reputation, Anton believes that toughness and control are the foundations of respect. After serious trouble at school, his mother forces him to join the Happy Campers, a local activity group that includes Matthew—the student Anton considers the school’s biggest loser. When Matthew unexpectedly saves Anton’s life, the two boys begin an unlikely friendship that challenges everything Anton believes about popularity, loyalty and masculinity. Funny, warm and insightful, the novel explores peer pressure, toxic masculinity, friendship and the courage required to choose a different path.
Nathanael Lessore is a British author of French and Madagascan heritage who was born in Camberwell and grew up in Peckham, South London. His stories portray the humour, warmth and creativity of communities that he rarely saw represented in books during his childhood. His debut novel, Steady for This, won the 2024 Branford Boase Award and was shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing. King of Nothing won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for Older Readers, the Jhalak Children’s and Young Adult Prize and the Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Award. His other books include What Happens Online and the Not My Superpower series.
Malaysia
Fantasy 14+
Girls of Storm and Shadow (2019) by Natasha Ngan is the second book in the Girls of Paper and Fire trilogy. The story continues the journey of Lei and Wren, two young women who escaped the oppressive royal court at the end of Girls of Paper and Fire. Now fugitives, they travel across the kingdom seeking allies while confronting political corruption, rebellion, and the consequences of challenging a brutal system. As they encounter new cultures, magical traditions, and threats, their relationship is tested by secrets, trauma, and the demands of revolution.
Natasha Ngan is a British author of Malaysian-Chinese and Indonesian heritage. Her Indonesian ancestry comes through her father's family, making her one of the few internationally successful YA fantasy authors with Indonesian roots.
Mystery 14+
Hardcopy
Queen of the Tiles (2022) is a contemporary mystery that combines competitive Scrabble, friendship, and self-discovery. The story follows Najwa Bakri, a Malaysian American teenager who returns to the world of competitive word games after the sudden death of her best friend and Scrabble champion, Trina Low. At a prestigious tournament, Najwa begins receiving mysterious messages hidden in game tiles, leading her to uncover secrets about Trina’s life and death. As she navigates grief, rivalry, and questions of identity, Najwa learns the importance of courage, truth, and finding her own voice.
Hanna Alkaf is a Malaysian author known for writing acclaimed middle grade and young adult novels that often explore identity, culture, friendship, and social issues. Her books include The Weight of Our Sky, The Girl and the Ghost, Hamra and the Jungle of Memories, and Queen of the Tiles. Alkaf is celebrated for bringing Malaysian perspectives and Muslim representation to contemporary children's and young adult literature while crafting engaging, emotionally rich stories.
Realistic Fiction 13+
The Cats We Meet Along the Way (2022) by Nadia Mikail follows Aisha, a Malaysian teenager living in a near-future world threatened by climate catastrophe. As environmental collapse looms and society begins to unravel, Aisha and her older sister embark on a road trip across Malaysia to reunite with their family. Along the way they encounter strangers, communities, acts of kindness, and many cats, discovering what truly matters when the future feels uncertain.
Nadia Mikail is a Malaysian author whose debut novel won the Waterstones Children's Book Prize. Her writing is celebrated for its warmth, emotional depth, and exploration of family, belonging, and hope in difficult times.
Fantasy 13+
Prodigal Tiger (2024) by Samantha Chong is a dazzling fantasy inspired by Chinese mythology and martial arts traditions. Wen Zhou has spent years trying to escape the expectations placed upon her family, but when an ancient evil begins to stir and the legendary White Tiger reappears, she is drawn into a dangerous adventure that could determine the fate of the empire. As she uncovers long-buried secrets, forms unlikely alliances, and learns to master extraordinary powers, Wen must decide what kind of hero she wants to become. Rich with myth, magic, and breathtaking action, the novel explores themes of identity, family, destiny, courage, and the balance between tradition and change.
Samantha Chong is a Malaysian author whose fantasy writing is deeply inspired by Chinese mythology, folklore, and the diverse cultures of Southeast Asia. Her stories blend epic adventure with memorable characters, exploring themes of identity, belonging, resilience, and self-discovery. Prodigal Tiger, her debut novel, has been praised for its vibrant world-building, cinematic storytelling, and fresh perspective on mythological fantasy, establishing Chong as an exciting new voice in young adult literature.
Fantasy 15+
Black Water Sister (2021) is a supernatural fantasy set in modern Malaysia. Jessamyn Teoh returns to Malaysia with her family after growing up in the United States, expecting a difficult adjustment. Instead, she begins hearing the voice of her deceased grandmother, Ah Ma, who demands that Jess help settle unfinished business involving gods, spirits, gangsters, and family secrets. As Jess is drawn deeper into the world of Malaysian folklore and the supernatural, she must confront questions about identity, family expectations, and belonging. Blending ghost stories, mythology, and contemporary issues, the novel is both thrilling and thought-provoking.
Zen Cho is a Malaysian author known for her fantasy novels inspired by Southeast Asian culture, history, and folklore. Her work often combines mythology, humor, and social commentary while highlighting diverse voices and experiences. She has received international acclaim for bringing Malaysian settings and traditions into contemporary fantasy literature.
Mexico
Dystopian/Science Fiction 10+
Hardcopy
Alebrijes (2023) by Donna Barba Higuera is a middle-grade dystopian science-fiction novel set in a harsh future where children struggle to survive under a powerful ruling system. The story follows Leandro, a young boy who is separated from his community and transformed in unexpected ways as he tries to protect the people he loves. Drawing on Mexican folklore and the idea of alebrijes—bright, fantastical creatures—the novel blends speculative fiction, adventure, survival, and cultural mythology with themes of identity, family, resilience, freedom, and the importance of memory and imagination.
Donna Barba Higuera is a Mexican American author of middle-grade and young-adult fiction whose work often combines speculative storytelling with Mexican and Mexican American culture, folklore, family, and questions of identity. She is also the author of The Last Cuentista, which won the Newbery Medal. Higuera’s writing is known for imaginative world-building, emotional depth, and stories that explore what communities choose to preserve when facing change, displacement, or oppression.
Fantasy 12+
The Wild Book (2023) by Juan Villoro is a literary adventure novel about Juan, a boy sent to spend the summer with his eccentric uncle, who owns an enormous library filled with mysterious books. There he discovers the legendary "Wild Book"—a magical volume that cannot be found unless it wants to be found. The story blends fantasy, mystery, and a celebration of reading.
Juan Villoro is an award-winning Mexican author, journalist, and essayist. He is one of Mexico's most respected contemporary writers.
Contemporary Fiction 13+
The House on Mango Street (1984) by Sandra Cisneros is a modern classic told through a series of interconnected vignettes that capture the life of Esperanza Cordero, a young Latina girl growing up in a working-class neighbourhood in Chicago. As Esperanza reflects on her family, friends, dreams, and community, she begins to understand both the challenges of her environment and her determination to create a different future. Written in lyrical, accessible prose, the novel celebrates the power of storytelling while exploring themes of identity, belonging, family, culture, gender, poverty, resilience, and the importance of finding one's own voice.
Sandra Cisneros is a Mexican American author, poet, and essayist whose work has profoundly influenced contemporary American literature. Drawing on her experiences growing up in Chicago as the daughter of Mexican immigrants, she writes with honesty, warmth, and poetic beauty about culture, identity, family, and social justice. The House on Mango Street has sold millions of copies, been translated into more than twenty-five languages, and is widely taught in schools and universities around the world. Recognised with numerous literary honours, including the National Medal of Arts, Cisneros continues to inspire readers through stories that celebrate diverse voices and the transformative power of literature.
Contemporary Fiction / Social Issues 14+
The Wild Ones by Antonio Ramos Revillas, translated from Spanish, follows a group of teenagers growing up in a difficult urban environment where friendship, loyalty, family pressure, poverty, and violence shape everyday life. The novel focuses on young people who are often judged from the outside but whose experiences reveal resilience, humour, vulnerability, and a strong need to belong. Fast-paced and direct, the book explores adolescence, inequality, masculinity, social exclusion, and the choices young people make when opportunities are limited. The Wild Ones was shortlisted for the 2025 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Antonio Ramos Revillas is a Mexican author and editor from Monterrey whose work includes fiction for children, young adults, and adults. His writing often explores urban life, adolescence, social inequality, family, and the experiences of young people on the margins. He has received recognition in Mexico and internationally for his contribution to contemporary literature for younger readers. The Wild Ones brought his work to a wider English-language audience and was shortlisted for the 2025 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Contemporary Fiction · Ages 14+
Hardcopy
We Were Here (2009) by Matt de la Peña is told through the journal Miguel must keep after a judge sends him to a group home. Miguel does not want to explain what happened to bring him there, and he cannot bear to face his family. When he meets Rondell and Mong, the three boys leave the home and head towards the Mexican border, each hoping for a fresh start. Their journey through California tests their friendship and forces Miguel to confront the past he is trying to escape. The novel explores guilt, belonging, and the possibility of forgiveness.
Matt de la Peña is an American author of novels for teenagers and picture books. His young adult books include Mexican WhiteBoy and We Were Here. He also wrote Last Stop on Market Street, which won the Newbery Medal. De la Peña studied creative writing and teaches it, alongside visiting schools to speak with young readers.
Realistic Fiction 14+
Hardcopy
On the Hook (2021) by Francisco X. Stork follows Hector, a hardworking teenager who avoids trouble and dreams of building a better future. His life changes when Joey—a boy connected to a local gang—threatens to kill him. After a violent confrontation involving their older brothers, Hector is sent to a reform school where he must live alongside the person he blames for everything he has lost. Consumed by grief and anger, Hector faces a defining choice: surrender to revenge or find the courage to rebuild his life. This gripping novel explores gang violence, fear, masculinity, forgiveness, and the difficult work of choosing hope.
Francisco X. Stork is a Mexican American author of young-adult fiction. Born in Monterrey, Mexico, he moved to El Paso, Texas, at the age of nine and learned English while attending school there. He studied English literature and philosophy at Spring Hill College, Latin American literature at Harvard University, and law at Columbia University. His acclaimed novels include Marcelo in the Real World, The Memory of Light, Disappeared, and Illegal. Drawing on his Mexican heritage and experiences growing up in El Paso, Stork writes compassionate, thought-provoking stories about young people confronting injustice, hardship, and life-changing moral choices.
Historical Fiction 15+
Hardcopy
The Murmur of Bees (2019) by Sofía Segovia, translated by Simon Bruni, blends historical fiction with magical realism. In Linares, Mexico, the Morales family adopts Simonopio, a mysterious abandoned baby surrounded by a protective swarm of bees. As he grows, his unusual gift for sensing the future draws him into the family’s joys and dangers. Set against the Mexican Revolution and the influenza pandemic of 1918, the novel follows a family and community facing violence, illness, and conflict over land. Lyrical and atmospheric, it explores belonging, loyalty, fate, social change, and the enduring bond between people and place.
Sofía Segovia is a Mexican author from Monterrey. She studied communication at the University of Monterrey and has worked as a ghostwriter, political communications coordinator, theatre writer, and creative-writing teacher. Her novels combine Mexican history with intimate family stories, often exploring memory, identity, and the forces that shape communities across generations. First published in Spanish in 2015, The Murmur of Bees became an international bestseller and has been translated into more than twenty languages. Segovia continues to live and write in Monterrey.
Graphic Novel / Contemporary Fiction / Social Issues 15+
The Book of Denial by Ricardo Chávez Castañeda, translated from Spanish by Lawrence Schimel and illustrated/designed by Alejandro Magallanes, is a visually striking work about denial, silence, and the difficult truths people choose not to confront. Through a combination of text and graphic design, the book explores how individuals and societies can ignore painful realities even when those realities are directly in front of them. Its fragmented, experimental form invites readers to think about fear, responsibility, complicity, and the consequences of looking away. The book was recognized by the 2025 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Ricardo Chávez Castañeda is a Mexican author known for writing fiction for children, young adults, and adults. His work often explores social conflict, violence, memory, fear, morality, and the difficult choices people make under pressure. He has received major literary recognition in Mexico and internationally, and his books have been translated into several languages. The Book of Denial brings together his writing with the visual work of Alejandro Magallanes, creating a distinctive hybrid of literature and graphic design.
Young Adult Nonfiction / Migration / Refugee Stories 15+
The Other Side (2018; English translation 2019) by Juan Pablo Villalobos, translated from Spanish by Rosalind Harvey, brings together the real stories of Central American teenagers from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador who fled violence, poverty, extortion, and insecurity in hopes of reaching the United States. Based on interviews conducted with young migrants, the book follows different stages of their journeys: travelling through Mexico, riding freight trains, crossing rivers and deserts, being detained at the U.S. border, and trying to reunite with family members. Told largely in the teenagers’ own voices, the collection explores migration, displacement, violence, family separation, resilience, and hope. It was shortlisted for the 2021 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize, was a 2019 Kirkus Prize finalist, and was named a Kirkus Best Book of the Year.
Juan Pablo Villalobos is a Mexican author and journalist born in Guadalajara in 1973. He writes fiction and nonfiction and is known for combining humour, social observation, and political themes. In The Other Side, Villalobos shifts the focus away from abstract debates about migration and toward the experiences and voices of young people themselves. The book was created from interviews with Central American teenagers and has received significant recognition for making contemporary migration issues accessible to young readers.
Myanmar
Contemporary Fiction / War / Coming of Age 12+
Bamboo People (2010) by Mitali Perkins is set in modern-day Myanmar and follows two teenage boys from opposing communities. Chiko, a quiet Burmese boy whose father has been imprisoned for resisting the government, is forcibly conscripted into the army. Tu Reh, a Karenni teenager, is angry after Burmese soldiers destroy his family’s home and fields. When their paths cross after Chiko is injured by a land mine, both boys are forced to reconsider what they believe about courage, loyalty, enemies, and compassion. The novel explores child soldiers, ethnic conflict, displacement, friendship, prejudice, and moral choice. It was named an ALA Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults
Mitali Perkins is an Indian-born American author of books for children and young adults whose work frequently explores migration, identity, culture, social justice, and the experiences of young people caught between different worlds. In Bamboo People, she focuses on conflict in Myanmar through the alternating perspectives of a Burmese boy and a Karenni boy, emphasizing empathy and the human consequences of war.
Adventure and Survival Fiction 12+
Ascent (2018) by Roland Smith follows teenage mountaineer Peak Marcello as he travels to Myanmar to visit his friend Alessia. When Peak receives an invitation to climb Hkakabo Razi, one of the world’s most isolated mountains, he cannot resist the challenge. Reaching the mountain requires a dangerous four-week journey through tropical rainforests filled with venomous animals, leeches, corrupt officials, and soldiers serving an oppressive military regime. Peak soon discovers that surviving the journey may be even harder than reaching the summit. The third novel in the Peak Marcello Adventures explores courage, perseverance, friendship, political oppression, survival, respect for nature, and the risks of extreme ambition.
Roland Smith is a New York Times bestselling American author of adventure, mystery, and wildlife books for young readers. Before becoming a full-time writer, he spent more than twenty years working as a zookeeper and wildlife conservationist. His experiences with animals and his research travels around the world inspire the dramatic natural settings and survival challenges found throughout his books.
Short Stories / Contemporary Life / Family 14+
The Sixth Enemy and Other Stories (English edition 2015) by Ma Sandar, translated by Mra Hninzi, collects twenty short stories centred on everyday life in Myanmar. The stories move between Yangon, coastal towns, and rural communities and often focus on families facing poverty, illness, work, sacrifice, and changing social expectations. Many centre women and young people navigating difficult choices while trying to support those around them. The collection gives readers a strong sense of ordinary Burmese life through markets, neighbourhoods, family relationships, work, humour, and hardship.
Ma Sandar is a Burmese novelist and short-story writer born in Yangon in 1947. She began publishing while still young and became one of Myanmar’s widely read contemporary writers. Her fiction is particularly known for portraying the everyday lives of working- and middle-class families, especially women and their roles within family and society. She has received the Myanmar National Literature Award multiple times, and many of her works have been adapted for film.
Memoir / Political History / Coming of Age 16+
From the Land of Green Ghosts: A Burmese Odyssey (2002) by Pascal Khoo Thwe is a memoir about growing up in the Kayan community in Myanmar and coming of age under military rule. Khoo Thwe becomes the first person from his community to study English at university in Mandalay, where his life is transformed by the 1988 pro-democracy uprising. After the military crackdown and the killing of his girlfriend, he flees into the jungle and joins student rebels resisting the dictatorship. Eventually, with help from Cambridge academic John Casey, he escapes Myanmar and continues his education at Cambridge University. The memoir combines Indigenous culture, political history, resistance, displacement, education, and survival, while giving students a powerful first-person account of modern Myanmar. It won the 2002 Kiriyama Prize for Nonfiction.
Pascal Khoo Thwe is a Myanmar-born writer and political activist from the Kayan community. Born in 1967 in what was then Burma, he grew up in Shan State and later studied English at Mandalay University. His involvement in the 1988 democracy movement forced him into exile, and he later studied English literature at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. From the Land of Green Ghosts recounts his journey from rural Myanmar through political resistance and exile to university life in Britain.
Memoir / Political History / Family 16+
Golden Parasol: A Daughter’s Memoir of Burma (2013) by Wendy Law-Yone traces the intertwined story of the author and her father, Edward Law-Yone, founder and editor of the influential Burmese newspaper The Nation. After General Ne Win’s 1962 military coup, the newspaper was shut down and Edward Law-Yone was imprisoned. Wendy grew up amid political repression, family upheaval, and the increasing restrictions of military rule. After attempting to escape Burma, she herself was arrested and imprisoned before eventually leaving the country. Drawing on family memories, letters, and historical experience, the memoir explores dictatorship, journalism, imprisonment, exile, family loyalty, and the struggle for political freedom in modern Myanmar.
Wendy Law-Yone is a Burmese-born novelist and memoirist born in Mandalay in 1947 and raised in Rangoon. Her father, Edward Law-Yone, was one of Burma’s most prominent journalists and the founder of The Nation. After the military regime imprisoned him and restricted her own opportunities, Wendy attempted to flee the country, was imprisoned, and later left Burma. Her books include The Coffin Tree, Irrawaddy Tango, The Road to Wanting, and Golden Parasol. Her writing frequently explores exile, dictatorship, displacement, identity, family, and Burmese history.
Memoir / Human Rights / Political History 16+
Prisoner of Conscience: My Steps through Insein (English edition 2016) by Ma Thida is a firsthand account of the author’s imprisonment under Myanmar’s military regime. A surgeon, writer, and democracy activist, Ma Thida was sentenced to twenty years in Insein Prison for her political activities and support for the pro-democracy movement. During nearly six years in prison, much of it in harsh conditions and isolation, she suffered serious illness while refusing to abandon her commitment to freedom of expression and human rights. The memoir also reflects on the role of Vipassana meditation in helping her endure imprisonment and preserve a sense of inner freedom. It explores censorship, dictatorship, political resistance, illness, resilience, faith, and the meaning of personal freedom.
Ma Thida is a Burmese doctor, writer, human-rights activist, and former political prisoner. She trained as a physician and became involved in Myanmar’s democracy movement while also developing a career as a writer and editor. In 1993 she was sentenced to twenty years in prison and was released in 1999 after serving nearly six years. She later became the first president of PEN Myanmar and has served on the board of PEN International and as chair of its Writers in Prison Committee.
Netherlands
Graphic Novel Fantasy 10+
Clock Hands (2023) by Marieke Nijkamp, illustrated by Sylvia Bi, is a captivating graphic novel that combines fantasy, mystery, and adventure with themes of friendship and self-discovery. When three unlikely young companions are drawn together by the mysterious workings of an ancient clock tower, they find themselves travelling through time and confronting magical forces that threaten the balance between past, present, and future. As secrets are uncovered and history begins to shift, the trio must rely on trust, courage, and their unique strengths to protect the people they care about. Filled with expressive artwork and imaginative world-building, the novel explores themes of friendship, identity, destiny, resilience, teamwork, and the importance of choosing one's own path.
Marieke Nijkamp is a Dutch bestselling author who writes young adult novels and graphic novels exploring themes of identity, courage, and belonging. Originally from the Netherlands, Nijkamp is internationally known for acclaimed works such as This Is Where It Ends, At the End of Everything, and Even If We Break. Their stories are celebrated for inclusive representation, compelling characters, and emotional depth. Sylvia Bi is a Canadian illustrator and comic artist whose vibrant artwork brings Clock Hands to life with warmth, energy, and imagination. Together, they have created an engaging fantasy adventure that celebrates diversity, friendship, and the courage to shape the future.
Mystery Thriller 12+
Hardcopy
Escape Room (2017; English edition 2020) by Maren Stoffels follows Alissa, Sky, Mint and Miles, four teenagers looking for an exciting way to spend Friday night. Their chosen escape-room challenge appears simple: find the clues, solve the puzzles and escape within sixty minutes. But once the door closes, they begin to suspect that the Game Master has no intention of releasing them. As fear and suspicion grow, secrets emerge and friendships begin to fracture. Fast-paced and suspenseful, the novel explores trust, betrayal, guilt and how people respond when an entertaining game becomes dangerously real.
Maren Stoffels is a Dutch author of fiction and thrillers for young readers. Born in Amsterdam, she published her first novel when she was seventeen and has since written numerous successful books. Her young-adult thrillers include Escape Room, Fright Night and Room Service. Known for short chapters, shifting perspectives and tense situations that feel disturbingly possible, Stoffels creates accessible, fast-moving stories particularly appealing to reluctant readers.
Mystery Thriller 12+
Under the London Sky (2021; English edition 2025) by Anna Woltz, translated by Michele Hutchison, is set in London during the Blitz. Four teenagers who might never otherwise have met find themselves sheltering together in Underground tunnels as bombs fall across the city.
Fourteen-year-old Ella feels defined by the limp left by illness. Fearless Quinn has run away from home carrying a bag of family jewellery, while sixteen-year-old Jack has already experienced devastating loss. Quinn’s older brother, Sebastian, is struggling with secrets of his own. As the air raids intensify, the four share their fears, dreams and hopes—but the pressure of survival begins to test their loyalty to one another. Atmospheric and moving, the novel explores friendship, disability, grief, courage, class and coming of age during wartime.
Anna Woltz is an award-winning Dutch author of children’s and young-adult fiction. Born in London and raised in the Netherlands, she studied history at Leiden University. Her novels include Talking to Alaska, A Hundred Hours of Night and My Especially Weird Week with Tess, which was adapted into an award-winning film. Woltz has received several major Dutch children’s-literature prizes, including the Gouden Griffel. Her writing combines humour, emotional honesty and resilient young characters confronting difficult circumstances.
Fantasy / Adventure 12+
Movies Showing Nowhere (2021; English translation 2024) by Yorick Goldewijk, translated from Dutch by Laura Watkinson, follows twelve-year-old Cato, whose mother died when she was born and whose father has withdrawn into grief. When Cato discovers a mysterious old cinema run by Mrs Kano, she learns that its films can take people back into memories they thought were lost. What begins as a strange adventure becomes a moving journey into family, grief, memory, and the possibility of understanding the past. Blending fantasy, mystery, time travel, and emotional realism, the novel explores identity, loss, courage, and the ways memories shape who we become. The book won the Gouden Griffel, the Netherlands’ major children’s literature award, and was later translated into English.
Yorick Goldewijk is a Dutch author, composer, and translator who writes imaginative fiction for children and young adults. His work often combines fantasy and adventure with emotional themes such as identity, memory, family, and belonging. Movies Showing Nowhere became one of his best-known books, winning the 2022 Gouden Griffel and being translated into several languages. Goldewijk is also known for books including Thousand & I and The Tree That Was a World.
Historical Fiction / World War II / Resistance 13+
Winter in Wartime by Jan Terlouw, translated from Dutch, is set in the Netherlands during the final winter of World War II. Fifteen-year-old Michiel is living under German occupation when he becomes involved in the Dutch resistance after agreeing to help a wounded British pilot hiding from the Nazis. What begins as a small act of courage quickly grows more dangerous as Michiel is forced to keep secrets, make difficult choices, and decide whom he can trust. The novel explores resistance, betrayal, moral courage, responsibility, and the loss of innocence in wartime. It was shortlisted for the 2020 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Jan Terlouw is a Dutch author, physicist, and former politician best known for his novels for young readers. Born in 1931, he experienced the German occupation of the Netherlands as a child, and those memories influenced Winter in Wartime. His books often combine adventure with questions of responsibility, justice, and moral choice. Winter in Wartime became one of his best-known novels and was later adapted into a successful Dutch film.
YA Horror / Thriller 14+
Fright Night (2018; English translation 2020) by Maren Stoffels, translated from Dutch by Laura Watkinson, follows Sofia and her friends as they take part in a staged overnight horror experience in a deserted forest. What is supposed to be a controlled night of scares quickly becomes much more dangerous as the group is forced to confront personal fears, secrets, and threats they did not expect. Fast-paced and suspenseful, the novel blends horror, psychological tension, friendship, and mystery, exploring fear, trust, trauma, and the consequences of pushing people beyond their limits. The English edition is published by Underlined for readers aged 12+, while Dutch library guidance places it toward the older end of YA.
Maren Stoffels is a Dutch author of young adult thrillers and horror fiction. She published her first book at seventeen and has since written numerous novels for teenage readers, often placing ordinary young people in high-pressure situations involving fear, secrets, and difficult choices. Her books translated into English include Fright Night, Escape Room, Room Service, No Escape, and Deep Water.
Literary Fiction / Graphic Memoir 14+
eBook
Self Portrait (2025 English translation) by Ludwig Volbeda, translated from Dutch by Lucy Scott, is a reflective coming-of-age work about identity, self-image, relationships, and the challenge of understanding who we are. Blending text and illustration, the book explores how young people see themselves and how that self-perception changes through friendship, love, uncertainty, and growing independence. Its quiet, introspective style makes it especially suited to readers who enjoy thoughtful, visually rich books about adolescence and identity. Self Portrait won the 2026 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize, whose committee praised its literary quality, emotional depth, and balance of artistic ambition and readability.
Ludwig Volbeda is a Dutch illustrator and author based in Amsterdam. Born in 1990, he has become known for highly detailed, expressive illustration and for work that combines visual storytelling with emotionally complex themes. Before writing Self Portrait, he illustrated several acclaimed children’s books and received major Dutch illustration awards. Self Portrait, translated into English by Lucy Scott, was selected as the 2026 GLLI Translated YA Book Prize winner.
New Zealand
Historical Nonfiction 12+
The Adventures of Tupaia (2024) by Courtney Sina Meredith and Mat Tait is a graphic novel biography about Tupaia, the Polynesian navigator, priest, artist, and interpreter who sailed with Captain Cook on the Endeavour. The book centres Tupaia’s knowledge of Pacific navigation, culture, and diplomacy, offering an Indigenous perspective on exploration and encounter.
Courtney Sina Meredith is an award-winning New Zealand writer of Samoan heritage, known for her work in literature, theatre, and cultural storytelling. Mat Tait is a New Zealand illustrator and graphic novelist whose artwork brings historical figures and events vividly to life.
Dystopian/Science Fiction 13+
Hardcopy
When We Wake (2013) by Karen Healey is a young-adult science-fiction novel about Tegan Oglietti, a teenager who dies in 2027 and is cryogenically preserved, only to wake a century later in a very different Australia. As she tries to understand the future and adjust to a society shaped by new technologies, climate pressures, and political change, Tegan begins to realize that her revival is connected to a much larger government project. The novel blends dystopian fiction, mystery, and speculative science with themes of identity, ethics, immigration, power, environmental change, and the question of who controls scientific progress.
Karen Healey is a New Zealand author and academic known for young-adult speculative fiction that combines science fiction, mythology, and social issues. Her books include Guardian of the Dead, The Shattering, and When We Wake. Healey’s writing often features strong teenage protagonists and explores questions of identity, justice, technology, and social responsibility.
Historical fantasy 14+
Coldwire (2024) by Chloe Gong is set in a near-future world where advanced technology, surveillance, and corporate power shape everyday life. The story follows Eira, a talented young hacker who becomes entangled in a dangerous conspiracy involving artificial intelligence, data control, and political corruption. As she uncovers hidden truths, Eira must decide whom she can trust while navigating a world where information itself is a weapon. Fast-paced and cinematic, the novel combines cyberpunk elements with thriller-style suspense.
Chloe Gong is a bestselling Chinese New Zealand author best known for These Violent Delights. She has become one of the most prominent young voices in contemporary YA speculative fiction, known for intelligent plots, morally complex characters, and strong world-building.
Romance 14+
Hardcopy
Eddy, Eddy (2024) follows 19-year-old Eddy Smallbone, a school dropout and part-time dog walker, navigating life in Christchurch two years after the 2011 earthquakes. As he grapples with grief, identity, and relationships, including a complicated reunion with his ex-girlfriend, the novel explores themes of love, faith, and mental health with humor and emotional depth.
Kate De Goldi is a celebrated New Zealand author known for her imaginative and emotionally rich children’s and young adult literature.
Nigeria
Fantasy 12+
Ikenga (2020) by Nnedi Okorafor follows Nnamdi, a twelve-year-old boy living in a Nigerian town plagued by crime and corruption. After his father—a respected police officer—is murdered, Nnamdi receives a mysterious magical object called an Ikenga, a symbol of strength and achievement in Igbo culture. The Ikenga grants him extraordinary powers, but with those powers comes a difficult choice: how should justice be served? As Nnamdi investigates his father's death, he must learn the difference between vengeance and true heroism.
Nnedi Okorafor is a Nigerian American author acclaimed for her award-winning fantasy and science fiction. Her work draws heavily on African cultures, folklore, and history, creating imaginative stories that have helped popularize Africanfuturism and African-inspired fantasy for young readers and adults alike.
Epic Adventure 14+
The Legacy of Orïsha series (2018-2019) follows Zélie Adebola, a young girl who fights to restore magic to her oppressed people and challenge a tyrannical monarchy. Blending West African mythology with high-stakes adventure, the series explores themes of power, identity, and resistance.
Tomi Adeyemi is a Nigerian-American author, best known for her young adult fantasy series Legacy of Orïsha; she studied English and Creative Writing at Harvard University, later earning an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Harvard, and has worked as a creative writing instructor and speaker alongside her writing career.
Epic Adventure 14+
Children of Virtue and Vengeance (2019) by Tomi Adeyemi continues the story of Zélie Adebola after magic has returned to the kingdom of Orïsha. Instead of bringing peace, the return of magic deepens divisions between those who possess magical abilities and those who do not. As civil war threatens the kingdom, Zélie, Princess Amari, and Prince Inan must confront difficult choices about power, loyalty, and justice. With powerful enemies on every side, they discover that restoring magic was only the beginning of the fight for Orïsha's future.
Tomi Adeyemi is a Nigerian-American author, best known for her young adult fantasy series Legacy of Orïsha; she studied English and Creative Writing at Harvard University, later earning an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Harvard, and has worked as a creative writing instructor and speaker alongside her writing career.
Dystopian/Fantasy 14+
Hardcopy
Pet (2019) by Akwaeke Emezi is a young-adult speculative novel set in the seemingly peaceful city of Lucille, where people believe they have already defeated the monsters of the past. The story follows Jam, a quiet teenage girl who accidentally brings a mysterious creature called Pet into the world through one of her mother’s paintings. Pet insists that a monster is still hiding in Lucille, forcing Jam to question everything she has been taught about safety, justice, and whether evil can truly disappear. Short, imaginative, and thought-provoking, the novel blends fantasy, dystopian ideas, and social commentary with themes of truth, courage, abuse, justice, identity, and the importance of believing people who say something is wrong.
Akwaeke Emezi is a Nigerian-born author and artist whose work spans young-adult, literary, fantasy, and speculative fiction. Their books often explore identity, power, trauma, justice, and the boundaries between the real and the supernatural. Emezi is also the author of Freshwater, Bitter, and The Death of Vivek Oji. Their writing is known for imaginative world-building, emotional intensity, and challenging readers to think carefully about who gets believed, who gets protected, and how communities respond to harm.
Contemporary Fiction 15+
Purple Hibiscus (2003) by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a powerful coming-of-age novel set in postcolonial Nigeria. Fifteen-year-old Kambili grows up in a wealthy but deeply controlling household, where her father's religious devotion masks emotional and physical abuse. When Kambili and her brother spend time with their outspoken aunt and her family, they discover a world of warmth, freedom, and independent thought that transforms their understanding of themselves and their country. Beautifully written and deeply moving, the novel explores themes of family, identity, freedom, faith, resilience, courage, love, and the search for one's own voice against a backdrop of political unrest.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian novelist, essayist, and public intellectual widely regarded as one of the most influential contemporary writers in the world. Born in Enugu, Nigeria, she is celebrated for her insightful exploration of identity, gender, colonialism, migration, and cultural belonging. Her acclaimed works include Half of a Yellow Sun, Americanah, and We Should All Be Feminists, which has inspired readers globally through its call for equality and empathy. Winner of numerous international literary awards, Adichie's writing is admired for its elegant prose, richly drawn characters, and profound understanding of the complexities of family, society, and human relationships.
Novel in Verse / Mythology 14+
The Half God of Rainfall (2019) by Inua Ellams is a powerful novel in verse that blends Yoruba mythology with contemporary life to tell an unforgettable story of identity, family, and resilience. The narrative follows Demi, the son of a Nigerian mother and a Yoruba god, whose extraordinary talent for basketball propels him onto the world stage. As Demi struggles with the expectations of his divine father and the realities of his human life, he must confront questions of power, masculinity, heritage, and belonging. Written in lyrical free verse, the novel combines myth, sport, and social commentary to explore themes of identity, family, race, gender equality, courage, resilience, and the search for one's own destiny.
Inua Ellams is a Nigerian British poet, playwright, novelist, and performer celebrated for his innovative storytelling and exploration of identity, migration, and cultural heritage. Born in Jos, Nigeria, he moved to the United Kingdom as a teenager, experiences that deeply influence his writing. His acclaimed works, including The Half God of Rainfall, Barber Shop Chronicles, and The Actual, blend poetry, theatre, mythology, and contemporary social issues with remarkable energy and imagination. Ellams is widely recognised for bringing African voices and traditions to international audiences while encouraging readers to reflect on history, belonging, family, and the power of storytelling.
Literary Fiction 16+
The Fishermen (2015) by Chigozie Obioma is narrated by Benjamin, the youngest of four brothers growing up in Akure, Nigeria, during the 1990s. While their strict father is away for work, Benjamin, Ikenna, Boja, and Obembe begin fishing in the forbidden Omi-Ala River. There they encounter Abulu, a disturbed local man who predicts that Ikenna will be killed by one of his brothers. Ikenna becomes consumed by fear and suspicion, and the once-close family begins to fall apart, setting off a devastating chain of events. Blending family tragedy, folklore, and political allegory, the novel explores brotherhood, fate and free will, superstition, masculinity, grief, guilt, and the power of fear. Mature readers should be prepared for violence, death, disturbing behavior, and intense emotional themes.
Chigozie Obioma is an acclaimed Nigerian novelist who grew up in Akure, the city in which The Fishermen is set. His debut novel was shortlisted for the 2015 Man Booker Prize, and his second novel, An Orchestra of Minorities, was shortlisted for the 2019 Booker Prize, making him one of the few writers to receive Booker recognition for each of their first two novels. Obioma’s fiction combines Nigerian history and culture with mythology, oral storytelling, tragedy, and examinations of family, identity, destiny, and social change. His other work includes The Road to the Country, a novel set during the Nigerian Civil War.
Contemporary Fiction · Ages 14+
Hardcopy
How You Grow Wings (2022) by Rimma Onoseta follows two sisters growing up in Nigeria. Cheta is outspoken and often bears the force of their mother’s anger, while quieter Zam tries to avoid conflict. When Zam is invited to live with a wealthy aunt, the sisters’ lives take very different paths. Cheta also leaves home, but finds herself facing hardship and difficult choices. Told from both sisters’ perspectives, the novel explores how family, money, and expectations shape their relationship—and whether they can find a way back to each other.
Content note: domestic abuse.
Rimma Onoseta is a Nigerian writer. How You Grow Wings is her debut novel and was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize. Her writing explores identity and family bonds, particularly the lives of young Nigerian girls who question what is expected of them.
Contemporary Fiction 16+
Hardcopy
Say You’re One of Them (2008) by Uwem Akpan is a collection of five stories told through the eyes of children living in different African countries. Set in Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Benin, the stories portray young people confronting extreme poverty, religious conflict, trafficking and genocide. Akpan’s child narrators struggle to understand the violence and prejudice surrounding them while trying to protect themselves and those they love. Their voices bring an intimate perspective to events that are often described only through news reports or historical accounts. Emotionally demanding and sometimes harrowing, the collection explores survival, family loyalty and the devastating effects of conflict on children.
Content note: Graphic violence
Uwem Akpan is a Nigerian writer from Akwa Ibom State who grew up speaking English and Annang. He trained and served as a Jesuit priest before focusing on writing. Say You’re One of Them, his first book, became an international bestseller and an Oprah’s Book Club selection. It won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book in Africa, the PEN/Beyond Margins Award and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. Akpan’s work gives voice to people affected by poverty, prejudice and conflict. His first novel, New York, My Village, explores immigration, tribalism and racism through the experiences of a Nigerian editor in New York.
Norway
Adventure Mystery 11+
William Wenton and the Luridium Thief (2017) by Bobbie Peers follows William Wenton, a gifted boy with an extraordinary talent for solving codes and puzzles. When he discovers that his abilities are connected to a dangerous secret involving a mysterious substance called luridium, he is drawn into a world of inventors, cryptographers, and powerful enemies. Fast-paced and packed with gadgets, mysteries, and action, the novel explores intelligence, courage, family secrets, and the responsibilities that come with extraordinary abilities.
Bobbie Peers is a Norwegian filmmaker and author best known for the William Wenton series. Drawing on his background in visual storytelling, he creates exciting adventure novels filled with puzzles, technology, and suspense that appeal to readers who enjoy mystery and science-infused action.
Realistic Fiction 12+
Hardcopy
Cross My Heart and Never Lie (2020) is a graphic novel that follows 12-year-old Tuva navigating the complexities of friendships and first crushes during seventh grade. When Tuva develops feelings for a new girl, Miriam, she faces the challenge of reconciling her emotions with her existing friendships. The novel is presented in a diary-style format, blending illustrations and handwritten notes to capture Tuva's inner thoughts and experiences.
Nora Dåsnes, born in 1995, is a Norwegian writer and illustrator who graduated with a BA in Illustration Animation from Kingston University in London. She currently resides in Oslo, Norway. Cross My Heart and Never Lie is her debut graphic novel, which has received several accolades, including the 2020 Pondus Prize and the 2024 Stonewall Book Award in the U.S
Historical Fiction 13+
Almost Autumn (originally published in Norwegian in 2020; English translation 2023) by Marianne Kaurin is a moving historical novel set in Nazi-occupied Norway during the Second World War. Ilse Stern, a Jewish teenager, dreams of ordinary things—friendship, first love, and the future—but her world begins to unravel as anti-Jewish persecution intensifies. When she is forced into hiding, Ilse must rely on the courage and compassion of those willing to risk everything to protect her. Inspired by true events, the novel explores themes of prejudice, friendship, courage, identity, resistance, and the enduring power of hope in the darkest of times.
Marianne Kaurin is a Norwegian author celebrated for her thoughtful historical fiction for young readers. Her novels explore empathy, identity, and social justice, often drawing on real events to illuminate overlooked moments in history. Through compelling characters and emotional storytelling, Kaurin encourages readers to reflect on the consequences of intolerance and the importance of standing up for others. Almost Autumn has received widespread acclaim for its sensitive portrayal of the Holocaust in Norway and its powerful message about humanity and resilience.
Horror / Survival Fiction 13+
Beasts (2025 English translation) by Ingvild Bjerkeland, translated from Norwegian by Rosie Hedger, follows thirteen-year-old Abdi and his five-year-old sister Alva after terrifying creatures begin attacking people across Norway. Separated from their father, the siblings are forced to flee and survive in an increasingly dangerous world. Fast-paced and frightening, the novel combines horror with a powerful story about family, fear, resilience, and the choices people make in a crisis. Beneath the suspense, it also raises questions about how vulnerable people are treated during conflict and displacement. Beasts was named a 2026 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize Honor Book, praised for its gripping pace and strong reader appeal.
Ingvild Bjerkeland is a Norwegian author who writes for children and young adults. Born in 1981, she has published several books for younger readers. Her novel Beasts won ARK’s Children’s Book Prize in 2023 and was nominated for the Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize. The English translation by Rosie Hedger was selected as a 2026 GLLI Translated YA Honor Book. Her writing combines suspense and strong storytelling with themes of survival, family, vulnerability, and human behaviour under pressure.
Graphic Nonfiction / Feminism 13+
Smash the Patriarchy: A Graphic Novel (2023 English translation) by Marta Breen and Jenny Jordahl, translated from Norwegian by Siân Mackie, is an illustrated introduction to the history of patriarchy and feminism. Using humour, comics, historical examples, and short biographies, the book shows how ideas about women’s supposed inferiority have shaped education, work, politics, religion, and everyday life across centuries. It also introduces important feminist thinkers and activists, from Mary Wollstonecraft to Malala Yousafzai, while touching on intersectional feminism and the continuing struggle for equality. Accessible and visually engaging, it was named the 2024 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize winner.
Marta Breen is a Norwegian nonfiction author, journalist, and feminist writer, and Jenny Jordahl is a Norwegian illustrator, cartoonist, and author. They have collaborated on several books exploring feminism, equality, and women’s history, using a combination of research, humour, and visual storytelling to make complex social issues accessible to younger readers. Jordahl has also received major Norwegian illustration awards for her work. Together, Breen and Jordahl created Smash the Patriarchy, which won the 2024 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Philosophical Fiction 14+
Hardcopy
Sophie’s World (1991) by Jostein Gaarder, translated by Paulette Møller, follows fourteen-year-old Sophie Amundsen after two mysterious questions appear in her mailbox: “Who are you?” and “Where does the world come from?” A secretive teacher then guides her through the history of Western philosophy, from ancient Greece to modern thought. As the lessons continue, Sophie discovers puzzling connections to another girl named Hilde and begins to question the reality of her own world. Blending mystery, fantasy, and philosophy, the novel explores identity, knowledge, free will, existence, and humanity’s place in the universe.
Jostein Gaarder is a Norwegian author and former philosophy teacher born in Oslo in 1952. He studied Norwegian, the history of ideas, and religious studies at the University of Oslo before teaching in secondary schools. His fiction introduces philosophical questions through imaginative stories written for young people and adults. Sophie’s World brought him international recognition and has sold tens of millions of copies in translations across more than sixty languages. His other works include The Solitaire Mystery, The Christmas Mystery, Through a Glass, Darkly, and The Orange Girl. Gaarder continues to write about philosophy, human existence, and the natural world.
Literary/Historical Fiction 15+
eBook
Out Stealing Horses (2005) by Per Petterson follows sixty-seven-year-old Trond Sander, who withdraws to a remote cabin in eastern Norway after the death of his wife. A chance encounter with a neighbour unexpectedly returns him to the summer of 1948, when he was fifteen and staying in the countryside with his father. What began as a season of freedom—riding horses, cutting timber and exploring the forest—became marked by tragedy, painful discoveries and his father’s sudden disappearance. As memories of the summer mingle with revelations about his father’s work with the Norwegian resistance during the Second World War, Trond must reconsider the past he thought he understood. Told in spare, lyrical prose, the novel explores memory, grief, family secrets, abandonment and the lasting influence of childhood experiences.
Per Petterson is an award-winning Norwegian novelist born in Oslo. Before becoming a full-time writer, he worked as a bookseller, translator, literary critic and librarian. His novels are known for their understated prose and powerful explorations of memory, family, grief and solitude. Out Stealing Horses became an international bestseller and won both the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize and the International Dublin Literary Award. His other acclaimed works include In the Wake, To Siberia and I Curse the River of Time.
Pakistan
Historica Fiction 12+
The Line They Drew Through Us (2025) is set against the backdrop of the 1947 Partition of India. It follows three best friends—Jahan, Ravi, and Lakshmi—who are born on the same day and share a deep bond. As the political upheaval of Partition divides their country, their lives are torn apart: one flees, one disappears, and the other is left with only memories and hope. Through this narrative, Khan explores themes of friendship, identity, and the enduring impact of historical events on personal lives.
Hiba Noor Khan is an English children's author and physics teacher of Pakistani descent. She has written several acclaimed books, including Safiyyah's War, and is known for her work in promoting diversity and intercultural understanding.
Contemporary realistic fiction 12+
Hardcopy
Amal Unbound (2018) follows Amal, a determined girl living in a Pakistani village who dreams of becoming a teacher. After an encounter with the son of a powerful landlord, she is forced into indentured servitude to repay her family’s debt. As Amal learns more about the landlord’s corruption, she must find the courage to resist injustice and fight for her freedom, education, and future.
Aisha Saeed is a Pakistani American writer and an award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of books for young readers. Her middle-grade novel Amal Unbound explores girls’ education, courage, and resistance to injustice in Pakistan. Saeed is also a founding member of We Need Diverse Books, a nonprofit organization that promotes greater representation in children’s literature.
Contemporary realistic fiction 12+
Hardcopy
Amal Unbound (2018) follows Amal, a determined girl living in a Pakistani village who dreams of becoming a teacher. After an encounter with the son of a powerful landlord, she is forced into indentured servitude to repay her family’s debt. As Amal learns more about the landlord’s corruption, she must find the courage to resist injustice and fight for her freedom, education, and future.
Aisha Saeed is a Pakistani American writer and an award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of books for young readers. Her middle-grade novel Amal Unbound explores girls’ education, courage, and resistance to injustice in Pakistan. Saeed is also a founding member of We Need Diverse Books, a nonprofit organization that promotes greater representation in children’s literature.
Contemporary Fiction 14+
All My Rage (2022) by Sabaa Tahir is a powerful and deeply moving novel about friendship, family, grief, and the search for hope. Set in a small desert town in California, the story follows Salahudin and Noor, childhood friends whose lives have been shaped by loss, difficult family relationships, and the pressures of growing up. As they face personal struggles, heartbreak, and long-buried secrets, they must decide whether forgiveness, love, and resilience are enough to overcome the pain of the past. Richly emotional and beautifully written, the novel explores themes of identity, belonging, addiction, mental health, immigration, and the enduring strength of human connection.
Sabaa Tahir is an American author of Pakistani heritage whose bestselling novels have earned international acclaim for their emotional depth and unforgettable characters. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked as a newspaper editor, experiences that shaped her compassionate and nuanced storytelling. Known for both the fantasy series An Ember in the Ashes and contemporary fiction, Tahir explores themes of family, justice, identity, and resilience. All My Rage won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature and has been widely praised as one of the most significant young adult novels of recent years.
Realistic Fiction 14+
Hardcopy
This Book Won’t Burn (2024) is a powerful contemporary young adult novel about Noor Khan, a Pakistani American teenager who finds comfort, identity, and belonging through books. When efforts to remove and ban certain books begin to affect her school and community, Noor becomes involved in a movement to defend intellectual freedom and the right to diverse stories. As she navigates friendship, family expectations, first love, and questions about her own future, she discovers the importance of using her voice to stand up for what she believes in. Thought-provoking and timely, the novel explores themes of censorship, representation, identity, and the transformative power of reading.
Samira Ahmed is an American author of South Asian heritage known for writing thought-provoking young adult novels that explore identity, social justice, and belonging. She is the bestselling author of books including Internment, Love, Hate & Other Filters, Hollow Fires, and This Book Won’t Burn. Through her fiction, Ahmed encourages readers to think critically about freedom, equality, and the power of stories to create change.
Realistic Fiction 14+
Hardcopy
Internment (2019) is a dystopian young adult novel set in a near-future United States where Muslim Americans are forced into detention camps. The story follows seventeen-year-old Layla Amin, who is imprisoned with her parents at a camp called Mobius. Refusing to accept the guards’ cruelty and the camp director’s increasingly oppressive rules, Layla secretly communicates with her boyfriend outside and begins organizing resistance from within. As the risks grow, she must decide how much she is willing to sacrifice for freedom. The novel explores Islamophobia, authoritarianism, civil rights, courage, and the importance of speaking out against injustice.
Samira Ahmed is an American author of South Asian heritage known for writing thought-provoking young adult novels that explore identity, social justice, and belonging. She is the bestselling author of books including Internment, Love, Hate & Other Filters, Hollow Fires, and This Book Won’t Burn. Through her fiction, Ahmed encourages readers to think critically about freedom, equality, and the power of stories to create change.
Realistic Fiction 14+
Hardcopy
Hollow Fires (2022) by Samira Ahmed is a contemporary murder mystery about the deadly consequences of racism and misinformation. Fourteen-year-old Jawad Ali builds a costume jet pack, but his teacher assumes it is a bomb and has him arrested. The resulting media coverage portrays the Iraqi American teenager as a potential terrorist. When Jawad later disappears, aspiring journalist Safiya Mirza becomes determined to discover what happened to him. Guided by messages from Jawad’s ghost, Safiya uncovers connections among his murder, online radicalisation and white supremacist beliefs within her own school community. Told through alternating perspectives, articles, text messages and other media, the novel examines Islamophobia, privilege, distorted reporting and the importance of challenging hatred with evidence and truth.
Samira Ahmed is an American author of South Asian heritage known for writing thought-provoking young adult novels that explore identity, social justice, and belonging. She is the bestselling author of books including Internment, Love, Hate & Other Filters, Hollow Fires, and This Book Won’t Burn. Through her fiction, Ahmed encourages readers to think critically about freedom, equality, and the power of stories to create change.
Mystery 14+
A Tempest of Tea (2024) by Hafsah Faizal is a dark fantasy heist novel set in a glittering, dangerous city inspired by Victorian-era and South Asian influences. The story follows Arthie Casimir, a criminal mastermind who runs an exclusive tearoom by day and an illegal bloodhouse for vampires by night. When her business is threatened, Arthie assembles a crew of outcasts, thieves, and misfits to pull off an impossible heist that could expose the city's most powerful secrets.
Hafsah Faizal is a Pakistani American author best known for We Hunt the Flame. Her work is celebrated for bringing Muslim and South Asian influences into epic fantasy while delivering strong character-driven adventures.
Mystery 15+
Exit West (2017) by Mohsin Hamid is a powerful and imaginative novel that blends realism with magical elements to explore migration, identity, and hope. The story follows Nadia and Saeed, two young people whose lives are transformed when civil war forces them to flee their unnamed homeland. Through mysterious doors that instantly transport refugees across the world, they journey from the Middle East to Greece, England, and the United States, confronting the challenges of displacement, belonging, and the changing nature of their relationship. Beautifully written and deeply thought-provoking, the novel explores themes of migration, love, resilience, identity, prejudice, change, and our shared humanity in an increasingly interconnected world.
Mohsin Hamid is a Pakistani bestselling author whose novels examine globalization, identity, migration, and the complexities of the modern world. Born in Lahore, Pakistan, he has lived and worked in Pakistan, the United States, and the United Kingdom, experiences that deeply influence his writing. His internationally acclaimed novels include The Reluctant Fundamentalist, How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia, and Exit West, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and named one of the best books of the year by numerous international publications. Hamid's work is celebrated for its lyrical prose, innovative storytelling, and compassionate exploration of contemporary global issues.
Palestine
Contemporary Fiction / Coming of Age / Palestine 13+
Code Name: Butterfly (2009; English translation 2016) by Ahlam Bsharat, translated from Arabic by Nancy Roberts, follows a teenage Palestinian girl who uses “Butterfly” as an alter ego while trying to make sense of the confusing world around her. She is dealing with ordinary adolescent concerns—friendship, family, attraction, secrets, and questions about who she wants to become—but her daily life is also shaped by living under occupation. As Butterfly begins to question the behaviour of adults around her, including troubling rumours about her father, she gradually becomes more aware of the political and social pressures surrounding her family and community. Thoughtful, observant, and often quietly humorous, the novel explores identity, growing up, loyalty, family, gender expectations, and life under occupation. The original Arabic edition was selected for the 2012 IBBY Honour List, and the English edition was shortlisted for the 2017 Palestine Book Awards.
Ahlam Bsharat is a Palestinian author, poet, and creative-writing educator who grew up in Tammun in Palestine and now lives in Ramallah. She holds a master’s degree in Arabic literature from An-Najah National University and has written novels, short stories, picture books, poetry, memoirs, and television and radio scripts. Her work frequently explores adolescence, identity, family, Palestinian life, and the experiences of young people growing up under political and social pressures. Code Name: Butterfly became one of her best-known works internationally and was included on the IBBY Honour List.
Realistic Fiction 12+
Hardcopy
Does My Head Look Big in This?(2005) follows a young Muslim girl, Amal, who decides to wear the hijab full-time as she navigates the challenges of high school life, including cultural identity, peer pressure, and self-acceptance. Throughout her journey, Amal faces both support and criticism from her friends and family, ultimately learning to embrace her identity and stand proud in her beliefs.
Randa Abdel-Fattah is an Australian author of Palestinian descent, known for her impactful young adult novels that address themes of identity, culture, and social justice, as well as her work as a lawyer and advocate for multiculturalism and social inclusion.
Historical Fantasy / Folklore / Adventure 12+
Wondrous Journeys in Strange Lands (2013; English translation 2020) by Sonia Nimr, translated from Arabic by Marcia Lynx Qualey, follows Qamar, a fearless young Palestinian girl whose curiosity and love of stories lead her on an extraordinary journey across the Middle East and North Africa. After losing her parents, Qamar leaves home and travels through Gaza, Egypt, Morocco, and beyond, sometimes disguising herself as a boy and using her intelligence, healing skills, and storytelling ability to survive. Inspired by traditional Arab storytelling and the travel narratives of Ibn Battuta, the novel blends history, folklore, adventure, humour, and fantasy while exploring independence, courage, learning, gender expectations, and the search for belonging. It was shortlisted for the 2021 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize and won the 2021 Palestine Book Awards Translation Award.
Sonia Nimr is a Palestinian author and storyteller whose work draws extensively on Palestinian and Arab folklore, oral storytelling, history, and contemporary life. She writes for children, young adults, and adults and is known for creating adventurous female protagonists who challenge traditional expectations. Her books include Wondrous Journeys in Strange Lands, Thunderbird, Ghaddar the Ghoul and Other Palestinian Stories, and A Little Piece of Ground, co-written with Elizabeth Laird. Nimr has received major recognition for her writing, including the Etisalat Award, and her work has been translated into several languages.
Contemporary Fiction / War / Social Issues 12+
A Little Piece of Ground (2003) by Elizabeth Laird, written in collaboration with Sonia Nimr, follows twelve-year-old Karim Aboudi, who lives with his family in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. During periods of curfew, Karim longs for the ordinary things he misses most, especially playing football with his friends. When the curfew is lifted, Karim and his friend discover a small unused patch of ground that seems perfect for a football pitch and a hidden place to escape the pressures around them. But daily life remains shaped by military occupation, fear, restrictions, and sudden danger. The novel explores friendship, family, resilience, childhood, conflict, and the importance of finding moments of freedom in difficult circumstances. It won the Hampshire Book Award and was nominated for the Carnegie Medal.
Sonia Nimr is a Palestinian author and storyteller whose work draws extensively on Palestinian and Arab folklore, oral storytelling, history, and contemporary life. She writes for children, young adults, and adults and is known for creating adventurous female protagonists who challenge traditional expectations. Her books include Wondrous Journeys in Strange Lands, Thunderbird, Ghaddar the Ghoul and Other Palestinian Stories, and A Little Piece of Ground, co-written with Elizabeth Laird. Nimr has received major recognition for her writing, including the Etisalat Award, and her work has been translated into several languages.
Peru
Contemporary Fiction / Disability / Coming of Age 13+
Breathe and Count Back from Ten (2022) by Natalia Sylvester follows Verónica, a Peruvian-American teenager with hip dysplasia who has undergone multiple surgeries and feels most comfortable in the water. During the summer before her senior year, she auditions to become a professional mermaid at a Central Florida theme park, despite knowing that her protective parents are unlikely to approve. At the same time, she begins a relationship with her new neighbour, Alex, and starts questioning how much control others should have over decisions about her body and future. Warm, romantic, and thoughtful, the novel explores disability, body image, first love, family expectations, cultural identity, independence, and learning to advocate for yourself. It was named both a 2023 Pura Belpré Honor Book and a 2023 Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book.
Natalia Sylvester is a Peruvian-born American author who writes for children, teenagers, and adults. Born in Lima, Peru, she grew up in Florida and Texas. Her work frequently explores identity, family, culture, belonging, and the experiences of young people negotiating expectations placed on them by family and society. Breathe and Count Back from Ten received both Pura Belpré and Schneider Family Book Award honors for its portrayal of a Peruvian-American teenager with a disability.
Philippines
Fantasy 10+
We Dream of Space (2020) by Erin Entrada Kelly follows three siblings—Cash, Fitch, and Bird Thomas—living in suburban Delaware during the lead-up to the 1986 Challenger space shuttle launch. Each sibling faces personal challenges: Cash struggles academically, Fitch is obsessed with space and science, and Bird dreams of escaping family tensions through her love of drawing. As their family life becomes increasingly complicated, the children's hopes become intertwined with the historic Challenger mission. When tragedy strikes, they must find ways to cope, grow, and reconnect with one another.
Erin Entrada Kelly is a Filipino-American author known for her poignant and humorous stories that often explore themes of identity, belonging, and resilience. She has received numerous accolades, including a second Newbery Medal in 2025.
Fantasy 14+
Wicked As You Wish (2020) by Rin Chupeco is the first book in the A Hundred Names for Magic series, a thrilling fantasy inspired by fairy tales and folklore from around the world. Tala Warnock has spent years hiding her magical abilities after escaping the frozen kingdom of Avalon, where a powerful curse transformed fairy tales into terrifying reality. When dark forces threaten both her new home and the last survivors of Avalon, Tala and her friends embark on a dangerous journey filled with magic, mythical creatures, and ancient legends. Blending action, humour, and richly imagined world-building, the novel explores themes of identity, belonging, courage, friendship, and the power of choosing your own destiny.
Rin Chupeco is a Filipino author whose internationally bestselling novels are celebrated for their imaginative storytelling, diverse characters, and influences from Asian folklore and mythology. Best known for The Bone Witch trilogy and The Never Tilting World, Chupeco combines fantasy, horror, and adventure with themes of resilience, identity, and found family. Wicked As You Wish showcases their talent for weaving together global myths into an exciting, inclusive fantasy that appeals to both new and experienced fantasy readers.
Fantasy 14+
Six Crimson Cranes (2021) by Elizabeth Lim is the first book in a captivating fantasy duology inspired by East Asian folklore. Princess Shiori'anma has a forbidden gift for magic, but on the morning of her arranged marriage, her powers are discovered by her stepmother, Raikama, who curses Shiori and transforms her six brothers into cranes. To save her family, Shiori must journey across a magical kingdom filled with dragons, enchanted creatures, hidden allies, and dangerous secrets. Along the way, she discovers the true meaning of courage, sacrifice, and the strength to forge her own destiny. Rich in mythology and adventure, the novel explores themes of family, identity, loyalty, love, and the power of hope.
Elizabeth Lim is an American author of Chinese and Filipino heritage whose bestselling fantasy novels are celebrated for their enchanting storytelling and vivid world-building inspired by Asian folklore and fairy tales. A former composer for film and video games, Lim brings cinematic imagination and emotional depth to her writing. Her acclaimed novels, including Spin the Dawn, Unravel the Dusk, and the Six Crimson Cranes duology, have earned international praise for their memorable characters, immersive settings, and timeless themes of courage, family, and self-discovery.
Fantasy 13+
Sibylline (2024) by Melissa de la Cruz is a sweeping fantasy inspired by ancient mythology, prophecy, and political intrigue. Set in a world where magic is fading and powerful kingdoms are on the brink of war, the story follows three young protagonists whose destinies become entwined by an ancient prophecy. As long-buried secrets emerge and rival factions compete for power, each must decide what they are willing to sacrifice to protect those they love—and whether destiny can truly be changed. Filled with magic, adventure, romance, and unexpected twists, the novel explores themes of fate, identity, loyalty, courage, power, and the choices that shape our future.
Melissa de la Cruz is a Filipino American bestselling author best known for her young adult fantasy and contemporary novels. Born in the Philippines and raised in the United States, she has written numerous internationally acclaimed series, including Blue Bloods, The Descendants, and Alex & Eliza. Her books blend fast-paced storytelling, richly imagined worlds, and memorable characters while exploring themes of friendship, identity, family, and resilience. Translated into many languages, her work has captivated millions of readers worldwide, making her one of the most influential voices in contemporary young adult fiction.
Fantasy 10+
Charlie Hernández & the League of Shadows (2019) by Ryan Calejo follows Charlie Hernández, a boy who has always loved the myths and legends his grandmother tells him. When strange things begin happening—including horns growing from his head—Charlie discovers that the creatures and stories of Latin American folklore are real, and that he is connected to an ancient prophecy. Pursued by dangerous supernatural forces, Charlie must embark on an adventure across a hidden magical world while uncovering the truth about his family and his destiny.
Ryan Calejo is a Filipino American author known for creating imaginative middle-grade adventures that blend mythology, humour, and diverse cultural perspectives. His work often features strong family relationships, memorable characters, and inventive world-building.
Adventure 12+
Charlie Hernández & the Castle of Bones (2022) is the second book in Ryan Calejo's Charlie Hernández series. Charlie, a Cuban American boy whose body has become infused with creatures and powers from Latin American folklore, continues his quest to understand his destiny and protect the world from supernatural threats. In this installment, Charlie and his friends journey into dangerous magical realms, face terrifying monsters, and uncover ancient secrets connected to the mysterious Castle of Bones.
Ryan Calejo is a Cuban American author whose work celebrates Latin American mythology, folklore, and storytelling traditions while delivering action-packed adventures for middle-grade readers.
Realistic Fiction 13+
Hardcopy
Everything We Never Had (2024) by Randy Ribay follows four generations of Filipino American boys and men across nearly a century. From Francisco, a farmworker facing racism in 1930s California, to Enzo, navigating anxiety and family tensions during the pandemic, each generation struggles with identity, masculinity, ambition, and belonging. As the story moves between 1930, 1965, 1983, and 2020, long-held silences and unresolved conflicts shape the relationships between fathers and sons. Told through four interconnected perspectives, this moving family saga explores how history, culture, expectations, and inherited trauma influence who we become—and whether understanding the past can help a family heal.
Randy Ribay is a Filipino American author of young-adult fiction. Born in the Philippines and raised in Michigan and Colorado, he now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. His acclaimed novel Patron Saints of Nothing was a finalist for the National Book Award, while Everything We Never Had was longlisted for the 2024 National Book Award and won the Asian/Pacific American Award for Young Adult Literature and the Boston Globe–Horn Book Fiction Award. Ribay’s thoughtful stories explore identity, family, culture, belonging, and the experiences of Filipino American young people.
Fantasy/Horror 14+
Everything We Never Had (2024) by Randy Ribay follows four generations of Filipino American boys and men across nearly a century. From Francisco, a farmworker facing racism in 1930s California, to Enzo, navigating anxiety and family tensions during the pandemic, each generation struggles with identity, masculinity, ambition, and belonging. As the story moves between 1930, 1965, 1983, and 2020, long-held silences and unresolved conflicts shape the relationships between fathers and sons. Told through four interconnected perspectives, this moving family saga explores how history, culture, expectations, and inherited trauma influence who we become—and whether understanding the past can help a family heal.
Randy Ribay is a Filipino American author of young-adult fiction. Born in the Philippines and raised in Michigan and Colorado, he now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. His acclaimed novel Patron Saints of Nothing was a finalist for the National Book Award, while Everything We Never Had was longlisted for the 2024 National Book Award and won the Asian/Pacific American Award for Young Adult Literature and the Boston Globe–Horn Book Fiction Award. Ribay’s thoughtful stories explore identity, family, culture, belonging, and the experiences of Filipino American young people.
Realistic Fiction 15+
Hardcopy
I’d Rather Burn Than Bloom (2023) by Shannon C. F. Rogers follows Marisol Martin, a multiracial Filipina American teenager whose relationship with her mother was defined by constant arguments. When her mother dies suddenly, Marisol is overwhelmed by guilt over everything they said—and everything they never had the chance to say. Her father appears lost, her younger brother withdraws into himself and Marisol struggles to connect with the Filipino heritage her mother represented. After an impulsive betrayal destroys her closest friendship, she clings to anger as a defence against grief. Through a mysterious sketchbook and an unexpected new friendship, Marisol gradually begins confronting her memories and considering the possibility of forgiveness. The novel explores bereavement, family conflict, cultural identity, friendship and self-forgiveness.
Shannon C. F. Rogers is a multiracial American author of Filipinx and European heritage who writes about grief, family relationships and coming of age. She grew up in Albuquerque, earned a degree in creative writing from the University of New Mexico and completed an MFA in Writing for Young People at Antioch University Los Angeles. Rogers has worked as an educator in Albuquerque, Chicago and New York City, and her fiction and plays have appeared in literary magazines and theatrical productions. I’d Rather Burn Than Bloom, her debut novel, won the 2024 Asian/Pacific American Award for Young Adult Literature. She is also the author of Eighteen Roses.
Poland
Science Fiction / Satire 13+
The Cyberiad by Stanisław Lem is a collection of linked science-fiction stories about Trurl and Klapaucius, two brilliant robotic inventors who travel through a bizarre universe creating machines, solving impossible problems, and often causing new ones. The stories mix science fiction, philosophy, mathematics, fairy-tale structure, and absurd humor, using robots and imaginary worlds to explore ambition, power, intelligence, technology, and human behavior. Clever and inventive, the book rewards readers who enjoy wordplay, strange ideas, and stories that are funny on the surface but intellectually challenging underneath.
Stanisław Lem was a Polish science-fiction writer, philosopher, and essayist and one of the most widely translated Polish authors of the twentieth century. Born in Lwów in 1921, he later settled in Kraków, where he lived for much of his adult life. His work often explores technology, artificial intelligence, communication, knowledge, and the limits of human understanding. Lem is best known internationally for Solaris, while The Cyberiad showcases his more playful and satirical side.
Historical Fiction / Jewish Family / Interwar Poland 16+
My Name Is Stramer (Polish original 2019; English translation 2026) by Mikołaj Łoziński, translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones, follows the Stramers, a large Polish-Jewish family living in Tarnów in the years before the Second World War. Nathan and Rywka struggle to raise six children in a cramped apartment while each member of the family pursues different ambitions, relationships, and political ideals. As the children grow older, communism, nationalism, antisemitism, and economic hardship increasingly shape their lives, while the approach of Nazi occupation casts a growing shadow over the family. The novel blends intimate family drama with the wider political history of interwar Poland and explores identity, love, poverty, Jewish life, political radicalization, and belonging.
Mikołaj Łoziński is a contemporary Polish novelist, screenwriter, and photographer born in Warsaw in 1980. He has received major Polish literary honors including the Polityka Passport and the Kościelski Foundation Award. His novels include Reisefieber, The Book, and Stramer. My Name Is Stramer was shortlisted for Poland’s Nike Literary Award, has been translated into numerous languages, and was published in English by Pushkin Press in 2026. Łoziński lives in Warsaw.
Classic / Gothic / Philosophical Fiction 16+
The Manuscript Found in Saragossa by Jan Potocki is a complex eighteenth-century novel set largely in Spain and built as a series of stories within stories. The narrative follows Alphonse van Worden, a young officer travelling through the Sierra Morena, where he encounters mysterious women, hermits, bandits, scholars, ghosts, secret societies, and travellers whose stories continually interrupt and reshape his own. Blending Gothic fiction, adventure, philosophy, folklore, satire, and the supernatural, the novel explores belief, reason, identity, desire, storytelling, and the difficulty of separating truth from illusion. Its intricate structure makes it especially rewarding for strong readers who enjoy unconventional narratives and books that question how stories shape what we think is real.
Jan Potocki was a Polish nobleman, traveller, historian, ethnographer, and writer who wrote primarily in French. Born in 1761, he travelled widely across Europe, North Africa, and Asia and developed a deep interest in languages, cultures, history, and folklore. He is best known for The Manuscript Found in Saragossa, a highly original work that combines Enlightenment curiosity with Gothic mystery and fantastical storytelling. Potocki’s wide-ranging intellectual interests and cosmopolitan life helped shape a novel that moves freely between cultures, ideas, genres, and competing versions of reality.
Portugal
Graphic Novel / LGBTQ+ / Coming of Age 13+
Pardalita (2023 English translation) by Joana Estrela, translated from Portuguese by Lyn Miller-Lachmann, follows sixteen-year-old Raquel as she slowly becomes fascinated by a girl at school known as Pardalita. What begins with passing encounters in hallways and drama rehearsals develops into an intimate exploration of attraction, uncertainty, friendship, and first love. Told through a distinctive mix of prose, poetry, and black-and-white illustrations, the book captures the emotional intensity of adolescence and the small details that make another person suddenly feel important. Pardalita was shortlisted for the 2024 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Joana Estrela is a Portuguese author and illustrator whose work combines visual storytelling with themes of identity, relationships, family, and growing up. Her books often blur the boundaries between graphic novel, illustrated fiction, and memoir-like storytelling. Pardalita, first published in Portuguese in 2021 and translated into English in 2023, brought her work to a wider international audience and was shortlisted for the 2024 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Romania
Philosophy / Essays 17+
eBook
The Trouble with Being Born (1973) by E. M. Cioran is a collection of short philosophical reflections and aphorisms on existence, mortality, consciousness, failure, boredom, memory, religion and the difficulty of being alive. Rather than developing a single argument, Cioran writes in brief, provocative fragments that invite readers to question assumptions about meaning, happiness, identity and the value of existence itself. His style is dark, ironic and often paradoxical, making the book both intellectually demanding and emotionally intense. It is best suited to older readers who are comfortable engaging with existential and pessimistic ideas.
E. M. Cioran was a Romanian-born philosopher and essayist who was born in Rășinari, Romania, and later settled in Paris, where he wrote most of his major works in French. Known for his aphoristic style and uncompromising pessimism, Cioran explored themes such as despair, mortality, history, religion, failure and the absurdity of existence. His major works include On the Heights of Despair, A Short History of Decay, The Temptation to Exist and The Trouble with Being Born. He remains one of the most distinctive philosophical voices of the 20th century.
Historical Fiction / Literary Fiction 15+
eBook
Life Begins on Friday (2009) by Ioana Pârvulescu is a literary mystery set in Bucharest at the end of the 19th century. The story begins when an unconscious young man is found near the outskirts of the city, carrying objects that seem strangely out of place. As several characters become involved in discovering who he is and where he came from, the novel gradually builds a vivid portrait of Bucharest at the turn of the century. Blending mystery, history and social observation, the book explores memory, modernity, change and the experience of living at a moment when one era is giving way to another.
Ioana Pârvulescu is a Romanian novelist, essayist, literary critic and professor born in Brașov in 1960. She is one of Romania’s best-known contemporary literary voices and has written extensively about Romanian culture, literature and everyday life. Her novel Life Begins on Friday won the European Union Prize for Literature in 2013 and has been translated into English. Her work often combines historical detail, humour, memory and literary experimentation.
Russia
Graphic Memoir / Coming of Age / Family 10+
A Year Without Mom (2015) by Dasha Tolstikova is an illustrated memoir about the year twelve-year-old Dasha remains in Moscow with her grandparents while her mother goes to America to study. Set during the political upheaval surrounding the collapse of the Soviet Union, the book focuses mainly on Dasha’s everyday life—school, friendships, crushes, family tensions, loneliness, and the difficulty of growing up without her mother nearby. As enormous political changes unfold around her, Dasha is more immediately concerned with finding her place among friends and coping with change at home. Groundwood recommends the book for ages 10–14 / Grades 5–9, and it was named a Kirkus Best Middle-Grade Book and a USBBY Outstanding International Book.
Dasha Tolstikova is a Russian-born author and illustrator who grew up in Moscow and later moved to North America. She now lives in Brooklyn and works as a writer, illustrator, and designer. A Year Without Mom, her debut, draws directly on her own childhood experience in Moscow during the early 1990s and received four starred reviews as well as international recognition.
Historical Fiction / Soviet History / Coming of Age 10+
Breaking Stalin’s Nose (2011) by Eugene Yelchin follows ten-year-old Sasha Zaichik, a devoted Soviet schoolboy who dreams of joining the Young Pioneers. His certainty begins to collapse when his father is suddenly arrested by Stalin’s secret police. Over the course of one day, Sasha is forced to question everything he has been taught about loyalty, truth, authority, and justice. Short, accessible, and emotionally powerful, the novel introduces younger readers to life under Stalin without becoming overly graphic. It received a 2012 Newbery Honor.
Eugene Yelchin is a Russian-American author and illustrator born in Leningrad, now Saint Petersburg, in 1956. He trained in theatre design in the Soviet Union before emigrating to the United States in 1983. His books for young readers frequently draw on Russian and Soviet history, childhood, political repression, and questions of freedom and conscience. His works include Breaking Stalin’s Nose, Arcady’s Goal, The Haunting of Falcon House, and The Genius Under the Table.
Historical Nonfiction 12+
The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain (2021) is an illustrated memoir by Eugene Yelchin. Set in Cold War Soviet Russia, it recounts the author’s childhood growing up under a restrictive communist regime. Young Yevgeny dreams of becoming an artist, but his family faces censorship, shortages, government surveillance, and political pressure. Through humor, warmth, and striking illustrations, the book explores creativity, resilience, family, and the importance of independent thinking.
Eugene Yelchin was born in Saint Petersburg (then Leningrad), Russia, and later immigrated to the United States. He is an award-winning author and illustrator known for books that bring Soviet history and personal experiences to young readers.
Rwanda
Graphic Memoir / War / Refugee Experience 15+
Alice on the Run: One Child’s Journey Through the Rwandan Civil War (2022 English edition) by Gaspard Talmasse, translated from French by Nanette McGuinness, tells the true story of Alice Cyuzuzo, who was five years old when the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi and subsequent violence forced her family to flee Rwanda. Travelling through what was then Zaire, Alice moves from one refugee camp to another as her family tries to survive hunger, displacement, violence, and repeated attacks. Told largely through a child’s perspective, the graphic memoir avoids abstract political explanations and instead shows how war and forced migration affect ordinary family life. Powerful and often harrowing, it explores childhood, displacement, survival, family, memory, and the human consequences of conflict.
Gaspard Talmasse is a Belgian graphic artist, illustrator, and comics creator who studied visual arts and comics at the Saint-Luc Institute in Liège. He has worked in illustration, animation, storyboarding, and graphic storytelling. Alice on the Run is based on the experiences of Alice Cyuzuzo, who later became his partner, and was created from her memories of fleeing Rwanda and growing up amid displacement and conflict. Talmasse’s work combines documentary testimony with visual storytelling to make complex historical experiences accessible on a deeply personal level.
Serbia
Contemporary Coming-of-Age Fiction 10+
The Summer I Learnt to Fly (2020 English edition) is a warm coming-of-age novel by Serbian author Jasminka Petrović. Twelve-year-old Sofia expects a boring summer when she travels with her grandmother to the Croatian island of Hvar. Unfamiliar with the local dialect and customs, she initially retreats into books, music and daydreams. As Sofia makes new friends and uncovers long-hidden family stories, she begins to understand identity, belonging and reconciliation. With humour and warmth, the novel explores growing up, connecting across generations and confronting the past.
Jasminka Petrović is an award-winning Serbian author who has written more than 30 books for children and young people. Her work has been translated into more than 25 languages, and several of her stories have been adapted for theatre and film. She draws inspiration from conversations with children and is actively involved in programmes that encourage young people’s imagination and creativity.
Historical Fiction 14+
Early Sorrows (1998 English edition) is a collection of linked stories by Danilo Kiš, originally published in Belgrade in 1969. The stories follow Andreas Sam, an intelligent and imaginative boy growing up in Central Europe as the Second World War approaches. Although his early life contains school, books, family affection and adventures with his dog, he gradually becomes aware of antisemitism, war and the disappearance of people around him—including his father. Told with lyricism, tenderness and moments of humour, the book explores childhood innocence, memory, identity, loss and the ways young people experience frightening events they cannot fully understand.
Danilo Kiš was born in Subotica, Yugoslavia, in 1935 and wrote in Serbo-Croatian. His Jewish and Serbian family background and his childhood experiences during the Second World War strongly influenced his writing. He later lived mainly in France and became internationally recognised for works including The Encyclopedia of the Dead, Garden, Ashes and A Tomb for Boris Davidovich. He died in Paris in 1989.
Memoir/History 16+
eBook
Garden, Ashes (1975) by Danilo Kiš is a haunting, semi-autobiographical novel narrated by Andi Scham, a sensitive boy growing up in Yugoslavia and Hungary during the Second World War. At the centre of his memories is his father, Eduard: an eccentric railway inspector, failed writer and dreamer whose increasingly erratic behaviour both fascinates and embarrasses his son. As antisemitic persecution closes in on the family, Andi’s imagination transforms fear, poverty and displacement into moments of strange beauty. His father’s eventual disappearance into the Holocaust is approached indirectly, through fragmented memories and a child’s refusal to accept the full meaning of loss. Blending lyrical prose, dark humour and shifting perspectives, the novel explores childhood, identity, family mythology, memory and the ways imagination helps people endure unbearable realities.
Danilo Kiš was a major Yugoslav novelist, essayist and translator born in Subotica in 1935. His childhood during the Second World War—and the loss of his Jewish father, who was deported to Auschwitz—deeply shaped his writing. Kiš studied comparative literature at the University of Belgrade and later lived and worked in France. His acclaimed books include Early Sorrows, Hourglass, A Tomb for Boris Davidovich and The Encyclopedia of the Dead. Celebrated for combining autobiography, history and fiction, he became one of the most influential European writers of the twentieth century.
Poetry 14+
Vasko Popa (2019), translated by Charles Simic, is a revised and expanded collection of poems by one of Serbia’s most important twentieth-century poets. Popa combines Serbian folklore, myths, riddles and everyday objects with surreal and unexpected imagery. His poems are often brief and mysterious, using dark humour and symbolism to explore identity, conflict, memory, love and the human condition. Charles Simic’s translations make Popa’s distinctive voice accessible to English-language readers while preserving the concision and strangeness of the original poetry.
Vasko Popa was born in Grebenac, in present-day Serbia, in 1922 and was of Romanian heritage. He became a major figure in Serbian and Yugoslav poetry by developing a modern style influenced by folk traditions and surrealism. His concise, imaginative work was widely translated and earned international recognition. Popa worked as a writer and editor and lived in Belgrade until his death in 1991.
Illustrated Fiction / Memoir 15+
Hardcopy
Nine: An Illustrated Novel by Slavimir Stojanović Futro is a visually inventive novel that blends fiction, memory, autobiography, and graphic design. Built around fragments of childhood, identity, family, and the strange ways memory returns, the book uses illustrations and design as an essential part of the storytelling rather than as decoration. Personal, playful, and sometimes surreal, it explores how we construct a sense of self from incomplete memories, how childhood experiences shape adulthood, and how images can tell truths that words alone cannot.
Slavimir Stojanović Futro is a Serbian designer, illustrator, author, and creative director known for bold visual communication and distinctive graphic storytelling. His work spans branding, advertising, illustration, and publishing, and he is widely recognised for combining humour, strong visual ideas, and personal narrative. In Nine, Futro brings his background in design directly into the form of the book, creating a hybrid work that sits between novel, memoir, and visual art.
Magical Realism 15+
At the Lucky Hand (2020 English edition), translated by Peter Agnone, is an imaginative novel by Serbian author Goran Petrović. The story centres on My Legacy, a mysterious book whose detailed descriptions become a world that readers can physically enter. Through “simultaneous reading,” strangers meet inside its pages, where their lives and love stories begin to overlap. Blending romance, mystery and magical realism, the novel explores loneliness, memory, human connection and the transforming power of books and reading.
Goran Petrović (1961–2024) was an acclaimed Serbian novelist, short-story writer, editor and librarian. He studied Yugoslav and Serbian literature at the University of Belgrade and became a full member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts. At the Lucky Hand received Serbia’s prestigious NIN Award in 2000. Petrović’s lyrical and inventive writing has been translated into numerous languages, establishing him as a major figure in modern Serbian literature.
Experimental Historical Fantasy 16+
Hardcopy
Dictionary of the Khazars (1989 English edition), translated by Christina Pribićević-Zorić, is an unconventional novel by Serbian author Milorad Pavić. Presented as a fictional dictionary, it reconstructs the mysterious history of the Khazars through Christian, Islamic and Jewish sources. Readers can explore its interconnected entries in any order, moving between different periods, characters, dreams and legends. Combining history, fantasy, religion and mythology, the novel explores how truth changes according to who records it. Male and female editions were published, differing by seventeen lines.
Milorad Pavić (1929–2009) was a Serbian novelist, poet, literary historian and university professor. Born in Belgrade, he taught literature and cultural history and became a member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts. His experimental approach challenged traditional ideas about how novels should be structured and read. His writing was translated into more than thirty languages, and Dictionary of the Khazars brought him international recognition.
Historical Fiction 16+
Hardcopy
The Bridge on the Drina (1945), translated by Lovett F. Edwards, is a historical novel by Nobel Prize-winning author Ivo Andrić. Centred on the Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad, the novel traces the lives of the town’s inhabitants from the Ottoman Empire in the sixteenth century to the beginning of the First World War. Through interconnected stories, the bridge witnesses cultural exchange, political change, conflict and human suffering. The novel explores history, identity, nationalism, community and survival. It contains disturbing scenes of war, execution and violence.
Ivo Andrić (1892–1975) was a Yugoslav novelist, short-story writer and diplomat who was born in Bosnia and wrote in Serbo-Croatian. His work is closely associated with Bosnia’s complex history and the Serbian and wider Yugoslav literary traditions. In 1961, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature for the epic power with which he portrayed historical themes and human lives. His major works include The Bridge on the Drina, Bosnian Chronicle and The Woman from Sarajevo.
Literary Fiction / Satire 16+
Hardcopy
The Cyclist Conspiracy (1988; English translation 2012) by Svetislav Basara is an adult postmodern novel presented as a collection of invented documents, letters, memoirs, maps, philosophical writings, and other “historical” materials. At its center is a mysterious brotherhood of cyclists who meet in dreams, pursue strange forms of knowledge, and appear to interfere with history in ways that are both absurd and unsettling. The novel mixes conspiracy fiction, satire, philosophy, surrealism, and historical parody, challenging readers to question how history is written, how belief systems are created, and how easily truth can become entangled with myth.
Svetislav Basara is a Serbian novelist, essayist, and playwright known for experimental, satirical, and politically charged fiction. He has written numerous novels and collections of essays and short stories, and his work often uses absurdity, irony, and invented documents to question ideology, history, and institutional authority. He is regarded as a major figure in contemporary Serbian literature and won the NIN Award in 2006.
Sierra Leone
Fantasy 14+
The Gilded Ones (2021) by Namina Forna is set in a West African–inspired fantasy world where girls are judged by the colour of their blood. Sixteen-year-old Deka discovers that her blood is gold rather than red, marking her as an outcast and a potential monster in the eyes of society. When she is offered the chance to join an army of powerful girls with extraordinary abilities, Deka must decide whether to embrace her destiny and fight against the oppressive system that has rejected her. The novel explores themes of identity, power, discrimination, friendship, and resistance.
Namina Forna is a Sierra Leonean-American author and screenwriter whose work draws on West African history, folklore, and feminist themes. The Gilded Ones was her debut novel and became an international bestseller, praised for its world-building and powerful exploration of gender and social justice.
Singapore
Fantasy 12+
Song of the Yellow Dragon (2026) is a fantasy adventure inspired by Chinese mythology and folklore. In a world where children can see magic but lose that ability when they turn thirteen, Mengyao dreams of becoming a Divine Healer before her time runs out. When she meets Kai, a young emperor fleeing traitors and searching for the legendary Dragon’s Pulse, the two embark on a dangerous quest filled with magical creatures, ancient prophecies, and powerful secrets. As enemies close in, they must decide whom to trust and whether they are willing to risk everything to save their kingdom. The novel explores themes of friendship, courage, destiny, and the wonder of believing in magic.
Ying Ping Low is a Singaporean author who has published several acclaimed middle-grade novels in Singapore. Her books have won the Singapore Book Award and been shortlisted for the Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award and the Popular Readers’ Choice Award.
Historical Fiction 12+
Lizard's Tale (2019) by Weng Wai Chan is a historical mystery set in Singapore in 1940, just before World War II reaches Southeast Asia. The story follows Lizard, a poor orphan who survives by stealing and running errands. When he is hired to work at a grand mansion called Dragon's Gate, he becomes entangled in secrets, disappearances, and mysteries that reveal deep divisions of wealth, power, and colonial society.
Weng Wai Chan is a Singaporean-born author who grew up in Singapore and later moved to Canada. Lizard's Tale draws on Singapore's history and multicultural heritage.
ReaFiction 12+
Sugarbread (2004) by Balli Kaur Jaswal is a coming-of-age novel set in Singapore that follows Pin, a young woman navigating family expectations, friendship, identity, and sexuality. Through humour and honesty, the story explores race, culture, class, and self-discovery as Pin struggles to find her place in a complex and changing world. The novel deals with mature themes and is aimed at older teen and adult readers.
Balli Kaur Jaswal is a Singapore-born author of Punjabi heritage who has lived in several countries, including Singapore and Australia. She is known for writing novels that explore multicultural identity, gender, family, and contemporary social issues, often drawing on South Asian and Singaporean experiences.
Somalia
Nonfiction 11+
When Stars Are Scattered (2020) by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed, illustrated by Victoria Jamieson and Iman Geddy, is based on Omar’s childhood in Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camp. After fleeing civil war in Somalia and becoming separated from their mother, Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, must build a life in a place where food, water and opportunities are scarce.
Omar dreams of attending school, but leaving Hassan—who is nonverbal and requires constant care—presents a painful choice. When Omar is eventually offered the possibility of resettlement in the United States, hope is mixed with uncertainty and the fear of leaving everything familiar behind. Told with warmth, honesty and expressive illustrations, this moving memoir explores brotherhood, education, displacement, disability, perseverance and the meaning of home.
Omar Mohamed is a Somali-born author, humanitarian and refugee advocate. After fleeing civil war, he spent more than fifteen years of his childhood in Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camp, where he cared for his younger brother while pursuing his education. He later resettled in the United States and founded Refugee Strong, an organisation supporting education for young people living in refugee camps. Created with award-winning graphic novelist Victoria Jamieson, When Stars Are Scattered was a National Book Award finalist and received numerous honours for young people’s literature.
Realistic Fiction 14+
The Thread That Connects Us (2024) explores the complex dynamics between two Somali-British teenage girls, Safiya and Halima. Safiya grapples with the return of her estranged father and the upheaval it brings to her already fragile family life. Halima, newly arrived from Somalia, faces the challenges of adapting to a new culture and language while dealing with her own family issues. Their initial animosity transforms into a deep bond as they uncover shared family secrets, leading them to realize that their connection is stronger than they had imagined.
Ayaan Mohamud is a Somali-British writer and medical student based in London. She began her writing journey during the COVID-19 lockdown, and her debut novel, You Think You Know Me, was inspired by her experiences with Islamophobia and her desire to highlight Somali culture in young adult literature.
South Africa
Mystery 14+
Blood to Poison (2023) by Mary Watson follows Savannah, a South African teenager who returns to Johannesburg after years abroad following her mother's death. As she reconnects with old friends and uncovers long-hidden family secrets, Savannah becomes entangled in a dangerous mystery rooted in betrayal, revenge, and a mysterious poison. Blending psychological suspense with African folklore, the novel explores themes of grief, identity, justice, and the consequences of uncovering the truth.
Mary Watson is a South African-born author whose award-winning young adult novels are known for combining suspense, mystery, and emotional depth. Now based in Ireland, she writes stories that often explore identity, family, and belonging while weaving together contemporary settings with elements of folklore and the supernatural. Her novels have been widely praised for their compelling characters and atmospheric storytelling.
Historical Nonfiction 12+
Hardcopy
eBook & Audiobook
It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime – Stories from a South African Childhood (Adapted for Young Readers) (2019) is a memoir adapted from Trevor Noah's bestselling autobiography Born a Crime. Through a series of humorous, dramatic, and insightful stories, Noah recounts growing up in apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa as the son of a Black Xhosa mother and a white Swiss father—an illegal combination under apartheid laws. The book explores race, identity, family, resilience, and the power of education, while remaining accessible to younger readers.
Trevor Noah is a South African comedian, author, producer, and former host of The Daily Show. Born in Johannesburg during apartheid, he has become one of the world's most recognizable storytellers and commentators. His memoir has been widely praised for making complex historical and social issues understandable through personal stories and humor.
Historical Nonfiction 12+
Hardcopy
No Turning Back (1995) by Beverley Naidoo follows twelve-year-old Sipho, who runs away from his violent stepfather and heads to Johannesburg. He joins other children living on the streets, where finding food and shelter—and knowing whom to trust—are daily challenges. The story takes place as South Africa prepares for its first democratic elections. Change is coming to the country, but Sipho still has to work out what it might mean for his own future. The novel explores friendship, survival, and hope during a turning point in South African history. Content note: domestic violence and homelessness.
Beverley Naidoo is a South African author who lives in the United Kingdom. She campaigned against apartheid as a student and was exiled from South Africa in 1965. Her books for young readers include Journey to Jo’burg and The Other Side of Truth, which won the Carnegie Medal. Many of her stories examine how political injustice affects children’s lives.
Historical Fiction · Ages 10+
Hardcopy
Journey to Jo’burg (1985) by Beverley Naidoo follows Naledi and her younger brother Tiro in apartheid-era South Africa. Their little sister Dineo is dangerously ill, but there is no doctor in their village. Their mother works more than 300 kilometres away in Johannesburg, so the children set out to find her and bring her home. As they travel, they encounter dangers and begin to understand how apartheid shapes people’s daily lives. This short novel tells a story of courage, family, and determination in the face of injustice.
Beverley Naidoo is a South African author who lives in the United Kingdom. She campaigned against apartheid as a student and was exiled from South Africa in 1965. Her books for young readers include Journey to Jo’burg and The Other Side of Truth, which won the Carnegie Medal. Many of her stories examine how political injustice affects children’s lives.
Literary Fiction 17+
Hardcopy
Disgrace (1999) by J. M. Coetzee follows David Lurie, a university professor in post-apartheid South Africa whose sexual misconduct involving a student ends his academic career. He retreats to his daughter Lucy’s rural smallholding, where a violent attack unsettles their relationship and his assumptions about authority, protection, and belonging. Written in spare, controlled prose, the novel explores responsibility, race, gender, and the uneasy relationship between remorse and redemption. Winner of the 1999 Booker Prize, it offers DP English readers rich opportunities to examine narrative perspective, moral ambiguity, and how an author challenges readers’ sympathies. Contains sexual violence and other disturbing material.
J. M. Coetzee is a South African-born novelist, essayist, and literary critic who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2003. Born in Cape Town in 1940, he studied at the University of Cape Town and earned a doctorate at the University of Texas at Austin. His novels include Waiting for the Barbarians, Life & Times of Michael K, and Disgrace. He won the Booker Prize twice, for Life & Times of Michael K in 1983 and Disgrace in 1999. Known for precise prose and searching ethical questions, Coetzee examines power, oppression, and the responsibilities people bear towards others. He moved to Australia in 2002.
Spain
Historical Fiction 14+
The Librarian of Auschwitz (2017) by Antonio Iturbe is a historical novel inspired by the true story of Dita Kraus, a Jewish teenager imprisoned in Auschwitz during World War II. Inside the camp's secret children's school, Dita becomes the keeper of a small collection of forbidden books, risking her life to protect them. Set against one of history's darkest periods, the novel explores courage, resilience, hope, friendship, and the power of books and education in the face of oppression.
Antonio Iturbe is a Spanish author, journalist, and literary critic. He is known for writing both fiction and nonfiction, and The Librarian of Auschwitz has become his most internationally recognized work, introducing young readers to an important chapter of history through a compelling and deeply human story.
Historical Fiction 14+
The Librarian of Auschwitz (2017) by Antonio Iturbe is a historical novel inspired by the true story of Dita Kraus, a Jewish teenager imprisoned in Auschwitz during World War II. Inside the camp's secret children's school, Dita becomes the keeper of a small collection of forbidden books, risking her life to protect them. Set against one of history's darkest periods, the novel explores courage, resilience, hope, friendship, and the power of books and education in the face of oppression.
Antonio Iturbe is a Spanish author, journalist, and literary critic. He is known for writing both fiction and nonfiction, and The Librarian of Auschwitz has become his most internationally recognized work, introducing young readers to an important chapter of history through a compelling and deeply human story.
Sri Lanka
Realistic Fiction 12+
The Girl Who Stole an Elephant (2020) by Nizrana Farook follows Chaya, a brave village girl in Sri Lanka who steals the queen's prized elephant to help her friends and challenge injustice. Hunted by the king's soldiers, Chaya embarks on a thrilling journey through jungles, temples, and ancient ruins, relying on courage, quick thinking, and friendship to stay one step ahead. Inspired by Sri Lankan history and landscapes, the novel explores justice, loyalty, bravery, compassion, and standing up for what is right.
Nizrana Farook is a Sri Lankan author who was born and raised in Colombo. Her middle-grade adventure novels are inspired by Sri Lanka's landscapes, wildlife, history, and folklore, giving young readers an authentic glimpse into the country's culture and natural beauty. Through exciting adventures, she encourages curiosity, courage, and respect for the environment.
Realistic Fiction 12+
I Am Kavi (2024) is a powerful verse novel that explores themes of identity, resilience, and the right to education. The story follows Kavi, a young girl living on a tea plantation in Sri Lanka, where poverty and long-standing social inequalities shape everyday life. Dreaming of a future beyond the plantation, Kavi finds strength in books, learning, and her determination to create opportunities for herself and her family. As she navigates challenges at school and within her community, she discovers the importance of courage, friendship, and speaking up for what is right. Written in lyrical verse, the novel offers an inspiring and heartfelt portrait of a young person striving to shape her own future.
Thushanthi Ponweera is a Sri Lankan-born author and educator whose writing often explores themes of social justice, culture, and belonging. Drawing on her Sri Lankan heritage, she brings authentic perspectives and underrepresented stories to young readers. I Am Kavi is her debut novel and has been praised for its vivid portrayal of plantation life, its compassionate storytelling, and its celebration of perseverance through education.
Sudan
Realistic Fiction 12+
Hardcopy
Bright Red Fruit (2024) by Safia Elhillo follows Samira, a Sudanese American teenager who cannot escape the “bad girl” reputation imposed on her by her family and community. She hopes to spend the summer exploring Washington, D.C., attending parties and developing her talent as a slam poet. However, after a damaging rumour leaves her confined at home, Samira seeks comfort in an online poetry forum and attracts the attention of Horus, an older and charismatic poet. What initially feels like recognition and romance gradually becomes a secretive and dangerously unbalanced relationship. Told through poems, emails and messages, this powerful coming-of-age novel explores identity, family expectations, artistic expression, reputation, grooming and the struggle to reclaim one’s voice.
Safia Elhillo is a Sudanese American poet and author whose work explores migration, identity, language, womanhood and belonging. Her books include the poetry collections The January Children and Girls That Never Die, as well as the young-adult verse novel Home Is Not a Country. That novel was longlisted for the National Book Award and received both a Coretta Scott King Author Honor and an Arab American Book Award. Bright Red Fruit received a Michael L. Printz Honor in 2025. Elhillo has also received the Brunel International African Poetry Prize and fellowships from Cave Canem, the Howard Foundation and Stanford University.
Poetry / Verse Novel 14+
eBook
Home Is Not a Country (2021) by Safia Elhillo is a lyrical novel in verse about Nima, a Sudanese American teenager who feels caught between the country where she lives and the homeland she knows mostly through family stories, music, and memory. Struggling with grief, isolation, and questions about who she might have been in another life, Nima becomes fascinated by Yasmeen, the imagined version of herself who might have existed if her parents had remained in Sudan. Blending poetry, memory, magical realism, and coming-of-age, the book explores identity, migration, belonging, family history, and the complicated meaning of “home.”
Safia Elhillo is a Sudanese American poet and writer whose work explores migration, identity, language, memory, and the experience of living between cultures. Born in the United States to Sudanese parents, she is the author of poetry collections including The January Children and Girls That Never Die, as well as the verse novel Home Is Not a Country. Her writing often blends personal experience with history and music, creating intimate reflections on displacement, inheritance, and belonging.
Sweden
Historical Mystery / Crime 12+
The Night Raven (2021; English translation 2023) by Johan Rundberg, translated from Swedish by A. A. Prime, is the first book in The Moonwind Mysteries, a historical crime series set in Stockholm in 1880. Twelve-year-old Mika is an orphan living in a children’s home who has learned to survive by being observant, practical, and resourceful. When a baby is abandoned at the orphanage and a series of disturbing crimes begins to unfold, Mika becomes involved in an investigation with police constable Valdemar Hoff. As the mystery deepens, she is drawn into the darker side of the city, where poverty, class, corruption, and danger sit just beneath Stockholm’s elegant surface. Atmospheric and suspenseful, the novel combines mystery with social history and a strong young protagonist. It was shortlisted for the 2024 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Johan Rundberg is a Swedish author from Stockholm who writes historical fiction and mystery for young readers. His Moonwind Mysteries series has received major recognition in Scandinavia and internationally. The Night Raven won the 2021 August Prize for Swedish children’s and young adult literature, as well as other children’s book awards, and Rundberg received the Astrid Lindgren Prize in 2023 for his contribution to children’s and young adult literature. His writing is known for combining suspense, vivid historical settings, and socially observant young protagonists.
Adventure 12+
The Secrets Below (English translation 2026; originally published in Swedish in 2016) by Camilla Sten and Viveca Sten follows twelve-year-old Tuva, who lives on a remote island in Sweden's Stockholm archipelago. When a classmate mysteriously disappears and strange lights begin appearing near the sea, Tuva and a new student, Rasmus, become caught up in a dangerous mystery involving ancient folklore, magical forces, and long-buried secrets. Combining suspense, fantasy, and environmental themes, the novel explores friendship, belonging, courage, and self-discovery.
Camilla Sten and Viveca Sten are a Swedish mother-daughter writing team. Together they created The Whispering Sea Mysteries, a bestselling middle-grade fantasy series inspired by Scandinavian folklore and the islands of the Baltic Sea.
Contemporary Fiction / Music / Coming of Age 13+
Wonderful Feels Like This (2017 English edition) by Sara Lövestam, translated from Swedish by Laura A. Wideburg, follows Steffi, a teenage girl who feels isolated and bullied at school but finds comfort and freedom in jazz. Her life changes when she meets Alvar, an elderly former jazz musician living in a retirement home. Through their unlikely friendship, Steffi begins to imagine a different future for herself and gains the confidence to pursue music more seriously. Warm and moving, the novel explores bullying, loneliness, friendship across generations, identity, resilience, and the transformative power of music. It was selected as a 2019 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize Honor Book.
Sara Lövestam is a Swedish author, linguist, and former teacher born in 1980 and based in Stockholm. She writes fiction for adults, children, and young adults, as well as books about language and grammar. Her work often explores identity, belonging, relationships, and people who feel outside conventional social expectations. Wonderful Feels Like This was her first novel translated into English and became a 2019 GLLI Translated YA Honor Book.
Realistic Fiction 14+
Butterfly Heart (Swedish original 2019; English translation 2023) by Moa Backe Åstot, translated by Agnes Broomé, follows Várri, a Sámi teenager living in northern Sweden. When his best friend returns after spending time away, Várri begins to experience feelings he has never fully understood before. As he struggles with questions of identity, love, tradition, and belonging within his close-knit Sámi community, he must find the courage to accept himself and imagine a future that is true to who he is.
Moa Backe Åstot is a Swedish author of Sámi heritage whose writing often explores Indigenous Sámi culture, identity, language, and contemporary life in northern Scandinavia. Butterfly Heart won the prestigious August Prize for Best Children's and Young Adult Book in Sweden.
Contemporary Fiction / LGBTQ+ / Indigenous Sámi 14+
Fire from the Sky (2021; English translation 2023) by Moa Backe Åstot, translated from Swedish by Eva Apelqvist, follows sixteen-year-old Ánte, a Sámi teenager growing up in northern Sweden and immersed in his family’s reindeer-herding traditions. Ánte has always assumed that his future will remain closely tied to his community, but his feelings for his best friend Erik force him to question how his sexuality fits within the expectations around him. As he struggles with secrecy, internalized homophobia, family expectations, and the fear of losing his place in Sámi life, Ánte must decide whether he can be fully himself without abandoning the culture and community he loves. The novel explores first love, identity, belonging, tradition, and the pressures faced by LGBTQ+ young people in close-knit communities. It received a Michael L. Printz Honor and was shortlisted for the 2025 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize.
Moa Backe Åstot is a Swedish Sámi author and reindeer owner born in Malmberget in 1998. She studied creative writing at Umeå University and writes fiction that explores Sámi identity, culture, language, family, sexuality, and contemporary life in northern Sweden. Fire from the Sky, her debut novel, brought her work to an international audience and received a Michael L. Printz Honor in its English translation. Her later novel Butterfly Heart also explores Sámi identity and belonging.
Pre-Apocalyptic Thriller / Mystery 14+
The End (2018; English translation 2020) by Mats Strandberg, translated from Swedish by Judith Kiros, is set in Sweden during the final weeks before a comet is expected to destroy Earth. Teenager Simon is trying to reconnect with his ex-girlfriend Tilda, while Lucinda, who has stopped treatment for cancer, records her thoughts for a digital archive intended to preserve something of humanity after everyone is gone. When Tilda is suddenly found murdered, Simon becomes the main suspect and joins forces with Lucinda to discover what really happened. Combining mystery, romance, and end-of-the-world fiction, the novel asks what matters when time is running out and explores grief, friendship, love, fear, responsibility, and the different ways people respond when there is no future to plan for. The End was named a 2021 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize Honor Book.
Mats Strandberg is a Swedish novelist and journalist born in 1976. He writes for children, teenagers, and adults and is particularly known for combining horror, suspense, fantasy, and psychologically complex characters. His books include The End, Blood Cruise, and the internationally successful Engelsfors trilogy, co-written with Sara Bergmark Elfgren. The End was selected as a Kirkus Best Young Adult Book of 2020 and became a 2021 GLLI Translated YA Honor Book.
Syria
Historical Fiction 14+
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow (2022) is a powerful historical novel set during the Syrian civil war. The story follows Salama Kassab, an eighteen-year-old pharmacy student who becomes a volunteer medic in a hospital overwhelmed by the violence around her. Haunted by grief and visions born from trauma, Salama struggles between staying to help her community and fleeing Syria in search of safety. Through friendship, love, and acts of courage, the novel explores themes of hope, resilience, loss, and the human cost of war while offering a deeply personal perspective on the refugee experience.
Zoulfa Katouh is a Canadian Syrian author who writes stories inspired by Syrian culture, history, and the experiences of displaced people. As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow, her debut novel, received widespread international acclaim for its emotional depth and authentic portrayal of life during the Syrian conflict. Katouh is passionate about amplifying underrepresented voices and highlighting stories of resilience, identity, and belonging.
Taiwan
Realistic Fiction 13+
The Silence That Binds Us (2022) by Joanna Ho follows Maybelline Chen, a Taiwanese American teenager whose life is shattered when her older brother dies by suicide. In the aftermath, Maybelline struggles with grief, guilt, cultural expectations, racism, and the silence surrounding mental health in her family and community. As she begins to uncover truths about her brother's experiences and her own identity, she learns the importance of speaking openly about pain, healing, and hope.
Joanna Ho is a Taiwanese American author and educator best known for Eyes That Kiss in the Corners. Her young adult fiction explores identity, family, race, and mental health with honesty and compassion.
Realistic Fiction 10+
Parachute Kids (2023) by Betty C. Tang follows Feng-Li, Ke-Gang, and Ann, three Taiwanese siblings whose parents return to Taiwan for work, leaving them in California to pursue educational opportunities. When their parents become unexpectedly unable to return to the United States, the children must fend for themselves in secret, hiding their situation from teachers, neighbours, and authorities while trying to survive school, daily life, and growing uncertainty.
Betty C. Tang is a Taiwanese American graphic novelist whose work draws on personal and community experiences to tell stories about identity, family, and belonging.
Science Fiction 10+
Hana Hsu and the Ghost Crab Nation (2024) by Sylvia Liu follows Hana Hsu, a brilliant twelve-year-old coder living in a futuristic, technology-driven society. When she becomes entangled in a mystery involving artificial intelligence, digital networks, and the enigmatic "Ghost Crab Nation," Hana must use her intelligence, creativity, and teamwork skills to uncover the truth. As she navigates a world shaped by advanced technology, she learns important lessons about friendship, responsibility, identity, and the human side of innovation.
Sylvia Liu is a Taiwanese American author and engineer whose books often combine STEM themes with engaging adventures for young readers. Drawing on her background in technology, she creates stories that encourage curiosity, problem-solving, and critical thinking while celebrating diverse perspectives.
Graphic Memoir / Historical Nonfiction 12+
The Boy from Clearwater: Book 1 (2023 English edition) by Yu Pei-Yun, illustrated by Zhou Jian-Xin and translated by Lin King from Hoklo Taiwanese, Mandarin Chinese, and Japanese, tells the true story of Tsai Kun-lin growing up in Taiwan during Japanese rule and the turbulent years that followed World War II. A book-loving teenager, Tsai is later falsely accused of espionage during Taiwan’s White Terror period and sentenced to ten years on Green Island. Through powerful illustrations, multilingual text, historical notes, and archival material, the book explores political repression, resilience, family, identity, and the power of reading and memory. It was a 2024 GLLI Translated Young Adult Book Prize Honor Book and also won the Freeman Book Award in the graphic novel category.
Yu Pei-Yun is a Taiwanese writer, scholar, and professor of children’s literature, and Zhou Jian-Xin is a Taiwanese illustrator and visual artist. Yu teaches at the Graduate Institute of Children’s Literature at National Taitung University and works across writing, translation, criticism, and children’s literature research. Zhou has studied visual arts and children’s literature and created the book’s distinctive illustrations, which shift in tone as Tsai Kun-lin’s life moves from childhood into imprisonment and political persecution. Together, they transformed Tsai’s life story into an accessible graphic account of 20th-century Taiwanese history.
Fantasy 14+
Want (2017) by Cindy Pon is a fast-paced young adult cyberpunk science fiction novel set in a future Taipei where clean air is a luxury only the rich can afford. Jason Zhou and his friends become involved in a dangerous plan to expose a powerful corporation responsible for environmental injustice. The story combines action, technology, friendship, romance, and social activism.
Cindy Pon is a Taiwanese American author known for speculative fiction featuring Asian protagonists and themes of identity, justice, and inequality.
Realistic Fiction 14+
When You Wish Upon a Lantern (2024) by Gloria Chao is a heartfelt young adult novel that blends romance, family expectations, and a touch of magic. The story follows Liya Huang, a Taiwanese American teenager whose family runs a bakery. When a magical lantern grants wishes, Liya and those around her begin experiencing unexpected consequences as dreams, relationships, and long-held expectations collide. As she navigates first love, friendship, and family pressures, Liya learns that what we wish for is not always what we truly need.
Gloria Chao is a Taiwanese-Americana and award-winning author known for her works that explore themes of identity, culture, and family. She resides in Chicago, Illinois, and has written several acclaimed novels for young adults.
Realistic Fiction 14+
Hardcopy
When You Wish Upon a Lantern (2024) by Gloria Chao is a heartfelt young adult novel that blends romance, family expectations, and a touch of magic. The story follows Liya Huang, a Taiwanese American teenager whose family runs a bakery. When a magical lantern grants wishes, Liya and those around her begin experiencing unexpected consequences as dreams, relationships, and long-held expectations collide. As she navigates first love, friendship, and family pressures, Liya learns that what we wish for is not always what we truly need.
Gloria Chao is a Taiwanese American author and screenwriter. She was born in the United States to Taiwanese immigrant parents and grew up near Boston in a traditional Mandarin-speaking household. Her fiction frequently explores Taiwanese American identity, family expectations, cultural belonging and romance with humour and warmth. Before becoming a full-time writer, Chao studied business at MIT and trained and worked as a dentist.
Tanzania
Contemporary Fiction / Adventure — Older Middle School
eBook
Living in the Shade: Aiming for the Summit by Nahida Esmail follows Tatu and the Ivory Stars, a Tanzanian girls’ football team whose members have albinism. Facing prejudice, they set themselves an extraordinary challenge: climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to mark International Albinism Awareness Day. Their journey tests their courage, teamwork, and determination as they challenge stereotypes and pursue their ambitions. The novel explores friendship, inclusion, resilience, and the meaning of success, inviting readers to question prejudice and recognise each person’s potential.
Nahida Esmail is a Tanzanian author born and raised in Dar es Salaam. She writes children’s books and young adult novels that explore social issues through engaging stories. Her work encourages young readers to consider identity, fairness, and belonging.
Thailand
Narrative Nonfiction 12+
All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team (2020) by Christina Soontornvat tells the true story of the dramatic 2018 rescue of the Wild Boars youth soccer team, trapped deep inside Thailand's Tham Luang cave system after heavy monsoon rains. Drawing on her firsthand reporting in Thailand and interviews with rescuers, scientists, and local people, Soontornvat explains not only what happened but also the engineering, geology, teamwork, and international cooperation that made the rescue possible.
Christina Soontornvat is a Thai American author and a two-time Newbery Honor recipient.
Tibet
Memoir / Graphic Nonfiction 13+
Defying China: A Memoir – A Tibetan Girl Fights Back (2024) by Tsultrim Dolma and Rebecca Wei Hsieh is a powerful graphic memoir that tells the true story of a young Tibetan activist growing up under Chinese rule in Tibet. Through striking illustrations and personal narrative, Tsultrim recounts experiences of cultural suppression, resistance, exile, and the struggle to preserve Tibetan identity. The book provides a rare first-person perspective on contemporary Tibetan life and the challenges faced by those advocating for cultural and political freedom.
Tsultrim Dolma is a Tibetan activist whose story offers a firsthand account of resilience and resistance. Co-author Rebecca Wei Hsieh is an award-winning journalist and writer who helped bring Tsultrim's experiences to a younger audience.
Tunisia
Memoir / Graphic Nonfiction 13+
Defying China: A Memoir – A Tibetan Girl Fights Back (2024) by Tsultrim Dolma and Rebecca Wei Hsieh is a powerful graphic memoir that tells the true story of a young Tibetan activist growing up under Chinese rule in Tibet. Through striking illustrations and personal narrative, Tsultrim recounts experiences of cultural suppression, resistance, exile, and the struggle to preserve Tibetan identity. The book provides a rare first-person perspective on contemporary Tibetan life and the challenges faced by those advocating for cultural and political freedom.
Tsultrim Dolma is a Tibetan activist whose story offers a firsthand account of resilience and resistance. Co-author Rebecca Wei Hsieh is an award-winning journalist and writer who helped bring Tsultrim's experiences to a younger audience.
Turkey
Contemporary Fiction / LGBTQ+ / Social Issues 16+
Ali and Ramazan (2010; English translation 2012) by Perihan Mağden, translated from Turkish by Ruth Whitehouse, follows two boys who grow up together in an orphanage in Istanbul and develop an intense emotional and romantic bond. After leaving the institution, they struggle to survive on the margins of society, facing poverty, exploitation, violence, and the pressures placed on young gay men in a deeply hostile environment. The novel is both a tragic love story and a portrait of social exclusion, exploring sexuality, class, abandonment, trauma, masculinity, and the search for dignity and belonging.
Perihan Mağden is a Turkish novelist, columnist, and essayist known for writing about controversial social and political issues in contemporary Turkey. Her fiction often focuses on outsiders, unconventional relationships, gender, sexuality, and the pressures created by rigid social expectations. Ali and Ramazan was first published in Turkish in 2010 and appeared in English translation by Ruth Whitehouse in 2012.
Uganda
Historical Fiction / Novel in Verse 10+
Audiobook — narrated by Sneha Mathan
Wings to Soar (2024) by Tina Athaide follows Viva, a ten-year-old girl whose Indian family is expelled from Uganda in 1972. Arriving at a resettlement camp in England with her mother and sister, she waits anxiously for her father to join them. As her family faces uncertainty and prejudice, Viva finds comfort in new friendships, music, and her love of words. Told in verse, this moving historical novel explores displacement, identity, racism, belonging, and resilience, showing how hope and human connection can help people navigate difficult changes.
Tina Athaide is a Uganda-born educator and children’s author who grew up in England and Canada. Her writing draws on her cultural heritage and family history to explore identity, friendship, and belonging. Her debut middle grade novel, Orange for the Sunsets, won the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People.
Ukraine
Memoir Nonfiction 12+
You Don’t Know What War Is: The Diary of a Young Girl from Ukraine (2022) by Yeva Skalietska is a first-person diary by a Ukrainian girl who was twelve when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. She describes leaving her home in Kharkiv, becoming a refugee, and trying to understand war while still living the everyday emotions of childhood. It is accessible for 12+ readers and gives a direct Ukrainian child’s perspective on conflict, displacement, fear, family, and resilience.
Yeva Skalietska is a Ukrainian writer whose diary began as a personal record of the first days of the war. Her book has been published in English and is widely recommended for young readers learning about Ukraine and the refugee experience.
Historical Fiction 11+
Kidnapped from Ukraine: Under Attack (2024) by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch follows a Ukrainian child caught in the chaos of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. When families are torn apart and children are forcibly taken from their homes, the story shows the fear, confusion, and courage of young people trying to survive war and find their way back to safety. The novel introduces readers to a very recent conflict through an accessible, child-centred perspective.
Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch is a Canadian author of Ukrainian heritage known for writing historical fiction about war, refugees, genocide, and children’s survival. Her books often focus on Ukrainian history and the experiences of young people affected by conflict.
United Kingdom
Mystery 13+
Catch Your Death (2024) by Ravena Guron is a fast-paced young adult murder mystery set during a winter survival trip. When a group of teenagers becomes stranded in an isolated location, tensions rise and secrets begin to surface. As the body count grows and trust evaporates, the survivors must determine who among them is responsible before they become the next victim. Filled with twists, red herrings, and suspense, the novel keeps readers guessing until the final pages.
Ravena Guron is a British author of young adult mystery and thriller novels. She is best known for This Book Kills, a bestselling school-set murder mystery that earned praise for its sharp plotting and memorable characters. Guron’s books combine suspense, humor, and intricate puzzles, making her one of the most exciting new voices in contemporary YA crime fiction.
Fantasy 13+
Rebel Skies (2022) by Ann Sei Lin is the first book in a fantasy trilogy inspired by East Asian mythology and folklore. Set in a world where giant paper spirits, magical origami creatures, and sky cities exist, the story follows Kurara, a girl who becomes caught in a struggle between powerful factions after discovering secrets that could reshape her world. Filled with aerial adventures, political intrigue, and imaginative magic, the novel offers a fresh fantasy setting unlike most Western fantasy series.
Ann Sei Lin is a British author of Chinese heritage whose work draws on East Asian cultural influences, mythology, and visual traditions.
Science 11+
An Immense World: Young Readers Edition (2024) is a fascinating nonfiction book that reveals how animals experience the world in ways humans can barely imagine. Adapted from Ed Yong’s Pulitzer Prize–winning bestseller, the book introduces readers to the extraordinary senses of animals—from bats that navigate with sound and birds that see ultraviolet light to elephants that communicate through vibrations in the ground. Through engaging examples and accessible explanations, Yong shows how every species perceives its environment differently, creating countless unique versions of reality. Both educational and awe-inspiring, the book encourages curiosity about the natural world and helps readers understand the remarkable diversity of life on Earth.
Ed Yong is a British science journalist and author known for making complex scientific ideas accessible to a wide audience. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting for his coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and has written extensively about biology, ecology, and animal behavior. His bestselling book An Immense World received international acclaim for its exploration of animal senses, and this young readers edition brings those discoveries to a new generation.
Contemporary Fiction 13+
Hardcopy
The One Memory of Flora Banks (2017) by Emily Barr follows 17-year-old Flora, who has been unable to form new memories since doctors removed a brain tumour when she was ten. Her mind resets several times each day, so she relies on notes, photographs and messages written on her arms to understand where she is and what has happened. Everything changes when Flora kisses her best friend’s boyfriend and, unexpectedly, remembers it. Convinced that he can help restore her memory, she leaves Cornwall and travels alone to the Arctic Circle. As Flora searches for answers, she uncovers troubling secrets about her past and begins to question everything she has been told. Combining psychological mystery, romance and adventure, the novel explores memory, independence, trust and the courage to take control of one’s own life.
Emily Barr is a British novelist and former journalist whose writing often combines psychological suspense with travel, mystery and questions about identity. After spending a year travelling around the world, she used her experiences in Asia as inspiration for her first novel, Backpack, which won the WHSmith New Talent Award. Barr went on to write numerous novels for adults before publishing The One Memory of Flora Banks, her first young-adult novel. The book became an international success and was published in 27 languages. Her other YA novels include The Truth and Lies of Ella Black, The Girl Who Came Out of the Woods and Ghosted. She lives in Cornwall with her family.
Uruguay
Contemporary Fiction / Mystery / Identity 13+
Hardcopy
Never Tell Anyone Your Name by Federico Ivanier follows a teenager whose sense of safety and identity begins to unravel after a seemingly ordinary encounter leads to secrets, uncertainty, and growing suspicion. As the protagonist tries to understand who can be trusted and why certain truths are being hidden, the novel develops into a tense psychological mystery about identity, memory, family, and the risks of revealing too much. Fast-paced and accessible, it would suit readers who enjoy suspense driven more by personal secrets and relationships than by graphic violence.
Federico Ivanier is a Uruguayan writer of fiction for children, teenagers, and adults. His work often combines humour, mystery, social observation, and psychologically complex young characters. He is one of Uruguay’s better-known contemporary writers for younger readers and has published across several genres, including realistic fiction, fantasy, and suspense.
USA
Contemporary Fiction 10+
Hardcopy
The Sea in Winter (2021) by Christine Day follows Maisie Cannon, a twelve-year-old Makah/Piscataway girl whose dreams of becoming a professional ballet dancer are threatened by a serious knee injury. During a winter family trip along the coast of Washington State, Maisie struggles with pain, disappointment, and the fear that she may never dance again. Surrounded by the sea, her family, and the strength of her Indigenous heritage, she begins to understand that healing takes time—and that changing direction does not mean giving up.
Christine Day is a citizen of the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe and an award-winning author of middle-grade fiction. Raised in Seattle and now living in the Pacific Northwest, she writes thoughtful stories that centre contemporary Indigenous children, families, and communities. The Sea in Winter was named an American Indian Youth Literature Award Honor Book and was a finalist for the Pacific Northwest Book Award. Day is also the author of I Can Make This Promise and We Still Belong.
Contemporary Fiction 10+
Hardcopy
I Can Make This Promise (2019) by Christine Day follows Edie Green, a twelve-year-old girl who has always been curious about her Native American heritage. Her mother was adopted by a white family and has little information about where she came from—until Edie discovers an old photograph and a box of letters hidden in the attic. The woman in the photograph looks remarkably like Edie and shares her name. Determined to uncover the truth, Edie begins exploring long-held family secrets and discovers a history of separation, resilience, and cultural identity that changes her understanding of who she is.
Christine Day is a citizen of the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe and an award-winning author of middle-grade fiction. Raised in Seattle and now living in the Pacific Northwest, she writes thoughtful stories that centre contemporary Indigenous children, families, and communities. The Sea in Winter was named an American Indian Youth Literature Award Honor Book and was a finalist for the Pacific Northwest Book Award. Day is also the author of I Can Make This Promise and We Still Belong.
Mystery 14+
Hardcopy
Firekeeper's Daughter (2021) by Angeline Boulley follows Daunis Fontaine, an eighteen-year-old Ojibwe teenager who has always felt caught between worlds—too Native for some people and not Native enough for others. After witnessing a shocking murder, Daunis is recruited by the FBI to go undercover and investigate a dangerous drug operation affecting her community. As the investigation deepens, she uncovers secrets that threaten her family, her identity, and the people she loves.
Angeline Boulley is an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and drew on her own experiences and community knowledge to create this groundbreaking novel. The book became a major bestseller, won numerous awards, and was selected for Reese Witherspoon's Book Club.
Fantasy 14+
Dragonfruit (2024) by Makiia Lucier is a fantasy novel inspired by Pacific Island mythology, particularly the cultures and legends of Oceania. The story follows Hanalei, a young girl living in an island kingdom where magical dragonfruit can grant wishes—but every wish comes with a price. When her beloved grandmother's life is endangered, Hanalei embarks on a perilous sea voyage filled with mythical creatures, ancient magic, hidden secrets, and difficult choices. Along the way, she learns about courage, sacrifice, family, and the consequences of power.
Makiia Lucier is an American author of Guamanian (Chamorro) heritage. Her novels often draw on Pacific Island history, culture, and folklore, bringing underrepresented mythologies into young adult fantasy.
Realistic Fiction 14+
Rain Is Not My Indian Name (2001) by Cynthia Leitich Smith follows Rain Berghoff, a Muscogee (Creek) and Cherokee girl who is struggling with grief after the death of her best friend. As she begins photographing her community for the local newspaper, Rain reconnects with friends, family, and her Native heritage while learning to embrace her identity and look toward the future. The novel explores grief, healing, friendship, identity, community, and the importance of representation in contemporary Native life.
Cynthia Leitich Smith is a bestselling Muscogee Nation author and one of the leading voices in contemporary Indigenous children's and young adult literature. Her work often explores Native identity, community, and the experiences of Indigenous young people in modern society.
Graphic Novel 12+
American Born Chinese (2006) by Gene Luen Yang is a groundbreaking graphic novel that weaves together three seemingly unrelated stories: the ancient legend of the Monkey King, the experiences of Jin Wang, a Chinese American boy trying to fit into a new school, and the exaggerated sitcom-style character Chin-Kee, who embodies harmful cultural stereotypes. As the narratives gradually intertwine, the novel delivers a powerful message about identity, belonging, self-acceptance, and the importance of embracing one's heritage. Combining humour, mythology, and contemporary realism, it explores themes of culture, friendship, family, racism, identity, confidence, and the courage to be yourself.
Gene Luen Yang is a Chinese American graphic novelist, educator, and one of the most influential creators of contemporary comics for young readers. American Born Chinese became the first graphic novel nominated for the National Book Award and won the prestigious Michael L. Printz Award, helping to establish graphic novels as an important form of literature in schools and libraries. Yang has also written acclaimed works including Dragon Hoops, Boxers & Saints, Level Up, and graphic novels featuring Superman, Shang-Chi, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. In 2016, he was named the U.S. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, recognising his outstanding contribution to children's and young adult literature. His work encourages readers to celebrate diversity, empathy, cultural understanding, and the power of embracing one's authentic identity.
Realistic Fiction 12+
Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim (2023) by Patricia Park follows Alejandra Kim, a Korean American middle-school student who has always felt caught between expectations and reality. When she unexpectedly wins a scholarship to an elite private school in New York City, Alejandra begins to feel like she doesn't belong among her wealthy classmates. As she navigates friendship, family pressures, identity, and self-doubt, she learns that confidence and belonging come from embracing who she is rather than trying to meet everyone else's expectations.
Patricia Park is a Korean American author and educator whose writing often explores identity, family, culture, and the experiences of young people navigating multiple worlds. Her work is known for its humour, warmth, and authentic portrayal of contemporary adolescence.
Realistic Fiction 12+
What's Eating Jackie Oh? (2022) by Patricia Park follows Jackie Oh, a Korean American teenager who dreams of becoming a chef while juggling family expectations, friendships, and the pressures of growing up. After a painful breakup and a disappointing cooking competition, Jackie must confront her complicated relationship with food, ambition, and her own sense of self-worth. Blending humor with heartfelt moments, the novel explores identity, family, mental health, body image, resilience, and following your passions.
Patricia Park is a Korean American author and educator whose writing often explores identity, family, culture, and the experiences of young people navigating multiple worlds. Her work is known for its humour, warmth, and authentic portrayal of contemporary adolescence.
Realistic Fiction 12+
A Snake Falls to Earth (2021) by Darcie Little Badger weaves together Indigenous Lipan Apache storytelling and contemporary life in a powerful fantasy novel. The story alternates between Nina, a Lipan Apache teenager living in the modern world, and Oli, a cottonmouth snake person from the Reflecting World, a realm inhabited by animal and spirit beings. When a mysterious illness threatens Oli's best friend, the paths of the two protagonists unexpectedly converge, leading them on a journey that explores the connections between people, stories, and the natural world.
Darcie Little Badger is a Lipan Apache author, scientist, and advocate for Indigenous representation in literature. Her award-winning novels blend Indigenous traditions, environmental themes, and speculative fiction to create stories that are both imaginative and deeply rooted in culture.
Realistic Fiction 13+
Elatsoe (2020) by Darcie Little Badger follows Ellie (Elatsoe), a Lipan Apache teenager with the unique ability to raise the ghosts of dead animals. When her cousin dies under suspicious circumstances, Ellie and her family investigate, uncovering dark secrets hidden beneath a seemingly ordinary Texas town. Blending Indigenous storytelling with mystery and fantasy, the novel explores family, justice, identity, community, and the enduring strength of Indigenous knowledge and traditions.
Darcie Little Badger is a Lipan Apache author, scientist, and advocate for Indigenous representation in literature. Her award-winning novels blend Indigenous traditions, environmental themes, and speculative fiction to create stories that are both imaginative and deeply rooted in culture.
Fantasy / Ghost Story 12+
The Dollmaker of Kraków (2017) by R. M. Romero follows Karolina, a magical doll who awakens in the workshop of a lonely dollmaker in Kraków, Poland, during World War II. As the Nazi occupation spreads across the city, Karolina and the Dollmaker befriend a Jewish girl and her family, using courage, compassion, and a touch of magic to resist hatred and bring hope in the darkest of times. Blending fantasy with historical fiction, the novel explores friendship, kindness, resilience, prejudice, and the power of hope.
R. M. Romero is a Cuban American author known for writing lyrical fantasy inspired by folklore, history, and diverse cultural traditions. Her work often combines magical elements with themes of identity, belonging, and resilience.
Graphic Nonfiction 12+
Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice (2022) by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile, is a graphic memoir about Olympic gold medalist Tommie Smith and his famous raised-fist protest at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. The book traces Smith's journey from his childhood in rural Texas through his athletic career and his commitment to the fight for civil rights. It explores the events that led to one of the most iconic moments in sports history and examines the personal costs and lasting impact of standing up against injustice.
Tommie Smith is an Olympic champion and civil rights activist whose silent protest on the medal podium became a symbol of the struggle for racial equality. Derrick Barnes is an award-winning American author known for works celebrating Black history and culture, while Dawud Anyabwile is an acclaimed illustrator and graphic novelist.
Contemporary Literary Fiction 16+
eBook & Audiobook
Chemistry (2017) by Weike Wang follows an unnamed chemistry doctoral student at a demanding university in Boston. Her research is faltering, her parents expect excellence, and her boyfriend’s marriage proposal adds another question she cannot answer. When the pressure becomes overwhelming, she steps away from the laboratory and begins reconsidering what she wants from life. Told through short, sharp observations and understated humour, the novel weaves scientific ideas into an exploration of identity, family expectations, mental health, and belonging. Winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award, it invites readers to question how we define success—and whether changing direction can be a discovery rather than a failure.
Weike Wang is an American novelist with a background in science. She earned an undergraduate degree in chemistry and a doctorate in public health from Harvard University, followed by an MFA in creative writing from Boston University. Her debut novel, Chemistry, won the 2018 PEN/Hemingway Award, and she also received a Whiting Award. Her other novels include Joan Is Okay and Rental House. Wang’s fiction explores ambition, cultural expectations, work, and the search for an independent identity, combining precise prose with dry humour and emotional insight.
Historical Fiction 16+
Hardcopy
Lessons in Chemistry (2022) by Bonnie Garmus follows Elizabeth Zott, a gifted research chemist working in 1960s California. Her male colleagues refuse to treat her as an equal, and prejudice repeatedly blocks her scientific career. After her life takes an unexpected turn, Elizabeth becomes a single mother and the reluctant host of the popular television cooking programme Supper at Six. She approaches every recipe as a chemistry experiment, but her lessons soon encourage women to question the limits society places upon them. Blending humour with darker moments, the novel examines sexism in science, workplace discrimination, grief, motherhood, and the struggle to live according to one’s own principles.
Bonnie Garmus is an American novelist, copywriter, and creative director originally from Seattle. Before turning to fiction, she worked with clients in the fields of technology, medicine, and education in the United States and abroad. Lessons in Chemistry, her debut novel, became an international bestseller and won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Debut Novel. Critics and readers have praised Garmus for creating a determined heroine whose experiences expose the barriers women faced in professional life during the 1960s. Apple TV+ later adapted the novel into a television series starring Brie Larson. Garmus now lives in London with her husband and her dog.
Contemporary Fiction 10+
Hardcopy
Each Tiny Spark (2019) by Pablo Cartaya follows Emilia Rosa Torres, a twelve-year-old Cuban American student with ADHD. When her mother leaves on a business trip just as her father returns from military deployment, Emilia struggles with schoolwork, changing friendships and her father’s distant behaviour. Working beside him to restore a classic car gradually helps them reconnect. Meanwhile, a social-studies project introduces Emilia to the history of the immigrants who helped build facilities for the Atlanta Olympics and the discrimination their community continues to face. Blending English, Spanish and Spanglish, this warm and thoughtful novel explores neurodiversity, PTSD, immigration, cultural identity, family relationships and the importance of finding the courage to speak up.
Pablo Cartaya is a Cuban American author, screenwriter, actor and educator who was born and raised in Miami. His stories frequently explore Latin American identity, bilingualism, immigration, community and intergenerational relationships. His novel The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora received a Pura Belpré Author Honor, and his other books include Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish, The Last Beekeeper, Curveball and A Hero’s Guide to Summer Vacation. Cartaya has also worked with Disney, Apple TV+ and Sesame Street, taught creative-writing workshops and served as a judge for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. He continues to call Miami home and describes Cuban American culture as central to his life and writing.
Contemporary Fiction 10+
Hardcopy
The Second Chance of Benjamin Waterfalls (2022) by James Bird follows thirteen-year-old Benjamin, an Ojibwe boy whose repeated shoplifting has brought him before a judge. Facing juvenile detention, he is sent instead to live with his estranged father on the Grand Portage Reservation in Minnesota. There, an unexpected cultural “boot camp,” led by the determined Niimi Waatese, challenges Benjamin to confront the consequences of his choices and reconsider what he believes he is owed. As he reconnects with his family and Ojibwe heritage, Benjamin begins to understand that genuine change requires honesty, responsibility and respect for others. Warm, humorous and uplifting, the novel explores identity, belonging, family separation, restorative justice and the transformative power of second chances.
James Bird is a Grand Portage Ojibwe author, screenwriter and film director. Raised in Southern California, he draws upon his Indigenous heritage and personal experiences to create compassionate stories about young people searching for identity, belonging and a way home. His middle-grade novels include The Brave, The Second Chance of Benjamin Waterfalls, No Place Like Home and Wolf Club. His books frequently explore cultural reconnection, neurodiversity, family hardship and resilience. Bird also works with the independent film company Zombot Pictures and has written and directed films including Honeyglue and We Are Boats. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife, author and actor Adriana Mather, and their son.
Venezuela
Romance 14+
Through My Window (2019) follows Raquel, a girl who secretly watches her mysterious neighbor Ares from her bedroom window. When their lives unexpectedly collide, their relationship turns into an intense and complicated romance. The novel explores obsession, love, and emotional growth in a dramatic young adult love story.
Ariana Godoy is a Venezuelan-American author who gained international popularity for her young adult romance novels, including Through My Window, which began as a story on Wattpad.
Vietnam
Historical Fiction 10+
Inside Out & Back Again (2011) is a historical novel in verse that follows Hà, a ten-year-old girl who flees Vietnam with her family after the fall of Saigon and resettles in Alabama. Through her free-verse poems, Hà shares the pain of leaving home, the challenges of adapting to a new culture, and the resilience she discovers along the way.
Thanhhà Lại, a Vietnamese American author, drew on her own childhood experiences as a refugee to bring authenticity and emotional depth to the story.
Historical Fiction 12+
Listen, Slowly (2015) by Thanhhà Lại follows Mai, a Vietnamese American girl who would rather spend her summer at the beach in California than travel to Vietnam with her grandmother. Reluctantly accompanying her, Mai expects a boring trip—but as she learns more about her family's history and the legacy of the Vietnam War, she begins to understand her heritage in new ways. Along the way she encounters humour, mystery, cultural misunderstandings, and personal growth as she bridges the gap between generations and cultures.
Historical Fiction 12+
Butterfly Yellow (2019) by Thanhhà Lai follows Hằng, a Vietnamese girl who is separated from her younger brother during the final days of the Vietnam War. Six years later, she travels alone to Texas in search of him, navigating a new country, language barriers, and the challenges of rebuilding her life. Along the way, she forms an unlikely friendship with LeeRoy, a young cowboy whose kindness helps her continue her journey. The novel explores family, loss, resilience, immigration, and hope through a moving story of determination and belonging.
Historical Fiction 12+
When Clouds Touch Us (2023) by Thanhhà Lại follows two Vietnamese American siblings, Ha and Minh, as they struggle to rebuild their lives after fleeing an abusive home. Living in foster care, they long to be reunited while coping with grief, trauma, and the uncertainty of their future. Through alternating verse and prose, the novel explores family, resilience, healing, identity, and the lasting effects of childhood trauma, ultimately celebrating hope, love, and the power of belonging.
Romance 14+
A Pho Love Story (2021) by Loan Le follows Bao Nguyen and Linh Mai, two Vietnamese American teenagers whose families own rival pho restaurants in the same neighbourhood. Despite a long-standing feud between their parents, Bao and Linh form a secret friendship that gradually develops into romance. As they navigate family expectations, cultural traditions, identity, and their dreams for the future, they must decide whether they are willing to challenge the divisions that have shaped their lives.
Loan Le is a Vietnamese American author whose writing celebrates family, food, culture, and first love. Drawing on her own experiences, she creates warm, humorous stories that explore the complexities of growing up between traditions and personal aspirations.
Romance 14+
Solving for the Unknown (2024) by Loan Le follows Viet Hoang, a Vietnamese American high school student who prefers the certainty of math to the unpredictability of emotions. When he is paired with Evie Mai for a challenging school project, the two must work together despite their different personalities and complicated family expectations. As friendship grows into something more, the novel explores identity, first love, grief, family, mental health, and finding the courage to embrace life's uncertainties.
Loan Le is a Vietnamese American author whose writing celebrates family, food, culture, and first love. Drawing on her own experiences, she creates warm, humorous stories that explore the complexities of growing up between traditions and personal aspirations.
Realistic Fiction 14+
She Is a Haunting (2023) by Trang Thanh Tran follows Jade Nguyen, a Vietnamese American teenager who reluctantly travels to Vietnam to visit her estranged father. Hoping to earn money for college, Jade agrees to help restore a crumbling French colonial house—but soon discovers the building is haunted by unsettling spirits and dark secrets connected to Vietnam's colonial past. As supernatural events intensify, Jade must confront both the ghosts inhabiting the house and the complicated truths about her family, identity, and history.
Trang Thanh Tran is a Vietnamese American author known for blending horror, fantasy, and social commentary. Their work often explores themes of belonging, intergenerational trauma, identity, and cultural heritage through atmospheric and unsettling storytelling. She Is a Haunting was a William C. Morris Award finalist and received widespread acclaim for its unique combination of horror and historical themes.
Mystery 14+
They Bloom at Night (2025) et in the decaying town of Mercy, Louisiana, the story follows Noon, a teenager grappling with trauma and monstrous transformations after a devastating hurricane. As mutated creatures emerge from the waters, Noon and her ally Covey must confront both external horrors and their own inner demons. The novel blends body horror with themes of identity, survival, and the monstrous within, drawing from Vietnamese folklore and Tran's signature atmospheric storytelling.
Trang Thanh Tran is a Vietnamese American author best known for writing YA horror, speculative fiction, and psychological thrillers that explore identity, family, trauma, displacement, and belonging. Their work combines atmospheric horror with themes drawn from refugee experiences, Vietnamese culture, and the challenges of growing up between worlds.
Zimbabwe
Realistic Fiction 14+
When It's Your Turn for Midnight (2024) delves into themes of family, identity, and resilience. The story follows 15-year-old Chianti, who, after discovering that her father is not her biological parent, seeks refuge with her maternal grandmother, Ambuya, in Mutare, Zimbabwe. There, she becomes immersed in the lives of Ambuya and her three best friends—former freedom fighters who now run a fashion upcycling business. As Chianti unravels her family's past and confronts her own challenges, she learns that family is defined not just by blood but by love and shared history.
Blessing Musariri is a Zimbabwean author known for her insightful storytelling that explores themes of identity, history, and belonging. Her works, including All That It Ever Meant, have garnered critical acclaim for their depth and cultural relevance.
Contemporary Fiction / Survival · Ages 14+
Hardcopy
Now Is the Time for Running (2011) by Michael Williams follows Deo, a gifted young footballer in Zimbabwe, and his older brother Innocent. When soldiers attack their village, the brothers flee with little more than a football and the hope of finding safety. Their journey takes them across the border into South Africa, where they face poverty and hostility towards refugees. Deo’s love of football and his determination to protect Innocent help him keep going. This story explores displacement, brotherly love, and the search for a place to belong.
Content note: violence and traumatic loss.
Michael Williams is a writer of novels, plays, musicals, and operas. He worked with Cape Town Opera in South Africa and has written operas for young people inspired by African mythology. His young adult novels include Crocodile Burning and Now Is the Time for Running.
Realistic Fiction 11+
The Trouble with Heroes (2024) is a contemporary middle-grade novel about courage, grief, and what it really means to be a hero. After getting into trouble at school, Finn Connelly is assigned to help maintain a mountain trail as community service. Reluctant at first, Finn finds himself spending time in the wilderness, learning about conservation, local history, and the people who came before him. As he uncovers the story of a long-forgotten hero connected to the mountain, Finn begins to confront his own family struggles and discovers that heroism is not about fame or perfection, but about kindness, perseverance, and standing up for what matters. Thoughtful and uplifting, the novel explores themes of resilience, friendship, and finding purpose in unexpected places.
Kate Messner is an American author best known for her award-winning children's and young adult books. She has written numerous acclaimed novels, picture books, and nonfiction works, including The Seventh Wish, Breakout, Chirp, and the popular History Smashers series. A former teacher, Messner is celebrated for creating engaging stories that combine compelling characters with themes of empathy, curiosity, and social awareness.
Mystery 13+
The Retreat (2025) is a tense young adult thriller about secrets, control, and survival. Set around a retreat or closed community, the story follows young people caught in a situation where trust becomes difficult and escape may not be simple. As pressure builds, characters must question who is telling the truth and what is really happening behind the locked gates. Suspenseful and accessible, the novel explores fear, manipulation, courage, and the need to think for yourself.
Helen Vivienne Fletcher is a New Zealand author who writes fiction for young readers and teens. Her work often blends suspense, mystery, and emotional tension with relatable young characters. The Retreat is a strong fit for readers who enjoy fast-paced thrillers with secrets and danger.
Fantasy 10+
Anzu and the Realm of Darkness (2024) is a middle-grade fantasy graphic novel inspired by Japanese mythology and folklore. When twelve-year-old Anzu loses her beloved grandmother, she struggles to cope with her grief and the changes in her life. But everything changes when she is swept into Yomi, the mythical land of the dead, where spirits, monsters, and ancient gods roam. Joined by a mysterious cat guide, Anzu embarks on a dangerous journey through this strange realm, determined to find answers and a way home. Filled with adventure, humor, and heart, the story explores themes of loss, family, courage, and learning to move forward after heartbreak.
Mai K. Nguyen is a Vietnamese American cartoonist, illustrator, and author known for creating vibrant graphic novels that blend fantasy, emotion, and cultural influences. Her previous works include Pilu of the Woods and Sunshine, both praised for their imaginative storytelling and heartfelt exploration of friendship and personal growth. Through her expressive artwork and relatable characters, Nguyen creates stories that resonate with young readers while tackling meaningful themes.
Realistic Fiction 12+
The Kaya Girl (2022) is an award-winning novel by Ghanaian author Mamle Wolo that explores friendship, identity, and social inequality in contemporary Ghana. The story follows Abena, a wealthy girl spending the summer at her aunt’s shop in Accra’s bustling Makola Market, and Faiza, a young migrant worker from northern Ghana who earns a living as a kayayoo carrying goods for shoppers. Despite their very different backgrounds, the two girls form an unlikely friendship that challenges stereotypes and exposes the realities of poverty, privilege, child labour, and resilience. Rich in Ghanaian culture and setting, the novel offers a powerful and hopeful story about empathy, courage, and the connections that can bridge social divides.
Mamle Wolo is a Ghanaian-German author, poet, and screenwriter based in Accra, Ghana. She is known for writing stories that celebrate Ghanaian culture while addressing important social issues affecting young people. Her novel The Kaya Girl won the 2011 Burt Award for African Literature (Ghana) and was later recognized as a Children’s Africana Book Award Honor Book for older readers.
Fantasy 12+
The Kingdom Over the Sea (2024) is a sweeping fantasy adventure inspired by Middle Eastern folklore and mythology. The story follows twelve-year-old Yara, a refugee forced to leave her homeland after political unrest tears her family apart. When she discovers a mysterious magical carpet and is transported to a hidden kingdom across the sea, Yara becomes entangled in an ancient struggle between powerful forces that threaten both worlds. As she uncovers secrets about her past and her destiny, she must find the courage to confront injustice, protect those she loves, and decide where she truly belongs. Blending magic, adventure, and themes of displacement, identity, and hope, the novel offers an imaginative exploration of resilience and finding home.
Zohra Nabi is a British author of Pakistani heritage whose work draws inspiration from folklore, mythology, and her experiences growing up between cultures. Before becoming a novelist, she worked in publishing and education. The Kingdom Over the Sea is her debut novel and has been praised for its rich world-building, imaginative storytelling, and thoughtful exploration of migration, belonging, and family.
Realistic Fiction 11+
When Impossible Happens (2024) is a heartwarming middle-grade novel that blends everyday life with a touch of magic. The story follows Kiya, a curious girl living in Mumbai, who discovers that extraordinary things can happen in the most ordinary places. As mysterious events begin unfolding around her neighborhood, Kiya embarks on a journey that challenges her understanding of family, friendship, and belief. Filled with warmth, humor, and wonder, the novel explores themes of community, courage, imagination, and the power of hope.
Jane De Suza is an Indian author, journalist, and advertising creative known for her imaginative stories for young readers. Her books often combine humor, fantasy, and heartfelt explorations of family and identity. Through her writing, De Suza brings contemporary Indian settings to life while celebrating curiosity, resilience, and the magic hidden in everyday experiences.
Fantasy 10+
The Lost Ryū (2022) is a beautifully illustrated fantasy graphic novel inspired by Japanese folklore. The story follows twelve-year-old Kohei, who has always felt out of place in his small coastal town. When he encounters a mysterious dragon—a ryū believed to be extinct—he becomes caught in a conflict between the human world and ancient magical forces. As Kohei embarks on a journey to protect the dragon and uncover the truth about his own family, he learns valuable lessons about courage, belonging, and the importance of preserving both nature and tradition.
Emi Watanabe Cohen is a Japanese American author whose work often draws on Japanese culture, mythology, and history. She is known for creating stories that blend fantasy with heartfelt explorations of identity, family, and heritage. Through books such as The Lost Ryū and Golemcrafters, Cohen introduces young readers to rich cultural traditions while telling engaging and imaginative stories.
Realistic Fiction 10+
The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei (2023) is a warm and humorous middle-grade novel about family, friendship, and finding your place between cultures. Holly-Mei Jones is excited to start at an elite school in Hong Kong, but she quickly discovers that fitting in is harder than she expected. As she navigates new friendships, school pressures, and questions about her mixed British and Chinese identity, Holly-Mei learns that being true to herself matters more than meeting other people’s expectations. Filled with heart and humor, the story explores belonging, culture, and self-confidence.
Christina Matula is an American-born author who has lived in Hong Kong for many years. She writes children's books inspired by Asian cultures and experiences, often highlighting themes of identity, family, and cross-cultural understanding. Her books celebrate the diversity of modern Asia while creating relatable stories for young readers around the world.
Fantasy 10+
Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun (2022) is an exciting fantasy adventure inspired by Nigerian culture and mythology. Twelve-year-old Onyeka has always been self-conscious about her wild, curly hair, but when she discovers that it has extraordinary powers, her life changes forever. Taken to a secret academy in Nigeria for children with special abilities, Onyeka learns that she is a member of a powerful group called the Solari. As she trains to understand her gifts, she becomes caught in a dangerous mission that could determine the future of her people. Full of action, mystery, and friendship, the novel celebrates courage, identity, and embracing what makes you unique.
Tọlá Okogwu is a Nigerian-British author and former journalist. She is passionate about creating stories that feature African characters and cultures, giving young readers the opportunity to see themselves represented in exciting adventures. Through the Onyeka series, Okogwu combines superhero-style action with themes of family, belonging, and self-acceptance.
Historical Fiction 10+
Runt (2022) is a heartwarming Australian novel about friendship, perseverance, and believing in yourself. The story follows Annie Shearer, a young girl living on a struggling farm with her family and a scruffy, undersized dog named Runt. When Annie discovers that Runt has an extraordinary talent for agility competitions, she enters him in a series of contests to help save the family farm. Along the way, Annie learns about courage, determination, and the importance of community. Filled with humor and warmth, the novel celebrates resilience and the special bond between people and animals.
Craig Silvey is an Australian author and screenwriter best known for his award-winning novels for both adults and young readers. His writing often explores themes of family, friendship, courage, and life in rural Australia. Runt became one of Australia's most celebrated children's books and was praised for its engaging storytelling and memorable characters.
Realistic Fiction 13+
Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions (2021) is a funny, heartfelt coming-of-age novel about grief, family, and finding your own path. After the death of his older brother, Sunny Gill is struggling to move forward while dealing with his family's expectations and his own uncertainty about the future. When a series of impulsive decisions leads him on an unexpected adventure across the city, Sunny meets new people, confronts difficult truths, and begins to understand himself in new ways. Blending humor with emotional depth, the novel explores identity, loss, friendship, and the importance of taking chances.
Navdeep Singh Dhillon is a Canadian author of Punjabi Sikh heritage. He writes stories that celebrate South Asian culture while exploring universal themes of family, identity, and belonging. Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions is his debut novel and has been praised for its authentic representation, humor, and emotional honesty.
Realistic Fiction 12+
Talking to Alaska (2020; English translation 2021) is a moving contemporary novel about friendship, grief, and emotional healing. The story follows 11-year-old Sven, who is struggling after the death of his brother. During a week at a rehabilitation center, he meets Parker, a girl recovering from severe injuries after an accident. Alongside Alaska, a specially trained assistance dog, the two children learn to face their fears, process loss, and rebuild hope. The novel handles difficult topics with warmth, humor, and compassion.
Anna Woltz is an award-winning Dutch author from the Netherlands, known internationally for thoughtful middle-grade novels that explore resilience, family relationships, disability, and emotional growth. Her books have been translated into many languages and are widely used in schools and libraries.
Fantasy 10+
The Eagle Huntress: The True Story of the Girl Who Soared Beyond Expectations tells the real-life story of Aisholpan Nurgaiv, a Kazakh girl from Mongolia who challenged tradition by becoming an eagle hunter—a role historically held by boys and men. The book follows her training with a golden eagle, her determination to compete in the Golden Eagle Festival, and her efforts to prove that girls can succeed in any field.
Aisholpan Nurgaiv is a Kazakh woman from western Mongolia whose story became internationally known through the documentary The Eagle Huntress.
Manga 12+
Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist's Journey, Volume 1 (2020) by Akiko Higashimura is a memoir manga in which the acclaimed creator of Princess Jellyfish recounts her teenage years as an aspiring artist. The story follows Akiko as she dreams of becoming a manga creator and studies under a demanding art teacher whose unconventional methods push her to improve. Blending humor, self-reflection, and real-life experiences, the book explores the challenges of developing talent and finding one's path.
Akiko Higashimura is an award-winning Japanese manga creator best known for Princess Jellyfish and Tokyo Tarareba Girls.
Historical Fiction 12+
Bone Talk (2018) by Candy Gourlay is a historical novel set in the Philippines in 1899, during the period when American forces arrived after Spain's colonial rule ended. The story follows Samkad, a boy from the Bontok people in the mountains of northern Luzon, whose world is transformed by war, colonialism, and cultural change. It explores Indigenous identity, friendship, family, and the impact of foreign occupation.
Candy Gourlay is a Filipino-British author known for writing stories that highlight Filipino history and culture.
Historical Nonfiction 12+
The Girl from Aleppo: Nujeen's Escape from War to Freedom (2016) by Nujeen Mustafa with Christina Lamb tells the true story of Nujeen Mustafa, a Syrian teenager with cerebral palsy who fled the civil war in Syria. Travelling thousands of miles from Aleppo to Germany in a wheelchair, Nujeen recounts her remarkable journey across multiple countries in search of safety and a better future. Her story is one of courage, resilience, hope, and determination in the face of conflict and displacement.
Nujeen Mustafa is a Syrian refugee, disability advocate, and public speaker who gained international recognition for sharing her experiences fleeing war while living with cerebral palsy.
History 12+
Such a Lovely Little War: Saigon 1961–63 (2019) by Marcelino Truong is a graphic memoir recounting the author's childhood in South Vietnam during the early years of the Vietnam War. Through the eyes of a young boy, readers witness daily life as political tensions rise, conflict spreads, and ordinary families face uncertainty and danger. Combining personal memories with historical events, the book offers a unique perspective on war, family, identity, and resilience.
Marcelino Truong is a French-Vietnamese illustrator, artist, and writer. Drawing on his own experiences growing up in Vietnam and other countries, he creates graphic memoirs that blend personal storytelling with history, helping readers understand major world events through the experiences of individuals and families.
Fantasy 12+
The Monstrous Kind (2024) is a gothic historical fantasy romance, set in a Regency-inspired world. Merrick Darling's life is better than most. As the daughter of a powerful lord, she wants for nothing - yet she will never inherit her family's Manor. Her only options are a smart marriage, or to live at the kindness of her practical and regimented elder sister, Essie. Until the day her father dies in mysterious circumstances, and Merrick is torn from her glamorous New London society life to Norland House, her family's mist-shrouded ancestral home.
Lydia Gregovic is an Australian author known for writing emotionally intense young adult novels that explore identity, power, and relationships, including Hear Me.
Fantasy 12+
Harcopy
The Grimmelings (2024) follows 13-year-old Ella, who inadvertently curses a classmate, leading to a series of mysterious disappearances linked to a vengeful kelpie—a mythical, horse-like creature from Scottish folklore. Set in the South Island of New Zealand, the novel intertwines elements of magical realism with themes of family, folklore, and the power of language. The narrative is enriched by the inclusion of Scottish words and natural phenomena, reflecting Ella's grandmother Grizzly's love for language and its connection to their heritage.
Rachael King is a New Zealand author and former literary festival director, known for her works that often explore themes of identity and the natural world.
Mature Readers (ages 14-adult) — 2026-2027
Realistic Fiction 12+
Where Wolves Don’t Die (2024) follows 12-year-old Ezra Cloud as he leaves city life behind to live with his grandfather in a remote Ojibwe community in northern Canada. Struggling to adjust to an unfamiliar environment, Ezra gradually learns traditional skills, reconnects with his Indigenous heritage, and forms a deep bond with the land and its wildlife. Through themes of identity, belonging, family, resilience, and cultural connection, the novel offers a powerful coming-of-age story that celebrates Indigenous knowledge and the importance of community.
Anton Treuer is an Ojibwe author, educator, and professor known for his work preserving and promoting Ojibwe language and culture. He has written numerous books for both adults and young readers, including Where Wolves Don’t Die. Through his writing, Treuer shares Indigenous perspectives and stories that help readers better understand history, culture, identity, and community.
Historical Fiction 14+
In the Shadow of Stalin: The Story of Mr. Jones (2024) is a powerful graphic novel by Chalupa Rodrigues inspired by the true story of Welsh journalist Gareth Jones, who risked his life to expose the devastating famine in Soviet Ukraine during the 1930s. Through striking artwork and compelling storytelling, the book follows Jones as he investigates the realities hidden behind Soviet propaganda and uncovers evidence of widespread suffering. As political pressure mounts and powerful figures attempt to silence the truth, Jones must decide how far he is willing to go in pursuit of justice. The novel explores themes of courage, truth, freedom of the press, and the importance of standing up against misinformation and oppression.
Andrea Chalupa is a Brazilian illustrator, graphic novelist, and visual storyteller known for combining vibrant artwork with engaging historical narratives. His work often brings complex historical events to life for younger readers, making important moments from the past accessible and relevant. In In the Shadow of Stalin, Rodrigues uses the graphic novel format to illuminate a little-known chapter of twentieth-century history and the role of journalism in defending truth.
Biography 12+
Whale Eyes: A Memoir About Seeing and Being Seen (2023) is a powerful graphic memoir in which James Robinson shares his experiences growing up with a visual impairment and learning to navigate a world that often misunderstands disability. Through a blend of personal stories, illustrations, humor, and reflection, Robinson explores themes of identity, inclusion, self-acceptance, and the importance of seeing people for who they truly are. Honest, inspiring, and deeply accessible, the book encourages readers to think about empathy, perspective, and what it means to belong.
James Robinson is a Canadian writer, filmmaker, and disability advocate who was born with strabismus, a condition that affects eye alignment and vision. He created Whale Eyes to help readers better understand visual impairment and the challenges faced by people with disabilities. Through his storytelling and public speaking, Robinson promotes inclusion, accessibility, and greater awareness of diverse experiences.
Fantasy 14+
Deathly Fates (2024) is a young adult fantasy inspired by Chinese mythology, romance, and the legends of the afterlife. The story follows two star-crossed souls whose destinies have been shaped by the gods and the balance between life and death. As ancient powers awaken and hidden truths come to light, they become entangled in a dangerous struggle that could alter the fate of both the mortal and spirit realms. Filled with magic, court intrigue, and emotional stakes, the novel explores themes of destiny, sacrifice, love, and the courage to challenge the paths others have chosen for us. Richly atmospheric and deeply romantic, it offers a captivating journey through a world where fate is never as certain as it seems.
Tesia Tsai is a Taiwanese American author known for writing lush fantasy inspired by East Asian mythology and folklore. Her work combines intricate world-building, compelling characters, and themes of identity, family, and destiny. With Deathly Fates, Tsai continues to establish herself as a rising voice in young adult fantasy, bringing fresh perspectives and cultural influences to the genre.
Historical Fiction 12+
Song of a Blackbird (2024) is a powerful historical graphic novel inspired by true events during World War II. The story follows Emma, a young Dutch girl living under Nazi occupation, whose world is transformed when she encounters Jewish children forced into hiding. As danger grows and resistance efforts intensify, Emma must decide whether she is willing to risk everything to help those being persecuted. Told through striking illustrations and deeply personal storytelling, the novel explores themes of courage, compassion, friendship, and standing up for what is right in the face of injustice. Both moving and accessible, it offers young readers a compelling introduction to an important period of history.
Maria van Lieshout is a Dutch American author and illustrator whose work often draws on history, memory, and themes of identity. Before becoming an author, she worked as a graphic designer and illustrator, bringing a distinctive visual style to her storytelling. Song of a Blackbird combines meticulous historical research with powerful artwork to illuminate a lesser-known aspect of the Dutch resistance during World War II.
Mystery 14+
Eleanor Jones Is Not a Murderer (2024) is a sharp and suspenseful young adult mystery that explores reputation, truth, and the dangers of assumptions. The story follows Eleanor Jones, a teenager whose life is turned upside down when rumours begin to spread that she may be connected to a shocking crime. As suspicion grows and her classmates turn against her, Eleanor must uncover what really happened before gossip, fear, and misinformation destroy her future. Balancing mystery with contemporary social issues, the novel examines how quickly judgments can spread and how difficult it can be to reclaim your own story. Tense, thought-provoking, and emotionally engaging, it keeps readers questioning who can truly be trusted.
Amy Doak is a British author who writes contemporary fiction and mysteries for young readers. Her novels often focus on realistic teenage experiences while tackling themes such as identity, friendship, mental health, and social pressures. Eleanor Jones Is Not a Murderer has been praised for its gripping plot, relatable characters, and exploration of the impact of rumours and online culture.
Historical Nonfiction 14+
Strongman 14+ (2020) explores how dictators rise to power and how democracies can collapse when fear, propaganda, nationalism, and violence are used to control people. Kenneth C. Davis examines five dictators—Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and Saddam Hussein—showing how each gained influence and what their rule meant for ordinary citizens. Clear and accessible, the book helps readers understand the warning signs of authoritarianism and the importance of protecting democratic values.
Kenneth C. Davis is an American nonfiction author best known for the Don’t Know Much About… history series. His books make complex historical events understandable for young readers and adults. In Strongman, he connects past dictatorships to important questions about power, freedom, and civic responsibility.
Realistic Fiction 14+
Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay is a contemporary YA novel about Jay Reguero, a Filipino American teenager who travels from the United States to the Philippines after learning that his cousin Jun has been killed. Unsatisfied with the official explanation, Jay begins investigating what really happened and uncovers difficult truths connected to the Philippines' war on drugs, family, identity, and justice.
Randy Ribay is a Filipino American author known for writing thought-provoking YA novels that explore identity, culture, and social issues.
Realistic Fiction 14+
The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chim is a contemporary YA novel about Anna Chiu, a Chinese Australian teenager trying to balance school, friendships, family responsibilities, and her dreams for the future. At home, Anna cares for her younger siblings while coping with her mother's severe mental illness and her father's long work hours. Through friendship, first love, and self-discovery, Anna learns that asking for help can be a sign of strength.
Wai Chim is a Chinese Australian author whose work often explores family, identity, culture, and mental health.
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