Short Story - "Prom" by Danielle Paige
Mandanna, Sangu, editor. Color Outside the Lines: Stories About Love. Soho Teen, 2019.
This two page short story features a snapshot of a couple at the prom.  Very much in love, one partner Black and the other White, each views the attention of their classmates as they dance very differently.  

Excerpts from the introduction and the conclusion to The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Introduction - Acevedo, Elizabeth.  The Poet X. Harper Teen, 2018
Elizabeth Acevedo writes beautifully about teen identity and self-discovery.  Since her novels are written in verse, an excerpt of a few poems would work well.  It might also hook your reluctant readers on a very readable author.  In the introduction, Xiomara describes how she sees herself and how her identity is based on how others see her.  In the conclusion, Xiomara examines how her relationship with her mother has changed and how she now sees herself in her poetry.  This novel reads very quickly and  is also available as an ebook or an audiobook on MackinVIA.  Acevedo reads her work on the audiobook, so this might be a great addition if you used it as a read aloud for a class activity.
Conclusion - Acevedo, Elizabeth.  The Poet X. Harper Teen, 2018.

Graphic Novel - "Hey, Kiddo" by Jarrett Krosoczka (click to see book trailer)
Krosoczka, Jarrett. Hey, Kiddo. Graphix, An Imprint Of Scholastic, 2018.
From Kirkus' Review:

Though he doesn’t realize it until later, Krosoczka’s mother suffers from addiction, which brings turmoil into their family’s life. Basic needs go unmet, promises are routinely broken, and the stability and safety most take for granted are never guaranteed. Krosoczka is raised by his grandparents when his mom can no longer care for him. The contradictions prevalent in his childhood will resonate with readers who have experienced addiction and educate those who have not. Yes, there is chaos, but there is also warmth, seen, for example, when Krosoczka’s mom fakes his birthday for an impromptu party at a fast-food chain, or in the way his grandfather never misses an opportunity to tell him he is loved. Krosoczka learns self-reliance as a survival strategy. He also learns to express himself through art.

“HEY, KIDDO | Kirkus Reviews.” Kirkus, Kirkus, 24 June 2018, www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jarrett-j-krosoczka/hey-kiddo/.

 Excerpt from the conclusion of Swing by Kwame Alexander
Kwame, Alexander.  Swing.  Blink, 2018.
Walt and Noah are best friends.  Walt dreams of being a baseball star, of getting the girl, and of a bright future created to the swing of the jazz music he loves.  Noah sees their reality; that being cut from the baseball team limits their prospects, that Sam, the girl he’s loved since the third grade sees him as a friend, and that the noise of jazz could never be the soundtrack to his life.  As Walt works to improve his baseball swing, Noah tries to find a way to put his feelings for Sam into words.  A packet of love letters inspires Noah to create blackout poems about Sam, but when one finds its way to her anonymously will he have the courage to own his choices rather than letting life pass him by?  The end left me in shock and deeply sad for characters that Alexander’s verse had wound around my heart.  This excerpt is the conclusion of the novel and features a tragedy that will change both boys and most readers.  While using this excerpt would reveal (and ruin?) the novel, it might connect readers to other Kwame Alexander books for future SSR.  (This could also be a consideration for Social Justice because the death is a police killing and connected to Walt's race.)

Short story - "As You Were" by Bethany C. Morrow
Morrow, Bethany C., editor. Take the Mic: Fictional Stories of Everyday Resistance. Arthur A. Levine Books, 2019.

For three years, Ebony has played the trombone in her high school's high-performing marching band. Excited for homecoming and the possibility that Josiah, her adorable bandmate, just could be her date, Ebony is thrilled when she and Josiah share a ride after practice.  When their car is pulled over and Ebony is ordered out by the police officer, things begin to change.  This short story is a great choice for South Brunswick High School, given our strong music program, and has a clear social justice connection.  This collection contains other stories that might also work for this unit.