When I was at school, I practically lived in the school library (and the drama hall; I was that kid). At some point in the first few weeks of Year 7 when we had our Introduction to Using the Library lesson or whatever it was called, I'm pretty sure I was the only person listening. And then the librarian had a go at me for having a drink, and I was mildly offended because I'm so not the kind of person who would spill water on a book. But whatever. I've put it behind me. Obviously.
From then on, I was in there as often as possible, devouring their one book on the publishing industry and becoming a pro at stealthily eating my lunch without getting caught. A couple of people made fun of me for voluntarily stepping foot in the LIBRARY (horror, gasp, etc) but the joke's on them because while they were throwing chips at boys, I was skipping from one fictional world to another. Good times.
One thing that made me a little bit sad, though, is how old some of the books were. We had some recent titles come in a few times which made me very happy, but a lot of it was simply outdated... so, considering a few school librarians follow me, I've decided to put together a list of recent YA releases that would make excellent additions to your (secondary) school library.
Unboxed by Non Pratt | My review
Dyslexia friendly
Genre: YA Contemporary
Themes: LGBT, friendship
Publisher: Barrington Stoke
Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton | My review
Genre: YA Fantasy/Romance
Themes: Mystical beasts, magic, adventure
Publisher: Faber
The Graces by Laure Eve | My review
Genre: YA Fantasy
Themes: Witchcraft, mystery, obsession, magic
Publisher: Faber
Blue by Lisa Glass | My review
Genre: YA Contemporary
Themes: Professional surfing, love
Publisher: Quercus Books
Counting Stars by Keris Stainton
Genre: YA Contemporary
Themes: Leaving school, independence, vlogging, love
Publisher: Hot Key Books
History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
Genre: YA Contemporary
Themes: LGBT, mental health, love
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Girls Can Vlog by Emma Moss | My review
Genre: YA Contemporary
Themes: School, vlogging, friendship
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Unconventional by Maggie Harcourt | My review
Genre: YA Contemporary
Themes: Books, fandom, conventions, friendship, love
Publisher: Usborne
The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr | My review
Genre: YA Contemporary
Themes: Memory loss, disability, independence
Publisher: Penguin Random House UK
Heart Magazine: A Dream Come True by Cindy Jefferies
Genre: YA Contemporary
Themes: Work experience, journalism, fame
Publisher: Usborne
True Face by Siobhan Curham | My review
Genre: Non-fiction
Themes: Self confidence, peer pressure, social media, sex, bullying, dreaming big
Publisher: Faber
Girl Online by Zoe Sugg | My review
Genre: YA Contemporary
Themes: Music, mental illness, fame, love
Publisher: Penguin Random House UK
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein | My review
Genre: YA Historical
Themes: World War II, mystery, adventure, spies
Publisher: Egmont
Songs About a Girl by Chris Russell | My review
Genre: YA Contemporary
Themes: Boy bands, photography, love
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
The Secret Fire by C.J. Daugherty and Carina Rozenfeld | My review
Genre: YA Fantasy
Themes: Travel, love, history, a deathly curse
Publisher: Atom
Cuckoo by Keren David | My review
Genre: YA Contemporary
Themes: Acting, homelessness, autism
Publisher: Atom
Maresi by Maria Turtschaninoff | My review
Genre: YA Fantasy
Themes: Feminism, folk tales, survival, magic, friendship
Publisher: Pushkin Children's Books
Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill | My review
Genre: YA Dystopian
Themes: Feminism, sci-fi
Publisher: Quercus Books
The Dolls by Kiki Sullivan | My review
Genre: YA Fantasy
Themes: Witchcraft, betrayal, lies, mystery, murder
Publisher: Usborne
Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall | My review
Genre: YA Contemporary
Themes: Mental illness, self discovery
Publisher: Chicken House
The Baby by Lisa Drakeford | My review
Genre: YA Contemporary
Themes: Teenage parenthood, friendship, independence
Publisher: Chicken House
A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard | My review
Genre: YA Contemporary
Themes: Selective mutism, hearing loss, independence, love, friendship
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
One by Sarah Crossan | My review
Genre: YA Contemporary
Themes: Conjoined twins, friendship
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Waiting For Callback by Perdita and Honor Cargill
Genre: YA Contemporary
Themes: Acting, friendship, humour, school
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Genre: YA Contemporary
Themes: Black Lives Matter, justice
Publisher: Walker Books
Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne | My review
Genre: YA Contemporary
Themes: Mental illness, friendship, feminism, love
Publisher: Usborne
Love Song by Sophia Bennett | My review
Genre: YA Contemporary
Themes: Music, travel, love
Publisher: Chicken House
You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan | My review
Genre: YA Contemporary
Themes: LGBT, friendship, first love
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Alex As Well by Alyssa Brugman | My review
Genre: YA Contemporary
Themes: LGBT, gender
Publisher: Curious Fox
Geekhood: Close Encounters of the Girl Kind by Andy Robb | My review
Genre: YA Contemporary
Themes: Fandom, geekhood, humour, family
Publisher: Stripes
Everyday Sexism by Laura Bates | My review
Genre: Non-fiction
Themes: Sexism, feminism
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
The Good Immigrant by Nikesh Shukla
Genre: Non-fiction
Themes: Racism, politics, society
Publisher: Unbound
Moranifesto by Caitlin Moran
Genre: Non-fiction
Themes: Feminism, humour
Publisher: Ebury Press
I've tried to include a variety of genres and themes, and to provide everything a teenager might need to read about. Not only is it vital that books are diverse, it's also vital that these books are accessible - and for some people a school library might be the only place where books are available.
Has this been helpful? Which books would you recommend to school libraries?
