YALSA

04/14/2026

Best Fiction for Young Adults ( ) Featured Review: The Secret Astronomers by Jessica Walker

Teen readers who value authentic portrayals of teen friendship will be drawn to this story,...

Teen readers who value authentic portrayals of teen friendship will be drawn to this story,

04/10/2026

Verse as a Comfort Blanket with Kauakanilehua Mahoe-Adams

We sat down with Kauakanilehua Mahoe-Adams to discuss the power of poetry, the importance of representation and inclusion, and becoming a debut author. Find An Expanse of Blue May 19, 2026! Visit Kauakanilehua Mahoe-Adams’s website here. Buy An Expanse of Blue here. Buy Legendary Frybread Drive-In here. Contact Kauakanilehua Mahoe-Adams here.

We sat down with Kauakanilehua Mahoe-Adams to discuss the power of poetry, the importance of representation and inclusion, and becoming a debut author. Find An Expanse of Blue May 19, 2026! Visit K…

04/04/2026

Giving Kids the Credit They Deserve with Angela Cervantes

Middle School and Middle Grade author Angela Cervantes joins The Hub to discuss valid representation in children’s literature, staying true to realistic kid voices, and keeping target market readers involved in her writing and revising process! The Mystery of the Stolen World Cup Trophy comes out 5/5/2026 from Henry Holt and Co. Books for Young Readers!...

Middle School and Middle Grade author Angela Cervantes joins The Hub to discuss valid representation in children’s literature, staying true to realistic kid voices, and keeping target market reader…

03/30/2026

War Does Not Stay in the Past with Maria Van Lieshout

Printz honoree Maria Van Lieshout (Song of a Blackbird) joins us to discuss her YA graphic novel debut, receiving one of the top honors in young adult literature, and the importance of writing about resistance in uncertain times....

Printz honoree Maria Van Lieshout (Song of a Blackbird) joins us to discuss her YA graphic novel debut, receiving one of the top honors in young adult literature, and the importance of writing abou…

03/20/2026

Not ABOUT that kid, but FOR that kid and kids like him with T.L. Simpson

Printz Honor author T.L. Simpson (Cope Field) sits down with us to discuss emotional complexity for teen boys, the role of sports in rural lives, and deconstructing and reconstructing what it means to be a man....

Printz Honor author T.L. Simpson (Cope Field) sits down with us to discuss emotional complexity for teen boys, the role of sports in rural lives, and deconstructing and reconstructing what it means…

03/18/2026

The Teens' Top Ten is a "teen choice" list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year! Readers ages twelve to eighteen nominate and vote online to choose the list. Encourage your teens to cast their first round of votes now through April here: https://tinyurl.com/3ar6fpew

03/07/2026

Getting THAT book to THAT kid with Ellen Cochrane

We sat down with debut author Ellen Cochrane to discuss how vital nonfiction is for young readers...

We sat down with debut author Ellen Cochrane to discuss how vital nonfiction is for young readers

02/28/2026

“We Learn through Story”: an interview with Angeline Boulley

We sit down with Printz Honor and Winner Angeline Boulley to discuss novels as a teaching opportunity, exploring and celebrating identity through storytelling, and revisiting her wildly successful Sugar Island saga....

We sit down with Printz Honor and Winner Angeline Boulley to discuss novels as a teaching opportunity, exploring and celebrating identity through storytelling, and revisiting her wildly successful …

02/23/2026

Best Fiction for Young Adults ( ) Featured Review: And the Trees Stare Back by Gigi Griffis

And the Trees Stare Back offers all the elements that make for outstanding YA literary fiction: evocative, atmospheric prose; a deeply authentic first-person voice; and historical grounding in a late-1980s moment of political unrest tied to folk horror and speculative twists....

And the Trees Stare Back offers all the elements that make for outstanding YA literary fiction: evocative, atmospheric prose; a deeply authentic first-person voice; and historical grounding in a la…

02/18/2026

Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers ( ) Feature Review: Almost Sunset Wahab Algarmi

This graphic novel offers a thoughtful portrayal of a teenager navigating the balance between family expectations during Ramadan and the everyday demands of school, sports, and peer relationships....

This graphic novel offers a thoughtful portrayal of a teenager navigating the balance between family expectations during Ramadan and the everyday demands of school, sports, and peer relationships.

02/16/2026

Best Fiction for Young Adults ( ) Featured Review: When Devils Sing by Xan Kaur

Readers interested in southern horror will love this book....

Readers interested in southern horror will love this book.

02/13/2026

Books for kids like me with Matthew A. Tower

Matthew A. Tower opens up about growing up in the middle of his parents’ divorce and revisiting that story in his debut memoir, Love Wars: Clash of the Parents.

Matthew A. Tower opens up about growing up in the middle of his parents’ divorce and revisiting that story in his debut memoir, Love Wars: Clash of the Parents.