Welcome to YA: Books for Readers New to Young Adult
Welcome to YA! Your heart, and your wallet, will never be the same! I’m sort of joking but trust me when I say that the YA world is a wonderful place to be, and you will want to read everything. There are stories of witches and wizards and powerful magic. There are stories of vampires and werewolves and dark fae (oh my!). There are stories of high school and first love, and of family and found family. Basically, there’s a little bit of everything! As an intro to the world of YA, we’ve compiled a list of titles that are the perfect starter, great for younger readers who are ready to explore YA! So, welcome! Find your favorite spot to read and enjoy!
Dropping Beats
Dropping Beats will have you laughing out loud…and cringing and cheering for the characters every step of the way. Thirteen-year-old Growls (aka Shaun) is an aspiring (awful) rapper who hopes to enter this year’s Raptology competition with his best friend, Shanks (aka Zachariah). Then a livestream turns into a complete catastrophe, they’re the laughingstock of school, Shanks goes MIA, and Growls doesn’t know what to do. But he’s got this! He’s the comeback king. It’s a great tale of friendship and growing up, while still being true to yourself.
Sister of the Bollywood Bride
This is a sweet tale of family and romance, planning weddings and avoiding weather disasters? Hear me out. Mini is helping plan her big sister Vinnie’s wedding. Their mom passed away and everyone is very busy, but Mini is determined to give her sister the Bollywood-style Indian wedding of her dreams, and the wedding that their mom would have planned. Everything is going according to plan, until a massive storm is headed their way. Will all their plans be rained out?
Sometime in Summer
by Katrina Leno
You know that magical feeling that comes in summer? The possibility that seems to hang in the air, and how at any moment, something wonderful could happen? This book is a love letter to that feeling, to summertime and to books themselves! Anna feels that she is surrounded by bad luck, from her parents’ divorce to her mother having to sell the family’s bookstore. But when Anna and her mom end up spending the summer in a seaside town, and a comet makes its first appearance in over twenty years, it seems like bad luck might be a thing of the past. It’s a summer to remember, plus a little bit of magic!
The Best Kind of Magic
Speaking of magic, The Best Kind of Magic stars Amber Sand who is not a witch. Which might sound like an okay thing except everyone in her family seems to have this magical gene. Amber does have a special talent though: make eye contact and she can see true love. But what happens when she starts to develop a crush on someone who she knows is not her soulmate? Are there really happy endings? This witty story brings a touch of magic into the real world and will have you both laughing and contemplating what love truly means.
Briarheart
This is a fresh, feminist take on the fairytale Sleeping Beauty. It’s the story of Miriam, daughter of the Queen but not a princess—and she’s totally great with that! She’s thrilled when her new baby sister Aurora is born and named heir to the throne. But when a Dark Fae arrives, prepared to curse the new baby, Miriam discovers she possesses impossible power and is tasked with protecting her baby sister at all costs. It’s a tale of magic, of strength, of fighting for those you love—all in an action-packed fantasy adventure!
The Wish Switch
by Lynn Painter
Magic and mayhem collide in this hilarious and heartfelt story. Who doesn’t want a little magic to get through middle school? Luckily, Emma has top secret instructions from her Nana on how to use an ancient wishing well. The problem? Obnoxious new kid Jackson interferes and somehow Emma’s wishes are all coming true…for him! Will they set everything right again? Lynn Painter is a bestselling YA author and this is the perfect bridge into that realm. It’s sweet, it’s funny, and you’ll wish you had read it sooner!