Teen Book Lists

When a hurricane exposes Soleida's family's secret sculpture garden, the Cuban government arrests her artist parents, forcing her to escape alone to Central America where she meets Dariel, a Cuban American boy, and together they work to protect the environment and bring attention to the imprisoned artists in Cuba. (description from catalog)

An evocative novel in verse follows the experiences of two grieving sisters who navigate the loss of their father and the impact of his death on their relationship. (description from Novelist)

"A gay Mexican American high school junior who dreams of attending the Tisch School of the Arts finds his life drastically upended in this thoroughly openhearted debut. Though Mateo “Matt” Garcia, 16, has undocumented parents, he leads a relatively mundane life in New York City; he attends SAT prep classes to prepare for college applications, takes shifts at the family bodega, and has recently attended his first open call for an off-Broadway play with his white gay best friend, Adam. But when he comes home one day to find both of his parents gone—each facing the threat of deportation from ICE—Mateo must take on added responsibilities and care for his seven-year-old sister Sophie while the future of his family hangs in the balance." (description from Publisher's Weekly)

"As an undocumented immigrant on the run from her father's Argentine crime-family, Manuela Azul is confined to a small apartment and a small life in Miami, Florida. Then her surrogate grandmother is attacked, lifelong lies are exposed, and her mother is arrested by ICE. Without a home, without answers, Manu investigates the only clue she has about her past: a mysterious "Z" emblem. It leads her to a secret world connected to her dead father and his criminal past. A world straight out of Argentine folklore, where the seventh consecutive daughter is born a bruja and the seventh consecutive son is a lobizón, a werewolf. A world where her unusual eyes allow her to belong. It's not just her U.S. residency that's illegal-- it's her entire existence." (description adapted from jacket)

With the help of her cousin and their friends, Danna scours the city, searching for her grandfather's favorite foods and hoping the remembered flavors will bring back his memories. (description from catalog)

"An anthology of short stories, essays, poetry, and comics about the Mexican American experience" (description provided by publisher)

"The house at Number 8 Sunflower Street tells the stories of three teenagers who have lived within its walls in the 21st century--Ana, a lesbian forced to leave her home, Greg sent to live with his aunt when his parents divorce, and Beto, a would-be photographer living during the COVID pandemic." (description from catalog)

Growing up in 1970s Ohio, Mexican American brothers Pedro and Daniel, who are not like other boys, manage an abusive home life, school, coming out, first loves, first jobs, and the AIDS epidemic, leaning on each other always and forever. Published from Catalog.

Trapped on Sinner's Isle with other young women like herself - beautiful witches revered by powerful men who want to use them - Rosalinda, the prized commodity at this year's Offering, blackmails a notorious pirate who washes up on shore to take her to freedom. Published from Catalog.

"Belaen Dolores Itzel del Toro wants the normal stuff: to experience love or maybe have a boyfriend or at least just lose her virginity. But nothing is normal in East Oakland. Her father left her family. She's at risk of not graduating. And Leti, her super-Catholic, nerdy-ass best friend, is pregnant--by the boyfriend she hasn't told her parents about, because he's Black, and her parents are racist. Weighed by a depression she can't seem to shake, Belaen helps Leti, hangs out with an older guy, and cuts alot of class. She soon realizes, though, that distractions are only temporary. Leti is becoming a mother. Classmates are getting ready for college."-- Provided by publisher.

When seventeen-year-old Jimena realizes she is undocumented, she decides the best path forward is to find an American to marry her.--Provided by catalog

When her team qualifies for the South American tournament, Camila dreams of getting an athletic scholarship to a North American university. But her parents wouldn't allow a girl to play fúbol-- and she needs their permission to go any farther. (description adapted from book jacket)

"After graduation, everything Lila Reyes had planned for her life fell apart. Her worried parents make a new plan for her: Spend three months with family friends in Winchester, England, to relax and reset. But with the lack of sun, a grumpy inn cook, and a small town lacking Miami flavor (both in food and otherwise), what would be a dream trip for some feels more like a nightmare to Lila. Until she meets Orion Maxwell. A teashop clerk with troubles of his own, Orion appoints himself as Lila's personal tour guide. Soon a new future is beginning to form in Lila's mind-- one that would mean leaving everything she ever planned behind." (description adapted from jacket)

Sixteen-year-old Mexican American Yami Flores starts Catholic school, determined to keep her brother out of trouble and keep herself closeted, but her priorities shift when Yami discovers that her openly gay classmate Bo is also annoyingly cute. (description from catalog)