Outstanding Books for the College Bound

The books on this list offer opportunities to discover new ideas, and provide an introduction to the fascinating variety of subjects within an academic discipline. Readers will gain an understanding of our diverse world and build a foundation to deepen their response to that world. This list is developed every five years.

A YALSA committee of public, secondary school, and academic librarians selects the list. Revised every five years as a tool for several audiences (students preparing for college, educators, librarians, and parents) it offers opportunities for independent reading and lifelong learning. Use it to round out your reading as you prepare for college entrance exams and courses, to strengthen your knowledge in a variety of subject areas and enhance appreciation for different cultures and times.

Suggest a title!

Download the full 2024 list here.

2024 Outstanding Books for the College Bound and Lifelong Learners

Andrés, José. The World Central Kitchen Cookbook: Feeding Humanity, Feeding Hope. Clarkson Potter, 2023.

Renowned chef José Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen, has complied a collection of recipes drawn from global culinary traditions, accompanied by descriptions of work being done by WCK, interviews with numerous chefs and beautiful photography from crisis areas this organization has served since 2010.

Brady, Fern. Strong Female Character. Harmony, 2023.

Brady's raw, often hilarious, and eye-opening memoir details her hardscrabble childhood, frustrating collegiate experience and subsequent life as a comedian who was diagnosed with Autism in her mid-30s.

Bringley, Patrick. All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me. Simon & Schuster, 2023.

After the death of his brother, Patrick Bringley left his dream job at the New Yorker and took a position as a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In this thoughtful and richly detailed memoir, he shares the healing experience of spending the next decade of his life surrounded by some of the world’s most beautiful and captivating works of art

Brown, Brian "Box". The He-Man Effect: How American Toymakers Sold You Your Childhood. First Second, 2023.

Graphic format nonfiction exploring the branding of our childhood selves, specifically through the revolutionary idea of marketing of toys through associated media, and leveraging nostalgia for successive generations.

Davis, Viola. Finding Me: A Memoir. HarperOne, 2022.

Relates the trajectory of the actor's life and career, overcoming poverty, bullying and violence to become one of the few award-winning Black female actors, and embracing her past as a necessary part of who she has become.

Finkel, Michael. The Art Thief : A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession. Alfred A. Knopf, 2023.

The breathtaking account of a fearless art thief's collecting spree, striking museums across Europe with his girlfriend accomplice, complete with candid interviews with the criminal himself.

Harris, Jessica B. High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America. Bloomsbury, 2012.

High on the Hog is the culmination of years of Harris's work researching the food and foodways of the African diaspora. Harris retraces the harrowing journey from Africa, tracking the trials that both people and food have undergone along the way.

Hong, Cathy Park. Minor Feelings: An Asian-American Reckoning. One World, 2020.

Hong’s candid memoir discusses her mental health, upending cultural expectations, seminal college friendships and experiences, and her own education, first as a visual artist and then a poet.

Huang, Yunte. Daughter of the Dragon: Anna May Wong's Rendezvous with American History. Liveright Publishing Corporation, a division of W.W. Norton & Company, 2023.

This biography juxtaposes the story of the silver screen star against Chinese American and cinematic history to create a lush portrait of talent and personality.

Iloh, Candice. Every Body Looking. Dutton Books, 2020.

As Ada begins her first year at a Historically Black College, she attempts to leave behind her past struggles with a mother who is an addict, abuse inflicted by a family member, and a controlling, deeply religious father. Ada comes into her own during her freshman year, exploring her sexuality as well as her burgeoning love for dance and coming to terms with her past.

Kobabe, Maia. Gender Queer: A Memoir. Lion Forge, 2019.

Maia Kobabe's memoir follows eir life navigating gender identity, pronouns, coming out, and love.

Krosoczka, Jarrett J. Sunshine. Graphix: An Imprint of Scholastic, 2023.

During high school, Krosoczka worked a counselor at a summer camp for children and families facing serious illnesses. Krosoczka captures those experiences in this graphic novel, showcasing resilience and optimism within the extraordinary circumstances of the children and families he encounters.

Marcus, Greil. Folk Music: A Bob Dylan Biography in Seven Songs. Yale University Press, 2022.

The seasoned music journalist presents an engaging account of American folk music, using seven Bob Dylan recordings, spanning 1963 to the present, for his theme. Less biography and more music and cultural history, the book illustrates Dylan's impact across musical genres, and underscores his continued cultural significance.

McCurdy, Jennette. I'm Glad My Mom Died. Simon & Schuster, 2022.

McCurdy's memoir unflinchingly documents the pitfalls of child stardom. An actor from age six, she found fame with the hit show iCarly, but was beset with battles with anxiety, an eating disorder, addiction, and abuse experienced from the people she trusted most.

Méndez, Yamile Saied. Furia. Algonquin, 2020.

The protagonist Camila Hassan balances Argentine societal norms around women playing sports and her own passion for fútbol. Weaving through the themes of identity, determination, and empowerment, Camila strives to follow her dreams as an athlete.

Montague, Liz. Maybe an Artist: A Graphic Memoir. Random House Studio, 2022.

By one of the first Black female cartoonists published in the New Yorker, this heartwarming graphic format memoir captures the experience of growing up in a post-9/11 world and choosing an uncertain livelihood that challenges parental expectations.

Moore, Alan, Gibbons, Dave and Higgins, John. Watchmen. DC Comics, 2005.

In the world of The Watchmen, comics inspire people to don their own costumes and become real superheroes, leading to a more cynical world. With exceptional graphic art, this intricately plotted, sui generis work calls into question distinctions of 'justice' and 'injustice.'

Myer, Sarah. Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story. First Second, 2023.

A graphic format memoir about growing up Korean American in a largely white community, experiencing racism and bullying while also fighting rage from within. Myer channels that anger through a love of cosplay and art.

Pham, Thien. Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam. First Second, 2023.

Told through a series of food memories, Pham's graphic memoir follows his family's journey from Vietnam to Thailand to the United States. Pham emphasizes the role food plays in both our memories and in our ability to adjust to new surroundings. Fun, poignant, and delicious.

Quintero, Isabel, illustrated by Zeke Peña. Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide. The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2018.

The graphic format nonfiction volume includes amazingly rich, monochromatic visual depictions of Iturbide's take on traditional Mexican culture and community. Quintero lyrically plumbs Iturbide's iterative photographic process and her dramatic indigenous imagery for the text.

Rogers, Susan. This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You. W.W. Norton & Company, 2022.

Rogers, a professor of cognitive neuroscience and preeminent audio engineer, delivers an informative analysis of different components of music, demonstrating how individual musical tastes reflect formal aspects of composition and creation.

Shapiro, James. Shakespeare in a Divided America: What His Plays Tell Us About Our Past and Future. Penguin Press, 2020.

Shapiro examines current and historical American history, education and politics through the lens of several of Shakespeare's plays, from John Quincy Adams' response to Desdemona, through contemporary interpretations of Julius Caesar.

Tran, Phuc. Sigh, Gone: A Misfit's Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In. Flatiron Books, 2020.

After his family emigrated from Vietnam during the fall of Saigon, Tran spent his teenage years in rural Pennsylvania, finding literary touchstones to mark his path of acculturation and assimilation.

Zauner, Michelle. Crying in H Mart: A Memoir. Alfred A. Knopf, 2021.

Explores the author’s grief for her mother within the context of her complicated relationship with Korean culture and the sense of ongoing connection fostered through the preparation and enjoyment of food.

Anat, Berna. Money Out Loud: All the Financial Stuff No One Taught Us. Quill Tree Books, 2023.

In her no-nonsense dive into money management with a focus on marginalized communities, Anat removes the shame of talking about personal economics. allowing readers of all ages to approach financial planning in a fun, straightforward way.

Anderson, Lily. Scout's Honor. Henry Holt & Company, 2022.

When Prudence Perry is pulled back into her family's world of Ladybird Scouts to train a new group of recruits, she is forced to face her demons, literally and figuratively. The Ladybirds may look like your regular benevolent girl's club, but in reality, they are sworn to protect humans from otherworldly parasites that feast on emotions.

Beaton, Kate. Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands. Drawn and Quarterly, 2022.

Beaton's memoir about her work in the Canadian oil fields explores the trauma she experienced in the industry and highlights the existential struggle of young people who must leave home to find financially remunerative jobs.

Becker, Harmony. Himawari House. First Second, 2021.

Melding manga and bildungsroman, this graphic novel follows a group of young people studying abroad and living in a sharehouse in Japan. In an attempt to reconnect with her culture, Nao meets and lives with Hyejung and Tina, two young women who are similarly finding their way in a country that is not their own.

Boulley, Angeline. Warrior Girl Unearthed. Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, 2023.

Perry Firekeeper-Birch takes a summer job as an intern at a tribal cultural center, learning about the acquisition and handling of native cultural artifacts. She discovers a shadow world of local collectors who traffic in indigenous remains, and makes it her mission to repatriate the belongings of her ancestors regardless of the danger to herself and her family.

Choi, Mary H.K. Yolk. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2021.

Sisters struggle to reconnect with each other and reunite their family. A complicated mother-daughter dynamic, a struggle with eating and body image, and a cancer diagnosis charge this novel for older teens with emotion.

Cole, Alyssa. When No One is Watching: A Thriller. William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2020.

Sydney Green has lived her whole life in her Brooklyn neighborhood, but lately she has noticed telltale signs of gentrification. In an attempt to preserve her beloved neighborhood's diverse and rich history, Sydney creates a local walking tour, only to discover the changing landscape is covering up even darker and more disturbing secrets than she could have imagined.

Feder, Tyler. Dancing at the Pity Party: A Dead Mom Graphic Memoir. Dial Books, 2020.

Feder shares the raw and sometimes surreal experience of her mother's sudden cancer diagnosis and subsequent death, including the process of mourning as her family sits shiva, and she comes to grips with being a newly motherless young college student.

Felker-Martin, Gretchen. Manhunt. Nightfire, 2022.

Beth and Fran spend their days hunting feral men in an effort to avoid going feral themselves. Robbie is doing his best to survive on his own. When the three are brought together, they must navigate TERFs on the warpath, a so-called bunker brat with nefarious goals, and their own awkward relationships, all while outrunning packs of feral men.

Fennell, Saraciea J., editor. Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed: 15 Voices From the Latinx Diaspora. Flatiron Books, 2021.

This collection of essays highlights the Latinx experience in our world today. Edited by Fennell, the essays cover a variety of experiences, ranging from the search for identity to combating anti-Blackness to the joys of family and love.

Green, John. Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet. Dutton, 2021.

In this series of essays adapted from his popular podcast, Green reviews different aspects of life in our contemporary world in turn, rating everything he addresses on a five-star scale.

Heumann, Judith E. with Joiner, Kristen. Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist. Beacon Press, 2020.

A disability rights activist, Heumann fought her entire life to be seen, accepted, and respected. Her memoir sheds light on her resistance to exclusion and her wider influence, specifically the Section 504 Sit-In, which led to the creation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Hsu, Hua. Stay True: A Memoir. Doubleday, 2022.

Hsu develops a relationship with Ken, a college friend who seems to be Hua's polar opposite. After Ken is killed in a brutal carjacking, Hua does everything he can to retain a crystal clear memory of his college friendships, especially those with Ken.

Huang, Ling Ling. Natural Beauty: A Novel. Dutton, 2023.

This satirical horror novel takes on the beauty industry, artistic ambition, and the Chinese American experience.

Jackson, Tiffany D. The Weight of Blood. Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2022.

A reimagining of Stephen King's Carrie, with a heroine whose telekinetic powers erupt when she is taunted by classmates. The mixed heritage of Jackson's heroine brings up issues of racial "passing," and the climactic final event is informed by the realities of communities still holding racially segregated proms.

Johnson, George M. All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2020.

Chronicling his life as a gay man, from his closeted childhood in New Jersey to his coming out as an adult, Johnson shares both difficult and joyful memories, everything from deeply traumatic experiences to spending time with his beloved grandmother.

Lee, Julia. Biting the Hand: Growing Up Asian in Black and White America. Henry Holt & Company, 2023.

Lee's memoir candidly reflects upon the Asian American and immigrant experiences. Her journey of self-discovery exists against a national obsession with whiteness and racial stratification, from her childhood during the L.A. riots of 1992 to Ivy League academia.

McGhee, Heather. The Sum of Us: How Racism Hurts Everyone: Adapted for Young Readers. Delacorte Press, 2023.

Exploring the integration of systemic racism into institutions, policies, and practices in the United States. While clearly identifying Black people and people of color as the most impacted, it illustrates how all portions of the population have suffered from the privatization of public services. This adaptation clearly explains deleterious effects on education, health care, and housing, and urges us to work together to end systemic racism.

Medina, Nick. Sisters of the Lost Nation. Berkley, 2023.

Bizarre things are happening at their reservation's casino, forcing Anna to search for her missing sister. Part thriller and part social commentary, Medina weaves this tale with Indigenous folklore and spotlights the plight of missing and murdered Indigenous women in the United States.

Miller, Chanel. Know My Name: A Memoir. Viking, 2019.

Chanel Miller, previously known to the public only as Emily Doe, tells her truth as a survivor of sexual assault in a case that stunned the world. Miller's memoir shares the obstacles facing victims of sexual assault, even those in cases that seem clear cut, as well as her journey to healing.

Montell, Amanda. Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism. Harper Wave, 2021.

Using the term "cultish" instead of the overused "cult", Montell takes us through the most well-known cultish groups including Jonestown and Heaven's Gate, focusing on one critical aspects of these groups: cult-specific communication. Montell finds the same cultish language and groupthink in MLMs, exercise groups such as CrossFit and SoulCycle, and even social media "influencers".

Nović, Sara. True Biz. Random House, 2022.

Set in a residential school for deaf students, where the hearing world is a side story. Touching upon eugenics and segregation of deaf culture, this novel centers friendship, belonging and activism, as students fight for their school and their right to control their own destinies.

Radke, Heather. Butts: A Backstory. Avid Reader Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, 2022.

Radke takes readers through the history of the human posterior as signifier and object. By focusing on women's butts in particular, Radke attempts to find social and cultural meaning in the ongoing human fascination with the anatomical rear ends.

Slater, Dashka. Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed. Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, 2023.

In 2017, posts, views, and comments of a high school student's racist Instagram account led to public controversy as the school and the affected students sought emotional and legal resolution. Slater interviewed most of the people involved, and presents multiple viewpoints of this convoluted case. A must-read for anyone who participates in social media.

Tahir, Sabaa. All My Rage. Razorbill, 2022.

In this novel, two of the three alternating perspectives are those of Sal and Noor, two friends plotting their escape from complicated lives in a rural California town. The third first-person voice is that of Sal’s mother Misbah, beginning with her life in Pakistan. All three address themes of immigration, abuse, and criminal justice.

Treuer, Anton. Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians but Were Afraid to Ask (Young Readers Edition). Levine Querido, 2021.

Using a question and answer format, Treuer navigates the sometimes confusing and often contradictory world of information about Native Americans, including historical accuracy, cultural representation, and preferred language.

Wong, Alice, editor. Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century. Delacorte Press, 2020.

A collection of essays for the thirtieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Edited by disability activist Alice Wong, contemporary writers with disabilities contributed essays focusing on the everyday, lived experience of members of the disabled community.

Zamora, Javier. Solito. Hogarth, 2022.

Poet Javier Zamora’s memoir of his migration as a nine-year-old, leaving his family home in El Salvador to meet his parents in the United States. Traveling alone – solito – with a group of strangers led by a series of coyotes, Javier finds beauty and friendship while making the treacherous journey to and across the US–Mexico border.

Aberg-Riger, Ariel. America Redux: Visual Stories from Our Dynamic History. Balzer + Bray, 2023.

Divided thematically instead of chronologically, this history book of collage imagery mines evocative realia to present the no-holds-barred past of the United States, centering neglected voices in the national pageant.

Brands, H. W. The Last Campaign: Sherman, Geronimo and the War for America. Doubleday, 2022.

A history of the Indian Wars, as general William Tecumseh Sherman sought to bring the vast territory under United States control, while Geronimo resisted being settled on reservation lands, fighting instead for the lives and traditions of his Apache people.

Bui, Thi. The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir. Abrams Comic Arts, 2017.

An intimate portrayal of one family's move from their war torn home in Vietnam to the United States, told in a graphic format.

Cooper, Becky. We Keep the Dead Close: A Murder at Harvard and a Half-Century of Silence. Grand Central, 2020.

The author returns to Harvard, where she was also an undergraduate, to revisit a cold case, the murder of a graduate student more than fifty years ago, with her obsessive investigations paralleling the belated identification of the killer.

Delisle, Guy. Jerusalem: Chronicles From the Holy City. Drawn & Quarterly, 2012.

As an outsider to Israel, Delisle's graphic format account poignantly illustrates the city of Jerusalem and the people of different faiths that call the area home.

Hammonds, Jas. We Deserve Monuments. Roaring Brook Press, 2022.

Avery’s life is upturned when her parents move the family from Washington, DC to rural Georgia to care for her terminally ill grandmother. As she uncovers the secrets haunting her mother and grandmother, Avery has to decide how to reconcile the racist traumas of their past with her hopes for her own future, and learn to embrace her own identity as a Black lesbian woman.

Hannah-Jones, Nikole. The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story. One World, 2021.

This presentation of American history begins with the landing of the first slave ship in 1619 and moves forward in time with an eye to the sustained effect that slavery and caste have had on the unfolding of our country’s story.

Hartfield, Claire. A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919. Clarion Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018.

In June 1919, an African American teen was killed by a white man at a public beach in Chicago. Using photographs and other historical evidence, Hartfield carefully explores the Chicago race riot which left 38 people dead and hundreds homeless and wounded, from its causes to its aftermath.

James, Marlon. A Brief History of Seven Killings. Riverhead Books, a member of Penguin Group, 2014.

This multi-perspective work of historical fiction explores the tumultuous period of Jamaica's history from the 1970s through the 1990s. James's lyrical and complex writing style takes us through the experiences of journalists, drug-dealers, and ghosts, each with their individual story.

Jonusas, Susan. Hell's Half-Acre: The Untold Story of the Benders, America's First Serial Killer Family. Viking, 2022.

In 1873, a small frontier community in Kansas discovered the grisly truth about their neighbors when a search revealed a bloody cellar and a number of bodies buried in the yard. Jonusas' investigation into this family of serial killers and their unsuspecting victims will appeal to true crime fans.

Lamb, Sacha. When the Angels Left The Old Country. Levine Querido, 2022.

When a young girl from their tiny shtetl goes missing in America, the town's resident angel and demon travel to New York via Ellis Island to discover her whereabouts. Jewish mysticism suffuses this creative novel of intrigue and discovery, peopled with genderfluid and supernatural characters.

Lo, Malinda. Last Night at the Telegraph Club. Dutton Books, 2021.

In the McCarthy era, Chinese American Lily Hu contends with weighty familial and societal expectations in this complex novel. Richly detailed historic panoramas of San Francisco are the perfect backdrop for Lily’s moving romance with Kath.

Martin, Jetta Grace, Bloom, Joshua, and Martin, Waldo E. Freedom! The Story of the Black Panther Party. Levine Querido, 2022.

Thoughtfully designed and vividly illustrated nonfiction account of the development, initiatives, and decline of the revolutionary Black Panther party.

McBride, James. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. Riverhead Books, 2023.

With his flair for storytelling, McBride examines kindness, redemption, and revenge in this stunning historical fiction account of a small Pennsylvania community people with African Americans and European Jews.

Perry, Imani. South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation. ECCO, An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2022.

Never reductive in her approach, Perry uses a range of cultural, historical, and personal touchstones to meditate on nuanced aspects of modern southern life and their echoes in the national conversation.

Rutledge, Lynda. West with Giraffes. Lake Union Publishing, 2021.

An elderly man recounts a memory from his youth, when he helped transport two giraffes from New York to the San Diego Zoo. Based on true events though the narrator is fictional; includes 1938 newspaper articles and letters about the event.

Schiff, Stacy. The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams. Little, Brown and Company, 2022.

Through meticulous research, Schiff demonstrates the essential role Boston played in the fulment of the American Revolution, focusing on one of its most influential leaders. Samuel Adams helped unite the disparate colonies in a cause that would result in a new nation.

Sepetys, Ruth. I Must Betray You. Philomel, 2022.

Sepetys continues her streak of notable historical fiction with this powerful story set in Ceaușescu’s Romania of the 1980s, where the tandem of surveillance and duplicity have created slippery societal and personal landscapes for the teen writer protagonist. At 17, Christian is approached to become an informant, and he must decide whether he will cooperate with the government or resist.

Towles, Amor. The Lincoln Highway. Viking, 2021.

After release from a youth detention center, Emmett and his younger brother Billy are determined to find the mother who left them. Due to circumstances beyond their control, the brothers end up on the road searching for a stolen car. This novel, in turns comic and tragic, is peppered with allusions to works of literature and psychology.

Ward, Jesmyn. Let Us Descend. Scribner, 2023.

Annis is a slave girl on a Carolina plantation when she is sold, sent on a forced march to New Orleans, and bought by a plantation owner. As she endures interminable hardships she gains strength from visions of her grandmother, who was brought to America from Africa, and from other spirits that teach her how to retain her sense of self while navigating a cruel and demanding world.

Wein, Elizabeth. A Thousand Sisters: The Heroic Air Women of the Soviet Union in World War II. Balzer + Bray, 2019.

Wein's meticulously researched nonfiction account presents the work of Soviet women pilots during the second World War, richly documenting their harrowing experiences and astonishing skill at the mechanical, navigational, and practical aspects of spending a thousand nights in combat with the Germans in that great patriotic war.

Brown, Jericho, editor. How We Do It: Black Writers on Craft, Practice, and Skill. Amistad an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2023.

A collection of essays by black writers discussing the craft of writing including structure, place, story, voice, and more. Authors featured include notable poets, memoirists, fiction writers, and essayists.

Clark, P. Djeli. Ring Shout: Or, Hunting Ku Kluxes in the End Times. Tordotcom, published by Tom Doherty Associates, 2020.

In this fantasy historical novella, Maryse Boudreaux fights the KKK with her friends, a resilient group of resistance fighters. Some of these Ku Kluxes are carnivorous demons that plan to bring about the apocalypse in Macon, Georgia and threaten all of humanity.

Hansberry, Lorraine. The Sign In Sidney Brustein's Window. Samuel French, 1965.

The last of her plays staged in Hansberry’s lifetime, this explores voguish progressivism and hypocrisy among a couple’s groups of close friends as idealism meets reality.

Hokeah, Oscar. Calling For a Blanket Dance. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2022.

Reminiscent of Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury, Hokeah's novel chronicles the life of Ever Geimausaddle through the voices of his part-Mexican and part-Indigenous family.

Jones, Stephen Graham. The Only Good Indians: A Novel. Saga Press, 2020.

Four men from the Blackfeet Nation committed an atrocity on their reservation. Ten years later, they must battle a supernatural being that is intent on seeking revenge by any means necessary, namely death.

Kingsolver, Barbara. Demon Copperhead. Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2022.

Kingsolver repositions Dickens' David Copperfield in a opiate-ravaged Appalachia, with a winsome hero whose quixotic journey to adulthood captures the New South with pitch perfect pathos.

Klune, TJ. The House in the Cerulean Sea. Tor, a Tom Doherty Associates Book, 2020.

The Department in Charge of Magical Youth assigns Linus Baker a case of six magical children who appear to be incredibly dangerous and who may trigger the apocalypse. Upon meeting and spending time with the children and the head of their orphanage, Arthur Parnassus, Linus is forced to rethink everything he thought he knew about "dangerous" magical beings as well as the reality of chosen family.

Kuang, R.F. Babel, or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution. Harper, Voyage, 2022.

Kuang's speculative imagining recasts academic labor, colonial violence, and linguistics in this sprawling and mindbending campus novel.

Kushner, Tony. Angels In America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. Theatre Communications Group, 1993.

In Kushner's seminal play, gay and straight characters intersect in New York City as they contend with the AIDS crisis in the mid 1980's. Sprinkled with real and fictional characters as well as angels and ghosts, the works' commentary on politics and humanity remains relevant.

La Sala, Ryan. The Honeys. Push, 2022.

After witnessing their twin sister's death, Mars is convinced the Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy had something to do with Caroline's bizarre final moments. Never allowed to attend the summer camp because of their genderfluidity, Mars is finally allowed to take Caroline's place the following summer. As they grow close to Caroline's mysterious friend group at the camp, The Honeys, Mars soon discovers the beautiful location hides a gruesome secret.

LaValle, Victor. Lone Women. One World, 2023.

Seeking to build a new life in Montana, Adelaide Henry carries with her a nightmare in a trunk and an incriminating past. Part historical fiction, part horror, full of adventure, misfortune and sisterhood, this is homesteading like you never imagined it. LaValle reveals aspects of Black life in early 1900's America with a full cast of diverse characters and plenty of suspense.

Machado, Carmen Maria. In the Dream House: A Memoir. Graywolf Press, 2019.

Machado's haunting memoir details her traumatic experience in an abusive relationship. Machado also includes the scant research on abuse in queer relationships, shattering the misconception that queerness protects one from violence.

McBride, Amber. Me (Moth). Feiwel and Friends, 2021.

Following the loss of her family in an auto accident, Moth, a young black teen, meets Sani, a boy of mixed Navajo and white heritage. The two embark on on a summer road trip to the Navajo reservation where Sani’s father lives. Moth and Sani find in each other a kindred spirit sharing the trauma, grief, and depression that both have experienced, finding solace and understanding in this novel in verse.

McCullough, Joy. Enter the Body. Dutton Books, 2023.

Four dead teenage heroines in conversation, with McCullough deploying Shakespeare's own language to recenter the stories of Juliet, Ophelia, Cordelia, and Lavinia.

Moreno-Garcia, Silvia. Mexican Gothic. Del Rey, 2020.

Noemí travels to the Mexican countryside in response to a frantic letter from her recently-married cousin, and finds a gloomy household and a foreboding and mysterious presence. Noemí must confront her ominous dreams and resist the magnetic pull of the house and its inhabitants if she is to save herself from a terrifying fate.

Nayeri, Daniel. Everything Sad is Untrue (A True Story). Levine Querido, 2020.

Autobiographical account of a young boy’s flight from Iran with his mother and sister and subsequent school days in Oklahoma, operationalizing storytelling as a way to reinforce beloved culture and develop new connections.

Ng, Celeste. Our Missing Hearts. Penguin Press, 2022.

When 12 year old Bird recieves a cryptic letter in the mail, he sets off on a quest to find the mother who abandoned him and his father years before. Along his journey he discovers that the violence, segregation, and censorship -- commonplace in his current world -- were not always the case and that small acts of love can be huge acts of bravery.

Parker, Morgan. Magical Negro: Poems. Tin House Books, 2019.

What is it like to be a young, black and female in America? Parker's poems are packed full of lyrical language as well as pop culture references to expand your understanding of poetry and the American experience.

Pizarnik, Alejandra. Translated from the Spanish by Yvette Siegert. Extracting the Stone of Madness: Poems 1962 - 1972. New Directions, 2015.

This bilingual collection of Brazilian poet Alejandra Pizarnik's poetry contains the poet's middle to later works. Containing themes of solitude and childhood, Pizarnik uses a surrealist style to provide insightful and deeply moving poetry.

Reyes, Sonora. The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School. Balzer + Bray, 2022.

Yami Flores, a Mexican-American closeted teen, is trying to act straight at her new Catholic high school to keep herself (and her troublesome, but charming, younger brother) out of trouble and gossip. That is until she meets Bo, an openly gay classmate, and is forced to rethink everything.

Smith, Clint. Above Ground: Poems. Little Brown and Company, 2023.

Smith's latest collection of narrative poems examines the world through the eyes of his young children and juxtaposes their fresh perspectives with the violence encountered in the world.

Tamaki, Jillian and Tamaki, Mariko. Roaming. Drawn and Quarterly, 2023.

Three college freshmen from Canada explore New York City over spring break in this graphic novel, a poignant story of evolving friendships and fledgling independence.

Thakur, Sophia. Wearing My Mother's Heart. Candlewick Press, 2023.

This poignant poetry collection explores the multifaceted experiences of the contemporary woman, addressing themes of identity, race, mental health and politics by capturing the emotional journey of women across generations and examining the freedom to speak out in the face of societal challenges.

Tibble, Tayi. Poukahangatus: Poems. Knopf, 2022.

Modern indigenous conflicts showcased through virtuosic use of creative language in this vibrant collection from a New Zealand poet.

Wilkerson, Charmaine. Black Cake. Ballantine, 2022.

After her husband dies at their wedding, teenage Covey escapes from her Caribbean island, under suspicion for her husband’s murder. Many years later, the children of Eleanor Bennet listen to a recording she made just before she died and learn the surprising truth of their own family story.

Zentner, Jeff. In the Wild Light. Crown, 2021.

When two friends from rural Tennessee transfer to an elite prep school in Connecticut, they view their home lives and their friendship in a new light, and have to decide where they fit in their enlarged view of the world.

Campbell, Jeff. Glowing Bunnies!?: Why We're Making Hybrids, Chimeras, and Clones. Zest Books, 2021.

Campbell makes the exciting but complex world of genetic science understandable, while bringing to light some of the ethical quandaries surrounding this burgeoning field.

Casey, Susan. The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean. Doubleday, 2023.

A captivating history on and the current state of deep sea exploration, Casey makes a compelling case for the continued importance of oceans today.

Cheng , Eugenia. X + Y: A Mathematician’s Manifesto for Rethinking Gender. Basic Books, 2020.

Eugenia Cheng spent years in the male-dominated field of mathematics before moving to a female-centric liberal arts world, helping her understand the difference between the genders from the perspective of category theory. Here, she strives to answer why men have dominated our society for so long and how we might move towards a more equitable world.

Cherrix, Amy. In the Shadow of the Moon: America, Russia, and the Hidden History of the Space Race. Balzer + Bray, 2021.

Details the fierce rivalry between the two nations and the two men who led space flight from experiment to reality in both America and Russia. Cherrix's biographies of Von Braun and Korolev pull no punches when it comes to the brutal experience of early space exploration, and the experimentation and forced labor that contributed to it.

Chiang, Ted. Exhalation: Stories. Alfred A. Knopf, 2019.

This collection of nine speculative fiction stories asks the reader to contemplate the nature of humanity and the meaning of time. Chiang’s tales of the fantastic rest upon solid science, with a focus on what could be possible in the near – or distant – future.

Craig, Mya-Rose. Birdgirl: Looking to the Skies in Search of a Better Future. Celadon, 2023.

A young British-Bangladeshi twitcher, Mya-Rose Craig begins her memoir with her family's passion for birdwatching and spending time in nature and morphs into her own burgeoning role as environmentalist and international activist.

D'Agata, John. About a Mountain. W. W. Norton, 2011.

Part investigative journalism and part memoir, this examination of the nuclear waste storage of Yucca Mountain weaves together the personal with the global. Pushing the boundaries of traditional nonfiction, D'Agata includes a multi-page afterword with factual corrections.

Grolleau, Fabien. Guardian of Fukushima: The True Story of a Farmer Who Fought to Save the Nuclear Zone's Animals. TokyoPop, 2023.

Weaving Japanese legend throughout, Grolleau tells the story of the nuclear disaster of the Fukushima power plant in Japan after an earthquake and tsunami ravaged the area in 2011. Amind the devastation that caused nearly 20,000 deaths, a farmer, Naoto Matsumura, reentered the radiation zone to save his beloved animals as well as any other animals he came across.

Grush, Loren. The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts. Scribner, 2023.

Recounts the story of America's first female astronauts as they faced challenges and endured media scrutiny. Nonetheless, as they contributed significantly to NASA's space program, Grush highlights their individual achievements and collective impact.

Jahren, Hope. The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go from Here. Delacorte Press, 2021.

"Lab girl" author Jahren provides a masterclass in the effects of increasingly urban, consumerist societies on other organisms and the planet. A stimulating introduction to population science.

Kimmerer, Robin Wall. Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants. Zest Books, 2022.

Kimmerer, a member of the Potawatomi Nation and a trained botanist, uses personal anecdotes of studying plants through both of these lenses to make the argument that indigenous wisdom can provide deeper understanding to scientific knowledge about the plant kingdom.

Kolbert, Elizabeth. The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History. Henry Holt and Company, 2014.

Using chapters that can stand alone, Kolbert builds the case for the current environmental crises as an extinction event. Ours is a period in which the diversity of species is contracting, and her examples introduce us to a variety of living things facing extinction or already gone.

Kraus, Daniel. Whalefall. MTV Entertainment Books, 2023.

Seventeen-year-old Jay goes scuba diving in search of his father's body, but ends up confronting his personal demons while struggling to escape from inside a whale before his air runs out.

Lewis, Michael. The Premonition: A Pandemic Story. W.W. Norton & Company, 2021.

Investigates the US response to COVID-19, including the dedication and persistence of many scientists and physicians in the face of political maneuverings, and organizations with more concern around defending their own interests than in protecting citizens from a deadly disease.

Lipsky, David. The Parrot and the Igloo: Climate and the Science of Denial. W.W. Norton & Company, 2023.

Drawing parallels with other science denial movements throughout history, Lipsky provides an informative look into the rise of the anti-science movement and climate change denial, detailing how it has affected and is currently affecting the climate change movement.

Mukherjee, Siddhartha. The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human. Scribner, 2022.

With elegant prose and insightful anecdotes, Mukherjee narrates the history of human's understanding of the elemental building block of life, the living cell.

Nezhukumatathil, Aimee. World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments. Milkweed Editions, 2020.

From the turquoise beauty of peacock feathers to the ambiguous smile of an axolotl, poet Nezhukumatathil forays into nonfiction with reflections on the plants, animals, and other natural objects that have shaped her understanding of the world and herself.

Nott, Dan. Hidden Systems: Water, Electricity, the Internet, and the Secrets Behind the Systems We Use Every Day. Random House Graphic, 2023.

This graphic novel explains explores the systems that make our society work: water, electricity, and the internet. Through clear text and illustrations, Nott carefully examines the effects these systems have on the environment as well as marginalized communities.

Randall, David. The Monster's Bones: The Discovery of T.Rex and How It Shook Our World. W.W. Norton & Company, 2022.

In this rollicking nonfiction account, Randall introduces readers to the Indiana Jones-like adventurer and paleontologist who discovered the Tyrannosaurus Rex bones, and the ambitious museum owner who funded his adventures.

Roach, Mary. Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law. W.W. Norton & Company, 2021.

With her signature humor and insatiable curiosity, Roach explores the unusual science of human-wildlife conflict, a discipline at the crossroads of human behavior and wildlife biology.

Rusch, Elizabeth. The 21: the True Story of the Youth Who Sued the U.S, Government Over Climate Change. Greeenwillow Books, an Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, 2023.

Interesting read about the intersection of climate change science, youth activism, governmental obligation & judicial procedures. Will inspire readers to stand up for what they believe in.

Schrefer, Eliot. Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality. Katherine Tegen Books, 2022.

Explores the diversity of queer behaviors in animals, utilizing well-researched content, witty prose, comics by Jules Zuckerberg, and insights from interviews with researchers, emphasizing the natural and complex connections between human and animal sexuality.

White, Andrew Joseph. The Spirit Bares Its Teeth. Peachtree Teen, 2023.

In this historical novel, Silas Bell, a trans and autistic sixteen-year-old, is involuntarily committed to Braxton's Finishing School and Sanitorium and diagnosed with a type of madness after trying to escape an arranged marriage. Forced to live life as a girl, Silas begins seeing ghosts of past students, leading him to discover the horrifying secrets of the school while trying to survive the abuse inflicted upon him as a trans youth in a Victorian society.

Yong, Ed. An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us. Random House, 2022.

Yong explores the sensory experiences of the animal kingdom. Readers will come away with a greater appreciation for the vast complexity and diversity of the natural world, as well as a realization of how our own understanding of the world is shaped—and sometimes limited–by our own senses.

Zevin, Gabrielle. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. Alfred A. Knopf, 2022.

Zevin's novel chronicles the lives of two friends who reunite in college to make a video game, and the years of success and tragedy that follow.

More Information

Charge

To support lifelong learning by preparing a revised and updated edition of the annotated Outstanding Books for the College Bound booklist to guide students of all ages planning to continue their education beyond high school. The booklist is updated every five years.

Purpose

To provide reading recommendations to students of all ages who plan to continue their education beyond high school.

Audience

The lists are primarily intended for students in grades 9-12 who wish to enrich and strengthen their knowledge of various subject areas in both classic and contemporary literature.

The lists can be used both by students wishing to round out their reading before entering college and by those taking college entrance examinations such as the ACT and SAT.

The lists can also be used by young adults and adults who are lifelong learners wishing to increase or update their knowledge of literature in areas covered by the lists.

Committee Members

The committee will consist of 15 members who are appointed by the YALSA Vice President/President-Elect for a one year term beginning immediately after the conclusion of one ALA winter meeting and ending at the conclusion of the following ALA winter meeting.

The committee size is 15 members, and an administrative assistant, if requested. Up to five members from ACRL may be appointed.

Chair

The Chair will be appointed for a one year term by the Vice President/President Elect. While the primary role of the Chair is to facilitate the work of the committee, the Chair will have the right to participate in all committee activities. Access to the Internet and a willingness to communicate continuously and electronically with committee members are requirements for chairing the committee.

Committee Organization

The Chair will organize the committee in a way that will get the work done in the most efficient manner. The committee may operate as a committee of the whole or in subcommittees according to categories.

Selection Criteria

Standard selection criteria consonant with the ALA Library Bill of Rights shall be applied.
Although copyright is not a consideration, all titles should be widely available.
Each category may have a special set of criteria.
Books can be in print or out of print, in hardcover or paperback.
Books that have appeared on earlier Outstanding Books lists or are available in revised editions are eligible.

Categories

The committee may select up to five (5) categories. The traditional categories for Outstanding Books are: The Arts, Biography, Fiction, and Nonfiction. Poetry has sometimes been a separate category, sometimes not. A Now/Current category was used for a time. Plays have been a subcategory of The Arts. There may be some variance in selected categories depending on the trends in society and in publishing. There may be subcategories, as well.

Suggested Selection Procedures

Determine categories.

Determine criteria, if needed, for selection in each category.

Review titles in

Outstanding Books for the College Bound: Titles and Programs for a New Generation, ALA, 2011 to determine which titles should be reconsidered.

Survey other lists of recommended books and look for titles that are recommended in several sources. The following sources may be helpful:

Good Reading: A Guide for Serious Readers, Bowker, 1990.
Books for You, latest ed., NCTE.
Senior High School Library Catalog, latest ed., H.W. Wilson.
Best Books for Young Adults: the Selection, the History, the Romance, ALA, 1994.
Best Books for Young Adults, second edition, ALA, 2000.
Fifty Years of Notable Books, Booklist Publications, 1996.
Reading Lists for College Bound Students, third edition, Prentice-Hall, 2000.
Recommended Reading: 5000 Classics Reviewed, Salem Press, 1995.
New Lifetime Reading Plan, by Clifton Fadiman, HarperCollins, 1999.

Bibliographies from specific subject areas.

Current reviews and retrospective reviews.

Annual lists of outstanding and notable books.

Construct a working list of possible titles for study and reading.

Select up to twenty-five (25) titles for each category.

Voting Procedures

The committee will determine its own voting procedure, however, most committees use a simple or a two-thirds majority for their final vote.

Annotations

Using "Procedures for Writing and Publishing Annotations" (YALSA Handbook, VII-4), determine bibliographic information needed and style required for annotations.

Locate essential bibliographic information according to the "Procedures for Writing and Publishing Annotations" and verify author, title, and publisher's name.

Write annotations that will appeal to young adults.

The Chair must turn in to the YALSA staff by the end of the ALA winter meeting a completed list of "Outstanding Books" by category, arranged alphabetically by author within each category, in electronic format.

Outstanding Books for the College Bound