As the school year starts, check out one of these fun YA books based on your favorite subject!
The Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, either in her hometown or on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. She dreams of college, but when her family is struck by tragedy she puts her future on hold to care for her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, a new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team. When Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, she reluctantly agrees to go undercover, drawing on her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe traditional medicine to track down the source of a new drug. How far will she go to protect her community, if it threatens to tear apart the only world she’s ever known?
Origin by Jessica Khoury
Pia has grown up in a secret laboratory hidden deep in the Amazon rainforest. She was raised by a team of scientists who have created her to be the start of a new immortal race. But on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Pia discovers a hole in the electric fence that surrounds her sterile home–and sneaks outside the compound for the first time in her life. Free in the jungle, Pia meets Eio, a boy from a nearby village. Together, they embark on a race against time to discover the truth about Pia’s origin–a truth with deadly consequences that will change their lives forever.
In the City of Time by Gwendolyn Clare
After an experiment goes wrong, three science prodigies from two different time periods meet in a strange, seemingly abandoned city, and burdened with a glitchy time machine, an android time cop hot on their trail, and some tangled temporal mechanics to unravel, they set out to save the Earth.
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
In a future where humans despise clones, Matt enjoys special status as the young clone of El Patrón, the 142-year-old leader of a corrupt drug empire nestled between Mexico and the United States.
In this collection, award-winning and bestselling authors reimagine their favorite classic stories, the ones that have inspired, awed, and enraged them, the ones that have become ingrained in modern culture, and the ones that have been too long overlooked. They take these stories and boil them down to their bones, and then reassemble them for a new generation of readers. Today’s most acclaimed authors use their own unique styles to rebuild these twelve timeless stories.
Love in English by Maria E. Andreu
Ana moved to New Jersey from Argentina for her Junior year of high school. She’s a poet and a lover of language– except that now, she can barely understand what’s going on around her, let alone find the words to express how she feels in the language she’s expected to speak. Then she meets Harrison, the very cute, very American boy in her math class. And then there’s her new friend Neo, the Greek boy she’s partnered up with in ESL class, who she bonds with over the 80s teen movies they are assigned to watch for class, and Altagracia, her artistic and Instagram-fabulous friend, who thankfully is fluent in Spanish and able to help her settle into American high school. As her father accuses Ana of becoming too American, what does it mean when her feelings for Harrison and Neo start to change?
Yolo Juliet by Brett Wright
Two families at war. A boy and a girl in love. A secret marriage gone oh-so-wrong. What if those star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet had smartphones? The classic Shakespeare play told through its characters texting with emojis, checking in at certain locations, and updating their relationship statuses.
Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price
In this modern adaption of Pride and Prejudice, Seventeen-year-old aspiring lawyer Lizzie Bennet seeks to solve a murder before her rival Mr. Darcy beats her to it.
The Quantum Weirdness of an Almost-Kiss by Amy Noelle Price
Seventeen-year-old Evie Beckham has always been too occupied with her love of math and frequent battles with anxiety to want to date. Besides, she’s always found the idea of kissing to be kind of weird. But by senior year, thanks to therapy and her friends, she’s feeling braver than before. Maybe even brave enough to enter the national math and physics competition or flirt back with the new boy. Meanwhile, Evie’s best friend, Caleb Covic, has always been a little in love with her. So he’s horrified when he is forced to witness Evie’s meet-cute with the new guy. Desperate, Caleb uses an online forum to capture Evie’s interest–and it goes a little too well. Now Evie wonders how she went from avoiding romance to having to choose between two–or is it three?–boys.
Nearly Gone by Elle Cosimano
A math-whiz from a trailer park discovers she’s the only student capable of unraveling complex clues left by a serial killer who’s systematically getting rid of her classmates
Zenn Diagram by Wendy Brant
An irresistible novel about math and romance, with a hint of the paranormal. Being a math genius is not exactly a ticket to popularity for seventeen-year-old Eva. Even worse, whenever she touches another person or their belongings, she gets glimpses of their emotions, secrets and insecurities, making her keep her distance from everyone. So when Eva realizes she can touch Zenn, a handsome and soulful artist, without getting visions–only sparks–she finds herself drawing closer to him. But then she discovers the history that links them, and the truth threatens to tear the two apart.
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
Having been recently dumped for the nineteenth time by a girl named Katherine, recent high school graduate and former child prodigy Colin sets off on a road trip with his best friend to try to find some new direction in life while also trying to create a mathematical formula to explain his relationships.
Screen Queens by Lori Goldstein
Three thousand applicants. An acceptance rate of two percent. A dream internship for the winning team. ValleyStart is the most prestigious high school tech incubator competition in the country. Lucy Katz, Maddie Li, and Delia Meyer have secured their spots. And they’ve come to win. When the competition kicks off, the trio realize just how challenging the next five weeks will be. They could be the only all-female team to win ever. As they deal with first love, a two-faced mentor, and an ex-boyfriend turned nemesis, things get complicated.
The Chaos of Now by Erin Jade Lange
Jordan committed suicide after being tirelessly bullied; now the school has access to students’ online activities and students have less privacy than ever. Eli just wants to graduate, get away from this town and his father, and get himself a prestigious coding job. Then his hacking skills get him roped into a vigilante website that subverts the school’s cybersnoops and seeks justice for everyone else being bullied. Unable to identify the fine lines between bully and victim, justice and vengeance, Eli’s keystrokes start to have devastating consequences in the real world.
The Code for Love and Heartbreak by Jillian Cantor
When math genius Emma and her coding club co-president, George, are tasked with brainstorming a new project, The Code for Love is born. George disapproves of Emma’s idea of creating a matchmaking app, accusing her of meddling in people’s lives. But all the happy new couples at school are proof that the app works. At least at first. Emma’s code is flawless. So why is it that perfectly matched couples start breaking up, the wrong people keep falling for each other, and Emma’s own feelings defy any algorithm?
Warcross by Marie Lu
When teenage coder Emika Chen hacks her way into the opening tournament of the Warcross Championships, she glitches herself into the game as well as a sinister plot with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel – a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors.
I Must Betray You by Rupta Sepetys
In a country governed by isolation, fear, and a tyrannical dictator, seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer, but he decides to use his position to try to outwit his handler, undermine the regime, give voice to fellow Romanians, and expose to the world what is happening in his country.
I’ll Take Everything You Have by James Klise
While running a con in 1934 Chicago, sixteen-year-old Joe splits his time between Eddie, a handsome flirt, and Raymond, a carefree rich kid who shows Joe the queer life of the big city, but as danger closes in, Joe must decide who he wants to be before disappearing.
Stateless by Elizabeth Wein
Stella North is one of twelve young pilots competing in a 1937 air race meant to promote peace in Europe, but when one of her competitors is sabotaged, Stella races to determine who is capable of murder, and who might be the next victim.
Blue Period by Tsubasa Yamaguchi
Yatora is the perfect high school student, with good grades and lots of friends. It’s an effortless performance, and, ultimately…a dull one. But he wanders into the art room one day, and a lone painting captures his eye, awakening him to a kind of beauty he never knew. Compelled and consumed, he dives in headfirst–and he’s about to learn how savage and unforgiving art can be…
She’s too Pretty to Burn by Wendy Heard
When seventeen-year-old Veronica’s photograph of her introverted girlfriend goes viral, they are sent into a spiral of fame and lethal danger as they navigate the turbulent waters of their relationship, secrets, acclaim, and the underground San Diego art scene.
Ander and Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa
Nonbinary teen Ander is ready to leave their family’s taquería and focus on their art, but when Santi, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, begins to work at the restaurant, the two teens spark a romance made complicated by immigration police.
A Phở Love Story by Loan Le
Bảo Nguye̋n would describe himself as steady and strong: his grades are average, his social status unremarkable. He works at his parents’ phở restaurant – as his parents’ fifth favorite employee. Linh Mai would describe herself as a firecracker: stable when unlit, but full of potential for joy and fire. She dreams of pursuing a career in art, while working practically full-time at her family’s phở restaurant. Bao and Linh’s families have been at odds for years, owning neighboring competing restaurants. Linh and Bao have never even had a class together – but after a chance encounter, sparks fly. Can this relationship survive their families’ feud?
You, Me, and Our Heartstrings by Melissa See
Seventeen year old Daisy, a talented violinist with cerebral palsy, and Noah, a great cellist with severe anxiety, plan to use the holiday concert to land a Juilliard audition, but when they are chosen to play a duet, they worry theri differences will sink their chances.
The Ghosts of Rose Hill by R.M. Romero
Sent to stay with her aunt in Prague and witness the humble life of an artist, Ilana Lopez–a biracial Jewish girl–finds herself torn between her dream of becoming a violinist and her immigrant parents’ desire for her to pursue a more stable career. When she discovers a forgotten Jewish cemetery behind her aunt’s cottage, she meets the ghost of a kindhearted boy named Benjamin, who died over a century ago. As Ilana restores Benjamin’s grave, he introduces her to the enchanted side of Prague, where ghosts walk the streets and their kisses have warmth. But Benjamin isn’t the only one interested in Ilana. Rudolph Wassermann, a man with no shadow, has become fascinated with her and the music she plays. He offers to share his magic, so Ilana can be with Benjamin and pursue her passion for violin. But after Ilana discovers the truth about Wassermann and how Benjamin became bound to the city, she resolves to save the boy she loves, even if it means losing him–forever.
The Dragon’s Club by Cyn Bermudez
Faith Navarro has landed a scholarship to an arts high school for violin. But her struggles at home threaten to take away everything she’s ever worked for. Her older sister’s drug addiction has caused Faith to miss school one too many times. Her school offers her one more chance to keep her scholarship–enrollment in a teen support group called the Dragons Club. The last thing Faith wants to do is talk to other teens about her sister’s addiction and how it affects her, but soon she forms a deep connection to the other members and finds herself, and her music, coming alive again. However, the teens are all in this club for a reason, and tragedies seem inevitable. As her sister’s addiction escalates, Faith has to choose between her sister and the life she’s built for herself.
So You Wanna be a Popstar? by Zachary Sergi
The reader makes choices for five solo pop artists who must learn to navigate overnight success after their group performance at a competition becomes a viral hit.
This is How We Fly by Anna Meriano
Vegan feminist Ellen Lopez-Rourke has one muggy Houston summer left before college. When she is grounded for the entire summer by her (sometimes) evil stepmother, all her plans are thrown out the window. Ellen convinces her parents to let her join the local muggle Quidditch team. An all-gender, full-contact game, Quidditch isn’t quite what Ellen expects. There’s no flying, no magic, just a bunch of scrappy players holding PVC pipe between their legs and throwing dodgeballs. As her two BFFs start moving on from high school– and from Ellen– she begins to find a place among her teammate.
A Season of Daring Greatly by Ellen Emerson White
Eighteen-year-old Jill Cafferty just made history. She is her high school’s star pitcher and now the first woman drafted by a major league baseball team. Only days after her high school graduation, she’ll join the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Class A Short Season team… but not everyone is happy to have her there. On top of the pressure heaped on every pitcher, Jill must deal with defying conventions and living up to impossible expectations, all while living away from home for the first time. She’ll go head-to-head against those who are determined to keep baseball an all-male sport. Despite the reassurance of coaches and managers alike, a few of her teammates are giving her trouble. The media presence following her at each game is inescapable. And to top it all off, Jill is struggling with the responsibilities of being a national hero and a role model for young women everywhere. How can she be a role model when she’s not even sure she made the right choice for herself? Didn’t baseball used to be fun?
Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez
Rosario, Argentina. At home seventeen-year-old Camila Hassan lives within her mother’s narrow expectations, her soccer-star brother’s shadow, and under the abusive rule of her short-tempered father. On the field, she is La Furia, a powerhouse of skill and talent. 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. Can she make her way in a world with no place for the dreams and ambition of a girl like her?
Game by Walter Dean Meyers
If Harlem high school senior Drew Lawson is going to realize his dream of playing college, then professional, basketball, he will have to improve at being coached and being a team player, especially after a new–white–student threatens to take the scouts’ attention away from him.
