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My Top YA Books of 2020

Yesterday I released my Top Books of 2020. Today, I wanted to give some attention to the top YA books of the year. Young adult literature is doing what adult literature can't keep up with: diversity. More diversity and experimentation is occurring for young adults than their adult contemporary counterparts. I hope the publishing industry is noting this because they need to fix this problem. I also must thank the Project Lit Community which brought to light so many amazing diverse authors to my attention this year.  As per usual, any books on this 2020 list was published in 2020. Give any one of these books a read and you'll be a better person for it. For a one page printable of this list, click here. So without further ado:

1. This is My America by Kim Johnson
Tracy’s father sits on death row and she continues to write to the Innocence Project in the hopes to free him. With time waning, Tracy needs to stop the wrongful execution, but the people with power are controlling much more than she realizes. Kim Johnson’s novel is electric. This Is My America is not just important, it’s essential. A true page turner and worthy of any and all the acclaim it receives.

2. The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed
When we think of historical fiction, we usually think of pieces set during a war or Victorian England, but The Black Kids bucks all the trends by setting the book in 1992 Los Angeles during the Rodney King trial. This rich backdrop allows our main character Ashley to really look at who she is; while she’s been avoiding the hard questions, now she needs to face the realities of her race and how that’s affected her life before and into the future. The Black Kids is The Hate U Give of 2020.

3. Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
Afrofuturism is alive and well in Ifueko’s high concept fantasy Raybearer. Conceptually, this story is leagues ahead of anything else I read in 2020. Part Black Leopard, Red Wolf, part Black Panther, part Children of Blood and Bone, Raybearer is in a class all its own with the most fantastical world in over a decade. Rich in culture and mysticism, as a first in the trilogy, I’m not sure where we’ll end up, but the adventure is truly out of this world.

4. Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang
Yang’s done it again. A basketball book that’s so much more than a basketball book. For fans of the sport or not, Yang’s memoir of an author struggling to find inspiration for his next book (a meta-narrative if there ever was one) and finding high school basketball as his answer. For comic book geeks and sports fans alike, Dragon Hoops isn’t afraid to ask difficult questions, and isn’t afraid to give us difficult answers.

5. Almost American Girl by Robin Ha
When Robin’s mother transports her from Seoul, Korea to Huntsville, Alabama, her life is uprooted and seemingly destroyed. Unable to speak English, Robin finds art as her refuge. Tender and self-reflective, this is one of the most sophisticated YA books of the year, and Ha’s illustrations only further evokes your emotions.

6. Flamer by Mike Curato
Jarrett J. Krosoczka said about Flamer, “This book will save lives.” He’s not wrong. Flamer is the most important LGBTQ+ book this year. This was the book I needed in 1999. It’s the book we need in 2020. I daresay, It’s a book we will need in another 20 years. A camp story with purpose, that shows how difficult transitions into adulthood can be. Every male should read this book.

7. Grown by Tiffany D Jackson
If you never read a Tiffany Jackson book, you’re missing out on one of the most impressive and bingeable authors of the decade. Every Jackson book impresses, and Grown might be her most salacious and powerful book to date. When a figure with a few similarities to R. Kelly starts grooming a new up and coming talent Enchanted Jones, Enchanted enters a world she doesn’t know if she wants to be part of. Harrowing and fascinating, Grown serves as an inspiration to follow your dreams, and a warning to proceed with caution.

8. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
There’s not many books that change your life. Not as a 35 year old who thinks they thought they understood the spectrum of gender and sexuality, but Felix Ever After managed to change my understanding of everything I thought I knew. Felix is my favorite protagonist of the year. A character who feels more round and foilable than even most adult protagonists. Callender captures teenage life in New York City like none other, and you’ll fall in love with Felix and the world around them.

9. Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith
If you had the chance to start at a school and no one knew the past you, would you do it? Pony does in this drama filled transgender story which feels one part Riverdale and one part Gossip Girl. An unforgettable story that asks you to face the present by acknowledging your past. This is the kind of book I want converted into a CW show pronto so I can binge watch every minute.

10. Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh
Every year, there’s one YA book that seems older than its peers. More for seniors and college freshmen, Iloh’s verse narrative time hops from Ada’s first steps to college to first grade and back again. A story about finding your passion, the book feels like a dance. Gorgeously crafted, Iloh’s novel will make you wonder how you got here and if you should have listened to your heart more. 

Similar Posts:
My Top Books of 2019

Daniel Valentin teaches English 9 and Ethics at Horace Greeley High School. He is currently reading Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez and is listening to Animals by Stacy Osei-Kuffour. He wants his students to feel empowered through books. Follow him on Twitter @DanielJValentin



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