BOOKLISTS: YOUNG ADULT DIVERSE and MULTICULTURAL FICTION
ETHNICITY and RACE
Books of Different Cultures for Teens (Plymouth District Libraries, MI): Title, author, summary, and webcat link for about 40 novels and a couple of non-fiction books, from Joan Abelove's Go and Come Back (an Amazonian village in the Andes) to Diane L. Wilson's I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade (Mongolia in 1339).
From Strangers to Neighbors: Race, Dignity and Acceptance Beyond To Kill a Mockingbird: For Older Children (Duluth Public Library, MN): Author, title, publication date, summary for 20 books exploring issues similar to those raised by Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, from William H. Armstrong's Sounder to Laurence Yep's The Star Fisher.
Multicultural Fiction (Glen Ellyn Public Library, IL): Author, title, summary for about 40 novels for middle school and high school students, from Joan Abelove's Go and Come Back to Rita Williams-Garcia's Fast Talk on a Slow Track.
Multicultural Fiction for Teens (Madison Public Library, WI): Title, author, publication info, and summary for more than 25 books, from Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis to Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi.
Race in America (The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH): Author, title, summary for over 25 YA books (fiction and non-fiction) about ethnicity and race in America; fiction titles from Zack by William Bell to If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson.
Multicultural Books for Middle School Readers (Elmhurst Public Library, IL): Author, title, page count, summary, and country or ethnicity concerned, for novels, biographies, and non-fiction. About 55 fiction titles in author order from The Real Plato Jones by Nina Bawden to The Friends by Kazumi Yumoto.
>>African American
African-American Fiction for Teens (Seattle Public Library): Title, author, summary for about 25 recent fiction titles, from Apollo's Concrete Candy to Jacqueline Woodson's I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This.
African-American Fiction (Skokie Public Library, IL): Author, title, summary, publication year for more than 20 books, from MT Anderson's The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, v. 1: The Pox Party to Jacqueline Woodson's From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun. The same site also lists African-American non-fiction titles.
What Should I Read Next?: African-American Fiction (Tulsa City-County Library, OK): Provides authors, titles, summaries, and webcat links for about 15 novels featuring African-Americans and race issues, from A Hero Ain?t Nothin? but a Sandwich by Alice Childress to To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
African American Voices: Teen Fiction (Tucson-Pima Public Library): Lists author, title, publication year, and summary for about 25 books.
African-American Novels for Young Adults (Enoch Pratt Free Library - Baltimore): Compiled 2003. Author, title, summary, publication year, and webcat link for about a dozen books published in 2001 and 2002, from Evelyn Coleman's Born in Sin to Jacqueline Woodson's Hush.
>>Native American
Native American Voices: Teen Fiction (Tucson-Pima Public Library): Lists author, title, publication year, and summary for about 25 fiction and 25 non-fiction titles.
African-American Fiction (Skokie Public Library, IL): Author, title, summary, publication year for 6 books.
>>Hispanic /Latino
Latino Voices: Teen Fiction (Tucson-Pima Public Library): Lists author, title, publication year, and summary for about 15 books.
Latino Literature for Children and Young Adults (Salt Lake County Library System, UT): PDF file. Author, title, publication year, book cover image, page count, grade level recommendation, and brief summary for over 30 books for grades 2-9 and over 20 YA books (including a few biographies).
Latino Books for Teens (Seattle Public Library): Title, author, summary for about 20 fiction titles and 8 non-fiction books. Fiction titles from Julia Alvarez's Before We Were Free to Ana Veciana-Suarez's Flight to Freedom.
Hispanic-American Fiction (Skokie Public Library, IL): Author, title, summary, publication year for 7 books.
>>Asian-American
South Asia and the South Asian Diaspora In Children's Literature: An Annotated Bibliography: Young Adult Books (Pooja Makhijani): An annotated bibliography of young adult literature about South Asia (includes the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) and by South Asians. Author, title, and summary for about 40 novels, from Aruna's Journeys by Jyotsna Sreenivasan to Young Uncle Comes to Town by Vandana Singh. Created 2005.
Asian American Voices: Teen Fiction (Tucson-Pima Public Library): Lists author, title, publication year, and summary for about 25 books.
Asian and Asian American Culture (Stanly County Public Library, NC): Author, title, publication year, page count, summary for about 12 books, set in the U.S. and in Asia, from Haemi Balgassi's Tae's Sonata to Jean Davies Okimoto's Molly By Any Other Name. For ages 12+.
Asian-American Fiction (Skokie Public Library, IL): Author, title, summary, publication year for 10 books, from Linda Crew's Children of the River to Paul Yee's Breakaway.
East Indian American Fiction (Skokie Public Library, IL): Author, title, summary, publication year for 7 books, from Malcolm Bosse's Tusk and Stone to Gloria Whelan's Homeless Bird.
RELIGION
See also Inspirational Fiction
Teen Spirit: Religion (Enoch Pratt Free Library - Baltimore): Compiled 1999. Author, title, summary, publication year, and webcat link for about 20 books from Karleen Bradford's There Will Be Wolves to Jane Yolen's Armageddon Summer.
Believers and Doubters: Teen Fiction about Religion (Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh): Author, title, summary, webcat link for about 15 titles, from Randa Abdel-Fattah's Does My Head Look Big in This? to Ellen Wittlinger's Blind Faith. See also their Religion and Spirituality: Teen Nonfiction list.
Journeys: Teens and spirituality (Ocean County Library, NJ): Author, title, summary for about 18 titles, in title order, from Angel of Mercy by Lurlene McDaniel to Where the Truth Lies: A Novel by Lucy Cullyford Babbitt. Compiled 2002.
Living in Faith: Christian Books for Teens (Ocean County Library, NJ): Fiction and non-fiction. Author, title, and summary for about 15 fiction titles, from Between Two Worlds by Leanne Hardy to The Vanishings by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, and 5 non-fiction.
Ineffable Fiction for Teens About Religion, God & Spirituality (Berkeley Public Library, CA): Ineffable: Incapable of being expressed; indescribable or unutterable. Author, title, publication date, and one-line summary for more than 30 books. Not typical 'inspirational' fiction selections. Includes Cynthia Rylant's God Went to Beauty School, Chaim Potok's The Chosen, some Ursula LeGuin and Philip Pullman novels, Yann Martel's Life of Pi, and Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima. Updated March 2007.
Faithful Fiction (and Other Genres) for Teens (Berkeley County Library, SC): Author, title, grade level, and summary for 9 books.
Latter-Day-Saints [Mormons] Fiction (Ruby Cheesman, Salt Lake County Library System, UT): 'These books are written by authors of the LDS faith and contain references to LDS doctrine or religion.' Adult and YA fiction combined and marked. Author and title only, over 100 books.
Christian Fiction Booklist for Young Adults (Corpus Christi Public Libraries, TX): Lists about 20 book titles and a few series titles. No summaries. From Jennifer Armstrong's Steal Away to Cynthia Voigt's Jackaroo.
Jewish Themes: Fiction (Skokie Public Library, IL): Author, title, summary for 12 works of Jewish fiction.
Religious Life Fiction (Jessica Marie, Tigard Public Library, OR): 3-page PDF. Author, title, cover image, and pub. year for about 35 books about Christian life, about 10 books about Jewish life, 4 books about Buddhist life, 6 about Hindu life, and 8 about Muslim life.
Middle School Books Dealing with Ethical Issues (Plymouth District Libraries, MI): Title, author, summary, and webcat link for 15 novels, from Rachel Anderson's Black Water to Paul Zindel's Loch.
GENDER
>>Girls/Women
Great Girls (Louisville Free Public Library, KY): Author, title, summary for almost 60 titles with strong female characters, from Alanna: the first adventure by Tamora Pierce to Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien.
Books from the Grrrl Perspective (Chicago Public Library): Author, title, and summary for about 45 novels and anthologies, from Daughters of the Fifth Sun: a Collection of Latina Fiction and Poetry to Bread Givers by Anzia Yesierska. Compiled 2004.
Strong Female Characters in Books for 11th Grade Students (Alan Nichter, Lutz Branch Library - Fiction-L List): Compiled March 1999. Over 80 titles listed, with author, including Margaret Atwood's Cat's Eye, Octavia Butler's Kindred, Sandra Cisneros's The House on Mango Street, Karin Cook's What Girls Learn, Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series, and Gary Paulsen's The Night the White Deer Died.
Images of Women in Historical Young Adult Fiction (The ALAN Review): Lengthy article with a 'Bibliography of Historical Fiction Set in America with Female Protagonists' that includes summaries of a number of books, listed in chronological order, from Pre-Colonial America to the Civil War period.
Girls Who Read for Fun, for Grades 6-8 (Harford County Public Library, MD): Author, title, summary for 10 novels for young teens about girls who take charge, from The True Confession of Charlotte Doyle by Avi to Let the Circle Be Unbroken by Mildred D. Taylor.
Grrreat Grrrl Books: Chick Lit for Teen Readers (Enoch Pratt Free Library - Baltimore): Compiled 2005. Author, title, summary, publication year, and webcat link for about 20 books from Hailey Abbott's Summer Boys to Cherry Whytock's My Cup Runneth Over: the Life of Angelica Cookson Potts. Also some series listed.
Wisdom, Wonder, Women: Strong Females in Fantasy (Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh): Author, title, webcat link, and summary for 10 teen fantasy novels featuring strong women characters, by these authors: Tamora Pierce; Mercedes Lackey; Jane Yolen; Piers Anthony; Nalo Hopkinson; Robin McKinley; Naomi Kritzer; Gail Carson Levine; Jeanne DuPrau; and Cornelia Funke.
Girrl Power!: A Booklist for Boys from 12-16 (Stonnington Library, Victoria, Australia): Author, title, and webcat link for about 35 books selected for girls, from Alison Baird's The Hidden world to Jane Yolen's Armageddon summer.
>>Boys/Men
Boyzone: A Booklist for Boys from 13-16 (Stonnington Library, Victoria, Australia): Author, title, and webcat link for about 30 books selected for boys, from David Almond's Skellig to Markus Zusak's The Underdog.
Books for Guys (The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH): Author, title, summary for a dozen (mostly fiction) books selected especially for teenaged boys (listed separately for older teens and younger teens), from Ender?s Game by Orson Scott Card to Miracle?s Boys by Jacqueline Woodson.
Books for Boys (Louisville Free Public Library, KY): Author, title, summary for almost 50 books that appeal to boys, from Apprenticeship of Lucas Whittaker by Cynthia DeFelice to Zero at the Bone by Michael Cadnum. Updated Jan. 2002.
Fiction for Boys (Skokie Public Library, IL): Author, title, summary for about 45 books 'that teen boys will enjoy,' from David Almond's Kit's Wilderness to Ellen Wittlinger's Hard Love.
Bad Boyz of Book (Ocean County Library, NJ): 'Tough teen authors write about tough guys making tough decisions.' Author, title, and summary for about 15 fiction titles, from Babylon Boyz by Jess Mowry to Who Killed Mr. Chippendale? by Mel Glenn. Compiled 2001.
Teen Fiction for Boys (Gwen Cameron, Fiction-L): Compiled April 2007. Author and title for about 65 books, plus some series and authors listed.
SEXUALITY
PinkBooks.Com: A 'specialist site for books and resources about gay and lesbian teenagers and young people. ... I have tried to limit the lists to those books containing Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer characters and themes which are still in print and are readily available.' Summaries and cover images. Sections: Gay and Lesbian Recent Releases; Gay and Lesbian Teen Fiction By Title; Queer Teen Fiction By Author; Gay and Lesbian Teen Non-Fiction; Queer Parent Non-Fiction; Queer Staff Non-Fiction; Queer Non-Fiction; Lesbian and Gay Children's Books By Title; Queer Children's Books By Author; Hard To Find Books with GLBTQ Themes and Characters; and Lesbian and Gay Youth Links.
GLBTQ Teen Books (Ocean County Library, NJ): Fiction and non-fiction. Author, title, summary for 12 fiction and 3 non-fiction titles. Compiled May 2006.
Teen Books with Gay & Lesbian Characters (Plymouth District Libraries, MI): Title, author, summary, and webcat link for almost 50 books (most fiction), from Marion Dane Bauer's Am I Blue? Coming Out from the Silence to Jane Breskin Zalben's Unfinished Dreams. Updated Jan. 2006.
GLBT Books and Resources (Seattle Public Library): Title, author, summary for about a dozen fiction titles and 6 non-fiction books. Fiction titles from Marc Acito's How I Paid for College: A novel of sex, theft, friendship and musical theatre to Jacqueline Woodson's The House you Pass on the Way.
Gay, Transgender, Bisexual, Lesbian, Transsexual Booklist for Young Adults (Multnomah County Library, OR): Fiction and Non-Fiction. Author, title, publication year, summary for over 25 fiction titles, from the story collection Am I Blue?: Coming Out From the Silence to Lois-Ann Yamanaka's Name Me Nobody, and eight non-fiction titles. Updated 2007.
Coming Out: Fiction Bibliography for Gay and Lesbian Teens (Fresno County Public Library, CA): PDF file. Author, title, summary for about 25 novels and story collections (and 4 non-fiction titles) about being gay, from Amrion Dane Bauer's Am I Blue? Coming Out From the Silence to Ellen Wittlinger's What's in A Name.
Being Gay: Fiction for Teens (Skokie Public Library, IL): Author, title, summary for over 35 books featuring gay/lesbian characters, from Margaret Bechard's If It Doesn't Kill You to Jacqueline Woodson's From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun. Also lists non-fiction and anthologies.
Gay Fiction (Sue Grossman, Mount Pleasant Public Library): PDF. Author, title, summary for about 20 titles. Compiled Feb. 2006.
Gay and Lesbian Issues: Books for Young Teens (Madison Public Library, WI): Title, author, and summary for 10 fiction and non-fiction books, from Am I Blue?: Coming Out from the Silence to When Someone You Know Is Gay.
What Should I Read Next?: Gay & Lesbian Fiction (Tulsa City-County Library, OK): Provides authors, titles, summaries, and webcat links for a dozen books, from the anthology Am I Blue? to Toby?s Lie by Daniel Vilmure.
Out of the Closet: Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Fiction (Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh): Author, title, summary, webcat link for 8 titles, from Francesca Lia Block's Baby Be-Bop to Jacqueline Woodson's The House You Pass on the Way.
GLBT Literature for Young Adults (Christopher Libby): Author and title listed for over 50 fiction, plays, biography, and other books about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender issues for young adults. Few books contain graphic sex scenes. Updated 2005.
DISABILITY
Different or Not So Different Teen Reads (Ocean County Library, NJ): 'Books about Differently Abled teens, or teens who have friends or family members who are Differently Abled.' Author, title, summary for about 15 titles. Compiled Sept. 2006.
Rebound: Teens Dealing with Disabilities (Ocean County Library, NJ): Author, title, summary for more than 25 titles, from Appointment with a Stranger by Jean Thesman to Triangle by Jon Ripslinger. Compiled 2001.
Books for Kids ages 13+ (Our-Kids: Devoted to Raising Special Kids with Special Needs): Author, title, publication info, reading level, and summary for a dozen books about people with disabilities, including cerebral palsy, being in a wheelchair, autism, mental retardation, blindness, amputation and loss of limb, strabismus, Down syndrome, hearing impairment, epilepsy, diabetes, tourettes, etc. Updated June 2002.
Books About the Disabled and Mentally Disordered (Plymouth District Libraries, MI): Title, author, summary, and webcat link for over 30 novels, from Barbara Barrie's Adam Zigzag to Dawn Wilson's Saint Jude. Some topics covered are dyslexia, bipolar disorder, autism, cerebral palsy, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, suicide, anxiety disorders, limb loss and deformity, spinal cord injury, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, and scoliosis.