Young Adult Staff Picks - December 2025

Xavier Oaks doesn't particularly want to go to the cabin with his dad and his dad's pregnant new wife, Nia. But family obligations are family obligations, and it's only for a short time. So he leaves his mom, his brother, and his other friends behind for a week in the woods. Only... one morning he wakes up and the house isn't where it was before. It's like it's been lifted and placed... somewhere else.

Fourteen-year-old aspiring footballer Kadeen Best is sent to stay with her Aunt Mel in London after her beloved older brother is tragically killed and she identifies the shooter - a dangerous crime lord. She must carry her grief while adjusting to her new home - away from everything she knows and loves in Jamaica - and living with her strict aunt. Kadeen must lie low, as if she's recognised, she'll put them both in serious danger. Desperate for a distraction, Kadeen practises football in the local park where she's asked to try out for a girls' team. Kadeen thinks her aunt won't approve, so she keeps it secret, and finds herself part of a new family: the SW2s. But when Aunt Mel finds out, she is furious and bans Kadeen from playing. Can she convince her aunt to let her play her way to the top with the SW2s and avoid attracting the crime lord's attention?

Neon is freaking out... Twenty-four months ago, a feisty, fangy little dog chased him around a cemetery. Not Neon's finest moment. Except, chasing the dog chasing Neon was... Aria. Way more than fine. Twenty-four weeks ago, Neon and Aria, who are most definitely a THING, are thinking about connecting on a whole other level. Twenty-four days ago, Neon tries not to die of embarrassment in the diner as his mother gives him a whole lot of things to think about before... before... Twenty-four minutes ago, Aria's parents are out for the evening, and Neon is in, with a bouquet of chicken tenders (Aria's most favorite thing besides Neon!) as tonight's the night... Right now, Neon is freaking out. Photo of the feisty, fangy dog staring fiercely at him. And Neon & Aria aren't going to be doing anything if Neon can't get out of his head full of what-if what-if what-ifs... and trust that his love for his girl is enough.

Marin has picked up and left everything behind in California, carrying only her phone, her wallet, and a picture of her mother. Now she's in college, and her former friend Mabel is coming to visit. Marin will be forced to confront her grief and the truths that caused her to flee her home.

In a world where disease has been eliminated, the only way to die is to be randomly killed (gleaned) by professional reapers (scythes). Citra and Rowan are teenagers who have been selected to be scythe's apprentices, and despite wanting nothing to do with the vocation they must learn the art of killing and come to understand the necessity of what they do. Only one of them will be chosen as a scythe's apprentice. And when it becomes clear that the winning apprentice's first task will be to glean the loser, Citra and Rowan are pitted against one another in a fight for their lives.

At school, Elliot gets bullied for being 'different to other girls' whereas at the skate park, everyone welcomes Elliot - presuming they're male - but neither label feels right. As Eliot's love of skateboarding and friendships grow, their worlds collide at a sports expo where the school netball team and skate crew are competing. Can Elliot find the courage to share what they've learned about non-binary identity? Will best friend Jess or the skateboarding crew accept Elliot for who they are? And what about Ryan, the skater who Elliot has been feeling increasingly close to?

Once dubbed the Queen of Balance as her school's top rock climber, Kirby Tan suffers an injury that sidelines her for the rest of the season. Now she's forced to join the newspaper club for some desperately needed extra credit. Worse, she's recruited by crystal-wearing, tarot-reading Bex Santos for her astrology-based love advice column. As Kirby reluctantly agrees to orchestrate "matches made in heaven" with Bex, she begins to wonder if their own stars could be aligned. But loving who she wants isn't so easy when her family and church community are on the line. Can Kirby pull off her greatest balancing act yet?

While the witches-in-training sleep, Qifrey and Olruggio conjure all matter of culinary experiments, and all for Coco and her fellows to sample in the morning; includes recipes with step-by-step instructions and suggested non-magical ingredient substitutions.

This graphic memoir by a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning offers a deeply personal meditation on the "the talk" parents must have with Black children about racism and the brutality that often accompanies it, a ritual attempt to keep kids safe and prepare them for a world that--to paraphrase Toni Morrison--does not love them.

BFFs Grace and Lola talk about everything related to romance--and have lots of questions: What about the mysterious allure of the popular girl at school? And the rebellious goth with the reputation? And boys. They don't quite understand what makes some school romances soar to legendary heights, while other flirtations fizzle. Lola has an idea--they'll observe, study, and analyze all the couples at their Junior High--and compile their findings as The Love Report. Surprises await them, and force them to learn to see beyond appearances in this fast-paced series opener. They'll also discover secrets between themselves.