Young Adult Literature
Information about the YA genre and CSULB's collection.
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See examples of books representing different races and ethnicities. Also find links to identity specific book awards.
- Africana
- Asian
- Filipino
- Latine
- Middle Eastern
- Native American
Africana
The Sun Is Also a Star by Call Number: PZ7.5.YOON
All American Boys by Call Number: PZ7.5 .REYN
X: A Novel by Call Number: PZ7.5 .SHAB
The Old African by Call Number: PZ7 .LEST
Black Hands, White Sails by Call Number: SH381.5 .M38 1999
Bird by Call Number: PZ7.ELLI
Asian
- Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature
Honor and recognize individual work about Asian/Pacific Americans and their heritage, based on literary and artistic merit. - South Asia Book Award
SOUTH ASIA Up to three outstanding works of literature, from picture books to young adult novels, which accurately and skillfully portray the experience of individuals living in South Asia, or of South Asians living in other parts of the world.
Jet Black and the Ninja Wind by Call Number: PZ7.5 .LOWI
Heart of a Samurai by Call Number: PZ7.5 .PREU
The Thing about Luck by Call Number: PZ7 .KADO
P.S. I Still Love You by Call Number: PZ7.5 .HAN
Filipino YA Literature
Chasing Pacquiao by
"Rod Pulido delivers the ultimate one-two punch- bare-knuckled, bruising honesty wrapped in humor, sincerity, and sweetness." - Becky Albertalli, bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda Experience the extreme joys, sorrows, and triumphs of a queer Filipino-American teenager struggling to prove himself in an unforgiving world. A poignant coming-of-age story, perfect for fans of Patron Saints of Nothing and Juliet Takes a Breath. Self preservation. That's Bobby's motto for surviving his notoriously violent high school unscathed. Being out and queer would put an unavoidable target on his back, especially in a Filipino community that frowns on homosexuality. It's best to keep his head down, get good grades, and stay out of trouble. But when Bobby is unwillingly outed in a terrible way, he no longer has the luxury of being invisible. A vicious encounter has him scrambling for a new way to survive-by fighting back. Bobby is inspired by champion Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao to take up boxing and challenge his tormentor. But when Pacquiao publicly declares his stance against queer people, Bobby's faith⁠-in his hero and in himself⁠-is shaken to the core. A powerful and unflinching debut that will both shatter and uplift hearts with every read.
Call Number: PZ7.5 .PULI
Dear America: Young Readers' Edition by
In this young readers' adaptation of his adult memoir Dear America, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and undocumented immigrant Jose Antonio Vargas tells his story, in light of the 12 million undocumented immigrants currently in the United States. Jose Antonio Vargas was only twelve years old when he was brought to the United States from the Philippines to live with his grandparents. He didn't know it, but he was sent to the U.S. illegally. When he applied for a learner's permit, he learned the truth, and he spent the next almost twenty years keeping his immigration status a secret. Hiding in plain sight, he was writing for some of the most prestigious news organizations in the country. Only after publicly admitting his undocumented status--risking his career and personal safety--was Vargas able to live his truth. This book asks questions including, How do you define who is an American? How do we decide who gets to be a citizen? What happens to those who enter the U.S. without documentation? By telling his personal story and presenting facts without easy answers, Jose Antonio Vargas sheds light on an issue that couldn't be more relevant.
Call Number: PN4874.V37 A3 2019
Patron Saints of Nothing by
A NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST "Brilliant, honest, and equal parts heartbreaking and soul-healing." --Laurie Halse Anderson, author of SHOUT "A singular voice in the world of literature." --Jason Reynolds, author of Long Way Down A powerful coming-of-age story about grief, guilt, and the risks a Filipino-American teenager takes to uncover the truth about his cousin's murder. Jay Reguero plans to spend the last semester of his senior year playing video games before heading to the University of Michigan in the fall. But when he discovers that his Filipino cousin Jun was murdered as part of President Duterte's war on drugs, and no one in the family wants to talk about what happened, Jay travels to the Philippines to find out the real story. Hoping to uncover more about Jun and the events that led to his death, Jay is forced to reckon with the many sides of his cousin before he can face the whole horrible truth -- and the part he played in it. As gripping as it is lyrical, Patron Saints of Nothing is a page-turning portrayal of the struggle to reconcile faith, family, and immigrant identity.
Call Number: PZ7.5 .RIBA
LatinX
- Pura Belpré Award
Presented annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth. - Tomás Rivera Book Award
MEXICAN AMERICAN - To honor authors and illustrators who create literature that depicts the Mexican American experience - Américas Book Award
LATINX Quality children's and young adult books that portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Call Number: PZ7.5.SANC
Suckerpunch by Call Number: PZ7.5 HERN
Shadowshaper by Call Number: PZ7.5 .OLDE
The Only Road by Call Number: PZ7.5.DIAZ
Accidental Love by Call Number: PZ7.5 .SOTO
Middle Eastern
- Middle East Book Award
MIDDLE EAST -Recognizes quality books for children and young adults that contribute meaningfully to an understanding of the Middle East and its component societies and cultures.
Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Call Number: PZ7.5 .KHOR
Love from a to Z by 
The Beduins' Gazelle by Call Number: PZ7.5 .TEMP
Kiss the Dust by Call Number: PZ7 .LAIR
Native American
- American Indian Youth Literature Awards
NATIVE AMERICAN Presented every two years, the awards were established as a way to identify and honor the very best writing and illustrations by and about American Indians.
Firekeeper's Daughter by Printz Winner 2022
The House of Purple Cedar by Call Number: PZ7 .TING
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Call Number: PZ7.5 .ALEX
Touching Spirit Bear by Call Number: PZ7.5 .MIKA
The Girl Who Helped Thunder and Other Native American Folktales by Call Number: E98.F6 B8915 2007
Crossing Bok Chitto by Call Number: PZ7 .TINGIn the 1800s, a Choctaw girl becomes friends with a slave boy from a plantation across the great river, and when she learns that his family is in trouble, she helps them cross to freedom.
Ziggy, Stardust and Me by 
Apple by
WINNER, AMERICAN INDIAN YOUTH LITERATURE AWARD HONOR, MICHAEL L. PRINTZ AWARD LONGLIST, NATIONAL BOOK AWARD TIME 10 Best YA and Children's Books of the Year NPR Best of the Year Shelf Awareness Best of the Year Publishers Weekly Big Indie Books of Fall Amazon Best Book of the Month ​American Indians in Youth Literature Best of the Year​ CSMCL Best Multicultural Children's Books of the Year "Stirring.... Raw and moving."--TIME "Beautiful imagery and with words that soar and scald."--The Buffalo News "Easily one of the best books to be published in 2020. The kind of book bound to save lives."-- LitHub "A powerful narrative about identity and belonging." --Paste Magazine ★ "Timely and important." --Booklist (starred) ★ "Searing yet dryly funny." --The Bulletin (starred) ★ "Exceptional." --Shelf-Awareness (starred) ★​ "Captivating​." --S​chool Library Journal (starred) The term "Apple" is a slur in Native communities across the country. It's for someone supposedly "red on the outside, white on the inside." In Apple (Skin to the Core), Eric Gansworth tells his story, the story of his family--of Onondaga among Tuscaroras--of Native folks everywhere. From the horrible legacy of the government boarding schools, to a boy watching his siblings leave and return and leave again, to a young man fighting to be an artist who balances multiple worlds. Eric shatters that slur and reclaims it in verse and prose and imagery that truly lives up to the word heartbreaking.
Call Number: PS3557.A5196 A66 2020
An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People by
2020 American Indian Youth Literature Young Adult Honor Book 2020 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People,selected by National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and the Children's Book Council 2019 Best-Of Lists- Best YA Nonfiction of 2019 (Kirkus Reviews) Best Nonfiction of 2019 (School Library Journal) Best Books for Teens (New York Public Library) Best Informational Books for Older Readers (Chicago Public Library) Spanning more than 400 years, this classic bottom-up history examines the legacy of Indigenous peoples' resistance, resilience, and steadfast fight against imperialism. Going beyond the story of America as a country "discovered" by a few brave men in the "New World," Indigenous human rights advocate Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz reveals the roles that settler colonialism and policies of American Indian genocide played in forming our national identity. The original academic text is fully adapted by renowned curriculum experts Debbie Reese and Jean Mendoza, for middle-grade and young adult readers to include discussion topics, archival images, original maps, recommendations for further reading, and other materials to encourage students, teachers, and general readers to think critically about their own place in history.
Call Number: E76.8 .R44 2019
Elatsoe by
Locus Award Winner--Best First Novel A National Indie Bestseller Nebula Award Finalist Lodestar Award Finalist Ignyte Award Finalist TIME's Best 100 Fantasy Books of All Time NPR Best of the Year Booklist's Top 10 First Novels for Youth A BookPage Best of the Year Chicago Public Library "Best of the Best" PNBA Bestseller Publishers Weekly Best of the Year Buzzfeed's Best YA SFF of the Year Shelf-Awareness Best of the Year AICL Best YA of the Year NECBA Windows & Mirrors Selection NEIBA Award Finalist Tor Best of the Year Kirkus Best YA of the Year Publishers Weekly Flying Start American Indian Youth Literature Award Finalist "Groundbreaking."--TIME "Deeply enjoyable from start to finish."--NPR "Utterly magical."--SyFyWire "Atmospheric and lyrical...a gorgeous work of art."--BuzzFeed "One of the best YA debuts of 2020. Read it."--Marieke Nijkamp ★ "A fresh voice and perspective."--Booklist, starred review ★ "A unique and powerful Native American voice."--BookPage, starred review ★ "A brilliant, engaging debut."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review ★ "A fast-paced murder mystery."--Publishers Weekly, starred review ★ "A Lipan Apache Sookie Stackhouse for the teen set."--Shelf-Awareness, starred review A Texas teen comes face-to-face with a cousin's ghost and vows to unmask the murderer. Elatsoe--Ellie for short--lives in an alternate contemporary America shaped by the ancestral magics and knowledge of its Indigenous and immigrant groups. She can raise the spirits of dead animals--most importantly, her ghost dog Kirby. When her beloved cousin dies, all signs point to a car crash, but his ghost tells her otherwise: He was murdered. Who killed him and how did he die? With the help of her family, her best friend Jay, and the memory great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother, Elatsoe, must track down the killer and unravel the mystery of this creepy town and it's dark past. But will the nefarious townsfolk and a mysterious Doctor stop her before she gets started? A breathtaking debut novel featuring an asexual, Apache teen protagonist, Elatsoe combines mystery, horror, noir, ancestral knowledge, haunting illustrations, fantasy elements, and is one of the most-talked about debuts of the year.
Call Number: PZ7.5 .LITT
A Snake Falls to Earth by
Newbery Honor Winner National Indie Bestseller National Book Award Longlist Minneapolis Star Tribune Best of the Year Publishers Weekly Best of the Year Kirkus Best the Year Apple Best of the Year Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best New York Public Library's Best of the Year Autostraddle's Best Queer Books of the Year "A spellbinding tale."--Texas Monthly "Genre-bending."--TIME "Undeniably charming."--Tor.com ★ "Evokes the timeless feeling of listening to traditional oral storytelling."--Kirkus (starred) ★ "Fun, imaginative, and deeply immersive, this story will be long in the minds of readers."--Publishers Weekly (starred) ★ "Magical, stunning, and wholly original."--Booklist (starred) "A highly descriptive story which absorbs the audience into its world, readers will become invested in reading until the very end."--School Library Connection A Snake Falls to Earth is a breathtaking work of Indigenous futurism. Darcie Little Badger draws on traditional Lipan Apache storytelling structure to weave another unforgettable tale of monsters, magic, and family. It is not to be missed. Nina is a Lipan girl in our world. She's always felt there was something more out there. She still believes in the old stories. Oli is a cottonmouth kid, from the land of spirits and monsters. Like all cottonmouths, he's been cast from home. He's found a new one on the banks of the bottomless lake. Nina and Oli have no idea the other exists. But a catastrophic event on Earth, and a strange sickness that befalls Oli's best friend, will drive their worlds together in ways they haven't been in centuries. And there are some who will kill to keep them apart.
Call Number: PZ7.5 .LITT
