tag:theconversation.com,2011:/uk/topics/teen-summer-reads-97466/articlesTeen summer reads – The Conversation2023-05-31T12:39:02Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2048862023-05-31T12:39:02Z2023-05-31T12:39:02ZSummer reading: 5 books that explore LGBTQ teen and young adult life<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528449/original/file-20230526-19-zowllg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C38%2C5137%2C3350&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Coming of age brings new challenges for central characters who are discovering their own sexuality.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/reading-at-the-beach-royalty-free-image/102491237?phrase=summer+reading&adppopup=true">Chris Hackett via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>In recognition of LGBT Pride Month, The Conversation reached out to <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=uBrR7S0AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra">Jonathan Alexander</a> – an English professor with a scholarly interest in the interplay between sexuality and literature – for recommendations of young adult fiction books that feature LGBTQ characters. What follows is a list that Alexander, who has just stepped down as the children’s and young adult fiction section editor for the <a href="https://lareviewofbooks.org/">Los Angeles Review of Books</a>, considers as “must-reads” for this summer.</em></p>
<h2>1. Darius the Great Is Not Okay</h2>
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<img alt="Two boys sitting and looking at an urban landscape" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527550/original/file-20230522-19-alwc0p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527550/original/file-20230522-19-alwc0p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527550/original/file-20230522-19-alwc0p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527550/original/file-20230522-19-alwc0p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527550/original/file-20230522-19-alwc0p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527550/original/file-20230522-19-alwc0p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527550/original/file-20230522-19-alwc0p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">‘Darius the Great Is Not Okay’ by Adib Khorram.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/573023/darius-the-great-is-not-okay-by-adib-khorram/">Penguin Random House</a></span>
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<p>Written by Adib Khorram, “<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/573023/darius-the-great-is-not-okay-by-adib-khorram/">Darius the Great Is Not Okay</a>” is told from the perspective of a Persian American teen battling an anxiety disorder while navigating the complexities of growing up in a culturally mixed household. Darius’ parents – an Iranian immigrant mother and a white father – are kind and sympathetic, even as they are dealing with their own issues, including the dad’s struggle with mental health issues and the mother’s attempt to maintain family relations with relatives in a country that is not only halfway around the world but whose government is viewed with suspicion by many Americans. Still, Darius’ family pulls together, even making a trip to Iran to visit relatives. While there, Darius learns about his cultural background as Persian, makes a lifelong friend in an Iranian cousin, and considers his own sexuality. He might be gay. How will that complicate his life? </p>
<p>Khorram beautifully handles the challenges – and pleasures – of growing up in a culturally mixed but rich and loving household while also dealing with mental health challenges and identity exploration. And there are a lot of sweet touches throughout, including a love of tea and “Star Trek.” Highly recommended for its sensitivity and authenticity. </p>
<h2>2. Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution</h2>
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<img alt="Two teenagers holding hands and smiling." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527556/original/file-20230522-23-49gxsv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527556/original/file-20230522-23-49gxsv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527556/original/file-20230522-23-49gxsv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527556/original/file-20230522-23-49gxsv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527556/original/file-20230522-23-49gxsv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527556/original/file-20230522-23-49gxsv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527556/original/file-20230522-23-49gxsv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">‘Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution’ by Kacen Callender.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.abramsbooks.com/product/lark-kasim-start-a-revolution_9781419756870/">Abrams Books</a></span>
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<p>Kacen Callender, whose groundbreaking “<a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/felix-ever-after-kacen-callender?variant=32280909578274">Felix Ever After</a>” delighted readers with its tale of a Black trans boy learning how to navigate being in and out of love, returns with a new book just as compellingly real. Lark and Kasim are old friends whose relationship has seen better days. Lark is working hard at being a writer while also trying to help Kasim figure out how to handle the complexities of living at least part of their young lives in the shadows of social media. Ultimately, the book is as much about forging friendships – and learning how to handle their evolution – as about crushes and teen love. </p>
<p>With richly drawn nonbinary and queer characters, “Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution” joins Callender’s previous award-winning books in contributing beautifully written and deeply imagined Black, queer and trans characters that readers of all kinds will come to love. </p>
<h2>3. Last Night at the Telegraph Club</h2>
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<img alt="An empty city street with two people holding hands under a lamppost." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527560/original/file-20230522-14801-xyo5r1.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527560/original/file-20230522-14801-xyo5r1.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527560/original/file-20230522-14801-xyo5r1.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527560/original/file-20230522-14801-xyo5r1.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527560/original/file-20230522-14801-xyo5r1.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527560/original/file-20230522-14801-xyo5r1.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527560/original/file-20230522-14801-xyo5r1.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">‘Last Night at the Telegraph Club’ by Malinda Lo.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/565819/last-night-at-the-telegraph-club-by-malinda-lo/">Penguin Random House</a></span>
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<p>Malinda Lo’s<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/565819/last-night-at-the-telegraph-club-by-malinda-lo/"> National Book Award-winning novel</a> is set in mid-20th-century San Francisco, in a Chinese American immigrant community in which Lily Hu has to learn to deal with racism, the “Red Scare” and the possibility that she might be a lesbian. A masterwork of historical young adult literature, “Last Night at the Telegraph Club” introduces readers to how lesbian communities formed – and thrived – even during some of the most repressive and homophobic moments in U.S. history. </p>
<p>Lo’s novel joins her previous works, such as the groundbreaking “<a href="https://www.malindalo.com/ash">Ash</a>,” a retelling of Cinderella from a lesbian perspective, in creating exciting and affirming work for young queer readers, as well as for anyone who cares for those questioning their sexuality and sense of belonging in the world. </p>
<h2>4. Café Con Lychee</h2>
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<img alt="Two boys making eye contact in front of sugary snacks and drinks." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527562/original/file-20230522-15-b7kh5t.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527562/original/file-20230522-15-b7kh5t.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=903&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527562/original/file-20230522-15-b7kh5t.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=903&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527562/original/file-20230522-15-b7kh5t.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=903&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527562/original/file-20230522-15-b7kh5t.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1135&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527562/original/file-20230522-15-b7kh5t.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1135&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527562/original/file-20230522-15-b7kh5t.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1135&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">‘Café Con Lychee’ by Emery Lee.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/cafe-con-lychee-emery-lee?variant=40682132668450">Harper Collins Publishers</a></span>
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<p>Emery Lee’s delicious novel centers on the rivalry between an Asian American café and a Puerto Rican bakery in a small Vermont town – with both eateries facing competition from a new fusion restaurant that has just opened. The families that own the cafés each have a young son working in them – Theo and Gabi, respectively – who have to learn to overcome their own rivalry and help their families survive the precarities of operating a business in a world of cutthroat capitalism.</p>
<p>“<a href="https://www.harpercollins.ca/9780063210271/cafe-con-lychee/">Café Con Lychee</a>” shows how love survives economic challenges and family foibles as the two young men move from rivalry to romance. A sweet and nourishing tale, the book offers readers a relatable glimpse into making it – and making out – during a time of economic upheaval.</p>
<h2>5. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe</h2>
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<span class="caption">‘Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe’ by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Aristotle-and-Dante-Discover-the-Secrets-of-the-Universe/Benjamin-Alire-Saenz/Aristotle-and-Dante/9781665925419">Simon & Schuster</a></span>
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<p>I want to conclude this year’s summer reading list with an older work – Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s still beautiful, still vital and still very necessary paean to young gay love. Ari and Dante, from two different walks of life, learn to find love and self-acceptance in this beautifully written book. At the start of the book, Ari is dealing with family trouble, including a brother in prison, and Dante is perhaps a bit too smart for his own good. The two meet at a swimming pool one summer, setting the stage for a steamy exploration of friendship that might turn into something more. If you haven’t read “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe,” catch up this summer with this classic of contemporary LGBTQ young adult fiction, and then check out its recently published sequel, “Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World.” Happy reading!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204886/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jonathan Alexander does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A scholar of young adult fiction presents a fresh list of LGBTQ ‘must-reads’ for the summer of 2023.Jonathan Alexander, Professor of English and Gender & Sexuality Studies, University of California, IrvineLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1846312022-06-16T12:24:41Z2022-06-16T12:24:41ZSummer reading: 5 books on the joys and challenges of LGBTQ teen and young adult life<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468669/original/file-20220614-17-8cgug2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=29%2C0%2C4855%2C3617&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The past decade has seen a flurry of young adult fiction written from a queer perspective.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/woman-reading-in-field-of-high-grasses-royalty-free-image/96390424?adppopup=true"> Aurelie and Morgan David de Lossy / Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>In recognition of LGBT Pride Month, The Conversation reached out to <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=uBrR7S0AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra">Jonathan Alexander</a> – an English professor with a scholarly interest in the interplay between sexuality and literature – for recommendations of young adult fiction books that feature LGBT characters. What follows is a list that Alexander – who serves as the children’s and young adult fiction section editor for the <a href="https://lareviewofbooks.org/">Los Angeles Review of Books</a> – considers as “must-reads” for this summer.</em></p>
<h2>1. “Juliet Takes a Breath”</h2>
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<img alt="Two women riding a motorbike" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468567/original/file-20220613-11-jr9hnn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468567/original/file-20220613-11-jr9hnn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468567/original/file-20220613-11-jr9hnn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468567/original/file-20220613-11-jr9hnn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468567/original/file-20220613-11-jr9hnn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468567/original/file-20220613-11-jr9hnn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468567/original/file-20220613-11-jr9hnn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">‘Juliet Takes a Breath’ by Gabby Rivera.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://images3.penguinrandomhouse.com/cover/9780593108192">Penguin Random House</a></span>
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<p>Written by <a href="https://gabbyrivera.com/">Gabby Rivera</a>, this novel focuses on the experiences of Juliet, a Latina lesbian living in New York who takes an internship to serve as the research assistant for a famous white feminist writer, Harlowe Brisbane, living in Portland, Oregon.</p>
<p>Juliet heads to Portland, a bit unsure of herself and still trying to figure out what being a lesbian will mean for her life, particularly given how unsettled her mother is at the prospect. She hopes that Harlowe will help her out. Complications ensue. “Juliet Takes a Breath” is a super-smart book that challenges readers by looking carefully and critically at feminist and feminist-of-color histories and interactions.</p>
<h2>2. “Heartstopper”</h2>
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<img alt="Two boys wearing backpacks standing next to each other" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468570/original/file-20220613-24-8kje50.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468570/original/file-20220613-24-8kje50.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468570/original/file-20220613-24-8kje50.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468570/original/file-20220613-24-8kje50.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468570/original/file-20220613-24-8kje50.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1129&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468570/original/file-20220613-24-8kje50.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1129&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468570/original/file-20220613-24-8kje50.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1129&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">‘Heartstopper’ by Alice Oseman.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/external/title/9781338617436/">Hachette Book Group</a></span>
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<p>This book is getting a lot of attention as a <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10638036/">television series</a>. What you might not know is that the heartwarming queer story <a href="https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/heartstopper/list?title_no=329660&page=1">began as a webcomic</a> and then morphed into a <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/product-recommendations/books/heartstopper-netflix-books-read-online-1343293/">series of immensely popular graphic books</a>.</p>
<p>Originally written by <a href="https://aliceoseman.com/">Alice Oseman</a>, the narrative focuses on the burgeoning relationship of Charlie and Nick. Charlie is an “out” teenager at his school, and he falls in love with the charming and sporty but not-so-sure-of-his-identity Nick.</p>
<p>What makes “Heartstopper” engaging – and even groundbreaking – is how it presents sexuality as an identity for some but a possibility of exploration for others. Charlie knows he’s gay, but Nick might be gay or bi; he’s still figuring it out. Validating sexuality as fluid and even changeable seems like an important next step in representing intimacy, love and identity itself as complex experiences.</p>
<h2>3. “Felix Ever After”</h2>
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<img alt="A boy wearing a flower bouquet on his head" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468576/original/file-20220613-26-3jizto.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468576/original/file-20220613-26-3jizto.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=904&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468576/original/file-20220613-26-3jizto.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=904&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468576/original/file-20220613-26-3jizto.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=904&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468576/original/file-20220613-26-3jizto.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1136&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468576/original/file-20220613-26-3jizto.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1136&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468576/original/file-20220613-26-3jizto.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1136&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘Felix Ever After’ by Kacen Callender.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/felix-ever-after-kacen-callender?variant=32280909578274">Harper Collins Publishers</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This work of fiction by <a href="https://www.kacencallender.com/">Kacen Callender</a> also refuses to shy away from complexity. Felix is a young African American trans boy trying to make his way through a summer arts program.</p>
<p>A talented young person, he is still struggling somewhat with his gender identity, despite having commenced his own transition. He eventually finds the term “demiboy” while researching gender identity and comes to identify with this term as an apt description of his deeply felt sense of gender.</p>
<p>A challenging but immensely relatable book, “Felix Ever After” also presents frankly the experience of transphobia while ultimately offering readers a message of empowerment for those working on their gender identity.</p>
<h2>4. “The House in the Cerulean Sea”</h2>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="A house sitting on a cliff above the sea" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468579/original/file-20220613-12-dcsnfn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468579/original/file-20220613-12-dcsnfn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=935&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468579/original/file-20220613-12-dcsnfn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=935&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468579/original/file-20220613-12-dcsnfn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=935&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468579/original/file-20220613-12-dcsnfn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1175&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468579/original/file-20220613-12-dcsnfn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1175&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468579/original/file-20220613-12-dcsnfn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1175&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘The House in the Cerulean Sea’ by TJ Klune.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250217288/the-house-in-the-cerulean-sea">Macmillan</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This book by <a href="https://www.tjklunebooks.com/">TJ Klune</a> follows very much in the vein of young adult books that feature the presence of young people with magical abilities trying to make their way in a world of “normals,” or people who do not have such abilities and fear those who do.</p>
<p>Such a narrative formula, popular in young adult fiction as it sets up dramatic conflict between two distinct groups, gets a twist in Klune’s novel. The narrative is told primarily from the point of view of Linus Baker, a nonmagical caseworker who is assigned the task of visiting and inspecting various orphanages or homes that house magical youths who have been taken from their parents and relocated to be raised separately. This is much like Native peoples’ children across the North American continent being relocated to white-run schools throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries to assimilate them into white society and culture.</p>
<p>What makes “The House in the Cerulean Sea” particularly queer is not just the queerness of many of its characters, including Linus, but the ways in which it shows us how outsiders have generally been ostracized, and how many outsiders have in turn learned to embrace their queerness, not just to survive, but to thrive.</p>
<h2>5. “The Outsiders”</h2>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="The legs of a boy running" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468585/original/file-20220613-19-e92qqa.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468585/original/file-20220613-19-e92qqa.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=918&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468585/original/file-20220613-19-e92qqa.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=918&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468585/original/file-20220613-19-e92qqa.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=918&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468585/original/file-20220613-19-e92qqa.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1154&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468585/original/file-20220613-19-e92qqa.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1154&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468585/original/file-20220613-19-e92qqa.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1154&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘The Outsiders’ by S.E. Hinton.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/536555/the-outsiders-by-se-hinton/">Penguin Random House</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This is a “classic” or older work of young adult fiction, one of the first written by a relatively young person for other young people: <a href="http://www.sehinton.com/books/">S.E. Hinton</a>. She started writing the book at age 16.</p>
<p>For those who say this isn’t a queer book, on the surface, no, it’s not. But many contemporary readers, including many of my students, have picked up and enjoyed the book from a queer perspective, “queering” it in the process. </p>
<p>Set in rural Oklahoma, “The Outsiders” concerns a group of working-class teen boys. These “greasers” are always rumbling with the “socs” or “socials,” the middle-class preppy kids. The book’s focus on class conflict still resonates, but even more so does its portrayal of intimacy between the boys.</p>
<p>While they are never overtly sexual, there’s something delightfully warm, caring and intimate about these relationships that could serve as a model for young men today, whether or not they are questioning their gender or sexuality. Read – or reread – “The Outsiders” and think about how gender roles continue to change and as humanity evolves in its understanding and acceptance of what is “normal,” and what should be.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/184631/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jonathan Alexander does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A scholar of queer literature takes a closer look at five books that are pushing the envelope on society’s understanding of LGBTQ life.Jonathan Alexander, Chancellor's Professor of English and Gender & Sexuality Studies, University of California, IrvineLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1500722021-01-03T18:58:00Z2021-01-03T18:58:00ZTeen summer reads: 5 books to help young people understand racism<p><em>This article is part of <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/teen-summer-reads-97466">three-part series</a> on summer reads for young people after a very unique year.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>US teenager Trayvon Martin was shot dead in 2012 by a neighbourhood watch volunteer, George Zimmerman who was <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-accumulated-injustices-of-the-trayvon-martin-case-16061">later acquitted of the murder</a>. This saw the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. The racist social and political issues in the US saw the deaths and violence on Black bodies brought front and centre through acts of protest. </p>
<p>The arguments against the alleged police brutality in the US were easily translatable to the Australian context. </p>
<p>The Black Lives Matters movement was renewed following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers in May this year. And together with US counterparts, tens of thousands of Australians marched across our cities to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jun/06/australian-black-lives-matter-protests-tens-of-thousands-demand-end-to-indigenous-deaths-in-custody">draw attention</a> to racial profiling, police brutality and the more than 400 Indigenous people who have died in police custody since a royal commission into the problem was held in 1991.</p>
<p>The global movement brought <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2020/07/22/sales-of-white-fragility-and-other-anti-racism-books-jumped-over-2000-after-protests-began/?sh=2b2a99f3303d">unprecedented sales of books about race and anti-racism</a>. This turn toward texts is indicative of the role they play in helping us make sense of major social issues. </p>
<p>Angie Thomas, author of the 2017 bestseller “The Hate U Give”, has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jan/27/angie-thomas-the-hate-u-give-interview-famous-fans-readers">spoken about the role of literature</a> in igniting awareness, resistance and change.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I think books […] play a huge role in opening people’s eyes and they’re a form of activism in their own right, in the fact that they do empower people and show others the lives of people who may not be like themselves.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Research <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190523-does-reading-fiction-make-us-better-people">has long shown</a> a link between the books we read and our development of empathy. But more <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342764732_White_deja_vu_Troubling_the_Certainty_of_the_English_Canon_in_Literary_Education">recent research</a> has highlighted it is important we don’t see books as immediate fixes to complex social issues, especially when we import these books from other locations and times. </p>
<p>Our reading must be accompanied by close attention to the ways racism and prejudice unfold in our own location. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/5-australian-books-that-can-help-young-people-understand-their-place-in-the-world-127712">5 Australian books that can help young people understand their place in the world</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p>Coming to understand the impact and complexity of racism in this way is referred to as “<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13688790.2020.1759755">racial literacy</a>”. Here are five books that can help young people build racial literacy around the varied forms of racism and discrimination. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374728/original/file-20201214-24-jos28x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374728/original/file-20201214-24-jos28x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374728/original/file-20201214-24-jos28x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374728/original/file-20201214-24-jos28x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374728/original/file-20201214-24-jos28x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374728/original/file-20201214-24-jos28x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374728/original/file-20201214-24-jos28x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374728/original/file-20201214-24-jos28x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Dear Martin is build around the question: what would Martin Luther King do?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/534050/dear-martin-by-nic-stone/">Penguin</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>1. <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/534050/dear-martin-by-nic-stone/">Dear Martin</a></h2>
<p><strong>by Nic Stone</strong></p>
<p>Dear Martin explores issues of race through the eyes of conscientious 17 year old, Justyce McAllister.</p>
<p>Built around the central question, “What would Martin (Luther King) do?”, this novel brings to light the litany of decisions and ethical conundrums thrust into Justyce’s lap daily, as he navigates a world affected by racism and prejudice. </p>
<h2>2. <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9780008422141/punching-the-air/">Punching the Air</a></h2>
<p><strong>by Ibi Zobai and Yusuf Salaam</strong></p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374730/original/file-20201214-15-1abg4mc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374730/original/file-20201214-15-1abg4mc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374730/original/file-20201214-15-1abg4mc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=905&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374730/original/file-20201214-15-1abg4mc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=905&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374730/original/file-20201214-15-1abg4mc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=905&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374730/original/file-20201214-15-1abg4mc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1137&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374730/original/file-20201214-15-1abg4mc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1137&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374730/original/file-20201214-15-1abg4mc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1137&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Written by one of five young men imprisoned for a crime they didn’t commit.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9780008422141/punching-the-air/">Harper Collins</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In 1989, five young men were falsely accused of the assault and murder of a jogger in New York’s Central Park. Now documented in Ava Duvernay’s Neflix miniseries <a href="https://www.netflix.com/au/title/80200549">When They See Us</a>, the Five were exonerated 12 years later. </p>
<p>But the story stands as a haunting reminder of the inequalities experienced by Black men and the life-altering consequences this can wreak on innocent lives. </p>
<p>One of these young men, Yusuf Salaam, collaborates with award-winning author and prison reform activist Ibi Zobai, to craft a story that examines these themes through a narrative of a wrongfully incarcerated young man navigating his teenage years in prison.</p>
<h2>3. <a href="https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/growing-aboriginal-australia">Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia</a></h2>
<p><strong>edited by Anita Heiss</strong></p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374732/original/file-20201214-17-1qwv2wy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374732/original/file-20201214-17-1qwv2wy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374732/original/file-20201214-17-1qwv2wy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=933&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374732/original/file-20201214-17-1qwv2wy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=933&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374732/original/file-20201214-17-1qwv2wy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=933&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374732/original/file-20201214-17-1qwv2wy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1173&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374732/original/file-20201214-17-1qwv2wy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1173&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374732/original/file-20201214-17-1qwv2wy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1173&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An anthology of essays written by those with lived experience of racial issues.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/growing-aboriginal-australia">Black Inc books</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This anthology of 50 chapters provides an opportunity to deeply listen and understand the lived experiences of Indigenous Australians and the ways racism takes all manner of overt, subtle and systemic forms. </p>
<p>Particularly noteworthy are the chapters by Ambelin Kwaymullina and Celeste Liddle, in which the authors describe both the nature of racism experienced by them from the schoolyard, and the broader historical context on which this racism is based.</p>
<h2>4. <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/SLAY/Brittney-Morris/9781534445437">Slay</a></h2>
<p><strong>by Brittney Morris</strong></p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374735/original/file-20201214-21-1ttmyy6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374735/original/file-20201214-21-1ttmyy6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374735/original/file-20201214-21-1ttmyy6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374735/original/file-20201214-21-1ttmyy6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374735/original/file-20201214-21-1ttmyy6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=899&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374735/original/file-20201214-21-1ttmyy6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374735/original/file-20201214-21-1ttmyy6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374735/original/file-20201214-21-1ttmyy6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Explores racial themes through an online game.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/SLAY/Brittney-Morris/9781534445437">Simon & Schuster</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This novel centres on 17-year-old Kiera, a talented young developer who creates a multiplayer role-playing game. The game is a “mecca of black excellence” and an escape from the racism often experienced by those “game-playing while black”. </p>
<p>When an offline murder is traced back to the game, Kiera grapples with the complexity of both the implications of her creation and the conversations it triggers. </p>
<p>Slay weaves social commentary into the dialogue between characters from all walks of life, covering everything from cultural appropriation, to whether racism can ever be “reversed”.</p>
<h2>5. <a href="https://www.magabala.com/products/living-on-stolen-land">Living on Stolen Land</a></h2>
<p><strong>by Ambelin Kwaymullina</strong></p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374737/original/file-20201214-20-1rl8e2l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374737/original/file-20201214-20-1rl8e2l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374737/original/file-20201214-20-1rl8e2l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=826&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374737/original/file-20201214-20-1rl8e2l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=826&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374737/original/file-20201214-20-1rl8e2l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=826&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374737/original/file-20201214-20-1rl8e2l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1038&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374737/original/file-20201214-20-1rl8e2l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1038&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374737/original/file-20201214-20-1rl8e2l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1038&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">This is made up of prose verses like ‘Bias’ and ‘Listening’.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.magabala.com/products/living-on-stolen-land">Magabala Books</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Many books here centre around the kind of racial stereotyping and violence that put the Black Lives Matter movement on the map. But understanding racism in the Australian context also involves examining colonialism and the racist underpinnings of our history. </p>
<p>Living on Stolen Land centres Indigenous sovereignty in the conversation about race. Using prose verses such as those titled “Bias” and “Listening”, it leads readers through examining unconscious beliefs and moving toward being a genuine ally of Indigenous people. </p>
<p>Author and educator <a href="https://time.com/5869517/me-and-white-supremacy-layla-f-saad/">Layla F Saad</a> has suggested when we read texts about social issues like racism, we read for transformation, not merely information. </p>
<p>A range of texts have been developed to support families in having these transformative discussions together. Maxine Beneba Clarkes’ “<a href="https://www.hachette.com.au/maxine-beneba-clarke/when-we-say-black-lives-matter">When We Say Black Lives Matter</a>”, for instance, is a beautifully illustrated picture book that focuses on the strength and resilience of black children and communities. While texts like <a href="https://www.hardiegrant.com/au/publishing/bookfinder/book/our-home_-our-heartbeat-by-adam-briggs/9781760504168">Our Home our Heartbeat</a> by Adam Briggs centres on key Indigenous figures to be celebrated. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/teen-summer-reads-5-novels-to-help-cope-with-adversity-and-alienation-149546">Teen summer reads: 5 novels to help cope with adversity and alienation</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/150072/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Books can play a role in activism and change. Here are five books that will help young people build their racial literacy.Jessica Gannaway, Lecturer, The University of MelbourneMelitta Hogarth, Assistant Dean Indigenous/ Senior lecturer, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1495462020-12-23T21:05:58Z2020-12-23T21:05:58ZTeen summer reads: 5 novels to help cope with adversity and alienation<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374369/original/file-20201211-24-pjbrct.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-man-serious-student-male-hand-446583973">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This article is part of our <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/teen-summer-reads-97466">three-part series</a> on summer reads for young people after a very unique year.</em></p>
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<p>2020 has been a particularly tough year for those approaching the latter years of high school. </p>
<p>Young people have witnessed large-scale economic insecurity and unstable education systems. Teenagers have reported <a href="https://www.unicef.org.au/about-us/media/may-2020/unicef-australia-covid-survey-results">high levels of stress and anxiety</a>. But they have also demonstrated <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/07/seven-young-people-who-had-great-ideas-during-covid19/">outstanding resilience</a> and resolve in adapting to the “new normal”.</p>
<p>During COVID-19, cultural texts have become <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/may/15/research-reading-books-surged-lockdown-thrillers-crime">more important than ever</a> — a place to turn to for knowledge, reflection, support and escape. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-reading-habits-have-changed-during-the-covid-19-lockdown-146894">How reading habits have changed during the COVID-19 lockdown</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p>Reading <a href="https://js.sagamorepub.com/trj/article/view/7652">can be therapeutic</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/science-fiction-builds-mental-resiliency-in-young-readers-135513">for young readers during difficult times</a>. It offers something other media <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/dec/29/social-media-detox-read-books-one-week">doesn’t</a> — greater <a href="https://bookriot.com/benefits-of-reading/">social and emotional benefits</a>. It also does more to stimulate the imagination and creates a sense of moral achievement in readers.</p>
<p>With this in mind, here are some summer reading ideas for older teenagers. The texts I have chosen demonstrate how young characters have coped with trauma and uncertainty. </p>
<p>Research suggests young people are <a href="https://theconversation.com/teenagers-arent-reading-enough-tough-books-heres-why-that-matters-91932">more likely to listen to their peers</a> than their teachers when it comes to reading recommendations. </p>
<p>So, I spoke to my 18-year-old son and asked him to name five types of books he would like to read over the summer. </p>
<p>He suggested: </p>
<ul>
<li>a classic book he’s always wanted to read but hasn’t</li>
<li>a book penned by a young author</li>
<li>a “throwback” young adult novel he has already read</li>
<li>an autobiography of someone who has overcome adversity</li>
<li>something provocative that was published this year. </li>
</ul>
<p>Inevitably some of my selections meet more than one of his criteria. </p>
<h2>1. The classic: <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/hinton-outsiders-young-adult-literature">The Outsiders</a> (1967)</h2>
<p><strong>by S.E. Hinton</strong></p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="The cover of S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374361/original/file-20201211-20-143hxi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374361/original/file-20201211-20-143hxi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=921&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374361/original/file-20201211-20-143hxi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=921&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374361/original/file-20201211-20-143hxi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=921&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374361/original/file-20201211-20-143hxi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1157&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374361/original/file-20201211-20-143hxi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1157&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374361/original/file-20201211-20-143hxi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1157&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Outsiders is thought to be one of the first novels written specifically for young adults.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-outsiders-9780141368887">Penguin</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Outsiders is thought to be one of the first novels written <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/hinton-outsiders-young-adult-literature">specifically for young adults</a>. The coming of age novel explores the class divide between the rival Greasers and Socs gangs in the American South in the mid-1960s. </p>
<p>The book’s challenging and emotive representations of inequality, violence, crises of conscience, and the powerful love of family and friends, make it an enduring standout for young readers. The first-person narration constructs intimacy between the reader and our protagonist, Ponyboy Curtis, as he approaches an increasingly uncertain future.</p>
<p>Hinton started the book at 15, finished it at 16, and it was published when she was 18. It is said she wrote the book because it was the sort of book <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/12/books/the-outsiders-s-e-hinton-book.html?searchResultPosition=2">she herself wanted to read</a>. </p>
<p>In a year when many young people have experienced isolation and separation, Ponyboy’s wisdoms should resonate powerfully: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>It seemed funny to me that the sunset she saw from her patio and the one I saw from the back steps was the same one. Maybe the two different worlds we lived in weren’t so different. We saw the same sunset.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>2. Autobiography (memoir): <a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393345438">Crazy Brave</a> (2012)</h2>
<p><strong>by Joy Harjo</strong></p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374363/original/file-20201211-14-12xypwo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Cover of Crazy Brave: a memoir" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374363/original/file-20201211-14-12xypwo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374363/original/file-20201211-14-12xypwo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=906&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374363/original/file-20201211-14-12xypwo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=906&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374363/original/file-20201211-14-12xypwo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=906&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374363/original/file-20201211-14-12xypwo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1138&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374363/original/file-20201211-14-12xypwo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1138&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374363/original/file-20201211-14-12xypwo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1138&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Joy Harjo’s memoir is confronting and, at times, graphic.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393345438">W.W. Norton</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.cherokee.org">Cherokee</a>, <a href="https://www.mcn-nsn.gov">Creek</a> painter, musician and <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/04/30/848001380/joy-harjo-gets-a-second-term-as-u-s-poet-laureate#:%7E:text=Library%20Of%20Congress%20Appoints%20Joy,As%20U.S.%20Poet%20Laureate%20%3A%20NPR&text=Live%20Sessions-,Library%20Of%20Congress%20Appoints%20Joy%20Harjo%20To%20A%20Second%20Term,Librarian%20of%20Congress%2C%20Carla%20Hayden.">US Poet Laureate</a>, Harjo wrote her memoir when she was 61. </p>
<p>Crazy Brave recalls her early life from birth to her early 20s. The story is abstract and non-linear in structure, making the memoir unpredictable, which destabilises the reader’s experience. </p>
<p>Harjo’s memoir is confronting and, at times, graphic. But her spiritual connections, and trust of her own “knowing” (instinct, or inner vision) will inspire readers keen to escape problematic right or wrong, or black and white perceptions of experience. As Harjo astutely observes: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>In the end, we must each tend to our own gulfs of sadness, though others can assist us with kindness, food, good words, and music. Our human tendency is to fill these holes with distractions like shopping and fast romance, or with drugs and alcohol.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>3. Young author: <a href="https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/fiction/A-Lonely-Girl-is-a-Dangerous-Thing-Jessie-Tu-9781760877194">A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing</a> (2020)</h2>
<p><strong>by Jessie Tu</strong></p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374364/original/file-20201211-22-hg9jv8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="The cover of Jessie Tu's A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374364/original/file-20201211-22-hg9jv8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374364/original/file-20201211-22-hg9jv8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=917&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374364/original/file-20201211-22-hg9jv8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=917&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374364/original/file-20201211-22-hg9jv8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=917&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374364/original/file-20201211-22-hg9jv8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1152&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374364/original/file-20201211-22-hg9jv8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1152&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374364/original/file-20201211-22-hg9jv8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1152&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">This is not a fun read, but it is a timely one.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/fiction/A-Lonely-Girl-is-a-Dangerous-Thing-Jessie-Tu-9781760877194">Allen & Unwin</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>28-year-old Tu’s debut novel presents 22-year-old violinist child prodigy Jena Chung. We follow Jena’s sense of alienation and detachment as she attempts to find meaning in the world. </p>
<p>Lonely Girl is not a fun read, but it is a timely one. We need to see more Asian-Australia women’s voices in literature because of the important provocations they make about race and misogyny in Australia. Tu wanted this novel to be a conversation starter and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jul/01/jessie-tu-when-you-dont-see-yourself-on-the-page-you-literally-dont-exist">it certainly is</a>.</p>
<p>Tu’s is a powerful intervention young readers will appreciate. It is a book about making bad choices while feeling so much pressure to be “good”: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I throw myself into things, expecting always to get what I want. And I always get what I want. Now it feels like I’ve failed all over again. Only this time there’s no motivation behind it. I’ve just failed myself, and it hurts in a strange, unfamiliar way. The wound is deeper than anything I’ve ever felt.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This novel contains graphic representations of sex. It is recommended for readers 17 and over. </p>
<h2>4. Written in 2020: <a href="https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/fiction/The-Morbids-Ewa-Ramsey-9781760877538">The Morbids</a> (2020)</h2>
<p><strong>by Ewa Ramsey</strong></p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374365/original/file-20201211-17-1abxz54.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="The cover of Ewa Ramsey's, The Morbids" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374365/original/file-20201211-17-1abxz54.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374365/original/file-20201211-17-1abxz54.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=917&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374365/original/file-20201211-17-1abxz54.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=917&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374365/original/file-20201211-17-1abxz54.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=917&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374365/original/file-20201211-17-1abxz54.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1152&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374365/original/file-20201211-17-1abxz54.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1152&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374365/original/file-20201211-17-1abxz54.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1152&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">This is Newcastle-based author Ewa Ramsey’s debut novel.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/fiction/The-Morbids-Ewa-Ramsey-9781760877538">Allen & Unwin</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This is a wonderfully compassionate book about living with anxiety caused by our 20-something protagonist Caitlin’s fear of death. The Morbids explores the value of friendship and romance amid youthful fears and phobias. </p>
<p>Ramsey’s debut novel is a difficult read. The style of the novel (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/sep/11/the-morbids-by-ewa-ramsey-review-mental-illness-captured-with-remarkable-nuance-and-skill">fragmented, sometimes repetitive language</a>) attempts to bring the reader closer to the experience of mental illness. But the characterisations are warm and the moral is ultimately hopeful. </p>
<p>It’s a book about therapy and letting people in when it is the last thing you feel like you can do, because “Sometimes you need to give up on death … to have the time of your life”.</p>
<h2>5. Throwback: <a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/books/love-creekwood-9780241492253">Love, Creekwood</a> (2020)</h2>
<p><strong>by Becky Albertalli</strong></p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374367/original/file-20201211-17-3nspe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="The cover of Becky Albertalli's, Love, Creekwood" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374367/original/file-20201211-17-3nspe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374367/original/file-20201211-17-3nspe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=921&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374367/original/file-20201211-17-3nspe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=921&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374367/original/file-20201211-17-3nspe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=921&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374367/original/file-20201211-17-3nspe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1157&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374367/original/file-20201211-17-3nspe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1157&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/374367/original/file-20201211-17-3nspe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1157&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Love, Creekwood is narrated via the characters’ emails to each other.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.penguin.com.au/books/love-creekwood-9780241492253">Penguin</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Not exactly a throwback, but if you enjoyed <a href="https://beckyalbertalli.com/simon-vs-the-homo-sapiens-agenda">Simon vs the Homosapiens Agenda</a> as much as my teens and I did, here is the latest instalment of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simonverse">Simonverse</a>. </p>
<p>Love, Creekwood is a short epistolary romance novella (the story is narrated via the characters’ emails to each other). It is “part 3.5” in the series and functions as an epilogue. </p>
<p>Love, Creekwood follows the characters to college and we follow the progression of two same-sex relationships. The book explores the challenges of being too close and too far away from a partner. It explores the mental health struggles often triggered by loneliness and fear. </p>
<p>Love, Creekwood is a light-hearted but genuine representation of what the first year of university can feel like. </p>
<p>As Simon explains: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>When we say we want to freeze time, what we mean is that we want to control our memories. We want to choose which moments we’ll keep forever. We want to guarantee the best ones won’t slip away from us somehow. So when something beautiful happens, there’s this impulse to press pause and save the game. We want to make sure we can find our way back to that moment.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Albertalli is donating all proceeds from the sale of this novella to <a href="https://www.thetrevorproject.org">The Trevor Project</a>, an organisation committed to crisis and suicide prevention for LGBTQIA youth. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/teen-summer-reads-how-to-escape-to-another-world-after-a-year-stuck-in-this-one-150646">Teen summer reads: how to escape to another world after a year stuck in this one</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p><em>The author would like to thank to Katerina Bryant, Kylie Cardell, Joshua Douglas-Spencer and Emma Maguire for sharing ideas for this article.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/149546/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kate Douglas does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The texts in this shortlist demonstrate how young characters have coped with trauma and uncertainty.Kate Douglas, Professor, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1506462020-12-21T22:24:05Z2020-12-21T22:24:05ZTeen summer reads: how to escape to another world after a year stuck in this one<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373225/original/file-20201207-72125-1fstke8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/caucasian-girl-lying-on-beach-reading-746169763">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This article is part of <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/teen-summer-reads-97466">three-part series</a> on summer reads for young people after a very unique year.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>As this tumultuous year comes to a close, the Australian summer is an ideal time to relax and escape through reading.</p>
<p>Like many people, Australian teenagers have experienced <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.07.20190124v1">higher rates of psychological distress</a> this year as a result of the COVID pandemic. Reading is one way for teens to remove themselves, if only temporarily, from their current stresses.</p>
<p>As fantasy writer Neil Gaiman <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/125057-books-make-great-gifts-because-they-have-whole-worlds-inside?page=9">said</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Books make great gifts because they have whole worlds inside of them.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Young adult novels also present alternative ways of being and resolving crises. This is because a <a href="https://www.uipress.uiowa.edu/books/9780877458579/disturbing-the-universe">defining characteristic</a> of young adult books relates to power. In novels for young adults, teen protagonists learn how to use their power to navigate social situations, whether in families, schools, their community or, indeed, other worlds. </p>
<p>In this way, young adult literature can be considered both a form of escapism and empowerment.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/teen-summer-reads-5-novels-to-help-cope-with-adversity-and-alienation-149546">Teen summer reads: 5 novels to help cope with adversity and alienation</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>According to <a href="https://teenreading.net/">Teen Reading in the Digital Era</a> — a study conducted by Deakin University — teenagers have diverse reading preferences. The study identified five of these: fantasy, contemporary realist fiction, science fiction, autobiography or biography, and action or adventure.</p>
<p>With this in mind, here are some recommendations for your teen’s summer reading to help them both escape and, hopefully, re-empower themselves.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373229/original/file-20201207-72125-1w59u19.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373229/original/file-20201207-72125-1w59u19.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373229/original/file-20201207-72125-1w59u19.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373229/original/file-20201207-72125-1w59u19.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373229/original/file-20201207-72125-1w59u19.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373229/original/file-20201207-72125-1w59u19.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373229/original/file-20201207-72125-1w59u19.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Aurora has woken up in the year 2380.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/548791/aurora-rising-by-amie-kaufman-and-jay-kristoff/">Penguin Random House</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2><a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/-9e8C2xZLrcpAJAQBFnKUu8?domain=jaykristoff.com">The Aurora Cycle</a></h2>
<p><strong>by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff</strong></p>
<p>Teenagers who feel they’re finally emerging from a tough year of restrictions may empathise with Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley, who has woken up from a 200-year <a href="https://medicalfuturist.com/are-you-going-to-wake-up-from-cryosleep/">cryosleep</a> (where your body is cooled down and preserved in liquid nitrogen) to find herself in the year 2380.</p>
<p>Aurora secretly joins a group of graduating cadets on their first mission. What should be a simple cargo run ends up being a cat-and-mouse chase across the galaxy. In trying to find her place in a new universe, Aurora and the cadets uncover an ancient alien species who has spent millions of years preparing to take over the galaxy.</p>
<p>Told from the perspective of each of the seven teenage protagonists, the Aurora Cycle is a new action science-fiction series. It currently comprises the books <a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/bzl-C5QZOxCZOQO1XS2Yof_?domain=jaykristoff.com">Aurora Rising</a> (2019) and <a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/l8NAC6X1PysrxAxJpIxyZTT?domain=amiekaufman.com">Aurora Burning</a> (2020).</p>
<p>Other intergalactic action-adventure sci-fi books teenagers may enjoy include <a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/EJe8C71ZQzSA9x9Y8FRqYas?domain=garthnix.com">A Confusion of Princes</a> (2012) by Garth Nix, <a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/lDa-C81ZRAS6xZxg2SzJQLE?domain=fordstreetpublishing.com">Mindcull</a> (2019) by K. H. Canobi, and Kaufman and Kristoff’s earlier series, <a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/7QBvC91ZVBSkPgPjlFZoiDP?domain=amiekaufman.com">The Illuminae Files</a> (2015–2016).</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373233/original/file-20201207-21-hbubiu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373233/original/file-20201207-21-hbubiu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373233/original/file-20201207-21-hbubiu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=945&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373233/original/file-20201207-21-hbubiu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=945&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373233/original/file-20201207-21-hbubiu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=945&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373233/original/file-20201207-21-hbubiu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1188&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373233/original/file-20201207-21-hbubiu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1188&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373233/original/file-20201207-21-hbubiu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1188&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Monuments is a duology.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.hachette.com.au/will-kostakis/monuments">Hachette</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2><a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/s1YPC0YZJpCGlDlz7uobubz?domain=hachette.com.au">Monuments</a> (2019) and <a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/ugNjCgZolKFAnxnJoF6n4nj?domain=hachette.com.au">Rebel Gods</a> (2020)</h2>
<p><strong>by Will Kostakis</strong></p>
<p>A scavenger hunt for buried gods may be just the thing teenagers need to get their minds moving. In this urban fantasy duology, Connor learns about the Monuments — powerful gods who have hidden themselves to protect humanity.</p>
<p>Joined by Sarah and Locky, Connor searches across contemporary Sydney, trying to uncover the gods. However, despite their awesome powers, the Monuments need protecting, too. The problem is Connor doesn’t know who he can trust with the knowledge and power of the gods.</p>
<p>This is author <a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/lnfCCjZroMFnkMk0BFgW7pO?domain=willkostakis.com">Will Kostakis</a>’ first foray into the fantastical.</p>
<p>Other fantasy novels for teenagers to get lost in include the bewitching <a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/E6DZCk8vpKsOZ6ZvKhGZsbw?domain=harpercollins.com.au">The Last Balfour</a> (2019) by Cait Duggan; <a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/f-ytClxwqLc2D5DlVSleyZ2?domain=allenandunwin.com">Four Dead Queens</a> (2019) — a murder mystery by by Astrid Scholte; and <a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/psyMCmOxr6sjGKGqgIMWF3K?domain=garthnix.com">the Old Kingdom series</a> (1995–2016) by Garth Nix.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373235/original/file-20201207-17-1n2kvj8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373235/original/file-20201207-17-1n2kvj8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373235/original/file-20201207-17-1n2kvj8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=930&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373235/original/file-20201207-17-1n2kvj8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=930&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373235/original/file-20201207-17-1n2kvj8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=930&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373235/original/file-20201207-17-1n2kvj8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1168&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373235/original/file-20201207-17-1n2kvj8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1168&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373235/original/file-20201207-17-1n2kvj8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1168&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">This novel is mainly made up of instant messenger conversations.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781460709542/the-long-distance-playlist/">Harper Collins</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2><a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/sNQPCnxyvXc7QqQVPsMHcY8?domain=harpercollins.com.au">The Long Distance Playlist</a> (2020)</h2>
<p><strong>by Tara Eglington</strong></p>
<p>Having spent more time on a screen this year than before, what better way for teenagers to re-engage with novels than to read one that’s written in instant messenger, text, emails, prose and playlists?</p>
<p>Eglington’s fourth young adult novel centres on teenagers Taylor and Isolde, who live in Wanaka (New Zealand) and Sydney, respectively. Friends since childhood, the two reconnect across the Tasman after an 18-month long fight. </p>
<p>As they exchange cross-country messages over the course of the year, they help support each other through their ordeals and, in doing so, realise relationships can develop over distances.</p>
<p>Two more realist young adult novels in which teenagers connect with others include <a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/lBEdCoVzwKhrJLJmgIBc0a6?domain=textpublishing.com.au">19 Love Songs</a> (2020) by David Levithan and <a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/gvaVCp8AxKsnPNPZVF5ku-r?domain=textpublishing.com.au">It Sounded Better in My Head</a> (2019) by Nina Kenwood.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373238/original/file-20201207-15-10f4nxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373238/original/file-20201207-15-10f4nxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373238/original/file-20201207-15-10f4nxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=843&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373238/original/file-20201207-15-10f4nxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=843&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373238/original/file-20201207-15-10f4nxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=843&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373238/original/file-20201207-15-10f4nxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1060&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373238/original/file-20201207-15-10f4nxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1060&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373238/original/file-20201207-15-10f4nxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1060&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">This graphic novel is a biography of a man who fought against Nazi oppression.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.johnhendrix.com/226542492172">John Hendrix</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2><a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/8XM4Cq7By5s8GPGvEsjMET9?domain=abramsbooks.com">The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler</a> (2018)</h2>
<p><strong>by John Hendrix</strong></p>
<p>Teenagers who prefer to read about the lives of others may be interested in this graphic biography. It tells the story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian who resisted the Nazi regime and was associated with the plot to kill Hitler.</p>
<p>Using a red-black-teal colour scheme, the mixture of text and illustration details Bonhoeffer’s life and outlines the larger historical context of Hitler’s rise to power and the second world war. Cited material is asterisked, and a select bibliography and limited notes are included.</p>
<p>A graphic autobiography (about a girl growing up during the Iranian Revolution) teenagers may also enjoy is <a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/M1nqCr8Dz5s8X0XOks2ArLA?domain=penguin.com.au">Persepolis</a> (2000) by Marjane Satrapi.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/5-australian-books-that-can-help-young-people-understand-their-place-in-the-world-127712">5 Australian books that can help young people understand their place in the world</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><em>For other lists of recommended young adult novels, check out the <a href="https://www.cbca.org.au/notables-2020">CBCA’s notables</a> or <a href="https://insideadog.com.au">Inside a Dog</a>, a website for teens to share reviews, recommendations and their own creative writing.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/150646/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Troy Potter does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>2020 has been a tumultuous year. Here are some books your kids can lose themselves in this summer.Troy Potter, Lecturer, The University of Melbourne, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.