Books That Deal With Important Social Issues

In this tumultuous world, books can serve as a much-needed escape by allowing us to delve into an alternate reality with distinct issues, thereby helping us forget about our own problems for a while. However, it is equally important and therapeutic to read books that accurately reflect our realities. Such books take into account what we are going through, what we are feeling, and puts it all down on paper so that we can see a reflection of ourselves.

Updated May 2, 2024
Nashua Public Library
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All boys aren't blue : a memoir-manifesto
Johnson, George M.
In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson's All Boys Aren't Blue explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. A New York Times Bestseller! Good Morning America,...
All my rage
Tahir, Sabaa
National Book Award WINNER Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature WINNER An INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! An INSTANT INDIE BESTSELLER! "All My Rage is a love story, a tragedy and an infectious teenage fever dream about what home...
Ander & Santi were here : a novel
Garza Villa, Jonny
A STONEWALL YOUNG ADULT HONOR BOOK Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe meets The Sun is Also a Star in this YA contemporary love story from Jonny Garza Villa, Ander & Santi Were Here, about a nonbinary Mexican American teen falling...
Dear Justyce
Stone, Nic
An NPR Best Book of the Year * The stunning sequel to the critically acclaimed,  #1 New York Times bestseller Dear Martin. An incarcerated teen writes letters to his best friend about his experiences in the American juvenile justice system. An...
An emotion of great delight
Mafi, Tahereh
From bestselling and National Book Award-nominated author Tahereh Mafi comes a stunning novel about love and loneliness, navigating the hyphen of dual identity, and reclaiming your right to joy--even when you're trapped in the amber of sorrow. It's 2003, several months since the US...
Every body looking
Iloh, Candice
A Finalist for the National Book Award When Ada leaves home for her freshmanyear at a Historically Black College, it's the first time she's ever been so far from her family-and the first time that she's been able to make her own choices and to seek her place in this new world. As...
Grown : a novel
Jackson, Tiffany D.
An instant New York Times bestseller! "Grown exposes the underbelly of a tough conversation, providing a searing examination of misogynoir, rape culture, and the vulnerability of young black girls. Groundbreaking, heart-wrenching, and essential reading for all in the #MeToo era." -...
How the boogeyman became a poet
Keith, Anthony R., Jr.
Poet, writer, and hip-hop educator Tony Keith Jr. makes his debut with a powerful YA memoir in verse, tracing his journey from being a closeted gay Black teen battling poverty, racism, and homophobia to becoming an openly gay first-generation college student who finds freedom in poetry. Perfect...
Inheritance : a visual poem
Acevedo, Elizabeth
They tell me to "fix" my hair. And by fix, they mean straighten, they mean whiten; but how do you fix this shipwrecked history of hair? In her most famous spoken-word poem, author of the Pura Belpré-winning novel-in-verse The Poet X Elizabeth Acevedo embraces all the...
Messy roots : a graphic memoir of a Wuhanese American
Gao, Laura
"Messy Roots is a laugh-out-loud, heartfelt, and deeply engaging story of their journey to find themself--as an American, as the daughter of Chinese immigrants, as a queer person, and as a Wuhanese American in the middle of a pandemic."--Malaka Gharib, author of I Was Their American...
Nigeria Jones
Zoboi, Ibi Aanu
"An unwavering proclamation of Black girlhood." --Candice Iloh, author of National Book Award finalist Every Body Looking From Ibi Zoboi, bestselling, award-winning author of American Street and co-author of Punching the Air, comes a bold new YA coming-of-age story,...
Not Here to Be Liked
Quach, Michelle
"A smart romance with heart and guts and all the intoxicating feelings in between." --Maureen Johnson, New York Times bestselling author of 13 Little Blue Envelopes Emergency Contact meets Moxie in this cheeky and searing novel that unpacks just how...
Only this beautiful moment
Nazemian, Abdi
Stonewall Book Award Winner * A Best Book of the Year from the Guardian, ALA Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and BookPage From the award-winning author of Like a Love Story comes a sweeping story of three generations of boys in the same Iranian family. Perfect for fans of Last Night at the...
Punching the air
Zoboi, Ibi Aanu
New York Times and USA Today bestseller * Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor * Walter Award Winner * Goodreads Finalist for Best Teen Book of the Year * Time Magazine Best Book of the Year * Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year * Shelf Awareness Best Book of...
The queens of New York
Shen, E. L.
From acclaimed author E. L. Shen comes a sun-drenched, cinematic YA novel about three Asian American girls, their unbreakable bond, and one life-changing summer, perfect for fans of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Best friends Jia Lee, Ariel Kim, and Everett Hoang are inseparable....
The sharp edge of silence
Rosenblum, Cameron Kelly
Tradition meets People Like Us in this timely and haunting YA contemporary standalone that tackles the contagious nature of toxic masculinity at an elite New England boarding school clinging to its past, and the sexual assault that changes everything. WHO WILL YOU BE AT...
The silence that binds us
Ho, Joanna
"A grieving teen fights Asian hate by finding her voice in this complex, timely story." --Kirkus (starred review) "With a layered, sensitive voice, Ho's weighty novel delves into themes of racism, classism, loss, and healing." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) ...
Stamped : racism, antiracism, and you
Reynolds, Jason
In this important and compelling young readers adaptation of his National Book Award-winning title, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, writing with award-winning author Jason Reynolds, chronicles the story of anti-black, racist ideas over the course of American history. Racist ideas in our country...
The summer of bitter and sweet
Ferguson, Jenny
In this complex and emotionally resonant novel about a Métis girl living on the Canadian prairies, debut author Jen Ferguson serves up a powerful story about rage, secrets, and all the spectrums that make up a person--and the sweetness that can still live alongside the bitterest...
This is my America
Johnson, Kim
"Incredible and searing." --Nic Stone, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin The Hate U Give meets Just Mercy in this unflinching yet uplifting first novel that explores the racist injustices in the American justice system....
This place is still beautiful
Tian, Xixi
With five starred reviews, this is an acclaimed novel about sisterhood, family, and the pernicious legacy of racism. Perfect for fans of Tahereh Mafi, Jandy Nelson, and Emily X.R. Pan, with crossover appeal for readers of Brit Bennett's The Vanishing Half. The Flanagan sisters are as...
Warrior girl unearthed
Boulley, Angeline
An Instant New York Times bestseller! A #1 Indies Bestseller!A Publisher's Lunch Best YA of 2023! An Amazon Best Book of the Year!Winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award!A Horn Book Fanfare Title! A BookPage Best...

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