Kindness and community books for teens

If you're working on our February SweetBean challenge and looking for related reading recommendations, look no further! Here are some books that center kindness and community for teens.

Looking for recommendation list for other age groups?

Check out the list for adults here.

Check out the list for picture books here.

Check out the list for chapter books here.

Updated February 1, 2024
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A heart in a body in the world
Caletti, Deb
Paper Book
When everything has been taken from you, what else is there to do but run? So that's what Annabelle does--she runs from Seattle to Washington, DC, through mountain passes and suburban landscapes, from long lonely roads to college towns. She's not ready to think about the why yet,...
Jackpot
Stone, Nic
Paper Book
Nic Stone, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin, creates two unforgettable characters in one hard-hitting story about class, money - both too little and too much - and how you make your own luck in the...
Just mercy : a story of justice and redemption
Stevenson, Bryan
Paper Book
#1 New York Times bestseller, and a widely acclaimed and multi-award-winning book, this is a powerful, true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix America's broken system of justice, as seen in the HBO documentary True Justice. ...
Kings, queens, and in-betweens
Boteju, Tanya
Paper Book
"Poignant and important." --Refinery29 "A bright and sparkly celebration of love and self-acceptance." --Kirkus Reviews Judy Blume meets RuPaul's Drag Race in this funny, feel-good debut novel about a queer teen who navigates questions of...
Queer : the ultimate LGBTQ guide for teens
Belge, Kathy
Paper Book
Teen life is hard enough, but for teens who are LGBTQ, it can be even harder. When do you decide to come out? Will your friends accept you? And how do you meet people to date? Queer is a humorous, engaging, and honest guide that helps LGBTQ teens come out to friends and family, navigate...
Scars like wings
Stewart, Erin
Paper Book
Everyone has scars. Some are just easier to see ... 16-year-old Ava Gardener is heading back to school one year after a house fire left her severely disfigured. She's used to the names, the stares, the discomfort, but there's one name she hates most of all: Survivor. What...
Wings of ebony
Elle, J.
Paper Book
Instant New York Times bestseller! "A remarkable, breathtaking, earthshaking, poetic thrillride." --Daniel José Older, New York Times bestselling author of Shadowshaper ​In this riveting, keenly emotional...

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