High School Battle of the Books 2026-2027

NCSLMA's High School Battle of the Books list for the 2026-2027 school year

Updated March 18, 2026
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I survived the sinking of the Titanic, 1912
Tarshis, Lauren
Paper Book
A thrilling graphic novel adaptation of Lauren Tarshis's bestselling I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912, with text adapted by Georgia Ball and art by Haus Studio. George Calder must be the luckiest kid alive - he and his little sister, Phoebe, are sailing with their aunt on...
Promise boys
Brooks, Nick
Paper Book
Promise Boys is a blockbuster, dark academia mystery about three teens of color who must investigate their principal's murder to clear their own names. This page-turning thriller is perfect for fans of Karen McManus, Jason Reynolds, Angie Thomas, and Holly Jackson<...
The reappearance of Rachel Price
Jackson, Holly
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * From the author of the multimillion-copy bestselling A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series and Five Survive comes a gripping mystery thriller following one girl's search for the truth about her mother's shocking disappearance--and even more shocking...
The Headmaster's List
De la Cruz, Melissa
Paper Book
One of Us Is Lying meets Gossip Girl in The Headmaster's List, an edge-of-your-seat YA thriller about a fatal car crash and the dangerous lengths one teen will go to uncover the truth about what really happened. Friday night. The party of the summer....
Brownstone : A Graphic Novel
Teer, Samuel
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE PRINTZ AWARD A Harvey Award Nominee! An Indie Next List Selection! A Kirkus Reviews Best Book! A Publishers Weekly Best Book! A 2025 CBC Best Children's Book of the Year selection! "Angsty. Awkward. With a scrappy...
Where wolves don't die : a novel
Treuer, Anton
Paper Book
Tightly woven Indigenous YA thriller that explores masculinity and love between generations of family Ezra Cloud hates living in Northeast Minneapolis. His father is a professor of their language, Ojibwe, at a local college, so they have to be there. But Ezra hates the dirty,...
Iron widow
Zhao, Xiran Jay
Paper Book
The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant robots that battle aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall of China, no matter that the girls die from the mental strain. When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male...

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