Cultural Diversity Week 2026 - YA Books

A curated reading guide celebrating cultural diversity in young adult literature.

Updated February 26, 2026
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Immortal dark
Girma, Tigest.
Paper Book
The Cruel Prince meets Ninth House in this dangerously romantic dark academia fantasy, where a lost heiress must infiltrate an arcane society and live with the vampire she suspects killed her family and kidnapped her sister.  It...
Ace of spades
Àbíké-Íyímídé, Faridah
Paper Book
Go back to school with this instant New York Times-bestselling thriller by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé about two students, Devon & Chiamaka, and their struggles against an anonymous bully. "Readers will love this thriller-mystery... A revelatory, buzzworthy debut." --...
Hani and ishu's guide to fake dating
Jaigirdar, Adiba.
Ebook
Everyone likes Humaira "Hani" Khan―she's easy going and one of the most popular girls at school. But when she comes out to her friends as bisexual, they invalidate her identity, saying she can't be bi if she's only dated guys. Panicked, Hani blurts out that she's in a relationship...with a...
The sun is also a star
Yoon, Nicola.
Paper Book
#1 New York Times bestselling author Nicola Yoon is back with her second book, and just like Everything, Everything, it's an instant classic with a love story that's just as intense as Maddy and Olly's--get ready for Natasha and Daniel. This...
Hood feminism : notes from the women that a movement forgot
Kendall, Mikki
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "The fights against hunger, homelessness, poverty, health disparities, poor schools, homophobia, transphobia, and domestic violence are feminist fights. Kendall offers a feminism rooted in the livelihood of everyday women." --Ibram X. Kendi,...
The henna wars
Jaigirdar, Adiba
Paper Book
"Impossible to put down." - Kirkus, starred review Nishat doesn't want to lose her family, but she also doesn't want to hide who she is, and it only gets harder once a childhood friend walks back into her life. Flávia is beautiful and charismatic, and Nishat falls for...
This woven kingdom
Mafi, Tahereh.
Paper Book
New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller from the acclaimed author of the Shatter Me series! Clashing empires, forbidden romance, and a long-forgotten queen destined to save her people--Tahereh Mafi's first in an epic romantasy series inspired by Persian mythology. To...
Snowglobe
Park, Soyoung, (Young adult author)
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The groundbreaking Korean phenomenon that Entertainment Weekly called "The Hunger Games meets Squid Game"--now in English for the first time! A COSMOPOLITAN BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF THE YEAR * A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST...
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...
We hunt the flame
Faizal, Hafsah.
Paper Book
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Tempest of Tea An Ignyte Award Winner A TIME Magazine Top 100 Fantasy Book of All Time A Paste Magazine Best YA Book A PopSugar Best YA Book A TeenVogue Book Club Pick A New York...
Felix ever after
Callender, Kacen
Paper Book
A Stonewall Honor Book * A Time Magazine Best YA Book of All Time From Stonewall and Lambda Award-winning author Kacen Callender comes a revelatory YA novel about a transgender teen grappling with identity and self-discovery while falling in love for the first time. Felix Love has...

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