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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Channel kindness : stories of kindness and community
Lady Gaga.
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller For Lady Gaga, kindness is the driving force behind everything she says and does. The quiet power of kindness can change the way we view one another, our communities, and even ourselves. She embodies this mission, and through her...
Find your people : building deep community in a lonely world
Allen, Jennie
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER . WINNER OF THE ECPA BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD . The author of Get Out of Your Headoffers practical solutions for creating true community, the kind that's crucial to our mental and spiritual health. "My dear friend Jennie Allen shows ushow...
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
From the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Dear Martin--which Angie Thomas, the bestselling author of The Hate U Give, called "a must read"--comes a pitch-perfect romance that examines class, privilege, and how a stroke of good luck can change an entire life.
Just mercy : a story of justice and redemption
Stevenson, Bryan
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING MICHAEL B. JORDAN AND JAMIE FOXX * A powerful true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix our broken system of justice--from one of the most brilliant and influential...
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...
Scars like wings
Stewart, Erin
Paper Book
Relatable, heartbreaking, and real, this is a story of resilience--the perfect novel for readers of powerful contemporary fiction like Girl in Pieces and Every Last Word. Before, I was a million things. Now I'm only one. The Burned Girl. Ava Lee...
The Sky blues
Couch, Robbie
Paper Book
Sky's small town turns absolutely claustrophobic when his secret promposal plans get leaked to the entire school in this witty, "earnest, heartfelt" (Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author), and ultimately hopeful debut novel for fans of What if it's Us? and To All...
Slay
Morris, Brittney
Paper Book
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2019! "Gripping and timely." --People "The YA debut we're most excited for this year." --Entertainment Weekly "A book that knocks you off your feet while dropping the kind of knowledge that'll keep you...
What I like about you
Kanter, Marisa
Paper Book
"Heartwarming, endearing, and sure to leave you swooning, What I Like About You shines with authentic characters you will absolutely fall in love with. This story is as sweet as the cupcakes you'll be craving by the end!" --Rachael Lippincott, #1 New York Times bestselling author<...
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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