- All the Fighting Parts by Hannah V. Sawyerr: In the wake of being sexually assaulted by her pastor, sixteen-year-old Amina struggles to regain her footing until she finds the strength within herself to confront her abuser in court.
- Alma Presses Play by Tina Cane: In 1980s New York, half-Chinese, half-Jewish Alma, whose life is a series of halfways, uses her Walkman to get through the challenges thrown her way until she is ready to press play on the soundtrack of her life.
- An Impossible Thing to Say by Arya Shahi: In the aftermath of 9/11, high school sophomore Omid grapples with finding the right words to connect with his grandfather, embrace his Iranian heritage, and express his feelings towards a girl, until he immerses himself in the rhymes and rhythms of rap music and finds his voice.
- Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renee Watson: Poet Renée Watson looks back at her childhood and urges readers to look forward at their futures with love, understanding, and celebration.
- Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo: Samira is determined to have a perfect summer filled with fun parties, exploring DC, and growing as a poet--until a scandalous rumor has her grounded and unable to leave her house. When Samira turns to a poetry forum for solace, she catches the eye of an older, charismatic poet named Horus. For the first time, Samira feels wanted. But soon she's keeping a bigger secret than ever before--one that that could prove her reputation and jeopardize her place in her community.
- Enemies in the Orchard by Dana VanderLugt: Based on a true story and told in alternating voices, follows the growing friendship between thirteen-year-old American Claire and Karl, a young German POW hired to work on her family's Michigan apple farm in October 1944.
- Forever is Now by Mariama Lockington: Suffering from agoraphobia after witnessing a scene of police brutality, Sadie discovers, with the help of family, friends and online activists, that she can build a safe place inside herself.
- How the Boogeyman Became a Poet by Tony Keith: In this powerful YA memoir, the poet, writer and hip-hop educator traces his journey from being a closeted gay Black teen battling poverty, racism, homophobia and his own personal Boogeyman to becoming an openly gay first-generation college student who finds freedom in poetry.
- Just Another Epic Love Poem by Parisa Akhbari: Two best friends, bonded by their shared love of poetry, uncover all the different meanings if "I love you" once they begin dating their senior year of high school.
- Kween by Vichet Chum: A searing, joyful YA debut about a queer Cambodian American teen’s journey to find her voice and step into her legacy. Song of freedom, song of dreams.
This blog post reflects the opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of Brooklyn Public Library.
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