Lists and Suggestions for Teens
TEENS: Set in Chicago
An Angel in my Pocket
Author: Cooper, Ilene.
When seventh-grader Bette finds an angel coin she puts it in her pocket and forgets it but soon t...
The Art of Secrets
Author: Klise, James, 1967-
When some quirky art donated to a school fundraising effort to help a Pakistani American family, ...
Charly's Epic Fiascos
Author: London, Kelli.
"Charly's holdin' it down - she's got the attention of Mason, the new cutie around the way, she's...
Cold Fury
Author: Goeglein, T. M. (Ted M.)
Sixteen-year-old Chicago preparatory school student Sara Jane Rispoli must unravel a web of compl...
The Comeback Season
Author: Smith, Jennifer E.
High school freshman Ryan Walsh, a Chicago Cubs fan, meets Nick when they both skip school on ope...
The Espressologist
Author: Springer, Kristina.
While working part-time as a barista in a Chicago coffee bar, high school senior Jane dabbles in ...
Love Like a Dog
Author: Calcagno, Anne.
"Set in contemporary Chicago, it is the harrowing story of Dirk, a young motherless man desperate...
An Off Year
Author: Zulkey, Claire.
Upon arriving at her dorm room, eighteen-year-old Cecily decides to postpone her freshman year of...
Permanent Record
Author: Stella, Leslie.
Being yourself can be such a bad idea. For sixteen-year-old Badi Hessamizadeh, life is a series o...
Pull
Author: Binns, B. A. (Barbara A.)
After his father kills his mother, seventeen-year-old David struggles to take care of his two sis...
The Rock and the River
Author: Magoon, Kekla.
In 1968 Chicago, fourteen-year-old Sam Childs is caught in a conflict between his father's nonvio...
Sad Stories of the Death of Kings
Author: Gifford, Barry, 1946-
Collects stories centering on a boy named Roy and the people he encounters growing up without a f...
Store-Bought Baby
Author: Belton, Sandra.
The death of Leah's beloved older brother, and her parents' reactions to the tragedy, raise quest...
Virtuosity
Author: Martínez, Jessica.
Just before the most important violin competition of her career, seventeen-year-old prodigy Carme...
Will Grayson, Will Grayson
Author: Green, John, 1977-
When two teens, one gay and one straight, meet accidentally and discover that they share the same...
A World Away
Author: Grossman, Nancy, 1956-
Sixteen-year-old Eliza, an Amish girl, goes to work for an "English" family as a nanny to two you...
Awards
Awarded annually to the author of the book voted as most outstanding by Illinois high school students
Adult books that appeal to teen readers
Best Books for Young Adults (BBYA)
Best teen books selected from the previous year
Outstandingly inspirational books that promote understanding and appreciation of the culture of all people
Honors the best nonfiction book of the year written for teens
Rainbow Book List: GLBTQ Books for Children & Teens
Children’s/Young Adult LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) nominees
Honoring excellence in books for teens
Celebrating the Latino cultural experience
An Illinois award for outstanding literature for young people
William C. Morris YA Debut Award
Honors the best novels of the year by a debut author writing for teens
YALSA Book Awards and Booklists
The American Library Association’s Young Adult Library Services Association presents annual awards and puts out annual lists for various types of genres and materials