Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Diversity in YA Memoirs

With tons of conversations surrounding Diversity in YA I am happy to see that the Fall 2014/Winter 2015 publisher lists are including real life diversity. Here are six soon-to-be-published memoirs that focus on diverse young adults.

   


We Should Hang Out Sometime: Embarrassingly, A True Story
Josh Sundquist
Little, Brown - January 2015
One legged cancer survivor, Paralympic ski racer, and YouTube star Josh Sundquist recounts his dating follies. 

Taking Flight: From War Torn Orphan to Star Ballerina
Michaela and Elaine DePrince
Knopf books for Young Readers - October 2014
Once an orphan in Sierra Leone, Michaela DePrince grows to become the youngest principle dancer with the Dance Theater of Harlem.

Some Assembly Required: The Not-So-Secret Life of a Transgender Teen
Arin Andrews
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers - September 2014
Transgender teen Arin Andrews shares his experiences of gender reassignment in high school.

Laughing at My Nightmare
Shane Burcaw
Roaring Brook Press - October 2014
Plainly saying that he knows his disease, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, will take his life Shane Burcaw wants to enjoy the time he has and isn't afraid to laugh about it.

Rethinking Normal: A Memoir in Transition
Katie Rain Hill
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers - September 2014
At the age of fifteen Luke became Katie. Now she is sharing her story of transition.

Positive: Surviving My Bullies, Finding Hope, and Changing the World
Paige Rawl
Harper - September 2014
Paige was born with HIV. When classmates found out she was bullied endlessly. After a failed suicide attempt she decided she needed to make a change.

1 comment:

  1. Thanks, Derek! These titles are enroute to the YA Orders Clerk. (I hope they are as good as they appear).

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