Hope Nation: YA Authors Share Personal Moments of Inspiration

The Day of the Pelican

Zora and Me

Shark Girl

The Revolution of Birdie Randolph

Girl in Reverse

Diary of a Witness

The Only Road

The Hate U Give

International phenomenon Angie Thomas revisits Garden Heights seventeen years before the events of The Hate U Give in this searing and poignant exploration of Black boyhood and manhood.

If there’s one thing seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter knows, it’s that a real man takes care of his family. As the son of a former gang legend, Mav does that the only way he knows how: dealing for the King Lords. With this money he can help his mom, who works two jobs while his dad’s in prison.

Life’s not perfect, but with a fly girlfriend and a cousin who always has his back, Mav’s got everything under control.

Until, that is, Maverick finds out he’s a father.

Suddenly he has a baby, Seven, who depends on him for everything. But it’s not so easy to sling dope, finish school, and raise a child. So when he’s offered the chance to go straight, he takes it. In a world where he’s expected to amount to nothing, maybe Mav can prove he’s different.

When King Lord blood runs through your veins, though, you can't just walk away. Loyalty, revenge, and responsibility threaten to tear Mav apart, especially after the brutal murder of a loved one. He’ll have to figure out for himself what it really means to be a man.

Discover Your Child's Next Read

Hope Nation: YA Authors Share Personal Moments of Inspiration

Romina Garber, Rose Brock, Angie Thomas, Atia Abawi, 2018

The Day of the Pelican

Katherine Paterson, 2009

Zora and Me

Victoria Bond, T.R. Simon, 2010

Shark Girl

Kelly Bingham, 2007

The Revolution of Birdie Randolph

Brandy Colbert, 2019

Girl in Reverse

Barbara Stuber, 2014

Diary of a Witness

Catherine Ryan Hyde, 2009

The Only Road

Alexandra Diaz, 2016