20 Best May Books for Young Readers

by Elana K. Arnold

A poignant meditation on what it means to feel understood. Full review >

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by Sarah Dessen

A sweet, nuanced, and reflective coming-of-age love story filled with moments of true beauty between family and friends. Full review >

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by Jennifer Lee ; illustrated by LeUyen Pham

A striking and viscerally affecting tale of love, loss, and letting go. Full review >

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by N.T. McQueen

Heart-wrenching, thought-provoking, and painfully timely. Full review >

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by Brian Lee Young

A superlative, culturally relevant coming-of-age story. Full review >

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by Yamile Saied Méndez

A fierce, timely, and beautifully executed ode to artistic expression imbued with a spirit of optimism. Full review >

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by Sherine Hamdy ; illustrated by Myra El Mir

An emotionally resonant portrait of a young woman learning that home may be less a place than a process. Full review >

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by Maia Kobabe & Swati "Lucky" Srikumar ; illustrated by Maia Kobabe & Swati "Lucky" Srikumar

Nuanced, necessary, and heartfelt. Full review >

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by Gary D. Schmidt & Ron Koertge

Moving and thoughtful; presents a genuine hero as model while making a strong case that the classics are cool. Full review >

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by Varsha Bajaj

A rousing call for conservation efforts to safeguard the majestic tiger. Full review >

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by Xiong Liang ; illustrated by Xiong Liang ; translated by Chloe Garcia Roberts

A promising new fantasy classic in the making. Full review >

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by E.M. Elliott & David Elliott

Darkly thrilling; will keep readers turning pages until every riddle has been solved. Full review >

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by M.A. Larson

A treasure of a book—adventurous, hilarious, and surprisingly moving; readers will go berserk. Full review >

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by Joy Michael Ellison ; illustrated by Nabi H. Ali

Exquisitely deep in vogue. Full review >

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by Kim Hyo-eun ; illustrated by Kim Hyo-eun ; translated by Aerin Park

Pint-size perfection. Full review >

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