If there’s one thing YA literature does well, it’s to provide wise counsel and an emotional boost. As a rule, authors for young people care deeply about their readers and feel a strong sense of responsibility to them. If you feel isolated from peers, or the adults in your life don’t seem to get you, or even if you just need a reminder that someone out there has your back, pick up one of these books. You’ll head into 2026 with a sense of empowerment and purpose.

Adolescence can be a time of tremendous self-consciousness when it comes to appearance. No Brainer by Lea Beddia (Orca, Feb. 17) is a deeply affirming work that’s part of the Orca Anchors series for striving readers—books for teens written at a grade 2 level. Liv, who prefers to go braless, bravely questions social expectations, igniting controversy but inspiring others to reflect on sexism and objectification.

Jarrett Dapier was a Chicago-area librarian when the events of Wake Now in the Fire: A Story of Censorship, Action, Love, and Hope (Ten Speed Press, Feb. 3), transpired. Appalled when the public school district banned Marjane Satrapi’s celebrated graphic memoir Persepolis, Dapier interviewed students who were involved in the protests that helped overturn the ruling. From those interviews, he created this fictionalized graphic account, illustrated by AJ Dungo with colors by Angie Kang, of the incident that showcases the triumph of collective action in the face of censorship.

Readers who enjoy a dash of the paranormal will devour Hear Her Howl by Kim DeRose (Union Square & Co., 2025). In this fiercely feminist work, girls at a harsh, isolated Catholic boarding school reject the constraints their families and teachers try to impose upon them, instead channeling their inner wolves. Their lupine transformations represent both their individual, untamable selves and their power as pack members.

Pryce was closeted until he left Moss Pointe, Louisiana, for his historically Black college. Now the aspiring journalist is home for the summer, working on a podcast about the murders of four local high school football players, which were pinned on a gay classmate. Jumata Emill’s taut, page-turning mystery I Don't Wish You Well (Delacorte, Jan. 20) explores the courage it takes to speak out in an oppressive community.

Memoirs offer valuable road maps for navigating challenges. In Lovely One (Adapted for Young Adults) (Bright Matter Books, Jan. 20), Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson describes a life filled with hard-won achievements and guided by a strong inner moral compass. Her tone is inviting, frank, and down-to-earth, and readers will learn about the value of pursuing a variety of interests, seeking guidance from mentors, and persevering through imposter syndrome, among other life lessons.

Run Away With Me (Henry Holt, 2025) is a page-turning debut by J.L. Simmonds that combines thrills with deeper messages about self-confidence, honesty, and risking vulnerability and connection. Social outcast Jessie decides to run away—but doesn’t expect rich, popular Brooke to offer her a ride in her red vintage convertible. The girls’ cross-country road trip involves crime (petty and otherwise), near misses, unexpected love, and tremendous personal growth.

Laura Simeon is a young readers’ editor.