As Hamlet says in Something Rotten, the fourth book in Jasper Fforde’s madcap Thursday Next mystery series, “If the real world were a book, it would never find a publisher. Overlong, detailed to the point of distraction—and ultimately, without a major resolution.”

Translating themes and events that have personal meaning for you into a form that’s accessible to and engaging for strangers is tricky. Where to begin and end? What should you elide, omit, or emphasize for the sake of better storytelling? People notice when novels lack a ring of authenticity, but sometimes when a book “doesn’t work,” the issue isn’t a matter of knowledge or authority, but of the skill needed to shape a satisfying narrative arc. When it comes to writing as an adult for younger readers—offering the gift of hard-won perspective earned over time without lecturing or condescending—the challenge is even greater. The following works, each intimately tied up with emotionally resonant aspects of the author’s life, succeed in translating the messiness of reality into compelling fiction.

While attending academically intense private schools, Ann Liang struggled with imposter syndrome. She channels these experiences into her latest, I Am Not Jessica Chen (Harper/HarperCollins, Jan. 28), an intriguing and insightful body-swap story in which Jenna, who attends a rigorous prep school and feels like she doesn’t measure up, finds herself inhabiting her overachieving cousin Jessica’s body.

The Fragments That Remain (DCB Young Readers, March 8) is a gut-wrenching debut by Mackenzie Angeconeb (Anishinaabe) that follows siblings who, like the author, live with the loss of cultural identity that affects many Indigenous families. As a sister grieves the brother she lost to an overdose, reading the poems he left behind helps her heal.

Shana Youngdahl, who’s from Paradise, California, which was ravaged in the 2018 Camp Fire, sets A Catalog of Burnt Objects (Dial Books, March 18) in a fictional version of her hometown. This deeply moving novel focuses on a high school senior and the people in her orbit—ordinary folks whose lives are devastated by an extreme (yet increasingly common) natural disaster.

The eponymous protagonist of Huda Fahmy’s heartfelt, reassuring, and often hilarious Huda F Wants To Know? (Dial Books, April 1) is an overscheduled high school junior who’s struggling with her mental health. She has a distracting crush on a cute boy, a poor grade in AP Calculus, and parents who have suddenly announced they’re divorcing, upending the family order.

Debut author Briana Johnson, who was adopted and raised by her grandfather, explores intrafamily adoption in If I Could Go Back (Peachtree Teen, May 6). This nuanced story digs into complex themes such as family secrets, conflicted feelings, and loyalty to loved ones vs. curiosity about one’s origins. Aaliyah uncovers long-buried family issues and grapples with panic disorder.

Former football player Victoria Zeller is the transgender author of One of the Boys (Levine Querido, May 13). Her entertaining and empowering debut centers on Grace, who came out as trans and quit football. But now her team needs their star kicker if they want to win state—and while she still loves the game, Grace’s return exposes exclusionary attitudes.

Laura Simeon is a young readers’ editor.