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Martin Luther King Day YA Reading List: New Releases

Every year we are re-inspired to read Nic Stone’s New York Times bestselling book Dear Martin. This Martin Luther King Day we are also diving into these new and upcoming releases by Black authors. Keep scrolling for our official Underlined Martin Luther King Day YA reading list!

New and Upcoming Releases

Finding Jupiter

Finding Jupiter

By Kelis Rowe

Sparks fly when Orion and Ray meet for the first time at a roller rink in Memphis. But these star-crossed souls have a past filled with secrets that threaten to tear them apart before their love story even begins. Found poetry, grief, and fate collide in this powerful debut.

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Soul of the Deep

Soul of the Deep

By Natasha Bowen

The stunning sequel to New York Times bestseller Skin of the Sea, in which the world must pay the price for one mermaid’s choice, and a dark force reverberates across realms. Perfect for anyone eagerly anticipating the live-action The Little Mermaid.

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Nubia: The Awakening

Nubia: The Awakening

By Omar Epps, Clarence A. Haynes

From beloved actor and producer Omar Epps and writer Clarence A. Haynes comes the biggest epic fantasy of the year. A powerful saga of three teens, the children of refugees from a fallen African utopia, who must navigate their newfound powers in a climate-ravaged New York City. Perfect for fans of Black Panther and Children of Blood and Bone.

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Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute

By Talia Hibbert

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Brown Sisters trilogy, comes a laugh-out-loud story about a quirky content creator and a clean-cut athlete testing their abilities to survive the great outdoors—and each other.

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Friday I'm in Love

Friday I'm in Love

By Camryn Garrett

It’s too late for a Sweet Sixteen, but what if Mahalia had a coming-out party? A love letter to romantic comedies, sweet sixteen blowouts, Black joy, and queer pride.

“A perfect ode to romantic comedies, wrapped in a dazzling rainbow dress.” —Rachael Lippincott, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Five Feet Apart and She Gets the Girl

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Sun Keep Rising

Sun Keep Rising

By Kristen R. Lee

When rent increases put a teen mom at risk of losing her home, she resorts to a dangerous game to keep her family afloat. But all games have consequences, and this isn’t one she can afford to lose. A gripping story about race, income instability, and the strength it takes to survive from a critically acclaimed author.

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The Black Queen

The Black Queen

By Jumata Emill

Nova Albright was going to be the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High—but now she’s dead. Murdered on coronation night. Fans of One of Us Is Lying and The Other Black Girl will love this unputdownable thriller.

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Chaos Theory

Chaos Theory

By Nic Stone

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin delivers a gripping romance about two teens: a certified genius living with a diagnosed mental disorder and a politician’s son who is running from his own addiction and grief. Don’t miss this gut punch of a novel about mental health, loss, and discovering you are worthy of love.

Scars exist to remind us of what we’ve survived.

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New in Paperback

The Gilded Ones #2: The Merciless Ones

The Gilded Ones #2: The Merciless Ones

By Namina Forna

The epic, hotly anticipated sequel to the instant bestseller The Gilded Ones about a girl with the power to remake her world—or destroy it.

“Fans of Children of Blood and Bone, Mulan, and the Dora Milaje from Black Panther are going to adore [The Gilded Ones].”—BuzzFeed

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Skin of the Sea

Skin of the Sea

By Natasha Bowen

The must-read Black mermaid fantasy series that #1 NYT bestselling author Nicola Yoon calls “epic and original,” in which one mermaid takes on the gods themselves. Perfect for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and anyone who can’t wait for the live-action The Little Mermaid.

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Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman

Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman

By Kristen R. Lee

A striking debut novel about racism on elite college campuses. Fans of Dear White People will embrace this activist-centered contemporary novel about a college freshman grappling with the challenges of attending an elite university with a disturbing racist history, which may not be as distant as it seems.

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Chlorine Sky

Chlorine Sky

By Mahogany L. Browne

From the first ever poet-in-residence at Lincoln Center comes a bold coming-of-age story told in verse about a young woman who loses a best friend, but finds herself in the process. The joys of basketball, the tumult of high school, and the bonds of family are lyrically woven together in this must-read novel.

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