YA Nonfiction bestsellers

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

“I listened to the audio and I highly recommend it. These two are a dynamite team. They were the narrators and it was perfect. More history needs to be told like this. Listened to it in 2 sittings and you will probably also, cause you will be fascinated.”

Julia, The Bookloft

This program is read by the author.

In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first...

The bestselling story of the young inventor who brought electricity to his Malawian village, now in an accessible middle grade edition

When a terrible drought struck William Kamkwamba’s tiny village in Malawi, his family lost all of the season’s crops, leaving them with nothing to eat and nothing to sell. The family was starving, and they could...

There was danger in the kind of beauty I was desperate to achieve. At only eight months old, identical twin sisters Ariel and Zan Henley were diagnosed with Crouzon syndrome—a rare condition where the bones in the head fuse prematurely. They were the first twins known to survive it. Growing up, Ariel and her sister endured numerous medical... Read more »

Don’t be intimidated by Shakespeare! These popular guides make the Bard’s plays accessible and enjoyable.
Each No Fear guide contains: The complete text of the original playA line-by-line translation that puts Shakespeare into everyday languageA complete list of characters with descriptionsPlenty of helpful commentary When Shakespeare’s words... Read more »

George M. Johnson, activist and bestselling author ofAll Boys Aren't Blue, returns with a striking memoir that celebrates Black boyhood and brotherhood in all its glory.

This is the vibrant story of George, Garrett, Rall, and Rasul -- four children raised by Nanny, their fiercely devoted grandmother. The boys hold one another close through early... Read more »

A New York Times bestseller and National Book Award winner

Jacqueline Woodson, the acclaimed author of Another Brooklyn, tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse. 
 
Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African... Read more »

Pocket Change Collective was born out of a need for space. Space to think. Space to connect. Space to be yourself. And this is your invitation to join us.

"Thank God we have Alok. And I'm learning a thing or two myself."--Billy Porter, Emmy award-winning actor, singer, and Broadway theater performer

"When reading this book, all I feel is... Read more »

This chapter book edition of the #1 New York Times bestseller by luminaries Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds is an essential introduction to the history of racism and antiracism in America
 
RACE. Uh-oh. The R-word. 
But actually talking about race is one of the most important things to learn how to do.

Adapted from the groundbreaking... Read more »

Too short. Too weird. Too quiet. Not true. Let Internet superstar Jeffrey Marsh help you end those negative thoughts and discover how wonderful you are.
 
An interactive experience, How to Be You invites you to make the audiobook your own through activities such as answering questions about how you do the things you do, and discovering patterns... Read more »

From the acclaimed Ojibwe author and professor Anton Treuer comes an essential book of questions and answers for Native and non-Native young listeners alike. Ranging from Why is there such a fuss about nonnative people wearing Indian costumes for Halloween? to Why is it called a 'traditional Indian fry bread taco'?, What's it like for natives... Read more »

“This rich volume is a national treasure.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Captivating, informative, and inspiring…Easy to follow and hard to put down.” —School Library Journal (starred review)

The inspiring autobiography of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, who helped launch Apollo 11.

As a young girl, Katherine Johnson showed an... Read more »

Apple

“I had never heard the slang term “Apple” before reading this book. In this powerful YA memoir Eric Gansworth tells the story of his family, Onondaga living among Tuscaroras, he tells what it means to be “red on the outside, white on the inside.” To say that this book made me think is most definitely an understatement, it continues to make me think, it continues to make me look in the mirror.”

Rayna, Garden District Book Shop

The young adult adaptation of the acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestseller Just Mercy--now a major motion picture starring Michael B. Jordan, Jaime Foxx, and Brie Larson and the subject of an HBO documentary feature!

In this very personal work--adapted from the original #1 bestseller, which the New York Times calls "as compelling as To Kill a... Read more »

This riveting nonfiction book for teens about race, class, gender, crime, and punishment tells the true story of an agender teen who was set on fire by another teen while riding a bus in Oakland, California. One teenager in a skirt. One teenager with a lighter. One moment that changes both of their lives forever. If it weren't for the 57 bus,... Read more »

An anthology of heartfelt, real-life stories about allyship authored by multiple, diverse voices. It will inspire young readers to inform themselves and further their knowledge to help, show respect, and champion the rights of people from all walks of life

Allyship is not a trend.

Allyship is a journey, but it's not always easy to know where to... Read more »

This heartfelt picture book biography, adapted for audio, tells the story of MaVynee Betsch, an African American opera singer turned environmentalist and the legacy she preserved.

MaVynee loved going to the beach. But in the days of Jim Crow, she couldn't just go to any beach--most of the beaches in Jacksonville were for whites only. Knowing... Read more »

The bestselling memoir by Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai.

I Am Malala. This is my story.

Malala Yousafzai was only ten years old when the Taliban took control of her region. They said music was a crime. They said women weren't allowed to go to the market. They said girls couldn't go to school.

Raised in a once-peaceful area of... Read more »

A 2021 Newbery Honor Book
A 2021 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book
A 2021 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist

A unique account of the amazing Thai cave rescue told in a heart-racing, you-are-there style that blends suspense, science, and cultural insight.

On June 23, 2018, twelve young players of the Wild Boars soccer team...

Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Between 1942 and 1945 Frankl labored in four different camps, including Auschwitz, while his parents, brother, and pregnant wife perished. Based on his own experience and the experiences...

“A brilliant work of US history.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
“Gripping.” —BCCB (starred review)
“Accessible…Necessary.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
A School Library Journal Best Nonfiction Book of 2019!

A National Book Award Finalist for Nonfiction, Never Caught is the eye-opening narrative of Ona Judge, George and Martha... Read more »

The beloved New York Times bestsellers and Kickstarter crowdfunding sensations are available on audio for the first time, read by a star-studded fierce female cast including Alicia Keys, Ashley Judd, Danai Gurira, Esperanza Spalding, Janeane Garofalo, Mozhan Marnò, Phillipa Soo, Rowan Blanchard, and Samira Wiley!

Good Night Stories for Rebel... Read more »

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

“The show “Mister Rogers’s Neighborhood” ran from 1968 to 2009, encouraging generations of children to learn about their feelings, talk through their problems, and fall in love with the world a jolly little trolley would bring them to. Fred Rogers wrote every piece of the show himself, from the topic to the music used, including the beloved songs collected in this treasury. Beautiful pieces of poetry in their own right, accompanied by colorful illustrations that draw you into the imagery of the poems, offer a walk down memory lane or an introduction for a new young friend, perfect for ages 6 and up.”

BrocheAroe, River Dog Book Co.

This beautifully illustrated board book edition of instant bestseller Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History showcases women who changed the world and is the perfect goodnight book to inspire big dreams.

Featuring 18 trailblazing black women in American history, Dream Big, Little One is the irresistible board book adaptation of Little... Read more »

SHOUT

“The best yet from Laurie Halse Anderson! A gripping and amazing memoir in verse - her words will haunt your thoughts and dreams. You will laugh, and cry, and wish that the world is not so hard for so many.”

Jenny, The Homer Bookstore

In the tradition of Hidden Figures and The Girls of Atomic City, Code Girls is the amazing true story of the young American women who cracked German and Japanese military codes during World War II.

More than ten thousand women served as codebreakers during World War II, recruited by the U.S. Army and Navy. While their brothers and boyfriends... Read more »

“[A] superb history.... In these thrilling, highly readable pages, we meet Rasputin, the shaggy, lecherous mystic...; we visit the gilded ballrooms of the doomed aristocracy; and we pause in the sickroom of little Alexei, the hemophiliac heir who, with his parents and four sisters, would be murdered by the Bolsheviks in 1918.” —The Wall Street... Read more »

Dramatically narrated case histories from Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's stellar career are interwoven with an account of her life—including her childhood, family, beliefs, many faceted personality, education, marriage, children, legal and judicial career, and other achievements. The cases described, many involving young people, demonstrate her...

A 2016 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist

National Book Award winner M. T. Anderson delivers a brilliant and riveting account of the Siege of Leningrad and the role played by Russian composer Shostakovich and his Leningrad Symphony.

In September 1941, Adolf Hitler’s Wehrmacht surrounded Leningrad in what was to...

BOOK OF THE YEAR: THE GUARDIAN

Winner of the 2020 Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing 

Longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction

“Dara’s is an extraordinary voice and vision: brave, poetic, ethical, lyrical, strong enough to have made him heard and admired from a young age.” —Robert Macfarlane

Evocative, raw, and beautifully written,...

Like many others on the autism spectrum, 20-something stand-up comic Michael McCreary has been told by more than a few well-meaning folks that he doesn’t “look” autistic. But, as he’s quick to point out in this memoir, autism “looks” different for just about everyone with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Diagnosed with ASD at age five, McCreary...

"This book is something I wish I could have read when I was younger." - Roxane Gay, from the foreword of Feminism Is...

It didn't just start with #MeToo. Today's feminism is more diverse than ever before and asks all kinds of questions. Feminism Is...tackles topics including intersectionality, the gender pay gap, the male gaze, and...

“A lyrical masterpiece.” —School Library Journal (starred review)

Originally performed at the Kennedy Center for the unveiling of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and later as a tribute to Walter Dean Myers, this stirring and inspirational poem is New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist Jason Reynolds’s rallying... Read more »

A Most Anticipated Book (Refinery29, HipLatina, Publishers Weekly, Latino Book Review, and more)!

Edited by The Bronx Is Reading founder Saraciea J. Fennell and featuring an all-star cast of Latinx contributors, Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed is a ground-breaking anthology that will spark dialogue and inspire hope.

In Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed,...

For African American women, the fight for the right to vote was only one battle. An eye-opening book that tells the important, overlooked story of black women as a force in the suffrage movement--when fellow suffragists did not accept them as equal partners in the struggle. Susan B. Anthony. Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Alice Paul. The Women's... Read more »

Big economic ideas, simply explained for young adults.

Does money make the world go round? Can money buy happiness? What would happen if a bank simply printed more money? Heads Up Money introduces economic theories to everyday life for young adults.

From the pennies in our pocket to the global financial boom, Heads Up Money puts theory into...

It’s an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne—everything—to rescue the one he loves. The best thing about this Story is—it’s true! And at the center of the Story, there is a baby. The Child upon whom everything would...

In this captivating and lavishly illustrated young adult edition of her award-winning #1 New York Times bestseller, Laura Hillenbrand tells the story of a former Olympian's courage, cunning, and fortitude following his plane crash in enemy territory. This adaptation of Unbroken introduces a new generation to one of history's most thrilling... Read more »

This program is read by Abby Wambach, and includes a bonus conversation.

In this young listeners adaptation of her #1 New York Times bestselling book, two-time Olympic gold medalist and FIFA World Cup champion Abby Wambach inspires the next generation to find their voice, unite their pack, and change the world.

From rising young star to...

Author-illustrator Vashti Harrison shines a bold, joyous light on black men through history in this #1 New York Times bestseller.
An important book for readers of all ages, this beautifully illustrated and engagingly written volume brings to life true stories of black men in history. Among these biographies, readers will find aviators and... Read more »

The compelling account of how two heritages united in their struggle to gain freedom and equality in America.

The first paths to freedom taken by runaway slaves led to Native American villages. There, black men and women found acceptance and friendship among our country's original inhabitants. Though they seldom appear in textbooks and movies,... Read more »

Nic Sheff was drunk for the first time at age eleven. In the years that followed, he regularly smoked pot, did cocaine and ecstasy, and developed addictions to crystal meth and heroin. Even so, he felt like he would always be able to quit and put his life together whenever he needed to. It took a violent relapse one summer in California to...

With passion and precision, Kekla Magoon relays an essential account of the Black Panthers—as militant revolutionaries and as human rights advocates working to defend and protect their community.

In this comprehensive, inspiring, and all-too-relevant history of the Black Panther Party, Kekla Magoon introduces readers to the Panthers’ community... Read more »

Veteran video game designer Dustin Hansen takes YA listeners on a fun and fascinating trip through the brief but intensely innovative history of video games.

Find out about the fast and furious growth and evolution of video games (including how they are quickly taking over the world!) by looking at some of the most popular, innovative, and... Read more »

From New York Times bestselling authors Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski comes the young listeners' edition of an unbelievable memoir about an unlikely friendship that forever changed the lives of a busy sales executive and a hungry eleven-year-old boy.

On one rainy afternoon, on a crowded New York City street corner, eleven-year-old Maurice... Read more »

A YALSA 2020 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Selection

“[P]rofound…a triumph—a full-throated howl to the moon to remind us why we choose to survive and thrive.” —Brendan Kiely, New York Times bestselling author of Tradition

“Razor-sharp, deeply revealing, and brutally honest…emotionally raw and deeply insightful.” —Booklist (starred review)
... Read more »

Sick of boring thick textbooks you can’t pay attention to? Having trouble learning new vocab or phrases? Want to speed up your French learning and take it to the next level?

Let your subconscious mind do the work for you. It's as easy as turning the track on and falling asleep!

The Swiss National Science Foundation claims that listening to a...

A young adult edition of the best-selling classic about the Holocaust and finding meaning in suffering, with a photo insert, a glossary of terms, a chronology of Frankl’s life, and supplementary letters and speeches

Viktor E. Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning is a classic work of Holocaust literature that has riveted generations of readers. Like...

Based on Karyn Parson's critically acclaimed Sweet Blackberry video series comes the story of Bessie Coleman, the first African American female to earn her pilot's license.
Before Bessie Coleman blazed a high trail with her plane . . . Before she performed in death-defying flying shows that would earn her fame as "Queen Bess" . . . Before she... Read more »

Experience the third episode of the Baumgartner & Momsen detective story series for German learners on your stereo or headphones, at home or on the go!

The narration style and speed of this audiobook is aimed at providing learners with real-world spoken German which is clearly understandable, not too fast, but also not too slow.

In a seedy...