102 YA Books by Black Authors: An Essential Reading List

102 YA Books by Black Authors: An Essential Reading List

Young Adult (YA/Teen) books by Black authors are some of my favourite all-time reads. The best YA books written by Black authors are all on our ultimate list. This list of new and best teen Black author books is better than a trip to the bookstore! So many of my favourite books have been authored by Black authors and this post is my way of showing support to these authors. So, open your book tracking app and get ready to add these fantastic YA books by Black authors to your TBR.

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YA Books by Black Authors

Last Updated: May 30, 2023

  1. African Town by Charles Waters

2. Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle

3. Blackout: A Novel by Dhonielle Clayton

4. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

5. Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann

6. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

7. Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles

8. I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forest

9. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

10. The Field Guide to the North American Teenager  by Ben Phillipe

11. You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

12. The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass

13. Truly Madly Royally by Debbie Rigaud

14. The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert

15. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

16. Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds

17. With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

18. The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk

19. Promposal by RaeChell Garrett

20. Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

21. Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass

22. Fate of Flames by Sarah Raughley

23. A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

24. Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson

25. Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

26. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

27. This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron

28. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

29. Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

30. The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

31. Fresh Ink by Lamar Giles

32. Some Other Now by Sarah Everett

33. On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

34. The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

35. The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

36. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

37. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

38. One True Loves by Elise Bryant

39. Dear Martin by Nic Stone

40. Blood Scion by Deborah Falayne

41. Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon

42. Whiteout: A Novel by Dhonielle Clayton

43. Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige

44. If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann

45. Love is a Revolution by Renée Watson

46. SLAY by Britney Morris

47. Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

48. The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed

49. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

50. All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

51. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds

52. Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown

53. Wings of Ebony by J. Elle

54. A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney

55. Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood

56. The Rumor Game by Dhonielle Clayton

57. The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson

58. Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart

59. The Chosen One by Echo Brown

60. American Street by Ibi Zoboi

61. Charming As a Verb by Ben Phillipe

62. Mera: Tidebreaker by Danielle Paige

63. The Davenports by Krystal Marquis

64. When the Vibe is Right by Sarah Dass

65. The Marvelous by Claire Kann

66. Chaos Theory by Nic Stone

67. Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles

68. The Summer of Everything by Julian Winters

69. Only on the Weekends by Dean Atta

70. Solo by Kwame Alexander

71. Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert

72. Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray

73. This is My America by Kim Johnson

74. The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds

75. Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

76. A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Rosanne A. Brown

77. Smash It! by Francina Simone

78. Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi

79. Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron

80. Monster by Walter Dean Myers

81. We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds

82. Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling by Elise Bryant

83. As You Walk on By by Julian Winters

84. Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

85. Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney

86. Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith

87. Me (Moth) by Amber McBride

88. The Skin I’m In by Sharon G. Flake

89. When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk

90. White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson

91. Black Enough by Ibi Zoboi

92. This Side of Home by Renée Watson

93. When You Look Like Us by Pamela N. Harris

94. One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite

95. I’m a Wild Seed by Sharon Lee De La Cruz

96. Like Home by Louisa Onome

97. The Awakening of Malcolm X by Ilyasah Shabazz

98. Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman by Kristen R. Lee

99. Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters

100. Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

101. Somebody That I Used to Know by Dana Davis

102. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

YA books by Black authors are books that I am excited to share and celebrate. This list is just the tip of the iceberg, and I hope that you find one that intrigues you to try. There are so many more YA Black authors to enjoy and there is a fantastic list on Goodreads to explore as well. What YA books by Black authors will you be reading?


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About The Candid Cover

Olivia ❀ YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, novice New Yorker, & professional bibliophile.

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