New Teen Novels Featuring Girls of Color

There are so many books out there, it can be hard to know what to read next. Why not start with these five fabulous new teen novels featuring girls of color?

Randa Abdel-Fattah's The Lines We Cross follows Mina, a Muslim Afghan-Australian teen attending prep school on scholarship, and Michael, a white student from a very Islamophobic family. When the two feel drawn to each other, they must tackle their differences head on.

In Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham, Rowan Chase finds a skeleton on her family’s property that leads her to Will Tillman, a biracial teen who lived in Tulsa, Okla., during the race riot of 1921.

Anna-Marie McLemore's Wild Beauty details the lives of the Nomeolvides women who can grow flowers with their bare hands but are cursed to have all their lovers disappear. When a young man in centuries-old clothes turns up in their garden, they begin to question the nature of the magic that controls their lives.

The first book in a new fantasy series, Forest of A Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao follows Xifeng, a poor village girl, as she runs away with her childhood friend and lover, Wei, to fulfill her destiny and become the Empress of Feng Lu.

Inspired by the author’s own immigration experience, You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins tracks the experiences of five women as they navigate family expectations, racism, colorism, and the collision of Indian and American cultures.

Which new teen books are you excited about?