We suggest: Best of 2021 teen fiction

Introducing Oak Park’s Best of 2021, a librarian-curated selection of titles, featuring some of the titles most requested and checked out by Oak Parkers! See our teen fiction favorites on this page or browse more using the links below.

Adult fiction & nonfiction | Teen fiction | Kids & picture books | TV shows, movies & music



Teen fiction

Book cover for Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang

Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang

Why you should try it: "I didn't think I would like a book ostensibly about basketball, but just like its creator, I became invested in the stories of the players, as well as Yang's own journey towards fulfilling his destiny."—Genevieve, Children's Services Librarian

Description: Gene doesn't get sports. But at Bishop O'Dowd High School, it's all anyone can talk about. The men's varsity basketball team, the Dragons, is having a phenomenal season that's been decades in the making. Each victory brings them closer to their ultimate goal: the California State Championships. Once Gene gets to know these young all-stars, he realizes that their story is just as thrilling as anything he's seen on a comic book page. What he doesn't know yet is that this season is not only going to change the Dragons' lives but his own life as well.

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Book cover for Fire Keeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Why you should try it: "This debut is a stunning thriller, rich with Ojibwe culture."—Jenna, Collection Management Librarian

Description: Daunis, who is part Ojibwe, defers attending the University of Michigan to care for her mother and reluctantly becomes involved in the investigation of a series of drug-related deaths.

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Book cover for Fresh by Margot Wood

Fresh by Margot Wood

Why you should try it: "Inspired by Emma (my favorite Austen book), I loved how realistically messy the heroine is. Bonus points for being set in college and having a queer lead!"—Jenna, Collection Management Librarian

Description: Elliot McHugh enters her first year of college not knowing what to expect but after parties, new friends, and tough tests, she begins to learn a lot about herself and what is important.

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Book cover nstructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon

Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon

Why you should try it: "I'm a sucker for some magical realism and teenagers working out their emotions!"—Genevieve, Children's Services Librarian

Description: After picking up a book from the library, Yvette—who has given up on love—gains the ability to see how other people's romantic relationships will end.

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Book cover for The Project by Courtney Summers

The Project by Courtney Summers

Why you should try it: "For fans of Sharp Objects, Courtney Summers mixes terror into family life."—Beronica, Children's Services Librarian

Description:  Lo Denham is used to being on her own. After her parents died, Lo's sister, Bea, joined The Unity Project, leaving Lo in the care of their great aunt. Thanks to its extensive charitable work and community outreach, The Unity Project has won the hearts and minds of most in the Upstate New York region, but Lo knows there's more to the group than meets the eye.

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Book cover for Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

Why you should try it: "This story is of a young, Black mermaid who defies her gods to do what she knows is the right thing. Natasha Bowen incorporates West African folklore in a beautiful and enchanting way. Word of caution: you will have to take a step back and breathe a few times, but you will go back wanting to know more."—Beronica, Children's Services Librarian

Description: Transformed by the goddess Yemoja into a Mami Wati, an African mermaid charged with collecting the souls of those who die at sea, Simi goes against the gods to save a living boy, Kola, from drowning.

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Book cover for So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix by Bethany C. Morrow

So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix by Bethany C. Morrow

Why you should try it: "I grew up reading Little Women, and this is a golden age for retellings! This is one of my favorites, as the author chose to stay close to the spirit of the story and characters, without directly transplanting the originals. There's a great balance of familiar and new here, and the whole thing is just wonderful and complex."—Shelley, Children's Services Librarian

Description: At the Freedman's Colony of Roanoke Island, a haven for the recently emancipated, the four March sisters—Meg, Joanna, Bethlehem, and Amethyst—come into their own as independent young Black women together facing love, sickness, heartbreak, and new horizons.

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Book cover for White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson

White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson

Why you should try it: "This haunted house story was such a thrilling read for spooky season!"—Jenna, Collection Management Librarian

Description: Marigold's mom has accepted a new job with the Sterling Foundation, in the embattled Midwestern city of Cedarville, that comes with a free house, one that Mari now has to share with her bratty 10-year-old stepsister, Piper. The renovated picture-perfect home on Maple Street, sitting between dilapidated houses, surrounded by wary neighbors has its...secrets. That's only half the problem: household items vanish, doors open on their own, lights turn off, shadows walk past rooms, voices can be heard in the walls, and there's a foul smell seeping through the vents only Mari seems to notice. Worse: Piper keeps talking about a friend who wants Mari gone.

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