This month in Teen Books: December 2020

Reading recommendations for December 2020
December 21, 2020
It’s the time of year again to look for the perfect young adult book to gift to a voracious teen reader in your life. Or, let’s be perfectly honest in a time where comfort comes at a premium— for readers of any age who enjoy a good YA novel.
 
emberintheashes-(1).jpg An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
The finale to Tahir’s epic fantasy series, A Sky Beyond the Storm, was just released this month. If you’re already a fan, make sure to get on the hold list for your format of choice now! But for those who aren’t already familiar with the series, now is a great time to start from the first book. When Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, she infiltrates the empire’s feared military academy on a quest to rescue him. There, she meets Elias, a soldier of noble pedigree who secretly questions the callous, systemic brutality of his peers and mentors.
 

What’s New This Month
Some highly anticipated YA books are hitting shelves at the start of the new year, including titles from Angie Thomas, Ilyasah Shabazz, Ryan La Sala, Sara Shepard, and Sharon Flake.
 

Trending Now
A lot of us are glued to our streaming services these days, so some of you may already be anticipating the Netflix debut of Tiny Pretty Things, based on the YA novel by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton. Once you see the show (and read the book!), make sure to check out these books next:
 

 



 
 
What We’re Reading
Library staff is reading a lot of comics this month, from the manga series Blue Flag and Witch Hat Atelier to Gene Luen Yang’s Dragon Hoops and Katherena Vermette’s A Girl Called Echo. Other teen picks from library staff this month include the fantastic Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger, and Beyond the Gender Binary from the Pocket Change Collection series of teen nonfiction.
 

For more lists of recommended reads from the book world and beyond, check these out: