Raymond Santana. Pushing Hope: an Illustrated Memoir of Survival. October 2025. Published by Calkins Creek, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers, a division of Astra Publishing House. Hardback $24.99. 288 pages. 9781662680397. Ages 14-17.
Summary: Raymond Santana takes readers on a journey from his move to Harlem, to his arrest and trial, and from his time in prison to his ongoing fight for justice. Exonerated in 2002, Santana has made it his mission to fight wrongful convictions and injustice.
Trigger Warnings: Wrongful incarceration, racism, police misconduct, prison conditions, emotional trauma.
Sensitivity Note: This memoir addresses real-world injustices within the criminal legal system and includes firsthand accounts of trauma and incarceration that may be distressing for some readers.
TOP 10
Emma Bland-Smith. Growing Up in the Shadow of Alcatraz. January 2025. Published by Capstone Press, Hardback $22.95. 32 pages. 9781669088622. Ages 14 & Up.
Summary: This 32-page picture book by Emma Bland Smith offers a rare glimpse into the everyday lives of children who grew up on Alcatraz while their parents worked at the prison. Combining engaging storytelling, historical photographs, and firsthand accounts, the book brings to life the unique experiences of these families living on the island.
Trigger Warnings: References to incarceration, prison life, and historical hardships.
Sensitivity Note: While aimed at older readers, the book deals with life in a prison environment and may prompt reflection on the impact of incarceration on families.
TOP 10
Mariann Edgar Budde and Bryan Bliss. We Can be Brave. October 2025. Published by Dutton Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House. Hardback $12.99. 192 pages. 979821711381. Ages 10 -15.
Summary: We Can Be Brave: How We Learn to Be Brave in Life’s Decisive Moments is a young adult nonfiction guide by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde and novelist Bryan Bliss, adapted from Budde’s New York Times bestseller How We Learn to Be Brave. The book reframes bravery not as a single heroic act, but as an ongoing journey that often begins in youth. Through real-life examples and reflection, it highlights “pivot points”—moments when young people are called to push past fear to stand up to injustice, bullying, or wrongdoing.
Trigger Warnings: Discussions of bullying, injustice, moral conflict, and fear-based decision-making.
Sensitivity Note: The book addresses ethical challenges and emotionally charged situations in a reflective, supportive way. While generally hopeful and empowering, some scenarios involving conflict or injustice may resonate strongly with readers.
Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. Adapted by Paul Peart-Smith. Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States. October 2025. Published by Beacon Press. Hardback $22.95. 120 pages. 9780807012680. Ages 12 & Up.
Summary: This nonfiction graphic adaptation of Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’s acclaimed work, illustrated by Paul Peart-Smith, presents an accessible, visual history of the United States from an Indigenous perspective. Through full-color artwork and engaging storytelling, it centers the voices and experiences of Indigenous peoples displaced by European settlers and their descendants. Spanning more than 400 years, the book examines settler colonialism, genocide, and systemic efforts to erase Indigenous nations, while highlighting enduring resistance, resilience, and survival. It challenges foundational myths of American expansion and reframes U.S. history through the lens of Indigenous perseverance.
Trigger Warnings: Genocide, Colonization, Forced displacement, Cultural erasure, Boarding schools, Massacres and physical violence, Sexual violence (referenced), Broken treaties, Intergenerational trauma
Sensitivity Note: This work addresses historical and ongoing violence against Indigenous peoples. The content may be distressing, particularly for Indigenous readers and others directly impacted by colonialism and systemic oppression. While the book emphasizes resistance, resilience, and survival, readers are encouraged to engage with the material thoughtfully and at their own pace.
TOP 10
Candace Fleming. Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Loat Dream of Jonestown. April 2025. Published by Anne Schwartz Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Book, a division of Penguin Random House. Hardback $24.99. 368 pages. 978059340069. Ages 12-15.
Summary: Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown by Candace Fleming is a young adult work of creative nonfiction that examines the 1978 Jonestown massacre, in which cult leader Jim Jones led more than 900 followers to their deaths. Through careful research and narrative storytelling, the book traces the rise of the Peoples Temple, the manipulation and control Jones exerted over his followers, and the devastating collapse of a promised utopia. Fleming explores how idealism, fear, and betrayal combined to produce one of the most tragic events in modern history.
Trigger Warnings: Mass death, suicide, cult dynamics, psychological manipulation, abuse of power, violence, death of children.Sensitivity Note: This book discusses real historical trauma and mass loss of life in a factual but emotionally intense manner. Readers may find its exploration of coercion, death, and betrayal distressing, particularly given the young age of some victims.
Kristina R. Gaddy. A Most Perilous World. June 2025. Published by Dutton Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House. Hardback $19.99. 352 pages. 9780593855522. Ages 14 & Up.
Summary: Gaddy’s book recounts America’s turbulent years before and during the Civil War through the eyes of four children of prominent abolitionists, including Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison. By exploring their perspectives, the story illuminates the personal and societal struggles tied to slavery, activism, and the fight for freedom.
Trigger Warnings: Slavery, racial violence, war, death, family trauma, oppression.
Sensitivity Note: This historical account addresses the harsh realities of slavery and civil conflict. Readers may find depictions of violence, racism, and loss emotionally intense.
Elizabeth Leibo. Slay All Day: How to be Bold, Confident & Proud of Who You Are. December 2025. Published by Mango Media Publishing. Paperback $16.99. 143 pages. 9781684818938. Ages 10 – 13.
Summary: Slay All Day: How to Be Bold, Confident, and Proud of Who You Are by Elizabeth Leibo is a self-help workbook designed to empower readers to embrace their authentic selves. Through interactive exercises and guidance, the book encourages building confidence, practicing self-love, and rejecting societal pressures, helping readers take control of their lives and celebrate who they truly are.
Trigger Warnings: Discussions of self-esteem, societal pressure, and body/image expectations.
Sensitivity Note: This workbook promotes personal growth and empowerment. Some readers may find discussions about self-worth and societal judgment emotionally reflective or challenging.
Roya Marsh. Savings Time Poems. February 2025. Published by MCD, an imprint of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, a division of Macmillan. Hardback $24.99. 128 pages. 9780374615796. Ages 16 & Up.
Summary: In a collection of poems that move between breathless prose and measured lyricism, Marsh reflects on the contradictions and challenges of Black life in America. The poems address issues ranging from police brutality and urban gentrification to queer identity, presidential politics, and pop culture, while ultimately calling for a world grounded in care, survival, and collective healing.
Trigger Warnings: Police violence, racism, systemic injustice, gentrification, political conflict, discussions of queer identity.
Sensitivity Note: This poetry collection engages directly with contemporary social trauma and lived experiences of marginalization. Its themes and imagery may be emotionally intense for some readers, particularly those sensitive to depictions of racial violence or discrimination.
Patrick Ochieng. Displaced. August 2025. Published by CarolRhoda Books, an imprint of Lerner Publishing. Hardback $19.99. 224 pages. 9798765648698. Ages 10-13.
Summary: Displaced follows fourteen-year-old Kim as he navigates life after post-election violence forces his family to flee their home in suburban Kenya. Living in a camp for displaced persons, Kim struggles to adjust to his new reality, finding resilience, courage, and unexpected community along the way.
Trigger Warnings: Political violence, displacement, refugee experiences, family separation, trauma.
Sensitivity Note: This novel explores the emotional and physical impacts of forced migration and political unrest. Readers may find depictions of violence, loss, and upheaval distressing.
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