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After her sophomore year in high school, Apple Starkington, who grew up feeling like she didn’t fit in with her White father and stepmother, spends the summer at the Turtle Mountain Chippewa reservation getting to know her Native family members for the first time.

This short-story collection features tales of young Latinos in California who face real-life problems big and small, including making the baseball team. While baseball isn’t the focus of every story, the coming-of-age themes are relatable to any tween.

Filled with action, humor, and drama, this anthology compiles short stories, poems, even a play from young adult authors like Jerry Spinelli and Sue Corbett.

Conservative, slightly uptight Leo finally finds out who his biological father is — his name is Maggot and he’s the lead singer of an old punk band that’s headed back on the road. Leo joins them to earn money and get to know how on earth this man could be his father.

LaLa learns the stories of her Awful Grandmother and weaves them into a colorful family history. The “caramelo,” a striped shawl begun by her Great-Grandmother, symbolizes their traditions.

This classic poem, which may not be familiar to kids today, is given a contemporary update by illustrator Joe Morse, who moves the setting to the inner city. Contrast this version with other illustrated versions of the poem and examine how the illustrations and text work together to affect meaning.

Hattie enjoys her family and the boarders in her parents’ rooming house. Her wealthy grandmother is tough sometimes, but Hattie doesn’t get discouraged. When her mentally challenged Uncle Adam comes to live with them, Hattie must determine who in her family is most important.

This humorous and heartwarming novel takes place during the summer of 1962, when narrator Jack Gantos turns 12 and has been “grounded for life” by his parents. He takes on a summer job writing obituaries filled with stories about the people who founded his Utopian town, Norvelt. Gantos expertly mixes truth and fiction in this book, which won the Newbery award in 2012. For mature readers 9-12 and teens.

Danny decides to spend the summer after his freshman year in college working with his estranged Dad at a resort town in Maine. Danny doesn’t know until he gets to Ogunquit that the restaurant he’s working in had largely gay staff and clientele. Danny doesn’t mind, but it’s strange being one of the only straight guys in town.

Celeste has been looking forward to the long summer ahead of her — helping out at her parent’s resort and spending time with her boyfriend, Travis, who also works there. Everything is going perfectly until Nick arrives. Nick has flirted with Celeste every summer and keeps it up this summer, even in front of Travis. Will Celeste be able to stay true to her boyfriend, or will Nick’s flirting get the best of her?

Now not only does Peter’s little brother, Fudge, decide he loves Peter’s sworn enemy, Sheila Tubman, his parents rent a vacation home with them! There, a grandparent from each family meets, fall in love, and decide to marry — making Sheila and Peter relatives. Rip-roaring humor abounds in this rollicking continuing family saga.

When Wycca, a dragon living in the 13th century, stumbles through a gateway to the future, she lands in present day Boston, followed shortly thereafter by the wizards looking for her. What can 11-year old Theodora do and how did she get mixed up in this anyway?

To avoid spending time with his father and his new girlfriend, eleven-year-old Nathan goes to stay with his grandma, Nali, on the Navajo reservation where Nathan meets a Holy Being from the Navajo Creation Story—a Water Monster in need of his help.

Brit’s parents go on vacation, leaving her with her 85-year old grandmother. But Nannie has vacation plans of her own — she is going to her 65th college reunion, and she’s taking her classmates with her. As the “girls” head up Interstate 95, the plot expands to include everything from kidnapping to the rights of the elderly. This is a fast-paced and fun intergenerational adventure.

Harper Evans wants to help. She’s always been passionate about the planet, but also desires to help people who live on it. So when her father suggests she spend the summer with Homes from the Heart, she jumps at the chance to help build a new house for a family in a Tennessee community devastated by a tornado. She feels a little guilty though because it’s not just an opportunity for her to help; it’s her chance to run away from her dad’s divorce, stepsister’s hostility and her boyfriend situation.

Juliet Milagros Palante is a self-proclaimed closeted Puerto Rican baby dyke from the Bronx. Only, she’s not so closeted anymore. Not after coming out to her family the night before flying to Portland, Oregon, to intern with her favorite feminist writer — what’s sure to be a life-changing experience. And when Juliet’s coming out crashes and burns, she’s not sure her mom will ever speak to her again. But Juliet has a plan — sort of. Her internship with legendary author Harlowe Brisbane, the ultimate authority on feminism, women’s bodies, and other gay-sounding stuff, is sure to help her figure out this whole “Puerto Rican lesbian” thing. Except Harlowe’s white. And not from the Bronx. And she definitely doesn’t have all the answers.

In a summer bursting with queer brown dance parties, a sexy fling with a motorcycling librarian, and intense explorations of race and identity, Juliet learns what it means to come out — to the world, to her family, to herself. Over the Rainbow Project Booklist.

This book is also available as a graphic novel and in a Spanish edition.

Rita Williams-Garcia tells the story of three sisters who travel to Oakland, California, in 1968 to meet the mother who abandoned them.

What happens to a city kid who spends the summer in the country? Sheila Tubman (aka as Peter Hatcher’s nemesis) finds out as she confronts her fears ranging from dogs to swimming. Snappy dialog and recognizable characters come to life through Sheila’s narration.

Two girls move to the beach for the summer, but their trip turns out to be anything but a carefree vacation. The girls find jobs at the Howling Wolf Inn, but their trouble starts when they find the resort completely abandoned.

It’s 1953 and 11-year-old Penny dreams of a summer of butter pecan ice cream, swimming, and baseball. This coming-of-age story is populated by a cast of vivid family characters and it explores the things that tear them apart and the things that bring them back together. The book includes an Author’s Note with photographs and additional background on World War II, Internment camps, and 1950s America.

Raymie Clarke has come to realize that everything, absolutely everything, depends on her. And she has a plan. If Raymie can win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, then her father, who left town two days ago with a dental hygienist, will see Raymie’s picture in the paper and (maybe) come home. To win, not only does Raymie have to do good deeds and learn how to twirl a baton; she also has to contend with the wispy, frequently fainting Louisiana Elefante, who has a show-business background, and the fiery, stubborn Beverly Tapinski, who’s determined to sabotage the contest. But as the competition approaches, loneliness, loss, and unanswerable questions draw the three girls into an unlikely friendship — and challenge each of them to come to the rescue in unexpected ways.

The “Hollywood” where Sammy Santos and Juliana Ríos live is not the West Coast one, the one with all the glitz and glitter. This Hollywood is a tough barrio at the edge of a small town in southern New Mexico. Sammy and this friends—members of the 1969 high school graduating class—face a world of racism, dress codes, war in Vietnam and barrio violence. In the summer before his senior year begins, Sammy falls in love with Juliana, a girl whose tough veneer disguises a world of hurt.

Chris and Win decide to spend their summer between high school and college on a cross country bicycle trip. Win has always been somewhat secretive, but when Chris sees a huge amount of money in Win’s belongings, he wonders if there’s more to this trip than Win shared. And that’s before Win disappears.

Ever since she called 911 from a teen party, Melinda has quieted her voice, literally and figuratively. She only finds it when its needed to prevent a reoccurrence of the same horror. This stunning look at sexual assault and peer pressure is presented in a highly readable form.