Cover Story: Coming of age

Here are our librarians' picks of the best teen reads in the coming of age genre.

This Book Won't Burn

Samira Ahmed

After Noor’s father abandons his wife and daughters, they decide to start over in a new town where Noor can keep her head down and finish out high school in peace. However, when she sees books are being removed from the school library shelves in an attempt to censor LGBTQ+ writers and authors of colour, she realises she must stand up and fight for what she believes in, regardless of the consequences.

9780349125527 Little, Brown: 2024

Bird Boy

Catherine Bruton

After losing his mum, city-born Will has been sent to live with his uncle in the middle of the countryside, where he finds himself friendless, isolated, and miserable. The chance discovery of an Osprey’s nest in the mountains changes everything, helping him to forget his problems and even make a new friend.  But with the Ospreys in trouble, Will faces a difficult choice. Is he prepared to help the birds even if it means sacrificing his new-found happiness?

9781839946493 Nosy Crow: 2024

Jay’s Guide to Crushing It

Ruby Clyde

At her last school Jay was badly bullied for her short hair and love of skateboarding, so a new school offers the chance for a fresh, more conventional, start. But as Jay begins to miss her old life, she begins sneaking down to the local skate park in disguise as a boy, leading to some unexpected and very embarrassing misunderstandings.  A very funny and romantic celebration of learning to embrace what makes you, you.

9780702325076 Scholastic: 2023

Indi Raye is Totally Faking It

Lauren Layfield

Indi is starting a new school and is desperate to fit in, but why can’t she stop lying to everyone about her not-so-perfect life? Written as a teenager's diary, this hilarious book about growing up, friendships, crushes, pet lizards, and working in a chip shop is sure to make you laugh! This new series by CBBC presenter Lauren Layfield is perfect for fans of Geek Girl and the Lottie Brooks series.

9781444959727 Hodder: 2023

King of Nothing

Nathanael Lessore

After being forced to attend a youth group, “King of the School” Anton has no choice but to spend time with his social opposite, Matthew. Together the boys build a secret friendship as Anton tries (and fails) to improve Matthew’s reputation, without his “real” mates ever finding out. But who will truly be there for him when the going gets tough? A hilarious yet heartfelt coming of age story, from the Carnegie-nominated author of Steady for This.

9781471413247 Hot Key: 2024

Louder than Hunger

John Schu

Bullied by his peers, Jake is struggling to cope. Avoiding people his own age, he prefers to spend his time volunteering at a local nursing home and begins to control his eating as a way of making himself feel smaller. This tear-jerking novel-in-verse uses the author’s own adolescent experience of disordered eating to explore how body dysmorphia and restrictive eating habits can affect men and boys. With an incredibly moving afterword from the author, this is a difficult but impactful read.

9781529514568 Walker Books: 2024

Us in the Before and After

Jenny Valentine

Elk and Mab have been BFFs since they were eleven, with such a strong bond that not even death itself can divide them. Over a long, hot summer these two friends, one girl and one ghost, must grapple with their new reality, lingering tensions, and the tangled choices that led to that fatal night. Grief, love, and quantum physics are all woven together in this sensitive exploration of traumatic loss and its aftermath. Perfect for fans of John Green and Sarah Barnard.

9781471196584 Simon & Schuster: 2024

Like A Girl

Rebecca Westcott

Eden and Bea used to be best friends, but since Year 7 Bea has been queen of the Glossy Girls, a group of cruel friends who use social media to humiliate their classmates. Eden just wants to avoid being noticed but, when she beats Glossy Mikki in a track race, hiding in the shadows is no longer an option.  Now Eden faces a choice: join the cool gang, or risk social annihilation. Sport, community, and solidarity are all celebrated in this moving story perfect for fans of Holly Bourne.

9780702318467 Scholastic: 2024

Taylor Blake is a Legend

Laura James Williams

Taylor is convinced that France is the coolest country in the world, so she is beyond excited about the imminent French exchange, especially when her partner turns out to be an actual, very handsome, boy! The French are the world experts in kissing, aren’t they? So will she finally get the first kiss of her dreams? This funny story about first love, first kisses and the importance of friendship is ideal for fans of Jacqueline Wilson and Holly Smale.

9781526668059 Bloomsbury: 2024