A constant hush hangs over the room. The only audible sound is the brush of shoes on carpet and the hum of a fan. Books glitter in their plastic covers on seemingly countless rows of towering wooden shelves. No matter the hectic environment outside, for some, the serenity of a library can feel like home. 

According to Jennifer Buehler, an associate professor of educational studies at the Saint Louis University School of Education, with phones easily accessible in students’ pockets, they tend to read in short bursts, which leads them away from reading books. However, reading for enjoyment could help reverse these trends.

Below is The Black and White’s list of the most highly anticipated young adult book releases for 2026, and other books high school students should consider reading: 

“Saving Francesca” by Melina Marchetta

This contemporary book is set in Sydney, Australia, in the early 2000s. The story follows Francesca, who has just started at a Catholic high school as part of the first cohort of girls accepted. As she navigates new friendships, her mother’s mental illness, her own identity and love, Francesca discovers how to save her identity and voice through independence. 

“Legendary Frybread Drive-In: Intertribal Stories” edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith

A Printz award-winning collection of stories centered around different Native American teenagers, this book joins different tales together through the same place — Sandy June’s Legendary Frybread Drive-In. It features teenagers connecting with their elders to explore important questions about their lives. 

Buehler said she was incredibly happy that Legendary Frybread Drive-In won the Printz Award. 

“That book is just fun, innovative, different, a little bit magical, a little bit real,” Buehler said. 

“These Violent Delights” by Chloe Gong

As an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet set in 1920s Shanghai, this book is part historical fiction, part fantasy and part romance, with frequent references to the original play. In this version, star-crossed lovers Roma and Juliette are heirs to rival gangs, and they must fight off a monster that causes people to go insane.  

“Pick the Lock” by A.S. King

Set during the pandemic, this surreal story follows Jane, a teenage girl aiming to uncover family secrets. Having lived her whole life with video cameras in her house, she navigates the lies told about her mother, who is a punk rock artist. Buehler recommends the bold and entertaining novel.

“It’s an incredibly loud, proud feminist text about figuring out the truth,” Buehler said. 

“Queen of Faces” by Petra Lord

This dark academia fantasy novel about a girl, Anabelle Gage, trapped in a body rotting from the inside out, was released in January. It’s set in a world where the wealthy can buy and swap bodies as a kind of fashion. Anabelle must navigate a magical academy and become an assassin for the magical elite to survive while working with a group of rebels and a bombmaker. The story is full of character development and plot. Critics have recommended it to fans of the novel “Atlas Six.”  

“Everything, Everything” by Nicola Yoon

In this story, the main character, Madeline Whittier, has Severe Combined Immunodeficiency — a rare immune system disorder that means she can never leave her house. However, when the new boy, Ollie, moves in next door, she starts connecting with him first online and then in person. Readers follow Madeleine as she falls in love with Ollie and grows increasingly desperate to leave her house. 

“The Gilded Blade” by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Set to be released on July 14, this book is the third and final in “The Grandest Game” series, a spinoff of the bestselling series “The Inheritance Games.” It concludes the story begun in “The Grandest Game” and continued in the second book, “Glorious Rivals,” with danger, mystery and romance. The series follows seven invited contestants competing on an island for a big cash prize through solving puzzles and riddles while dealing with personal secrets.  

“Twenty-Four Seconds from Now…” by Jason Reynolds

Award-winning novel “Forever” by Judy Blume follows two high school teenagers and their relationship, and “Twenty-Four Seconds from Now…” pays homage to that story. Reynolds’ book features high school seniors Neon and Arya, who decide they are ready to have sex for the first time right before they graduate. The story is told in reverse chronological order from their decision, but it also features the boy’s experience, including his hopes, fears and insecurities. Buehler recommended it as funny and loving, especially because of the positive roles adults play in the novel. 

“Looking for Smoke” by K.A. Cobell

The Blackfeet reservation in Montana spans 1.5 million acres, serving as this thriller’s eerie setting. The novel follows the stories of four teens who are investigating and suspects in the murder of one of their classmates, Samantha, after a giveaway ceremony. The book was released in 2024 and covers themes of loss, grief and identity alongside the severe real-world issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women, including many surprising plot twists. 

“Armaveni” by Nadine Takvorian

In the book, Takvorian has always wanted to uncover her family’s history in Armenia and Turkey, but her parents won’t tell her. Released in March, this autobiographical graphic novel chronicles San Francisco high schooler Takvorian’s hunt for more information about her family’s history during the Armenian genocide, switching perspectives between the present day and the past. She discovers her history and the courage to speak up against other injustices. Although the story is a memoir, it also follows Takvorian’s discovery of her people’s persecution and her frustration when it goes unrecognized by many. 

“Postscript” by Cory McCarthy

“Postscript” is an imaginative story about what is left after the world falls apart. This post-apocalyptic dystopian novel features a small handful of survivors living on an archipelago off the coast of Massachusetts, after climate change, flooding and storms have wiped out most of the population. The narrative explores the potential bonds that can form between the few who remain. Buehler said this book is beautiful and an incredibly visionary portrait of humanity. 

“Every book a person reads can open their mind and their heart to a new world,” Buehler said. “It’s totally about expanding your experience of your own life and other people.”