William C. Morris YA Debut Award
William C. Morris YA Debut Award references 88 books assigned across applicable K-12 grade levels in US schools.
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The William C. Morris YA Debut Award, presented annually by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) since 2009, honors a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens. Its winners and finalists frequently become defining new voices in young adult literature.
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88 books referenced
- A Curse Dark as GoldElizabeth C. Bunce
- Ace of SpadesFaridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
- After the SnowS. D. Crockett
- Aisle NineIan X. Cho
- All the Fighting PartsHannah V. Sawyerr
- All the Noise at OnceDeAndra Davis
- AshMalinda Lo
- Beautiful Creatures: The Manga (A Graphic Novel)Cassandra Jean
- Because You'll Never Meet MeLeah Thomas
- Belle ÉpoqueElizabeth Ross
- Between Shades Of GrayRuta Sepetys
- Black Girl UnlimitedEcho Brown
- Blood Water PaintJoy McCullough
- Charm & StrangeStephanie Kuehn
- Check, Please! Book 1: # HockeyNgozi Ukazu
- Children of Blood and BoneTomi Adeyemi
- ConvictionKelly Loy Gilbert
- Crossing the TracksBarbara Stuber
- Darius the Great Is Not OkayAdib Khorram
- Dead Things Are Closer Than They AppearRobin Wasley
- Dear MartinNic Stone
- Devils WithinS. F. Henson
- Dr. Bird's Advice for Sad PoetsEvan Roskos
Firekeeper's DaughterAngeline Boulley
Show all 88 titles
- First Love Language · Stefany Valentine
- Flash Burnout · L. K. Madigan
- Frankly in Love · David Yoon
- Gabi, a Girl in Pieces · Isabel Quintero
- Genesis Begins Again · Alicia D. Williams
- Girl Mans Up · M-E Girard
- Graceling · Kristin Cashore
- Guardian of the Dead · Karen Healey
- Hell Followed with Us · Andrew Joseph White
- Hold Me Closer, Necromancer · Lish McBride
- Hold Still · Nina LaCour
- Hush · Eishes Chayil
- In the Shadow of Blackbirds · Cat Winters
- It Sounded Better in My Head · Nina Kenwood
- Love and other Perishable Items · Laura Buzo
- Love, Misha · Askel Aden
- Madapple · Christina Meldrum
- Me (Moth) · Amber McBride
- Me, the Missing, and the Dead · Jenny Valentine
- Not Like Other Girls · Meredith Adamo
- Once There Was · Kiyash Monsef
- Paper Covers Rock · Jenny Hubbard
- Rani Patel In Full Effect · Sonia Patel
- Red Flags and Butterflies · Sheryl Azzam
- Rez Ball · Byron Graves
- Saints and Misfits · S. K. Ali
- Saints of the Household · Ari Tison
- Seraphina · Rachel Hartman
- Sex & Violence · Carrie Mesrobian
- She Is a Haunting · Trang Thanh Tran
- Shut Up, This Is Serious · Carolina Ixta
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda · Becky Albertalli
- Starfish · Akemi Dawn Bowman
- Strange & Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender · Leslye Jo Anne Walton
- Tell Me Something Real · Calla Devlin
- The Black Kids · Christina Hammonds Reed
- The Candle and the Flame · Nafiza Azad
- The Carnival at Bray · Jessie Ann Foley
- The Everafter · Amy Huntley
- The Field Guide to the North American Teenager · Ben Philippe
- The Freak Observer · Blythe Woolston
- The Girl of Fire and Thorns Stories · Rae Carson
- The Hate U Give · Angie Thomas
- The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School · Sonora Reyes
- The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen · Isaac Blum
- The Miseducation of Cameron Post · Emily Danforth
- The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly · Stephanie Oakes
- The Scar Boys · Len Vlahos
- The Serpent King · Jeff Zentner
- The Smell of Other People's Houses · Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock
- The Story of Owen · E. K. Johnston
- The Summer of Bitter and Sweet · Jen Ferguson
- The Weight of Feathers · Anna-Marie McLemore
- The Wilderness of Girls · Madeline Claire Franklin
- There Will Come a Darkness · Katy Rose Pool
- Under the Mesquite · Guadalupe Garcia McCall
- Vampires, Hearts & Other Dead Things · Margie Fuston
- Wake the Bones · Elizabeth Kilcoyne
- What Beauty There Is · Cory Anderson
- What the Night Sings · Vesper Stamper
- Where Things Come Back · John Corey Whaley
- Wonder Show · Hannah Rodgers Barnaby
- Woven in Moonlight · Isabel Ibañez
- You and Me on Repeat · Mary Shyne
Reading the whole William C. Morris YA Debut Award reading list? Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.
Listen free on Audiblestarts instantlyNew members only · many assigned titles are included with the membership. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.
About this curriculum framework
This curriculum is one of dozens of named English Language Arts frameworks tracked across US public-school districts. Frameworks differ in scope (district-level vs state-level vs national), in mandate (required vs recommended vs elective), and in how prescriptive their reading lists are (single fixed text list vs broad reading-pool selection).
The book list below represents titles cited as required, recommended, or commonly assigned within this framework, sourced from the framework's primary documentation (or, where the framework is administered at district level, from public district curriculum pages). Each book's detail page links the specific source document for that citation.
How to use this William C. Morris YA Debut Award reading list
The book list above represents titles ReadingList has confirmed as referenced by William C. Morris YA Debut Award— either through the framework’s own published documentation, through audited classroom syllabi citing the framework, or through US state and district curriculum guides that map their reading expectations to it. Each book’s detail page links the specific primary source so parents, teachers, and students can verify the citation and locate the official document.
Reading lists evolve. William C. Morris YA Debut Award citations on ReadingList are reviewed on a rolling basis as primary sources publish updates. If you teach or learn under this framework and a title on this page is no longer used (or you know of one that should appear), the ReadingList methodology page explains how to submit a correction with a citation.
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Frequently asked questions
What books does William C. Morris YA Debut Award include?
88 books are referenced by William C. Morris YA Debut Award across applicable K-12 grade levels. Each book page cites the primary source assignment (the official curriculum standard, exemplar list, or syllabus where the title appears).
What grades does William C. Morris YA Debut Award cover?
William C. Morris YA Debut Award is a reading-program curriculum spanning applicable K-12 grade levels via the standards framework. Browse by grade using the grade-filter links on this page or visit /grade for the full grade index across all curricula.
Where does William C. Morris YA Debut Award data come from?
Sourced from published curriculum documents + standards organizations. Cross-referenced with Common Core exemplars at achievethecore.org. Every book page on ReadingList.school cites the standards origin for that assignment.
Is William C. Morris YA Debut Award required reading?
William C. Morris YA Debut Award provides recommended exemplars + assignments — adoption varies by district and teacher. Always check with your school's English department for the specific required vs recommended list at your grade level.
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