21 Crucial Books For 11th Graders To Navigate Change

The third book in the To All the Boys series is perfect for juniors because it focuses on Lara Jean’s college decision. Lara Jean has to decide if she and Peter will stay together after high school, even if it means they’re apart.

Juniors will learn a lot from Westover’s harrowing memoir and her pursuit of education despite her abusive family life. 11th graders are developing their own opinions about current issues, which mirror’s Westover’s own experience leaving her family home to attend college.

At age 14, actress Diane Guerrero arrived home from school to an empty house. Her parents had been detained by immigration authorities. Diane, a U.S.-born citizen, stayed in the United States after her parents were deported to Colombia. 11th graders will learn a lot from her adversity and strength.

This is a sweeping love story about two teens who meet by chance. Natasha is trying to keep her family from being deported to Jamaica. Daniel is a hopeless romantic afraid to tell his Korean parents about his true dreams. As they spend a day together, Yoon makes readers wonder if everything happens for a reason.

This is an important read for 11th graders. In a small, hockey-obsessed town, one of the players is accused of sexual assault. The reactions of his peers and the adults in the town play out over the course of the novel. Readers will examine rape culture and how it affects us all.

Defying your parents’ expectations can be difficult. In American Panda, 17-year-old Mei starts college a year early, just like her parents always wanted. But her true dream is to dance, not become a doctor as her parents expect. 11th graders will connect with Mei as they start to make their own choices about the future.

This is a devastating story that highlights the injustice in the American criminal justice system. It’s a great read for 11th graders because it’s set at a reform school for teen boys. It will start conversations about racism and criminal justice reform.

We’ve seen tons of teens lead the fight against global climate change. For those who aren’t as well-informed about climate change, Dry is a perfect read. It imagines a near-future where Southern California has run out of water. Panic ensues and a small group of kids ends up together, all trying to survive. The novel is fast-paced, exciting, and terrifying. It’s a commentary about climate change as well as human behavior.

Don’t sleep on this book: it was a Printz Honor Book and, despite the unfortunate cover art, is a compelling high school political drama. This book is for anyone who loves political and interpersonal drama. It’s narrated by Claudia, a novice historian. She recounts her rise to power in her high school’s prestigious student government. Despite seeing the abuses of her predecessors, Claudia can’t help but fall victim to the corruption of power.

This is a surprising young adult contemporary novel about Parker Grant, a junior who is blind and dealing with her father’s recent death. It’s a fascinating portrayal of life as a blind high schooler. It’s also a great example of the importance of developing, setting, and enforcing boundaries with others, an important lesson for 11th graders.

In this book, a group of misfits bands together to avenge the rape of a classmate. It’s an examination of a number of feminist ideas: rape culture, slut-shaming, sexuality, and gender roles. Readers will feel vindicated and inspired by the three main characters.

As America continues to deal with an opioid crisis, Mindy McGinnis’s novel about a high school student who becomes addicted to opiates is as relevant as ever. Mickey is a star softball player entering her senior year when she’s injured in a car accident. What begins as pain management quickly spirals out of control as Mickey becomes dependent on opiates. It’s a harrowing account of how a seemingly average girl with a supportive family can fall victim to drug addiction.

The premise of this novel will keep juniors turning the pages. Rico is working at the local gas station on Christmas Eve when she sells two lottery tickets to a little old lady. Soon, Rico comes to believe the woman is holding a ticket worth $106 million. She enlists the help of a wealthy classmate, Zan, to hunt down the woman and help her cash in the ticket. Beyond the exciting main plot line, Nic Stone creates an amazing romantic story between Zan and Rico. The book also looks at class differences in the United States.

Juniors are on the cusp of adulthood, and with that comes the right to vote. It’s important for 11th graders to be knowledgable about current events. “Stamped” lays out the history of racist ideas in America, how it affects teens today, and how we can reach an antiracist future.

This novel is perfect for teens struggling with mental illness. It’s a perfect portrayal of how anxiety and depression affect teens in their everyday lives. It’s also a great example of queer representation, including bisexuality and demisexuality.

Morgan and Eric are forever connected. Both were born on the same day and in Birthday we meet the characters each year on their birthday. As the years go by, they grow and change: Morgan is deciding to live as her true self and Eric is trying to figure out how he fits into the world. This is an important exploration of sexual and gender identity.

17-year-old Kiera, a successful student, has a secret: she’s the developer of an extremely popular online role-playing game. The game celebrates Black culture. But after a teen is murdered over an in-game dispute, Kiera must work to defend her online world while maintaining her anonymity.

Sisters Onyii and Ify are living in 2172, when much of the world is unlivable due to climate change and nuclear war. In their home country of Nigeria, a war rages on. The girls want to escape the unrest for a peaceful future, but they may have to fight in order to escape.

In this memoir, Sandra recounts her childhood growing up in the Democratic Republic of Congo. After surviving a horrific massacre in a refugee camp, Sandra immigrates to the United States. But just coming to the U.S. doesn’t magically make life easy. Sandra tells of her struggles as a refugee starting middle school in America.

A 15-year-old boy contemplates vengeance on one long elevator ride from his apartment down to the street. He’s got a gun in his waistband and he’s ready to use it to bring justice for his brother’s murder. But each time the elevator stops, he learns new information about his brother’s death, making him question what really happened.

This fantasy novel is based on ancient Rome. It follows Laia, an enslaved girl, as she embarks on a mission to save her brother after he is arrested for treason. She soon meets Elias, an unwilling soldier, and they find their lives are intertwined.