--- title: Top 10 Young Adult Books 2017: The Hate U Give, Moxie description: Some of the most difficult issues facing us this past year — sexual harassment, police brutality and mental health — surfaced as themes in children’s... canonical: https://time.com/5028652/top-10-young-adult-childrens-books-2017/ author: Lucy Feldman article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-11-21T12:00:45.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:58:20.284Z article:section: Ideas og:title: The Top 10 Young Adult and Children's Books of 2017 og:description: Some of the most difficult issues facing us this past year — sexual harassment, police brutality and mental health — surfaced as themes in children’s... og:url: https://time.com/5028652/top-10-young-adult-childrens-books-2017/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc61c51d69bd4d90f/6988e641929fad90e3bee890/best-books.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: best-books-YA-top-10-2017 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Top 10 Young Adult and Children's Books of 2017 twitter:description: Some of the most difficult issues facing us this past year — sexual harassment, police brutality and mental health — surfaced as themes in children’s... twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc61c51d69bd4d90f/6988e641929fad90e3bee890/best-books.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Top 10 Young Adult and Children's Books of 2017  by [Lucy Feldman](https://time.com/author/lucy-feldman/)  ## Lucy Feldman Editorial Director Nov 21, 2017 12:00 PM UTC  SoHo Teen; Balzer + Bray; Roaring Brook Press; Dutton Books for Young Readers; Penguin Random House; Photo Illustration by Kim Bubello  by [Lucy Feldman](https://time.com/author/lucy-feldman/)  ## Lucy Feldman Editorial Director Nov 21, 2017 12:00 PM UTC Some of the most difficult issues facing us this past year — sexual harassment, police brutality and mental health — surfaced as themes in children’s books and young adult literature. In his first novel since _The Fault in Our Stars_, beloved YA writer John Green tackled the anguish of living with obsessive compulsive disorder. Angie Thomas, a debut novelist, captured the internal turmoil experienced by a black girl who witnesses her friend’s death at the hands of the police. Jennifer Mathieu created a playbook for a new generation of teen feminists. Here, listed in order of publisher’s recommended reader age, oldest to youngest, are the best reads of 2017 for teens and kids. ## 10\. [_The Hate U Give_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062498533/ref=as%5Fli%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0062498533&linkId=de100bfc1b55ed4fd50301ab748b758a), Angie Thomas  Balzer + Bray Balzer + Bray Starr Carter, 16, is the only witness in the fatal police shooting of her unarmed friend, Khalil. When she’s called to testify, her carefully separated worlds — the predominantly white prep school where she spends her days and the neighborhood she calls home — threaten to collide. Angie Thomas’s debut novel, longlisted for the National Book Award, draws on the stories and language of the Black Lives Matter movement. [**_Buy it on Amazon_**](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062498533/ref=as%5Fli%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0062498533&linkId=de100bfc1b55ed4fd50301ab748b758a) ## 9\. [_Turtles All the Way Down_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0525555366/ref=as%5Fli%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0525555366&linkId=65209f97032895c0a59a2bffdfbe32d0), John Green  Dutton Books for Young Readers Dutton Books for Young Readers The author of [_The_ _Fault in Our Stars_ ](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/014242417X/ref=as%5Fli%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=014242417X&linkId=47ea37df59e4c33ab6799dd2c08cf70c)and [_Paper_ ](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/014241493X/ref=as%5Fli%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=014241493X&linkId=1f7e31dbce73f36f8b11cc540657b8ca)[_Towns_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/014241493X/ref=as%5Fli%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=014241493X&linkId=1f7e31dbce73f36f8b11cc540657b8ca)weaves a tale about the disappearance of a white-collar crook, the $100,000 bounty on his whereabouts and two teen girls set on finding him. Sixteen-year-old Aza Holmes sparks a relationship with the criminal’s son and hunts for the truth while battling debilitating anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder — a condition shared by Green himself. [**_Buy it on Amazon_**](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0525555366/ref=as%5Fli%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0525555366&linkId=65209f97032895c0a59a2bffdfbe32d0) ## 8\. [_History Is All You Left Me_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1616956925/ref=as%5Fli%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1616956925&linkId=7d25cad6cd855e1d22eec6cf273f7858), Adam Silvera  SoHo Teen SoHo Teen Silvera broke out in 2015 with [_More_ _Happy Than Not_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1616956771/ref=as%5Fli%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1616956771&linkId=02f93e001e2447fb81aac21dea740276), about a teen grieving the loss of his father. In his latest, he tackles grief once more. Griffin always imagined he’d reunite with his first love, Theo, the boy with whom he discovered his sexual identity. So when Theo suddenly dies, Griffin is left with a new vision for his future. [**_Buy it on Amazon_**](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1616956925/ref=as%5Fli%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1616956925&linkId=7d25cad6cd855e1d22eec6cf273f7858) ## 7\. [_Moxie_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1626726353/ref=as%5Fli%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1626726353&linkId=564a05327873d55183e6cfb1742eda6e), Jennifer Mathieu  Roaring Brook Press Roaring Brook Press In a Texas high school where football players sexually harass girls in the hallways and the administration enforces a dress code steeped in double standards, junior Viv Carter takes a scheme out of her former Riot Grrrl mother’s playbook to fight back. She launches an anonymous zine, _Moxie_, which soon catches and starts a feminist rebellion at school. [**_Buy it on Amazon_**](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1626726353/ref=as%5Fli%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1626726353&linkId=564a05327873d55183e6cfb1742eda6e) ## 6\. [_I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1524700487/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1524700487&linkId=4c5e93e8ae2b0c2f47fc96b0cc8f4f2d), Erika L. Sánchez  Penguin Random House Penguin Random House A “perfect” Mexican daughter, in the eyes of Julia Reyes’ family, never strays far from home, behaves conservatively and helps her parents with their work. Julia, unlike her older sister Olga, has no aspirations to be perfect — she wants to escape Chicago, go to college in New York and become a writer. But after Olga dies in a tragic accident, Julia discovers her sister might not have been the girl she seemed. [**_Buy it on Amazon_**](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1524700487/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1524700487&linkId=4c5e93e8ae2b0c2f47fc96b0cc8f4f2d) ## 5\. [_The Stars Beneath Our Feet_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1524701246/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1524701246&linkId=04350144910378c525f3cb665add3b9d), David Barclay Moore  Penguin Random House Penguin Random House Just months before Christmas, Lolly Rachpaul’s older brother is killed in a gang-related shooting, a source of constant pressure for the boys in their Harlem neighborhood. When the holiday rolls around, Lolly and his mother Trini, named for her parent’s home country of Trinidad, aren’t much in the mood for celebration. But a gift from Trini’s girlfriend, a load of Legos Lolly will build into a city, carries the potential to turn things around. Actor Michael B. Jordan is set to make his directorial debut on the film adaptation. [**_Buy it on Amazon_**](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1524701246/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1524701246&linkId=04350144910378c525f3cb665add3b9d) ## 4\. [_Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316508888/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0316508888&linkId=14fe17367fa18be6e778c032e3deb90d), Jessica Townsend  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Morrigan Crow is cursed, blamed for her every bad event in her town. At 11 years old, she has only one year left to live — until a mysterious patron arrives to sweep her away to Nevermoor, where she’ll compete in a tournament to join the Wundrous Society for extraordinarily talented children. The only problem is she has no talents, or so she believes. The novel, the first in a series, has drawn comparisons to _Harry Potter_ and will be adapted for film. [**_Buy it on Amazon_**](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316508888/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0316508888&linkId=14fe17367fa18be6e778c032e3deb90d) ## _3\._ [_Over and Under the Pond_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1452145423/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1452145423&linkId=9e90e38b3bef539867149ed0abd7c378)_,_ Kate Messner (Author), Christopher Silas Neal (Illustrator)  Chronicle Books Chronicle Books The author and illustrator team behind [_Over_ ](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1452136467/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1452136467&linkId=0cc8dd0bab67935737667d845b22ae13)[_and Under the Snow_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1452136467/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1452136467&linkId=0cc8dd0bab67935737667d845b22ae13)and [_Up_ _in the Garden and Down in the Dirt_ ](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1452161364/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1452161364&linkId=6bc1bae6a99c25fa4d3d20482486cc53)dive underwater to tell the story of the creatures and critters who live in a pond. A boy and his mother paddle a canoe, peering down at otters hunting for tasty mussels and caddisfly larvae slipping under the sand. [**_Buy it on Amazon_**](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1452145423/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1452145423&linkId=9e90e38b3bef539867149ed0abd7c378) ## 2\. [_Blue Sky White Stars_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0803737009/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0803737009&linkId=8f069af9e6e80ec5e858b7f742f8481b), Sarvinder Naberhaus (Author), Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)  Penguin Random House Penguin Random House In just a few words, brought to life by opulent paintings, Blue Sky White Stars celebrates America, from the landscapes evoked by the red rows and white stars of the flag to the diverse, hopeful faces of its citizens. [**_Buy it on Amazon_**](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0803737009/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0803737009&linkId=8f069af9e6e80ec5e858b7f742f8481b) ## 1\. [_Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399167897/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0399167897&linkId=c7a8fe8abbf49e0cd37c7e7344281c09), Oliver Jeffers  Penguin Random House Penguin Random House What is land? Where do we live in the universe? There’s so much to explain to a small child. Jeffers, a best-selling children’s author and illustrator, gets the conversation started with a delightfully illustrated overview of the things he thinks his son ought to know. [**_Buy it on Amazon_**](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399167897/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timebestyabooks-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0399167897&linkId=c7a8fe8abbf49e0cd37c7e7344281c09) [(_Read TIME’s affiliate link policy_.)](http://time.com/4605406/time-affiliate-link-policy/) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5028652/top-10-young-adult-childrens-books-2017/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5028652/top-10-young-adult-childrens-books-2017/"},"headline":"The Top 10 Young Adult and Children's Books of 2017","datePublished":"2017-11-21T12:00:45.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:58:20.284Z","description":"Some of the most difficult issues facing us this past year — sexual harassment, police brutality and mental health — surfaced as themes in children’s...","url":"https://time.com/5028652/top-10-young-adult-childrens-books-2017/","keywords":["Books","top-10-2017"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc61c51d69bd4d90f/6988e641929fad90e3bee890/best-books.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Lucy Feldman","jobTitle":"Editorial Director","url":"https://time.com/author/lucy-feldman/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc61c51d69bd4d90f/6988e641929fad90e3bee890/best-books.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"best-books-YA-top-10-2017","caption":"","creditText":"SoHo Teen; Balzer + Bray; Roaring Brook Press; Dutton Books for Young Readers; Penguin Random House; Photo Illustration by Kim Bubello","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/books/","name":"Books"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5028652/top-10-young-adult-childrens-books-2017/","name":"The Top 10 Young Adult and Children's Books of 2017"}}]}] ```