Diversity has been the height of book conversation for some time now, and I, myself, have been looking left and right for something to hit the spot. That is, of course, before this found its way to my doorstep:
That you’re looking at is the wondrous OwlCrate, which includes a book and other literature goodies great for any book nerd. I was lucky enough to get a diversity-themed box, and anyone who hasn’t read More Happy Than Not should check out fellow TYF writer Michael’s review of it here. After reading the book to myself, I thought, “How many great diverse books are out there right now?” and so came the birth of this post. Pictured below are additional close up images of all the fun new toys I got in the mail.
Because I’m all for sharing, leave a comment below telling us about your favorite diverse YA, or let us know what you think of some of our top picks, and you’ll have a chance to win these super cute earrings and fun shoe wings! It’s as simple as that: comment and you’re in.
Keep on reading through for some of the best diversity in YA and let us know what you think. 
Besides having an incredibly good story, The Wrath and the Dawn has a cast full of compelling characters in a world that seems carefully researched and respectfully written for the culture it derives from. You don’t get many Middle Eastern novels that honors a culture and setting as well as the author does with this novel.
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Simone Elkeles is a phenomenal writer, and this series is one of my all-time favorites. Ask me to recommend you something–chances are, I’m going to add this to whatever list I hand you. Do you know Simone once spent in a night in a jail cell to research for the series? Talk about hardcore. Notable mention to her How To Ruin series, as well, because how often do you get to read about hot Israeli boys?
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A dystopia that ticks many of the boxes when it comes to diversity, with a fascinating cast of characters varying in race, sexuality and gender.
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A diverse coming of age novel that steers clear of the over done angst of a LGBT+ novel, while also digging deep into the issues of gender stereotypes and expectations. A novel about an intersex teenage boy, who struggles with identity, but also love and self-acceptance. Heed this warning that the novel does contain graphic detail pertaining to an assault very early on in the book.
Green and Levithan make a perfect duo to bring to life an eccentric group of diverse characters as they navigate high school, friendships, relationships and more. Will Grayson is one of my favorite books, period. The characters feel fully-formed and authentic, despite how wonderfully outrageous Tiny Cooper may be at times.
A personal pick from Melissa, Kane Chronicles spotlights a plethora of original and diverse characters.
It’s sad that I can’t think of many novels with main Latino characters that don’t rely so heavily on stereotypes. But this novel is one of the very rare few that shows a part of Latino culture that we don’t often see. It’s a coming of age novel that displays love, family, and friendships from the eyes of two very different Latino boys growing up in the 80s.
Hooked feels so much like an honest portrayal of what life may be like for Native Americans, and from what I’ve heard, Fichera visited a nearby rez quite a few times to help research for it.
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