Love is around the corner or in a book... here is a booklist for new beginnings focusing on the subject of dating and sometimes breaking up. All of the titles listed below are in the contemporary/realistic fiction genre. No paranormal romance, no vampires, no zombies, or ghosts, just the magic of relating. Visiting another country? Here are some
teen dating customs from around the world.
Fiction
Along for the Ride, by Sarah Dessen, 2009. When Auden goes to stay with her father, stepmother, and new baby sister the summer before she starts college, all the trauma of her parents' divorce is revived, even as she is making new friends and having new experiences such as learning to ride a bike and dating.
Almost Perfect, by Brian Katcher, 2009. With his mother working long hours and in pain from a romantic break-up, 18-year-old Logan feels alone and unloved until a zany new student arrives at his small-town Missouri high school, keeping a big secret.
Beatle Meets Destiny, by Gabrielle Williams, 2010. When superstitious 18-year-old John "Beatle" Lennon, who is dating the best friend of his twin sister, meets Destiny McCartney, their instant rapport and shared quirkiness make it seem that their fate is written in the stars.
Dash and Lily's Book of Dares, by Rachel Cohn, 2010. Told in the alternating voices of Dash and Lily, two 16-year-olds carry on a wintry scavenger hunt at Christmas-time in New York, neither knowing quite what--or who--they will find. Awards:
Flipped, by Wendelin Van Draanen, 2001. In alternating chapters, two teenagers describe how their feelings about themselves, each other, and their families have changed over the years. Awards: California Young Reader Medal: Middle School; School Library Journal Best Books,2001; South Carolina Book Awards; Virginia Readers' Choice Award: (Grades 6-9).
If I Stay, by Gayle Forman, 2009. While in a coma following an accident that killed her parents and younger brother, 17-year-old Mia, a gifted cellist, weighs whether to live with her grief or join her family in death.
I Wish You All the Best, by Nathan Deaver, 2019. Thrown out of their parents' home and moving in with their
estranged sister after coming out as nonbinary, Ben De Backer struggles
to endure an anxiety disorder and the last half of senior year while
bonding with a charismatic new friend.
Jackpot, by Nic Stone, 2019. When Rico sells a jackpot-winning lotto ticket, she thinks maybe her luck will finally change, but only if she and her popular and wildly rich classmate, Zan can find the ticket holder who hasn't claimed the prize
Lola and the Boy Next Door, by Stephanie Perkins, 2011. Budding costume designer Lola lives an extraordinary life in San Francisco with her two dads and beloved dog, dating a punk rocker, but when the Bell twins return to the house next door Lola recalls both the friendship-ending fight with Calliope, a figure skater, and the childhood crush she had on Cricket. See also by Perkins:
Anna and the French Kiss
My Life Next Door, by Huntley Fitzpatrick, 2012. When Samantha, the seventeen-year-old daughter of a wealthy, perfectionist, Republican state senator, falls in love with the boy next door, whose family is large, boisterous, and just making ends meet, she discovers a different way to live, but when her mother is involved in a hit-and-run accident Sam must make some difficult choices.
My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, & Fenway Park, by Steve Kluger, 2008. Three teenagers in Boston narrate their experiences of a year of new friendships, first loves, and coming into their own. Award: Rainbow Lists-Y.A.Fiction: 2009.
My So-Called Bollywood Life, by Nisha Sharma, 2018. Winnie Mehta was never really convinced that Raj was her soul
mate, but their love was written in the stars. Literally, a pandit
predicted Winnie would find the love of her life before her 18th
birthday, and Raj meets all the qualifications. Which is why Winnie is
shocked when she returns from her summer at film camp to find her
boyfriend of three years hooking up with Jenny Dickens. As a
self-proclaimed Bollywood expert, Winnie knows this is not how her
perfect ending is scripted.
Odd One Out, by Nic Stone, 2018. High school juniors and best friends Courtney and Jupe, and new
sophomore Rae, explore their sexuality and their budding attractions for
one another.
Somewhere Only We Know, by Maureen Goo, 2019. Told from two viewpoints, teens Lucky, a very famous K-pop star,
and Jack, a part-time paparazzo who is trying to find himself, fall for
each other against the odds through the course of one stolen day.
Tell Me How You Really Feel, by Aminah Mae Safi, 2019. A tale told in alternative viewpoints and inspired by classic
romantic comedies follows the unlikely on-camera romance between an
overachieving cheerleader and the senior film project director who
secretly hates her.
This Train is Being Held, by Ismee Williams, 2020. Told in two voices, ballet dancer and private school student
Isabelle Warren and poet and baseball star Alex Rosario grow closer
after meeting on a subway, bonding over their parents' expectations and
their own dreams.
Why We Broke Up, by Daniel Handler, 2011. 16-year-old Min writes a letter to Ed in which she breaks up with him, documenting their relationship and how items in the accompanying box, from bottle caps to a cookbook, foretell the end.
Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green, 2010. When two teens, one gay and one straight, meet accidentally and discover that they share the same name, their lives become intertwined as one begins dating the other's best friend, who produces a play revealing his relationship with them both.
Short Story Collections on Relating and Dating
Color Outside the Lines: Stories About Love, edited by Sangu Mandanna, 2019. This modern, groundbreaking YA anthology explores the complexity and beauty of interracial and LGBTQ+ relationships where differences are front and center.
How They Met, and Other Stories, by David Levithan, 2008. A collection of eighteen stories describing the surprises, sacrifices, doubts, pain, and joy of falling in love.
Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances, by John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle, 2008. In three intertwining short stories, several high school couples experience the trials and tribulations along with the joys of romance during a Christmas Eve snowstorm in a small town.
Meet Cute: Some People Are Destined to Meet, 2018. Fourteen short stories celebrating “meet-cute” moments. Features when-they-first-met-stories from YA authors,
including Nicola Yoon, Sara Shepard, Katie Cotugno, and more.
Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories, edited by Stephanie Perkins, 2016. Summer is the perfect time for love to bloom, and these short
stories of teenagers facing the confusing maze of first love will have
you dreaming of sunset strolls by the lake. The selections range from
heartfelt to outlandish, as the characters find passion in some very
unexpected places.
Nonfiction Relating and Dating Books
The Date Book: A Teen Girl's Complete Guide to Going Out With Someone New, by Erika Stalder, 2007. Offers girls information on dating a new guy, including creative date suggestions, fashion advice, tips on how to bargain for extended curfews, and bad date exit strategies.
Respect : Everything a Guy Needs to Know About Sex, Love, and Consent, by Inti Chavez
Perez;translation by Stuart Tudball, 2019. A guide to help guys navigate sex, relationships, and consent in the post-#MeToo world.
Rookie On Love: 45 Voices on Romance, Friendship, and Self-Care, edited by Tavi Gevinson, 2018. Curated from Rookie, an online magazine dedicated to teens and founded in 2011 by a then-15-year-old Gevinson, this anthology offers tales of love from 45 different, diverse voices.
