Fall 2025 YA Nonfiction Roundup: Bold Voices, Real Stories
What connects fungi, book bans, democracy, and pop music superstars? They’re all part of this fall’s exciting YA nonfiction roundup. These titles tackle everything from mental health and memoir to activism and social justice, giving teens the chance to explore their world and imagine new futures.
Single Titles
Future Forward
Interest Level: Grade 6 – Grade 12
Artificial intelligence is the capability of computer systems to imitate human behavior and thinking. Explore how artificial intelligence is used to further human goals, as well as the ethical concerns associated with its use.
Ban This!
Interest Level: Grade 6 – Grade 12
Equip readers to join the fight against banning books in schools and libraries. Having defeated efforts to remove books in their school district, the authors share how to organize, speak out against censorship, and win the right to intellectual freedom.
Arm in Arm
Interest Level: Grade 6 – Grade 12
Born into a family of enslavers in the South, Sarah Grimké and Angelina Grimké Weld were some of the first women to speak out about abolition and women’s rights. Explore the mostly forgotten lives of these complex women leaders.
To the Stars
Interest Level: Grade 6 – Grade 12
From its humble beginnings in the wake of the Space Race to its status as a global leader in space exploration, NASA has been at the forefront of scientific discovery, technological innovation, and international collaboration. Explore NASA’s rich history.
Fascinating Fungi
Interest Level: Grade 7 – Grade 12
From helping bread rise to capturing pollutants, fungi can do many incredible and even unexpected things. Explore the world of fungi, including strange sights, medicine, underground webs, and more.
Lullabies for the Insomniacs
Interest Level: Grade 8 – Grade 12
A teen with bipolar disorder fights for survival and self-understanding in Ella Grace Foutz’s memoir in verse, balancing poignancy with moments of levity as she navigates the complex terrain of mental illness and mental health.
Nonfiction Series
Teen Survival Guides
Interest Level: Grade 6 – Grade 10
This series provides crucial survival tools to help teens better manage their world and, in turn, their mental health. Each book explains ten key skills that help young people navigate relationships, self-management, social awareness, and self-awareness in all parts of life, from friendships and families through school, college, work, and the wider community. Teen-relevant scenarios highlight how the tools help people overcome problems, and recaps of tools discussed in each chapter are provided, along with supporting studies into teen mental health. This is an ideal series for anyone navigating the teen years.
Career Quest
Interest Level: Grade 6 – Grade 12
From engineering to fashion, today’s career options are abundant. But what education do people need to enter certain industries? What jobs are available? And will they be a good fit? Dive into these questions in this informative series.
Spotlight on Social Justice
Interest Level: Grade 6 – Grade 12
Give readers an in-depth primer of prominent civics issues in North America. Each book covers the history of its respective topic, what modern concerns are and whether or how they’ve changed, and what the future may hold for impacted communities at large.
Practical Careers for Practical People
Explore a multitude of practical career options along with qualifications and training needed. Discuss how to embark on training and what further education options to choose, along with how to handle interviews and important questions to ask both training providers and employers. Discover exciting information about why now is an ideal time to pursue a practical career, as well as how other people have built very successful careers in the trades. This series is an ideal career guidance tool for middle school and high school readers.
Icons
Interest Level: Grade 8 – Grade 12
Explore the lives of legendary music artists who not only top the charts, but also revolutionize the industry with their creativity, innovation, and business acumen. They have the power to unite fans, influence culture, and stir emotions around the world.
Want even more YA nonfiction for your shelves? Explore our full collection of new and upcoming titles and find the perfect fit for your readers.
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