SJPL Picks: YA Books with Male ProtagonistsLike this list

35 items

• The Getaway

  Giles, Lamar, 1979-

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  Jay discovers that the mountain resort where he lives and works with his friends and family is also a doomsday oasis for the rich and powerful who expect top-notch customer service even as the world outside the resort's walls…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Breath of the Dragon

  Breathmarked, Book 1

  Lee, Shannon, 1969-

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  Sixteen-year-old Jun, determined to restore his father's honor despite not being breathmarked--born with a patch of dragon scales and special abilities--secretly enters in the elite Guardian's Tournament, where he discovers he is fighting…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Twenty-four Seconds From Now...

  a LOVE Story

  Reynolds, Jason,

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  New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds tackles it—you know…it—from the guy’s perspective in this unfiltered and undeniably sweet stream of consciousness story of a teen boy about to experience a huge first. Twenty-four months…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Dear Manny

  Stone, Nic,

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  While running for junior class president at his university, Jared falls for his opponent who has a similar platform based on equity and inclusion, and processes his feelings by writing letters to his deceased friend Manny.

• Survive the Dome

  Jackson, Kosoko,

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  Jamal Lawson just wanted to be a part of something. As an aspiring journalist, he packs up his camera and heads to Baltimore to document a rally protesting police brutality after another Black man is murdered. But before the protest even…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• All Better Now

  Shusterman, Neal,

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  In a world where happiness becomes contagious, two teens are caught in the conspiracy by the powers that be to bring back discontent

• Compound Fracture

  White, Andrew Joseph,

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  After being nearly beaten to death for evidence he holds against the corrupt sheriff, sixteen-year-old transgender Miles joins his fellow townsfolk to end the blood feud and oppressive politics that plague his town.

• HappyHead

  Silver, Josh, 1989-

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  When Seb is offered a place on a radical retreat designed to solve the national crisis of teenage unhappiness, he is determined to change how people see him and make his parents proud. But as he finds himself drawn to the enigmatic Finn,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Blood at the Root

  Williams, Ladarrion,

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  Ten years ago, Malik's life changed forever the night his mother mysteriously vanished and he discovered he had uncontrollable powers. Since then, he has kept his abilities hidden, looking out for himself and his younger foster brother,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Sky's End

  Gregson, Marc J.,

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  Exiled to live as a Low, sixteen-year-old Conrad refuses to become heir to his murderous uncle. But Meritocracy is a harsh and unforgiving rule on the floating island of Holmstead, and when his ailing mother is killed by monstrous…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• When We Ride

  a Novel

  Ogle, Rex,

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  Diego Benevides works hard. His single mother encourages him to stay focused on school, on getting into college, on getting out of their crumbling neighborhood. That’s why she gave him her car. Diego’s best friend, Lawson, needs a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Rest of Us Just Live Here

  Ness, Patrick, 1971-

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  What if you aren't the Chosen One? The one who's supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death? What if you're like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Beasts Made of Night

  Onyebuchi, Tochi,

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  In the walled city of Kos, corrupt mages can magically call forth sin from a sinner in the form of sin-beasts--lethal creatures spawned from feelings of guilt. Taj is the most talented of the aki, young sin-eaters indentured by the mages…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Chasing Pacquiao

  Pulido, Rod,

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  When Bobby is unwillingly outed he turns to boxing, finding a hero in Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao, but when Pacquiao publicly denounces homosexuality, Bobby must discover a hero within himself.

• Everything We Never Had

  Ribay, Randy,

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  Set in the 1930s to today, four generations of Filipino American boys grapple with identity, masculinity, and father-son relationships. Told in multiple perspectives, Everything We Never Had unfolds like a beautifully crafted nesting…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Field Guide to the North American Teenager

  Philippe, Ben,

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  Norris Kaplan is clever, cynical, and quite possibly too smart for his own good. A Black French Canadian, he knows from watching American sitcoms that those three things don’t bode well when you are moving to Austin, Texas. Plunked into a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Game Changer

  Shusterman, Neal,

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  All it takes is one hit on the football field, and suddenly Ash's life doesn't look quite the way he remembers it. Impossible though it seems, he's been hit into another dimension--and keeps on bouncing through worlds that are…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Invisible Son

  Johnson, Kim, 1979-

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  Life can change in an instant. When you're wrongfully accused of a crime. When a virus shuts everything down. When the girl you love moves on. Andre Jackson is determined to reclaim his identity. But returning from juvie doesn't feel like…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• On the Hook

  Stork, Francisco X.,

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  "You know I'm coming. You're dead already." Hector has always minded his own business, working hard to make his way to a better life someday. He's the chess team champion, helps the family with his job at the grocery, and teaches his…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Beholder

  La Sala, Ryan,

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  No one survived the party at the penthouse. Except Athan. Athanasios "Athan" Bakirtzis has made it far in life relying on his charm and good looks, even securing an invitation to a mysterious penthouse soiree for New York City's artsy…Read moreRead more of this annotation