[aisle] [ EXT ] YA Non-Trauma - English III texts

[Gwendolyn Kuhns]

Maybe An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green? It’s marketed as adult, but it didn’t feel like an adult read to me, and it’s sweetly optimistic about the goodness of humanity while also covering the toxicity of internet culture and fame. Also perhaps consider Pet by Akwaeke Emezi. It’s very odd spec fiction but the family is fiercely loving and there are some interesting ideas about staying vigilant to creeping evil and the central conflict, while traumatic, is approached obliquely. It’s a quick read, if you want to check it out first.

I loved Frankly in Love, but it does have a dying dad (I cried tbh). Yoon has a new one—Super Fake Love Song—but I haven’t read it, so not sure about the trauma levels. I Believe in a Thing Called Love (Maureen Goo) is similar to Frankly, but there are no dead dads. Or The Summer of Jordi Perez?

Field Guide was adorable. I really liked that one and thought it was funny and sweet without being cloying. How about You Should See Me in a Crown? I think that’s pretty trauma-free, and it’s a Reese Witherspoon book club pick; I’ve found her YA choices to be pretty spot-on (but I haven’t read that one, so I’m only guessing here).

Good luck!


Gwen Kuhns
Library Media Specialist
Plainfield South High School
7800 Caton Farm Road
815/577-5568



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Subject: [ EXT ][aisle] YA Non-Trauma - English III texts


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We have had great success with lit circles in our English III classes the last couple of years, but as we are looking for some new titles to add this year, we want to provide a couple of options that are not based in traumatic experiences (per a few students' feedback requesting options that "aren't depressing"). I'm currently reading Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant which is wonderful so far and might be a good addition. We have used Au Revoir Crazy European Chick in a group in the past that needed something short and fast-paced. I was also thinking about Frankly in Love by David Yoon or Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Phillippe.

Does anyone have any suggestions for other options? Students can currently choose from several titles the most popular of which are: The Hate U Give, All American Boys, Challenger Deep, The Serpent King, Turtles All the Way Down, and Speak.

Lauren Ochs
School Librarian
Mahomet-Seymour High School
lochs at ms.k12.il.us<mailto:lochs at ms.k12.il.us>

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