Kristin Anderson

Centering on fat protagonists who defy societal expectations and reject narrow beauty norms, these YA novels work to combat the messages that fat bodies are unacceptable and undeserving of respect.

Tonya Bolden's newest historical novel, Saving Savannah, follows an affluent African American teenager as she navigates the tumultuous summer of 1919 and discovers the need for activism and the ways in which she can make a difference. Bolden talks to SLJ about doing research, connecting the past to the present, and taking inspiration from Toni Morrison.

Seventeen titles made SLJ's list of the most distinguished young adult books published in 2019.