SLJ montage: Getty Images/invincible_bulldog (people) and Getty Images/Olga Ubirailo (book)

Writing can be a solitary activity, with many creators having to figure out plot points and character arcs on their own. The authors from this list have taken a collaborative approach to the process. Often using alternating perspectives as a device, these coauthors draw from their own experiences and writing styles to share their characters’ points of view. These narratives offer readers the opportunity to experience a novel from multiple perspectives, expanding worldbuilding, character development, and plot lines. Through collaboration, the cocreators fashion nuanced portrayals and diverse complexities that open up young people’s eyes to the certainty that there are always two (or sometimes three or four) sides to every story. These works just wouldn’t be the same if they came from the mind of one person—and are all the better for it.

Middle Grade

Applegate, Katherine & Gennifer Choldenko. Dogtown. illus. by Wallace West. Feiwel & Friends. 2023. ISBN 9781250811608.
Gr 4-6–Chance, a three-legged dog, finds herself at the Dogtown shelter after being left with irresponsible dog sitters. At the shelter, she meets a variety of dogs, including a robot dog named Metal Head. Both Metal Head and Chance want to return home and be reunited with their respective families, but they’ll have to figure out how to escape the shelter first. Chance and Metal Head’s story is told through short chapters accompanied by adorable illustrations, making it a fun, page-turning read.

Mbalia, Kwame & Prince Joel Makonnen. Last Gate of the Emperor. Scholastic. 2022. ISBN 9781338665901.
Gr 3-7–Yared loves playing the augmented reality game The Hunt for Kaleb’s Obelisk. The game’s new rules force him to log in using his real name and even worse, pair him up with his rival, the Ibis. Things get dangerous when a monster attacks the city and his Uncle Moti disappears. Yared quickly learns that the game is more than just a game, and he’s about to uncover truths he might not be ready to learn. This Afrofuturistic adventure is thoroughly engaging, with a wisecracking hero who will need to gather his wits and allies to protect his home.

Questlove & S.A. Cosby. The Rhythm of Time. Putnam. 2023. ISBN 9780593354063.
Gr 5 Up–Thanks to his best friend Kasia’s latest gadget, rap-loving Rahim is transported back in time to 1997. He’s warned to not interact with people, but the warning is quickly ignored when Rahim runs into his dad and even gets the opportunity to see his favorite rap group. With Rahim stuck in the past, Kasia will have to figure out a way to bring him home. Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson makes his middle grade debut with this love letter to Black music and its power. He and Cosby expertly weave sci-fi with fantasy elements in a resonant story about family and friendship.

Saeed, Aisha, Huda Al-Marashi, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow & S.K. Ali. Grounded. Abrams/Amulet. 2023. ISBN 97814 19761751.
Gr 4-7–After a Muslim convention, everyone expects to fly back home, but a thunderstorm grounds all flights. With nothing else to do, four kids who attended the convention are thrust together on an airport adventure in search of a missing cat, all while trying to elude security and their parents. Readers will enjoy getting into each kid’s head to discover what their interests are, the ways in which they’re struggling, and how each of their stories are resolved.

[Read: The Family Business: Kid Lit Duos]

Stead, Rebecca & Wendy Mass. The Lost Library. Feiwel & Friends. 2023. ISBN 9781250838810.
Gr 3-7–When a Little Free Library suddenly appears, 11-year-old Evan decides to grab two books from it. The books spark his interest and lead him on an adventure to solve the town’s greatest mystery—what really happened when the old library burned down. The novel is told from multiple points of view—Evan, Mortimer the cat, and a ghost librarian named Al—and each narrative helps unravel the mystery. This is an easy and engaging read that middle graders won’t be able to put down until the very end.

Stroker, Ali & Stacy Davidowitz. The Chance to Fly. Abrams/Amulet. 2021. ISBN 9781419743931.
Gr 3-7–Thirteen-year-old Nat Beacon loves musicals, but she rarely sees herself, a wheelchair user, reflected in the stage roles. Even so, when she finds out about a summer production of Wicked, she just knows she has to sign up. Nat will show everyone that her wheelchair doesn’t hold her back; it helps her. Coauthored by Tony Award winner Stroker, a wheelchair user, this is a well-written glimpse into what it’s like to be a musical-loving wheelchair user from someone who has firsthand experience.

Young Adult

Chokshi, Roshani, Evelyn Skye & Sandhya Menon. Three Kisses, One Midnight. Wednesday Bks. 2022. ISBN 9781250797230.
Gr 9 Up–Best friends Onny, True, and Ash are known as The Coven at their school, but these friends don’t have magic. Not unless you count the love potion that Onny’s grandmother made for her friends to help secure a magical romance. On Halloween night, each friend, with a vial of love potion in hand, embarks on their own adventure, encountering new romantic interests, confessing to longtime crushes, and finding love with people they never would’ve considered. Readers will enjoy the touch of magic in each friend’s story and will root for the protagonists as they seek their happily ever afters in this cozy read.

Clayton, Dhonielle, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk & Nicola Yoon. Whiteout. HarperCollins/Quill Tree. 2022. ISBN 9780063088146.
Gr 9 Up–Stevie’s research experiment and a disastrous dinner might mean the end of her relationship with girlfriend Sola. Unless she can pull off a grand romantic gesture to win Sola back. Stevie and Sola’s friends want to help, but the snowstorm threatens to disrupt their plans. The teens’ story acts as the framework of the novel as readers learn about the highs and lows the friends are experiencing in their relationships. This is a beautiful testament to Black love and friendship.

Hand,Cynthia, Brodi Ashton & Jodi Meadows. My Imaginary Mary. HarperTeen. 2022. ISBN 9780062930071.
Gr 9 Up–In this installment of the “The Lady Janies” series, Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, and Ada Lovelace, the first computer programmer, meet long before they become the women history remembers them as. These girls’ lives change when they find out that they’re fae. To prove herself to the science world, Ada plans to create an automaton better than any of the ones created before—that is, if she can get it to work. The novel’s narrative style often breaks the fourth wall, talking straight to readers with a historical tidbit, a hilarious quip, or a minor spoiler of what’s to come. This makes for an entertaining reading experience sure to please teens.

Levithan, David & Jennifer Niven. Take Me with You When You Go. Knopf. 2021. ISBN 9780525580997.
Gr 9 Up–When Ezra’s sister Bea suddenly disappears, she leaves him to deal with their abusive stepfather and neglectful mother on his own. He’s angry with her and doesn’t know why she would leave him. Bea set up a secret email account, and with it, the two are able to keep in touch. This novel is told through emails as Ezra tries to deal with the worsening home situation, while Bea deals with the weight of her decision and the secrets she’s still carrying. Levithan and Niven expertly take on this modern epistolary format to create a story that’s both heartbreaking and inspiring. The depictions of abuse may be triggering for some readers.

Mejia, Tehlor Kay & Anna-Marie McLemore. Miss Meteor. HarperTeen. 2020. ISBN 9780062869913.
Gr 9 Up–Lita Perez has a secret: she came to Meteor, NM, with the meteor that crashed in the desert, and if she doesn’t do something, she’s going to turn back to stardust. Chicky Quintanilla also has a secret: she’s pansexual, but bullying when she was younger makes her hesitant to come out of the closet. Their secrets broke these two ex-best friends apart, but maybe Lita’s dream to become Miss Meteor will bring them back together. Many readers will relate to Chicky and Lita’s story as two people who don’t fit in but are able to find their community and a sense of belonging with their loved ones. There is racist and homophobic language throughout the book that some readers might find jarring or triggering.

Nanua, Sarena & Sasha Nanua. Sisters of the Snake. HarperTeen. 2021. ISBN 9780062985590.
Gr 9 Up–In the vein of “The Prince and the Pauper,” this story revolves around twins Princess Rani and Thief Ria, who inexplicably meet and switch places. There’s danger waiting for the girls within and outside the palace, and they’ll have to figure out whom they can trust. Twin authors Sarena and Sasha Nanua expertly capture the voice of the skilled and intelligent Princess Rani and the confident and compassionate Ria. Readers will be fascinated by both of the sisters’ journeys as they discover their strengths and what’s important.

Myiesha Speight is a reviewer for SLJ, primarily reviewing picture books. She also has been a moderator for several SLJ author panels.