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I love YA! So when a friend asked me if I could recommend any young adult fiction for her cousins, I was super excited. I recommended a ton of YA novels, but what kind of African book lover would I be if I didn't recommend some YA fiction by African authors. There's also the Burt Award for African Literature, an annual literary prize recognising excellence in young adult fiction from Africa. There is a Burt Award in Ethiopia, Ghana, Tanzania, and Kenya (couldn't find any winners from Kenya).

is the story of two passionate people who share a shameful past and a tenuous present; Isaak and Liesa as they grow up and fall in love in their small Griqua fishing village on the Tsitsikamma coast; is the journal of Lola Ogunlowe charting her survival from childhood to adulthood; and

Aya is a graphic novel set in 1970s Abidjan about the things middle-class teenage girls get up to (the Aya series have been on my wishlist for a while now); Coconut tells the story of a black child growing up in a white world; Spilt Milk Lucky Fish is told by a 13-year old boy during apartheid in South Africa, when his parents become political prisoners; Imagine This Now is the Time for Running is a story about Deo, and his brother Innocent, forced to run for their lives after soldiers attack their village The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Akata Witch tells the story of a 12-year old girl who doesn't fit in, until she discovers she has magical powers; Between Sisters tells the story of a 16-yer old girl who moves to Kumasi, Ghana to look after a distant relatives son and live her dream of becoming a dressmaker; Powder Necklace tells the story of a young girl sent back to rural Ghana by her mother, and her experiences as the new girl and foreigner in Ghana; In Journey to Jo'burg is the story of two children travelling alone to Jo'burg to try and find their mother; The Other Side of the Truth is a novel about a brother and sister in Nigeria who become political refugees; Burn My Heart tells the story of two boys, white and black, with an uneasy friendship in 1950s Kenya;In A Long Way Gone, Ishmael Beah tells his experience as a child soldier from Sierra Leone True Murder we meet Ajuba, and 11-year old who has been abandoned at a Devon school by her Ghanaian father; Zahrah the Windseeker is about a girl born with dreadlocks, in a kingdom where children born with 'dada' are said to have super powers; Lucky Simelane is the story of Lucky Simelane's search for his true identity; Rainmaker documents the extraordinary coming-of-age journey of a young man living in the ghetto; Call on the Wind follows is the story of William Kamkwamba, a young man from Malawi, who, at fourteen years old, battled through extreme poverty and hunger to build a series of windmills from scratch that could generate electricity; ; .

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I love YA! So when a friend asked me if I could recommend any young adult fiction for her cousins, I was super excited. I recommended a ton of YA novels, but what kind of African book lover would I be if I didn't recommend some YA fiction by African authors.

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'So much has changed, and not only with me," a traumatised Valkyrie Cain tells her former mentor, the sharp-dressing skeleton detective Skulduggery Pleasant. The duo are back for a 10th instalment of Derek Landy's popular series; this revival is aptly titled Resurrection (HarperCollins, £12.99). The action- and dialogue-heavy scenes leave little room for thoughtful characterisation, but existing fans will be delighted to see several familiar faces appear, and more of Skulduggery's past revealed.

The new protege, Omen Darkly, the disorganised younger brother of a much-feted "Chosen One", feels slightly flat; the subversion of the "hero" ideal is always pleasing but has been handled more skilfully by other writers in recent years. At the same time, Omen is not given much space here; despite this having been originally pitched as "a second series" about Skulduggery et al, it is very much reliant on fans' knowledge of previous titles and understands that they are inevitably more invested in characters they've lived through nine books with.

American author Aaron Starmer has previously written for young children; Spontaneous (Canongate, £7.99) marks his entrance into the YA world, and what a wonderful and weird entrance it is. In her final year of high school, Mara witnesses a girl spontaneously combust in front of her like "a balloon full of fleshy bits".

It's the beginning of a series of explosions and constant uncertainty about what will happen next - the perfect metaphor for growing up, of course, but also handled skilfully as a story device in its own right, complete with official government investigations, media intrusion and conspiracy theories.

The greatest strength of the novel is Mara's unsentimental voice as she relates the events: "Here's what happens when a guy blows up during your group therapy session that's supposed to make you feel better about people blowing up. The group therapy session is officially cancelled. You do not feel better." This is a protagonist who is fairly sure she's a terrible person, who makes inappropriate jokes about death, and who is deeply - sometimes uncomfortably - relatable.

Moira Fowley-Doyle's second novel, The Spellbook of the Lost and Found (Corgi, £7.99), offers up a whole range of characters to fall in love with (and indeed, some of them fall in love with each other). In a small town in the west of Ireland, there is an annual summer party, and this year everyone seems to have lost something there. Pages of a diary revealing a spell has been cast over some clues, and a new friendship with a group of runaways provides others.

The intensity of adolescence and the importance of friendship in the often-fraught school environment is captured beautifully. "Together," one of the narrators writes, "we are a three-headed dog, facing an army of hundreds of staring eyes and leering, open mouths." The romance - both straight and not, pleasingly - is tender and dreamy without veering towards cliche, and there's an openness about female sexuality still rare in novels for teenagers. This is a superb book.

Christoffer Carlsson's October Is the Coldest Month (Scribe, £7.99), translated deftly from the Swedish by Rachel Willson-Broyles, is one of the first Scandi noir books for teens to be published in the UK. In a small rural community, the arrival of a police officer at the front door prompts 16-year-old Vega to find her older brother, Jakob, and uncover the truth about what happened the night a man died. The desolate landscape is the perfect backdrop for this taut tale of old family feuds and unfurling secrets.

Irish writer Sarah Carroll introduces us to the inimitable Sam, who faces homelessness and neglect with astonishing resilience and imagination in The Girl In Between (Simon and Schuster, £7.99). "They feel sorry for us cos they think we sleep out on the streets. They don't know that we don't do that any more. They don't realise that the mill is our castle and we're safe in here." In a pitch-perfect Dublin voice, Sam relates the events that led up to her and Ma being "invisible" as far as society is concerned. Although inevitably a commentary on the homeless crisis, the novel never preaches, and its handling of grief is both subtle and surprising.

The title of Karen M McManus's One of Us Is Lying (Penguin, £7.99) brings Abba to mind, but her debut novel is nothing like a cheerful pop song. In a homage to The Breakfast Club, the novel begins with five very different high school students in detention together. Only four walk out alive. The dead boy, Simon, was best known for the school's gossip app and revealing everyone's darkest secrets - and as the investigation proceeds, it seems that he was about to share devastating secrets about all four of the students who were there when he died. This is a slick psychological thriller that makes excellent use of the role social media plays in modern life.

American author Sarah Dessen is the most recent recipient of the prestigious Margaret A Edwards Award for an "outstanding contribution to young adult literature". Her 13th novel, Once and for All (Penguin, £7.99), is familiar territory for her - over the course of a summer, a cautious girl learns to take chances - but it's a solid and thoughtful novel. Louna, like many of Dessen's protagonists, has an interesting job - helping out at her mother's wedding-planning business.Rather than fill her with bubbling hope and romantic notions, it's led her to be deeply cynical about love.

While we know very well that this will change by the summer's end, the journey - peopled with nuanced and vivid supporting characters - is very much an enjoyable one.

Claire Hennessy's latest young adult novel is Like Other Girls (Hot Key Books)

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Young adult fiction: the best of the current crop

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'So much has changed, and not only with me," a traumatised Valkyrie Cain tells her former mentor, the sharp-dressing skeleton detective Skulduggery Pleasant. The duo are back for a 10th instalment of Derek Landy's popular series; this revival is aptly titled Resurrection (HarperCollins, £12.99).

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Today's stop: OCEANIA!

A few weeks ago we debuted our United States of YA reading map, a map featuring young adult books set in all 50 states. We promised to extend the project to the rest of the world, and thanks to your help, we've been working hard on creating a list of YA books set in as many countries as we can. Now we are ready to begin rolling out maps for the rest of the world! To make it easier, we are breaking up the maps by regions and will post them in separate blog posts this week and next. We encourage you all to reblog, post, download, print and share. We created these maps for everyone and we hope you are enjoying them as much as us!
View Canada & Greenland's map here.
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Today we are traveling down under for a visit to the countries that make up the region known as OCEANIA. With the help of our readers, we chose one book for each country. (Technically, Tasmania isn't a country, but we like that little island so much we gave it it's own book.) Remember, these books were chosen because they take place in that particular country!

How many books on this list have you read?
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MAP AT FULL SIZE. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PRINTABLE MAP ONLY VERSION.
BOOKS FEATURED ON THIS MAP (alphabetical by title)

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UP NEXT: Europe! (It's a big one!)

WE NEED YOUR HELP: We still have a few holes for our Europe map, so if anyone can think of YA books set in the following countries, that would be a big help!

Albania, Belarus, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia

Leave your suggestions in the comments of this post!

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Read your way across the globe with our PLANET YA maps! Today's stop: OCEANIA! A few weeks ago we debuted our United States of YA reading map, a map featuring young adult books set in all 50 states. We promised ... Read More

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A few weeks ago we debuted our United States of YA reading map, a map featuring young adult books set in all 50 states. We promised to extend the project to the rest of the world, and thanks to your help, we've been working hard on creating a list of YA books set in as many countries as we can. Now we are ready to begin rolling out maps for the rest of the world! To make it easier, we are breaking up the maps by regions and will post them in separate blog posts this week and next. We encourage you all to reblog, post, download, print and share. We created these maps for everyone and we hope you are enjoying them as much as us!

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Today we have a map for CANADA and GREENLAND, our neighbors to the north. Since Canada is such a big country and there are just too many good Canadian-set YA books to choose from, we decided it would be best to break it up by province / region. We must give a special thanks to @HCCFrenzy for helping us curate the Canadian reads!
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MAP AT FULL SIZE. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PRINTABLE MAP ONLY VERSION.
* Indicates books published by HarperCollins Canada
** Indicates books published by HarperCollins USA

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UP NEXT: Oceania! (Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania and all those tiny little islands!)

WE NEED YOUR HELP: We still have a few holes for our Europe map, so if anyone can think of YA books set in the following countries, that would be a big help!

Albania, Belarus, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia

Leave your suggestions in the comments of this post!

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PLANET YA: Canada and Greenland - Epic Reads Blog

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Get ready to read your way across the globe with PLANET YA! First stop? Canada and Greenland! A few weeks ago we debuted our United States of YA reading map, a map featuring young adult books set in all 50 ... Read More

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It's sometimes interesting to get a different perspective on the world. Here are some books set in some far-flung places - and some places close to home - grouped by continent/large body of water with islands in it.

Updated: March 2013
Africa
Allah is not obliged, Ahmadou Kourouma, Fiction, Ivory Coast
Burn My Heart, Beverley Naidoo, YA Fiction, Kenya
Child of Dandelions, Shenaaz Nanji, YA Fiction, Uganda
The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm: a novel, Nancy Farmer, YA Fiction, Zimbabwe
Measuring time, Helon Habila, Fiction, Nigeria
Purple Hibiscus, Chimamanda Adichie, Fiction, Nigeria
Spud, John van de Ruit, YA Fiction, South Africa
Wizard of the crow, Ngugi wa Thiongʾo, Fiction, Kenya
Asia Europe North & South America Pacific
If you've read a good book with an interesting cultural perspective then drop us a line; we'd love to hear from you.

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It's sometimes interesting to get a different perspective on the world. Here are some books set in some far-flung places - and some places close to home - grouped by continent/large body of water with islands in it.

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Many fantasy, sci-fi and historical novels are set in or inspired by countries across the world; take books by Linda Sue Park or Ellen Oh, for example. But English language YA contemporary stories disproportionately take place in the US and, to a lesser extent, the UK, and those few that are set in other countries are often told through the lens of a newcomer rather than an actual native, which can detract from the cultural authenticity of the book.

When you ask for YA contemporary novels set outside of Anglo-America, what you're likely to get is a flurry of stories about upper-middle-class Americans or Brits who move halfway across the world and suffer from extreme culture shock.

Although there's nothing inherently wrong with that, those narratives can get tiring - and, in some cases, problematic - pretty quickly.

Below, I've compiled seven geographically diverse contemporary YA novels that I believe will appeal to any teen reader, and will provide a fascinating glimpse into the lives of teenagers throughout the world.

A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman

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When Veda, a bharatanatyam dancer, is injured in a car crash that results in the amputation of one of her legs, she is determined not to give up the dance that she loves, even if it means struggling through beginner classes. Weaving together Veda's relationships with her family, her body, and her new dance teacher, A Time To Dance is an exploration of culture and spirituality set in Chennai, India.

If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan

Sahar and Nasrin, two Iranian girls, have been in love since childhood. But when Nasrin's parents announce that they've found Nasrin a suitor, Sahar, desperate to be the one to marry Nasrin, turns to the possibility of a sex change (which, unlike homosexuality, is legal in Iran). A fascinating glimpse into LGBT life in Iran, If You Could Be Mine follows Sahar as she struggles to decide whether being with Nasrin is worth sacrificing who she really is.

Coconut by Kopano Matlwa

Set in South Africa, Coconut is a dual point-of-view novel following two black girls: Ofilwe, who has grown up wealthy and feels she has lost her culture, and Fiks, who is hoping to drown her tragic past in the bright lights of Johannesburg. The novel, above all, explores the concept of being a "coconut" (the equivalent of an "oreo" in the west) - a person of colour who is seen, often through the lens of stereotypes, as rejecting their culture.

Swimming in the Monsoon Sea by Shyam Selvadurai

Ever since the death of his parents, Amrith has lived with his foster mother and father in a wealthy part of Sri Lanka. Told against the backdrop of Othello, the school play for which Amrith is auditioning, Swimming in the Monsoon Sea follows Amrith as he falls for a Canadian boy who comes to town - setting off a wave of confusion about himself and his identity.

Though it's technically set in 1980, this novel has so many contemporary YA themes that I'm including it anyway!

Wildlife by Fiona Wood

In keeping with its title, Fiona Wood's second novel explores something that YA novels rarely focus on: wildlife. Set at an Australian high school's outdoor education program, in which students live in harmony with nature for a term, the novel is told through the points of view of two girls navigating grief, friendships (both positive and toxic), and - yes - camping. Wildlife also boasts a cast of flawed and above all realistic teen characters and honest portrayals of sex.

The Secret Sky by Atia Abawi

Fatima and Samiullah have been friends since childhood. Separated by culture, Fatima, a Hazara girl and a farmer's daughter, is forbidden from seeing Sami, a wealthy Pashtun, once Sami returns after a three-year stint being educated in his religion. Told in three points of view, The Secret Sky is a searingly honest story of forbidden love set in a remote, Taliban-controlled village in contemporary Afghanistan.

Street Dreams by Tama Wise

Growing up in a poverty-stricken neighborhood in Auckland, New Zealand, Tyson works late nights to keep his family afloat. But when he realises that he's gay, he feels a deep isolation. Looking around the local hip hop community in which he is involved, as well as in Auckland itself, he struggles to find anyone else like him. Yet, as a Māori boy, he's also alienated by New Zealand's predominantly white gay community. Navigating friendships, maybe-unrequited love, and Tyson's dreams of making art for a living, Street Dreams is a much-needed addition to the world of LGBTQ+ literature.

What are you favourite books set outside of the US and UK? Let us know on Twitter @GdnChildrensBks or email us, childrens.books@theguardian.com.

Sheena Wilkinson (@sheenawriter)
@GdnChildrensBks @Kerensd Keren David's This Is Not A Love Story -- gorgeous evocation of present-day Amsterdam.
September 16, 2015

Emma Pass (@EmmaPass)
.@TamsynTweetie @GdnChildrensBks @helengrantsays Yes! And how about @KerryDrewery's A Brighter Fear (Iraq) & A Dream of Lights (N Korea)?
September 16, 2015

Tamsyn Murray (@TamsynTweetie)
Good list @GdnChildrensBks but missing the Forbidden Spaces trilogy by @helengrantsays, set in Flanders. Amazing worldbuilding and insight.
September 16, 2015

Helen Grant (@helengrantsays)
Brilliant list @GdnChildrensBks! I would add THIS IS NOT A LOVE STORY by Keren David, fabulous book set in Amsterdam.
September 16, 2015

Topics

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teen romance books for childrens and teens

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Seven YA novels that show the lives of teens across the world

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Many fantasy, sci-fi and historical novels are set in or inspired by countries across the world, but YA contemporary stories disproportionately take place in the US and UK - and those that are set in other countries are often told by newcomer suffering from culture shock, rather than an actual native.

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India and Indian Americans->Teen fiction, Peoples & Cultures - Teen Fiction, Books

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Explore our list of India and Indian Americans->Teen fiction Books at Barnes & Noble®. Shop now & receive FREE Shipping on orders $25 & up!

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27 Awesome Australian Books Every YA Fan Should Read

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Freedom fighters, resistance leaders in the making and rebellious girls leaving their privilege behind. Fall in love with these fictional heroines.

Deadlands by Lily Herne

I'm actually quite sad that this book didn't take off as much in South Africa as I'd hope, because this book (the first in a trilogy) is pretty kickass and features a rag tag group of teens who find themselves in a post-apocalyptic Cape Town, trying to survive in a city that's overrun by and infested with zombies.

Infused with a sharp and biting wit, Deadlands is at once an action-packed novel featuring a diverse cast of characters (yay for no tokenism) and a cleverly satirical read filled with barbs that take aim at both the past and current political infrastructure of our country.

While the book itself features an array of characters, we start off by getting to know the jaded and feisty 17-year old Lele, who lives in the city enclave with her parents and younger brother. Sick of the zombie infestation, Lele soon finds herself recruited by a mysterious organisation whose intentions aren't all that clear.

WATCH: Deadlands book trailer

The Mark by Edyth Bulbring

Another book that's been getting a lot of rave reviews over the last couple of years is Edyth Bulbring's dark and edgy dystopian novel, The Mark.

The novel chronicles what happens when the world is ravaged by an event known as The Conflagration. It's a world in which 15-year old Juliet Seven finds herself living; one where she's subjected to a system of rigid rules enforced by brutal rulers who decide the fate of others based on marks at the base of their spine.

If you're looking for a book featuring a nice girl, you're not going to find it here (In fact, most of these recs feature girls who buck conventions, so if you're looking for nice little girls who play in their neat and tidy boxes, you might want to look for boring somewhere else).

However, if you want a book that features a young girl fighting back against a system who tries to dictate her destiny to her, using everything in her arsenal including her biting barbs and fighting-girl attitude? Then this book is right up your alley.

Check out one of our regular book reviewer and fellow SA author, Nerine Dorman's review here:

Crooks and Straights by Masha du Toit

A feisty heroine who has to navigate a magical Cape Town landscape dominated by political upheaval and discrimination? Um, yes please.

Masha du Toit has created a world infused with magic - one that's quickly becoming a war between those who have magical abilities and those who don't. It's a novel that combines unique African folklore and features an empowered heroine who uses her wits, courage and determination to fight against her system that threatens the lives of those closest to her.

Read our review here

READ MORE: "Let them read Harry Potter" - in conversation with Joanne Harris

Sidekick by Adeline Radloff

For fans of those who love superheroes, Sidekick features a heroine who will become the badass fictional bestie you never knew you needed. 17-year old Katie lives with her adoptive mother at home and plays sidekick to a superhero named Finn who has the ability to stop time.

Katie has the unique ability to move during these frozen moments, which naturally makes for a setup up for some really interesting situations. Sidekick is a book that's packed with plenty of hilarious and punchy moments and you'll adore - and a heroine you'll root for all the way.

When the Sea Is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen

SA author Cat Hellisen's heroine Felicita is a heroine who walks away from her privilege and fakes her own death to avoid the entrapment of an arranged marriage.

Beautifully written and lushly detailed, When the Sea is Rising Red is a book that's magical at its core, human at heart and a novel that explores the obvious disconnect between the haves and have nots.

It's both a character study and a learning experience for our heroine, who is magical, prickly, stubborn and wilfully strong - and who has to quickly learn how to adapt and survive in the slums of Pelimburg.

Actually, you know what, just read my review - I've practically written a love letter to this novel (one that I could write time and time again to be honest)

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5 young adult South African books that feature heroines you'll love

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Freedom fighters, resistance leaders in the making and rebellious girls leaving their privilege behind. Fall in love with these fictional heroines. I'm actually quite sad that this book didn't take off as much in South Africa as I'd hope, because this book (the first in a trilogy) is pretty kickass and features a rag tag group of teens who find themselves in a post-apocalyptic Cape Town, trying to survive in a city that's overrun by and infested with zombies.