Each year, Cracking the Cover compiles a list of books that make great gifts. The following are young adult books published in and/or reviewed in 2019.

Sadie, by Courtney Summers, follows a similar format to Serial while telling the fictional story of a missing girl determined to avenge her sister’s death.

Don’t let the first line of Gloria Chao’s Our Wayward Fate put you off. It certainly raised my eyebrows, but it totally makes sense as you read on.

I jumped at the chance to read/review the Lottie Perkins series written by Katrina Nannestad and illustrated by Makoto Koji.

Terry Lynn Johnson’s high-adventure books are page-turners, and her latest middle-grade novel, Dog Driven, lives up to her reputation.

Brandon Mull’s third book in the Dragonwatch series, Master of the Phantom Isle, takes up where Wrath of the Dragon King left off.

What do you do when your parents’ expectations aren’t something you can live up to? Sarah Jean Horwitz explores that idea in The Dark Lord Clementine.

Writing for young readers is a tremendous honor, says Nicole Valentine, author of the middle grade novel A Time Traveler’s Theory of Relativity.

From the minute my 5-year-old daughter picked up Chapter Two Is Missing, she was entranced. The picture book a laugh out loud read.

From the minute my 5-year-old daughter picked up Chapter Two Is Missing, she was entranced. The picture book a laugh out loud read.

We love Andrea Beaty and David Roberts’ The Questioneers series. So when Sofia Valdez, Future Prez landed on our front porch, it was immediately devoured.

Having a deep understanding of children is key to creating for them, says Toni Buzzeo, author of the picture book When Sue Found Sue.