These powerful new YA titles are all about overcoming — overcoming unfair circumstances, overcoming painful pasts, and overcoming heart wrenching grief. Filled with action, love, and sorrow, this virtual YA event explores four very different stories, all sure to captivate you to the very end.

I Kick and I Fly by RUCHIRA GUPTA. From Emmy-award winning documentarian, Ruchira Gupta, comes the unforgettable story of fourteen-year-old Heera. Sold by her father into the sex trade to repay his loans, Heera takes fate into her own fists when she gains a transformative opportunity to learn kung fu!

An Appetite for Miracles by LAEKAN ZEA KEMP. Meet teens Danna and Raul. Danna's grandfather is slowly losing himself as his memories fade. Raul's wrongly incarcerated mother suddenly returns into his life. When they meet, sparks fly and, together, they embark on a mission to heal their family... and themselves.

Don't Ask If I'm Okay by JESSICA KARA. Gage survived a car accident that killed his best friend. A year later, all Gage wants is to move on. But as his father tells him to just 'man-up', Gage finds his ignored grief warping into anger. With his dream job and dream girl on the line, can Gage finally heal his broken heart before it breaks everything else?

Where You See Yourself by CLAIRE FORREST. An unforgettable coming-of-age tale and a swoon-worthy romance in this story about a girl who's determined to follow her dreams. As Effie navigates her way through a year of admissions visits, senior class traditions, internal and external ableism, and a lot of firsts — and lasts — she starts to learn that sometimes growing up means being open to a world of possibilities you never even dreamed of. And maybe being more than just friends with her longtime crush is one of those dreams...

While You Were Dreaming by ALISHA RAI. Sonia’s had her hands full with work, school, and pretending everything is okay at home until, in homemade superhero cosplay, she stumbles into saving her crush James’s life. A video of the daring rescue goes viral, and her alter-ego is thrust into the spotlight. Now she’s trying to hide and connect with James, but she can’t deny her attraction to another boy. Juggling crushes and a secret identity might just take superpowers. Will Sonia be able to hide in plain sight forever?

Great Contemporary Teen Reads