YA Novels – Susan Uhlig

Purple background with white lettering and a circular pin showing a snake on one side and a bird on the other.

Award Winners, So Many Good Books, YA Novels

Sunrise on the Reaping

Posted on October 7, 2026October 7, 2026 by Susan Uhlig

How can a book you know the ending too (it’s a prequel) be so compelling? But that’s how I found Sunrise on the Reaping (Scholastic Press, 2025) by Suzanne Collins.

Set in The Hunger Games world, it’s about Haymitch–yes, the drunken mentor! This story takes place when he’s young and has to go through the trials himself. Haymitch isn’t selected as tribute from District 12, but when the boy tribute does a runner and is killed, Haymitch is shoved into his place and forced to reenact his “choosing” as if his name was really drawn. It doesn’t get better from there.

Seeing the contrasts and similarities between this time period and other other books set in the world is fascinating. Living with Haymitch’s experience is very different than “knowing” he went through it. And, yes, if you haven’t heard, there will be a movie. And if you have no idea what I’m talking about read The Hunger Games.

Read some of the bestselling author’s thoughts on this book here. Here is a link to her other books and Suzanne’s bio.

Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books, YA Novels

Flying Through Clouds

Posted on June 8, 2026June 3, 2026 by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Flying Through Clouds (independently published 2017) by Michelle Morgan was a really good historical read. Though technically a YA book, I think many middle graders will enjoy it.

Set in Australia in the 1930s, Joe wants to be an aviator, but his parents are against it. And there’s trouble with the bookkeeping business his father runs, which Joe helps with but doesn’t get paid much. If only he can save up enough money for flying lessons.

I loved the character’s voice. Read the opening lines: “The house is quiet – too quiet. I close the front door carefully, trying not to make any noise. It’s not so much that I’m late, as I shouldn’t have gone out in the first place.” How could one not read on?

In an interview Michelle said, “Flying through Clouds was inspired by two historical events – the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in March 1932, and the landing and take-off of Southern Cross by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith on Seven Mile Beach in January 1933.” Both of these events are mentioned in the story. Read more of the interview here.

This book is a Winner of the 2017 SCBWI Spark Award for Older Readers.

I’m disappointed the writer hasn’t published any books since, but it looks like she’s too busy with her songwriting and singing with her husband. Read about her here.

photo of an orchard with sprinklers running on it, and mountains in background

So Many Good Books, YA Novels

YA Books Set in Places I’ve Lived

Posted on April 8, 2026April 4, 2026 by Susan Uhlig

This was a harder list for me to create as I don’t read as much YA as I do middle grade. And I’ve probably missed some. But I hope you find it interesting.

OREGON

A Death-Struck Year by Makiia Lucier

Eyes of the Forest and Girl, Stolen are just a couple of April Henry’s many books.

Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

KANSAS

Crossing the Tracks by Barb Stuber

WASHINGTON

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough

Lovely, Dark, and Deep by Justina Chen

Tell Me a Secret and Don’t Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala

The Year We Were Famous by Carole Estby Dagg

States I’m missing are Colorado and New Jersey. When I lived in those places, my kids were very young which influenced my reading. But I recently found this interesting list: “YA Books Set in Each US State” with a form to add any books you’ve written set in a specific state.

MG Novels, So Many Good Books, YA Novels

Best of All Worlds

Posted on January 26, 2026January 21, 2026 by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Best of All Worlds (Scholastic Press, 2025) by Kenneth Oppel was fascinating, mysterious, and a freaky story of survival.

Thirteen-year-old Xavier hadn’t wanted to go to the cottage with his dad and pregnant stepmom–he’d rather be gaming at home with Mom and his brother–but when he wakes up the first morning, it’s as if the cottage has been removed from one place and plunked down somewhere else. Have they been abducted by aliens, as Xavier expects, or by the government for a secret project?

Later in the story, three years have passed, and Xavier is 16, so this book may not be appropriate for younger readers. I don’t know how else the author could have ended the book, but it wasn’t as satisfying as I’d hoped.

Read about the award-winning author here and check out more books here. (Note: the website appears to not have been updated recently.)

Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books, YA Novels

Afia in the Land of Wonders

Posted on October 27, 2025January 12, 2026 by Susan Uhlig

It’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday!

I loved Afia in the Land of Wonders (Scholastic Press, 2025) written and illustrated by Mia Araujo. It’s such an intriguing and well done fantasy set in Western Africa (not tribe specific). Isn’t that cover gorgeous? (And what you can’t tell is the gold is embossed.)

Afia’s beloved twin has always been happy to work with their family in the crystal business, but Afia wants more. She wants to explore outside of Dafra. Have adventures. In disobedience to her family she leaves them and gets much more adventure than she wants.

The writing and the illustrations are beautiful. I didn’t want to stop reading, but the ending is very satisfying.

This book is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and a Barnes & Noble Children’s & YA Book Awards Finalist for 2025. The main character is 16 but very approachable for the middle grade audience.

This illustrated novel was the author’s debut. I hope she is working on further books! Read more about Mia here and see her paintings and drawings.