YJAM Reading List | 2026

• Abbott, D. (2013). They had no voice: My fight for Alabama’s forgotten children. University of Georgia Press.
• Baca, J. S. (2001). A place to stand. Grove Press.
• Baldwin, D. (2021). To be a problem: A Black woman’s survival in the nation’s prisons. The New Press.
• Barber, A. (2023). Fenced in: Fighting for freedom.
• Beah, I. (2007). A long way gone: Memoirs of a boy soldier. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
• Betts, D. (2009). A question of freedom: A memoir of learning, survival, and coming of age in prison. Avery Publishing Group.
• Bostic, B. (2020). Life goes on inside prison.
• Boyle, G. (2011). Tattoos on the heart: The power of boundless compassion. Free Press.
• Brown-Long, C. (2019). Free Cyntoia: My search for redemption in the American prison system. Atria Books.
• Bryant, S. (2025). Behind Her Eyes: Perspective to Purpose.
• Burton, S., & Roe, C. (2017). Becoming Ms. Burton: From prison to recovery to leading the fight for incarcerated women. The New Press.
• Davis, H. (2016). Written off: How one man’s journey through poverty, disability and delinquency is transforming the juvenile justice system. Yael Cohen.
• Ellis, E. (2023). Change is possible: I never gave up. Atmosphere Press.
• Faber, E. (2021). The child in the electric chair: The execution of George Junius Stinney Jr. and the making of a tragedy in the American south.
• Flowers, H. (2014). Making of a menace, contrition of a man.
• Gonzalez, E. K. (2024). Hurdles in the Dark. Roaring Brook Press.
• Manuel, I. (2021). My time will come: A memoir of crime, punishment, hope, and redemption. Pantheon Books.
• Miller, J. (1998). Last one over the wall. Ohio State University Press.
• Miller, L. (2022). Jump: My Secret Journey from the Streets to the Boardroom. William Morrow.
• Olivier, R. (2023). 27 Summers: My Journey to Freedom, Forgiveness, and Redemption During My Time in Angola Prison.
• Parker, T. C. (2024). The man, the message, the mission.
• Reeve, D. W., & Sanchez, D., Jr. (2026). Gladiator school.
• Rodriguez, L. (1993). Always running: La vida loca, gang days in L.A. Curbstone Books.
• Rojas, B. (2015). The next day. Capableness Publishing.
• Salaam, Y. (2021). Better, Not Bitter: Living on Purpose in the Pursuit of Racial Justice. Grand Central Publishing.
• Shakur, A. (1987). Assata: An autobiography. Lawrence Hill Books.
• Shakur, Y. B. (2013). Detroit’s native.
• St. Germain, J. (2017). A stone of hope: A memoir. Harper.
• Thomas, P. (1967). Down these mean streets. Alfred A. Knopf.
• Venable, D. (2025). A Beautiful Pain: The Story of a Violent Juvenile Offender Sentenced to Life in Prison at 16 and His Transformation into a Community Advocate.
• Wilson, C., & Witter, B. (2019). The master plan: My journey from life in prison to a life of purpose. G.P. Putnam’s Sons.

• Brooks, N. (2023). Promise boys. Henry Holt and Co.
• Couvson, M. W. (2023). Charisma’s turn: A graphic novel. The New Press.
• Dupuis, J. K. (2016). I am not a number. Second Story Press.
• Hale, C. (2019). Todos iguales / All equal: Un corrido de Lemon Grove / A Ballad of Lemon Grove. Lee & Low Books.
• Jackson, T. D. (2018). Monday’s Not Coming. Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. ***
• Johnson, K. (2023). Invisible son. Random House Books for Young Readers.
• Johnson, K. (2020). This is my America. Random House Books for Young Readers. ***
• Lockington, M. J. (2019). For Black Girls Like Me. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
• Lockington, M. J. (2023). Forever is now. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
• Medina, T. (2017). I am Alfonso Jones. Tu Books, an imprint of Lee & Low Books Inc.
• Myers, W. D. (1999). Monster. HarperCollins. ***
• Myers, W. D. (2010). Lockdown. HarperCollins.
• Perez, J. A. (2024). ‘Till ink meets paper: Poems for Guendalina...my mommy. Influentialbooks.
• Reynolds, J. (2017). Long way down. Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books. ***
• Reynolds, J. (2024). Miles Morales suspended. Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books.
• Reynolds, J., & Kiely, B. (2015). All American boys. Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books. ***
• Rivera, J. (2007). Forever my lady. Urban Books.
• Sachar, L. (1998). Holes. Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
• Slater, D. (2017). The 57 bus: A true story of two teenagers and the crime that changed their lives. Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
• Stone, N. (2020). Dear justyce. Crown Books for Young Readers. ***
• Tahir, S. (2022). All my rage. Razorbill.
• Ten Boom, C. (1971). The hiding place. Chosen Books.
• Thomas, A. (2017). The hate u give. Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. ***
• Thomas, A. (2021). Concrete Rose. Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
• Thomas, K. A. (2023). Every kid’s guide to the juvenile justice system. NYU Press.
• Tison, A. (2023). Saints of the household. Farrar Straus Giroux.
• Zoboi, I. & Salaam, Y. (2020). Punching the air. Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Ages 3–8

• Beaty, D. (2013). Knock, Knock: My Dad’s Dream for Me. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
• Kaba, M. & Royal, B. (2019). Missing Daddy. Haymarket Books.
• Sesame Workshop (n.d.). In My Family — Storybook. Retrieved May 6, 2026, from sesameworkshop.org/resources/in-my-family-storybook/
• Stanglin, J. (2007). Mami, Que Es Una Carcel / What is Jail, Mommy? Lifevest Publishing, Inc.

Ages 5–10

• Brooks, D. (2015). Kennedy’s Big Visit. Archway Publishing.
• Ellis, S. & Tapper, K. (2016). Almost Like Visiting. Createspace Independent Publishing Platform.
• Greenwood, S. (2022). My Brother is Away. Random House Studio.
• Harriman, J. L. & Flye, K. A. (2011). Waiting for Daddy. Createspace Independent Publishing Platform.
• Hollins, W. Q. & Kitty, K. (2019). Anna’s Test. Independently published.
• Woodson, J. & Ransome, J. (2015). Visiting Day. Nancy Paulsen Books.

Ages 11+

• Giles, C. D. (2023). Not an Easy Win. Random House Books for Young Readers.
• Marks, J. (2021). From the Desk of Zoe Washington. Quill Tree Books.
• Paterson, K. (2015). The Same Stuff as Stars. Clarion Books.
• Woodson, J. (2020). Harbor Me. Nancy Paulsen Books.

Nonfiction

• Birtha, B. & Kastelic, M. (2017). Far Apart, Close in Heart: Being a Family When a Loved One is Incarcerated. Albert Whitman and Company.
• Young, A. (2018). Teen Guide to Living with Incarcerated Parents: A Self-Help Book for Coping During an Age of Mass Incarceration. BookBaby.
• Zehr, H. (2010). What Will Happen to Me: Every Night Approximately Three Million Children Go to Bed With a Parent in Prison or Jail. Good Books.

• Henry, J. S. (2016). Help! My kid’s been arrested: A parent’s guide to navigating the juvenile justice system. The New Press.
• Menakem, R. (2017). My grandmother’s hands: Racialized trauma and the pathway to mending our hearts and bodies. Central Recovery Press.
• Winfrey, O., & Perry, B. D. (2021). What happened to you?: Conversations on trauma, resilience, and healing. Flatiron Books.

• Acevedo, E. (2018). The poet X. HarperTeen. ***
• Betts, D. (2019). Felon: Poems. W.W. Norton & Company.
• Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop (2015). The untold story of the real me: Young voices from prison. Shout Mouse Press, Inc.
• Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop (2020). They called me 299‑359: Poetry by the incarcerated youth of Free Minds. Shout Mouse Press, Inc.
• Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop (2021). When you hear me (you hear us): Voices on youth incarceration. Shout Mouse Press, Inc.
• Salinas, R. (1999). Un trip through the mind jail & other writings. Arte Público Press.
• Smith, C. (2016). Counting descent. Write Bloody Publishing.

• Brown, C. (1965). Manchild in the promised land. MacMillan & Co.
• Due, T. (2023). The reformatory: A novel. Saga Press.
• Reed, V. (2021). The car thief: A boy’s perilous journey through the juvenile justice system. Applestein Training Resources.
• Whitehead, C. (2019). The nickel boys: A novel. Doubleday.

• Bernstein, N. (2016). Burning down the house: The end of juvenile prison. The New Press.
• Bernstein, N. (2025). In our future we are free: The dismantling of the youth prison. The New Press.
• Bonilla, F. P., & Noguera, P. A. (Eds.) (2011). Latino young men and boys in search of justice: Testimonies. University of Illinois Press.
• Burns, S. (2012). The Central Park Five: The Untold Story Behind One of New York City’s Most Infamous Crimes. Hodder & Stoughton.
• Butterfield, F. (1996). All God’s children: The Bosket family and the American tradition of violence. Alfred A. Knopf.
• Chávez-García, M. (2012). States of delinquency: Race and science in the making of California’s juvenile justice system. University of California Press.
• Committee on Assessing Juvenile Justice Reform, Committee on Law and Justice, & Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (Eds.) (2013). Reforming juvenile justice: A developmental approach. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
• Cox, A. (2018). Trapped in a vice: The consequences of confinement for young people. Rutgers University Press.
• Cunneen, C. & Tauri, J. (2016). Indigenous Criminology. Policy Press.
• Drinan, C. (2018). The War on Kids: How American Juvenile Justice Lost Its Way. Oxford University Press.
• Ecenbarger, W. (2012). Kids for cash. The New Press.
• Feld, B. C. (2013). Kids, cops and confessions: Inside the interrogation room. New York University Press.
• Feld, B. (2017). The evolution of the juvenile court: Race, politics, and the criminalizing of juvenile justice. New York University Press.
• Flores, J. (2016). Caught up: Girls, surveillance, and wraparound incarceration. University of California Press.
• Forman, Jr., J. (2017). Locking up our own. Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
• Garbarino, J. (2000). Lost boys: Why our sons turn violent and how we can save them. Free Press.
• Grisso, T., & Schwartz, R. G. (Eds.) (2000). Youth on trial: A developmental perspective on juvenile justice. University of Chicago Press.
• Guttman, J. (2016). Kids in jail: A portrait of life without mercy. Booklocker.com.
• Henning, K. N. (2021). The rage of innocence: How America criminalizes black youth. Pantheon Books.
• Hobbs, J. (2023). Children of the State: Stories of Survival and Hope in the Juvenile Justice System. Scribner.
• Humes, E. (1996). No matter how loud I shout: A year in the life of juvenile court. Simon & Schuster.
• Kimmerle, E. (2022). We carry their bones: The search for justice at the Dozier School for Boys. William Morrow.
• Kotlowitz, A. (1992). There are no children here. Doubleday.
• Nellis, A. (2015). A return to justice. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
• Platt, A. M. (1972). The child savers: The invention of delinquency. University of Chicago Press.
• Rios, V. M. (2011). Punished: Policing the lives of black and latino boys. New York University Press.
• Ross, R. (2017). Juvie talk: Unlocking the language of juvenile justice. The Image of Justice.
• Scott, E. & Steinberg, L. (2008). Rethinking juvenile justice. Harvard University Press.
• Singer, S. I. (2014). America’s safest city: Delinquency and modernity in suburbia (Vol. 3). NYU Press.
• Spinak, J. (2023). The end of family court: How abolishing the court brings justice to children and families. NYU Press.
• Stockley, G. (2017). Black boys burning: The 1959 fire at the Arkansas Negro Boys Industrial School. University Press of Mississippi.
• Ward, G. K. (2012). The black child savers: Racial democracy and juvenile justice. University of Chicago Press.

Activism

• Davis, A. Y. (2016). Freedom is a constant struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the foundations of a movement. Haymarket Books.
• Jayadev, R. (2024). Protect your people: How ordinary families are using participatory defense to challenge mass incarceration. The New Press.
• Kaba, M. (2021). We Do This ’til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice. Haymarket Books.
• Kaba, M. (2021). No more police: A case for abolition. The New Press.
• Love, B. L. (2019). We want to do more than survive: Abolitionist teaching and the pursuit of educational freedom. Beacon Press.

Adolescence

• Boyle, G. (2010). Tattoos on the heart: The power of boundless compassion. Free Press.
• Canada, G. (1998). Reaching up for manhood. Beacon Press.
• Coates, T.-N. (2015). Between the world and me. Spiegel & Grau. ***
• Hartman, S. (2019). Wayward lives, beautiful experiments: Intimate histories of riotous black girls, troublesome women, and queer radicals. W.W. Norton & Company.
• Pipher, M. & Gilliam, S. (1994). Reviving Ophelia: Saving the selves of adolescent girls. Putnam.
• Steinberg, L. (2014). Age of opportunity: Lessons from the new science of adolescence. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Criminal Justice

• Alexander, M. (2012). The new jim crow: Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness. The New Press. ***
• Davis, A. Y. (2003). Are prisons obsolete? Seven Stories Press.
• Gilmore, R. W. (2007). Golden gulag: Prisons, surplus, crisis, and opposition in globalizing California. University of California Press.
• Karakatsanis, A. (2025). Copaganda: How police and the media manipulate our news. The New Press.
• Kessler, L. (2014). Free: Two years, six lives, and the long journey home. Sourcebooks.
• Muhammad, K. (2010). The Condemnation of blackness: Race, crime, and the making of modern urban America. Harvard University Press.
• Norris, Z. (2020). We keep us safe: Building secure, just, and inclusive communities. The New Press.
• Schiraldi, V. (2023). Mass supervision: Probation, parole, and the illusion of safety and freedom. The New Press.
• Senghor, S. (2016). Writing my wrongs: Life, death, and redemption in an American prison. Convergent Books.
• Ward, J. (2017). Sing, unburied, sing. Scribner.

Family Regulation

• Nazario, S. (2006). Enrique’s journey. Random House.
• Roberts, D. (2022). Torn apart: How the child welfare system destroys black families—and how abolition can build a safer world. Basic Books.
• Roberts, D. (2002). Shattered bonds: The color of child welfare. Civitas Books.

Gun Violence

• Canada, G. (1995). Fist, Knife, Stick, Gun. Beacon Press.
• Kotlowitz, A. (2019). An American summer: Love & death from Chicago. Doubleday.

Prison Industrial Complex

• Ball, J., & Kaba, M. (2025). Prisons must fall. Haymarket Books.
• Tylek, B. (2025). The prison industry: How it works and who profits. The New Press.

Restorative Justice

• Rosado, F. (2024). Justice from the inside up: A restorative justice education facilitator’s manual. Living Justice Press.
• Sered, D. (2021). Until we reckon. The New Press.
• Valandra, E. C. (Ed.) (2020). Colorizing restorative justice: Voicing our realities. Living Justice Press.

School to Prison Pipeline

• Couvson, M. W. (2018). Pushout: The criminalization of black girls in schools. The New Press.
• Ewing, E. (2025). Original sins: The (mis)education of Black and Native Children and the construction of American racism. One World.
• Kupchick, A. (2025). Suspended Education: School Punishment and the Legacy of Racial Injustice. NYU Press.
• Morris, M. W. (2019). Sing a rhythm, dance a blues: Education for the liberation of Black and Brown girls. The New Press.
• Kidder, T. (1989). Among schoolchildren. Houghton Mifflin.
• Kozol, J. (1991). Savage inequalities: Children in America’s schools. Crown.