Why Lucky Enough by K.A. Wesorick Should Be On Every Secondary Classroom Shelf

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💫 Lucky Enough by K.A. Wesorick: A Must-Have for Your YA Bookshelf

What if your lucky break was believing in yourself all along?

In Lucky Enough, K.A. Wesorick gives readers a heartfelt, relatable, and empowering debut about one girl’s journey through the complicated landscape of high school and self-worth. With authentic voice, emotional depth, and a touch of magic, this novel is a perfect addition to secondary classroom libraries and literature circles.

📖 Synopsis

Fifteen-year-old Becks enters high school determined to shake the invisibility she wore all through middle school. With her brave and bold best friend Trina by her side, Becks pushes herself to audition for the dance team, chase after a crush, and navigate the pressure to fit in. When her grandfather gifts her a four-leaf clover necklace, Becks starts to experience unexpected moments of courage, clarity, and triumph that feel… lucky.

But is it really luck? Or something more?

As friendships are tested, dreams are pursued, and heartbreaks endured, Becks begins to learn that confidence doesn’t come from a charm—it comes from within. Lucky Enough is a beautiful coming-of-age novel about stepping into your identity, embracing change, and recognizing your own worth.

🎓 Why This Belongs in the Classroom

Lucky Enough is not just a feel-good read—it’s a powerful conversation starter for adolescents learning to navigate identity, pressure, and friendship. Here’s why this book earns a spot on your shelves:

• Social-Emotional Learning: Becks’ journey toward confidence opens the door to classroom discussions on self-esteem, peer pressure, and emotional resilience.

• Realistic Friendships: The evolution of Becks and Trina’s friendship mirrors real teenage relationships—messy, supportive, and ever-changing—making it relatable and rich for classroom dialogue.

• Coming-of-Age Themes: Topics like body image, first love, taking risks, and discovering inner strength resonate with students figuring out who they are and where they’re going.

• Literary Elements: The use of the four-leaf clover as a symbolic motif invites discussions about symbolism, magical realism, and figurative language.

• Creative Writing Inspiration: Students can reflect on their own “lucky enough” moments or write personal narratives inspired by a time they stepped out of their comfort zones.

✏️ Teaching Ideas

• Journal Prompt: What object would you choose to be your personal symbol of courage or hope? Why?

• Character Study: Track Becks’ growth using a timeline or visual storyboard, focusing on key moments of change.

• Literature Circles: Compare Lucky Enough to other YA books with themes of self-discovery or friendship challenges.

• Theme Exploration: Have students analyze the theme of luck vs. self-determination and how it plays out across the novel.

• Socratic Seminar: Is Becks really “lucky”? Or does she create her own luck? Use textual evidence to support arguments.

📚 Read-Alikes for Fans of Lucky Enough

If your students enjoyed these titles, they’ll connect deeply with Lucky Enough:

• Starfish by Lisa Fipps – a moving novel-in-verse about body image, self-worth, and finding your voice.

• To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han – for readers who love shy protagonists stepping into the spotlight of young love.

• Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy – a body-positive, feel-good story about self-acceptance and challenging norms.

• Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh – a poetic exploration of identity, dance, and family pressure.

• Not If I Can Help It by Carolyn Mackler – for younger readers grappling with change, friendship, and internal growth.

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Final Thought:
K.A. Wesorick’s Lucky Enough is a warm, affirming addition to the YA canon that encourages readers to take risks, believe in themselves, and celebrate the everyday magic of growing up. Whether it’s in an independent reading bin, a book club rotation, or a full-class novel study, this book offers rich opportunities to connect, reflect, and grow.

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FALL YA MUST READS

 

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Amateur sleuths and wannabe influencers Kerry and Annie are back on the case when a social media festival inspires some killer content—and several on-camera influencer deaths—in this page-turning and sidesplitting sequel to Murder on a School Night from author and comedian Kate Weston.

After catching the menstrual murderer red-handed, Annie and Kerry are now the Tampon Two, Barbourough’s most famous—well, only—detective duo. So Annie (and decidedly not Kerry) is enjoying her five minutes of fame.

Except life in the spotlight seems to be a magnet for death these days. After a famous prankster is found dead with a condom stretched over his entire head, the Tampon Two are on the scene at their small village’s Festival of Fame to catch another killer.

Honestly, Kerry doesn’t know how she ended up here again, but this might be her one chance to prove to the folks at the local paper that she has what it takes to be a reporter—and to prove to herself that she doesn’t need her boyfriend, Scott, to save the day. Or even Annie, who definitely has stars and hearts in her eyes investigating all these influencers.

With Annie distracted, Kerry has to work quickly, before one more live stream can be cut off by yet another grisly death. And this time, the murderer might be following her—and not just on social media—in their quest to create some truly killer content.

*Preorder TODAY! 

Award-winning author Jen Ferguson has written a powerful story about teens grappling with balancing resentment with enduring friendship—and how to move forward with a life that’s not what they’d imagined.          

Before that awful Saturday, Molly used to be inseparable from her brother, Hank, and his best friend, Tray. The indoor climbing accident that left Hank with a traumatic brain injury filled Molly with anger.

While she knows the accident wasn’t Tray’s fault, she will never forgive him for being there and failing to stop the damage. But she can’t forgive herself for not being there either.

Determined to go on the trio’s postgraduation hike of the Pacific Crest Trail, even without Hank, Molly packs her bag. But when her parents put Tray in charge of looking out for her, she is stuck backpacking with the person who incites her easy anger.

Despite all her planning, the trail she’ll walk has a few more twists and turns ahead. . . .

Discover the evocative storytelling and emotion from the author of The Summer of Bitter and Sweet, which was the winner of the Governor General's Award, a Stonewall Award honor book, and a Morris Award finalist, as well as Those Pink Mountain Nights, a Kirkus Best Book of the Year!

*Preorder today! 

It’s Black Friday—and the apocalypse is on sale!

Ever since the world filled with portals to hell and bloodthirsty demons started popping out on the reg, Jasper’s life has gotten worse and worse. A teenage nobody with no friends or family, he is plagued by the life he can’t remember and the person he’s sure he’s supposed to be.

Jasper spends his days working as a checkout clerk at the Here for You discount mart, where a hell portal in aisle nine means danger every shift. But at least here he can be near the girl he’s crushing on—Kyle Kuan, a junior member of the monster-fighting Vanguard—who seems to hate Jasper for reasons he can’t remember or understand.

But when Jasper and Kyle learn they both share a frightening vision of the impending apocalypse, they’re forced to team up and uncover the uncomfortable truth about the hell portals and the demons that haunt the world. Because the true monsters are not always what they seem, the past is not always what we wish, and like it or not, on Black Friday, all hell will break loose, starting in aisle nine.

Rising star Ian X. Cho delivers an unforgettably freaky and hilarious YA debut with Aisle Nine, perfect for fans of Grasshopper Jungle or The Last of Us.

*Preorder here! 

The first book in a thrilling mystery duology that follows Lizzie Bennet and Mr. Darcy from the acclaimed Jane Austen Murder Mystery series!

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that London’s first female solicitor in possession of the details of a deadly crime, must be in want of a suspect.

The tenacious Lizzie Bennet has earned her place at Longbourn, her father’s law firm. Her work keeps her busy, but luckily it gives her plenty of reasons to consult (and steal occasional kisses) with Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, a stern but secretly softhearted solicitor at Pemberley.

Lizzie is hired to investigate a deadly warehouse fire and to find the mysterious woman who was spotted at the scene moments before the flames took hold. But when the case leads to the sitting room of a woman Darcy once proposed marriage to, the delicate balance between personal and professional in their relationship is threatened.

Questions of the future are cast aside when the prime suspect is murdered and Lizzie’s own life is threatened. As the body count rises and their suspicions about what was really going on in the warehouse grow, the pressure is on for Lizzie and Darcy to uncover the truth.

Classic characters with an enthralling twist—Lizzie and Darcy, as introduced in the hit novel Pride and Premeditation, are back for more suspense, danger, and romance!

What are you most excited to read or share this fall?? 

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Summer Release Must Reads - Round Up

 

Fortune Tellers by Lisa Greenwald (May 7, Katherine Tegen Books)
MG | Timeless story | For fans of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and That’s So Raven

 

What if your fortunes really came true?

 

Once upon a time, Millie, Nora, and Bea were best friends who loved slumber parties, exploring their Manhattan neighborhood, and making fortune tellers with their Magic Markers. Now, in the summer before seventh grade, they haven’t spoken in over a year—thanks to a big fight, the pandemic shutting down their school, and each girl moving away for different reasons. The girls routinely check each other’s social media, but none of them can muster the courage to reach out, even if they might want to.

 

Then their long-ago paper fortune tellers start popping up in the most unexpected places. The fortunes carry some eerily accurate wisdom for each girl: Your future is hidden in your past. Hold on to the memories. Go back to where you started. Could this be the push the girls need to reconnect and reunite? Or is the gap between them too wide to mend?

“Greenwald sensitively captures the social dynamics of middle school, where popularity can take precedence over friendship. Tears and cheers abound in this endearing take on friendship.” — Kirkus Reviews

 

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants meets That's So Raven in this 90s throwback!

Grace Notes by Naomi Shihab Nye (May 7, Greenwillow Books)

Poetry collection | Ages 10+ | Familial themes

 

With themes of family, love, kindness, empathy, grief, growing up, and resilience, these one hundred never-before-published poems by the beloved poet, speaker, and teacher Naomi Shihab Nye will resonate with a wide audience.

 

National Book Award Finalist and former Young People’s Poet Laureate Naomi Shihab Nye’s Grace Notes: Poems about Families celebrates family and community. This rich collection of one hundred never-before-published poems is also the poet’s most personal work to date. With poems about her own childhood and school years, her parents and grandparents, and the people who have touched and shaped her life in so many ways, this is an emotional and sparkling collection to savor, share, and read again and again.

• Gift package–perfect for gifts for any occasion but especially Mother’s Day!
• Naomi is a beloved author and poet, and an immensely popular and sought-after speaker both nationally and internationally.
• Crossover appeal for kids and adults!
• This is a tribute to her mother, who died in 2021, and explores the mother/daughter relationship.

True Love and Other Impossible Odds by Christina Li (May 14, Quill Tree Books)

YA | Sapphic | AAPI

 

College freshman Grace Tang never meant to rewrite the rules of love. She came to college to move on from a grief-stricken senior year and to start anew. So she follows a predictable routine: Attend class, study, go home and visit her dad every weekend. She doesn’t leave any room in her life for outliers or anomalies.

 

Then, Grace comes up with an algorithm for her statistics class to pair students with their perfect romantic partners. Though some people are skeptical, like Julia, Grace’s prickly coworker, Grace is confident that her program will take all the drama out of relationships. That’s why she keeps trying to make things work with her match, a guy named Jamie. But as the semester goes on and she grows closer to Julia, Grace starts to question who she’s really attracted to.

 

In award-winning author Christina Li’s YA debut, Grace will have to make a choice between the tidy equations she knows will protect her from heartbreak or the possibility that true love doesn’t follow any formula.

An incredible roster of author praise includes:

“A reminder that love and joy can be found in the most unexpected places, and that there is no pain or tragedy that precludes us from finding our way to the happy ending.” —Sonora Reyes, National Book Award finalist and bestselling author of The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School

 

"Every now and then you read a book that you know will stay with you for a long time. True Love and Other Impossible Odds is one of those books. Honest, raw, and breathtakingly real." —Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick, New York Times bestselling authors of She Gets the Girl 

 

"The blueprint for contemporary coming-of-age. True Love and Other Impossible Odds navigates the complex, beautiful time of burgeoning adulthood, where imperfect understandings of love inspire the greatest plunge toward growth."  —Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights

The Only Light Left Burning by Erik J. Brown (May 28, Balzer + Bray)

YA | Postapocalyptic | For fans of Heartstopper and They Both Die at the End

 

After a long and treacherous journey south, Andrew and Jamie have finally found safety in the Florida Keys. But they soon learn that safety doesn't always mean happily ever after.

Settling into life in the Islamorada colony with other survivors of the bug, Andrew believes they've finally found themselves a home, even a family. But anxious Jamie is less comfortable in their new community and is eager to return north to keep the promise they made to their friend Henri—to bring her to the colony and reunite her with her daughter. Besides, would it really be so bad to find someplace just for the two of them?

 

When a hurricane and a shocking betrayal force them to leave the colony in search of new shelter, it brings their tensions to a head—and puts them in the path of some old enemies. Andrew and Jamie must set aside their differences to survive once more and find a new home. But what if "home" means different things to each of them?

*An LGBTQ Reads Most Anticipated Pick!

• A SEQUEL FULL OF WIT AND HUMOR: Though the premise is harrowing, this story is smart, absorbing, and funny. Readers can't help but be charmed by Andrew and Jamie’s banter even as they root for them to survive, and the compulsive readability of the first book has made Erik a breakout debut, appealing to fans of Adam Silvera and Alex London.
• BESTSELLING COMPS: This series is best described as What If It's Us meets the apocalypse—two teen boys find unexpected romance after a deadly pathogen wipes out most of the world population—and Jamie and Andrew’s sweet, banter-y chemistry calls to mind a teen version of Patrick and David from Schitt’s Creek.
• HOPING FOR A HAPPILY EVER AFTER: In All That's Left in the World, readers fell head over heels for Andrew's wry humor and Jamie's gentle heart and affinity for made-for-TV romances. But while the two found safety—and each other—now they must face new dangers...including tension in their growing relationship. Readers will be on the edges of their seats wondering if Jamie and Andrew will finally find their happily ever after. Perfect for fans of Heartstopper!
• AN AUTHOR ON THE RISE: Erik J. Brown's debut, All That's Left in the World, earned a starred review from Kirkus Reviews, a spot on the Waterstones Children's Book Prize shortlist, and an incredibly enthusiastic—and growing!—readership.

One Killer Problem by Justine Pucella Winans (June 4, HarperTeen)

Campy YA | Mystery/thriller | For fans of Only Murders in the Building

 

When Gianna “Gigi” Ricci lands in detention again, she doesn’t expect the glorified study hall to be her alibi.

 

But when she and her friends receive a mysterious email directing them to her favorite teacher, Mr. Ford’s room, they find him lying in a pool of blood. But calling the math teacher’s death an accident doesn’t add up, and Gigi needs all the help she can get to find the truth. Luckily, she’s friends with her high school’s “mystery club,” and so with her best friend, Sean, and longtime crush, Mari, Gigi sets out to solve a murder. But it turns out, murderers are extremely unwilling to be caught, and the deeper Gigi gets in this mystery, the more dangerous things become. Between fending off a murderer, continual flare-ups of her IBS, and her archnemesis turning flirtatious . . . making it out of junior year is going to be one killer problem.

 

With a wry, hilarious voice and a main character who is the walking definition of a disaster bi, this book is an ode to cozy mysteries, queer found families, and fighting for the people you love, no matter what. 

An incredible roster of author praise includes:

“One Killer Problem is a fun, endearing, and delightfully quirky murder mystery, with a sleuth whose hilarious voice leaps off the page and fantastic IBS representation that will make kids living with chronic stomach pain feel SEEN.” — Diana Urban, award-winning author of All Your Twisted Secrets

“Punny, thrilling, and oh so charming, One Killer Problem weaves suspense and queer feels into a heart-pounding, laugh-out-loud mystery that proves why Justine Pucella Winans is a must-read name for all queer YA fans.” — Emery Lee, award-winning author of Meet Cute Diary

“Voicey and immersive, this witty, fast-paced YA mystery was a one-sitting read. With its cast of lovable, well-rounded characters and emotionally charged mystery, it kept the pages turning long into the night.” — Wendy Heard, author of She's too Pretty to Burn and We'll Never Tell

“This book slays—an emotionally complex and queer cast, an edgy murder, and loads of campy banter. Winans has once again cunningly crafted a laugh-out-loud mystery.” — Page Powars, author of The Borrow a Boyfriend Club

“My lawyers will be in touch with Justine Pucella Winans for the damages caused by this book. My abs hurt from laughing, my throat hurts from screaming, and my heart hurts from melting. None of this is okay. Five stars.” — Sonora Reyes, National Book Award Finalist and bestselling author of The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School

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NEW YA MUST HAVES

 

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Lilliam Rivera's WE LIGHT UP THE SKY - New YA Release

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Lilliam is a true genre bender and SF nerd – and while she’ll always call the Bronx her first home, we’re excited to help launch her first book set in her adopted home of Los Angeles, as well as her first sci-fi novel: an alien invasion set from the point of view of three Latinx teens. You can read more of Lilliam’s thoughts behind WE LIGHT UP THE SKY in her first look cover reveal with EW, where she describes the book’s genesis:

 

“This book actually came to be because one day I stepped outside my home to see this launch, I think it was for Space X, where some sort of rocket was going to fly around L.A. like two or three years ago. Elon Musk was out there doing something. I was trying to figure out the best place to view it from when I saw these young kids who told me I had just missed it but they'd captured it on their phones. Their excitement showing me their photos really captivated me. It led me to wonder what it would be like for these young kids to really experience an alien invasion.”

Should you save a world that doesn't want to save you?
Award-winning author Lilliam Rivera explores the haunting story of an alien invasion from the perspective of three Latinx teens.

Pedro, Luna, and Rafa may attend Fairfax High School together in Los Angeles, but they run in separate spheres. Pedro is often told that he's “too much” and seeks refuge from his home life in a local drag bar. Luna is pretending to go along with the popular crowd but is still grieving the unexpected passing of her beloved cousin Tasha. Then there's Rafa, the quiet new kid who is hiding the fact that his family is homeless.

But Pedro, Luna, and Rafa find themselves thrown together when an extraterrestrial visitor lands in their city and takes the form of Luna's cousin Tasha. As the Visitor causes destruction wherever it goes, the three teens struggle to survive and warn others of what's coming--because this Visitor is only the first of many. But who is their true enemy--this alien, or their fellow humans?

Pura Belpré Honor-winning author Lilliam Rivera examines the days before a War of the Worlds-inspired alien invasion in this captivating and chilling new novel.

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It All Comes Back To You - YA Review

 

About the Book: Kiran’s older sister is in love with Deen’s older brother. That would be complicated enough, but Kiran and Deen once had their own little love story—at least until Deen ghosted Kiran with no explanation. Now these two are forced back together to help plan their older siblings’ nuptials—if they don’t strangle each other first. Pride and Prejudice meets When Dimple Met Rishi in this enemies-to-lovers rom-com about first love, second chances, Muslim culture, loss and grief, and of course, gaming. Amazon | Goodreads | Bookshop

 

• “Replete with desi and Muslim cultural references, this romantic drama offers an emotionally wrought story of owning one’s self and one’s past.” —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
• “Let me just start off by saying this has the "hate each other irl, but unbeknownst to them they're actually bffs online" trope. Which is really just the superior trope let's be honest.”—Sami on Goodreads, 5 stars
• “Farah Naz Rishi’s depiction of two second-generation desi young adults is probably the most accurate I’ve ever seen from a YA author. The dialogue, lingo, mannerisms between Kiran, Deen, and their respective friends were so accurate, it hurt.…Farah Naz Rishi knocked it out of the park.” —bookwormbullet on Goodreads, 5 stars
• Content warnings: References to death of a parent, references to drug use, emotional abuse, anxiety, guilt.

Since I was a teen I have been a sucker for the reuniting exes - the what could have been, becomes. So much that my husband and I were together and then we split up, only to get back together (and married a few years later!).. This was such a feel good, fun, and easy to read YA contemporary following two exes - Deen and Kiran. After losing her mother, Kiran's life goal was then to ensure her, her father, and her sister were kept together. As she learns her sister, Amira, suddenly announces that she is seeing someone and might move cross-country with him after getting married, Kiran makes it her life goal to stop the wedding from happening. On the flip side, Deen is so happy his brother has found someone that brings him so much happiness that he is willing to do whatever it takes to keep the wedding afloat. 

Because of this, they become very much involved with each other but not always in a positive light. As the story goes on, we learn so much about their involvement previously. The story ends in a great light and nothing felt forced or rushed. 

I highly recommend for any YA classroom, all the contemporary lovers. 

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Runaway Train Blog Tour

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