On May 29^th, the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer’s Conference hosts their prestigious 2024 Selah Awards. Judges will select their top three winners from recently published Christian books submitted to the contest. Last month, I highlighted the finalists for the Children’s Picture and Board Books category. This time, I want to peek at finalists in the YA (Young Adult) category. Because, like I said before, if these books got nods from industry leaders, they’re sure to get the thumbs up from your teen.

Becoming Lottie Moon by Emily Hall is a coming-of-age story filled with historical details that lovers of the civil war period will enjoy. The story follows the life of Lottie Moon, who is confined to Virginia plantation life but longs for freedom and adventure from her family’s expectations and societal norms. Starting in 1847, readers watch Lottie’s transformation from a spunky, headstrong young girl who thinks church is a waste of time to a tenacious woman in 1873 who faithfully follows God. Lottie’s journey may inspire your teen to embark on their own faith journey.

Fugitive of Talionis by C.J. Milacci is set in a dystopian-like world and is the second book in a series. In the first book, readers learn that a military group from Talionis “recruited” (kidnapped) a young girl named Bria and her friends and then trained them as weapons. In this installment, Bria has successfully escaped their clutches but is being hunted by the commander of the army. She and her companions must traverse rough terrain and stay alert to constantly avoid being recaptured. All the while, Bria battles her own doubts about who to trust. It’s an action-packed story that will appeal to sci-fi readers.

Offsides by Lori Z. Scott is a contemporary fiction novel that readers have compared to a Christian version of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder but set on a soccer field. Dani, the main character, faces typical teen challenges, including a strained friendship and a new crush. But when Dani suspects a girl in her neighborhood might be the target of human trafficking, she does a little sleuthing, which leads to a whole different (and dangerous) set of challenges. While the story raises awareness of a growing problem in today’s world, it also contains twists, hope, and Scott’s typical humor. It’s a book whose topic and mystery lends itself well to book clubs.

No matter which book comes out on top next Wednesday, I hope you will take a moment to check each of them out. And if you do pick up a copy, please remember to leave a review for the author.

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