I was inspired to make a reading list of YA Novels about divorce since my book Face-Off includes that topic as one of its themes. I hope young readers will find this list helpful. Do you have a book to add to the list? Feel free to post in the comments.

Face-Off (Book One) by Stacy Juba – Brad’s twin brother T.J. has gotten himself out of the fancy prep school his father picked for him and into the public high school Brad attends. Now T.J. is a shining new star on the hockey team where Brad once held the spotlight. And he’s testing his popularity with Brad’s friends, eyeing Brad’s girl and competing to be captain of the team. Meanwhile, the twins must also cope with problems at home, including divorcing parents and a troubled younger brother. The whole school is rooting for a big double-strength win…not knowing that their twin hockey stars are heating up the ice for a winner takes all face-off.

The Dancing Pancake by Eileen Spinelli – The grand opening of the Dancing Pancake isn’t the only new thing in Bindi’s life: new friends, a new apartment, maybe even a cute new crush? But there are other changes, like her dad’s move to a new city, that have left Bindi confused and wondering: What will happen to my family? Will this new life ever feel normal? Among the unlikely bunch of regulars who form a makeshift community at the diner, Bindi will try to figure out how to be a new version of herself, one pancake and one silly elephant joke (her uncle’s specialty) at a time. With plenty of surprises, milk shakes, fake spiders, and real feelings, readers are sure to flip for the sweet mix of humor and heart in The Dancing Pancake.

Sophie’s Smile: A Novel by Sheena Harper – This coming of age novel takes a stark look into the lives of two pre-teens lost in a self-induced snowstorm of depression, emptiness, and distress. Sophie is jaded by her peers and social structure while Liam is struggling with the fallout from his parents’ divorce. Then in their twenties, Sophie’s and Liam’s lives intertwine in a sweet and inspirational love story that allows them to appreciate life in a way they never thought possible. In an era where technology and the Internet flourish, the use of email, social networking sites, text messages, IMs, and old-school letters and poems combine to chronicle an intriguing venture of twenty-first century love, loss, and the confusion and feelings that naturally stem from it all.

Cheers, Chocolate, and Other Disasters by Mikki Sadil – Disasters strike in many different forms. Thirteen year old AJ Devlin believes she has a great life with a good family, two BFFs, a love for cheerleading, and a Champion Quarter Horse mare. When a new girl arrives in town, AJ thinks nothing of it. It’s only when her best friends, Julie and Jaime, begin ignoring her that she wonders why Celine is insinuating herself into AJ’s life. As her life begins to fall apart in many different directions, she realizes that the “new girl” is intent upon destroying everything AJ holds dear. Yet, when her almost-boyfriend finds incriminating evidence against Celine, revealing that this girl is not who or what she claims to be, AJ refuses to allow him to disclose it. Before AJ can settle the score with Celine, she must confront the unexpected divorce of her parents and her now unstable relationship with her father; navigate a new and shaky friendship with one of her former BFFs, and learn to cope with a devastating tragedy that comes out of nowhere.

The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler – When Penny moves to Hog’s Hollow from New York City, her life changes drastically. Penny’s mom now runs a cupcake bakery, and Penny is stuck helping out. But that isn’t the worst of it. Not only did she leave her friends back home, but her dad stayed behind too. And then there’s Charity, resident mean girl who’s out to get Penny. With all this, Penny still finds some things to like: Tally and Blake…and Marcus – the cute, quiet boy who runs on the beach every night. But just when Penny begins to accept her new life, she’s forced to make a choice that will change everything.

Waiting for You by Susane Colasanti – It’s sophomore year, and Marisa is ready for a fresh start and, hopefully, her first real boyfriend. But after popular Derek asks her out, things get complicated. Not only do her parents unexpectedly separate, but Marisa has a fight with her best friend, and Derek–the love of her life–delivers a shocking disappointment. The only things keeping Marisa together are the podcasts from an anonymous DJ, who seems to totally understand Marisa. But she doesn’t know who he is … or does she?

Bone Deep by Kim O’Brien – When Paige Patterson travels to Arizona to spend the summer with her archeologist father, she expects answers. Why did her parents divorce? Why did her father choose his career over family? She doesn’t expect to be reunited with her best friend Emily Linton, or to find herself falling for the project manager’s son, Jalen Yazzi.

But the summer takes a terrible turn when Emily vanishes. As the police struggle for answers, Paige sets out to find the truth. The search takes Paige from the Cliffside ruins of prehistoric Native Americans to the Navajo Nation to the horrifying possibility that the answer is much closer to home. Emily, it turns out, was not the only one good at hiding things. Her father has no alibi for the night Emily disappeared. An intern with the motive insists he’s innocent. And Jalen has some secrets of his own. Old bones might not be the only things buried in the ruins. As Paige digs deeper into Emily’s disappearance, she realizes that uncovering the truth may cost her everything–even her life.

Delaney Page & The Secret of Everything
by Elizabeth Ann Trigg – 16-year-old Delaney Page is coping with a lot! In order to prove to her best friend, Cassie, that the law of attraction works and she will be able to walk again, Delaney works day and night creating fake miracles to keep Cassie inspired. Who knew that miracles could be such hard work? Even a fake date with the guy of her dreams falls apart when Delaney falls in love with the bully she meets in detention. It seems like things go from bad to worse when her mother is intent on marrying a man that Delaney doesn’t even know. Just when it looks as though all she’s attracting is trouble, will Delaney Page be able to manifest a miracle and come out on top?

Stacy Juba

Stacy Juba is an award-winning author of romantic comedies, mysteries, young adult novels, and children’s books. A former journalist, she loves creating memorable characters, exploring the twists and turns of relationships, and taking readers on entertaining adventures. Visit Storybook Valley for feel-good romantic comedies with a fairy-tale twist, or hit the ice with her Hockey Rivals books for young readers.

When she’s not writing fiction, she helps fellow authors strengthen their craft through her editing services and Shortcuts for Writers courses.

stacyjuba.com/