Announcing the 2026 RITBA Winners and the 2027 RITBA Nominees

CONTACT PERSON:

Sarah Hunicke, RITBA Committee Chairperson

Library Media Specialist

Barrington High School

220 Lincoln Ave

Barrington, RI 02806

riteenbookaward@gmail.com

High school students from across Rhode Island have voted! We are thrilled to announce the winner of the 2025 Rhode Island Teen Book Award: Six Truths and a Lie by Ream Shukairy

Our Honor Books are Becoming a Queen by Dan Clay and Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay.

Those were also among our most well-read books. Other books with a large number of readers were Homebody by Theo Parish, and Icarus by K Ancrum.

These were three of 20 young adult books nominated by school librarians, teachers, and public librarians from throughout Rhode Island. The nominees were selected on the basis of literary quality and their appeal to those in grades 9 and up. Throughout the past year, young adults could find copies of the books available to read at their school and public libraries and area stores.

We would also like to thank all the schools and libraries that served as voting locations and supported the Rhode Island Teen Book Award. Providence Career & Technical Academy collected the most votes, and the runners up were East Providence High School and Barrington High School. The Rhode Island Teen Book Award Committee would like to thank all the teens who voted this year and read from the list as well as the teachers and librarians who helped promote these titles.

In addition, the committee is proud to announce the list of 20 nominees for the 2027 award.

All the Noise at Once by DeAndra Davis

Brownstone by Samuel Teer & Julia Mar

Death in the Jungle by Candace Fleming 

Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green

Fake Skating by Lynn Painter

Falling Like Leaves by Misty Wilson

I Am the Swarm by Hayley Chewins

Legendary Fry Bread Drive-In by Cynthia Leitich Smith, et al

Made Glorious by Lindsay Eagar

One of the Boys by Victoria Zeller

Pretty Girl County by Lakita Wilson

Rebel Girls of Rome by Jordyn Taylor

Skipshock by Carolyn O'Donoghue, 

Solis by Abby Sher & Paola Mendoza

Story of My Anger, The by Jasminne Mendez

Dead of Summer, The by Ryan La Sala

Thrashers, The by Julie Soto

Top Heavy by Rhonda DeChambeau

Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray

When We Ride by Rex Ogle

You can find promotional materials including bookmarks, flyers, and posters for the 2027 nominees here. Student voting for the new list begins immediately and lasts through March 15. Please visit www.riteenbookaward.org for voting procedures information.

For more information about the RI Teen Book award please visit riteenbookaward.org. Please direct any questions to riteenbookaward@gmail.com