Welcome to Texas Reads YA! As a teen who loves to read young adult (YA) literature, I sometimes struggle to find quality YA novels.

These two novels delve deeply into what it means to live in a world where your body is not considered “normal.” They explore themes of acceptance and finding comfort in your own skin while navigating familial and societal expectations.

Breathe and Count Back from Ten

Verónica has undergone numerous surgeries to manage her disability. Swimming is her best form of rehabilitation, and she spends countless hours in the pool—not just to strengthen her body. Her Florida town is home to Mermaid Cove, a kitschy underwater attraction where professional mermaids perform in giant tanks, and Verónica dreams of auditioning. However, her conservative Peruvian parents would never approve. They definitely wouldn’t let her date Alex, her cute new neighbor.

Determined to take control of her life, Verónica’s plans are derailed when she uncovers a shocking truth her parents have been hiding—the truth about her own body.

In this gorgeously written and authentic novel, Verónica, a Peruvian American teen with hip dysplasia, auditions to become a mermaid at a Central Florida theme park during the summer before her senior year. Along the way, she navigates her first real boyfriend and learns how to feel safe in her own body.

Breathe and Count Back from Ten tackles challenging topics such as growing up with a disability, the need for belonging, and the role that family and friends play in self-discovery. This engrossing novel is nuanced and subtle in its treatment of a wide range of themes.

Natalia Sylvester, born in Lima, Peru, is an award-winning author of novels for adults and young adults. Chasing the Sun was named the Best Debut Book of 2014 by Latinidad Magazine, and Everyone Knows You Go Home won an International Latino Book Award and the 2019 Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Work of Fiction from the Texas Institute of Letters. Her third novel, Running, was a 2020 Junior Library Guild Selection and a 2021 Rise: A Feminist Book Project List selection. Sylvester's most recent YA novel, Breathe and Count Back from Ten, is a 2023 Pura Belpré Honor Book and a 2023 Schneider Family Honor Book. She received a B.A. in creative writing from the University of Miami and now lives and writes in South Florida.

Puddin’

Millie Michalchuk has attended fat camp every summer since she was a little girl—not this year. This year, she has new plans: to chase her secret dream of becoming a newscaster and to kiss the boy she’s crushing on.

Callie Reyes is the pretty girl poised to become the next dance team captain and who has a popular boyfriend. However, when it comes to other girls, she’s more frenemy than friend.

When circumstances bring the two girls together over the course of a semester, they surprise everyone—especially themselves—by discovering they have more in common than they ever imagined.

A story of unexpected friendship, romance, and Texas-sized girl power, this is another winner from Julie Murphy.

Puddin’ celebrates friendship and body positivity. Millie is impossible not to like, and her friendship with Callie feels authentic in a way that not every book achieves. Filled with accurate and satisfying representation, this novel is sure to delight readers.

Julie Murphy is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin’, Puddin’, Ramona Blue, and Side Effects May Vary. She lives in North Texas with her loving husband, her adoring dog, and her tolerant cats. When she’s not writing, she can be found reading, traveling, or hunting for the perfect slice of pizza. Before writing full-time, she worked as a wedding dress consultant, a (failed) barista, and, ultimately, a librarian. Learn more about her at www.juliemurphywrites.com.