High school can be the best time of your life, the total opposite where you can’t wit to leave, or middle of the road. No matter which it is for you, there’s no doubt that there is some sort of drama going down at some point, be it small disagreements, large throw-down arguments, or physical aggressions. Don’t forget about the social hierarchy and the cliques. There’s a reason books are so often set in school with so rich a source of inspiration.

But as much as there is drama, it’s a great time to make friends, live in the present while keeping an eye on the future, and learn about yourself in the process. We’ll help prep you for the new school year with a selection of great books all set in high school. Each one is different, with their own kinds of drama and not always the most realistic. However, the interactions between characters come from experience as well as creativity. Check out these books as the first day of school draws near.

Are you and your family running around trying to get everything prepped for the new school year? Take a break with BARD where each of these books can be downloaded with just a few taps on your mobile device or some clicks on your computer. BARD, Braille and Audio Reading Download, is a web-based download service provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled and Kansas Talking Books that makes accessing the books and other materials in our collection easy and available at your fingertips. To learn more, visit our website at https://kslib.info/talking or contact us at 1-800-362-3699 or KTB@ks.gov. We are happy to guide you through getting BARD set up on your smart device or using your computer. BARD lets you read what you when you want it.

DB 79573 The nightmare affair by Mindee Arnett

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, sixteen-year-old Destiny "Dusty" Everhart feeds on the dreams of others. When she sees a murder in hot, bad boy Eli Booker's dream, the two search for a killer. Some violence. For senior high and older readers. 2013.

DB 82401 The fixer by Jennifer Barnes

When her grandfather develops dementia, Tess, a high school junior who runs his Montana ranch, is whisked away to Washington, D. C., by a sister she barely knows and thrown into a world of politics and power. Some violence and some strong language. For senior high and older readers. 2015.

DB 66621 I’d tell you I love you, but then I’d have to kill you by Ally Carter

Sophomore Cameron Morgan attends the Gallagher Academy--a girls' school for secret agents, where her mother is the headmistress. On a covert training mission in town, Cammie meets Josh, a cute and ordinary boy, and arranges to see him again. For junior and senior high readers. 2006.

DB 117544 True true by Don P. Hooper

"When Gil, a Black teen from Brooklyn, struggles to fit in at his primarily white Manhattan prep school, he wages a clandestine war against the racist administration, parents, and students, while working with other Black students to ensure their voices are finally heard. This is not how seventeen-year-old Gil imagined beginning his senior year--on the subway dressed in a tie and khakis headed towards Manhattan instead of his old public school in Brooklyn. Augustin Prep may only be a borough away, but the exclusive private school feels like it's a different world entirely compared to Gil's predominately Caribbean neighborhood in Brooklyn. If it weren't for the partial scholarship, the school's robotic program and the chance for a better future, Gil wouldn't have even considered going. Then after a racist run-in with the school's golden boy on the first day ends in a fight that leaves only Gil suspended, Gil understands the truth about his new school--Augustin may pay lip service to diversity, but that isn't the same as truly accepting him and the other Black students as equal. But Gil intends to leave his mark on Augustin anyway. If the school isn't going to carve out a space for him, he will carve it out for himself. Using Sun Tzu's The Art of War as his guide, Gil wages his own clandestine war against the racist administration, parents and students, and works with the other Black students to ensure their voices are finally heard. But the more enmeshed Gil becomes in school politics, the more difficult it becomes to balance not only his life at home with his friends and family, but a possible new romance with a girl he'd move mountains for. In the end, his war could cost him everything he wants the most." -- Provided by publisher.  --  Unrated. Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers.

DB 116765 The making of Yolanda la Bruja by Lorraine Avila

"Yolanda Alvarez is having a good year. She's starting to feel at home at Julia De Burgos High, her school in the Bronx. She has her best friend Victory, and maybe something with José, a senior boy she's getting to know. She's confident her initiation into her family's bruja tradition will happen soon. But then a white boy, the son of a politician, appears at Julia De Burgos High, and his vibes are off. And Yolanda's initiation begins with a series of troubling visions of the violence this boy threatens. How can Yolanda protect her community, in a world that doesn't listen? Only with the wisdom and love of her family, friends, and community--and the Brujas Diosas, her ancestors and guides." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers.

DB 116591 Their vicious games by Joelle Wellington 

"Eighteen-year-old Adina Walker, a scholarship student at a prestigious academy, faces the consequences of a single mistake and competes in a high-stakes contest hosted by the wealthy Remington family, where she uncovers unsettling truths about the sponsors and the contest's high stakes." -- Provided by publisher.  --  Unrated. Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers.

DB 113468 Imposter syndrome and other confessions of Alejandra Kim by Patricia Park

"Alejandra Kim doesn't feel like she belongs anywhere. At her wealthy Manhattan high school, her super Spanish name and super Korean face do not compute to her mostly white "woke" classmates and teachers. In her Jackson Heights neighborhood, she's not Latinx enough. Even at home, Ale feels unwelcome. And things at home have only gotten worse since Papi's body was discovered on the subway tracks. Ale wants nothing more than to escape the city for the wide-open spaces of the prestigious Wyder University. But when a microaggression at school thrusts Ale into the spotlight--and into a discussion she didn't ask for--Ale must discover what is means to carve out a space for yourself to belong." -- Provided by publisher.  --  Unrated. Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers.

DB 111542 The fill-in boyfriend by Kasie West

"When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend Bradley dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she decides to do the unthinkable: convince the cute guy waiting to pick up his sister to pretend to be her boyfriend for the night. Will Gia turn her fake boyfriend into a real one without exposing her lie and possibly destroying her friendships and her newfound relationship?" -- Provided by publisher.  --  Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers.

DB 110117 Nothing more to tell by Karen M. McManus

"Brynn Gallagher uses her internship at a new true crime show to investigate the unsolved murder of her favorite teacher, uncovering secrets about her school, her teacher, and her ex-best friend in the process." -- Provided by publisher.  --  Unrated. Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers.

DB 108455 Blaine for the win by Robbie Couch

"After his boyfriend Joey breaks up with him to pursue more "serious" guys, Blaine decides to run for senior class president as Joey's successor to prove his worth. But is Blaine willing to sacrifice everything about himself to do it?" -- Provided by publisher.  --  Unrated. Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers. 2022.

DB 102535 The escape of light by Fred Venturini

Teenage burn survivor Wilder Tate faces the challenges of high school but in the aftermath of tragedy he discovers the capacity to forgive and empathize, learning the importance of healing from the inside out. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers. 2019.

DB 101776 This is my brain in love by I. W. Gregorio

Rising high school juniors Jocelyn Wu and Will Domenici fall in love while trying to save the Wu family restaurant, A-Plus Chinese Garden. Meanwhile, mental health issues and family prejudices threaten their budding romance. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers. 2020.

DB 106638 In every generation by Kendare Blake

As Frankie learns magic from her mother, Willow, a new student shows up at New Sunnydale High School with news that the annual Slayer convention has been the target of an attack. Frankie must become a slayer-witch, prevent the Hellmouth from opening again, and find out what happened to her aunt Buffy. Strong language and some violence. For senior high and older readers. 2022.

DB 112060 Highly suspicious and unfairly cute by Talia Hibbert

"Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He's a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine. Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption--yet, she's still not cool enough for the popular kids' table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that's how Celine sees it.) These days, there's nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she's surprised to find Brad right beside her. Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?" -- Provided by publisher.  --  Unrated. Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers.

<DB 117037 Destination anywhere by Sara Barnard

"Peyton King has always wanted to belong. She seizes the opportunity to start over at a new school and finally finds real connections with the friends she's always dreamed of and even an actual boyfriend! But after flying high in her newfound happiness, Peyton comes crashing down when reality sets in and the ones she cares about let her down. Peyton's friends can't fix her and she can't help them if they won't let her. If she wants to find real, lasting happiness, Peyton will have to search somewhere else. With nothing but her sketchpad and a backpack, she buys a one-way ticket and gets on a plane. How far will she go to change her story?" -- Provided by publisher.  --  Unrated. Commercial audiobook. For senior high and older readers.