40 Incredible Young Adult Anthologies You Need to Read

A Thousand Beginnings and Endings: 15 Retellings of Myths and Legends edited by Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman

A Thousand Beginnings and Endings is a young adult anthology featuring sixteen authors. Reimagining East and South Asian folklore, the short stories explore themes of enchantment, heartbreak, passion and so much more. The diverse collection spans genres such as fantasy, science fiction and contemporary — making it perfect for all readers!

A Twisted Tale Anthology edited by Elizabeth Lim

If you’re a fan of the Twisted Tales series or Disney in general, than you’ll love this anthology. This collection of short stories features sixteen twisted tales, featuring imaginative “what if” scenarios. While these stories twist the classic stories we know and love, they are still full of magic and adventure . These twisted tales will certainly keep you captivated!

A Universe of Wishes edited by Dhonielle Clayton

A Universe of Wishes is a young adult fantasy anthology and features fiften award-winning authors. They deliver own-voices stories that challenge traditional narratives and explore themes such as independence and resisting injustice. It’s a fantastic inclusive and diverse short story collection that so many readers will love.

All Out: The No Longer Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages edited by Saundra Mitchell

All Out is a young adult short story collection featuring diverse historical fiction written by seventeen authors across the queer spectrum. The anthology explores many different time periods and cultures while offering a unique perspective on queer figures who lived, loved and shaped history.

At Midnight: 15 Beloved Fairy Tales Reimagined edited by Dahlia Adler

At Midnight is a collection of reimagined fairy tales written by fifteen acclaimed young adult authors. It’s an entertaining anthology that breathes new life into classic stories we all know and love as well as creating fresh new tales. Dahlia Adler reimagines Rumplestiltskin and Rory Power reimagines Sleeping Beauty, while Melissa Albert creates a new fairy tale. The stories are so magical and will leave you wanting more.

Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America edited by Ibi Zoboi

Black Enough is a powerful anthology edited by National Book Award finalist Ibi Zoboi. It features stories that delve into concealed thoughts, hidden experiences as well as the daily struggles of black teenagers across the United States. It also features a number of diverse backgrounds such as urban and rural settings, mixed-race identities, immigrants and more. Contributing authors include Jason Reynolds, Renee Watson as well as Jay Coles.

Boundless: Twenty Voices Celebrating Multicultural and Multiracial Identities edited by Ismée Williams and Rebecca Balcárcel

This young adult anthology features twenty stories from award-winning and bestselling authors that celebrates the multiracial and multicultural experience. The stories explore various aspects of love as well as themes of grief and heartbreak. It’s the perfect anthology for fans of Come on In and Black Enough.

Color Outside the Lines: Stories About Love edited by Sangu Mandanna

Color Outside the Lines is a young adult anthology that explores interracial and LGBTQ+ relationships when differences are in focus. With stories featuring Chinese pirate ghosts, black girl vigilantes and so much more, these stories are guaranteed to keep you captivated the whole way through.

Come On In: 15 Stories About Immigration and Finding Home edited by Adi Alsaid

If you’re wanting to travel through the pages of a book, than this is the book for you. Come on In is a powerful anthology that explores the immigrant experience through the eyes of bestselling young adult authors who are immigrants or are children of immigrants. With stories from Ecuador, Argentina, New York City and so much more, readers will transport themselves across the globe. This anthology highlights the comlpexity behind immigration while also showcasing unique perspectives.

Cool. Awkward. Black. edited by Karen Strong

Cool. Awkward. Black. features bestselling and critically acclaimed Black authors as they challenge the concept of geekiness. There are so many incredible stories in here ranging from a girl who believes in UFOs to a boy finding his own Prince Charming. From contemporary stories to fantasy stories and everything in between, there’s something in this anthology that so many readers will love.

Every Body Shines edited by Cassandra Newbould

If you’re looking for a young adult anthology that celebrates body diversity and fat acceptance, than this is the book for you. This collection of stories focus on fat boys, girls and nonbinary teens as they navicate life. Contributing authors include Renée Watson, Claire Kann, Kelly deVos, Jennifer Yen and so many more. This anthology is a really great option for young readers as they learn to embrace who they truly are.

First-Year Orientation edited by Lauren Gibaldi and Eric Smith

If you know a teen heading off to college, than this might be the perfect book for them. It features stories by sixteen acclaimed authors who explore the first days of college through linked short stories. It highlights the emotions that come with starting college as well as enterting into adulthood. It’s humourous and heartfelt and will be loved by so many readers.

Firsts and Lasts: 16 Stories from Our World … And Beyond! edited by Laura Silverman

Firsts and Lasts is a young adult anthology featuring sixteen stories that explore the experiences teenagers face when they are entering into adulthood. It talks about breakups and ending friendships while addressing the emotions that come with these experience. It also talksa bout the firsts that teenagers experience as they become an adult. It’s a relatable collection of short stories that every reader will love.

Fools in Love: Fresh Twists on Romantic Tales edited by Ashley Herring Blake and Rebecca Podos

This young adult anthology is perfect for readers who love romantic tropes! It features fifteen bestselling, award-winning and new authors as they reimagine popular romance tropes we all know and love. From fake relationships to love triangles and everything in between, this collection is not to be missed.

Fresh Ink edited by Lamar Giles

Fresh Ink brings together thirteen incredible authors who share stories that have open endings, which invites the readers to contribute to the next chapters. It’s such a unique reading experience that so many readers will love. This collection will inspire young readers who have a desire to write and will keep them entertained the whole way through.

Game On: 15 Stories of Wins, Losses and Everything in Between edited by Laura Silverman

Game On is a young adult anthology that features a collection of stories about games — from competitive sports to board games and everything in between. With so many different genres included in this anthology, readers will love these engaging stories from start to finish. Contributors include Gloria Chao, Katie Cotugno, Shaun David Hutchinson and so many more!

His Hideous Heart: 13 of Edgar Allan Poe’s Most Unsettling Tales Reimagined edited by Dahlia Adler

If you’re looking for a unique anthology, than this is the one you’ll want to pick up. His Hideous Heart features thirteen young adult authors as they reimagine Edgar Allan Poe’s popular stories. Even though Edgar Allan Poe’s stories are over a century old, these stories help to introduce his tales to a new generation of readers. Contributors include Kendare Blake, Tiffany D Jackson, Rin Chupeco and many more!

Hungry Hearts: 15 Tales of Food & Love edited by Caroline Tung Richmond and Elsie Chapman

There’s just something about young adult books featuring food that every reader will love! Hungry Hearts is a collection of short stories that explore family, culture and food in the lives of teenagers. If you love short stories that are interconnected, diverse and feature a wide range of topics, than this is the book for you.

It’s a Whole Spiel: Love, Latkes and Other Jewish Stories edited by Katherine Locke and Laura Silverman

It’s a Whole Spiel is a collection of short stories about Jewish teens as they go through a number of different life experiences. With a focus on the relationship to Judaism to adorable rom-coms, these stories are so entertaining and will leave you wanting more.

Magic Has No Borders: A Collection of Magical South Asian Tales edited by Sona Charaipotra and Samira Ahmed

Magic Has No Borders is a young adult fantasy anthology that features a diverse collection of South Asian folklore. With fourteen bestselling, award-winning and new authors contributing, readers are guaranteed to be captivated by these stories. It’s full of magic and adventure — what could be better than that?

Meet Cute edited by Jennifer L Armentrout

Meet Cute is another young adult contemporary anthology that focuses on romantic tropes. Except this time, it just focuses on the meet cute. Each author in this collection creates a beautiful story featuring the way relationships begin — from hiding out at a house party to sharing iced teas at a diner. It’s full of sweet and heartwarming moments that every reader will love.

Mermaids Never Drown: Tales to Dive For edited by Zoraida Cordova and Natalie C Parker

With the release of The Little Mermaid last year, it makes sense that mermaid stories are more popular. Mermaids Never Drown is the second in the Untold Legends series. It features fourteen short stories from bestselling and award-winning authors as they explore mermaids in entertaining and unique ways. With themes of grief, discovery, love, humour and so much more, these stories will leave you wanting more.

My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories edited by Stephanie Perkins

If you’re looking for a short story collection to read around the holidays, you’ll want to pick up My True Love Gave to Me. It’s a festive anthology featuring stories that highlight Christmas, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice and New Year’s. When I read this anthology, I read a story a day during the twelve days leading up to Christmas and it was a lovely reading experience!

Night of the Living Queers: 13 Tales of Terror & Delight edited by Shelly Page and Alex Brown

Night of the Living Queers is a great option to read when you’re in the mood for something spooky! It’s a young adult horror anthology that reimagines halloween as a night of transformation. It features a number of queer authors of colour as they create fresh and entertaining stories that spin classic horror tropes and tales. It’s creative, entertaining and unique and will get you in the mood for Halloween!

Our Shadows Have Claws: 15 Latin American Monster Stories edited by Yamile Saied Méndez and Amparo Ortiz

Our Shadows Have Claws is a cross-genre anthology that features fifteen short stories that focus on Latine mythology’s most memorable monsters. With stories about monsters, vampires, bruja’s and more, you’ll be captivated the whole way through. It’s also set across Latin America and includes contributions from popular authors like Chantel Acevedo, Lilliam Rivera and more.

Our Stories, Our Voices: 21 YA Authors Get Real About Injustice, Empowerment, and Growing Up Female in America edited by Amy Reed

Our Stories, Our Voices features twenty-one essays by incredible young adult atuhors. They each explore diverse experiences that relate to females growing up in America. Some of the topics include race, injustice and ethnicity, as well as so many others. Contributors include Julie Murphy, Maurene Goo, Sandhya Menon and more.

Out Now: Queer We Go Again edited by Saundra Mitchell

Out Now is a follow-up anthology to All Out. It features seventeen new short stories by queer young adult authors. From stories about vampires crashing prom to a selkie in the sea raching out to a lost soul and everything in between, this anthology features incredible new tales. It’s diverse and inclusive and also features a number of incredible authors.

Out There: Into the Queer New Yonder edited by Saundra Mitchell

Out There is the final book in the Queer Anthologies trilogy which features All Out and Out Now. It features seventeen short stories set in the future by queer young adult authors. It’s futuristic, inclusive and will certainly keep you turning the page from start to finish. It features stories from authors such as Kalynn Bayron, Alechia Dow, Abdi Nazemian, K Ancrum and more!

Reclaim the Stars: 17 Tales Across Realms & Space edited by Zoraida Cordova

Reclaim the Stars is a young adult fantasy and science-fiction anthology. It features seventeen short stories from bestselling and acclaimed young adult authors that transport readers to fantastical and otherworldly realms. Contributors include Daniel José Older, Anna-Marie McLemore and so many more!

Serendipity: Ten Romantic Tropes, Transformed edited by Marissa Meyer

Serendipity is another great young adult contemporary romance anthology on this list. It’s all about first love, love that surprises, longterm love and so much more. With award winning authors reimagining our favourite romantic tropes, it’s guaranteed to be a new favourite book for so many readers!

Study Break: 11 College Tales from Orientation to Graduation edited by Aashna Avachat

Going to college and university is a big deal for so many young adults. Study Break is a collection of interconnected contemporary short stories that explore the college experience as well as the questions that come with it. It’s a diverse collection that spans an academic year with topics that focus on self-identity.

Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories edited by Stephanie Perkins

Summer Days and Summer Nights is the companion anthology to My True Love Gave to Me. It’s a wonderful anthology that highlights summer with stories of love. The twelve stories are delightful and are so entertaining to read during the summer months. Contributors include Nina LaCour, Cassandra Clare, Jennifer E Smith, Brandy Colbert and so many more!

Take the Mic: Fictional Stories of Everyday Resistance edited by Bethany C Morrow

Take the Mic is a young adult anthology that explores the different types of everyday resistance. The stories showcase how individuals resist as well as how people can stand up for what they believe in. From stories about internet trolls to protesting injustice and everything in between, these short stories are captivating. Contributors include Jason Reynolds, Samira Ahmed, Laura Silverman and so many more.

Tales of Light and Life edited by Disney-Lucasfilm Press

If you’re a fan of Star Wars, then you’re going to love this young adult anthology that features short stories inside the High Republic series. These tales are full of action, adventure as well as mystery. They also have incredible characters — from the Jedi and Padawans to Pathfinders and Path members. This Star Wars anthology is so fun and should definitely be on your radar!

That Way Madness Lies: 15 of Shakespeare’s Most Notable Works Reimagined edited by Dahlia Adler

This Way Madness Lies is a collection of stories with a twist on William Shakespeare’s classic stories — and it also happens to be a favourite of mine! These short stories are incredibly unique and also bring a modern perspective to the classic Shakespeare tales we know and love. From reimaginings of The Taming of the Shrew to Hamlet and everything in between, this anthology is a must read. Contributors include Dahlia Adler, Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, Anna-Marie McLemore and so many more!

Three Sides of a Heart: Stories About Love Triangles edited by Natalie C Parker

Three Sides of a Heart is another young adult contemporary anthology on this list. This collection challenges the love triangle trope while redefining it. Even if you’re not a fan of the love triangle trope, this collection is full of some incredibly diverse and romantic stories that might change your opinion. Contributors include Renee Ahdieh, Sabaa Tahir, Julie Murphy, Katie Cotugno and so many more.

Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft edited by Jessica Spotswood and Tess Sharpe

Toil & Trouble is a young adult anthology featuring fifteen stories that explore witchy heroines. The witches in this book are from many different backgrounds such as race, class, religion, and era and the stories range from contemporary to futuristic. It’s a diverse and inclusive young adult anthology that is perfect to read during the lead up to Halloween!

Up All Night: 13 Stories Between Sunset and Sunrise edited by Laura Silverman

Up All Night is a collection of thirteen short stories from bestselling and award-winning young adult authors. The stories explore the hours of the night when everyone is asleep — and the world is an opportunity for adventure and self-discovery. This collection of stories is delightful and really highlights the beauty of the night.

Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite edited by Zoraida Cordova and Natalie C Parker

If you find yourself missing Twilight, then Vampires Never Get Old is the perfect option for you. It’s a collection of eleven stories that explore the evolution of vampires. Contributors include Julie Murphy, Dhonielle Clayton, Mark Oshiro, VE Schwab and so many more. This also makes for a great reading option during spooky season!

When We Become Ours: A YA Adoptee Anthology edited by Shannon Gibney and Nicole Chung

When We Become Ours is a collection of diverse stories written by adoptees for adoptees. These stories are incredibly powerful, especially since they shed light on the perspective of an adoption experience. These fifteen stories are complex but they’re also heartwarming. Contributors include Meredith Ireland, Mark Oshiro, Eric Smith and so many more.