This blog post is part of聽,庐聽a new initiative focused exclusively on helping teachers build their book knowledge and their classroom libraries. It was written by member Rachel Polacek.
When you鈥檙e scrolling Instagram, what do you look for? Do you like seeing authors interacting with and supporting one another? Are you interested in expanding your students鈥� reading lives by sharing your favorite authors鈥� accounts with them? Then you need to check out all the great YA authors on Instagram!
I have often used Instagram to find information about new books, awards, author tours, and more, and I鈥檝e found that one way to intrigue middle and high school students to become invested in current YA literature is to have them follow these authors on Instagram as well! I鈥檝e had conversations with students about something funny Becky Albertalli posted, or how some authors seem like they鈥檙e friends with one another because of the way they interact on social media.
Instagram has led students to explore new books and find connections beyond their current favorites.
In this list, I鈥檝e included some of my favorite Young Adult authors to follow on Instagram and have highlighted at least one of their books that you can share with your classes.
Maybe after reading, your students will want to follow these authors, too!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BvqRtTZB6Zs/
I actually followed Tahereh Mafi, author of the Shatter Me series, on Instagram before I read any of her books. I was drawn to her phenomenal style and creativity, and kept her books on my GoodReads 鈥淭o Read鈥� list, however, I didn鈥檛 end up reading any of them until聽 came out.
This story follows Shirin as she navigates the challenges of high school while also being a hijab-wearing Muslim teen in the aftermath of 9/11. AVELOS (as Mafi often calls it) was a perfect 鈥渕irror and window鈥� book for me (terms credited to ). It was a mirror because I was also a teenager in 2002, so many of the typical high school issues Shirin faces are incredibly familiar. It was a window because I did not have the experience of being a Muslim girl or wearing a hijab in the post-9/11 United States鈥攑lus I have no idea how to breakdance. Shirin鈥檚 powerful voice shines throughout this story, and I wish that when I was in high school, I could have had the gift of this reading experience.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv-EzYnHsgG/
Julie Murphy鈥檚 Instagram is like walking into a candy store鈥攊t鈥檚 so bright, colorful, and positive. She is one of those authors who is friends with others and helps to build others up. When Netflix recently released the film of her book 顿耻尘辫濒颈苍,鈥� she was constantly posting updates on filming and on her excitement over the release. is a book that spoke to my soul, and I feel like it is a reflection of Murphy鈥檚 own persona. Willowdean is a strong, fierce main character who sticks up for others and doesn鈥檛 care what people have to say鈥攕he鈥檚 going to do what she wants. Murphy鈥檚 Instagram captures this same fearless spirit and is a joy to peruse.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BvP6CUtHutU/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BvK2HEol75A/
and
Okay, I鈥檓 cheating by combining these two, but their Instagram accounts go together like peanut butter and jelly right now. My favorite thing about Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli鈥檚 posts is how much fan art they share! Their recent novel, What If It鈥檚 Us, has received a huge fan following, and deservedly so. It鈥檚 an adorable YA romance of missed connections, and the characters are so complex and likeable. The reader roots for Arthur and Ben to finally have their much-needed reunion after a chance meet-cute in a post office (complete with a flash mob!) at the beginning of the story.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bti9DVdnYUW/
Nic Stone鈥檚 account is another style obsession鈥攖his woman鈥檚 lipstick collection alone rivals any Sephora store. A self-proclaimed Slytherin, Stone鈥檚 account is full of glamorous selfies (excluding her six-week stint of #nomakeup shots), with a mix of book talks and family posts sprinkled throughout. Her critically-acclaimed Dear Martin was an instant bestseller, and was a book I couldn鈥檛 keep on my classroom shelf. Stone brings history and current events together by paralleling injustice in elements of the Black Lives Matter movement to elements of the Holocaust. Dear Martin has Justyce and his classmates grapple tough topics and conversations, and does so with the messiness and care of real life.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt6VvA5ni2t/
As you scroll through Jason Reynolds鈥檚 Instagram, you may notice some familiar and notable faces, including Jacqueline Woodson, Laurie Halse Anderson, and Nikki Giovanni. Reynolds is one of those authors who celebrates others and seems to be humbled by his own accomplishments. And he should be proud of those accomplishments鈥攈e鈥檚 published 12 books within the last few years! His entire library appeals to my middle school students, but a current favorite is the Track series, which was just wrapped up with the publication of this past fall. The series follows four middle school kids鈥擥host, Patina, Sunny, and Lu鈥攁s they navigate the challenges of life alongside high expectations of their track coach, and they find support in each other along the way.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BuHAxsjntCQ/
The aesthetics of Emily X.R. Pan鈥檚 Instagram are incredibly striking to me, and they seem to reflect the beautiful magical realism of her first novel, The Astonishing Color of After. In this story, Leigh processes her grief after her mother鈥檚 death but keeps seeing something strange: a red bird, which Leigh is convinced is her mother. She travels to Taiwan, her mother鈥檚 birthplace, to visit her grandparents and try to solve the mystery of what her mother, the bird, is trying to tell her. Come to Pan鈥檚 Instagram for the artfully-arranged books, but stay for her photos in her cozy writing residency, fantastic clothes, and lovely artwork!
So what鈥檚 the point of getting online when you could just spend your time reading?
While I enjoy scrolling Instagram to see what my favorite authors are doing, I also love having the chance to add a YA connection to their scrolling. Instagram is an intricate web of talent and support, and you and your students may just be surprised by what you end up reading next!
Rachel Polacek () is currently in her 6th year teaching 8th grade Language Arts in Dublin, Ohio. She aims to be a reflective teacher, which is one of the reasons why she loves writing about teaching. She is an avid reader who tries to consume a wide variety of literature and nonfiction, but her heart lies in middle grade and young adult fiction.