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HRRB High School Book List

Fulton County Schools is a proud sponsor of the annual Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl (HRRB).  The Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl is an independent state wide competition where students read a set number of books and are quizzed on them in a competitive game format.  Over the last few years, over 600 schools throughout Georgia have held competitions at the local school district level and have registered for regional competitions.

The HRRB High School booklist is made up of the current year's Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers nominees. The Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers is an annual literary award that recognizes and celebrates outstanding young adult literature.

Here's how the Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers typically works:

Eligibility: Books eligible for consideration are typically young adult novels published within the past two years.

Nomination Process: A committee of school librarians, public librarians, and teachers in Georgia selects a list of nominated books. These nominations are based on literary quality and appeal to teenage readers.

Reading and Voting: Teen readers across the state of Georgia are encouraged to read the nominated books and vote for their favorites. This allows young readers to have a say in selecting the winner.

Award Announcement: The award winner is announced at the Georgia Peach Book Award luncheon or ceremony, often held in conjunction with a conference or book festival.

Promoting Reading: The Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers helps promote reading and discussions about young adult literature in schools and libraries across Georgia. It provides an opportunity for students to engage with contemporary literature and share their thoughts and opinions with their peers. 

We are sensitive to the values of the many different families that make up our school district.  If you as a coach or parent feel that one or more of the books on the list is not a good fit for your students, you are not obligated to have your students read it.  ​However, please understand that since the State HRRB Committee has decided to include questions for ALL books on the list for the district and state competitions, we will do the same at our Fulton County local competition.     

THE 2026 HRRB HIGH SCHOOL BOOKLIST (9th - 12th Grade)

  • After Life by Gayle Forman

  • All the Noise at Once by DeAndra Davis 

  • Codebreaker by Jay Martel

  • Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown by Candace Fleming

  • A First Time for Everything by K.L. Walther 

  • The Floating World by Axie Oh

  • A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim

  • The House No One Sees by Adina King 

  • A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson 

  • Meet Me At Blue Hour by Sarah Suk

  • Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours

  • Run Like A Girl by Amaka Egbe

  • The Scammer by Tiffany D. Jackson

  • The Silenced by Diana Rodriguez Wallach

  • Song of a Blackbird by Maria Van Lieshout

  • Soulmatch by Rebecca Danzenbaker 

  • This Thing of Ours by Frederick Joseph

  • The Thrashers by Julie Soto

  • The Unexpected Consequence of Bleeding on a Tuesday by Kelsey B. Toney 

  • When Devils Sing by Xan Kaur