Winter break is here, but maybe your middle or high schooler is exhausted after a hectic fall semester and just wants to play video games and message their friends. If you’re searching for enticing books that will inspire teens to put their devices down and can shake them out of a reading slump, check out these late fall and winter releases with strong hooks and plenty of reader appeal.

Leap by Simina Popescu (Roaring Brook Press, Nov. 12): This Romanian author and illustrator’s graphic novel debut is an intimate, affirming, and body-positive coming-of-age story set at a dance school in Bucharest. Girlfriends Ana and Carina face the pressures of remaining closeted in a hostile society as well as the rigors of competitive dance. Carina’s self-centered behavior drives Ana to spend more time with her roommate, Sara, changing their lives dramatically.

I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Conner (HarperAlley, Nov. 19): In this joyful graphic novel set in 1807 England, three outsiders buoy one another: Eleanor chafes against pressures to marry, Black biracial Charlotte’s race limits her prospects, and George is certain that his gender doesn’t match what others believe it to be. This visually appealing, well-researched work sheds light on struggles that resonate today—plus the leads get the happy endings they deserve.

Not for the Faint of Heart by Lex Croucher (Wednesday Books, Nov. 26): Fans of witty narration and spirited hijinks will be thrilled with this genderbent riff on Robin Hood in which Mariel, granddaughter of the legendary outlaw, falls for a healer named Clemence. After Mariel and her Merry Men kidnap Clem (as punishment for her guardian’s fraternizing with the Sheriff of Nottingham), conflict escalates in Sherwood Forest—and sparks fly between the young women.

Songs for the Offseason by Ryan Wolf (West 44 Books, Dec. 16): This verse novel, about a boy whose baseball dreams fall apart, offers reluctant readers a thoughtful, beautifully written exploration of life’s uncertainties. Dustin can’t wait to board the plane; after months of saving, his team will be leaving soon to tour ballparks and play other high school teams around Japan. But his cousin’s sudden death upends everything—and leads to a sweet and unexpected romance.

Visitations by Corey Egbert (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Dec. 17): Egbert’s brutally honest graphic novel memoir is a harrowing and riveting glimpse into his childhood, which was marked by neglect and deprivation stemming from his mother’s struggles with long-undiagnosed paranoid schizophrenia. Her delusions manifested in a way that was shaped by her membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, making everything harder for a young, devout Corey to fully comprehend.

Ex Marks the Spot by Gloria Chao (Viking, Dec. 31): Chao winningly combines a compelling family mystery with a sympathetic protagonist, a romance between exes, and delicious Taiwanese food. Massachusetts teen Gemma and her mom struggle financially. So when Gemma’s estranged grandfather dies and she learns of an inheritance—if she can get to Taiwan to solve the clues—she reluctantly seeks help from infuriatingly perfect ex-boyfriend Xander, who started a cultural heritage program in Taipei.

Laura Simeon is a young readers’ editor.