The Necessary Hunger by Nina Revoyr (grades 10+)

First published in 1997, The Necessary Hunger tells the story of Japanese American Nancy Takahiro and African American Raina Weber, two high school basketball players in their senior year of high school. Though rivals, Nancy and Raina must learn to live together, literally, when Raina's mother moves in with Nancy's father. Nancy also must learn how to navigate her growing romantic feelings for Raina. Set in inner-city Los Angeles, The Necessary Hunger tackles issues of friendship, racial identity, and the struggles LGBTQ+ teenagers face in a society that does not wholly accept them for who they are.

Nina Revoyr is a Japanese-American author who has published six novels. Her books have won the Ferro Gumbly Award, the Lambda Literary Award, and are frequently listed in community and campus book lists. Revoyr is also a visiting professor at Cornell University and Pomona College, among other post-secondary institutions in the United States.