This study examined the Young Adult Library Service Association's (YALSA's) Best Books for Young Adults (BBYA) recommended list for the years 1994-98 in order to determine if the list provides diversity in terms of the content of books and the gender and ethnicity of the authors and editors whose works appear on it. The results of the study concluded that, although the BBYA list showed diversity from different points of view, it did have some shortcomings. The works of minority authors, although represented on the list, appeared in numbers less than one would expect based upon their presence in the U.S. population overall. The same held true for the numbers of minority protagonists appearing in fictional works. Diversity in terms of content was also lacking to some extent. For both nonfiction and fiction books, the BBYA list contained a large number of certain types of genres and subject matter, while other kinds of form and content were few in number. Despite its shortcomings, YALSA's BBYA list does provide an exceptional source that librarians and teachers can use to select and recommend appropriate materials for their young adult patrons and students. Appendices include the YALSA BBYA policies and procedures, coding sheets used in this research, and data analysis tables. Contains 21 references. (Author/MES)