A list of good books for a teenager who loves to read
Wednesday, August 14, 2013 at 3:48PM
Here's a list I compiled a while back, via email and Facebook.I hope it makes sense. Some of it is from Sherene, and other friends.It's a pretty big list, with great suggestions!
These are some of the books my kids have enjoyed in the past year . Are your girls the ones that only like those realistic fiction problem novels? If so, they might not like much from our lists - maybe John Green, Ally Condie, Cassandra Clare. Also, once my kids get to be 12ish, I don't care if there's sex or violence in a book, as long as the book is well written, the sex/violence isn't gratuitous, and my kids come to me if there's something they don't understand. There's some teen sex in Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver/Linger/Forever series, and maybe one of the Cassandra Clare books. The Diviners is paranormal historical fiction and it's listed as 10th grade - maybe it's creepy? Maddie read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and it freaked her out for quite awhile - I don't know if she would recommend it or not.
Matched/Crossed/Reached series by Ally CondieDemon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan (1st in trilogy)anything by John GreenDivergent by Veronica Roth (1st in trilogy)Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra ClareInfernal Devices series by C. ClareScorpio Races by Maggie StiefvaterRaven Boys by Maggie StiefvaterShiver/Linger/Forever by M. StiefvaterThe Adoration of Jenna Fox series by Mary PearsonThe Diviners by Libba BrayAnne of Green Gables serieswe're always rereading Roald Dahl, Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz booksThe Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria ForesterHold Me Closer, NecromancerRomeo & JulietEnder's Game seriesLes Miserables (Maddie is almost done with this book, and she plans on killing one of her characters by dropping this book on them! It's taken Maddie a year.)Seraphina by Rachel HartmanThe Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel Series by Michael ScottTeam Human (Twilight parody) by Sarah Rees Brennan and Justine LarbalestierScott Westerfeld booksKai and Maddie liked the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer, but I couldn't ever get into it
My kids are chuckling their way through Robert Asprin's Myth series.http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=robert+asprinwe're all listening to the audiobooks as they are so well read. They are short books but the word play is excellent.
Orson Scott Card's Mither Mage trilogy (only two are out right now) is excellenthttp://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=mither+mage&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Amither+mageBook 2 develops the theme of teen angst about boy/girl relationships. I'm very impressed at how Card deals with the issues. Like Terry, I don't screen for sex or violence anymore.
Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series is our current all-time-favorite serieshttp://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=iron+druid&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Airon+druidIt's great in print but spectacular in audio format. The narrator makes these books come alive. I highly recommend that these books be listened to, not read.
Peter Brett's Demon Cyclehttp://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=brett&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Abrett
Brent Week's Lightbringer serieshttp://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Brent+weeks
Ben adored the Galactic Mage series by John Daulton (Shira and I didn't care for it)http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=galactic+mage&rh=n%3A133140011%2Ck%3Agalactic+mage
The Gone series by Michael Granthttp://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Michael+Grant&rh=n%3A133140011%2Ck%3AMichael+Grant
My kids say that anything by Michael Grant is outstanding. The new one, BZRK is apparently really good.
Ben loves the new Erin Hunter series Survivorshttp://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_8?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=survivors+erin+hunter&sprefix=survivor%2Cdigital-text%2C140&rh=n%3A133140011%2Ck%3Asurvivors+erin+hunterThis is a different 4-writer team than the one that wrote Warriors. The writing is much better.
Shira is a huge fan of Sarah Prineashttp://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_10?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=sarah+prineas&sprefix=sarah+prin%2Cdigital-text%2C140&rh=n%3A133140011%2Ck%3Asarah+prineasShe's currently reading the Winterling series and is loving it.
The Bakkian Chronicles by Jeffrey Poolehttp://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_11?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=bakkain+chronicles&sprefix=bakkain+chr%2Cdigital-text%2C140&rh=n%3A133140011%2Ck%3Abakkain+chronicles
Clipped from: https://www.facebook.com/sherene.silverberg?ref=tn_tnmn
Phoebe read Divergeant from Lydia's list and is completely hooked on it. She made Maggie read it, Maggie also loved it.
My kids loved "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card. I loved "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury. My husband recommends "Dune" by Frank Herbert..Also, the post-apocalyptic "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy. Now that one depressed me.. Handmaid's Tale
. "One Second After" is a great dystopian/PA novel. While the subject can be - well, what it is - depressing and sometimes even scary - the novel is fine for the YA crowd.
Ender's Game, 1984.
An absolutely fantastic new fantasy series is Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. Great themes, smart heroine (loves music and even some philosophy), dragons, self-acceptance, sweet, slow developing romance with a guy who deserves it. Fantastic world building.
. Dystopian books that I've enjoyed were The Giver and The Declaration (although I decided that I wouldn't read sequels to The Declaration).
There's a series called "Among the Hidden" by Margaret Haddix that fits that genre. There are around 9 books in the series. The story arc is sound but the plot and writing varies throughout the series. Most kids wouldn't mind, but those with higher expectations will notice.
The "Witch & Wizard" series by James Patterson is absolute rubbish.
I have to agree with many of the suggestions on the list. I think you're right about Hunger Games. There were many small things that bugged me with the story, but I thought that the characterization of the key players was done well. They weren't perfect, they didn't always make the right choice and they were able to learn from it. Living with someone with PTSD, I felt so much for them at the end when they tried to pick up the prices of their lives... I really like the lost books by Ted Dekker.
"Herland" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. "Looking Backward: 2000-1887" by Bellamy. William Morris (yes, THAT William Morris) wrote "News from Nowhere". And at the start of it all is, of course, Plato's "Republic". And there's the book that gave the genre its name: "Utopia" by Thomas More. (and don't forget "Brave New World" - a MUST) Hope this helps in some way!
I read "A Handmaid's Tale" when I was very young and absolutely loved it. When I read it last year I couldn't figure out why I even liked the book. I don't want this to happen to her.
http://homeschoolhungergames.blogspot.com/p/apocalyptic-literaturespring-2013.html Here's Lydia's list of books.Homeschool Hunger Games: Syllabushomeschoolhungergames.blogspot.com.
I second Among the Hidden series, The Giver. We also liked Matched (Aly Condie), City of Ember, and I haven't read, but these got good reviews: The Uglies, Divergent, Delerium, The Darkest Minds, Legend (Marie Lu). Not sure why, but The Fault in our Stars came in my search. Not dystopia/utopia-- but was an EXCELLENT book (warning, teen sex- but not explicit)...Find this blog called "Shut up, I'm reading" and check out all of her recommendations. Her mom is Shari Sturgill Bergquist and J has never, ever steered us wrong with her recommendations. It's really great to have access to YA fiction that has been read and reviewed by an actual intelligent YA. I send all my friends to her blog and it's nice to NOT have to pre-read all of my girl's fiction first. Fortunately, neither one of them was into Twilight after reading a chapter or two, even though I still had to read the thing first.
.Shez, it's meant for a younger audience, but "The Mysterious Benedict Society" series is FABULOUS as well - right up your alley, and possibly hers, too. *I* loved them, and I'm an adult... James Kennedy's The Order of Odd-Fish.game of thrones. I can' t read it.. A Wrinkle in Time. Chaos Walking series. Starts with The Knife of Never Letting Go. I just finished reading the series on Austen's recommendation and could not put it down. Excellent! The Pure Trilogy. First one is Pure. Second is Fuse. Third one had not been released yet. There is a good anthology of young adult p-a and dys called Aftermath, I think. I have it on my kindle. Very good short stories. Game of Thrones is VERY adult. I would not recommend it.
. I read the Crystal Singer when I was her age.
. Did you find John Marsden's 'Tomorrow' Series?He's an Australian who's opened his own school, and although his books confront the reality of a country at war, he deals with issues of teen angst and comradeship . . . not saccharine happy endings, but shows how adversity can affect one, and ways to find your way through. And he has a female protagonist!I love them, and re-read them occasionally.
I just read a book for pleasure, the first one in ... 40 years. RLS's Treasure Island. Found it free from Google Play (for Android). It was such an enjoyable experience that I'm going to go after Gullivers Travels and then Robinson Carouso. Reading for pleasure (instead of the thousands of instruction manuals I've accumulated) ... what a concept!.. The Postman, although maybe not old enough. Canticle for Leibovitz, in a few years.
. Some of these might be too old for Shira, but Maddie & I have liked Adoration of Jenna Fox series, anything by Maggie Stiefvater, Matched series by Ally Condie, Divergent series, Demon's Lexicon series, both of Cassandra Clare's series (she calls these "urban fantasy"), Seraphina, Kristin Cashore's Graceling series (fantasy genre).
. The Giver, Lois Lowry.Fahrenheit 451 is a must! Has she read Watership Down? It is a lovely fantasy, but she will recognize the dystopian society in the book.30 March at 22:12 · Like · 1.. I wonder if books of dystopian movies are available. If there are books of Waterworld, Mad Maxx, The Postman, Damnation Alley, Aeon Flux, ... and what's that one that was remade within the last decade with Will Smith? If she's into dystopian movies, I recommend those. Oh, and Gene Roddenberry's Genesis 2, and Planet Earth, from the 1970s! ..... Ooh - I just remembered the City of Ember series! That's more age appropriate, too! Not so dark as 1984, or even as The Hunger Games, and the main characters are teens.
.The City of Ember series is great - forgot about that one and I can't imagine why - a REALLY interesting concept. I still stand by "The Mysterious Benedict Society" - also a good read!
.Also Cinder (Lunar Chronicles).Just read Wonder. Really great book.
Wonder and The One and Only Ivan. (It will appeal to her love of animals.)
I second "The One and Only Ivan" - .it's fabulous - a simple read, but brilliant, and a lovely, lovely story.
I have not read previous comments so there may be some repeats here: Gregor the Overlander series, House of the Scorpion (long), Of Mice and Men, The Giver, any Rick Riordan books, Unwind (creepy), Elsewhere, When You Reach Me, Wonderstruck, Heart of a Samurai, To Kill a Mockingbird,,, will let you know if she thinks of any others...bird, bleachers, born to run, a brief history of montmaray, calico joe, dead end in norvelt, divergent, the fingertips of duncan dorfman, flawless, the 4 agreements, songs of innocence and experience, theories of international politics and zombies,
_CLASSIC: Alas Babylon, Z for Zachariah, On the Beach, Earth Abides, I am Legend, The Postman, A Canticle for Leibowitz, Lucifer’s Hammer, The Last Man (Mary Shelley), 1984, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, The Day of the Triffids, Pebble in the Sky, Gather Darkness, Childhood’s End, The Kraken Wakes. CONTEMPORARY: The Stand, The Passage, Divergent, Wither, Pure, Age of Miracles, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Whole Wide World, Jennifer Government, Oryx and Crake, Robopocalypse.
Katie is reading the latest of the Skullduggery Pleasant books. I am repulsed by the covers. But she loves them.
Dominic is reading Lost in the Barrens. He likes Farley Mowat stories: Owls In The Family, The Dog Who Wouldn't Be, The Boat That Wouldn't Float, People of the Deer.
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