as the sixth What Kids Are Reading report laments the tendency among high school students to read books that are too easy, suggesting teachers and librarians aren’t promoting challenging titles strongly enough for older children: the organizers of world book day have announced a list that could serve as a corrective, or at least a useful source of ideas. The scripture list of passages from popular young adult books, voted on by 7,000 people across the UK, features a top 10 book to help ‘shape and inspire’ teens and give them the empathic tools and words to handle some of the challenges. from adolescence the complete list of 50 feature books to “help you understand yourself”, “change the way you think” and “make you cry”, as well as thrill, transport and scare you. and it is quite substantial.
On the longer list are many writers who are surely adults by anyone’s standards, including Emily Brontë, Anthony Burgess, F Scott Fitzgerald, and Alice Walker. The top 10 includes another Brontë (Charlotte), Harper Lee and George Orwell, and more young adult stalwarts like The Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins and John Green. There’s a wide mix of genres and themes, from JRR Tolkien’s high-fantasy elves and orcs to Stephen Chbosky’s poignant contemporary realism, The Perks of Being an Outcast. there is also dystopia, classic and contemporary -1984 and the hunger games- and a lot of heartbreak, whether in the diary of a young woman, to kill a mockingbird or green is the fault of our stars.
You are reading: Top ten teenagers books
The top 10 is also particularly heavy on books that have been made into movies: all but one have already appeared on the big screen, or will do so shortly, demonstrating the cinematic contribution to the success of a book (a title best-seller is made into a movie, and then acquires more readers from people who see the movie first). Even James Bowen’s alley cat Bob, perhaps the most surprising inclusion in the top 10, could also make the leap: After a sustained spell on the best-seller lists, Bowen’s agent has been in talks about a possible adaptation. . The heartwarming story of Bob, the cat who helped straighten out the homeless street musician he adopted, is one of the most recently published books on the list, having been published in 2012. He, from the point of view of most folks, pack serious claws under the fluffy fur.
some might also be surprised to see jk rowling in a top 10 for teens. to me the harry potter books are definitely more middle grade than young adult fiction, but they are a special case, becoming more challenging and progressively darker throughout the series as harry and her cohort grow up . and they’ve certainly done a lot to appeal to readers, young and old, to some extent tempering the notion that books are just for geeks (or kids). Despite the plethora of escapist fantasies, Rowling raises some tough questions about standing up to authority, defying social norms, and sacrificing everything for an ideal—all concerns close to the heart of most teenage readers.
as a confirmed enemy of the orcs, i would have traded lord of the rings for another title from the longer list, maybe malorie blackman’s tic tac toe, or the wonder of rj palace. and the inclusion of twilight in the top 50, in the category of books that teach you about love, gives me a colossal case of heebie-jeebies (I’d like to see a special category for it: examples of what not to wish for) . but the list is thought-provoking, extensive, and should provide anyone who wants a title that suits her situation or mood.
See Also: 26 Short YA Books For When You Want a Quick Read
What do you think are the most egregious omissions? what are your best teen tomes?
top 10 books
1. the hunger games suzanne collins2. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green3. to kill a mockingbird by harper lee 4. harry potter series by jk rowling5. 1984 by george orwell6. the diary of a young woman by anne frank7. a street cat named bob by james bowen8. the lord of the rings by jrr tolkien9. the perks of being an outcast by stephen chbosky10. jane eyre by charlotte brontë
the 50 best books that…
change your mindto kill a mockingbird by harper leea streetcat named bob by james bowenthe book thief by markus zusaknoughts and crosses by malorie blackmanwonder by rj palacethe curious incident of the dog in the night- time by mark haddonthe perks of being an outcast by stephen chbosky
helps you understand yourselfthe fault in our stars by john greenthe catcher in the rye by jd salingerthe knife of never letting go by patrick nessi capturing the castle by dodie smiththe outsiders by se hinton
make you crythe color purple by alice walkerof mice and men by john steinbeckthe time traveler’s wife by audrey niffeneggerthe kite racer by khaled hosseinthe war horse by michael morpurgobefore he died by jenny downhammy the jodi picoult sister keeper
See Also: Zoe Sharp – Book Series In Order
make yourself laughcapture 22 by joseph hellerthe hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy by douglas adamsthe secret diary of 13¾ year old adrian mole by sue townsendholly smal geek girldiary of a wimpy kid by jeff kinneyangus, thongs and frontal kisses by louise rennison
scare you1984 by george orwelllord loss by darren shanthe rats by james herbertthe bright by stephen kingthe wasp factory by iain banks
teaching you about lovethe diary of a young girl by anne frankpride and prejudice by jane austenforever by judy blumettwilight by stephenie meyerhow I live now by meg rosoffwuthering heights by emily brontëjane eyre by charlotte brontë
thrill youthe hunger games by suzanne collinsthe mortal instruments: city of bones by cassandra claredivergent by veronica rothgone by michael grantrebecca by daphne du maurierskulduggery nice by derek landya a clockwork orange by anthony burgess
beaming youharry potter series by jk rowlinglord of the rings by jrr tolkienpercy jackson series by rick riordanlife of pi by yann martelnorthern lights by philip pullmanthe great gatsby by f scott fitzgerald
See Also: Complete List of Terry Pratchetts Discworld Novels – Hanging Together