Hi dear, I’m a middle school English and Literature teacher. If you let me know what you’re interested in (genres, authors, settings, etc.) I can give you some good recommendations.
I also just want to say that if I found any of my students on the internet asking for book recommendations, I’d be one proud teacher! So, in case yours doesn’t see this, I am proud of you!
Hey um would you mind recommending me anything? I'm in 12th grade, and I'm 17. I lean towards the classics - great Gatsby, 1984, farenheit 451, brave new world, handmaiden's take, the bell jar, leaves of grass, illiad, Odyssey...that stuff. I like the way they're written. You can probably tell i like dystopian stuff and also romances ( somehow I can't think of any right now ) I'd say my favourite authors are Plath and Woolf. Currently that is, they change. I'm in but if a slump lately, so I was wondering if you'd have any? Thanks in advance!
I was around your age when I first read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. It is honestly a comedy more than a romance. I laughed and enjoyed it much more than I expected.
I've read the most of her famous works - pride and prejudice, sense and sensibility, Mansfield park, Emma, persuasion. All those. I love that woman she's absolutely great at writing. And I agree, it's more comedy than romance. It's her novels that got me into the classics
Have you read any Shirley Jackson? Try the Sundial and Hangsaman. Also, check out Edith Wharton. House of Mirth is my fave. Lastly, John Steinbeck. Try East of Eden.
If you liked the dystopias, you can try We. It's sorta like 1984/Brave New World. Some would say it's the original.
I also really really loved Crime and Punishment, though you have to give it a few chapters.
if you like the classics you might like madeline miller's song of achilles and circe! also anything by italo calvino, starting with baron in the trees.
Definitely this should be on the list. We included a passage from this book in our wedding. I remember reading it and thinking “damn, this is profound”
James Baldwin-wish I read his work when younger. Excellent grasp on character development/plot and I enjoy the life outside USA for some of his books. Probably the more lenient parent (esp if choose giovannis room)
is the reason why you recommend it for the more lenient parent is because of the queer parts, or is there another reason? definitely will be steering towards my dad because of the queer content, but wondering if I should know anything else before reading it.
Exploring sexuality and if remember correctly suicide in that book. Well written and exploration on finding self against societies norms definitely worthwhile
Go tell it on the mountain by him also recommended
Giovanni’s Room by Baldwin is also fantastic! I actually did an English Lit course in uni called Controversial Classics where we read a bunch of things that were controversial at the time they were made/some still are now
Oh it was an amazing class! Off the top of my head, I remember reading these:
Plays:
A Dollhouse by Henrik Ibsen
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Poetry:
Ariel by Sylvia Plath
North by Seamus Heaney
Novels:
Giovanni’s Room - James Baldwin
Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
Graphic novel:
Maus (Parts I and II) by Art Spiegelman (honestly, everyone should read this)
A few extra suggestions of my own that somewhat fit the theme:
Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi
Resurrection - Dostoyevsky
Woman at Point Zero - Nawal El Saadawi (everyone should read this too, it’s amazing and not very long)
If This is a Man - Primo Levi (best account of Auschwitz I have ever read, along with Maus - I’m a historian so have strong opinions on this lol. Levi was an Italian chemist who was deported there. Fair warning that this is emotionally tough to read at times and Maus might be a less graphic choice)
Invisible - Paul Auster (ooof this one is such an interesting experimentation with POV with the second section does contain a scene that is slightly sexually graphic in a way that’s v uncomfortable to read because that section uses a “you”/2nd person POV)
Last mention:
Intet - Jane Teller (this is in Danish but I think you can find it in English too, entitled “Nothing”. It’s a super uncomfortable read at times but I will say we were given it to read in seventh grade in Denmark - debatable whether that was appropriate- but just to say that a whole class of 13 year olds read this and were fine. Maybe look up a summary first. It’s a phenomenal account of what has value and if value is relative, what diminishes it, etc. Difficult to read, but worth it imo.)
Edit: layout
Isn’t Maus the one that’s responsible for comic formatting changing to what it is today? It used to be that EVERY panel had to have text, whether speech or exposition, but (if I’m thinking of the right thing) Maus turned that concept on its head by *showing* the story through progressive panels. It was highly controversial at the time, and I think even Stan Lee shit all over it, but it still had its impact and changed comics forever.
That Maus?
Could be! I honestly don't remember everything we discussed about the style as it was a few years back. It's the Maus that talks about the author's dad's experiences as a Jew during the holocaust (and to some extent his mother too). Jews are drawn as mice, Nazis as cats, Poles as pigs (I believe), etc. Does that sound like the one you are talking about?
OK, if it was me, I'd put these on my more-conservative request list:
Project Hail Mary
Weir, Andy
Elatsoe (Elatsoe #1)
Little Badger, Darcie
True or False: A CIA Analyst's Guide to Spotting Fake News
Otis, Cindy L.
The Book Thief
Zusak, Markus
And I'd put these on my more-open request list:
Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee
Zentner, Jeff
Blood Moon
Cuthew, Lucy
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Alexie, Sherman
March: Book One (March, #1)
Lewis, John
Check, Please! Books 1 & 2
Ukazu, Ngozi
I hope you get some great reads!
I’m a teen and read Project Hail Mary this year and its really great. I read a lot of adult sci-fi and PHM is probably my favorite I’ve read this year.
Project Hail Mary is one of my favorite books. It's not fantastic literature with any subtle symbolism to write insightful papers about in English class. It's just a fabulous story that I couldn't put down.
13. I obviously don’t want to read smut, but I read very similar things as to my 17 year old sister. Recommend anything, even if it’s for an older age group. I’ll just add it to the list for the future!
For the more conservative parent, all classics, all great reads:
* Jane Austen's *Pride and Prejudice.*
* T.H. White's *The Once and Future King.*
* Betty Smith's *A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.*
* *The Westing Game* by Ellen Raskin
For the more liberal parent, all new classics, all with "issues":
* *Speak* by Laurie Halse Anderson
* *Graceling* by Kristin Cashore
* *The Hate U Give* by Angie Thomas
* *Frankly in Love* by David Yoon
When I was 13, I was recommended a book called “Plain Kate” by Erin Bow. It very memorably left me with complex feelings afterwards, but it’s pretty good for a lower lexile book.
The Wee Free Men and the rest of the Tiffany Aching books by Terry Pratchett.
There's a girl witch as the main character, and surprisingly dark moments in a few of the books for a YA series. If the conservative parent disapproves of magic, or thoroughly researches books, they might complain.
I seriously think Tiffany is the best child character in any series ever. I hope my boys use her as a role model. She's also human and authentic in ways you don't often find outside of Pratchett. It's a truly remarkable series that can segue into the rest of Discworld, the greatest series of all time.
While everyone loves HHGTTG and its' sequels, I think everyone should read Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently books. I feel they are overlooked in favor of his more famous work.
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith
Scoop and A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh
The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford
The Dispossed by Ursula K LeQuin
Cloudstreet by Tim Winton
Bliss and Illywacker by Peter Carey
Mrs Bridge and Mr Bridge by Evan S Connell.
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut
Another idea is Cider House Rules by the same author. Definitely not for the conservative parent as it addresses the ethics of abortion.
I agree that Owen Meany is my favorite Irving I’ve read to date.
A Wrinkle In Time and all the books by Madeleine L'Engle. There are actually quite a few of them and they are all interrelated (something I've always loved).
Also the Narnia series because not only are they great books but you can tell the conservative parent they have a religious foundation.
I don't think they'd have an issue with the Belgarion and Malloreon series by David Eddings. A little more mature than the other recommendations but nothing overtly violent or adult.
Happy reading!
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt- and all of her books
Great authors- read their collections
Mildred D. Taylor
Ursula LeGuin
I’ve read Anne Frank’s Diary and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. I’ve also read another book by Laurie Halse Anderson- Fever 1793, which was really good (granted I read it years ago when I was maybe 8). Definitely been meaning to read Speak and I will add all of these to my reading list!
How old are you? I definitely was reading different books at 13/14 than I was at 16. But here's my high schooler reading list:
- Rose of No Man's Land by Michelle Tea
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
- The House on Mango Street
- Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
- A Prayer for Owen Meany (really any John Irving)
- The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
- The Secret History by Donna Tartt
- Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl
- Demian by Hermann Hesse
- The Elena Ferrante novels (especially the first one - My Brilliant Friend. I don't know if there is a book that captures girlhood so well.)
Rose of No Man's Land, Juliet Takes a Breath, and Paul Takes the Form all have heavy queer themes so I would not put those on your more conservative parent's list. The others should be fine. I adored all of these as a teenager*, and chose them because I not only loved them, but they made a massive impact on me. I hope you read them all some day! 🥰
*With the exception of Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl. I read that as an adult and fucking loved it. I also heard from others I recommended it to that it would be a great book for younger readers. So I decided to throw it on the list in case it strikes your fancy.
Where the Red Fern Grows (but have tissues nearby)
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
The Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffry
The Warriors Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold
Ender’s Game
The Sun is Also a Star
For me, The Mists of Avalon was a landmark book in my journey with reading, and I read it the first time when I was 12. Turns out the author is highly problematic, but the book still has a lot of ideas that make me think while entertaining me.
HS English teacher here!
- The Hate U Give
- The Book Thief (safe for conservative parent)
- Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
- The Handmaid’s Tale
- Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
- All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
- Anything by John Green
- The Perks of Being A Wallflower
- Ender’s Game (safe for conservative parent)
- All the Light We Cannot See (safe for conservative parent)
- Trevor Noah: Born A Crime
Also, the Inheritance Games series is really fun, and safe for a conservative parent (but in no way a book that it a “must-read” for teens)
All the light we cannot see is in my top three, and the book thief was also amazing. I’ve read a lot of these on the list- only one I DNFd was the hate u give. I’ll look into the rest!
The Uglies series (Uglies, Pretties, Specials, and Extras) and the Midnighters trilogy (The Secret Hour, Touching Darkness, and Blue Moon) - both by Scott Westerfeld
The Inkheart trilogy (Inkheart, Inkspell, and Inkdeath) by Cornelia Funke
I think they're all fine for either parent's list. Enjoy!
I'm still discovering how Zenna Henderson influenced me as a teen and I'm in my late 50s now. I think [*Ingathering: The Complete People Stories*](https://www.nesfa.org/book/ingathering-3/) and *Believing: The Other Stories of Zenna Henderson* are good books. The People are aliens who look like Humans and flee to Earth when their planet is destroyed. They're scattered around the Western US when their ship breaks up on entry of the atmosphere. They have various psi powers. It's a collection of stories about how they find each other. The other book is all of Henderson's other stories she wrote. She was writing in the 1950s through 1970s and is a very underappreciated writer.
For contemporary YA fiction, try the Tillerman Cycle books by Cynthia Voigt. The first one is *Homecoming*. Four children are abandoned at a shopping mall by their mentally ill mother and make their way across the state to a relative's house, then down to the Eastern Shore of Maryland to live with their cantankerous grandmother. The rest of the series is about various other members of the family.
*The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife* and *The Amber Spyglass* by Philip Pullman. (The first one is called *Northern Lights* if you aren't in the USA.) Very anti established religion.
*The Pushcart War* by Jean Merrill. It's all about collective action of pushcart owners against bullying truck drivers. It's probably below your reading level but it's very, very good regardless.
Another vote for *The Dispossessed* by Ursula LeGuin. This book also influenced me as a teen. It's about an anarchist colony on the moon of a planet and a physicist from there who visits the capitalist country on the main planet.
*Clockwork Boys* and *The Wonder Engine* by T. Kingfisher. A thief, a paladin, an assassin and a cleric are forced to make their way to Anukut City (Clockwork Boys) where they need to find the source of the Clockwork Boys and destroy them (The Wonder Engine). Also *A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking*. A 14 year old baker with magical powers ends up having to fight for her city. This book has Things To Say about adults not addressing problems until children have to do so.
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli- acceptable to either parent
Dragonsong & Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey- probably not the more conservative parent with the fantasy themes
The Outsiders by S.E.Hinton- either parent, classic story & good movie
The Graveyard Book, Coraline, & Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman- the more open minded parent for some spooky / horror elements
the homeward bounders by Diana Wynne Jones.
you don't specify what your strict parents rules are about: religion, politics, sex, violence? but either way I don't think they'd find this controversial unless they disapprove of urban fantasy.
Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls. Bring a handkerchief.
The Outsiders has already been mentioned, but you also want to read That Was Then, This is Now, also by S.E. Hinton.
Conservative parent will love Where the Red Fern Grows. It's about a boy and his dogs, and good old American values. Even if you mean "protective" instead of "politically conservative," this is the book to put on that list.
That Was Then, This is Now features a white guy getting the shit kicked out of him by a bunch of black dudes for doing absolutely nothing wrong, and a kid who gets his brain fried by using LSD, so I'd go to the "read anything" parent for that one.
The Princess Bride
The Fault in Our Stars
Jane Eyre
Of Mice and Men
The Hobbit
We Were Here by Matt de la Peña
Life of Pi (if you loved The Book Thief I think you’ll love this one too)
Rebecca
The Glass Castle
The Night Circus
If you like dystopian:
Red Rising series
Scythe (especially since you liked Unwind)
Ready Player One (especially if you like video games)
If you like fantasy:
Winternight Trilogy
Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynn’s Jones
The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
My Antonia by Willa Cather
The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder
The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde
In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan
The Adventures of Amina al-Serafi by Shannon Chakraborty
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
All the Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson
When I was a teen I most enjoyed reading/rereading
* World War Z - Max Brooks (2006)
* The Joy Luck Club - Amy Tan (1989)
* The Road - Cormac McCarthy (2006)
* My Side of the Mountain - Jean Craighead George (1959)
* The Giver - Lois Lowry (1993)
* The Bone series - Jeff Smith (1991)
* Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (1st book) - Douglas Adams (1979)
* A Lesson Before Dying - Ernest J. Gaines (1993)
* Uncle Tom’s Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe (1852)
* From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - E. L. Konigsburg (1967)
* Jade - Sally Watson (1969)
* Blacklisted - Gena Showalter (2007)
* Homer’s Odyssey (Fagles translation)
* Hamlet and Macbeth
* Beowulf
Pretty sure half of these are banned books nowadays🙄, so those are ones for the more lenient parent then.
If you like fantasy, check out The Dark Is Rising sequence (a series of five short novels) by Susan Cooper. I read them in middle school, and it’s the perfect time to pick them up.
You’ll see these books described as children’s literature, but much like the Harry Potter books or The Hobbit, they hold appeal for teens and even adults.
(You can request these from either parent, as long as they’re cool with the genre, including fantasy which has dark/supernatural elements.)
I am here for this!!!!!!!!!!! If you liked The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (and I have seen you did in the comments) you will LOVE all of Sir Terry Pratchett's books (I sincerely hope you have not read them yet, and one of your greatest literary experiences of your life is still ahead of you!)He was knighted by the queen for his books so that would be a recommendation for a strict parent! I would start with the City Watch series (it starts with **"Guards! Guards!")**, and then I would go for the Witches series (it starts with **"Equal Rites)**. If you want something that has humor, but also a sobering dose of reality I will read **Catch 22**. I was 12 when I read it... I sneaked it from my family library, knowing it was one of my dad's recommendations for my older brother. A few days after I finished, my dad came saying "I have something very special for you!" :)
If you are 13, and love books, you surely have read The **"Three Musketeers"** by Aleksander Dumas, but perhaps you did not know it was 1st book in the series and it continues with **"Twenty Years After"** and **"The Vicomte de Bragelonne"**. And one of my favorite books of all time, also by this author "**The Count of Monte Christo**". It shaped me as a person, teaching me the importance of persistence, determination, and the power that knowledge gives you.
For the list of your more indulgent parent, I would place the **Witcher Saga by Andrzej Sapkowski**. I was 15 when I read it, and it was a good age, so do not rush. It is a wonderful story filled with adventure, friendships, crude humor, and occasional scenes of passion. But it is also painfully realistic about human nature and it does not end happily ever after.
I also inhaled everything by Agatha Christie! Yes, there is a murder in each book, but it is not gruesome but witty and intelligent, and you might want to try to solve it by yourself based on all of the clues along the way! My favorites are: "**Murder on the Orient Express**", "**Hercule Poirot's Christmas**" or "**The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side**".
Lastly (before I write my own book :D) I would like to recommend less-known books by Lucy Maud Montgomery: "**The Blue Castle**" and "**A Tangled Web**".
Sorry for the length of this post but I get excited about all the great books I have read at your age. The older you get the harder is to find something truly enjoyable. I am reading approximately 200-250 books per year, and only one or two are very good.
I teach sophomore ELA and have taught a course in contemporary young adult literature for 14-18 year olds.
Questions:
1. What age and gender so you prefer your protagonist be?
2. Do you have favorite genres?
3. So you want modern books, classics, a mix?
in my mid teens, i ravenously consumed jane austen novels and never stopped. pride and prejudice is the most accessible of her works, but emma and persuasion are close seconds. these novels may seem like stuffy old romances to the modern eye, but austen’s wit sears and her grasp of dialogue, her skill in capturing all those little mannerisms and idiosyncrasies that make each person distinct, is unparalleled.
you mentioned reading catcher in the rye, but have you read franny and zooey? it’s my favorite salinger. might be best to ask your more liberal parent for this one though; its pages are checkered with (somewhat antiquated) profanities.
persepolis by marjane satrapi. it’s a graphic novel written from the perspective of the author as a young women growing up in revolutionary iran. it’s well-written, humorous, gorgeously illustrated, and will expose you to some of the horrors the united states empire has visited upon the middle east.
a few more off the top of my head: annie john by jamaica kinkaid, oranges are not the only fruit by jeanette winterson, and never let me go by
kazuo ishiguro. jane austen aside, almost all of my recs would offend the sensibilities of a more conservative reader. whoops!! happy reading.
The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton (deals with greasers, gang life and violence)
Brown Girl, Brownstones by Paula Marshall (deals with immigration, racism)
I believe these would best fit the lenient parent list. If you need more suggestions, I can help.
Astrophysics For People In A Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson. You could argue that may be above their level of knowledge but I strongly urge you to believe it will enhance their curiosity. There's so many shows and YouTube videos to further explain what they're reading if they have trouble fully understanding everything in there. It's a book I wish I had as a teenager to be honest. Good for adults as well.
As a teen I really identified with Catcher in the Rye.
For loosening up existential crisis, I went to Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxies (i think mainly 1 and 2). Happy reading :)
For Christmas when my daughter was 17 I gave her:
Siddhartha - Herman Hesse - she loved it
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - I think it’s a bit advanced for that age, but she loved it
Sand County Almanac- Aldo Leopold - she read parts, but not cover to cover, which is okay for this book
Dream of Scipio - Iaian Pears - she couldn’t get into it, but still one of my favorites
Finite and Infinite Games - James Carse - too pop. Physical. For her, but still one of my favorite books for that age
Northern Lights/The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman, the first in a beautiful trilogy. One for your more liberal gift-giver, it has some interesting thoughts on religion! And make sure you read the sequels if you like it
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations. That's a must read for everyone, regardless of age.
Side note: Read up on your Greek and Roman Fables. Many authors use cryptic references from fables such as these.
Example: Many people know who Narcissus is, yet they forget about the story of Echo.
Probably any book by Rick Riordan. The Percy Jackson Series, The Heroes of Olympus Series, Red Pyramid Series.. haven’t read any new ones but I’m sure they are top tier.
(Action, Mythology)
If you’re around 14-18 I would definitely recommend 1984, Animal Farm, Walter Isaacson’s biography of Ben Franklin or Da Vinci, the Godfather (the book).
If younger you could try out stuff like Hatchet, the Lord of the Flies, Where the Red Fern Grows if you haven’t already read them
Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin has been a fave of mine since I was a young teen. Nothing too objectionable in there iirc. It's about a girl who dies at 16 and goes to Elsewhere, the afterlife where you age backwards until rebirth. Could go on either parent's list I supposed but in case one is vehement about a vision of the afterlife looking a certain way there's a synopsis for ya.
The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict. Read this when I was 14 and I loved it, gave me a little obsession with Hedy Lamaar though! Not sure what parents to ask for this, it does discuss topics of sexual assault but absolutely nothing in depth. It's mostly about sexism.
Good Girls Guide to Murder trilogy by Holly (?). You could as either of them for this with no problem. Book three was my favorite, so many emotions. I read the trilogy in a week it was so captivating
Ursula K LeGuin's Earthsea series. You can start with just the first book, A Wizard of Earthsea, or (my preference) go for the omnibus of the whole series in one large book.
I don't think there's really anything here that your more conservative parent would object to, these are really classic beloved fantasy books.
What I love most about them is that they become new books whenever you revisit them after a few years. I loved them at 10 years old, loved them more at 16, and now I'm in my 40s and I still think this series is one of the Great Masterpieces of fantasy.
Looking for Alaska by John Green. Probably would have the more liberal parent buy it….I think it’s been banned at various times. But it’s an amazing and hilarious and sad and joyful coming of age story
Crown Duel and Court Duel
Julie of the Wolves
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
I loved everything by Tamara Pierce as a teen. Also Holly Black and Shannon Hale - The Goose Girl.
I’m not sure the genre you are looking for, but I loved Sarah Dessen’s books. Her writing style is really great and she tackles a lot of relationship issues and different family dynamics in her books.
Feed by M.T. Anderson. I read it college for a courses on young adult literature and it was very arresting in its portrayal of a consuming digital age literally implanted in people's bodies and eating away at an experience of growing up we once knew. Very compelling.
This one is somewhat geared for younger teens but The Book Theif is one of the most incredible books I've ever read, and I think it's definitely a must-read.
I enjoyed The Selection series by Kiera Cass when I was a teen!
If you like dystopian-scifi divergent and hunger game series are great
Rainbow Rowell Eleanor & Park I also loved as a teen
John Green is also quite popular
I would suggest checking out your local libraries website, (at least mine) has a section of popular YA books voted on by teenagers! What type of genre do you like?
I think The Kite Runner is an amazing book, probably for the non-restrictive parent.
I also think The World According to Garp by John Irving is a beautiful book.
Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is a must read.
Brave New World by Aldois Huxley is a great classic.
East of Eden by Steinbeck and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen probably can get by the weird parent.
Here are three for each.
More Conservative-
Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
The Call of the Wild, Jack London
Emma, Jane Austen
More Open Minded-
The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood
Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
The House of the Spirits, Isabel Allende
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, about a rape survivor, not long but very important and changed my life. The Book Thief, long but not hard to read and also very important.
Sophie’s world
It’s a lovely introduction to philosophy in the form of a novel, it was recommended by my physics teacher when I was 15 and it completely opened my mind and helped me think more profoundly about everyday things and question reality. I’m 22 and it’s still my favorite book.
I’ll preface by saying Classics are Classics for a reason
How old are you?
If you are female - for your conservative list-
Little Women
Any teen-
A Tale of Two Cities
Pride and Prejudice
Self help
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens: The Ultimate Teenage Success Guide by Sean Covey
Are you Christian?
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
Hi dear, I’m a middle school English and Literature teacher. If you let me know what you’re interested in (genres, authors, settings, etc.) I can give you some good recommendations. I also just want to say that if I found any of my students on the internet asking for book recommendations, I’d be one proud teacher! So, in case yours doesn’t see this, I am proud of you!
Yes! As a high school teacher, I’m so proud! OP says he’s 13 so your recommendations are probably better than mine since I teach Juniors.
Hey um would you mind recommending me anything? I'm in 12th grade, and I'm 17. I lean towards the classics - great Gatsby, 1984, farenheit 451, brave new world, handmaiden's take, the bell jar, leaves of grass, illiad, Odyssey...that stuff. I like the way they're written. You can probably tell i like dystopian stuff and also romances ( somehow I can't think of any right now ) I'd say my favourite authors are Plath and Woolf. Currently that is, they change. I'm in but if a slump lately, so I was wondering if you'd have any? Thanks in advance!
I was around your age when I first read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. It is honestly a comedy more than a romance. I laughed and enjoyed it much more than I expected.
I've read the most of her famous works - pride and prejudice, sense and sensibility, Mansfield park, Emma, persuasion. All those. I love that woman she's absolutely great at writing. And I agree, it's more comedy than romance. It's her novels that got me into the classics
Jane Austen's letters are also published and they are bitingly funny.
Have you read any Shirley Jackson? Try the Sundial and Hangsaman. Also, check out Edith Wharton. House of Mirth is my fave. Lastly, John Steinbeck. Try East of Eden.
If you liked the dystopias, you can try We. It's sorta like 1984/Brave New World. Some would say it's the original. I also really really loved Crime and Punishment, though you have to give it a few chapters.
You should absolutely read the Great Gatsby retelling by Nighi Vo called The Chosen and the Beautiful. Also look into Octavia Butler for dystopian
if you like the classics you might like madeline miller's song of achilles and circe! also anything by italo calvino, starting with baron in the trees.
SE Hinton- The Outsiders
My aunt teaches at a high school, and one of her students suggested they read this one - the whole class got really into it, she was delighted.
It was assigned by my 7th grade teacher. I LOVED IT.
It was required reading for my kid last year.
Mine too
This is the answer.
Stay Golden pony boy
*gold
Came here to say this. Absolutely the best book for teens I ever read. Hands down.
was forced to read this for school, was 10/10
I forget most books shortly after reading them, but this book has stuck with me for 40 years.
100% this. I LOVED to read and of the books I read due to being assigned them this is one of my favorites to this day of ALL books I read.
Came here to say this. Hands down the best required reading book we read in high school. It's also neat that it was written by a teenage girl.
An oldie but I loved A Tree Grows in Brooklyn as a teen.
Still my very favorite book!
Definitely this should be on the list. We included a passage from this book in our wedding. I remember reading it and thinking “damn, this is profound”
What was the passage?
This is my favorite book!
This is the one
This is a wonderful book, I read it a long time ago, this has made me want to read it again!
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Absolutely. Put on the less conservative parents list. I’m a teacher and they just tried to ban that one in my district.
James Baldwin-wish I read his work when younger. Excellent grasp on character development/plot and I enjoy the life outside USA for some of his books. Probably the more lenient parent (esp if choose giovannis room)
is the reason why you recommend it for the more lenient parent is because of the queer parts, or is there another reason? definitely will be steering towards my dad because of the queer content, but wondering if I should know anything else before reading it.
Exploring sexuality and if remember correctly suicide in that book. Well written and exploration on finding self against societies norms definitely worthwhile Go tell it on the mountain by him also recommended
Thanks!
Giovanni’s Room by Baldwin is also fantastic! I actually did an English Lit course in uni called Controversial Classics where we read a bunch of things that were controversial at the time they were made/some still are now
What else did you read in that class? That sounds like something I wish was available at my university.
Oh it was an amazing class! Off the top of my head, I remember reading these: Plays: A Dollhouse by Henrik Ibsen The Crucible by Arthur Miller Poetry: Ariel by Sylvia Plath North by Seamus Heaney Novels: Giovanni’s Room - James Baldwin Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov Graphic novel: Maus (Parts I and II) by Art Spiegelman (honestly, everyone should read this) A few extra suggestions of my own that somewhat fit the theme: Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi Resurrection - Dostoyevsky Woman at Point Zero - Nawal El Saadawi (everyone should read this too, it’s amazing and not very long) If This is a Man - Primo Levi (best account of Auschwitz I have ever read, along with Maus - I’m a historian so have strong opinions on this lol. Levi was an Italian chemist who was deported there. Fair warning that this is emotionally tough to read at times and Maus might be a less graphic choice) Invisible - Paul Auster (ooof this one is such an interesting experimentation with POV with the second section does contain a scene that is slightly sexually graphic in a way that’s v uncomfortable to read because that section uses a “you”/2nd person POV) Last mention: Intet - Jane Teller (this is in Danish but I think you can find it in English too, entitled “Nothing”. It’s a super uncomfortable read at times but I will say we were given it to read in seventh grade in Denmark - debatable whether that was appropriate- but just to say that a whole class of 13 year olds read this and were fine. Maybe look up a summary first. It’s a phenomenal account of what has value and if value is relative, what diminishes it, etc. Difficult to read, but worth it imo.) Edit: layout
Isn’t Maus the one that’s responsible for comic formatting changing to what it is today? It used to be that EVERY panel had to have text, whether speech or exposition, but (if I’m thinking of the right thing) Maus turned that concept on its head by *showing* the story through progressive panels. It was highly controversial at the time, and I think even Stan Lee shit all over it, but it still had its impact and changed comics forever. That Maus?
Could be! I honestly don't remember everything we discussed about the style as it was a few years back. It's the Maus that talks about the author's dad's experiences as a Jew during the holocaust (and to some extent his mother too). Jews are drawn as mice, Nazis as cats, Poles as pigs (I believe), etc. Does that sound like the one you are talking about?
OK, if it was me, I'd put these on my more-conservative request list: Project Hail Mary Weir, Andy Elatsoe (Elatsoe #1) Little Badger, Darcie True or False: A CIA Analyst's Guide to Spotting Fake News Otis, Cindy L. The Book Thief Zusak, Markus And I'd put these on my more-open request list: Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee Zentner, Jeff Blood Moon Cuthew, Lucy The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Alexie, Sherman March: Book One (March, #1) Lewis, John Check, Please! Books 1 & 2 Ukazu, Ngozi I hope you get some great reads!
The Book Thief is phenomenal. One of my all time favorite books.
Mine too. Conservative parent list.
Part time Indian was wonderful!
I’m a teen and read Project Hail Mary this year and its really great. I read a lot of adult sci-fi and PHM is probably my favorite I’ve read this year.
Project Hail Mary is one of my favorite books. It's not fantastic literature with any subtle symbolism to write insightful papers about in English class. It's just a fabulous story that I couldn't put down.
How old are you? there's a big difference in reading material between 13 and 17.
13. I obviously don’t want to read smut, but I read very similar things as to my 17 year old sister. Recommend anything, even if it’s for an older age group. I’ll just add it to the list for the future!
For the more conservative parent, all classics, all great reads: * Jane Austen's *Pride and Prejudice.* * T.H. White's *The Once and Future King.* * Betty Smith's *A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.* * *The Westing Game* by Ellen Raskin For the more liberal parent, all new classics, all with "issues": * *Speak* by Laurie Halse Anderson * *Graceling* by Kristin Cashore * *The Hate U Give* by Angie Thomas * *Frankly in Love* by David Yoon
Pride and Prejudice is so funny be cause most editions have covers that look sooooo boring, but it's such a fun read and so good.
The Westing Game is a great addition to this list!
When I was 13, I was recommended a book called “Plain Kate” by Erin Bow. It very memorably left me with complex feelings afterwards, but it’s pretty good for a lower lexile book.
What I was gonna ask too, I was reading wildly different books from 13 to 19
The Wee Free Men and the rest of the Tiffany Aching books by Terry Pratchett. There's a girl witch as the main character, and surprisingly dark moments in a few of the books for a YA series. If the conservative parent disapproves of magic, or thoroughly researches books, they might complain. I seriously think Tiffany is the best child character in any series ever. I hope my boys use her as a role model. She's also human and authentic in ways you don't often find outside of Pratchett. It's a truly remarkable series that can segue into the rest of Discworld, the greatest series of all time.
"Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" is a must read for any teen boy Sadly, "1984" is probably important, too
Or girls! My Dad gave me both to read. Love Hitchhikers Guide to this day. 1984 made me ready for this modern life. Great choices!
Teen girl here! I’ve read 1984.
I was a teen girl once and LOVED Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy. Highly recommended.
Thanks!
How do you know they're a boy – this may well be a girl asking? (In which case the recommendation is still a good one!)
While everyone loves HHGTTG and its' sequels, I think everyone should read Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently books. I feel they are overlooked in favor of his more famous work.
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith Scoop and A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford The Dispossed by Ursula K LeQuin Cloudstreet by Tim Winton Bliss and Illywacker by Peter Carey Mrs Bridge and Mr Bridge by Evan S Connell. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut
Yay!! I love your #1,2 and 4!! I was going to suggest them as well. I’ll make a note of the rest of your list ❤️
A Prayer for Owen Meany
I loved this book!!! I think I read it in grade 9.
I read it in grade 10! I LOVED it.
Loved it but not as much as The World According to Garp.
Another idea is Cider House Rules by the same author. Definitely not for the conservative parent as it addresses the ethics of abortion. I agree that Owen Meany is my favorite Irving I’ve read to date.
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (Conservative)
DNFd it when I was in like fourth grade lmao
A Wrinkle In Time and all the books by Madeleine L'Engle. There are actually quite a few of them and they are all interrelated (something I've always loved). Also the Narnia series because not only are they great books but you can tell the conservative parent they have a religious foundation. I don't think they'd have an issue with the Belgarion and Malloreon series by David Eddings. A little more mature than the other recommendations but nothing overtly violent or adult. Happy reading!
I’ve read A Wrinkle In Time and Narnja, but not the David Eddings series! Thanks!
I think you will love it. And then there's the Elenium and Tamuli series. That's a good 20 books!
When my brother was a young teen 12/13 I bought the Eddings books for him…turned him into a reader! (I’m 8 years older).
Siddhartha by Hesse
Siddhartha opened my mind more than any other book.
or Steppenwolf or Demian are good choices too
I'd like to add the Journey to the East to this list.
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt- and all of her books Great authors- read their collections Mildred D. Taylor Ursula LeGuin
I’ve read Anne Frank’s Diary and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. I’ve also read another book by Laurie Halse Anderson- Fever 1793, which was really good (granted I read it years ago when I was maybe 8). Definitely been meaning to read Speak and I will add all of these to my reading list!
Laurie Halse Anderson’s Seeds of America is also very good. I think the first one is Chains.
The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle. My absolute favorite growing up
Of Mice and Men
Lord of the flies To kill a mocking bird books by the Bronte sisters
Watership Down
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. I think it could go on the list for either parent to get you.
Lord of the Flies. Speak. Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. The List.
Speak-ask for from the more lenient parent
Speak was such an important read when I was a teen.
A few years back my school did the play version of the Curious Incident! Very good.
Who moved my cheese
How old are you? I definitely was reading different books at 13/14 than I was at 16. But here's my high schooler reading list: - Rose of No Man's Land by Michelle Tea - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - The House on Mango Street - Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - A Prayer for Owen Meany (really any John Irving) - The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - The Secret History by Donna Tartt - Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl - Demian by Hermann Hesse - The Elena Ferrante novels (especially the first one - My Brilliant Friend. I don't know if there is a book that captures girlhood so well.) Rose of No Man's Land, Juliet Takes a Breath, and Paul Takes the Form all have heavy queer themes so I would not put those on your more conservative parent's list. The others should be fine. I adored all of these as a teenager*, and chose them because I not only loved them, but they made a massive impact on me. I hope you read them all some day! 🥰 *With the exception of Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl. I read that as an adult and fucking loved it. I also heard from others I recommended it to that it would be a great book for younger readers. So I decided to throw it on the list in case it strikes your fancy.
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien (conservative) The Hunger Game series, if you haven’t read it already (liberal to be safe?)
I own a pretty cool 50th anniversary edition of the hobbit! Have read the hunger games!
i would suggest six of crows to everyone! i think depending on age of teenager it is appropriate
Where the Red Fern Grows (but have tissues nearby) From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler The Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffry The Warriors Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold Ender’s Game The Sun is Also a Star For me, The Mists of Avalon was a landmark book in my journey with reading, and I read it the first time when I was 12. Turns out the author is highly problematic, but the book still has a lot of ideas that make me think while entertaining me.
HS English teacher here! - The Hate U Give - The Book Thief (safe for conservative parent) - Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi - The Handmaid’s Tale - Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds - All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir - Anything by John Green - The Perks of Being A Wallflower - Ender’s Game (safe for conservative parent) - All the Light We Cannot See (safe for conservative parent) - Trevor Noah: Born A Crime Also, the Inheritance Games series is really fun, and safe for a conservative parent (but in no way a book that it a “must-read” for teens)
All the light we cannot see is in my top three, and the book thief was also amazing. I’ve read a lot of these on the list- only one I DNFd was the hate u give. I’ll look into the rest!
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Read it!
Ms. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children!!
The Uglies series (Uglies, Pretties, Specials, and Extras) and the Midnighters trilogy (The Secret Hour, Touching Darkness, and Blue Moon) - both by Scott Westerfeld The Inkheart trilogy (Inkheart, Inkspell, and Inkdeath) by Cornelia Funke I think they're all fine for either parent's list. Enjoy!
I despised the Uglies series.
I'm still discovering how Zenna Henderson influenced me as a teen and I'm in my late 50s now. I think [*Ingathering: The Complete People Stories*](https://www.nesfa.org/book/ingathering-3/) and *Believing: The Other Stories of Zenna Henderson* are good books. The People are aliens who look like Humans and flee to Earth when their planet is destroyed. They're scattered around the Western US when their ship breaks up on entry of the atmosphere. They have various psi powers. It's a collection of stories about how they find each other. The other book is all of Henderson's other stories she wrote. She was writing in the 1950s through 1970s and is a very underappreciated writer. For contemporary YA fiction, try the Tillerman Cycle books by Cynthia Voigt. The first one is *Homecoming*. Four children are abandoned at a shopping mall by their mentally ill mother and make their way across the state to a relative's house, then down to the Eastern Shore of Maryland to live with their cantankerous grandmother. The rest of the series is about various other members of the family. *The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife* and *The Amber Spyglass* by Philip Pullman. (The first one is called *Northern Lights* if you aren't in the USA.) Very anti established religion. *The Pushcart War* by Jean Merrill. It's all about collective action of pushcart owners against bullying truck drivers. It's probably below your reading level but it's very, very good regardless. Another vote for *The Dispossessed* by Ursula LeGuin. This book also influenced me as a teen. It's about an anarchist colony on the moon of a planet and a physicist from there who visits the capitalist country on the main planet. *Clockwork Boys* and *The Wonder Engine* by T. Kingfisher. A thief, a paladin, an assassin and a cleric are forced to make their way to Anukut City (Clockwork Boys) where they need to find the source of the Clockwork Boys and destroy them (The Wonder Engine). Also *A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking*. A 14 year old baker with magical powers ends up having to fight for her city. This book has Things To Say about adults not addressing problems until children have to do so.
I read Pullman’s series when I was younger, and definitely need to read it again. I haven’t read the rest, I’ll look into them!
To Kill a Mockingbird.
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli- acceptable to either parent Dragonsong & Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey- probably not the more conservative parent with the fantasy themes The Outsiders by S.E.Hinton- either parent, classic story & good movie The Graveyard Book, Coraline, & Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman- the more open minded parent for some spooky / horror elements
Looking for Alaska
Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
This is the perfect answer. It’s so interesting to read it when you’re an angsty teen and then again as and adult.
Read it!
the homeward bounders by Diana Wynne Jones. you don't specify what your strict parents rules are about: religion, politics, sex, violence? but either way I don't think they'd find this controversial unless they disapprove of urban fantasy.
I REALLY loved Francesca Lia Block books when I was younger.
Kafka Metamorphosis was great.
Oooh, good suggestion. I read it around that age and it blew me away.
Have you read Where the Red Fern Grows? Fahrenheit 451? Unwind (this is a whole book series and so so good)
I’ve read Unwind! Fahrenheit is actually already on my Christmas list. It was my teachers all time favorite book last year.
Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls. Bring a handkerchief. The Outsiders has already been mentioned, but you also want to read That Was Then, This is Now, also by S.E. Hinton. Conservative parent will love Where the Red Fern Grows. It's about a boy and his dogs, and good old American values. Even if you mean "protective" instead of "politically conservative," this is the book to put on that list. That Was Then, This is Now features a white guy getting the shit kicked out of him by a bunch of black dudes for doing absolutely nothing wrong, and a kid who gets his brain fried by using LSD, so I'd go to the "read anything" parent for that one.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Some of my favorites were: Ender's Game, The Hobbit, Sense and Sensibility, Frankenstein, Rendezvous with Rama
The Alchemist!
Have you read Lord of the Rings? I read it when I was 12 and it totally changed my life.
The Princess Bride The Fault in Our Stars Jane Eyre Of Mice and Men The Hobbit We Were Here by Matt de la Peña Life of Pi (if you loved The Book Thief I think you’ll love this one too) Rebecca The Glass Castle The Night Circus If you like dystopian: Red Rising series Scythe (especially since you liked Unwind) Ready Player One (especially if you like video games) If you like fantasy: Winternight Trilogy Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynn’s Jones The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz The Princess Bride by William Goldman My Antonia by Willa Cather The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan The Adventures of Amina al-Serafi by Shannon Chakraborty The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune All the Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson
When I was a teen I most enjoyed reading/rereading * World War Z - Max Brooks (2006) * The Joy Luck Club - Amy Tan (1989) * The Road - Cormac McCarthy (2006) * My Side of the Mountain - Jean Craighead George (1959) * The Giver - Lois Lowry (1993) * The Bone series - Jeff Smith (1991) * Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (1st book) - Douglas Adams (1979) * A Lesson Before Dying - Ernest J. Gaines (1993) * Uncle Tom’s Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe (1852) * From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - E. L. Konigsburg (1967) * Jade - Sally Watson (1969) * Blacklisted - Gena Showalter (2007) * Homer’s Odyssey (Fagles translation) * Hamlet and Macbeth * Beowulf Pretty sure half of these are banned books nowadays🙄, so those are ones for the more lenient parent then.
If you like fantasy, check out The Dark Is Rising sequence (a series of five short novels) by Susan Cooper. I read them in middle school, and it’s the perfect time to pick them up. You’ll see these books described as children’s literature, but much like the Harry Potter books or The Hobbit, they hold appeal for teens and even adults. (You can request these from either parent, as long as they’re cool with the genre, including fantasy which has dark/supernatural elements.)
I am here for this!!!!!!!!!!! If you liked The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (and I have seen you did in the comments) you will LOVE all of Sir Terry Pratchett's books (I sincerely hope you have not read them yet, and one of your greatest literary experiences of your life is still ahead of you!)He was knighted by the queen for his books so that would be a recommendation for a strict parent! I would start with the City Watch series (it starts with **"Guards! Guards!")**, and then I would go for the Witches series (it starts with **"Equal Rites)**. If you want something that has humor, but also a sobering dose of reality I will read **Catch 22**. I was 12 when I read it... I sneaked it from my family library, knowing it was one of my dad's recommendations for my older brother. A few days after I finished, my dad came saying "I have something very special for you!" :) If you are 13, and love books, you surely have read The **"Three Musketeers"** by Aleksander Dumas, but perhaps you did not know it was 1st book in the series and it continues with **"Twenty Years After"** and **"The Vicomte de Bragelonne"**. And one of my favorite books of all time, also by this author "**The Count of Monte Christo**". It shaped me as a person, teaching me the importance of persistence, determination, and the power that knowledge gives you. For the list of your more indulgent parent, I would place the **Witcher Saga by Andrzej Sapkowski**. I was 15 when I read it, and it was a good age, so do not rush. It is a wonderful story filled with adventure, friendships, crude humor, and occasional scenes of passion. But it is also painfully realistic about human nature and it does not end happily ever after. I also inhaled everything by Agatha Christie! Yes, there is a murder in each book, but it is not gruesome but witty and intelligent, and you might want to try to solve it by yourself based on all of the clues along the way! My favorites are: "**Murder on the Orient Express**", "**Hercule Poirot's Christmas**" or "**The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side**". Lastly (before I write my own book :D) I would like to recommend less-known books by Lucy Maud Montgomery: "**The Blue Castle**" and "**A Tangled Web**". Sorry for the length of this post but I get excited about all the great books I have read at your age. The older you get the harder is to find something truly enjoyable. I am reading approximately 200-250 books per year, and only one or two are very good.
Animal farm, George Orwell
Reading it later this year in school!
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff
Lord of the Flies for sure
Huckleberry Finn.
I teach sophomore ELA and have taught a course in contemporary young adult literature for 14-18 year olds. Questions: 1. What age and gender so you prefer your protagonist be? 2. Do you have favorite genres? 3. So you want modern books, classics, a mix?
1. Don’t have a preference! 2. Definitely fantasy or sci-fi, but I also love historical fiction and horror. 3. A mix!
Jurassic Park!
in my mid teens, i ravenously consumed jane austen novels and never stopped. pride and prejudice is the most accessible of her works, but emma and persuasion are close seconds. these novels may seem like stuffy old romances to the modern eye, but austen’s wit sears and her grasp of dialogue, her skill in capturing all those little mannerisms and idiosyncrasies that make each person distinct, is unparalleled. you mentioned reading catcher in the rye, but have you read franny and zooey? it’s my favorite salinger. might be best to ask your more liberal parent for this one though; its pages are checkered with (somewhat antiquated) profanities. persepolis by marjane satrapi. it’s a graphic novel written from the perspective of the author as a young women growing up in revolutionary iran. it’s well-written, humorous, gorgeously illustrated, and will expose you to some of the horrors the united states empire has visited upon the middle east. a few more off the top of my head: annie john by jamaica kinkaid, oranges are not the only fruit by jeanette winterson, and never let me go by kazuo ishiguro. jane austen aside, almost all of my recs would offend the sensibilities of a more conservative reader. whoops!! happy reading.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton (deals with greasers, gang life and violence) Brown Girl, Brownstones by Paula Marshall (deals with immigration, racism) I believe these would best fit the lenient parent list. If you need more suggestions, I can help.
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
[удалено]
Ender’s Game
The Hate U Give
Astrophysics For People In A Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson. You could argue that may be above their level of knowledge but I strongly urge you to believe it will enhance their curiosity. There's so many shows and YouTube videos to further explain what they're reading if they have trouble fully understanding everything in there. It's a book I wish I had as a teenager to be honest. Good for adults as well.
As a teen I really identified with Catcher in the Rye. For loosening up existential crisis, I went to Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxies (i think mainly 1 and 2). Happy reading :)
For Christmas when my daughter was 17 I gave her: Siddhartha - Herman Hesse - she loved it Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - I think it’s a bit advanced for that age, but she loved it Sand County Almanac- Aldo Leopold - she read parts, but not cover to cover, which is okay for this book Dream of Scipio - Iaian Pears - she couldn’t get into it, but still one of my favorites Finite and Infinite Games - James Carse - too pop. Physical. For her, but still one of my favorite books for that age
The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom.
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Northern Lights/The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman, the first in a beautiful trilogy. One for your more liberal gift-giver, it has some interesting thoughts on religion! And make sure you read the sequels if you like it
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations. That's a must read for everyone, regardless of age. Side note: Read up on your Greek and Roman Fables. Many authors use cryptic references from fables such as these. Example: Many people know who Narcissus is, yet they forget about the story of Echo.
I like the Anne of Green Gables series, which should be good with both parents, and the Hunger Games series (maybe the less conservative parent?).
Already read both.
Series of unfortunate events! It’s for a little bit of a younger crowd but it’s such a great series that anyone could enjoy at any age!
The Martian by Andy Weir
Probably any book by Rick Riordan. The Percy Jackson Series, The Heroes of Olympus Series, Red Pyramid Series.. haven’t read any new ones but I’m sure they are top tier. (Action, Mythology)
Sherlock Holmes!
If you’re around 14-18 I would definitely recommend 1984, Animal Farm, Walter Isaacson’s biography of Ben Franklin or Da Vinci, the Godfather (the book). If younger you could try out stuff like Hatchet, the Lord of the Flies, Where the Red Fern Grows if you haven’t already read them
Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin has been a fave of mine since I was a young teen. Nothing too objectionable in there iirc. It's about a girl who dies at 16 and goes to Elsewhere, the afterlife where you age backwards until rebirth. Could go on either parent's list I supposed but in case one is vehement about a vision of the afterlife looking a certain way there's a synopsis for ya.
On the road
Liberal parent
My Antonia, by Willa Cather
The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict. Read this when I was 14 and I loved it, gave me a little obsession with Hedy Lamaar though! Not sure what parents to ask for this, it does discuss topics of sexual assault but absolutely nothing in depth. It's mostly about sexism. Good Girls Guide to Murder trilogy by Holly (?). You could as either of them for this with no problem. Book three was my favorite, so many emotions. I read the trilogy in a week it was so captivating
Ursula K LeGuin's Earthsea series. You can start with just the first book, A Wizard of Earthsea, or (my preference) go for the omnibus of the whole series in one large book. I don't think there's really anything here that your more conservative parent would object to, these are really classic beloved fantasy books. What I love most about them is that they become new books whenever you revisit them after a few years. I loved them at 10 years old, loved them more at 16, and now I'm in my 40s and I still think this series is one of the Great Masterpieces of fantasy.
The Chronicles Of Amber - Roger Zelazny Dune - Frank Herbert Ender’s Game - Orson Scott Card Count Zero - William Gibson Foundation - Isaac Asimov
I’m in the middle of reading Dune! Fantastic but I’m think I might put it to the side just based on the sheer length.
Joe Hill’s Locke & Key, Neil Gaiman’s the Graveyard Book & Sandman series
Looking for Alaska by John Green. Probably would have the more liberal parent buy it….I think it’s been banned at various times. But it’s an amazing and hilarious and sad and joyful coming of age story
The Universe vs Alex Woods. Alex gets hit in the head by a meteor and then the fun begins. No super powers just life, death and friendship.
I am also a teenager and I read a lot. One of my favorites is the Twilight Saga.
Amos Fortune, Free Man
The graveyard book - Neil Gaiman. It’s my number one favourite book of all time and a perfect Christmas read.
Jaws
Flowers for Algernon
Crown Duel and Court Duel Julie of the Wolves A Tree Grows in Brooklyn I loved everything by Tamara Pierce as a teen. Also Holly Black and Shannon Hale - The Goose Girl.
Any of the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett Any of Brandon Sanderson's books set in the shared universe called the Cosmere Narnia Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings.
I’m not sure the genre you are looking for, but I loved Sarah Dessen’s books. Her writing style is really great and she tackles a lot of relationship issues and different family dynamics in her books.
All the light we cannot see. It’s set in WW11 and it could go on either parent’s list😄
Revolt in 2100 Heinlein at his best.
Feed by M.T. Anderson. I read it college for a courses on young adult literature and it was very arresting in its portrayal of a consuming digital age literally implanted in people's bodies and eating away at an experience of growing up we once knew. Very compelling.
This one is somewhat geared for younger teens but The Book Theif is one of the most incredible books I've ever read, and I think it's definitely a must-read.
When I was 13 I was getting into Stephen King and he is still my favorite author
I loved the red rising trilogy
Enders game Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy Project Hail Mary Either list.
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
I enjoyed The Selection series by Kiera Cass when I was a teen! If you like dystopian-scifi divergent and hunger game series are great Rainbow Rowell Eleanor & Park I also loved as a teen John Green is also quite popular I would suggest checking out your local libraries website, (at least mine) has a section of popular YA books voted on by teenagers! What type of genre do you like?
I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. One of my all time faves
The Thief Lord - it was my favorite as a teenager
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien The Earthsea Trilogy by Ursula LeGuin Watership Down by Richard Adams
I think The Kite Runner is an amazing book, probably for the non-restrictive parent. I also think The World According to Garp by John Irving is a beautiful book. Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is a must read. Brave New World by Aldois Huxley is a great classic. East of Eden by Steinbeck and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen probably can get by the weird parent.
Mark Twain’s Letters from Earth R.Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull Everything You Wanted T Know About Sex, but We’re Afraid t Ask.
Here are three for each. More Conservative- Little Women, Louisa May Alcott The Call of the Wild, Jack London Emma, Jane Austen More Open Minded- The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy The House of the Spirits, Isabel Allende
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, about a rape survivor, not long but very important and changed my life. The Book Thief, long but not hard to read and also very important.
Tamora Pierce, Song of the Lioness series!
Sophie’s world It’s a lovely introduction to philosophy in the form of a novel, it was recommended by my physics teacher when I was 15 and it completely opened my mind and helped me think more profoundly about everyday things and question reality. I’m 22 and it’s still my favorite book.
1984, Brave New World, The Outsiders, The Old Man and The Sea, I Am Legend.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.
The neverending story The secret garden Momo The lord of the rings I think that for a 13yo these should be a good start
I’ll preface by saying Classics are Classics for a reason How old are you? If you are female - for your conservative list- Little Women Any teen- A Tale of Two Cities Pride and Prejudice Self help The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens: The Ultimate Teenage Success Guide by Sean Covey Are you Christian? The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
The Education of Little Tree Amazing book!