If you're looking for books for teens and young adults, we have recommendations of both fiction and nonfiction. These are all books aimed at a teen or young adult reader aged between 13 and 18, though they can make good reading for adults too.
In fiction, we have different genres, including fantasy, science fiction and historical fiction, as well as more general fiction, like recommendations of coming-of-age novels or books on teenage misadventure.
We also have a great selection of nonfiction books for teens, including books on spies, the van Gogh brothers and the Russian composer Shostakovich, among others. When it comes to subjects teens are learning in school, we have reading lists for young adults on the ancient world, physics, philosophy, art history and even novels with economics themes. Many of these books are recommended by high school teachers. If you're interested in getting involved in politics, we have some book recommendations about that.
Some wonderful authors have also made young adult book recommendations for us, including German author Cornelia Funke, author of the Inkheart series. We've also spoken with Meg Rosoff, author of How I Live Now, and Philip Reeve, author of the Mortal Engines sci-fi quartet. Both have won the Carnegie Medal.
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1
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
by Philip Hoose -
2
Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War
by Steve Sheinkin -
3
Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad
by M T Anderson -
4
Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers
by Deborah Heiligman -
5
Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam
by Elizabeth Partridge
The Best Nonfiction Books for Teens, recommended by Marc Favreau
The Best Nonfiction Books for Teens, recommended by Marc Favreau
Whether you want your kids to know more about the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam War or the life of Vincent van Gogh or Dmitri Shostakovich, we’re entering a golden era of nonfiction books for teens (also known as ‘Young Adult’ or YA nonfiction). Marc Favreau, author of the brilliant Spies, recommends some of the best.
The Best Art History Books for Teenagers, recommended by John Harrison (Eton College)
Which are the best books to get a teenager excited about art history? We turned to veteran art history teacher John Harrison, formerly head of the art history department at Eton College, for his top five picks of the most illuminating and accessible books for getting a broad overview of the history of art.
The 2020 Audie Awards: Best Audiobooks for Young Adults, recommended by Mary Burkey & Robin Whitten
Audiobooks are a great way to keep teenagers entertained and informed. Mary Burkey, an expert on kids’ audiobooks, and Robin Whitten, editor and founder of AudioFile magazine, talk us through the wonderful titles that were finalists in this year’s Audie Awards in the ‘young adult’ category.
The Best Classics Books for Teenagers, recommended by Olly Murphy (Wycombe Abbey)
Caesar, Cicero, Achilles, Socrates, Plato: millennia later, we still talk about them. Olly Murphy, classics teacher at Wycombe Abbey, one of England’s top girls’ schools, recommends books and explains why classics remains one of the most exciting subjects for teenagers to study.
The best books on Political Engagement For Teens, recommended by Adrienne Kisner
Are you a teenager who is furious about the way the world seems to be going? Do you feel powerless and overwhelmed? Author Adrienne Kisner recommends five really good books that will inspire and inform teens and young adults, giving them the tools to get involved in activism, to understand politics—and to change the world.
The best books on Navigating the Future: a reading list for young adults, recommended by Chris Kutarna
We are living in times of unprecedented uncertainty and upheaval – and of unprecedented progress and opportunity too. Chris Kutarna, political scientist and co-author of Age of Discovery, here selects five books that will help young adults navigate this uncertain future and achieve their full potential.
The Best Physics Books for Teenagers, recommended by Kate Lee (St Paul's Girls' School)
What are the best books for getting a teenager into physics? Kate Lee, Head of Physics at St Paul’s Girls School, recommends books about NASA, space travel, and the Big Bang—and puzzles the question of why it is so hard for young women to stay in physics as a profession.
The Best Rick Riordan Books, recommended by Alex (age 13)
This is a big week for Rick Riordan fans as The Tower of Nero, the final book in his Trials of Apollo series, is published. Here, Alex, a 13-year-old boy living in Oxford, explains what Rick Riordan’s books are about, why he finds them so mesmerizing, and which book you might want to start with if you’re interested in reading them.
Fairy Tales as Contemporary Fiction for Kids, recommended by Cornelia Funke
If you haven't read any books by German children's author Cornelia Funke yet, you have a treat in store. The multi-award winning writer of imaginative fiction talks us through her books and explains why fairy tales continue to fascinate her and her readers.
The Best Psychology Books for Teens, recommended by Jessica Flitter, Laura Brandt & Nancy Fenton
Three award-winning US high school psychology teachers—authors of the website Books for Psychology Class—share their recommendations of the best psychology books for teenagers, students and their teachers—and reflect on why storytelling is a key aspect of the art of teaching.
The Best Coming-of-Age Novels About Sisters, recommended by Laura Wood
Coming-of-age stories unfold at the point at which a young person goes out into the world – full of potential and change. Siblings, at this important crossroad, also have to establish themselves outside of their relationship to each other. Author Laura Wood recommends five of her favourite novels that explore the intense, sometimes destructive, relationships that exist between sisters.
Rachel Hickman recommends the best Novels Set in Wild Places
Rachel Hickman, co-founder of Chicken House Publishing and author of One Silver Summer selects books with wild settings that have appeal to older children. She discusses how a strong use of nature adds drama and meaning to a narrative, and the way that setting can become another character in a story entirely.
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1
Metaphysical Horror
Leszek Kolakowski (trans. by Agnieszka Kolakowska) -
2
Mortal Questions
by Thomas Nagel -
3
A Short History of Ethics
by Alasdair MacIntyre -
4
Modernism as a Philosophical Problem: On the Dissatisfactions of European High Culture
by Robert B. Pippin -
5
The Spiritual Dimension: Religion, Philosophy and Human Value
by John Cottingham
The best books on Philosophy for Teens, recommended by Andrew Brower Latz (Manchester Grammar School)
The best books on Philosophy for Teens, recommended by Andrew Brower Latz (Manchester Grammar School)
Dr Andrew Brower Latz, the head of philosophy at Manchester Grammar School, one of Britain’s leading secondary schools, talks about why it’s important to study philosophy and recommends five books to get an interested teen started.