Books for Teens and Young Adults

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.

Economics need not be dry or didactic. Here’s a suggested reading list of novels with economic themes to appeal to young teenagers.

At its core, every young adult book is about figuring out who you are and what your place in the world is, argues Elizabeth Wein, author of numerous books for children and young adults. She introduces the concept of 'third culture kids'—children who are at home both everywhere and nowhere.

From history to historical fiction, from Romania to the Philippines, here's our list of the best books for teenagers of 2023. We've included award-winning books as well as books for young adults handpicked by Tuva Kahrs, our children's editor.

Every year teenagers in Ireland show their enthusiasm for reading quality young adult fiction by voting for their favourite new Irish and international novels. Great Reads Award panellist Breege O’Brien highlights her top teen reads from recent years' shortlists.

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.

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.

As World Cup fever builds to irresistible levels, there is no better time to get kids reading by presenting them with a few books about 'the beautiful game.' Award-winning children's author and self-confessed football fanatic Dave Cousins, recommends five fantastic football books for kids and young adults.

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.

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.