Books for Teens and Young Adults
recommended by librarians, teachers, novelists and teenagers
Last updated: April 01, 2025
Reading can play an important role in helping young people navigate the world or provide welcome escapism. We have fiction recommendations, including interviews with teenagers who discuss their favourite reads. We also have great nonfiction recommendations for teens. Although they are aimed at readers age 13-18 these books can make good reading for adults as well.
For the latest titles, our children's editor recommends the best books for teens of 2024.
The Best Thrillers for Teens, recommended by Kathryn Foxfield
Thrillers for teens have to be fast paced, exciting and entertaining, argues Kathryn Foxfield, author of YA thriller Good Girls Die First. She recommends some of her favourite teen thrillers, from books published this year to classics of the genre.
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1
When It's Your Turn for Midnight
by Blessing Musariri -
2
The Djinn's Apple
by Djamila Morani & translated by Sawad Hussain -
3
Soulmates and Other Ways to Die
by Melissa Welliver -
4
Where the Heart Should Be
by Sarah Crossan -
5
Our Beautiful Darkness
Ondjaki, António Jorge Gonçalves (illustrator), translated by Lyn Miller-Lachmann -
6
Seven Days
by Rebeka Shaid
The Best New Books for Teens, recommended by Our Children's Editor
The Best New Books for Teens, recommended by Our Children's Editor
From a love story set in Angola to a Hunger Games-style thriller, from the medieval Middle East and 19th century Ireland to the world of artificial intelligence and genetic engineering, our children’s editor Tuva Kahrs recommends her best books for teens and young adults of 2024.
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 History Books for Teenagers, recommended by Alex (age 16)
It’s tricky finding history books for teenagers at an age when they are too old for children’s books, but not yet ready to read long, weighty tomes with lots of footnotes. Alex, a UK-based history fan who previously chose books for us age 10, returns to Five Books to recommend his selection of the best history books for teenagers.
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1
Battle Angel Alita
by Yukito Kishiro -
2
The Promised Neverland
Kaiu Shirai, Posuka Demizu (illustrator) -
3
The Count of Monte Cristo
Alexandre Dumas, adapted by Crystal S. Chan, illustrated by Nokman Poon -
4
Pokémon Adventures (Red and Blue)
Hidenori Kusaka, Mato (illustrator) -
5
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
by Koyoharu Gotouge
Best Manga for Children and Teens, recommended by Oscar
Best Manga for Children and Teens, recommended by Oscar
Long associated with Japanese popular culture, manga are now found in translation across the world. In North America, this dynamic form of visual narration is overtaking comics and graphic novels in popularity. Oscar, age 13, recommends his favourite manga for children and teenagers.
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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
The best books on Philosophy for Teens, recommended by Andrew Brower Latz
Dr Andrew Brower Latz, Head of Philosophy at Manchester Grammar School, talks about why it’s important to study philosophy and recommends five books to get an interested teen started.
The Best Finance Books for Teens and Young Adults, recommended by Darren Collins
Financial literacy is an essential life skill, but it is not routinely taught at school and not everybody has good role models to look to for financial behaviour. Reading can certainly help. Finance teacher Darren Collins recommends his top books for teens and young adults to learn the fundamentals for making sound personal finance decisions in life.
The Best Audiobooks for Young Adults of 2024, recommended by AudioFile Editors
Audiobooks are a great way to get teens into books, as good stories read by expert narrators bring characters and the challenges they face to life. Here are recommendations for the best young adult audiobooks of 2024 from the experts at AudioFile magazine, the best place for audiobook recommendations on the web.
The Best Ocean Novels for 10-14 Year Olds, recommended by Helen Scales
Marine biologist Helen Scales reflects on the power of stories to bring all kinds of readers into the ocean realm. She recommends books for children and young adults, and explains why her selection focuses on novels for readers age 10-14.
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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.