Need some more Young Adult book recommendations!! (for me)

[Corie]

I would love some Young Adult book recommendations. I have found
that I really like YA literature better than adult books!

I just re-read "Island of the Blue Dolphins" with my daughter. We
each read it on our own and then we discussed it. I had forgotten
how much I really liked this book.

Also, I just read "Red Riding Hood". I really liked this book!! I want
to see the movie when it comes out in a couple weeks but I thought I
better read the book first.

Do you have any YA book recs??

[HonoluluMom]

Island of the Blue Dolphins - that brings back memories! So, on a nostalgia trip, how about A Wrinkle in Time and all the related books!

[pinkmomagain]

I don't know how old your dd is and what your interests are, but my 14 and 11 yo are devouring the Princess Diaries series...they literally are reading a book a day. Probably not high-brow literature, but are so enjoying it.

[katydid1971]

I always love the Newbery Award books: here's a list
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberywinners/medalwinners.cfm

My first thought was The Midwife's Apprentice (or anything by Karen Cushman is great)

[ABO Mama]

I still love Little Women, and I'm reading The Little House books to my boys right now. I also like the Wrinkle in Time books, and the Wizard of Oz books.

[ellies mom]

The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series is great. If you read the first series and liked it, definitely check out the Lost Hero. I was really impressed. It is excellent. The Red Pyramid by the same author, is based on Egyptian mythology.

If you haven't looked at the Wrinkle in Time books since you were younger, there are five books in the series now instead of the three I remembered. Another book, that is great fun to read as an adult is The Phantom Tollbooth.

I bought them mainly for my daughter, but I've enjoyed The Frog Princess series (http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Frog-Princess-Box-Books/dp/1599901528/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1299017659&sr=1-9) (there are 6 or 7) and The Wide Awake Princess (http://www.amazon.com/Wide-Awake-Princess-D-Baker/dp/159990487X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1299017659&sr=1-1) by E.D. Baker, as well as Ivy's Ever After (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0823422615/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0009OLTUW&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=034ZMADDTK23FXSE28ZY) and several of the books by Cornelia Funke. The Sisters Grimm series (http://www.amazon.com/Fairy-Tale-Detectives-Sisters-Grimm/dp/0810993228/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1299017795&sr=1-1) is good. The Secret Benedict Society series (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_23?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=secret+benedict+society&sprefix=secret+benedict+society) is fun but I haven't read the last one. And finally The Gideon Trilogy (http://www.amazon.com/Time-Travelers-Gideon-Trilogy/dp/1416915265/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1299017956&sr=1-7) was pretty good.

[billysmommy]

I just finished the Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray
A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels
and The Sweet Far Thing.

I really liked all 3 books

[fivi2]

I would love some Young Adult book recommendations. I have found
that I really like YA literature better than adult books!

I just re-read "Island of the Blue Dolphins" with my daughter. We
each read it on our own and then we discussed it. I had forgotten
how much I really liked this book.

Also, I just read "Red Riding Hood". I really liked this book!! I want
to see the movie when it comes out in a couple weeks but I thought I
better read the book first.

Do you have any YA book recs??

No recs because the job is cutting into my reading time :) but I had my eye on Red Riding Hood. Glad to hear you enjoyed it!

Oh - I take it back - I read Paranormalcy - it was fluffy, but kept my attention. I also read the second in the Maze Runner books - Scorch Trials.

And I agree with pp about the Rick Riordan books - I really enjoyed the new one The Lost Hero. I didn't like Red Pyramid as much, but it was okay.

[SnuggleBuggles]

The Princess Diaries and other of Meg Cabot's teen reads. I get annoyed with Princess Mia and skip large chunks (I get them from the library so I don't really feel like I'm wasting $ by skimming :)) but still cute. I have been thinking about rereading some books like Judy Blume teen classics.

Did you read Artemis Fowl yet? Love that one.

Beth

[plusbellelavie]

Some recommedations from my older DCs hope they help you.


Hunger Games the three books are great but a bit violent (my 10 year old read them after I did)

Toby Alone and Toby and the Secrets of the Tree

The Ear, The Eye and The Arm

Percy Jackson Series

Redwall Series

Eragon

Septimus Heap Series

George's Secret Key to the Universe and George's Cosmic Treasure Hunt (great books)

Dragon Wings

Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart (It is a long series)

Pendragon D.J. MacHale (another series)

Artemis Fowl by Colfer

The Time Travelers and the The Time Thief by Buckley Archer

The Last Apprentice and The Spook's Apprentice both series by Joseph Delaney

[Corie]

I just finished the Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray
A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels
and The Sweet Far Thing.

I really liked all 3 books


*I* recommended those books to you!!!

Got any other recs?

[scmama]

All the kids in my class have been reading the Diary of A Wimpy series... I read them and they were fun!

I've been reading a bunch of YA books this year:
Ella Enchanted
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
James and the Giant Peach

Another pp mentioned Eragon... I read that when it came our and enjoyed it.
If you liked Island of the Blue Dolphins, try another Scott O'Dell book... I've liked most of them.

[rin]

These all sound like such fabulous suggestions! I think I'll put some on my library list.

I somehow can't think of anything I've read recently, but FWIW there's always Harry Potter, and the Anne of Green Gables series is fun.

[billysmommy]

*I* recommended those books to you!!!

Got any other recs?

They were really good :). I always have good luck with your
recommendations. I've been trading books with Ds2's
gymnastics teacher and these were the last ones
she gave me.

[bigpassport]

Did anyone else mention The Book Thief?

On a much lighter note...Ann of Green Gables/Avonlea is an easy, enjoyable read.

[zag95]

Here are some:

A Northern Light - Jennifer Donnelly
http://www.ala.org/img/going1.gif
Fat Kid Rules the World
by K.L. Going
G.P.Putnam's Sons/Penguin Young Readers Group
http://www.ala.org/img/mackler.gif
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things
by Carolyn Mackler
Candlewick P

The First Part Last- Angela Johnson
How I Live Now- Meg Rosoff
Monster- Walter Dean Myers (or anything for that matter- he is great!)
Speak- Laurie Halse Anderson (she has several others as well!)
Anne of Green Gables Series - L.M. Montgomery (the whole series is excellent!)
Dicey's Song - Cynthia Voigt (excellent books- she has several!)
Harry Potter Books
Twilight books
Karen Hesse books
Bat 6- Virginia Ewer Wolf

Children of the River - Linda Crew


Check out the Printz Award winners! Some excellent recs!
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/printzaward/Printz.cfm#previous

[FooMama]

Great titles kids love:

The Outsiders
Freak the Mighty
Tuck Everlasting
Number the Stars
Call of the Wild
The Hobbit
The Giver

HTH

[cilantromapuche]

Matched by Ally cCndie (reminds me of a cross between the Giver and Hunger Games)
Luxe series by Anna Godberson (and bright Young Things-her new series)
Tea Rose series by Jennifer Donnelly
Delirium by Lauren Oliver (wrote Before I Fall)
Vixen by Jillian Larkin
Timeless by Alexandra Monir

That is all I can think of for now but I have more!

[tiapam]

Eva by Peter Dickinson
Go and Come Back by Joan Abelove
Oddballs by William Sleator (for some reason, I thought you would like this)

I consider a few of Elizabeth Berg's novels to be YA crossovers. Durable Goods is the first in a series of three that are all pretty good. I loved the last line in Durable Goods and the opening scene in Joy School.

[BabyBearsMom]

Another vote for Matched by Ally Condie (soon to be a trilogy, this is the first book and fabulous)

The Hunger Games

The Overlander Series (also by Suzanne Collins)

Zel by Donna Jo Napoli (retelling of Repunzel)

Reckless by Cornelia Funke (or really anything by her)

Bartimaeous Series by Jonathan Stroud

The Seven Realms Series by Cinda Williams Chima

The Mortal Instrument by Cassandra Clare

His Dark Materials Series by Phillip Pullman

I seriously read nothing but YA lit now. I think it is some of the most imaginative fiction out there and love it. I definitely range more towards the fantasy side of things. For some classics, love me some Judy Blume, Harry Potter, Anne of Green Gables, Chocolate Wars

[fivi2]

I have to say re Reckless (above) that as much as I like Cornelia Funke, I just could not get through Reckless. I don't know why, I just did not get into the story at all and finally put it aside.

I have heard good things about Matched - it is going on my list.

I agree with the Mortal Instruments rec (I can't remember if we have talked about those before here?)

Another thought I had for more "classic YA" have you done the Robin McKinley ones - The Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword (? I think that is the name). Or her retellings like Beauty and Deerskin. And not fluffy, but I am currently reading the Chocolate War - an older YA.
And I do think you'd like Paranormalcy!

[BabyBearsMom]

I have to say re Reckless (above) that as much as I like Cornelia Funke, I just could not get through Reckless. I don't know why, I just did not get into the story at all and finally put it aside.



How far into it did you go? It took me a little while to get into it, maybe the first 75 pages. I was really confused about what was going on at first, but it got much better. At the end, I couldn't put it down. I like her other books as well. I really enjoyed The Thief Lord and the Ink books.

[fivi2]

How far into it did you go? It took me a little while to get into it, maybe the first 75 pages. I was really confused about what was going on at first, but it got much better. At the end, I couldn't put it down. I like her other books as well. I really enjoyed The Thief Lord and the Ink books.

hmmm... I can't remember. He had just gone to the (goblin?) town, I think. it has been a while. I wanted to like it. I liked things about it, I just couldn't get into the story. I might pick it back up later since you say it got better!

[cilantromapuche]

Beastly (and there is a sequel) by Alex Flinn is being made into a movie with Robert Patterson playing the beast. It is a take on beauty and the beast.
A Tale Dark and Grimm and the Grimm Legacy are some more Grimm books that I liked. The author of Sister Grimm books Michael Buckley has some boy books out that DS liked. I loved the Sister's Grimm. They are so witty.

[crl]

The Sharing Knife books by Lois Bujold

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sharing_Knife

Catherine

[kboyle]

I just started Graceling (http://www.amazon.com/Graceling-Kristin-Cashore/dp/015206396X)by Kristen Cashore today. The YA librarian really liked the 2 or 3 books in the series.

There is another series she recommended for me but I can't for the life of me think of what it is. Next time I stop in the library i'll check. I remember the spot that the series was in.

Oh, and Corie...do you own Red Riding Hood? Wanna let me borrow it?

[billysmommy]

I just started Graceling (http://www.amazon.com/Graceling-Kristin-Cashore/dp/015206396X)by Kristen Cashore today. The YA librarian really liked the 2 or 3 books in the series.


I loved this series!!!
Another great series is by Megan Whalen Turner ~
The Thief, Queen of Attolia, King of Attolia and
Conspiracy of Kings. This was one of my favorites!!!

[eh613c]

One of my all time favs is Where the Red Fern Grows.

[fauve01]

my fav as a young kid was "Ring of Endless Light" by Madeline L'Engle. it's a series. :) I loved loved loved these books!!!

oh i just checked amazon, and "Ring" is actually book 4. book one is called "Meet the Austins."

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=ring+of+endless+light


i also loved Island of the Blue Dolphins. can't wait til my DD gets to these books (won't be long now...)

anne + dd 10-03

[Corie]

Beastly (and there is a sequel) by Alex Flinn is being made into a movie with Robert Patterson playing the beast.


Yes, I want to see this movie too! But the beast is actually
played by Alex Pettyfer. (who is way better looking than Robert
Pattinson, in my opinion!)

Here is Alex Pettyfer.

[Corie]

but I had my eye on Red Riding Hood. Glad to hear you enjoyed it!




I would have written the ending a little differently but I still really
liked the book!

[wellyes]

I've heard very good things about the 'Octavia Nothing : Traitor to the Nation' trilogy.

[fivi2]

I've heard very good things about the 'Octavia Nothing : Traitor to the Nation' trilogy.

I read the first one (and didn't realize there was a third). I liked it. I like the author. I did have kind of a hard time getting into it at times, but it definitely was worth it (but I never got around to the second). I will say it is a bit heavier than we usually go for on these threads, but good.

[egoldber]

Ella Enchanted is a beautiful book. I love Gail Carson Levine. Ever is also good as is Fairest.

[kcimato]

My new favorite is A nest for Celeste by Henrey Cole. Charming story and beautiful illustrations on every page. It's something you can enjoy with the kids. I loved it.

I also enjoy Anne Lindbergh's books The People in Pineapple Place, The Worry Week and Bailey's Window. They might be hard to find now in places like BN and Amazon

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall(kid friendly) There is another in the series and one due out in May if you like it.

Anything by Avi especially the Poppy books

The Giver by Lois Lowry she has others too that are good.

A Good Dog by Ann Martin

Happy reading. I love YA books also and children's books.

[Corie]

Another book, that is great fun to read as an adult is The Phantom Tollbooth.




I never read this book as a child so I'll have to read it now!!!

Thanks!

[SnuggleBuggles]

Did someone suggest the Inkspell books? I like those.

Ds1 brought home The Phantom Tollboooth but I didn't read it. I did read A Wrinkle in Time and that was good (I didn't read that when I was a kid).

Beth

[lizzywednesday]

I saw multiple people liked 'Eragon' but I hated it.

It was way too clunky. The kid who wrote it tried really hard, but there's better stuff out there and I'm not spending any more money on him.

I mean, the story was OK, but not great enough to get me curious about what was going to happen in the other 2 books. If anybody wants my copy, it's a paperback and you don't even have to pay me back for shipping as I'll send it to you via media mail.

I'm another one who ADORED Ella Enchanted and I'm partial to the Anne of Green Gables books as well. I highly recommend the Emily of New Moon series in addition to the Anne books. (I didn't read Emily but my childhood BFF couldn't put them down!)

I'm in love with anything by Madeline L'Engle and was terribly sad when she passed away several years ago. The signature line in my primary "friends & family" e-mail account is a quote taken from her obituary.

I absolutely loved the Inkheart books and am curious about other books by Cornelia Funke.

I am a sucker for Scott O'Dell (Island of the Blue Dolphins; Zia; Sing Down the Moon, etc.) and have always been fascinated by the fact that a grown man could be so sensitive to a teenage girl protagonist's feelings - all 3 novels I read by Scott O'Dell had young girls as the narrators.

I went through a Little House (books) phase, but never got past The Long Winter.

Loved the Percy Jackson books ... and thought the film version was a travesty.

Not sure if they're all considered YA, but I also enjoyed Mildred D. Taylor's series about the Logan family that begins with Song of the Trees (The other 3 I've read are Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Let the Circle Be Unbroken and The Road to Memphis; I don't know how many there are.) Roll of Thunder was the required summer reading book for us in the 6th or 7th grade; I think I was the only person who'd read the other books in the series.

I totally agree that most "new" fiction I pick up these days is "YA" ... it seems that the YA gets the best blend of lighthearted fluff with interesting stories.

[tarahsolazy]

I recently read a bunch of Scott Westerfeld

Leviathan and Behemoth - two of an eventual trilogy, alternate steampunky WWI era. Very, very good, esp in the audiobook format - read by Alan Cummings

Uglies, Pretties, Specials, Extras -dystopian future. A little wearing at times, but worth it.

Also read The Forest of Hands and Teeth, and part of the sequel, the Dead-Tossed Waves. I can't remember the author. These were pretty creepy to me, they are zombie-dystopia. I will probably return later to finish the second, but they gave me bad dreams the first time around.

Boneshaker and Dreadnought by Cherie Priest. Alternate history 1880s, with zombies. These are not YA, but are not distressingly violent. Violent at parts, yes, but no torture or rape or violence against children, which I just won't read these days.

[Corie]

Also read The Forest of Hands and Teeth, and part of the sequel, the Dead-Tossed Waves. I can't remember the author. These were pretty creepy to me, they are zombie-dystopia. I will probably return later to finish the second, but they gave me bad dreams the first time around.




I really liked The Forest of Hands and Teeth. I have The Dead-Tossed
Waves but I haven't read it yet.

I have a tall stack of books calling my name!

[billysmommy]

Ella Enchanted is a beautiful book. I love Gail Carson Levine. Ever is also good as is Fairest.


I picked up Ever and Fairest at the library last week, they're next in my pile

[fivi2]

I recently read a bunch of Scott Westerfeld

Leviathan and Behemoth - two of an eventual trilogy, alternate steampunky WWI era. Very, very good, esp in the audiobook format - read by Alan Cummings

Uglies, Pretties, Specials, Extras -dystopian future. A little wearing at times, but worth it.

Also read The Forest of Hands and Teeth, and part of the sequel, the Dead-Tossed Waves. I can't remember the author. These were pretty creepy to me, they are zombie-dystopia. I will probably return later to finish the second, but they gave me bad dreams the first time around.

Boneshaker and Dreadnought by Cherie Priest. Alternate history 1880s, with zombies. These are not YA, but are not distressingly violent. Violent at parts, yes, but no torture or rape or violence against children, which I just won't read these days.

I enjoy Scott Westerfeld's books. I have read Leviathan and have Behemoth on my nightstand. I actually liked his Midnighters trilogy better than the Uglies books, but Uglies is good also.

I need to put Boneshaker and Dreadnought on my list - I have heard about them.

Also, I don't know if I have ever mentioned the Skulduggery Pleasant books (Landry, maybe?). I get them at the library when I think about it so I have only read two, but I find them fun to read.

[longtallsally05]

Has anyone recommended

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Spear

or

Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Patterson?

I also loved the Cynthia Voigt books Homecoming and Dicey's Song. I have yet to read the rest of the Tillerman series, but this thread makes me want to pick it up again.

For those who liked Where the Red Fern Grows, try Summer of the Monkeys, also by Wilson Rawls.

For those who like stories in natural settings, check out Julie of the Wolves and My Side of the Mountain also by Jean Craighead George.

For fans of historical fiction, try Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes.

On a serious note, for historical non-fiction (autobiography), you could check out The Endless Steppe: Growing Up in Siberia by Esther Hautzig and of course the famous

Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl. There is a 2010 edition of Anne Frank's diary available on Amazon that contains 30% more material than the original 1947 edition. I'd like to get my hands on that edition and check it out.

This is a neat thread. It makes me wish I had more time for reading because I'd love to re-read these books!

[lizzywednesday]

Has anyone recommended

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Spear

or

Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Patterson?

I also loved the Cynthia Voigt books Homecoming and Dicey's Song. I have yet to read the rest of the Tillerman series, but this thread makes me want to pick it up again.

For those who liked Where the Red Fern Grows, try Summer of the Monkeys, also by Wilson Rawls.

For those who like stories in natural settings, check out Julie of the Wolves and My Side of the Mountain also by Jean Craighead George.

For fans of historical fiction, try Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes.

On a serious note, for historical non-fiction (autobiography), you could check out The Endless Steppe: Growing Up in Siberia by Esther Hautzig and of course the famous

Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl. There is a 2010 edition of Anne Frank's diary available on Amazon that contains 30% more material than the original 1947 edition. I'd like to get my hands on that edition and check it out.

This is a neat thread. It makes me wish I had more time for reading because I'd love to re-read these books!

I loved 'Witch of Blackbird Pond' and 'Jacob Have I Loved' .... there was a PBS "WonderWorks" interpretation of the latter & it's the reason I read the book.

Call me crazy, but, as much as I wanted to like 'Julie of the Wolves', I despised it.

I read an excerpt from 'The Endless Steppe' in one of my grade school reading textbooks. (We'd just switched to the Prentice Hall readers from, I think, Harcourt.)

And I've only read parts of 'Diary' ... IIRC, we had a part of the stage play in one of our reading books.

[longtallsally05]

I loved 'Witch of Blackbird Pond' and 'Jacob Have I Loved' .... there was a PBS "WonderWorks" interpretation of the latter & it's the reason I read the book.

Call me crazy, but, as much as I wanted to like 'Julie of the Wolves', I despised it.

I read an excerpt from 'The Endless Steppe' in one of my grade school reading textbooks. (We'd just switched to the Prentice Hall readers from, I think, Harcourt.)

And I've only read parts of 'Diary' ... IIRC, we had a part of the stage play in one of our reading books.

Well, I grew up in AK, so Julie of the Wolves appealed to me.

The Endless Steppe excerpt was also in a textbook of mine; I found the book and it was a worthwhile read about the life of an adolescent girl under extreme circumstances.

IME, reading the diary of Anne Frank is very different than reading/seeing the play. It's definitely worth reading the real deal!

[kcimato]

My previous post should have read
A Dog's Life by Ann Martin

[kboyle]

I loved this series!!!
Another great series is by Megan Whalen Turner ~
The Thief, Queen of Attolia, King of Attolia and
Conspiracy of Kings. This was one of my favorites!!!

OMG, I am so glad i read it, i LOVED it...starting Fire now! I wish Bitterblue was out, but it doesn't look like it's coming anytime soon :(

I have Megan Whalen Turner's series next on my list, glad to know you liked them too!

[fivi2]

OMG, I am so glad i read it, i LOVED it...starting Fire now! I wish Bitterblue was out, but it doesn't look like it's coming anytime soon :(

I have Megan Whalen Turner's series next on my list, glad to know you liked them too!

The Attolia books are fantastic! Some of my favorites. I also liked Graceling and Fire.

[o_mom]

I skimmed through, so sorry if these are repeats:

Mysterious Benedict Society (3 books in the series)
The Name of this Book is Secret (by Pseudonymous Bosch - multiple books in the series)
City of Ember series
All the Oz books - I read these as an adult and loved them - there are so many puns/plays on words that kids just don't get

[Corie]

City of Ember series



My DD just read book #1. She really liked it.

[bandgsmama]

i also skimmed through the responses, but one of my fav teen authors is jerry spinelli. he's written stargirl & love,stargirl (2 of my favs), along with other really great books. he & his wife put together a devotional type book "today i will" that isn't religious, but has a great message for everyday!

[Corie]

There is an extra bonus chapter for "Red Riding Hood" on
their website.

http://www.redridinghoodbook.com/

[almostmom]

I've recommended this here before, but can't resist doing it again.

The Golden Compass series is INCREDIBLE. So interesting and unique. Can't recommend them enough. Each one is different and brings it to a whole new level.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I've recommended this here before, but can't resist doing it again.

The Golden Compass series is INCREDIBLE. So interesting and unique. Can't recommend them enough. Each one is different and brings it to a whole new level.

I read 1.5 of them then the religious nature of them got to be too much for me. Of course, I had the same problem with the Narnia books. I guess I just hadn't expected it so fair warning to others. I think I may just be odd though so don't mind me. :)

Beth

[almostmom]

That's so interesting. I'm actually an atheist (not sure I've ever written that down before though...), and really enjoyed that it challenged religious doctrine indirectly. Or at least it seemed indirect to me. But I'll keep that in mind when I recommend it in the future!

[HonoluluMom]

Didn't read all the posts, so sorry if this is a repeat. Just thought of more books from my childhood. If you're into fantasy - the Belgariad and Malloreon series by David Eddings. I read these books over and over.

http://www.amazon.com/Belgariad-Set-Books-1-5-Enchanters/dp/0345340442

http://www.amazon.com/Malloreon-Vol-Books-1-3-Guardians/dp/0345483863/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1300323091&sr=1-1