We bet you remember most of the books you read as a teenager. The best ones suck you in, open up a whole new world, and even shape your formative years.
With so much digital exposure to teenagers, it’s hard to excite them about an experience that doesn’t involve moving images, so kids’ books expert Lisa Feely of Love Kids Books rounds-up some of the best teenage books around. Brilliant plots, memorable stories and horizon-broadening messages; these tomes are guaranteed to stay with your teen for years to come.
Here’s 6 of Lisa’s favourites:
1 The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
This love story by John Green, now a successful movie, is both beautiful and emotional; it will have you crying and laughing. Hazel, a terminally ill cancer patient meets Augustus at her Cancer Kid Support Group, he is there to support his friend. A friendship is sparked and the friendship develops into a relationship between the teens. The story is beautifully written it is funny, sad and heart breaking at times. Other popular books by John Green include Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns and An Abundance of Katherines.
2 Girl Online by Zoe Sugg aka Zoella
This is the incredible debut novel from YouTube phenomenon Zoe Sugg, aka Zoella, who says: “I have this dream that secretly all teenage girls feel exactly like me. And maybe one day when we realise that we all feel the same we can all stop pretending we’re something we’re not…” Penny has a secret. Under the alias Girl Online, Penny blogs her hidden feelings about friendships, boys high school drama, her crazy family and the panic attacks that have begun to take over her life. When things go from bad to worse her family whisks her away to New York where she meets Noah a gorgeous guitar-strumming American. Suddenly Penny is falling in love – and capturing every moment of it on her blog. But Noah has a secret too… one that threatens to ruin Penny’s cover – and her closest friendship – forever.
3 The Hunger Games by Suzanne Colins
The first in the ground-breaking Hunger Games trilogy, this book is set in a dark vision of the near future, where a terrifying reality TV show is taking place. Twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to appear in an event called The Hunger Games. There is only one rule: kill or be killed. When sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her younger sister’s place in the games, she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature. Catching Fire is the second book and Mockingjay is the third in this really popular trilogy.
Successful film and TV star Chris O’Dowd collaborates with friend and screenwriter Nick Vincent Murphy in this hilarious illustrated series. Martin Moone is eleven and completely fed up with being the only boy in a family of girls. He’s desperate for a decent wingman to help him navigate his idiotic life, so when best mate Padraic suggests Martin get an imaginary – or ‘IF’ for short – he decides to give it a go. His first attempt is Loopy Lou, a hyperactive goofball who loves writing rubbish rap songs. But Martin soon gets fed up with Lou’s loopiness and decides to trade in his IF for someone a little less wacky. Enter Sean ‘Caution’ Murphy: an imaginary office clerk in a bad suit with a passion for laziness and a head full of dodgy jokes.
5 Awful Auntie by David Walliams
From number one bestselling author David Walliams comes another heartfelt but hilarious hoot of an adventure. Stella Saxby is the sole heir to Saxby Hall, but awful Aunt Alberta and her giant owl will stop at nothing to take it from her. Luckily Stella has a secret – and slightly spooky – weapon up her sleeve.
6 The Long Haul By Jeff Kinney
Greg Heffley and his family hit the road in author-illustrator Jeff Kinney’s ninth installment of the bestselling Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. His original Diary of a Wimpy Kid was voted ‘Best Children’s Book of the Last 10 Years’ by UK readers. A family road trip is supposed to be a lot of fun…. unless, of course, you’re the Heffleys. The journey starts off full of promise, then quickly takes several wrong turns. But even the worst road trip can turn into an adventure—and this is one the Heffleys won’t soon forget.
