Introduction

Many teens that I work with love reading, but I've also worked with a few who don't have a natural interest in it. To encourage teens who don't like reading to read more, I think it's crucial to find books that actually pique their interest, even if those books are less academically challenging. The books they read in their English Language Arts classes will provide the academic rigor they need to prepare for future academic endeavors; the books they read outside of school should simply be ones they enjoy to foster a love for reading. Exploring some of the top teenage books to read is a great way to help teens discover stories they’ll truly connect with, encouraging them to read more on their own. It's important to recognize that growth can still happen for teens when they read for fun!

If you have a teen and you'd love for them to do some supplemental reading in addition to the reading they're doing for school, here are a few recommendations based on fiction books my own students and I have read and enjoyed together:

1. The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Thomas is a teenage boy sent to live in the Glade with other teenage boys without any recollection of who he was or where he came from before his arrival. He quickly learns that he and the other boys are surrounded by a Maze full of menacing creatures called Grievers. The goal is simple: survive long enough to find a way out.

2. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Bruno can’t believe he and his family are leaving their comfortable home in Berlin to live at Out-with, a home in the middle of nowhere with only a large fenced-in area adjacent to them. He believes the Fury must be angry with his father, the Commandant, to have convinced him to move here, and wants to find a way back to Berlin when he meets Shmuel and suddenly discovers a reason to stay.

3. Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Technological advancements have led to the creation of a world where nothing bad happens, including death. However, to keep the population size from becoming too great, Scythes were born, a class of people responsible for taking a certain number of lives each year. Citra and Rowan have both been selected as apprentices under Scythe Faraday. As they learn the ins and outs of being a Scythe, one thought looms over them - failing to become a full-fledged Scythe could mean their deaths.

4. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson isn’t a very good student and has a hard time controlling his temper, which is why he’s at Yancy Academy, a boarding school for troubled kids. After going on a field trip and witnessing his pre-algebra teacher turn into a monster and try to kill him, Percy is sent to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods, where he learns he’s the son of Poseidon, the god of the sea, and that a huge war is brewing among the gods. This is where his origin story as a half blood begins, and he and his friends Annabeth and Grover set out on a quest across the U.S. to visit the Underworld in an attempt to stop the war from happening.  

5. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

It’s the beginning of World War II, and Liesel Meminger is sent to live with foster parents outside of Munich, Germany. She tries to make the most of her new life, spending time with Papa, avoiding Mama, and playing with Rudy, but her life only begins to feel satisfying when she gets into the book-stealing business and spends late nights with Papa learning to read. Her life becomes especially interesting the day her foster parents start hiding a Jewish man named Max in their basement and the fight for not only their survival but his as well begins.

6. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Brian is a 13-year-old boy on his way to visit his father for the first time since his parents divorced when his plane crashes in a Canadian forest, and he’s the only survivor. He has nothing on him except the clothes on his back and a hatchet his mother had gifted him. Brian learns the true meaning of survival and finds both his wilderness skills and his limits are tested as he waits to be rescued.

Some of these books are classics that every middle schooler should read, especially those who want a story that will keep them engaged all the way through, but they’re also great choices for high schoolers looking for something lighter yet meaningful. These top teenage books to read provide the perfect balance of entertainment and thought-provoking themes to encourage reading as a lifelong habit. Contact me today if you'd like me to personally demonstrate to your teen how much fun reading can be!