Next month, I will be presenting a session at my state library conference on Keeping Up With YA. The goal for the session is to present titles that are "must know" books and books that be paired with those titles to help keep up YA collections. My session is only 45min. long which is not a lot of time to talk books, so my goal is to provide attendees with handouts that will have even more titles in the categories I'll be talking about. I'd love some help putting together a list of "must know" YA reads-I'd like books from the last three-five years that librarians should know and have in their collection. The genres I'd like to cover are:
Contemporary Romance
Contemporary Fiction
Mystery
Science Fiction
Dystopian
Paranormal
Issue-driven YA
Humor
Fantasy
Historical
Audiobooks
What books would you say are "must know" YA titles that librarians should read and know about? And what books would you say are "must reads" for teens?
These are just some of my picks, but here are some that initially came to mind:
ReplyDeleteContemporary Fiction
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean
Mystery
Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children by Ransom Riggs
Science Fiction
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Gone series by Michael Grant
Dystopian
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (author allows free downloads of all his books from his website)
Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry (has zombies but distinctly dystopian)
Hunger Games Series
Mazerunner by James Dashner
Paranormal
Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead
Issue-driven YA
Sold by Patricia McCormick
The Chosen One: A Novel by Carol Lynch Williams
Humor
Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Wizner and Richard Ewing
Fantasy
Ash by Malinda Lo
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld (steampunk so could also be considered science fiction)
Graceling (and sequels) by Kristin Cashore
Historical
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Wildthorn by Jane Eagland
I don't know why my brain isn't working. I could probably find some more semi-important ones if I tooted around on novelist for a little while.
I will probably be coming back to this post as I think of more...
ReplyDeleteDystopian (beyond Hunger Games, obvs.): Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness (in many ways I feel this trilogy way surpassed HG).
Contemporary: anything by Ellen Hopkins, Hate List &/or Bitter End by Jennifer Brown
Science Fiction (or dystopian): Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Humor: Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Historical: The Twins' Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
I'll revisit when I think of more!
From this past year:
ReplyDeleteBetween Shades of Gray (historical)
The Pull of Gravity (contemporary)
Stupid Fast (contemporary)
Contemporary Romance
ReplyDelete-Amy & Roger's Epic Detour
-Anna and the French Kiss
Contemporary Fiction
-Five Flavors of Dumb
-Before I fall
-Leaving Paradise
-Perfect Chemistry
Mystery
-The morgue and me
-The liar society
-Payback Time
Science Fiction
-Black Hole Sun
-The gardener
Dystopian
-Matched
-Delirium
-Divergent (could be SciF)
Paranormal
-Paranormalcy
-Bad Taste in Boys
Issue-driven
-After
-Wintergirls
Humor
-Aubrey, Wait
Fantasy
-Hex Hall
-Hold me closer necromancer (could be Paranormal?)
-Hush, Hush
Historical
-Revolution
-Half Brother
-Annexed
On a side note, where would you put zombies? Paranormal or Fantasy?
Thank you so much!! This helps a lot!:)
ReplyDeleteAllison-I think zombies would go with paranormal/horror. (Which made me realize I forgot a horror genre!!)
This is such a fun question! Hmm. Here are some of my favorites from the last few years:
ReplyDeleteContemporary: Anna & the French Kiss, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, The Sky is Everywhere, If I Stay & Where She Went, Before I Fall
Science Fiction: The Adoration of Jenna Fox
Dystopian: Hunger Games, Divergent, Bumped, Legend, Wither
Paranormal: The Forest of Hands & Teeth
Issue-driven YA: Wintergirls, Hate List
Fantasy: Graceling or Fire, Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Plain Kate
Historical: Chime, Leviathan series
I just made a display of dystopian books at my library! Here are my picks from what I have as the ones to know:
ReplyDeleteBirthmarked - Caragh O'Brien
Bumped - Megan McCafferty
The Carbon Diaries 2015 (and 2017) - Saci Lloyd
Whither - Lauren DeStefano
The Declaration (Resistance & Legacy) - Gemma Malley
Delirium - Lauren Oliver
Divergent - Veronica Roth
Enclave - Ann Agguire
Feed - M.T. Anderson (little older, but a good one)
Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Life As We Knew It - Susan Beth Pfeffer
Matched - Ally Condie
Maze Runner - James Dashner
Skinned - Robin Wasserman
The Compound - S.A. Bodeen
Uglies - Scott Westerfeld
The Unidentified - Rae Mariz
Unwind - Neal Shusterman
XVI - Julia Karr
Good luck!
Here's my list :)
ReplyDeleteContemporary Romance:
-Other Words for Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal
-Where She Went by Gayle Forman
Contemporary Fiction:
-The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner
-Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard
-Rival by Sarah Bennett Wealer
-Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupula
-Exposed by Kimberly Marcus
-Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King
Mystery:
-Clarity by Kim Harrington
-The Body Finder & Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting
Science Fiction:
Black Hole Sun by David Macinnis Gill
Dystopian:
-The Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness
-Memento Nora by Angie Smibert
-Divergent by Veronica Roth
Paranormal:
-Beautiful Creatures & Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
-A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young
Issue-driven YA
-Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman
-Sold by Patricia McCormick
-Something Like Hope by Shawn Goodman
-Shine by Lauren Myracle
Humor:
-Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach
-Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins (also paranormal)
-Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris (zombie/paranormal)
Fantasy:
-Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Historical:
-Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
This is a long list and I know I could add more! I hope this helps and that you get more recommendations.
The only other titles I have not read on other comments would be titles by Sarah Dessen.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the Series by Lauren Kate-Fallen, Torment, and Passion.
And series starting with Hush Hush and then Crescendo.
In addition to the books already mentioned:
ReplyDeleteDystopian
The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare
Incarceron & Sapphique by Catherine Fisher
Contemporary Fiction
After by Amy Efaw
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Boot Camp by Todd Strasser
Hold Still by Nina LaCour
Historical Fiction
The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner
Paranormal
Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan
Marcelo in the Real World: contemporary, issue driven?
ReplyDeleteGraceling and Fire by Kirstin Cashore: fantasy
Feed: sci-fi, zombies
the 10 PM Question: isse-driven
The beautiful between: contemporary
The Absolutely True Diary of a part time Indian: issue-driven, contemporary
The evolution of Calpurnia Tate (is this children's?): historical
The Hunger Games Trilogy: sci-fi, dystopian
Going Bovine: contemporary, slightly issue-driven
Shine: contemporary, issue-driven
Paper Towns: contemporary
Mistwood: fantasy
Chime: Historical Fantasy
A Long, Long Sleep: sci-fi
The Monstrumologist: Historical Horror (or paranormal, i guess)
The Chaos Walking Trilogy: sci-fi
The Adoration of Jenna Fox: sci-fi
Beauty Queens: humor
Anna and the French Kiss: contemporary romance
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks: contemporary
Speak: issue-driven
Wintergirls: issue-driven
The Forest of Hands and Teeth: Zombies, sci-fi
This World We Live In: Sci-Fi
the book thief: historical
and this might be a children's book, but it seriously is beautiful and funny and quirky and amazing:
the girl who circumnavigated fairyland in a ship of her own making: fantasy
Audiobooks!!!
ReplyDeleteLeviathan & sequels, read by Alan Cumming
Carter Finally Gets It, narrated by Nick Podehl
Will Grayson, Will Grayson, narrated by Nick Podehl and Macleod Andrews
The Jacky Faber books, narrated by OUR BUDDY Katy Kellgren
Dairy Queen, narrated by Natalie Moore
The 39 Clues books, narrated by David Pittu (maybe too middle-grade but I have teens who love them)
Feed, narrated by David Aaron Baker (okay, TOO OLD... 2003... but still! I heart this one!)
Nation, narrated by Stephen Briggs
Dystopian
ReplyDeleteHunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Contemporary Fiction
American Born Chinese
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Forgot to add that American Born Chinese was by Gene Luen Yang
ReplyDeleteI can't recommend Sarah Darer Littman's Want to Go Private? enough as both an issues/realistic fiction book. Touches on the dangers of the internet and is very well done. And frankly, anything by Stephanie Perkins is guaranteed for the teen romance readers.
ReplyDeletea lot of people have already commented on dystopian, sci-fi, etc.
ReplyDeletesome contemporary titles that I would recommend:
Courney Summers "Cracked Up to Be," "Some Girls Are," "Fall for Anything" (also double as social issue books)
I heartily second "Five Flavors of Dumb" by Antony John
Emily Horner's "A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend" (lgbt, contemporary, and issue-grief, death, dying)
Julie Anne Peters' "Rage" (lgbt, dating violence)
Jay Asher's "Thirteen Reason's Why" (issue)
Stephen Chbosky's "The Perks of Being a Wallflower"