Recently on the YALSA - Young Adult Library Services Association - listerv someone asked about the top 10 (ya) books the librarians on the list thought everyone should read (Ie the Top Ten Teen Books ever).
As you will see in the list below there is a WIDE range of views on the topic and this list is very definitely slanted toward current/modern books. Some people selected by literary merit, some on cultural impact, and others on how the books moved them personally. While I LOVE top ten lists, I don't think there is such a thing as 10 books that are best for ALL teens. I will say that all the books listed here are worthy of a look.
There are some that I like more than others. If this survey was done again in 3-5 yrs, there are some books even in the top 10 which would not even get a mention I think. Chiefly among those I believe would be Twilight. I applaud it for the interest it's brought to books and the number of teens it got reading, but I don't think it has the staying power that books like Book Thief or The Giver have.
Top 10 teen books of all time
1. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (6 votes)
2. 13 Reasons Why By Jay Asher (4 votes)
3. Book Thief by Markus Zusak (4 votes)
4. Giver by Lois Lowry (4 votes)
5. Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling (4 votes)
6. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (4 votes)
7. Feed by Anderson (3 votes)
8. Monster by Walter Dean Myers (3 votes)
9. Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (3 votes)
10. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (3 votes)
Results from everyone who gave answers
13 Reasons Why By Jay Asher (4 votes)
A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (2 votes)
Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (2 votes)
Acceleration- Graham McNamee
After by Amy Efaw
American Born Chinese,
Are you there, God, It's me,
Bloom-Elizabeth Scott
Book Thief by Markus Zusak (4 votes)
Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
Boy Meets Boy by Levithan
Bridge To Terabithia
Call of the Wild by Jack London
Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
Feed by Anderson (3 votes)
Forever,
Giver by Lois Lowry (4 votes)
Go Ask Alice
Graceling by cashore
Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling (4 votes)
Hit and Run-Lurlene McDaniel
Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (4 votes)
Hunt for the Seventh by Christine Morton-Shaw
I am the Cheese,
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Just as Long as We're Together by Judy Blume
Just Listen-Sarah Dessen
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Looking for Alaska by John Green (2 votes)
Loser (Jerry Spinelli)
Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Monster by Walter Dean Myers (3 votes)
One of Those Hideous Books where the Mother Dies by Sonya Sones
Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (3 votes)
Pride and Prejudice-Jane Austen
Rest are in alphabetical order by title:
Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (6 votes)
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher
That was Then, This is Now and a Judy Blume title
Tiger Eyes
To Kill a Mockingbird
Tuck Everlasting
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (3 votes)
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Watsons Go to Birmingham- 1963
Wednesday Wars
Whale Talk-Chris Crutcher
Yellow Star by Jennifer Rozines Roy (2 votes)
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