I ran across a pretty interesting article today on Twitter from @NPRBooks: Your Favorites: 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels. Well, with a title like that, I had to go and check it out. The list (below) was a result of teens voting, more than 1,200 nominations.
What I thought was most interesting about this article was the eclectic array of books that showed up in the spread. Since the voting was left up to the people, I was quite surprised when I saw books like The Catcher in the Rye (#6), The Princess Bride (#17), and Flowers for Algernon (#23), and not so surprised when I saw (in my opinion) brain cell wasting books like the House of Night series (#68) and the Fallen series ( #67).
It didn’t come as a shock when the Harry Potter series was listed as number one and The Hunger Games series as number two, but I was a tad surprised when I saw that the Twilight series was listed as #27 (not that I thought it that great of a series, but there is a huge fan base–both young and old–that think it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread). I also found it interesting that several authors were duplicated on this list (meaning different books made the cut), like Cassandra Clare (#21 & #29), John Green (#4, #9, #20, #22, & #34), and several others. Could it be that the YA audience is actually starting to demand substance and good writing as well as an intriguing plot in their books? Let’s hope so. But if the top 10 are any kind of indicator, then I think our youth are on the right path to good reading.
But what about the Chronicles of Narnia Series by C.S. Lewis or the Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa or the Redwall Series by Brian Jacques? Those are AMAZING and they weren’t anywhere to be seen. Maybe next summer, or for the winter reading list.
And now, for some fun numbers regarding genre:
22% are fantasy
12% are dystopian
14% are classics
37% are contemporary/literary
15% are paranormal
I’ve read 25 books on NPR’s list while owning another 11 that I’ll be getting to soon. What about you? How many have you read? Do you agree with the list? Which book(s) should be on there that didn’t make it? Which should be taken off?
Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Looking For Alaska by John Green
The Book Theif by Markus Zusak
The Giver Series by Lois Lowry
The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy Series by Douglas Adams
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Anne of Green Gables Series by L.M. Montgomery
His Dark Materials Series by Philip Pullman
The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Lord Of The Flies by William Golding
Divergent Series by Veronica Roth
Paper Towns by John Green
The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare
An Abundance Of Katherines by John Green
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer
Uglies Series by Scott Westerfield
The Infernal Devices Series by Cassandra Clare
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants Series by Ann Brasheres
The Call Of The Wild by Jack London
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Stargirl by Jerry Apinelli
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead
Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix
Dune by Frank Herbert
Discworld/Tiffany Aching Series by Terry Pratchett
My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
The Dark Is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper
Gracelng Series by Kristin Cashore
Forever… by Judy Blume
Earthsea Series by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini
The Princess Diaries Series by Meg Cabot
Song of the Lioness Series by Tamora Pierce
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Delirium Series by Lauren Oliver
Anna And The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Hush, Hush Saga by Becca Fitzpatrick
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
It’s Kind Of A Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
The Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray
Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
The House On Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
A Ring Of Endless Light by Madeleine L’Engle
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud
Bloodlines Series by Richelle Mead
Fallen Series by Lauren Kate
House of Night Series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith
Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle
The Maze Runner Series by James Sashner
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
The Blue Sword by Robn McKinley
Crank Series by Ellen Hopkins
Matched Series by Ally Condie
Gallagher Girls Series by Ally Carter
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hlae
Daughter Of the Lioness / Tricksters Series by Tamora Pierce
I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak
The Immortals Series by Tamora Pierce
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles
Chaos Walking Series by Patrick Ness
Circle Of Magic Series by Tamora Pierce
Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
Feed by M.T. Anderson
Weetzie Bat Series by Francesca Lia Block
Along For The Ride by Sarah Dessen
Confessions Of Georgia Nicolson Series by Louise Rennison
Leviathan Series by Scott Westerfield
The House Of The Scorpion by Nancy farmer
The Chronicles Of Chrestomanci by Diana Wynne Jones
This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
Gone Series by Michael Grant
Shiver Trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater
The Hero And The Crown by Robin McKinley
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Betsy-Tacy Books by Maud Hart Lovelace
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