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| These are a small number of the Little Golden Books we have. My dad would tuck my sister and I in, give us a glass of water (or Coke in her case), then read us one of these while laying between our twin beds. My eyes are growing heavy just thinking of it. |
After spending countless hours mulling around the aisles at the bookstore with my besties, pretending there wasn't a curfew counting down, I would always leave with armfuls of books. I read YA fiction like it was my job. Thankfully my wallet was saved some minor heartache because my friends shared my nerdy obsession and their stash of novels.
Then, in college, it was my job... sort of. I was the self-appointed YA fiction expert during my stint as a barista at my beloved Borders, where I wasted many of my youthful hours. As an authority in this field, I have compiled a list of the books I would and would not suggest.
First, let me explain a huge pet-peeve of mine. Female characters in young adult fiction need to be strong role models for girls. The books I read in my youth reinforced what my parents wanted me to learn: that I was a strong, beautiful, capable, and independent being that could take challenges head on. I despise books where the main character doesn't realize these traits about herself, which you will see reflected in my commentary of the following. Second, to the parents, please be aware of what your young children are reading. Just because it is in YA, doesn't mean that your 13-year-old should read it. Additionally, I always advise reading the book over watching the movie, as it is always better.
Enjoy!
My Favorites:
Harry Potter series by JK Rowling (which I am currently re-reading... again.)
(Well, duh. Do I need to explain? Fine. Harry Potter's battle between good and evil has strong, dynamic characters, particularly the females.)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
(I only like the first one in this series. Catching Fire and Mockingjay were major disappointments because Katniss loses her edge.)
The Chronicles of Narnia series by CS Lewis
(Ah-mazing! I tip my hat to CS. He portrays strong, active children learning that anything is possible. Read them ALL!)
The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot
(Make that ANYTHING by Meg Cabot, even under her pseudonyms. 1-800-Where-Are-You, Queen of Babble, Jinx, Insatiable... it goes on, but I won't bore you.)
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
(So much better than the movie.)
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares
(The later ones deal with some pretty heavy stuff, particularly for teenagers, so I am always hesitant when suggesting these.)
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
(Get ready for the tears. Don't watch the movie and expect it to be the same. It's not.)
The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini
(Dragons. Need I say more?)
The Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray
(This series fed my need for magic-based plots and strong female characters while I was waiting for Harry Potter.)
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
(I read this in the fourth grade. I will always love the Cinderella story, particularly re-imagined with a female character that is her own hero.)
The China Garden by Liz Berry
(I read this for the first time during my eighth grade year, and it changed my life. I will say it has sensuality, but kids these days probably hear worse on the bus ride to school.)
Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery
(Wholesome and lovely, probably because of the era it was written in.)
Cassie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
(Ditto.)
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
(Double ditto.)
North By Night by Katherine Ayres
(Historical fiction about a 16-year-old helping on a group of women and children escape on the underground railroad. I went through a huge phase of historical fiction, which would make this list insanely long, so I will leave it at this one.)
If you are okay with apocalyptic/dystopian stories for your kids:
Gone by Michael Grant
(I have just recently finished this one. It reminds me of a British teen show where all the adults die of a virus, but I digress into my inner nerd. Basically, everyone under the age of 14 are the only ones left in a particular town. While I think that the content is a bit rough for kids, it's a great good versus evil storyline.)
Uglies series by Scott Westerfield
(Tally, an "Ugly" and the main character, lives in a world where beauty and perfection are held to such a high standard that everyone undergoes a beautification at the age of 16 to become a "Pretty." Great story to open up about what true beauty is.)
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
(Really quite disturbing for a ninth grader, but it definitely made me think.)
The Giver by Lois Lowry
(I always suggested this one every time someone asked me for a book, but couldn't tell me what the teen liked to read.)
Guilty Pleasures:
Knock Me Off My Feet by Susan Donovan
(PLEASE NOTE: NOT young adult appropriate. Although I read this in my high school years, I probably read this before I should have.)
House of Night series by PC Cast and Kristin Cast
(A different take on vampires that really highlights the strength that young girls can have.)
My Hated List:
His Dark Materials series by Phillip Pullman
(Half-assed answer to CS Lewis's deep Christian-based symbolism, which doesn't live up to the hype. Don't believe me? Did you see the movie? Enough said.)
Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer
(I could go on and on about why I hate this series. To be fair, I have read them and seen the heinous moving around on screen that they call acting. I didn't truly know my hatred of the books until the third movie came out. I was working at Borders at the time and was tasked with throwing the movie release party. Moms, an obsession with this book is not a healthy one, and I'm not just talking about your teens. There are way too many Twimoms in this world. I get it, it's hard to relate to your teen. Things are so different than the world you grew up in. What isn't different is that girls need strong role models. Bella is weak-minded and detrimentally flawed, as with all women in the book. Bella's mom is flighty; Renee tried to kill herself after her baby died, only to be turned into a vampire; Alice was in a mental hospital; Rosalie's narcissism got her turned into a vampire; and all the others are flat. Case and point, Bella literally does not exist for months because she is so heart broken over Edward leaving. Come on, Twihards! This is not a good life model! This is not a situation people should want for their kids or themselves. )
I am sure this list is missing somethings, especially since as I am writing this closing I am thinking of ones I missed. I'll admit it: I love YA fiction. Maybe it's nostalgia, maybe it's connecting with my inner child, but mainly it's that YA authors get to be creative and stretch the limits of what we know fiction is supposed to be; that's what I want to be when I grow up.
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