100 Legendary YA Novels You Should Have Read by Now
1/101There's nothing quite like the comfort of a good book, especially in the summer. But with so many amazing YA novels on the shelves, sometimes it's hard to know where to start. Don't worry, though—we've got you covered.
Whether you're looking for a fantasy like Harry Potter, nail-biting action like The Hunger Games, or a classic tale like Little Women, we have 100 legendary young adult books you need to be reading now.
2/101Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
A young, talented boy is accepted in a space program, where he learns how to command an army to defeat invading aliens.
3/101The Giver series by Lois Lowry
Set in a future devoid of emotion, Jonas, who remembers a time before the Sameness, must work with his friends to restore feelings.
4/101The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
School can be hard, especially when you're battling against a rival gang. Ponyboy, who was born on the wrong side of the tracks, finds himself in the middle of a conflict between the upper and lower classes.
5/101Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Holden Caulfield has had his fill of the adult world, what with all it's frill and phoniness, and loves to express his disdain for life in this YA classic.
6/101Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
This classic book touches on tough subjects like going through puberty and struggling with religion and God.
7/101The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
A young girl living in the Hispanic quarter of Chicago, Esperanza fights to be better than her surroundings and tell her story through a series of vignettes.
8/101Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Charlie has his plate full with school, sex, love, and the death of a close relative, and struggles with the temptation of drugs to ease his pain.
9/101Story Of a Girl by Sara Zarr
Deanna struggles to overcome her past and being the "school slut."
10/101The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
This novel is partly based on the life of the author, Sherman Alexie, and follows a young Native American teenager who leaves behind his school on the Indian Reservation for a new, mostly Caucasian school.
11/101Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
When Clay Jenkins finds a box of 13 cassette tapes recorded by his classmate Hanna before she committed suicide, the young teen spends the rest of the night travelling from place to place while listening to late girl's voice.
12/101The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis
Set in 1963, an average family goes to visit their grandmother and finds themselves in the middle of one of the most important moment in Civil Rights history.
13/101Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce
Every kid grows up wanting to be a knight or a wizard, and 11-year-old Alanna and her brother Thom are no exception. In order to achieve her dream, Alanna dresses up like a boy and swaps places with her sibling, finding herself in a life filled with endless adventures.
14/101Crank series by Ellen Hopkins
Kristina Snow's life is turned upside down when she meets a boy who introduces her to drugs, changing her life for the worse.
15/101The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
In a world where the Districts must literally fight for their lives, young Katniss Everdeen finds herself in the world's largest death match cage and battles against other contestants to come out on top.
16/101The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson
After an ecological disaster, the few remaining survivors struggle to exist amidst technologically advanced cities.
17/101I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Based on the life of one of the 20th century's most influential writers, this non-fiction delves into serious topics like race relations and what it means to grow up black.
18/101The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Narrated by Death, this World War II story recounts the life of Liesel, a young German girl who helps her family and the Jewish man they're hiding by stealing books and telling stories.
19/101The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Lyra Belacqua's uncle draws her into a struggle between Gobblers, stolen children, witch clans, and armored bears.
20/101The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston
This novel takes a look at what it was like for a Chinese-American growing up in California.
21/101To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee
A riveting tale exploring racial tensions, this story follows 6-year-old Scout Finch as her lawyer father defends a black man being tried for rape.
22/101All Our Pretty Songs by Sarah McCarry
This lyrical narrative is centered around the history of grunge, but also takes a look at friendships.
23/101The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
Set in 1687, Kit Tyler arrives on the shores of colonial Connecticut and finds herself alone an desperate.
24/101Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer
Bella Swan is torn between a handsome vampire and a hot werewolf as the new world she comes to know breaks out into a supernatural war.
25/101From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
Claudia Kincaid and her brother run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and find themselves in the middle of a mystery involving a statue that could be worth millions.
26/101Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
A teenage girl stops speaking after being raped at a party and fights to conquer her past, and find her voice once again.
27/101Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
When Ultima comes to stay with Antonio Marez and his family, she brings with her a world of magic and mystery.
28/101Weetzie Bat series by Francesca Lia Block
In a magical Los Angeles, Weetzie Bat chats with her ghost friends as they search for love.
29/101Legend by Marie Lu
The Republic is always at war, and June is being groomed for a place in the Republic's highest military circles, while Day is a wanted criminal.
30/101Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Harry and his friends work together to master their craft and defeat the evil Lord Voldemort.
31/101Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery
A prim and proper brother and sister need help running their farm, but are surprised to find their new helper is a girl.
32/101Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
A gripping story that takes place during World War II, Anne Frank recounts the real-life events she experienced during one of the world's most trying times.
33/101Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Four sisters living in New England must learn to come to grips with their own identities.
34/101Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura Ingalls and her family trade a little house in the Big Woods for a little house on the prairie in this third book in the series.
35/101The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
The first book in the Chronicles of Narnia, this story follows four siblings as they pass through a magical wardrobe and enter another world.
Getty Images/PhotoAlto36/101Forever... by Judy Blume
Katherine, Michael, and their New Jersey friends explore the boundaries of love and commitment.
37/101The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Milo is bored out of his mind when a tollbooth magically appears right in his bedroom, so of course he drives through.
38/101Summer of the Mariposas by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
When four sisters find a dead body floating in their secret swimming hole, they embark on epic adventure.
39/101Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Taylor Markham is the leader of her school's secret society, and their turf war between the Townies and visiting Cadets is just getting started.
40/101Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl
Danny lives in a gypsy caravan and is the youngest master car mechanic in the world, but he soon finds himself wrapped up in a fantastic plot against the nasty Victor Hazell.
41/101James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
James Henry Trotter finds a magical world inside a giant peach and meets oversized friends like Grasshopper, Centipede, Ladybug, and more.
42/101Jayne Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
After Jane's parents die from typhus, she must live with her uncle's family, where she's greatly mistreated.
43/101Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Steven Harmon is on trial for murder and recounts his events in the first person.
44/101The Princess Bride by William Goldman
It takes a handsome farm boy, drunken swordsman, and a giant to rescue the beautiful princess.
45/101The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar by Roald Dahl
In this fantastical collection of stories, we meet interesting characters like a boy who can talk to animals and a man who can see with his eyes closed.
46/101Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene
In this expansive series, Nancy Drew solves mystery after mystery.
47/101Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Ella of Frell was given the gift of obedience, and must obey any order given to her, even it means chopping off her own head.
48/101Sweet Valley High series by Francine Pascal
Identical twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield go to a California high school, and while the pair are the same in almost every way, they couldn't be more different.
49/101The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
Princess Anidori is about to marry a prince when she's betrayed and must become a goose girl until she can reclaim her crown.
50/101The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
This story revolves around the teen pregnancy of an African-American teen girl from the point of view of the father.
51/101The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
The last unicorn ventures out from the enchanted forest to find her own kind.
52/101Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Set in the Depression era, this book speaks of race relations in the South.
53/101The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
A retelling of the legendary King Arthur, this book looks at an old story through new eyes.
54/101The Once and Future King by Terence Hanbury White
Another King Arthur story, this book is full of adventure and romance.
55/101The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Hazel, who has a terminal tumor, has only years to live, but a handsome boy named Augustus gives new meaning to her life.
56/101Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Sophie, the oldest of three sisters and apprentice at a hat shop, is turned into an old woman by a witch.
57/101Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Sean Kendrick may be young, but he is the returning champion of the Scorpio Races, a dangerous race involving water horses.
58/101Going Bovine by Libba Bray
After Cameron learns he is terminally sick, he sets out in search of a cure with a punk angel, video-gaming dwarf, and a yard gnome.
59/101Dragonwings by Lawrence Yep
Moon Shadow joins his father Windrider, who he has never met, and their world comes falling down after a catastrophic earthquake.
60/101The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation by M.T. Anderson
Set in the distant past, Octavian opens the door to a forbidden room and learns of terrible experiments, and also that he's somehow a part of them.
61/101Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
In the year 1986, Eleanor meets Park, and a story of love at first site follows.
62/101Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
A spy during World War II, Verity is captured by the Nazis and she must choose between revealing her mission or being sentenced to death.
63/101The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean
Sym loves the Antarctic, and when she journeys to the desolate continent, she must struggle for survival.
64/101The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
This story of a china rabbit named Edward spans from the depths of the ocean to the net of a fisherman and everything in between.
65/101Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer
Set in the eighteenth century, Jacky Faber is living the dream aboard the HMS Dolphin, except for the fact that Jacky is a girl.
66/101The Chocolate War by Robert Cornier
When Jerry Renault refuses to sell chocolates at his high school, he becomes a hero to some and anti-hero to others.
67/101Lord of the Flies by William Golding
A group of schoolboys marooned on a desert island try (and fail) to establish their own society.
68/101The Maze Runner series by James Dashner
Thomas wakes up with no memory in a giant maze filled with massive mechanical monsters and other dangers lurking around every turn.
69/101Matilda by Roald Dahl
When Matilda is attacked by her school's headmistress, she discovers she has a remarkable power with which she can fight back with.
70/101Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld
Set in the future, Tally discovers the terrible truth in a world where natural "Uglies" are subjected to mandatory surgery at the age of 16 so they can be converted into "Pretties."
71/101A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
A marvelous and bumpy ride through the space and time of Meg, her small brother Charles Wallace, and one of the most popular boys in high school.
72/101Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
When a straight teen and a gay teen with the same name become friends, they find themselves in a relationship with the same person.
73/101Graceling series by Kristin Cashore
Katsa lives in a realm where rare people are Graced with special gifts, like cooking, fighting, singing, building, and lying.
74/101Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
This story isn't just about a horse—it's also about the humane treatment of animals and also speaks about the gaps between social classes.
75/101Divergent series by Veronica Roth
Beatrice Prior must define who she is by choosing one of five unique factions, but soon learns that she doesn't fit into any one of them.
76/101The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Frodo the hobbit, along with his elvish and wizard friends, departs on a journey to destroy the evil Ring of Power and save Middle-earth.
77/101The Call of the Wild by Jack London
An unusual dog is taken to the Klondike gold fields, where he becomes the leader of a wolf pack.
78/101Holes by Louis Sachar
Stanley Yelnats is forced to live out his days at the Camp Green Lake boy's detention center digging holes exactly five feet deep by five feet wide.
79/101The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Expery
This novella takes a hard look at loneliness and confusion, and is considered by many to be quite sad.
80/101Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
The Tuck family aren't sure what to do when a 10-year-old girl and wicked stranger discover their secret spring of magical water that keeps people eternally youthful.
81/101Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roal Dahl
When a young boy gets a golden ticket to Willie Wonka's Chocolate Factory, he explores the magical world of how candy is made.
82/101The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz by L. Frank Baum
When Dorothy gets swept up in a tornado, she's whisked away to the magical land of Oz.
83/101*Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Harriet loves investigating things, but discovers the hard way that sometimes uncovering the truth isn't always pleasant.
84/101The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
A magical tree continues to give to a young boy until he has nothing left to give.
85/101Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
Charlotte the spider is able to spin webs that tell of her feelings for a pig named Wilbur.
86/101Wonder by R.J. Palacio
August Pullman is starting the fifth grade and wants nothing more than to be treated normally, but his classmates can't get past his extraordinary face.
87/101Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
When Brian Robeson crashes a single-engine plane in the remote woods, he must use his only tool, a hatchet, to survive.
88/101Z For Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien
Ann Burden has lived alone in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust for a year, but she soon learns she's not the only person left.
89/101The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
When longtime friends spend their first summer break apart, they decide they'll each wear the same pair of jeans.
90/101The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
Lyra and Will are in mortal danger, and they must travel to a distant, uninhabited world if they hope to survive.
91/101The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
An incredibly intelligent detective solves crimes with his sidekick partner Watson.
92/101The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Three young gentlemen—Athos, Porthos, and Aramis—are from the regiment of the King's Musketeers and always seem to find themselves in middle of a tricky situation.
93/1011984 by George Orwell
Big Brother is always watching you in this forward-thinking book about Thought Police that can practically read your mind.
94/101Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
In the distant future, books are outlawed and television reigns supreme.
95/101Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Dimwitted Charlie Gordon becomes a genius after a groundbreaking surgery, only to learn that his smarts will soon wear off.
96/101City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Clary thinks she's just a normal girl, but quickly realizes she actually part of the Nephilim, a powerful species that fights against demons.
97/101Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Set in England, this book classic piece of literature is a tempestuous love story between Cathy and Heathcliff.
98/101Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
David is the only one who has seen Steelheart bleed, and after the superhuman killed his father, David is intent on exacting revenge no matter what the cost.
99/101The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit, abandons his peaceful life in the Shire and embarks on a scary but exciting adventure.
100/101Looking for Alaska by John Green
Highschooler Miles contemplates the meaning of life and death after a fatal car crash.
101/101The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Arthur Dent is rescued by an alien just moments before Earth is destroyed, leaving behind his old planet to explore new ones.
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