2010 Best Teen Books
Best Teen Fiction
(Go to Non-Fiction)
AFTER by Amy Efaw
Soccer star Devon never admitted to herself that she was pregnant. Now, after delivering a baby and then abandoning it, she faces charges of attempted murder.
ALL THE BROKEN PIECES by Ann E. Burg
With the help of his adoptive parents, music teacher, and baseball coach, 12-year-old Matt begins to cope with his memories of family left behind in war-torn Vietnam.
ALLIGATOR BAYOU by Donna Jo Napoli
Fourteen-year-old Calogero immigrates to Louisiana in 1899 and, along with his tiny Sicilian community, faces brutal discrimination in a small town where he is considered neither black nor white.
ALMOST PERFECT by Brian Katcher
Sage, an intriguing new student, helps Logan out of his post-breakup slump, but Logan isn�t sure that he�s confident enough to handle Sage�s gender identity.
ALONG FOR THE RIDE by Sarah Dessen
Auden�s summer becomes one of second chances and self-discovery, not just for her but also for her family members and friends.
BECAUSE I AM FURNITURE by Talia Chaltas
High-school volleyball player Anke watches her siblings and mother suffer her father�s abuse until she finds enough strength to confront him.
THE BEST BAD LUCK I EVER HAD by Kristin Levine
In 1917, 12-year-old Dit�s life in rural Moundville, Alabama, becomes complicated after he forms a friendship with Emma, the African American daughter of the new postman.
BREATHLESS by Jessica Warman
When her schizophrenic brother�s behavior grows violent, Katie is sent to boarding school, where she harbors her family�s secrets as she becomes part of the in-crowd.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF MONTMARAY by Michelle Cooper
Sophie watches her tiny, aristocratic island nation crumble during events that lead up to World War II.
BROKEN SOUP by Jenny Valentine
Since her brother died, Rowan has cared for her sister alone; her mother is too depressed to help. Then a stranger appears with a photo negative that changes her life.
CATCHING FIRE: THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins
After winning the Hunger Games, Katniss is preoccupied with the government�s expectations for her romantic life, but she soon has more important worries, including revolts in the Districts and new Game rules.
THE CHOSEN ONE by Carol Lynch Williams
When the Prophet commands 13-year-old Kyra to marry her aging uncle, she is desperate to escape, but she knows that running away will put her whole family at risk.
CREATURE OF THE NIGHT by Kate Thompson
Bobby, a juvenile delinquent, resists his mother�s plan to move to the countryside, but his anger turns into fear as he learns about local history and creatures that rule the area�s fields.
CROSSING STONES by Helen Frost
In 1917, Muriel, who itches for a life outside her family�s Michigan farm, watches her neighbor and then her brother leave for the front in Europe.
DEMON’S LEXICON by Sarah Rees Brennan
After running from evil magicians, 16-year-old Nick and his older brother turn the tables against their tormentors and fight back.
THE DEVIL’S PAINTBOX by Victoria McKernan
Desperate, orphaned siblings Aiden and Maddy join the wagons on the Oregon Trail, but the trip and their new life in the Pacific Northwest are much more difficult than they expected.
THE DUST OF 100 DOGS by A.S. King
After she is cursed to live the lives of 100 dogs before being reborn as a human, former pirate Emer Morrisey returns to Jamaica to reclaim treasure buried centuries before.
EON: DRAGONEYE REBORN by Alison Goodman
Sixteen-year-old Eon is the unlikeliest candidate to claim a dragon, but she holds great power and a dangerous secret that might make her the most powerful Dragoneye ever.
THE ETERNAL SMILE by Gene Luen Yang
Three tales in one graphic novel show the paper-thin margin that separates fantasy from reality for a warrior, a frog, and a young woman.
THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE by Jacqueline Kelly
In 1899, 11-year-old Calpurnia bonds with her grandfather over science and nature, even as she becomes increasingly aware that she may not be able to pursue those interests as an adult.
FIRE: GRACELING by Kristin Cashore
Born into a world of beautiful monsters, Fire falls in love with a human and tries to use her powers to fight nefarious forces.
FIRE: TALES OF ELEMENTAL SPIRITS by Robin McKinley & Peter Dickinson
Five fantastical stories explore the theme of fire in unexpected ways.
FLASH BURNOUT by L.K. Madigan
Blake Hewson learns a tough lesson about the difference between lust and love when he begins a romance with one girl and a friendship with another.
FLYGIRL by Sherri L. Smith
During World War II, Ida Mae Jones conceals her African American heritage in order to join the army�s WASP program and fulfill her dream of being a pilot.
THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH by Carrie Ryan
After a breach in the fence that protects a village from the Unconsecrated, undead who crave human flesh, a teen girl launches into a fight for survival.
FUNNY HOW THINGS CHANGE by Melissa Wyatt
In this coming-of-age novel, Remy must choose between the girl of his dreams and the mountain his family has called home for generations.
GENTLEMEN by Michael Northrop
Three disenfranchised high-school guys suspect that their teacher, Mr. Haberman, may have something to do with the disappearance of their friend.
GOING BOVINE by Libba Bray
After being diagnosed with the human variant of mad-cow disease, Cameron embarks on a road trip that may change his life, and the world.
THE GREAT WIDE SEA by M.H. Herlong
With a horrific storm brewing, 16-year-old Ben and his younger brother continue their search at sea for their missing father.
GRINGOLANDIA by Lyn Miller-Lachmann
After surviving years of torture as a political prisoner in Chile in the 1980s, Daniel�s father rejoins his family in the U.S., but his fight for justice isn�t over.
HATE LIST by Jennifer Brown
In the year following devastating school shootings that were orchestrated by her boyfriend, Valerie copes with grief and guilt and tries to move on with her life.
HEROES OF THE VALLEY by Jonathan Stroud
Halli lives in the shadow of his brother and the ancient heroes of his homeland, but when his family is threatened, he is unafraid to face enemies, human or otherwise.
HIGHWAY TO HELL: MAGGIE QUINN, GIRL VS. EVIL by Rosemary Clement-Moore
A cow�s carcass interrupts Maggie and Lisa�s spring-break road trip and spurs them into a hunt for an evil demon that is terrorizing a remote desert.
HOLD STILL by Nina LaCour
Devastated by her best friend�s suicide, Caitlin tries to find the courage to read the journal that Ingrid left behind as she rebuilds her own life and relationships.
HOW TO SAY GOODBYE IN ROBOT by Natalie Standiford
Fringe dwellers Jonas (Ghost Boy) and Beatrice (Robot Girl) use their adopted alter egos to help navigate the difficulties of fractured families and impending adulthood during their senior year.
IF I STAY by Gayle Forman
Comatose after her family is killed in a car accident, Mia struggles to decide whether to live or die.
IN THE PATH OF FALLING OBJECTS by Andrew Smith
After their mother abandons them, brothers Jonah and Simon hit the road and make a potentially fatal mistake when they hitch a ride from a beautiful girl and a dangerous man.
INTO THE WILD NERD YONDER by Julie Halpern
When her best friends disappoint her, high-school sophomore Jess seeks out new friends, whose nerdy reputations set off her own identity questions.
JUMPED by Rita Williams-Garcia
After she unknowingly insults Dominique in the hallway, Trina is in danger of being jumped at the end of the school day. Should Leticia get involved and warn her?
JUMPING OFF SWINGS by Jo Knowles
After discovering that she is pregnant, Ellie deals with the emotions, difficult decisions, and consequences with her friends.
LAMENT: THE FAERIE QUEEN’S DECEPTION by Maggie Stiefvater
Shy, ordinary Deirdre finds herself caught up in an ancient struggle in the faerie world after she meets Luke, a sexy musician with a very dark past.
LEVIATHAN by Scott Westerfeld
In this illustrated steampunk novel, two nations wage war, one with bioengineered creatures, the other with mechanical technology.
LIAR by Justine Larbalestier
For years, Micah has been a liar. After her boyfriend�s brutal murder, will anyone believe what she has to say?
LIPS TOUCH: THREE TIMES by Laini Taylor
Three novellas explore the power of a kiss, especially if the kiss is between humans and demons.
LOST by Jacqueline Davies
Essie, 16, mourns for her sister as she sews for pennies at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory to help feed her fatherless family. Then the tragic fire breaks out.
THE LOST CONSPIRACY by Frances Hardinge
Hathin is unremarkable compared to her sister, who has powerful psychic talents, but after her island town is devastated, she becomes an unlikely hero.
LOVE YOU, HATE YOU, MISS YOU by Elizabeth Scott
After leaving rehab for alcohol abuse, teen Amy begins writing a series of letters to her best friend, who was killed in a car crash for which she feels responsible.
MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD by Francisco X. Stork
Marcelo, a teen who exhibits behavior associated with Asperger�s syndrome, reluctantly leaves his job caring for horses to work in his father�s law firm and experience the �real world.�
MARE’S WAR by Tanita Davis
During a summer road trip, sisters Octavia and Tali learn their grandmother�s fascinating personal stories of her service in World War II.
THE MILES BETWEEN by Mary E. Pearson
October 19 is always a bad day for teen Destiny, but this year may turn out to be different after she takes off on a road trip with three classmates in a convertible left by a mysterious stranger.
THE MONSTRUMOLOGIST by Rick Yancey
In New England in the late-nineteenth-century, 12-year-old Will is an apprentice to a brilliant scientist who studies monsters and, when necessary, kills them.
MUCHACHO by LouAnne Johnson
Eddie Corazon, an angry juvenile delinquent in an alternative school, finds help from a special teacher, books, and a cousin as he searches for his true self.
NO MORE US FOR YOU by David Hernandez
Carlos must deal with a cheating girlfriend, a mystery man urinating on the floor at work, and a friend in a coma. Can Isabel�still grieving the death of her boyfriend�help him cope?
AN OFF YEAR by Claire Zulkey
Cecily decides to take a gap year before college, and with wry humor and some professional help, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery.
ONCE WAS LOST by Sara Zarr
After her hard-drinking mother lands in rehab and a friend goes missing, Samara finds her faith tested as she tries to uphold the perfect public image her father, a pastor, wants to portray.
THE ORANGE HOUSES by Paul Griffin
Surrounded by poverty and gang violence, three inner-city teens, one with a hearing impairment, form an unlikely friendship.
PRINCESS OF THE MIDNIGHT BALL by Jessica Day George
When a decade-long war ends, professional soldier Galen finds work as a gardener at a royal court and becomes involved in the mystery of 12 dancing princesses.
PUNKZILLA by Adam Rapp
Jamie, who has run away from his family, military school, and troubled past, embarks on a bus trip to visit his dying brother, writing letters along the way.
PURPLE HEART by Patricia McCormick
Private Matt Duffy has received the Purple Heart, but he cannot remember the incident that left him with a traumatic brain injury and an image of an Iraqi boy�s death.
THE REFORMED VAMPIRE SUPPORT GROUP by Catherine Jinks
Nina, a perpetual teenage vampire, leads her quirky crew of bloodsuckers on a mission to halt vampire persecution and rescue a vicious werewolf.
THE ROCK AND THE RIVER by Kekla Magoon
In 1968 Chicago, Sam is torn between his father, who takes a nonviolent approach to civil rights, and his brother, who has joined the Black Panther Party.
SAME DIFFERENCE by Siobhan Vivian
As she navigates between her suburban neighborhood, where everyone tries to fit in, and her Philadelphia arts program, where everyone wants to be unique, senior Emily tries to find out who she really is.
SAY THE WORD by Jeannine Garsee
Following the death of her estranged mother, Shawna refuses to accept her dysfunctional home life with her father and attempts to make peace with her mother�s lesbian lover.
SHIVER by Maggie Stiefvater
While watching the wolves in the woods behind her house, Grace is particularly drawn to one with yellow eyes who returns her interest.
SOLACE OF THE ROAD by Siobhan Dowd
While watching the wolves in the woods behind her house, Grace is particularly drawn to one with yellow eyes who returns her interest.
SOUL ENCHILADA by David Macinnis Gill
When a repo demon comes for her Cadillac, Bug Smoot finds that her deceased grandfather pledged both her soul and her car as collateral in a deal with the devil.
THE STOLEN ONE by Suzanne Crowley
At the court of Queen Elizabeth I, teen Spirit discovers that she is the daughter of a former queen and realizes whom she truly loves.
THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY by Jenny Han
At the beach house she has visited every year since childhood, 16-year-old Belly has a summer of dramatic changes.
SURFACE TENSION: A NOVEL IN FOUR SUMMERS by Brent Runyon
Every summer, Luke spends two weeks vacationing at a lake, and every year the view is slightly different.
THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE: A FLAVIA DE LUCE MYSTERY by Alan Bradley
Flavia de Luce�s delight after a dead snipe appears on her doorstep grows after a human body is discovered in her cucumber patch.
TALES FROM OUTER SUBURBIA by Shaun Tan
Giant, floating poetry balls, living stick figures, strange creatures from the sea, and an all-knowing water buffalo are some of the wonders found in this lushly illustrated collection of stories.
TALES OF THE MADMAN UNDERGROUND by John Barnes
In an attempt to distance himself from the rest of his therapy group, known as the Madman Underground, Karl launches his senior year with �Operation Be Fucking Normal.�
THE TREASURE MAP OF BOYS by E. Lockhart
Neurotic Ruby Oliver wrestles with platonic friendships with boys and with her backstabbing female classmates at her Seattle prep school.
THE UNINVITED by Tim Wynne-Jones
After Mimi retreats to her father�s isolated cabin in the Canadian countryside, unease, mystery, and family secrets follow.
THE UNNAMEABLES by Ellen Booream
In a utopian society where only useful things are named, outsider Medford Runyuin, an artist, tries and fails to follow the rules of his adopted home.
WE WERE HERE by Matt de la Pena
Miguel, sentenced to a group home for a horrible crime, must overcome his self-hatred while on the run with two other juvenile delinquents.
WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead
As her old friendships change, 12-year-old Miranda begins to receive urgent, anonymous notes in unexpected places.
WHY I FIGHT by J. Adams Oaks
Wyatt travels the country with his drifter uncle, Spade, first as a companion, then as a money-making, bare-fisted fighter, until he realizes that Spade doesn�t exactly have Wyatt�s best interests at heart.
WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse Anderson
Haunted by her best friend�s death from anorexia, Lia struggles with the same eating disorder.
Non-Fiction
ALMOST ASTRONAUTS: 13 WOMEN WHO DARED TO DREAM by Tanya Lee Stone
Illustrated with archival photos, this title introduces the women who challenged NASA�s unwritten rule that astronauts must be male and paved the way for females in space.
BEFORE COLUMBUS: THE AMERICAS OF 1491 by Charles C. Mann
The ancient civilizations of the Americas and the devastation and suffering following the arrival of Europeans are the subjects of this richly illustrated title.
CHASING LINCOLN’S KILLER by James L. Swanson
With gory detail, Swanson reveals the aftermath of Lincoln�s assassination, as well as the plotting and motivation behind it.
CLAUDETTE COLVIN: TWICE TOWARD JUSTICE by Phillip M. Hoose
As a teen, Claudette Colvin refused to relinquish her bus seat to a white woman, a protest that helped spark the Montgomery Bus Boycott and desegregation of public facilities.
THE ELEMENTS: A VISUAL EXPLORATION OF EVERY KNOWN ATOM IN THE UNIVERSE by Theodore Gray
Illustrated with photographs on every page, this title, well suited for browsing or research, describes the 118 elements of the periodic table with humor, style, and authority.
THE GREAT AND ONLY BARNUM: THE TREMENDOUS, STUPENDOUS LIFE OF SHOWMAN P.T. BARNUM by Candace Fleming
Come one, come all, and learn about the AMAZING and THRILLING life of the GREAT P. T. Barnum!
MARCHING FOR FREEDOM by Elizabeth Partridge
In this tense, day-by-day account of the Freedom March of 1965, teen voices demonstrate the spirit and energy of the event.
STITCHES: A MEMOIR by David Small
In a stunning graphic format, Caldecott Medalist David Small tells the story of his difficult childhood and his journey into adulthood.
TRUCE: THE DAY THE SOLDIERS STOPPED FIGHTING by Jim Murphy
Bored and miserable after months in the trenches along Europe�s western front during World War I, German and Allied soldiers brought fighting to a halt and celebrated Christmas together in 1914.
WRITTEN IN BONE: BURIED LIVES OF JAMESTOWN AND COLONIAL MARYLAND by Sally M. Walker
This fascinating title examines what ancient bones reveal about the daily lives of colonial Americans.
