The Best Young Adult Books of All Time

There is something about Young Adult (YA) books that make them some of the best reads of all time. Different writers bring their unique perspective to their book and it ends up being something that millions of readers can relate with. That is why we will be listing the best young adult books of all time.

When thinking about YA books, there are some that instantly jump out at you. And then there are others that you read and still think about to this day. Readers of all ages can enjoy coming to age books that put into words that often slip off our tongues. That is what great writing is about and why we celebrate it.

The Best Young Adult Books of All Time

• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
• Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
• Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling
• Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
• The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
• Lord of the Flies by William Golding
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
• The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
• The Giver by Lois Lowry
• Holes by Louis Sachar
• Monster by Walter Dean Myers
• The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
• The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
• Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
• American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
• The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
• Tyrell by Coe Booth
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Harry Potter Series

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling has influenced a generation. Even now, the novel and franchise is as relevant as it w before. A television show is set to be released in the coming years and we know it is going to be viewed by millions.

I loved this series and unlike many people, I didn’t read it as a kid. Instead, I watched the movies and years later, decided to read the books. And after reading them, I can see why it made many people fall in love with magic and reading.

The Catcher in the Rye

When we talk about young adult novels, there is one novel that always comes to mind. . The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is a classic novel that is a beautiful coming of age story. It is taught in high schools and has a lot to impart on students. The novel had a powerful effect on me and till this day, I think about Holden Caulfield and the ducks at Central Park. 

17-year old Holden Caulfield has been kicked out his boarding school in Pennsylvania. Winter Break is around the corner and he decides to go back to New York City. But he doesn’t tell his parents that he has been kicked out. Instead, Holden books a hotel in New York. 

He explores New York City and finds all the adults to be phony and lashes out. A drunk night out leads to him visiting his younger sister who represents all that is innocent to him. All Holden wants to do is to leave everything behind and start new but where does he go from here?

This novel either resonates with readers or they end up hating it with a passion. A big reason is that Holden appeals to a certain of reader. It also doesn’t help that the world is completely different than it was in 1951. I think this is a classic novel that still captures what it means to grow up through the lens of a teenager. 

Lord of the Flies

Another novel that has come to define the young adult genre is The Lord of the Flies by William Golding. What would happen if a bunch of children were stranded on an island with no adult supervision. Total chaos.

A wartime evacuation goes wrong and a British airplane crashes near an isolated island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.  All the adults die while all the schoolboys survive the crass.

One of the boys, Ralph uses a conch to gather around all the survivors. Because of this action, Ralph is elected chief by the other boys. But Jack and the other older boys decide to form their own group to hunt for food.

The three rules that govern this society are to have fun, to survive, and to always have the smoke going. That way, a passing ship will know that there is someone on the island. Lastly, whoever Is holding the conch is the only one able to speak and everyone else has to listen.

Ralph and Piggy find out the hard way that being in charge is not easy. As time passes, Jack and his crew try to usurp Ralph and Piggy, even going to lengths to isolate them no matter the cost.

To Kill a Mockingbird

I love seeing one of my all time favorite novels on this list. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a timeless classic novel that made me fall in love with reading. That is why classics should be taught in schools because even one book can have a big impact on someone. 

The novel is narrated by six-year-old Jean Louise Finch and takes place in 1933 in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama. Jean, along with older brother Jeremy, and friend Dill are caught in a drama involving their father Atticus Finch. 

Atticus, a lawyer, is assigned to defend Tom Robinson, a black man who has been accused of raping a white woman. Residents of the town are not happy with Atticus defending a black man. But Atticus is determined to defend him as he would any other man, not matter their race. 

The Giver

I remember reading The Giver by Lois Lowry in school for the first time and didn’t think much of it. But when I read the novel later in my life, I was taken away by how incredible this novel was. It is considered one of the best dystopian novels ever written and I can see why.

The books follows 12-year-old Jonas who lives in a community that is isolated and everyone is assigned a role. The annual Ceremony of Twelve is going to take place soon and has Jonas worried.

He will be assigned a job for the rest of his career by the elders and is nervous about it. But things take an unexpected turn and changes the course of Jonas’ life and everything he knew about the Community he grew up in.

The Giver is credited as being the novel that focused on young adult readers in the dystopian genre. It was the catalyst and inspiration for the change in direction and led to a surge in popularity that happened in the late 2000s. without this novel, we wouldn’t have gotten some of our beloved series as a result such as The Hunger Games.

Holes

A novel that I read when I was young adult that I loved before I was an avid reader was Holes by Louis Sachar. The novel went on to win the 1998 US National Book Award for Young People’s Literature and the 1999 Newbery Medal. Even almost three deuces later, the novel still holds up well. 

Stanley Yalnets is wrongfully sent to a juvenile detention camp called Camp Green Lake for stealing a pair of shoes. Just like everything else bad that has happened to the Yalnets family, Stanley blames the bad luck on his great-great-grandfather. He was cursed for not keeping his end of the deal a long time ago. Now, Stanley has to dig holes in the desert with other juveniles for the foreseeable future. 

Digging holes is supposed to straighten out the kids that were sent to Camp Green Lake. But Stanley soon realizes that the warden, Ms. Walker, is searching for something. With the help of new friends, Stanley plans to find whatever the warden is digging for and help him escape the camp once and for all.

Monster

When talking about young adult novels, it is a crime to leave off Monster by Walter Dean Myers. Few novels are as raw as this one and it holds nothing back. A reason why many people can relate to this book is that is includes autobiographical moments from Dean Myers‘s own life. Much like the protagonist, he was also called a monster.

Steve Harmon is 16 years old and on trial for murder. A Harlem drugstore owner was shot and murdered in his own store and Steve is accused of being his lookout. We are told of the events of the novel by Steve who is wring it as a screenplay. He writes down the events of the court down scene by scene.

The trial will determine his future but nobody seems to care about that. He is caught up in a pawn in a system that doesn’t care what happens to him. For the first time, Steve has to think about his future and what tomorrow holds. To cope with all of that, Steve decides to write a screenplay. Will it be his salvation as he awaits his sentencing? Only time will tell. 

Young adults novels are not often this powerful and life changing. Myers novel is one that encapsulates the struggles of young black men in a system that cares little for them. While reading this, you will feel the hopelessness that Steve feels and when a novel can do that, you know it is something special.

The Book Thief

Another one of my all time favorite novels that made the list was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. This classic novels tells one of the best stories about World War II, love, and unwavering strength. It is novel that belongs in every person’s home. 

The novel takes place in Nazi Germany starting in 1939. Liesel Meminger is a foster child that is adopted by Hans and Rosa Hubermann. One day, Hans help hide a Jewish man named Max Vandenburg in the basement of their home. Liesel and Max form a bond as the war goes on. 

Once a thriving town, Now Molching is a ghost town. The Hubermann are treated horrible because of Hann’s hatred of the Nazi party. His distaste of the party catches up with the family and they are punished as a result.The writing is incredible but what I love 

The Outsiders 

A novel I would strongly advocate every young adult to read is The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton.  It is a powerful novel that will hook students that aren’t into read. Not only did I read this novel ahead of the given reading assignment, I ended up reading all the other books written by Hinton as a result. 

One night out changes the life of Ponyboy. The Socs, a gang of rich kids, enjoy beating up the Greasers, a poor gang that Ponyboy is a part of. A chance encounter leads to a fight that leads to Ponyboy and his friends running away for their lives. It is up to Ponyboy’s brothers and friends to help them escape trouble and the Socs who want revenge.

This coming of age story has stayed with me over the course of my life and it is a novel I revisit often. It is still hard to believe Hinton began writing this classic novel when she was 16. Now, it is taught in schools all across the U.S.

Conclusion

As you can see, the list includes classics like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, and Lord of the Flies by William Golding. These are books that you often read for school assignment and if you weren’t able to appreciate it then, visiting them again and reading it for your own enjoyment will make it a better experience.

That is our list of the best young adult books of all time. The line for what is considered YA is not always obvious. Still, I think these are the best YA books that I could think off. There will be definitely some that I missed and I will add them in the future.

What books on this list have you read or plan to read? What books should have made the list but didn’t? Let us know in the comments below. Until next time, happy reading!

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