Best Gifts for Readers – Young Adult Books

Here is the list my daughter has been clapping her hands in anticipation for:  a YA list from Jessica, the pied piper of young literature from Latitude 33 in Laguna Beach, CA.  Last summer, Kelsey and I visited Latitude 33 and Jessica spent a long time talking books with Kelsey – they were reading soul mates.  Luckily for the rest of us, she just started her own blog about children’s and young adult books, Read Schmead:  Tales from the Book.  We asked Jessica for some favorite YA books that any reader would love to receive as a gift and here are her thoughts:

A Non-Definitive List of Great Books for Young Adults

This list, like all lists, is incomplete.  Also, it is definitely not definitive.  My fiancee, Nōn, and myself have compiled this list because we love young adult books.  Enjoy.

 Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke – Igraine the Brave, from the author of the Inkheart trilogy, is absolutely delightful.  Igraine wants nothing more than to be a Knight, but little excitement comes to her Pimpernel’s castle, until one day when all craziness breaks loose and Igraine—with some help—must fight against the evil sorcerer.  I listened to the audiobook version and found Xanthe Elbrick’s voices perfect for all of the characters.

 The Maze Runner by James Dashner – Suspense, action, creepy crawlers, The Maze Runner has it all.  Thomas awakes in an elevator shaft in a place called the Glade unable to remember anything of his life, only his name.  He soon discovers that he and the other boys living in the Glade must stay there until they figure out the ever-changing maze, but it’s not that easy because after dark the Grievers come out.  I was utterly captivated by the world Dashner creates and I can’t wait for the next book (this is the first in a trilogy)!  For the first time in a while I found myself unable to put the book down and actually used my cell phone to light the page when I was reading late at night.  [Kim - check out  the book trailer on Jessica's blog.]

 Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - Easily the best young adult book in the last few years!  This book is the first in a series about Katniss, a sixteen-year-old girl, living in what used to be America and is now called Panem.  She is forced to participate in the “Hunger Games;” a government orchestrated game in which a boy and a girl from each district is forced to fight until there is only one survivor.  I definitely recommend this book to everyone over the age of twelve, adults included!  If you have not read Hunger Games yet then it is a must buy for the holidays! 

 If I Stay by Gayle Forman – A touching novel, If I Stay left me weepy, but I never felt manipulated. Seventeen-year-old Mia is involved in a terrible car accident leaving her in critical condition and her mother, father and possibly brother dead.  Mia, although she is in a coma, is able to understand all that has happened to her and must decide if she should stay or die.  This book is an excellent and touching read.  I was worried it would be melodramatic but it was not at all.  Forman has created an amazing character in Mia.

 The Arrival by Shaun Tan – Shaun Tan’s The Arrival, a wordless graphic novel, imaginatively tells an immigrants story.  Each panel offers a beautiful magical realism perspective of the struggles, fears, and hopes of the newly immigrated.  I highly recommend this book and Tan’s short stories, Tales from Outer Suburbia.

 The Graveyard Bookby Neil Gaiman – The Graveyard Book is about a small boy who comes to be known as Nobody Owens and is given the freedom of the Graveyard.  After Nobody’s, or Bod’s, family is murdered by the man named Jack, the Graveyard “occupants” adopt him as one of their own. He learns how to fade and dream walk and lives quite contently among the dead with occasional interactions with the living. But Bod and the others know that it is only a matter of time until the man named Jack will return to finish the job.  Neil Gaiman, once again, creates a rich, inventive, and masterfully told story. Every sentence is delightful and sometimes a bit frightening. I never wanted to leave the Graveyard!

 Little Brother by Cory Doctorow – Little Brother excels at defining what it means to be an individual, ever questioning, ever seeking, ever yearning, in a world that consistently encumbers those innate freedoms. It is wonderfully empowering, exciting and exemplary.  [Kim - check out the review on Jessica's blog.]

 Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli – A story about a young, adventurous lad who finds hope and joy in the small, simple things; a new town reluctant to embrace him; and an author who describes it all in a way that’s evocative of timeless folk-tale wisdom, the magic of boyhood camaraderie and, above all, the unbridled power of the human spirit.

 Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld – Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan is a fantastic melding of rich history and fantastical science fiction. Great for young history buffs, sci-fi aficionados and aspiring steam punks.

 From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg – Part mystery, part adventure, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is a superb depiction of two runaway siblings who choose to hide-out in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There, they discover the value of perseverance and family.

 Also, check out the following books:

Beautiful Creaturesby Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Flushby Carl Hiaasen

Love Among the Walnuts by Jean Ferris

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Going Bovineby Libba Bray

Gracelingby Kristin Cashore

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indianby Sherman Alexie

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

 There are so many more, but I must stop there.

Jessica Dobson

Thank you Jessica!  Remember, anyone who buys two books at an independent bookstore qualifies as a Holiday Helper and may win an ABA Gift Card.