A Little Love Song by Michelle Magorian (1991)
This is a beautifully written tale of love, childbirth and the women’s struggle in the 1940s. A magical summer of love and war is the catalyst that changes the novel’s heroine, Rose, from an uncertain, gawky schoolgirl into a confident and assured woman. It is written by the author of "Goodnight Mister Tom". Teenage girls would love to escape into this story of romance and coming of age.
Recommendation: Key Stage 4 girls (ages 14-16), includes a sex scene, sensitively covered, and is a useful novel to accompany study of the second world war.
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett (2001)
Any teenager with the slightest interest in comic or fantasy fiction should try Terry Pratchett, a talented writer of un-put-downable novels. This one is written especially for young adult readers and follows rodents in their whisker-based battles. It’s great fun and is sure to keep the reader giggling up to the very end. Don’t underestimate it though, it won the Carnegie Medal for fiction in 2001 by unanimous vote and was described by the judges as ‘an outstanding work of literary excellence.’
Recommendation: Key Stages 3 and 4 boys and girls (ages 11-16) – this is a useful novel for introducing readers to a new and unusual genre
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon (2003)
This book, a book like no other, captures the experiences of a 15 year-old boy with Asperger Syndrome, a type of autism. Through pictures, mathematical diagrams and an unusual method of chapter numbering, Mark Haddon lets the reader see the world through someone else’s eyes. The novel comes in two versions: an adult version, and a version for younger readers which skips out the swear words.
Recommendation: Key Stages 3, 4 and 5 boys and girls (ages 11-18)
The Wheel of Surya by Jamila Gavin (1992)
This is the first novel in the Surya Trilogy of books, a set of novels which vividly depict India through a child’s experience of moving from her birthplace to London. As well as realistically exploring a child’s experience, it offers insight on a new world of vivacity and colour, as well as religious and polticial strife. Jamilia Gavin’s unparalleled storytelling ability keeps eager and less-eager readers interested!
Recommendation: Key Stages 3 and 4 boys and girls (ages 11-16)
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells (1996)
This novel captures what it means to be a girl, a teenager and a friend. It moves around through the narrator’s life, from her early days with friends, ‘the Ya-Ya Sisterhood’, to her engagement and return to the Ya-Ya scrapbook for life advice. This is a novel about life – the ups and downs and the triumphs and tragedies that shape every girl into a woman.
Recommendation: Key Stage 4 girls(ages 14-16)
Daz 4 Zoe by Robert Swindells (1990)
Robert Swindell’s futuristic novella is a typical romance. Like Romeo and Juliet, Twilight's Edward and Bella, and Noughts and Crosses' Sephy and Callum, young lovers Daz and Zoe are divided by society, but love each other unconditionally. The novella is set in the not-so-distant future, where Daz lives in the fenced-up inner city, and Zoe in an outer ring of society, bored and forced to conform. The story is told in alternate chapters from Daz and Zoe – look out for some clever spelling used to present the difference between the two.
Recommendation: Key Stage 3 boys and girls (ages 11-14) – this novella has many useful links to literature and language study, including Romeo and Juliet, and phonetic spelling, such as that in Pygmalion.
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1939)
Steinbeck’s writing earned him the Nobel Prize for literature – and this classic novel shows why. He is a master of characterization, and presents his characters here so beautifully that you feel as though you are travelling with them as they search for work during the Great Depression. This is a life changing book for avid teenage readers.
Recommendation: Key Stages 4 and 5 boys and girls (ages 14-18) – excellent support in teaching of common GCSE text, Of Mice and Men.
Out of the Blue by Val Rutt (2009)
This novel gives a gripping tale of romance, set around true events in the second world war. If a teenage girl you know liked The Notebook, she's sure to like this. The novella's structure, jumping from 1944 to 2006, keeps even the disinterested reader interested, while the storyline warms the heart.
Recommendation: Key Stage 3 girls (ages 11-14) and weaker Key Stage 4 girls (age 14-16) – provides a useful link to teaching war poetry.
For more, see: More Reading Books to Recommend to Teenagers.
Kate Johnson - I grew up in Rainford, St. Helens in North West England. After sixth-form, I read English at Mansfield College, Oxford and graduated in ...
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