Top 12 Classic Books For Teenagers Updated 04 /2024

"One of the most charismatic narrators I've ever met," says the person. People who write books like J. K. Rowling say that.

It has "one of the most charismatic narrators I've ever met," says J. K. Rowling of the new edition with a foreword by New York Times best-selling author Jenny Han, who also wrote the foreword.

She is 17 years old and lives with her family in a shabby old English castle. During this time, she tries to improve her writing skills. Her journals record the changes that happen inside the castle, as well as her own journey into love. It's one of literature's most enchanting stories when she writes her last entry. She has "taken the castle" and the heart of the reader, too.

A lot of people don't like classics because they are old. Often, when people think of classics, they think of the books they had to read in high school. These are great works of literature, but they might not be the kind of books that teens would choose to read on their own. When you see this list of books that teens will like, that's going to change.

1984 by George Orwell

Having only read this for the first time in the last five years, I was amazed at how well Orwell thought about the future. He was right on the money in many ways. It was not like the book when I first read it in 1984. However, I don't like that life today (several years after reading it) is more like the book than I'd like. It's a good thing 1984 is still popular today, even more so than it was a few years ago.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Teens today, even though the book has mature themes, should read this because they are more politically active than ever, and they've probably already seen the TV show. Teens will find the dystopian setting both fascinating and terrifying. Offred's story of being a Handmaid in Gilead is even more powerful in the book, and the dystopian setting is both fascinating and terrifying.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

The first time I read this book was when I was in high school, and I fell in love with Hurston's writing. Everybody can relate to Janie's story. It talks about how she found love, how she kept going even when things were bad, and how she learned how to trust herself. Hurston was ahead of her time with her exploration of gender roles and race, and her use of dialect and the setting as a character make this a great example of classic Southern literature from the 1930s and early 1940s.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

If you're a teen, you might have liked Holden's sense of humor and his sarcastic comments as much as I did when I was younger. I know this is stereotypical. When I read the book, his voice made me laugh out loud. Today, people still make fun of girls, phonies, school, and teachers, even though they don't like them. Adolescence and being alone often go together. I don't think teens will ever get tired of Holden Caulfield.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Having a smart female protagonist, traveling through space and time, and a story about a great family? That sounds like a good book. Everyone would love this. If you want to know what happened before the movie is made in Spring 2018, you should read the book first. Plus, the story is so good that it's actually a five-part series. You can't stop reading this story once you start. The first book is the most well-known.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

One of Bradbury's best works is about a world where books and literature are illegal, TV is the most important thing, and firemen burn books. Story says that paper can burn at a very high heat. The title refers to this, according to this. Guy, a fireman, starts questioning this line of thought thanks to a new friend. It changes everything, and he ends up on the run from the police. Bradbury is a master at writing science fiction and dystopian stories, and this is a great place for teens to start with him, because he is very good at that.

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Pecola, a young girl, is teased because she's "ugly." It's set soon after the Great Depression. The reason she is said to be ugly? Her hair and skin are both dark. This is because she has grown up with white dolls that have blue eyes. Morrison talks about Pecola's parents' stories of growing up black in a mostly white community, as well as race, class, and how they all work together. Even though this was written 50 years ago, it still rings true today, which is sad.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

This is one of my favorite books. In high school, I read that book for the first time, and that cover brought back all the memories. People who stay with you long after this book is over will be Scout, Jem, Dill, and Boo, and Lee's vivid writing makes you feel like you're there with them. You can't help but like Scout's voice the first time you hear it in this story about justice and injustice in the Deep South.

Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene (1958)

Fast-paced story set in Havana with a British man who sells vacuum cleaners and has money problems. When a mysterious Englishman asks him for money in exchange for a little spying, things start to get a little weird. It's not as simple as it sounds, though, because there are a few surprises in this fun espionage book that will keep you reading.

The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett (1933)

This book, even though it's better known for The Maltese Falcon, is hard-boiled Hammett at his best. It has a fast-paced plot, quick dialogue, and a little humor. Nick Charles and his wife, Nora, are going to have a quiet Christmas with their pet Schnauzer and a good bottle of Scotch to drink. Before long, Nick is forced back into the sleuthing business by a bullet-riddled corpse and a lost inventor.

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