Young adult fiction is my favorite. Sometimes I read it to believe in the world again. Sometimes I read it to remind myself of what’s really important. Sometimes I read it to remind myself of adolescent troubles, how big they seem, and how adult-like those troubles really are. I recently reviewed Time magazine’s “The 100 Best YA Books of All Time”. I have not read all of these books, but I will weigh in on a few and share my own top ten list on the blog today.

https://time.com/collection/100-best-ya-books/

1. “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee (number 7 on Time’s list). I read this book for the first time in tenth grade. It changed my life. I so wanted to be Scout, but I’m probably more like Jem. I also had the black and white movie VHS tape and watched it over and over for years.
2. “Anne of Green Gables” by Lucy Maude Montgomery comes in at number 2 on Time’s list too! I have read almost every book LM Montgomery has ever published. I own the whole Anne series and the movies and the Netflix series. I loved the Emily series, the Story Girl series, and her stand alone novels–“Kilmeny of the Orchard” and “My Blue Castle” being long time favorites.
3. “Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry” by Mildred Taylor is also on Time’s list. As good as this one is, “Let the Circle be Unbroken” is better and “On the Road to Memphis” made me wish I could follow Cassie Logan forever. This is another game changer novel.
4. Jacqueline Woodson makes Time’s list twice for “If You Come Softly” and “Brown Girl Dreaming . I have read, “Harbor Me.” I loved it. I wanted all of my students to read it. It was brilliant.
5. Rick Riordan and Disney built an empire on the backs of Percy Jackson. “The Lightning Thief” makes Time’s list, but I think “The Last Olympian” is the best in the series of five books. Percy discovers the true meaning of life, the value of hope, hearth, and home.
6. “Caddie Woodlawn” by Carol Ryrie Brink makes my top ten list, although she is not considered YA fiction. Her novel is written for younger audiences (9-11). I agree and disagree. I first read this book in fourth grade and have read it over and over and over again. There are many lessons to be learned about adolescence in this novel that transcend age. As an aside, my boys love the chapter on the story of “Peewee”. We had good fun with that story.
7. “The Mysteries Benedict Society” by Trenton Lee Stewart is a delightful, heart-felt story about a boy and his friends and saving the world. I just love it. We own the whole series. This is another story that is considered appropriate for younger reads (9-12), but I think overlaps a bit into older ages too.
8. If you know me, you know about my Potter Mania. No list would be complete without “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” Again, I love, love, love the entire series. J. K. Rowling did not make the Time’s list. That’s okay too. We all have our favorites. I count it as YA fiction because the themes in this series get heavy quickly.
9. I would be remiss if I did not include my all time favorite elementary school author, Laura Ingalls Wilder. The entire “Little House on the Prairie” series can be started as young as five. However, the series expands and covers Laura’s life story all the way through leaving home and her marriage to Almanzo Wilder. I think these books, while written at an easier age level, have themes that speak to adolescents as well. The transition to YA begins with the novel “The Long Winter”.
10. And finally, Louisa May Alcott’s, “Little Men” and “Jo’s Boys” round out my favorite YA fiction novels. I never had much use for “Little Women” (gasp), but I absolutely loved and read the other two until their book spines fell apart. Reading “Little Women” again as an adult, I redirect you to this masterpiece and admit that I stand corrected. But do not neglect the other two novels, as they continue and expand upon the delightful life of Jo.

Honorable mention goes to:

• Julia Alvarez, “Before we were Free” (She is one of my top ten favorite adult fiction writers. She is marvelous.)
• Ruta Sepetys “Salt to the Sea” (Basically, I love all of her books.)
• RJ Palacio for “Wonder” (This one speaks for itself.)

Happy Reading. What’s your favorite? I’d really like to know! Send me a message or add a comment. Love Y’all.