Good Reads for Teens

Casting Call for Superstars
Create a 2-5 minute video trailer, review, or promotion of your favorite book, CD, or DVD.  Use your cell phone, your camera, or video camera.  Be creative! First prize for the individual or team is worth $150!! Complete info.

Audio Books:

• Road Trip: Young Adult Audiobooks on CD, booklist
• Books on CD
• Downloadable Audio Books
• Playaways
• Tumble Readables

Banned Book Week 2009
Top ten most frequently challenged books of 2008

Reading Rants!
A popular site for teen book reviews. Read reviews and comments to find the perfect book for you. Add to the comments if you loved (or hated) a book, too.

Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award Nominees—2009
Voted as most outstanding by participating students in grades nine through twelve in Illinois.

Quick Picks 2009
American Library Association's best picks for fiction and non-fiction for teens. This is a great place to start!

Alex Awards
Given to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18. The winning titles are selected from the previous year's publishing. (ALA)

Other American Library Association Lists:

• Best Books for Young Adults 2009
• Great Graphic Novels for Teens
• Outstanding Books for the College Bound
• Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
• More ALA lists
• More Teen BookLetters

Read for a Lifetime 2009-2010 Booklist
The list of 25 book titles represents a mixture of classic and contemporary literature. This program is sponsored by the Secretary of State and State Librarian and the Illinois State Library.

Authors' Own Web Sites & Blogs
What is your favorite author's next book about? When will it be on the shelf?

Tumble Readables
Features YA/Teen Novels, high interest/low level books for both middle school and high school students, plus classics of American and English literature. Adjustable online text and complete audio narration.

Zines for Teens
Magazines for teens, online and in the Library.

Other web sites:

Best of the Best (PDF format)
The Chicago Public Library recommends these fiction titles as some of the best published last year for teens in high school.

Teen Reads
Book reviews, message boards, in-depth author profiles and interviews, excerpts of the hottest new releases, literary games and contests.

Favorite Teenage Angstbooks 
Learn about great books for teens, meet interesting authors and other creative folks, and honor the joys and struggles of the teenage years.

Shmoop – Overviews, plot summaries, character analysis, themes, and more for students.

Based on the Book
Book titles, short stories, and plays that have been made into movies.

Looking for a good book to read? Need help finding the next title in a series or a read-alike for your favorite author? Ask the Readers Services Librarians.

Updated 1/10