Looking for another escape? This list of books has something for everyone – fantasy, adventure, and of course, love. What more is there? Read one, or read ‘em all – post your thoughts in the comments. Or, if we missed your favorite book, tell us in the comments!
Great Advanced Reads for Tweens and Teens
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
A thrilling reading experience which combines fantasy with haunting vintage photography. Find out what happens when 16-year old Jacob discovers the ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.
The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus series) by Rick Riordan
After rebuilding Camp Half-Blood, Kronos, Percy and their friends inherit a quest for which they need help from a few demigods.
Matched by Ally Condie
What happens when Cassia has to choose between her ideal mate, Xander and Ky, the boy she’s actually interested in? Will she live within the system or challenge its rules?
Witch & Wizard (Witch & Wizard series) by James Patterson
Siblings Wisty and Whit need to defend themselves against accusations of witchcraft, fight against a regime that wants to suppress life, liberty, books and music…..all while navigating the perils of being a normal teenager.
Holes by Louis Sachar
When Stanley Yelnats is given a choice between prison and Camp Green Lake, he readily chooses the easy option. But Camp Green Lake is not what it seems…
Masterpiece by Elise Broach, Illustrated by Kelly Murphy
New York City kid James and his beetle friend, Marvin get caught up in a staged art heist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that could help recover a famous drawing by Albrecht Dürer.
Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol
Anya believes that she needs a friend in her life. And she finds one in the bottom of a well. But what do you do when your new BFF is actually a ghost?
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
11-year old Delphine has it all together. But one crazy summer in 1968 with her mother threatens to change everything.
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Miranda receives four letters that will change her life forever.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
A beloved classic that tells the story of one of the most heroic protagonists in American fiction – Atticus Finch.
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Sixteen-year old Miles leaves his uneventful life behind in pursuit of the “Great Perhaps”.
Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon by Catherine Thimmesh
Read the story of the team that contributed to the success of the first ever lunar mission.
How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous by Georgia Bragg
The deaths of 19 famous people, told in gory and sardonic detail.
Extra Credit
THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusack
The story of Liesel Meminger, who discovers books and her passion for reading against the backdrop of World War II.
SEABISCUIT by Laura Hillenbrand
The extraordinary novel based on the equally extraordinary true story of the horse that won against all the odds.
UNBROKEN by Laura Hillenbrand
A World War II airman uses ingenuity, determination, humor and resilience to survive in the open ocean after a doomed flight.
The ReadKiddoRead program features bestselling author James Patterson’s picks for the summer. Find reviews of these books and more in the Advanced Reads section of ReadKiddoRead.com.
Tell us what you think! What are you reading this summer? What did you think of this list? Are there other books that should make it to the list? Share your reading experiences with us and post a comment below!
An early book I read for fun was Mahan's "History of Naval Sea Power". I was about 11 or 12.
If you only let kids read what they like, they may never venture beyond comic books. Just because the cover doesn't have a cool illustration or the language is slightly more formal that what we use today does not necessarily make a classic something today's teen can't relate to. Forgetting our classic literature is as bad as pretending some parts of history did not happen. One caveat -- "Romeo and Juliet" is still being taught in ninth grade, because someone decided that because the story is about teenagers it would get their attention. Providing an example of teenagers killing themselves over lust is not such a great idea, when we already have kids cutting themselves and suffering from anorexia!
My dad, stepmom and I are all avid readers and growing up we'd often all sit in the living room with the TV on and none of us actually watching it because our noses were buried in books. I always did well in my English, reading and writing classes growing up but had an English teacher I hated in 10th grade who turned me off to regular English classes. I ended up taking journalism classes my last two years in high school to get the required credits, and as a result, read almost none of the classics. I read Pride and Prejudice for the first time last year and loved it, but it took me until about 2/3 the way through the book before I finally found myself hooked. Up until that point most of the characters just annoyed me and I had to keep pushing myself to read it, but then I fell in love with it. I eventually realized that being annoyed by a few of the characters is part of the point of it all. I'm trying to get through more of the classics these days. I usually read anywhere from 50-70 books a year and thought perhaps I should throw a couple on my list among the fluff. I haven't read Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gadsby, 1984, Animal Farm, Mansfield Park, Great Expectations, The Scarlet Letter... I have a lot of them now though on my Kindle. :) Slowly working through them.