25 Books Every Teen Should Have on Their Bookshelf

On Tuesday, Flavorwire posted a list of 25 Books Every Kid Should Have on Their Bookshelf.  In looking over the list, I realized that there are several books on that list that I haven't read but have always meant to read (Louise Fitzhugh's Harriet the Spy, for example) and others than I have never even heard of (Jean Merrill's The Pushcart War, I'm looking at you!).

Of course, it inevitably got me thinking about if there was a list of the 25 books every teen should have on their bookshelf, and what that list would include.  And then I thought it would be fun if I created a list.  So I did.

As loyal readers know, while I've read hundreds of young adult titles, there are many classic (and even contemporary) books with teen appeal that I have yet to read.  So my list certainly isn't the be all and end all of lists.  It's just for fun.  But maybe in the comments, you can submit your "shoulds" for teen bookshelves.  I'm going to guess that people who have actually read books like Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Fellowship of the Ring, Ender's Game, Watership Down or any of the others that are on my TBR list and that I just haven't gotten to yet, would probably take some of my choices off the list.  And some of you are looking at my list and thinking "I can't believe Pride and Prejudice isn't on that list!"  I've read it.  It's one of my favorite books.  But I didn't actually read it all the way through until I was 20 (just don't tell my high school junior English teacher).  And I don't think EVERY teen should have it on their bookshelf.  In fact, I'm not even sure there should exist a list of books EVERY teen should have on their bookshelf.  But I made a list despite that.

In alphabetical author order, here is my list of the 25 Books Every Teen Should Have on Their Bookshelf.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Weetzie Bat  by Francesca Lia Block
Forever . . . by Judy Blume
The Stranger by Albert Camus
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Lord of the Flies, Centenary Edition by William Golding
Looking for Alaska by John Green
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
To Kill a Mockingbird: 50th Anniversary Edition by Harper Lee
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1) by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2) by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4) by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6) by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) by J.K. Rowling
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Night by Elie Weisel
Uglies (The Uglies) by Scott Westerfeld
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

And yes, I did put every.single.one. of the Harry Potter books on my list.

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