Recommended Reading Lists ALA: Young Adults/Teens

YALSA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee presents fiction titles published for young adults in the past 16 months that are recommended reading for ages 12 to 18. The purpose of the annual list it to provide librarians and library workers with a resource to use for collection development and reader’s advisory purposes.

Great Graphic Novels for Teens is a list of recommended graphic novels and illustrated nonfiction for those ages 12-18, prepared yearly by YALSA.

List of Morris winner and finalists from 2009 to present (scroll to the bottom of the page to view the list links). The William C. Morris Award honors a book written for young adults by a first-time, previously unpublished author.

The books on this list offer opportunities to discover new ideas, and provide an introduction to the fascinating variety of subjects within an academic discipline. Readers will gain an understanding of our diverse world and build a foundation to deepen their response to that world. A YALSA committee of public, secondary school, and academic librarians selects the list. Revised every five years as a tool for several audiences (students preparing for college, educators, librarians, and parents) it offers opportunities for independent reading and lifelong learning. Use it to round out your reading as you prepare for college entrance exams and courses, to strengthen your knowledge in a variety of subject areas and enhance appreciation for different cultures and times.

Each year, the Popular Paperbacks committee creates lists of books to encourage young adults to read for pleasure. The lists of popular or topical titles are widely available in paperback and represent a broad variety of accessible themes and genres.

This is an award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. A complete list of Printz winner and honor books from 2000 to present (scroll to the bottom of the page to see the links to the lists).

The Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers list identifies titles aimed at encouraging reading among teens who dislike to read for whatever reason. The list selects both fiction and nonfiction.

Find the best books and media for youth each year through YALSA's Best of the Best! We'll also offer downloadable spine labels, customizable bookmarks, and more tools for librarians to use to promote the very best in teen books to teens in their communities.

The Teens' Top Ten is a "teen choice" list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year! Nominators are members of teen book groups in fifteen school and public libraries around the country.

The complete list of winners and finalists from 2010 to present (scroll to the bottom of the page to see the links). The YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of ALA) Award for Excellence in Nonfiction honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18)

In the Margins Book Award and Selection Committee (ITM), a committee under the umbrella of Library Services for Youth in Custody (LYSC), is thrilled to announce the top non-fiction, fiction, and Social Justice/Advocacy winning titles as well as the 2016 In The Margins Top Ten List and 2016 In The Margins Official List. In the Margins is committed to promoting and highlighting diverse books and voices that have been in the margins. ITM strives to find the best books for teens living in poverty, on the streets, in custody - or a cycle of all three.

The purpose of this database is to create a tailored reading list of quality children's literature or to find out if a book has won one of the indexed awards.