The most recommended books for 10th graders

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1,903 authors created a book list with books for 10th graders, and here are their favorite books.

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Book cover of The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Shauna Granger Author Of World of Ash

From my list on dystopian, apocalyptic, and post-apocalyptic.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m a writer who loves to read and wants to write all the fantasy genres, or at least, wants to try. Iā€™ve always been fascinated by monsters and the question, ā€œWhat if?ā€ Dystopian, Apocalyptic, Post-Apocalyptic, and Fantasy gives us the freedom to explore both these things. Itā€™s amazing how these genres can bend our world and expectation when we explore these two things. What if the world ended but not in the way we expect? What if monsters were real? What if we are the real monsters? These questions are terrifying but so fascinating to consider and blending fantasy with apocalyptic has been a safe way to explore them.

Shauna's book list on dystopian, apocalyptic, and post-apocalyptic

Shauna Granger Why did Shauna love this book?

Insecurity is huge in end-of-the-world stories. As humans, we have always sought shelter and security from the wilds of nature, animals, and the things we cannot see in the dark. We created fire and fences and walls and locked doorsā€”to this day, in our modern era, we still need these things. At the end of the world, security is tantamount, but what if you need to go beyond your secured barriers? What if behind these walls, things arenā€™t actually as safe as you think they are? Finding out why a character would breach their safety is intriguing. After all, a story would be very different if the characters never ventured out of their homes, but if itā€™s safer inside, why would they go out?

By Carrie Ryan,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Forest of Hands and Teeth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village andā€¦


Book cover of Sorry for Your Loss

L.S. Moore Author Of Bridgekeeper

From my list on YA paranormal thrillers told from a guyā€™s point of view.

Why am I passionate about this?

Have you noticed the scarcity of YA novels told solely from a guyā€™s point of view? If you arenā€™t a boy, the parent of one, or maybe a savvy librarian, you probably havenā€™t. Iā€™m two out of three. I have two awesome sons. Theyā€™re avid readers and burned through the YA section and into adult fantasy and sci-fi long before I was ready for them to. Boys read! Thereā€™s a need for protagonists who identify as male. No surprise, my YA novels often feature ordinary boys doing heroic things. Thanks to years of spying on my sons and their friends, I have plenty of fodder to feed my muse.

L.S.'s book list on YA paranormal thrillers told from a guyā€™s point of view

L.S. Moore Why did L.S. love this book?

This rare story had me laughing out loud, sobbing, and sighing at the beauty of it from beginning to end. Itā€™s not about a ghost in the paranormal sense, but the story revolves around a family haunted by the death of a son.

Pup (James) Flannigan, the youngest of eight siblings, is used to being the silent observer at his raucous family gatherings. When his oldest brother dies suddenly, grief and denial rattle the family to its core.

I fell in love with Pup immediately! Heā€™s a funny, sensitive guy whoā€™s powerless against his familyā€™s tide of sadness until an art teacher encourages him to pick up a camera. Pupā€™s slow transformation from helplessly observing to using the camera lens to bring the damaged, grieving people he loves into clear focus is a beautiful thing to watch.

By Jessie Ann Foley,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Sorry for Your Loss as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

From Printz Honor winner and Morris Award finalist Jessie Ann Foley comes a comitragic YA novel that will appeal to fans of Jandy Nelson and Jeff Zentner.

As the youngest of eight, painfully average Pup Flanagan is used to flying under the radar. Heā€™s barely passing his classes. He lets his longtime crush walk all over him. And heā€™s in no hurry to decide on a college path.

The only person who ever made him think he could be more was his older brother Patrick. But that was before Patrick died suddenly, leaving Pup with a family who wonā€™t talkā€¦


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Book cover of Beyond the Cemetery Gate: The Secret Keeper's Daughter

Beyond the Cemetery Gate by Valerie Biel,

"A haunting YA mystery. Touching on everything from police ineptitude and community solidarity to the endless frustration of being patronized as a young person, this paranormal thriller confidently combines timely and relatable themes within a page-turning storyline." - Self-Publishing Review

"Biel's writing is fast-paced and sharp!" - author Christy Wopatā€¦

Book cover of 13 Reasons Why

Richard R. Becker Author Of Third Wheel

From my list on bad boys we love or love to hate.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a troubled teen who wasnā€™t raised in a traditional family environment, I had always gravitated toward books with transformative charactersā€”underdogs who were lost or lost their way by accident and on purpose.

The genre never mattered to me as much as my ability to relate to struggling protagonists who needed to escape their situation or environment, regardless of what they had to do, right or wrong. Love them or loathe them, I learned something from each of them. I hope you enjoy their journeys as much as I have.

Richard's book list on bad boys we love or love to hate

Richard R. Becker Why did Richard love this book?

The story of Clay Jensen is both beautiful and repelling in that it forced me to consider the unseen impact my insecurities and actions may have had on others when I was a teen. I couldnā€™t imagine being a shy, bright, and likable California high school student unexpectedly thrust into the center of a girlā€™s suicide by being named one of the contributors to her death. But thatā€™s the point. Neither can Clay. 

In his case, the only way to discover why he was included is to listen to a set of thirteen tapes made by the victim. These tapes take him on a journey of personal growth and transformation despite his only having the loosest of connections to her. In doing so, he takes us right along with him, considering how our briefest interactions could have profoundly impacted someone else.

By Jay Asher,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked 13 Reasons Why as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES AND INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

Featuring cover art from the Netflix original series, with exclusive interviews and photos inside!
"Eerie, beautiful, and devastating." --Chicago Tribune
"A stealthy hit with staying power. . . . thriller-like pacing." --The New York Times
"Thirteen Reasons Why will leave you with chills long after you have finished reading." --Amber Gibson, NPR's "All Things Considered"
 

You can't stop the future. 
You can't rewind the past.
The only way to learn the secret . . . is to press play.
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with hisā€¦


Book cover of Cemetery Boys

Evelyn Benvie Author Of I Am Not Your Chosen One

From Evelyn's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Future librarian Reader D&D gremlin Crafter Cat lover

Evelyn's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Evelyn Benvie Why did Evelyn love this book?

This book got me back into reading novels after a depressive slump.

Though geared towards young adults, the themes of fighting for what you believe in and for a place to fit in, even within your own family, are so strong and universal. Plus, the plot is just plain old ghost-busting fun.

By Aiden Thomas,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked Cemetery Boys as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can't get rid of him.

When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school's resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He's determined to find out what happened and tie off some looseā€¦


Book cover of Scythe

Kawika Miles Black Author Of Saga of the Nine: Origins

From Kawika's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Son Husband Father Patriot Entrepreneur

Kawika's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Kawika Miles Black Why did Kawika love this book?

Now, although this is technically three books, the trilogy has to be read together. Otherwise, the themes are incomplete in my opinion. Having read each book back to back, cover to cover, the story of death and humanityā€™s incapability of dealing with it in wholesome fashions is brilliantly articulated by Neal Shusterman.

As I have personally delved into the dystopian genre due to my own creative endeavors, I always like to see another authorā€™s take on the genre. Not only does this world extrapolate the possibilities of death being conquered, but it battles with the question of how involved should technology be in our lives, to what end do we worship this technology, and what are the warning signs that lead to our complacency.

By Neal Shusterman,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked Scythe as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

"A true successor to The Hunger Games." Maggie Stiefvater

In a perfect world, what is there left to fear? A chilling and thought-provoking sci-fi novel from New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman.

A dark, gripping and witty thriller in which the only thing humanity has control over is death.

In a world where disease, war and crime have been eliminated, the only way to die is to be randomly killed ("gleaned") by professional scythes. Citra and Rowan are teenagers who have been selected to be scythes' apprentices, and despite wanting nothing to do with the vocation, they must learnā€¦


Book cover of The Land of 10,000 Madonnas

Diane Terrana Author Of The World on Either Side

From my list on YA featuring strangers in strange lands.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a Canadian author/editor who both fears and loves being a stranger in a strange land. I fear the challenges, the feelings of dislocation and vulnerability. But I love the connections, the overcoming of the strangeness and the ultimate feeling of kinship. As a mom, I travelled with my kids to far away places, favouring adventure tours and staying well away from high priced hotels that separate tourists from locals. My novel, The World on Either Side, was inspired by a trek I took with my then fourteen-year-old daughter in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Diane's book list on YA featuring strangers in strange lands

Diane Terrana Why did Diane love this book?

I bought this book for the title, and happily there are Madonnas galore in this story, including in the apartment of ā€œtwo motherless dudes,ā€ dying teen Jessie T. Serrano and his dad. This quest novelā€”before he dies, Jessie sets up a mysterious trip to Europe for his three cousins, best friend and girlfriendā€”follows five grieving young adults on a doomed pilgrimage in a strange continent. If you have ever been a teen (as I assume you have) you will connect with the six (!!) point of view characters, each flawed but achingly human. "Not all stories are about love," says one of them, but this story most definitely is.

By Kate Hattemer,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Land of 10,000 Madonnas as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Five teens backpack through Europe to fulfill the mysterious dying wish of their friend in this heartwarming novel from the author of The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy.
 
Jesse lives with his history professor dad in a house covered with postcards of images of the Madonna from all over the world. Theyā€™re gotten used to this life: two motherless dudes living among thousands of Madonnas. But Jesse has a heart condition that will ultimately cut his life tragically short. Before he dies, he arranges a mysterious trip to Europe for his three cousins, his best friend, and his girlfriend toā€¦


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Book cover of Touching the Surface

Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini,

When Elliot finds herself dead for the third time, she can't remember her past, is getting the cold shoulder from her best friend, and has no idea why she keeps repeating the same mistakes across her previous lives. Elliot just wants to move on, but first, she'll be forced toā€¦

Book cover of Nix Minus One

Don Aker Author Of The Space Between

From my list on grappling with loss.

Why am I passionate about this?

Having been a teacher for many years, I have had the great fortune to be surrounded by young people most of my adult life. As a result, Iā€™ve been witness to countless moments reflecting the struggles of teenagers facing various challenges in their lives. Without question, one of the most painful is having to grapple with loss, and regardless whether it involves a friend, a family member, a home, an opportunity, or any number of other misfortunes, the act of facing and rising above that loss is often character-defining. I will always be grateful to my many students whose candour and courage have both inspired me and informed my own writing.

Don's book list on grappling with loss

Don Aker Why did Don love this book?

Nix Minus One is a heartbreaking story of a 15-year-old boy who must come to terms with the death of his older sister, Roxy, whom he adored. Told in free verse, it recounts the guilt he feels at having argued with her on the night she got drunk at a party and staggered into the path of an oncoming truck. I loved how each poem can stand alone but, sequenced together as they are, they form an unforgettable narrative. More than a novel about the sorrow of loss, this is a poignant, beautifully written story about the painful process of healing.

By Jill MacLean,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Nix Minus One as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

An exquisite middle-grade novel by the award-winning Jill MacLean

Fifteen-year-old Nix Humbolt doesn't talk much. He's barely outgrown his "Fatty Humbolt" days, and although he is taller and leaner now, he has learned it is best to keep a low profile. He dreams about his only friend's girl, but of course she is hopelessly out of his league. Lonely and introverted, he is happiest in his father's woodworking shop, where he builds exquisite boxes and tables. The only battles Nix fights are on his Xbox - until the day he finds the guts to fight for Swiff Dunphy's neglected dog.ā€¦


Book cover of Unwind

Kimberly Baer Author Of The Haunted Purse

From Kimberly's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Author Grammar guru Bookworm Power-walker Dreamer

Kimberly's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Kimberly Baer Why did Kimberly love this book?

Iā€™m a sucker for a unique premise. I like a story that makes me think. This YA novel delivers on both counts.

In a dystopian future, parents can have their troublesome teens ā€œunwoundā€ā€”dismembered into spare parts to be distributed among needy patients. The process isnā€™t considered killing since all parts of the unwound child remain alive, albeit grafted onto/transplanted into many different individuals.

Tenets of religion, philosophy, society, and family converge as the author explores every facet of this disturbing scenario. One particular chapter, presented from the perspective of a secondary character as he undergoes unwinding, is the most chilling and poignant passage I have ever read. It haunts me still.

By Neal Shusterman,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Unwind as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

In a society where unwanted teens are salvaged for their body parts, three runaways fight the system that would "unwind" them

Connor's parents want to be rid of him because he's a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev's unwinding has been planned since his birth, as part of his family's strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together by desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing their lives hang in the balance. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthday, they can't be harmed -- but whenā€¦


Book cover of The First to Die at the End

David Valdes Author Of Finding My Elf

From David's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Dad Cuban-american Optimist

David's 3 favorite reads in 2023

David Valdes Why did David love this book?

As a gay person who is Latino, Iā€™m thrilled to see both elements of my identity represented in a book. Thatā€™s part of why I fell in love with The First to Die at the End and They Both Die at the End (which was published first but comes later in the narrative timeline of that world). But identity alone doesnā€™t make a book.

In his leads, one who is fated for death and the other who knows this, Silvera provides a romance to root for (even if we know the clock is ticking for them.)

The book sprinkles in the stories of a raft of other characters whose fates are more entwined than theyā€™ll ever know, showing how no life is ever lived alone.

By Adam Silvera,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The First to Die at the End as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

In this prequel to the NO. 1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING phenomenon of TIKTOK fame, They Both Die at the End, two new strangers spend a life-changing day together after Death-Cast make their first fateful calls.

'If They Both Die at the End broke your heart and put it back together again, be prepared for this novel to do the same. A tender, sad, hopeful and youthful story that deserves as much love as its predecessor.' Culturefly
'[A] heart-pounding story [full] of emotion and suspense.' Kirkus
'An extraordinary book with a riveting plot.' Booklist

Meet Orion and Valentino.

It's the night beforeā€¦


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Book cover of The Coldest Winter I Ever Spent

The Coldest Winter I Ever Spent by Ann Jacobus,

Finalist for the 2023 California Book Award, and the 2023 Northern California Book Award.

Eighteen-year-old Del is in a healthier place than she was a year and a half ago. Sheā€™s sober, getting treatment for her depression and anxiety, and volunteering at a suicide prevention hotline. Her own suicide attemptā€¦

Book cover of The Secret Horses of Briar Hill

Troon Harrison Author Of Cold Freedom

From my list on brave kids and horses.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was four years old when I was given a pony. The freedom of roaming the countryside with her was amazing, and I was hooked! All horse breeds have supported humans; their strength and speed have enabled farming, war, travel, and settlement. Horses feature in the art, religion, and sports of diverse cultures. My Historical Horse series contains three booksā€”each one is a completely different story about a specific breed of horse, and a fictional girl who loved it and depended on it, even to stay alive. Writing the books was like time-traveling with horses!

Troon's book list on brave kids and horses

Troon Harrison Why did Troon love this book?

I love horses and also fantasy; the chance to dream and let my imagination go at full gallop! This book contains both elements, as well as a WW II premise, and shares the mysterious happenings that unfold when a girl sees winged horses in the mirrors of a childrenā€™s hospital that was once the home of a princess. This story will appeal to all fantasy readers, with its emotional content and lovely illustrations. 

By Megan Shepherd,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Secret Horses of Briar Hill as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 10, 11, 12, and 13.

What is this book about?

An exceptional and moving novel about the power of the imagination from a New York Times bestselling author, illustrated by the winner of the Kate Greenaway medal.

Described by Michael Morpurgo as "a remarkable book": December 1941; Britain is at war. Emmaline has been evacuated away from the bombs to Briar Hill Hospital in Shropshire. When she gets there she discovers a secret. It's not to be shared, not to be told to anyone, even her friend Anna. But she'll tell you. This is Emmaline's secret. There are winged horses that live in the mirrors of Briar Hill. Exquisitely illustratedā€¦


Book cover of The Forest of Hands and Teeth
Book cover of Sorry for Your Loss
Book cover of 13 Reasons Why

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