The most recommended books for 9th graders

Who picked these books? Meet our 1,998 experts.

1,998 authors created a book list with books for 9th graders, and here are their favorite books. 

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What type of book for a 9th grader?

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Book cover of The Legend of Auntie Po

Sylvie Kantorovitz Author Of Sylvie

From my list on middle-grade depicting different cultures.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was five, my family moved from Morocco to France. We were Jewish in a very homogeneously Catholic world. My French upbringing didn’t include much exposure to other cultures and I often felt uncomfortably different. I would have liked to know more about various lifestyles, cultures, and traditions than those I observed around me. I now love to learn about other cultures through personal accounts, stories, and memoirs. I feel engaged and interested in a way I never experienced with textbooks. Reading about people who live a different life from our own can be an eye-opening experience.

Sylvie's book list on middle-grade depicting different cultures

Sylvie Kantorovitz Why did Sylvie love this book?

I love learning about life in another time period through a story. This one transported me to a logging camp in 1885. I learned about the life of the camp, the hard and dangerous work, and the treatment of the Chinese workers. 

Mei is the daughter of a Chinese cook. She dreams of studying at the university, but doubts she will ever be able to, because of her Chinese origins. 

I loved the deep but complex friendships between Mei and the foreman’s daughter and between Mei’s father and the foreman himself. I loved the affection between Mei and her father, their observance of Chinese traditions, and I loved Mei’s story-telling, re-casting Paul Bunyan as a benevolent Auntie Po.

By Shing Yin Khor,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Legend of Auntie Po 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?

A NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST
 
Part historical fiction, part fable, and 100 percent adventure. Thirteen-year-old Mei reimagines the myths of Paul Bunyan as starring a Chinese heroine while she works in a Sierra Nevada logging camp in 1885.

Cover may vary.
 
Aware of the racial tumult in the years after the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act, Mei tries to remain blissfully focused on her job, her close friendship with the camp foreman's daughter, and telling stories about Paul Bunyan--reinvented as Po Pan Yin (Auntie Po), an elderly Chinese matriarch.

Anchoring herself with stories of Auntie Po, Mei navigates the…


Book cover of Hood

Katie Ward Author Of The Pretender

From my list on YA inspired by classic fiction.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have a real love of classic fiction and my first novel The Pretender is a modern-day adaptation of Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper. I discovered this story as a child when a relative gave me a copy to read on the journey home from Scotland. While aspects of the story are frequently copied, the essence of the original novel felt forgotten. It’s such a beautiful story with many of the themes still relevant today that I decided to adapt it so a modern audience could rediscover and fall in love with it all over again. As an author, I draw a lot of inspiration from the classics.

Katie's book list on YA inspired by classic fiction

Katie Ward Why did Katie love this book?

As an archery enthusiast, I always feel a bit Maid Marian when I’m practicing with my bow and arrow! This historical YA reimagining of Robin Hood gives a new perspective on one of our most beloved childhood tales. However, it doesn’t focus on Robin as we’d expect but instead on his teenage daughter as she flees the clutches of King John in search of the father she has never known. Finding herself forced into a world of criminals to search for safety. This is a great adaptation and gives the story a whole new angle which makes it feel brand-new yet still features the beloved characters we’d wish to see. I love that this book allows you to rediscover such a classic story all over again!

By Jenny Moke,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hood 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?

Marien and Robin Hood's daughter must join the Merry Men to save her parents.


Book cover of The Sea in You

Anna Kopp Author Of The Marble Queen

From my list on queer fantasy graphic novels for young adults.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was a queer teen in the early 2000s, I didn’t have sapphic books or media available to me aside from anime, and even then, the dubbed versions on TV were scrubbed of queerness (I’m looking at you, Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura). I did have Revolutionary Girl Utena, and it was everything to me: fantasy, ballgowns, and girls dancing together. I wrote my book for that me who craved to see herself in beautiful, fantastical stories, and it’s why I love the fact that we have so many more out there right now that I can recommend to all of you!

Anna's book list on queer fantasy graphic novels for young adults

Anna Kopp Why did Anna love this book?

I started reading this book as a webcomic on Tapas almost a decade ago, and I’m so happy to finally have the graphic novel!

I love The Little Mermaid, especially when it’s retold as a sapphic tale, so this is right up my alley. I am in awe of the unique depictions of mermaids in this world, and I can’t wait for the sequel.  

By Jessi Sheron,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Sea in You 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?

"A refreshingly menacing take on the mermaid mythos." - PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

"An exciting, dramatic, and tender tale of adolescent self-discovery-above and below the ocean." - FOREWORD

15-year-old Corinth was just trying to clean up the beach; she never expected to meet a mermaid, let alone be nearly drowned by one. It was the start of a very strange friendship!

After Skylla, the deadly fanged mermaid, mysteriously lets Corinth live, they grow closer through a cautious exchange of stories, gifts, jokes, and sign language. Mermaids, it turns out, eat people, but however terrifying Skylla may look, she's a little younger, a…


Book cover of Once Upon a Broken Heart

Emilia Dashfire Author Of Out of Ashes

From Emilia's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Blogger Fantasist Crazy cat lady Reader Audiobook lover

Emilia's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Emilia Dashfire Why did Emilia love this book?

This is a wonderfully whimsical story with hints of Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella. This book has beautiful prose, a character that deserves a redemption arc, and a love to break all curses. 

Evangeline Fox is sent to the mysterious north to be ambassador to the south at the new queen’s request. But Evangeline was not prepared for the truth the north holds or the people she would end up entangled with.

I fell in love with Stephanie’s books through the Craval series, and I fell in love again with a whole new land set in the same world. She brings this fantastic world to life where curses have a mind of their own, and magic is everywhere. 

By Stephanie Garber,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Once Upon a Broken Heart 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?

Make a wish . . .

'An unputdownable fairy tale' Kerri Maniscalco, New York Times bestselling author of Kingdom of the Wicked

From the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Caraval series, the first book in a new series about love, curses, and the lengths that people will go to for happily ever after.

For as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in happily ever after. Until she learns that the love of her life is about to marry another, and her dreams are shattered.

Desperate to stop the wedding, and heal her wounded heart, Evangeline…


Book cover of Of Curses and Kisses

Zoë Markham Author Of Under My Skin

From my list on YA retellings of the classics.

Why am I passionate about this?

In my previous role as a teacher, I often encountered teens who never, ever read outside of school – and hated having to read in school. Finding YA retellings of the classics became an indispensable tool for me in terms of not only linking the past with the present for the young adults in my classes, but also in terms of helping them see themselves in fiction, finding representation there, and discovering their own importance. It opened up whole worlds for all of us, and offered a pathway to a love of reading that I hope they will never forget!

Zoë's book list on YA retellings of the classics

Zoë Markham Why did Zoë love this book?

I wanted to include an unashamedly fun read for balance, and Of Curses and Kisses is absolute bucketloads of fun. A contemporary Beauty and the Beast retelling, it’s charmingly clever, funny, and vibrant, with its cast of diverse characters and its boarding school setting. If you’re ever looking for a hug in book form, look no further! 

By Sandhya Menon,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Of Curses and Kisses 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?

For Princess Jaya Rao, nothing is more important than family. That's why when she finds out she'll be attending the same elite boarding school as Grey Emerson, a member of the rival royal family behind a humiliating scandal involving her little sister, she schemes to get revenge on the young nobleman in order to even the score between their families. The plan? Make him fall in love with her and then break his heart the way his family has broken hers.

Grey Emerson doesn't connect with people easily. Due to a curse placed on his family by the Raos that…


Book cover of Heartless

Veronica Fuxa Author Of What Is Normal?

From Veronica's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Reader Teacher Cat lover

Veronica's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Veronica Fuxa Why did Veronica love this book?

I love retold fairy tales and stories, and this one is an excellent retelling of Alice in Wonderland, one of my favorite classic novels.

This is the origin story of the villain in Alice in Wonderland, the Red Queen. It’s dark, romantic, and devastating, full of twists and turns you’d never expect. It also tastefully incorporates other fairy tales and stories into the plot.

By Marissa Meyer,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Heartless 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?

From Marissa Meyer, the #1 New York Times–bestselling story of Wonderland's most notorious villain: the Queen of Hearts.

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland―the infamous Queen of Hearts―she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen.…


Book cover of Small Favors

Christy R. Harrill Author Of The Blood Vier

From my list on YA fantasy books to read in one sitting.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always had a love for the YA Fantasy genre. Something about the fast pacing and the themes that are explored have a way of resonating with me more than any other. I think it’s because they’re centered around that weird but pivotal time in your life when you’re no longer a child but not quite an adult. It’s what keeps bringing me back, and I love immersing myself in that mindset. 

Christy's book list on YA fantasy books to read in one sitting

Christy R. Harrill Why did Christy love this book?

I love a good mystery, and this book provided me with that small-town creepy vibe with just a dash of fantasy. No matter how many other things I needed to be doing, I couldn’t put this book down.

It follows a girl named Ellerie as her world slowly falls apart. They’re trying to find the people who went missing from an attack on a supply wagon and are afraid the monsters that once lived in the woods have returned.

Every moment had me guessing, had me suspecting one person or another, and as it neared the end, I wondered how the author was going to resolve and explain everything. I loved it because it was a book that sucked me in but left me unable to figure it out until the very end. 

By Erin A. Craig,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Small Favors 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 INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the critically-acclaimed author of House of Salt and Sorrows comes a mesmerizing and chilling fairy-talesque novel about Ellerie Downing, a young woman in a small town with monsters lurking in the trees and dark desires hidden in the shadows—in Amity Falls, nothing is more dangerous than a wish come true.

"Unique, enchanting, and haunting."—Brigid Kemmerer, New York Times bestselling author of the Cursebreaker series

“Sweet, dark, and complex as wildflower honey.”—Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf

“Small Favors is an eerie fairytale that I couldn’t put down.”—Alexis…


Book cover of Artemis Fowl: Lost Colony

James L.P. Thompson Author Of Voidoxity: The Eternal King

From my list on realms of magic, mystery, and monsters.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a Canadian author and artist that loves to write and draw the darker side of fantasy. Ever since I was a child, I have adored mythology, horror, and the creatures and worlds that are present within the fantasy genre. The world of fantasy has unlimited imagination, and its lore and structure grow constantly, which gives endless ideas to us writers to create endless brilliant realms and the creatures that dwell within them.

James' book list on realms of magic, mystery, and monsters

James L.P. Thompson Why did James love this book?

The Artemis Fowl series is one of my favourite reads. The Lost Colony was especially an enjoyable read due to its time traversing and presence of demons and magic. I recommend this novel and the entire Artemis Fowl series if you love a well-paced and enjoyable read into one of the many intricate worlds of fantasy. This novel is one of the many that inspired me to become a fantasy writer and gave me some inspiration and ideas when coming up with the storyline for my first novel.

By Eoin Colfer,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Artemis Fowl 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?

Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony is the stunning fifth audio adventure in Eoin Colfer's mega-selling Artemis Fowl series, read by the actor Adrian Dunbar.

Ten millennia ago, the fairy people were defeated in a great battle with mankind, forcing them to move underground. Only the 8th family of fairies remained undefeated: the demons. But now one demon has discovered the secrets of the fairy world, and if humans get hold of this information, the fairies are in BIG trouble. Only one person can prevent this disaster - teenage criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl

'Wickedly brilliant' Independent


Book cover of All the Bad Apples

Celine Kiernan Author Of Resonance

From my list on supernatural books written by Irish women.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was a weird kid. Often accused of ‘thinking too much’, I cut my literary teeth on Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Phillip K Dick, and Shirley Jackson. Raised on their dark milk, I grew up wanting more than hollow scares and mindless eviscerations. Don’t just give me a scary story, give me a scary story that resonates, one that raises a lens to our world, our history, the rules we’re asked to live by. Unsettle me, make me think. Most of all, give me characters worth my precious time. These are the kind of stories I endeavor to write and the ones I most enjoy reading. I hope you enjoy this small selection as much as I have.

Celine's book list on supernatural books written by Irish women

Celine Kiernan Why did Celine love this book?

More beautifully written magic realism, with compelling characters and a fascinating plot. Fowley-Doyle uses the obliqueness of the supernatural and the compelling tropes of a mystery story to explore Ireland's troubled history with women and children. There's something of the road trip to this one, with a warm, supportive, found-family providing kindness and companionship to the main character in a story that otherwise might be too bleak to bear. Release yourself to the prose and to the experience, let the book carry you. It’ll be worth the journey.

By Moïra Fowley-Doyle,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked All the Bad Apples 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?

The stunning new novel about silenced female voices, family secrets and dangerous truths from the author of The Accident Season.

'Exquisite . . . This is a book to hold tightly to your chest' Irish Times

'Lyrical . . . Compelling' Guardian

'Beautiful, visceral . . . A primal scream' Louise O'Neill

'Uncompromising, raw, devastating' Publishers Weekly

'I am in absolute awe of it' Melinda Salisbury

On Deena's seventeenth birthday, the day she finally comes out to her family, her wild and mysterious sister Mandy is seen leaping from a cliff. The family is heartbroken, but not surprised. The women…


Book cover of A Rush of Wings

Joanna Ruth Meyer Author Of Echo North

From my list on adult fairytale retellings.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been a passionate devourer of fairytale retellings ever since I happened upon Robin McKinley’s Beauty at the library when I was eleven years old. Fairytales have such a timelessness to them that allow them to be retold over and over, reinterpreted, and reimagined in seemingly countless ways, and I’m honored to have now written a few of my own. Fairytales have shaped my own writing from the beginning.

Joanna's book list on adult fairytale retellings

Joanna Ruth Meyer Why did Joanna love this book?

A poignant, passionate retelling of The Seven Wild Swans set in an alternate Scotland, this gorgeous book stars a prickly, fierce girl who will do anything to save her brothers from a wicked enchantment. Rowenna’s mother Mairead dies before she can teach Rowenna the magical craft she is so desperate to learn. But when Mairead seemingly comes back from the dead, Rowenna is powerless to defeat the evil creature wearing her face, who proceeds to curse Rowenna, her brothers, and the boy named Gawen Rowenna rescued from the sea. The boys are turned into swans by day, only shifting back to their human forms at night. Rowenna herself is robbed of her voice by day. There is only one thing that can save her brothers and herself—shirts woven out of stinging nettles. But can she weave the shirts before time runs out?

By Laura E. Weymouth,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Rush of Wings 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?

For fans of Serpent & Dove and A House of Salt and Sorrows comes a darkly atmospheric and romantic fantasy about an untrained witch who must unlock her power to free her brothers from a terrible curse and save her home.

Rowenna Winthrop has always known there's magic within her. But though she hears voices on the wind and possesses unusual talents, her mother Mairead believes Rowenna lacks discipline, and refuses to teach her the craft that keeps their Scottish village safe. And when Mairead dies a sinister death, it seems Rowenna's only chance to grow into her power has…


Book cover of The Legend of Auntie Po
Book cover of Hood
Book cover of The Sea in You

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