Skip to content
Bookworm
All gift ideas

Books for Teens

These eight books suit readers of about 13 to 17, with fast plots and characters close to their age. They include a funny adventure, two dystopias, a gamer thriller and two stories set in World War II.

Gift ideas

  • The Hunger Games

    Suzanne Collins

    Sixteen-year-old Katniss volunteers to take her sister's place in a televised fight to the death. Fast, tense and easy to talk about afterward.

    Books like The Hunger Games

  • The Lightning Thief

    Rick Riordan

    Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson learns he is the son of a Greek god and is blamed for stealing Zeus's lightning bolt. A funny, quick start to a series.

  • Holes

    Louis Sachar

    Stanley Yelnats is sent to a juvenile detention camp where every boy digs a hole a day, and a mystery lies beneath. Short chapters and a dry, odd humor.

  • Scythe

    Neal Shusterman

    In a future that has conquered death, teenagers Citra and Rowan are trained as scythes, whose job is to end lives. Dark and thoughtful, for readers who like big ideas.

  • The Book Thief

    Markus Zusak

    A girl in Nazi Germany steals books and shares them while her foster family hides a man in their basement. Narrated by Death, and very moving.

    Books like The Book Thief

  • Turtles All the Way Down

    John Green

    Sixteen-year-old Aza and her best friend look into a missing billionaire while Aza fights spiraling thoughts. An honest look at anxiety and OCD.

  • Warcross

    Marie Lu

    A young hacker and bounty hunter is hired by the creator of a global virtual-reality game and sent to Tokyo to investigate. Fast and inventive, and good for gamers.

  • Code Name Verity

    Elizabeth Wein

    A British spy captured in occupied France writes out her confession, and her story is also about her best friend, a pilot. Gripping and heartbreaking.

How to choose

Match the book to the age and to what they already enjoy. For about 13 and 14, The Lightning Thief and Holes are light, funny and quick to start. For readers who like action, The Hunger Games, Scythe and Warcross keep the pages turning. The Book Thief, Turtles All the Way Down and Code Name Verity suit readers closer to 15 to 17, who can handle sadder subjects.

Check the content. The Hunger Games and Scythe feature teenagers killing or being killed. Turtles All the Way Down follows a character with anxiety and compulsions. The Book Thief and Code Name Verity are set in World War II, with death, interrogation and loss.

Want something more personal?

Tell Bookworm what they like and what they don't, and get a short list chosen for them.

Get picks tailored to them

More gift ideas

Browse by mood