Classics for Teens

Classic literature appropriate for a teenaged audience, while also enjoyable for adult readers.
Updated January 16, 2023
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Twain, Mark, 1835-1910.
Hilariously picaresque, epic in scope, alive withthe poetry and vigor of the American people, MarkTwain's story about a young boy and his journeydown the Mississippi was the first great novel tospeak in a truly American voice. Influencingsubsequent generations of writers -- from SherwoodAnderson to...
Call of the wild
London, Jack, 1876-1916.
Puffin Classics- the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child Join Puffin in celebrating 120 years since Call of the Wild first published with this very special anniversary edition. To Buck it was boundless delight, this hunting, fishing,...
Catcher in the rye
Salinger, J. D. 1919-2010
The "brilliant, funny, meaningful novel" (The New Yorker) that established J. D. Salinger as a leading voice in American literature--and that has instilled in millions of readers around the world a lifelong love of books. "If you...
Anne Frank : the diary of a young girl
Frank, Anne
Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank's remarkable diary has become a world classic--a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit.  In 1942, with the Nazis occupying Holland, a thirteen...
Color purple
Walker, Alice, 1944-
The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that tells the story of two sisters through their correspondence. With a new Preface by the author.
Great Gatsby
Fitzgerald, F. Scott 1896-1940.
The only authorized edition of the twentieth-century classic, featuring F. Scott Fitzgerald's final revisions, a foreword by his granddaughter, and a new introduction by National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward. Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's...
House on Mango Street
Cisneros, Sandra.
A TODAY SHOW #ReadWithJenna BOOK CLUB PICK NATIONAL BESTSELLER * A coming-of-age classic about a young girl growing up in Chicago * Acclaimed by critics, beloved by readers of all ages, taught in schools and universities alike, and translated around the world-...
Lord of the flies
Golding, William, 1911-1993.
Golding's iconic 1954 novel, now with a new foreword by Lois Lowry, remains one of the greatest books ever written for young adults and an unforgettable classic for readers of any age.   This edition includes a new Suggestions for Further Reading by Jennifer Buehler. ...
Of mice and men
Steinbeck, John, 1902-1968.
A controversial tale of friendship and tragedy during the Great Depression   They are an unlikely pair: George is "small and quick and dark of face"; Lennie, a man of tremendous size, has the mind of a young child. Yet they have formed a "family," clinging together in the...
Lottery and other stories
Jackson, Shirley, 1916-1965.
One of the most terrifying stories of the twentieth century, Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" created a sensation when it was first published in The New Yorker in 1948. "Power and haunting," and "nights of unrest" were typical reader responses. Today it is considered a...
1984
Orwell, George, 1903-1950.
Written 75 years ago, 1984 was George Orwell's chilling prophecy about the future. And while 1984 has come and gone, his dystopian vision of a government that will do anything to control the narrative is timelier than ever... This 75th Anniversary Edition includes: *...
On the road
Kerouac, Jack, 1922-1969.
The classic novel of freedom and the search for authenticity that defined a generation September 5th, 2017 marks the 60th anniversary of the publication of On the Road Inspired by Jack Kerouac's adventures with Neal Cassady, On the Road...
To kill a mockingbird
Lee, Harper.
The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill A Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made...
Night
Wiesel, Elie, 1928-2016.
A new translation from the French by Marion Wiesel. Night is Elie Wiesel's masterpiece, a candid, horrific, and deeply poignant autobiographical account of his survival as a teenager in the Nazi death camps. This new translation by Marion Wiesel, Elie's wife and frequent...
Their eyes were watching God
Hurston, Zora Neale.
Fair and long-legged, independent and articulate, Janie Crawford sets out to be her own person -- no mean feat for a black woman in the '30s. Janie's quest for identity takes her through three marriages and into a journey back to her roots.
Fahrenheit 451
Bradbury, Ray, 1920-2012.
For use in schools and libraries only. A totalitarian regime has ordered all books to be destroyed, but one of the book burners suddenly realizes their merit.
Black boy (American hunger) a record of childhood and youth
Wright, Richard, 1908-1960.
With an introduction by Jerry W. Ward, Jr. Black Boy is a classic of American autobiography, a subtly crafted narrative of Richard Wright' s journey from innocence to experience in the Jim Crow South. An enduring story of one young man' s coming off age during a particular time and place, Black Boy...

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.