Crossover Books (YA)

“Crossover” is what the publishing industry calls books that appeal to both adults and teenagers. Books can cross over in both directions: they’re especially popular if they win awards, or reviewers rave about them. Here are thirty great reads that both adults and young adults might enjoy.

Updated June 19, 2024
W
Wellington City Libraries Youth team at Wellington City Libraries
This is your list in printable form. Simply print this page using your browser's print command.

Crossover Books (YA)

“Crossover” is what the publishing industry calls books that appeal to both adults and teenagers. Books can cross over in both directions: they’re especially popular if they win awards, or reviewers rave about them. Here are thirty great reads that both adults and young adults might enjoy.

Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
The handmaid's tale
Atwood, Margaret
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * An instant classic and eerily prescient cultural phenomenon, from "the patron saint of feminist dystopian fiction" (The New York Times) * The sixth and final season of the award-winning Hulu series starring Elisabeth Moss is now streaming ...
Northanger Abbey
Austen, Jane
Paper Book
In this spirited comedy of manners Catherine Morland, a plain, unspoiled small-town girl on holiday in Bath, meets and falls in love with Henry Tilney, a handsome young clergyman. Henry's father, believing Catherine to be wealthy, invites her to be a guest at Northanger Abby, the family's...
Jane Eyre
Bronte?, Charlotte
Paper Book
Charlotte Bronte's impassioned novel is the love story of Jane Eyre, a plain yet spirited governess, and her employer, the arrogant, brooding Mr. Rochester. Published in 1847 under the pseudonym Currer Bell, the book heralded a new kind of heroine--one whose virtuous integrity, keen intellect, and...
Wuthering Heights
Bronte?, Emily
Paper Book
Considered lurid and shocking by mid-19th-century standards, Wuthering Heights was initially thought to be such a publishing risk that its author, Emily Brontë, was asked to pay some of the publication costs. A somber tale of consuming passions and vengeance played out against the...
A short history of nearly everything
Bryson, Bill
Paper Book
THE #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER * One of the world's most beloved writers and New York Times bestselling author of A Walk in the Woods and The Body takes his ultimate journey--into the most intriguing and intractable questions that science seeks to answer. "Brims with...
The long way to a small, angry planet
Chambers, Becky
Paper Book
National Bestseller! The acclaimed modern science fiction masterpiece, Hugo Award winner for Best Series! Follow a motley crew on an exciting journey through space--and one adventurous young explorer who discovers the meaning of family in the far reaches of the universe--in this...
A winter's promise
Dabos, Christelle
Ebook
"A stunningly atmospheric fantasy that doubles as an exceptional character study . . . we can't wait to see where Dabos takes it next." -- Entertainment Weekly ("The 10 Best YA Books of 2018") One of Publishers Weekly's Best YA Books of the Year<...
Washington Black
Edugyan, Esi
Paper Book
ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'S TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR * MAN BOOKER PRIZE FINALIST * "A gripping historical narrative exploring both the bounds of slavery and what it means to be truly free." --Vanity Fair Eleven-year-old George Washington...
Lord of the flies
Golding, William
Paper Book
Lord of the Flies remains as provocative today as when it was first published in 1954, igniting passionate debate with its startling, brutal portrait of human nature. Though critically acclaimed, it was largely ignored upon its initial publication. Yet soon it became a cult favorite among...
The whale rider
Ihimaera, Witi
Paper Book
Eight-year-old Kahu, a member of the Maori tribe of Whangara, New Zealand, fights to prove her love, her leadership, and her destiny. Her people claim descent from Kahutia Te Rangi, the legendary "whale rider." In every generation since Kahutia, a male heir has inherited the title of chief. But...
Klara and the sun
Ishiguro, Kazuo
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER * Once in a great while, a book comes along that changes our view of the world. This magnificent novel from the Nobel laureate and author of Never Let Me Go is "an intriguing take on how artificial intelligence might play a role in our futures ... a...
Last night at the Telegraph Club
Lo, Malinda
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD AND STONEWALL BOOK AWARD * From acclaimed author Malinda Lo comes a gripping, tender coming-of-age novel exploring identity, queerness, and historical upheaval set in San Francisco's Chinatown during the 1950s. ...
A court of thorns and roses
Maas, Sarah J
Paper Book
THE INSTANTNEW YORK TIMESBESTSELLER Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R.R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down! When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like...
Animal Farm : a fairy story
Orwell, George
Paper Book
75th Anniversary Edition--Includes a New Introduction by Téa Obreht George Orwell's timeless and timely allegorical novel--a scathing satire of a downtrodden society's blind march towards totalitarianism. "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than...
The book of Dust. Volume one, La belle sauvage
Pullman, Philip
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * DON'T MISS THE EPIC FINALE TO THE BOOK OF DUST: THE ROSE FIELD, AVAILABLE NOW! Return to the world of His Dark Materials with the first book of a landmark trilogy. "People will love the first volume of Philip Pullman...
The priory of the orange tree
Shannon, Samantha
Ebook
The million-copy bestselling "rich and engaging high fantasy novel that puts women and their stories front and center . . . will pull you into its magical world from the first page." (Bustle)NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY:AMAZON (Top 100 Editors Picks and Science Fiction...
This one summer
Tamaki, Mariko
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller A 2015 Caldecott Honor Book A 2015 Michael L. Printz Honor Book An Eisner Award Winner Rose is always excited for summer. It means the lake house with her parents, but most importantly, it means she gets to spend the summer with...
The hate u give
Thomas, Angie
Paper Book
8 starred reviews · Goodreads Choice Awards Best of the Best  ·  William C. Morris Award Winner · National Book Award Longlist · Printz Honor Book · Coretta Scott King Honor Book · #1 New York Times Bestseller! "Absolutely riveting!" --Jason Reynolds "Stunning." -...
Night
Wiesel, Elie
Paper Book
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...
Find this list online

https://librarian.syndetics.com/syndeticsunbound/lp/2320.2914/list/3448

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