New to High School? (YA)

In Year 9 and stuck for something to read? Here are 31 of our favourite books or series to get you started. Don’t forget to talk to your school librarian as well — they’re experts on all things bookishly good!

Updated June 19, 2024
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
Pride and prejudice
Austen, Jane
Paper Book
Austen's most popular novel, the unforgettable story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy Few have failed to be charmed by the witty and independent spirit of Elizabeth Bennet in Austen's beloved classic Pride and Prejudice. When Elizabeth Bennet first meets eligible bachelor...
Firekeeper's daughter
Boulley, Angeline
Paper Book
A ground-breaking, heart-racing thriller perfect for fans of Angie Thomas and Tommy Orange An instant no. 1 New York Times Bestseller, April 4 2021 Winner of the Goodreads Choice Awards for YA Fiction, 2021 Winner of CrimeFest Best YA Crime Fiction Prize, 2022 ...
The Hunger Games
Collins, Suzanne.
Paper Book
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. But Katniss has been close to death before-and survival, for her, is second nature. The Hunger Games is a searing novel set in a...
The maze runner
Dashner, James
Paper Book
  The first book in the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series - now a series of major movies starring Dylan O'Brien! SEE THE FILMS. READ THE BOOKS. ENTER THE MAZE ... When the doors of the lift crank open, the only thing Thomas remembers is his first name....
Legendborn
Deonn, Tracy
Ebook
To all the boys I've loved before
Han, Jenny
Paper Book
  The book that started it all! All three books in the To All The Boys I've Loved Beforeseries have been made into feature length films for NETFLIX. A Times Best YA Book of All Time(2021) Lara Jean keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. One for...
The henna wars
Jaigirdar, Adiba
Paper Book
Nishat and Flávia are rivals at school, but Nishat can't help the secret crush burning in her heart - even though her parents disapprove of the fact she likes girls. Can she possibly find her happy ever after? A gorgeous, heart-warming, queer YA love story for fans of Becky Albertalli.<...
Skulduggery Pleasant
Landy, Derek.
Paper Book
Anne of Green Gables
Montgomery, L. M.
Paper Book
Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert are in for a big surprise. They're waiting for an orphan boy to help with the work at Green Gables, but a skinny red-haired girl turns up instead. Feisty and full of spirit, Anne Shirley charms her way into the Cuthbert's affection with her vivid imagination and constant...
The recruit
Muchamore, Robert.
Paper Book
The first title in the number one bestselling CHERUB series! James hits rock bottom before he's offered a new start in an intriguing organisation ... A terrorist doesn't let strangers in her flat because they might be undercover police or intelligence agents, but her children...
Heartstopper. Volume 1
Oseman, Alice
Paper Book
*Now an acclaimed live-action Netflix series!* *Winner of Best Book I Wish I Could Read Again For The First Time - TikTok Book Awards* Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. A bestselling LGBTQ+ graphic novel about life, love, and...
Eragon
Paolini, Christopher.
Paper Book
Master storyteller and internationally bestselling author Christopher Paolini returns to the World of Eragon with Murtagh. Murtagh, a stunning epic fantasy set a year after the events of the Inheritance Cycle, will publish in 2023. The first book in The Inheritance...
Northern lights
Pullman, Philip
Paper Book
Lyra Belacqua and her animal daemon live half-wild and carefree among scholars of Jordan College, Oxford. The destiny that awaits her will take her to the frozen lands of the Arctic, where witch-clans reign and ice-bears fight. Her extraordinary journey will have immeasurable consequences far beyond...
The lightning thief
Riordan, Rick
Paper Book
Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood. I never asked to be the son of a Greek god. I was just a normal kid, going to school, playing basketball, skateboarding. The usual. Until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. That's when things started reallygoing wrong. Now I spend my time...
Holes
Sachar, Louis
Paper Book
'You want to run away?' Mr Sir asked him. Stanley looked back at him, unsure what he meant. 'If you want to run away, go ahead, start running. I'm not going to stop you.' Stanley didn't know what kind of game Mr Sir was playing. 'We don't need a fence. Know why? Because we've got the...
Nimona
Stevenson, ND
Paper Book
Nimona is an impulsive young shape-shifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius...
The Hobbit : or There and back again
Tolkien, J. R. R.
Paper Book
A brand new revised edition of the best-selling graphic novel based on the enchanting prelude to The Lord of the Rings. First published in 1990, David Wenzel's comic book adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit was an immediate success and has become one of the best-loved graphic...
The book thief
Zusak, Markus
Paper Book
HERE IS A SMALL FACT - YOU ARE GOING TO DIE 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier. Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books...

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