“My child does not want to read!”, – School psychologists and teachers so often hear this cry of the soul of the mum of a teenager. Forcing a child to love reading is impossible, but you can try to give him an independent choice among interesting books for teens. Books for teenagers can also be interesting for adults without time to read them at the appropriate age. We have compiled for you the Top 10 books for teens that are worth reading for everyone!
“What It’s Like to Be a Dog: And Other Adventures in Animal Neuroscience” Gregory Berns
Who:
- Future scientists;
- Animal lovers.
Let’s start with popular science literature. If you have pets in your family, your teenager is unlikely to refuse to read this book. Gregory Burns is a physician, doctoral candidate, professor of psychology at Emory University, head of the university’s Centre for Neuropolitics and the Neurobiology Training and Research Centre. He put the dog in the MRI machine. I just don’t think anything bad, Burns didn’t force the dog or intimidate it. He helped it learn to avoid loud noises and closed spaces. This allowed us to learn what happens in a dog’s head, and scientists discovered an amazing new world! It turns out that the dog understands a lot more than we thought. It has an incredibly well-developed emotional intelligence. This discovery allowed us to make unexpected conclusions about the behavior of other animals as well. The book is interesting and informative and, undoubtedly, can surprise young animal lovers.
“The Little Prince” Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Who:
- Romantics;
- Fans of fairy tales.
“The Little Prince” is a fairy tale for adults because it is about growing up, about what is truly important in every person’s life. A teenager may be surprised to find that a good half of the beautiful quotes that are so fond of sharing on social networks are from this book. It can be read in early childhood as a kind fairy tale, by a teenager – understanding more and more about what its creator wanted to say and by adults to see how important what was said in this simple and touching story about a boy with golden hair who lived on a magical planet.
“The Catcher in the Rye” Jerome Salinger
Who:
- Those on the threshold of adulthood;
- Philosophers.
“The Catcher in the Rye” is a cult classic. The novel made the author famous around the world. Thirst for life, teenage rebellion and disagreement with conventional norms made the protagonist a symbol of his generation. He is looking for a way to cope with growing up, with the world’s imperfections. The transition from childhood to adulthood is a difficult ordeal. Despair before the cruelty and deceitfulness of the adult world hurts the still childish and pure soul of a young man. Many adults have long forgotten these feelings, but some books for teenagers have become a bridge to the past. “Above the Abyss in the Rye will be interesting to read and those who have already come out of adolescence.
“Flowers for Algernon” Daniel Keyes
Who:
- Those who study with special children;
- Those who don’t want to be cruel.
This incredibly subtle and intelligent novel is about a man who suffers from mental retardation. As a result of an experiment by scientists, he becomes the smartest of men. The book teaches kindness, and acceptance, and that there is emotional intelligence in addition to ordinary intelligence. Empathy – the amazing ability to feel another person’s pain in life can sometimes be more important than the ability to solve trigonometric equations. If you have a special needs child in the same class as a teenager, this book will help them understand that toughness cannot and should not be a sign of intelligence, and that the most important life lesson is the lesson of mercy and respect for people.
“To Kill a Mockingbird” Harper Lee
Who:
- Those who seek justice;
- Older children.
The realities described in this book may be difficult to understand for those living in our latitudes. All the better! Knowing the difficult history of mankind, which has not always been fair, will help the younger generation to take into account the mistakes of the past. Even though the action takes place in another country and in other times, human vices remain the same. The book may seem cruel, it is better to read it to those who are already on the threshold of adulthood, but it is at this age that it is so important to understand what happened to its main characters. Adults who haven’t read this book should definitely familiarise themselves with it too. It is both a teen and adult novel. It reads differently at each age. The theme of parenting and finding a common language with a child is revealed here better than anywhere else.
“Never Let Me Go” by Kazuo Ishiguro
Who:
- Those who are familiar with light sadness;
- To those who think about the order of the world.
The plot of the book seems like absolute fiction. In some universe very similar to our own, there is an orphanage of the future where cloned children of antisocial characters are grown for organ donation. They are human beings just like us. With the same feelings, experiences, growing up and dreams, but they are not destined to grow old. At a certain age, they will become organ donors, and after that, they will die. But, what do you do when they fall in love with each other? How do you survive a feeling that has no future? This book allows you to think about a lot of things. It became a recognised world bestseller and was recently screened.
“The Book Thief” Markus Zusak
Who:
- Fans of reading;
- Those who want to know history.
The year is 1939. Germany. Nine-year-old Liesel Meminger does not yet know that she will survive the Second World War, she just loves books very much… The plot of this book describes historical realities, but a bit like the philosophy of the story of the hero of “Over the Rye”. A child’s mind, pure and innocent thirsts for life, new knowledge, escape from the reality of cruel adults who unleashed a bloody war that takes lives. The child is looking for a way that will help him escape from this world, finds it in literature and hides there, but not to be a participant in the events at Liesel still will not be able to…
“Scarlet Sails” Alexander Grin
Who:
- Those who are experiencing first love;
- To those who dream of a miracle.
How to explain to a girl who becomes a young girl what love is? How will she be treated by the one who truly loves her? There is no better example than the prince who came to his beloved by sea on a ship with Scarlet Sails. This book is about true love that knows no barriers or boundaries, about honesty and toughness, about betrayal and courage. It is more like a magic fairy tale, but adults sometimes want to find themselves where justice always wins, villains get what they deserve, and kind and sensitive heroes go to a new life on a magic ship.
Those who will enjoy this book can be advised and…
“Amphibian Man” Alexander Beliaev
This science fiction classic also touches on the theme of the sea and unbelievable love. It is brilliantly written and, even though its ending is different from the happy fairy tale “Scarlet Sails”, it is worth reading to know that even in a world where not everything turns out the way people dreamed, there is room for miracles and selfless love, without which the human heart beats in vain. After reading it, you can watch a classic of cinema – a magnificent film adaptation of this book.
“The Chronicles of Narnia” C. S. Lewis
Who:
- Those who love fantasy;
- Children and adults of all ages.
Narnia is a magical land of love, kindness, and joy. Like any such country, Narnia quickly finds itself in danger and must be rescued… It seems like an average fantasy book for teens. It is a deeply Christian and philosophical work, as adults who have read this book can see. The dwarves, giants and fauns that inhabit this book are much like people, and its characters have to make difficult decisions, choose which side they are on and, of course, try to save the good world. But to do so, they will have to change themselves.
