Are you looking for reading recommendations for teens? We can help! Visit us in person or online to get great ideas for your next great read. For one-on-one help call or ask a Library staff member at any of our locations. You can also call, text, or email ask-a- librarian! Here are some more ideas to help you find what to read next.
- Follow our staff’s most recently published book lists on the library catalog home page.
- Don’t miss our If You Like… suggestions that cover all the favorite genres like science fiction, graphic novels, romance, and more.
- Join us Sunday nights at 8:30 p.m. on Facebook for Currently Reading where book enthusiasts offer their suggestions.
- Catch book recommendations and IndyPL program highlights from your own local librarians once a month on the Indy Now Morning Show with Ryan and Jillian on Fox59. The show airs at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays. Browse our past appearances.
- You can also get reading recommendations online from NovelList or Book Connections. Read book reviews, see “read alike” lists, browse starred reviews, and more.
Make a selection from one of the book lists below created by our staff of avid readers whose reading experiences and tastes cover about any interest you can think of!
Korean Manhwa for Teens
Manhwa (만화) is the general term for Korean comics and print cartoons. These manhwa titles are a part of our teen collection and feature a variety of genres. While manhwa can seem similar to Japanese manga, there are several differences. Manga typically features black and white illustrations and manhwa is usually illustrated in color. Another difference is how it’s read; manga is typically read from right to left and manhwa is read from left to right. If you’re a reader of webcomics, some of these titles may seem familiar as many were originally published online.
Freaky Friday
the long time coming sequel, Freakier Friday, premiers August 8th. Hilarious onscreen mother-daughter duo Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are now, 22 years later, a grandmother-mother duo. While you wait for the new release to hit theaters (and then library shelves), check out some other popular movie franchise sequels where our young protagonists return all grown up!
Let the Games Begin
Whether you’re gearing up for GenCon (July 31 – August 3 in Indianapolis) or just love a good magical showdown, these teen books put strategy, survival, and strength to the ultimate test. From deadly tournaments and royal trials to virtual games and magical gauntlets, each story features characters fighting for glory, love, freedom, or just to stay alive.
Disability Representation in Fantasy and Science Fiction
These stories feature characters in fantastical or futuristic settings whose disabilities are not “magically cured”; some of them do use familiar mobility aids or prosthetics, and/or they are fighting for a society that accommodates and supports their differences. Some of the stories, the disability is just an aspect of the character and doesn’t affect the plot really. I’ve tried my best to include stories that are either #OwnVoices (the author personally shares the disability or is intimately aware of the disability (a family member has it) or it has been confirmed that great care and research was taken when writing the story, and they’ve avoided certain harmful tropes.
If You Like Brandon Sanderson
For fans of the Cosmere, the Cytoverse, and other works by Brandon Sanderson. If you enjoy god-level magic systems, dense world histories, complex political systems, superheroes, fairy tales, space operas, heists, and tales that focus on the actions of average people trying to change the system – these books are for you!
Fullmetal Alchemist: Fullmetal Editions
The hardcover Fullmetal Editions, include 5-7 chapters each instead of the 3-5 the original volumes did, causing there to be 18 volumes of the Fullmetal Editions compared to the original 27 volumes.
Blushes and Butterflies
Experience heart-wrenching crushes, first loves, the drama of adolescent friendships, and plenty of innocent fluff with these romance and friendship focused manga, set in high school, for teens.
Staff Picks 2024- Best of Teen
Enjoy this list of our favorite YA reads of 2024, which spans genres. Enjoy dark academia, fake dating, poetry, comic adventures, subverted fantasy tropes, heists, D&D, and more!
Don’t forget that this year, we’ve included our favorite selections from the back catalog, in the hopes you can get your hands on a book you’ll love right now.
100 Books Before Graduation
Read 100 books before graduating from high school and receive prizes as you work toward your goal. Prizes will be awarded after reading 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100 books! Most importantly, students will expand their mind, vocabulary, critical thinking, and test scores! This program is for students in grades 7-12. Learn more about 100 Books Before Graduation and register.