Melbourne Library Service discussion

Books like Harry Potter and Charlotte’s Web are not just books for children, and The Great Gatsby is not just read by adults.

This list is all about books written for a YA audience that we think are perfect for adult readers too.

Because some YA books are not just for young adults!

Is your favourite YA book on this list? Let us know in the comments!



Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery


Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta


Laurinda by Alice Pung


We Were Liars by E. Lockhart


Little Women by Louisa May Alcott


My Life as an Alphabet by Barry Jonsberg


Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell


The Fault in Our Stars by John Green


The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien


The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank


Forever by Judy Blume


It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini


The Maze Runner by James Dashner


To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee


Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn


Emma by Jane Austen


The Book Thief by Markus Zusak


The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton


The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky


The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger


I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith


The Giver by Lois Lowry


My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult


The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell

Earlier this year I discovered

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, which I thought was fantastic.

I've been shoving The Death of Bees into everyone's hands this year :)

some others I think fit the bill are

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol I: The Pox Party

Into White Silence

More Than This

Exposure

Whip It

Even though it was written for a YA audience, I enjoyed this as an adult:

Looking for Alibrandi - I have revisited this book many times. The first time was when we studied it in year 10 and I remember being annoyed that Josie's parents were nowhere near as strict as mine. But in future re-readings I discovered the celebration of Italian culture and the poignant story that crosses the three generations of women.

Awesome list! Good to see several titles that I really enjoyed years ago still standing the test of time and now I have some more titles to add to my want to read list, I will never stop reading YA!

Good to hear Melissa, YA is seriously good stuff isn't it! I am about to read the last of the 4 books in the Giver series and I don't really want to cause that means there are no more :( Such a great series, only thin books but wow, they pack a punch and can really offer a lot to think about. I hope they make the rest of them into movies!

Justine