Six Great Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books for Teens

Six Great Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books for Teens

Many of the books teens read have been recently published, but a lot of the best books were written many years ago, and might not be well known by today’s high school students. Here are some of the best books sci-fi and fantasy books for teens, some of which are from over 30 years ago, or even older:

 The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams: 1979

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is one of the most well-known science-fiction books for teens and adults alike. The hilarious tale of Arthur Dent begins in England when Arthur’s house is suddenly set to be torn down to build a highway. Then, his friend, Ford Prefect, shows up at his house, revealing that he is an alien, and that the Earth is to be destroyed within minutes to build a similar highway across space. Arthur and Ford escape in a spaceship, beginning the hitchhiking adventure that spans over five incredible books in this series.

Graceling by Kristen Cashore: 2008

In the Seven Kingdoms, there are normal people, and there are Gracelings. Gracelings, whose are marked by their dual-colored eyes, have powers called “Graces” that make them special, ranging anywhere from reading people’s minds to never needing sleep. Lady Katsa, the narrator, has incredible fighting ability. Her uncle, the king of the Middluns, uses her as an assassin, until she meets Po, a prince of Lienid with apparently the same “Grace” as her, who is looking for his grandfather. The two set off on an adventurous journey to the kingdom of Monsea to find Po’s grandfather.

Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver: 2004

The first book of the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series, this story takes place in prehistoric Europe. The narrative follows Torak and his wolf, which he not-so-creatively names “Wolf,” as they hunt down the demonic beast that killed Torak’s father. Over the course of the series, Torak and Wolf discover more about the beast and the people who created it.

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore: 2010

Years before the beginning of the book, the planet Lorien was destroyed by an alien race, the Mogadorians, who polluted their own planet until it was impossible to live on it. Only eighteen people of Lorien were able to escape: nine children of the Garde, who have special powers called Legacies, and nine Cêpans, or guardians of the Garde. Upon arrival to Earth, the Garde were given protection that would force the Mogadorians to kill them in the order of the numbers given to them.

In the beginning of I Am Number Four, the first book of the Lorien Legacies series, Number Three is killed by the Mogadorians, causing a scar to burn into the ankles of all of the Garde on Earth, and warning the narrator, Number Four, that the Mogadorians are closer to catching him. He and his Cêpan, Henri, change their identities and move to Paradise, Ohio, where they hope to be safe from the Mogadorians until Four can develop his Legacies and help stop the Mogadorians once and for all.

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott: 2007

The Alchemyst is the first book of the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series. Josh and Sophie Newman are fifteen-year-old twins living with their aunt in California for the summer. Sophie works at a coffee shop while Josh works across the street at Nick and Perry Fleming’s bookstore. When a man named John Dee comes to the bookstore to find a mysterious book called the Codex, Josh and Sophie realize that Nick and Perry are actually Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel. John, Sophie, and the Flamels go off to retrieve the Codex. The Codex is needed to help Nicholas and Perenelle perform a spell to keep them young and to stop John Dee from returning the world to a time when the Earth was ruled by dark gods, with humans as their slaves.

Gone by Michael Grant: 2008

The first book in the series, Gone is perhaps one of the most underrated teen books of its time. The main character is one of about three hundred teenagers and children trapped under a dome that appears over the town of Perdido Beach, California, causing everybody over the age of fifteen to disappear. The dome also gives some of the teenagers and children mysterious powers. In the trapping, Sam receives the power to create balls of light, and later is able to make pillars of burning light. Throughout the series, the children and teenagers of the Fall Out Youth Zone, or the FAYZ, go through many trials and hard times to discover the secrets of the FAYZ.