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10 Best Classics for Teens

With so many fantastic young adult books published every day, it is easy to overlook the classics for teens. And yet, classic novels can be some of the most inspiring books for teenagers: providing insights into history, broadening horizons and, most importantly, immersing the reader into the very best stories - those that have stood the test of time.

So what are the classic books every teenager should read?

We have put together our own list of the best classics for young adults. There are sweeping love stories, magical adventures, terrifying horror stories and quirky coming-of-age stories, books to make you challenge your perceptions and think differently about history.

These timeless novels are as gripping and enchanting now, as they were when they were first written.

And for even more ideas check out our other book lists:

Modern Classics for Teens
Classic Children’s Books for Every Age

Georgina Atwell

Toppsta

2021-04-08

2020-07-19

10 Best Classics for Teens

To Kill a Mockingbird

'Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.' Meet Scout, the narrator of this book. Her story is one of Deep South summers, fights at school and playing in the street. The spooky house of her mysterious neighbour, Boo Radley, sags dark and forbidding nearby. Her brother, Jem, and her friend, Dill, want to make Boo come outside. Her story is about justice. When Scout's father, a lawyer, agrees to defend a black man against an accusation by a white girl, he must battle the prejudice of the whole town. It's about imagination - not just the kind you need for childhood games. Because you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Vintage Children's Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from The Jungle Book and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

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Little Women

Grown-up Meg, tomboyish Jo, timid Beth, and precocious Amy. The four March sisters couldn't be more different. But with their father away at war, and their mother working to support the family, they have to rely on one another. Whether they're putting on a play, forming a secret society, or celebrating Christmas, there's one thing they can't help wondering: Will Father return home safely?

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Oxford Children's Classics: Pride and Prejudice

Fall in love with Elizabeth and Mr Darcy . . . It is a truth universally acknowledged that Pride and Prejudice is the greatest love story ever written in the English language. When Elizabeth meets Mr Darcy she finds him arrogant and aloof. He in turn is determined not to be impressed by her beauty and wit. But will they realize that first impressions are not always to be trusted? Oxford Children's Classics present not only the original and unabridged story of Pride and Prejudice but also help you to discover a whole world of new adventures with an amazing assortment of recommendations and activities.

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The Hobbit

The Hobbit is the unforgettable story of Bilbo, a peace-loving hobbit, who embarks on a strange and magical adventure. A timeless classic. Bilbo Baggins enjoys a quiet and contented life, with no desire to travel far from the comforts of home; then one day the wizard Gandalf and a band of dwarves arrive unexpectedly and enlist his services - as a burglar - on a dangerous expedition to raid the treasure-hoard of Smaug the dragon. Bilbo's life is never to be the same again. Seldom has any book been so widely read and loved as J. R.R. Tolkien's classic tale, 'The Hobbit'. Since its first publication in 1937 it has remained in print to delight each new generation of readers all over the world, and its hero, Bilbo Baggins, has taken his place among the ranks of the immortals of fiction.

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Great Expectations

'Hold your noise! Keep still, you little devil, or I'll cut your throat!' Little orphan Pip scarcely imagines how a terrifying encounter with a convict on the lonely marshes will later transform his life. Pip is more troubled by his visits to strange old Miss Havisham - her decaying wedding dress and the house full of memories - and the beautiful girl Estella who makes him ashamed of his country manners and coarse hands. A blacksmith's apprentice could never hope to win Estella, but then, young Pip's future might not turn out quite as expected...Includes exclusive material: In 'The Backstory' you can learn about Victorian convicts and the alternative ending to Great Expectations! Vintage Children's Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from The Jungle Book and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

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Treasure Island

One of the best-loved adventure stories ever written, Treas ure Island's timeless tale of pirates, lost treasure maps, mutiny and derring-do has appealed to generations of readers ever since Robert Louis Stevenson penned it in 1881 with the claim: If this don't fetch the kids, why, they have gone rotten since my day. But more than just a children's classic, the novel is considered to be one of the greatest feats of storytelling in the English language, with characters such as the unforgettable Long John Silver becoming part of the cultural consciousness. Treasure Island is a coming-of-age story that will captivate both adults and children for as long as stories are told.

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Jane Eyre

One of the greatest gothic love stories of all time, JANE EYRE tells of a lowly, plain governess who falls in love with the dashing Mr Rochester - who hides a terrible secret. An epic romance set on the Yorkshire moors, and a book that young girls will return to again and again.

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Dracula

Jonathan Harker is travelling to Castle Dracula to see the Transylvanian noble, Count Dracula. He is begged by locals not to go there, because on the eve of St George's Day, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will come full sway. But business must be done, so Jonathan makes his way to the Castle - and then his nightmare begins. His beloved wife Meena and other lost souls have fallen under the Count's horrifying spell. Dracula must be destroyed . . .

With an exciting introduction by Holly Black, bestselling author of The Spiderwick Chronicles .

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The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition

In July 1942, thirteen-year-old Anne Frank and her family, fleeing the horrors of Nazi occupation, went into hiding in an Amsterdam warehouse. Over the next two years Anne vividly describes not only the daily frustrations of living in such close quarters, but also her thoughts, feelings and longings as she grows up. Her diary ends abruptly and tragically when, in August 1944, Anne and her family were all finally betrayed.

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I Capture the Castle

One of BBC's 100 Novels That Shaped Our World.

A wonderfully quirky coming-of-age story, I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, author of The Hundred and One Dalmatians is an affectionately drawn portrait of one of the funniest families in literature.

Part of the Macmillan Collector's Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition is illustrated by Ruth Steed, and features an afterword by publisher Anna South.

The eccentric Mortmain family have been rattling around in a vast, decrepit castle for years, gradually slipping into financial ruin. Mortmain is crippled by writer's block, while his beautiful second wife Topaz struggles to be a dutiful stepmother to Rose, Cassandra and Thomas. Rose needs a husband, Thomas an education but Cassandra lives for her writing. Through her gloriously witty and shrewd diaries, she chronicles the trials of family life, the impact on their prospects of the arrival of a glamorous American family, and the agonies of falling in love for the first time.

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19th July 2020

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