Best Teen Books of 2011

Vicky Smith, Editor

With shelves fairly groaning under the weight of paranormal love triangles, it may be easy to think that books for teens are all the same these days. Not so, we are delighted to report. In sifting through the piles of great books published for teens this year, I was happy to discover soulful romance of the utterly normal kind, deliciously frothy historical novels, piercingly intelligent nonfiction, thrillingly inventive fantasy and science fiction and some great kickass horror, as well as some books that may leave you weeping with laughter.


by Kendare Blake
by Vera Brosgol
by Mike Mullin
by Libba Bray
by Ruta Sepetys

by Larry Dane Brimner
by Tim Wynne-Jones
by Karen Blumenthal
by Steve Brezenoff
by Sophie Flack

by Franny Billingsley
by Lauren Oliver
by Tara Altebrando
by Joseph Monninger

by Michelle Cooper
by Cris Beam
by Judith Ortiz Cofer

by Padma Venkatraman
by Rick Yancey
by Barry Lyga
by Jon Skovron

by Patrick Ness
by Michael Williams
by Jason Wallace
by Martha Brooks
by Maggie Stiefvater

by Paul Griffin
by Judy Blundell
by Rosemary Clement-Moore

by Adele Griffin
by Alan Cumyn
by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
by Jessica Martinez
by Marcus Sedgwick

by Daniel Handler
by Stephen Emond