The Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Teen & Young Adult Books 2024

1. Lord of the Rings: The Hobbit (Paperback)

"In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit." So begins one of the most beloved and delightful tales in the English language. Set in the imaginary world of Middle-earth, at once a classic myth and a modern fairy tale, J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit is one of literature's most enduring and well-loved novels. This edition of The Hobbit has been specially formatted for young readers and features cover art by Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator Peter Sís. Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum. Written for Tolkien's own children, The Hobbit has sold many millions of copies worldwide and established itself as a modern classic.

Lord of the Rings: The Hobbit (Paperback)

2. Un Lun Dun, (Paperback)

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - "Endlessly inventive . . . [a] hybrid of Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, and The Phantom Tollbooth."--Salon What is Un Lun Dun? It is London through the looking glass, an urban Wonderland of strange delights where all the lost and broken things of London end up . . . and some of its lost and broken people, too-including Brokkenbroll, boss of the broken umbrellas; Obaday Fing, a tailor whose head is an enormous pin-cushion, and an empty milk carton called Curdle. Un Lun Dun is a place where words are alive, a jungle lurks behind the door of an ordinary house, carnivorous giraffes stalk the streets, and a dark cloud dreams of burning the world. It is a city awaiting its hero, whose coming was prophesied long ago, set down for all time in the pages of a talking book. When twelve-year-old Zanna and her friend Deeba find a secret entrance leading out of London and into this strange city, it seems that the ancient prophecy is coming true at last. But then things begin to go shockingly wrong. Praise for Un Lun Dun "Miéville fills his enthralling fantasy with enough plot twists and wordplay for an entire trilogy, and that is a good thing. A-."--Entertainment Weekly "For style and inventiveness, turn to Un Lun Dun, by China Miéville, who throws off more imaginative sparks per chapter than most authors can manufacture in a whole book. Mieville sits at the table with Lewis Carroll, and Deeba cavorts with another young explorer of topsy-turvy worlds."--The Washington Post Book World "Delicious, twisty, ferocious fun . . . so crammed with inventions, delights, and unexpected turns that you will want to start reading it over again as soon as you've reached the end."--Kelly Link, author of Magic for Beginners "[A] wondrous thrill ride . . . Like the best fantasy authors, [Miéville] fully realizes his imaginary city." --The A.V. Club "Mieville's compelling heroine and her fantastical journey through the labyrinth of a strange London forms that rare book that feels instantly like a classic and yet is thoroughly modern."--Holly Black, bestselling author of The Spiderwick Chronicles

Un Lun Dun, (Paperback) Author: Random House Worlds ISBN: 9780345458445 Format: Paperback Publication Date: 2008-01-29 Page Count: 496

3. The Hobbit (Hardcover)

J.R.R. Tolkien's classic is splendidly illustrated in full color by noted artist Michael Hague. This edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic is illustrated with 48 paintings by noted artist Michael Hague. Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum. Written for J.R.R. Tolkien's own children, The Hobbit has sold many millions of copies worldwide and established itself as a modern classic.

This edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic is illustrated with 48 paintings by noted artist Michael Hague. Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum. Written for J.R.R. Tolkien's own children, The Hobbit has sold many millions of copies worldwide and established itself as a modern classic.

4. I Am Morgan le Fay

This companion to "I Am Mordred" retells the legend of Morgan Le Fay, the half-sister of King Arthur who has power and magic, and is able to to change the course of history--to become "other" and determine her own fate and that of Britain.

Fans who love King Arthur's legend, Camelot, Merlin, and similar tales will love reading about Morgan le Fay. Morgan is a willful, mischievous girl with mismatched eyes of emerald and violet. A girl of magic, whose childhood ends when King Uther Pendragon murders her father and steals away her mother. Then Pendragon dies and, in a warring country with no one to claim the throne, there are many who want Morgan dead. But Morgan has power, and magic. She is able to change the course of history, to become other, to determine her own fate-and, thus the fate of Britain. She will become Morgan le Fay. "Springer wields language like a sword, and both blood and flowers spring to these pages in vivid hues." (Booklist, starred review)

5. Hero's Song: The First Song of Eirren (Paperback)

Collun has always been happiest working in his garden. But his peaceful life is shattered when his sister, Nessa, mysteriously disappears. He sets off to find her and soon realizes that he has become involved in something much larger and more sinister than he had imagined. With his traveling companions--a wizard, an aspiring bard, a fairy prince, and a feisty young woman on a quest of her own--Collun must face dangers both natural and magical in order to complete his mission. "The author spins a dramatic tale, infused with Irish myth and folklore, that fantasy fans will relish." --Booklist

Collun has always been happiest working in his garden. But his peaceful life is shattered when his sister, Nessa, mysteriously disappears. He sets off to find her and soon realizes that he and his traveling companions, including the feisty young archer Breo-Saight, have become involved in something much larger and more sinister than he had imagined.

6. Rash (Hardcover) by Pete Hautman

In this futuristic satire by a National Book Award winner, a teen is sent to work at a pizza factory in the Canadian tundra after being accused of causing a rash that plagues his school.

"Of course, without people like us Marstens, there wouldn't be anybody to do the manual labor that makes this country run. Without penal workers, who would work the production lines, or pick the melons and peaches, or maintain the streets and parks and public lavatories? Our economy depends on prison labor. Without it everybody would have to work -- whether they wanted to or not." In the late twenty-first century Bo Marsten is unjustly accused of a causing a rash that plagues his entire high school. He loses it, and as a result, he's sentenced to work in the Canadian tundra, at a pizza factory that's surrounded by hungry polar bears. Bo finds prison life to be both boring and dangerous, but it's nothing compared to what happens when he starts playing on the factory's highly illegal football team. In the meantime, Bork, an artificial intelligence that Bo created for a science project, tracks Bo down in prison. Bork has spun out of control and seems to be operating on his own. He offers to get Bo's sentence shortened, but can Bo trust him? And now that Bo has been crushing skulls on the field, will he be able to go back to his old, highly regulated life? Pete Hautman takes a satirical look at an antiseptic future in this darkly comic mystery/adventure.

7. Beautiful City of the Dead (Paperback)

"Will keep readers turning pages deep into the night."--The Bulletin "Poetic, wild language, as enigmatic and forceful as rock lyrics."--Booklist Relly's band is called Scorpio Bone. Screaming guitars, crusher drums, and a singer who looks like a golden god. Along comes a girl named Zee, with a bass guitar, a notebook full of strange lyrics, and exactly the right attitude. Zee joins Relly's band, and immediately their sound is unbelievable; it's like silence screaming. As the band bonds together, inexplicable things start happening and Zee begins to learn her true role in the group. She finds she is the last piece in a tetrad that, once formed, gives the group supernatural powers--each teen in the group represents one of the four elements: earth, air, water, and fire. At their first gig, she realizes that music isn't all there is to Scorpio Bone . . .

Beautiful City of the Dead (Paperback)

8. A Deadly Game of Magic (Paperback)

Seeking shelter from a fierce Texas storm, four teens are trapped inside a strange house as unwitting players in a magician's evil games. The phone goes dead. A plaster head suddenly appears. A disembodied hand taps the mantel. Then the magic turns even more sinister, leading inevitably toward murder.

A Deadly Game of Magic (Paperback)

9. Snow-Walker (Paperback)

Since Gudrun came from the frozen mists beyond the edge of the world, the Jarl's people have obeyed her in hatred andterror. But the enchantress has one weakness: a son, Kari, banished to a forbidding fortress in the north, never seen by the Jarl's people. In secret they wonder: Are the rumors true? Was he born a monster? Now Jessa and her cousin Thorkil have been exiled to the north, and if they survive the journey, they will find the truth: Is Kari a beast? Or the means to stop the sorceress?

Snow-Walker (Paperback)

10. Speeding Bullet (Paperback)

After Nick Herrera saved a little girl from being his by a New York City subway car, things have been different....He has been different. Now it seems as if accidents are falling at his feet and he's destined to play the role of the hero. But more importantly, Linda Lanko, one of the richest girls in the city, has noticed him -- a below-average student from a poor family. But is Nick's invincibility just good luck, or is something else responsible?

After Nick Herrera saved a little girl from being his by a New York City subway car, things have been different....He has been different. Now it seems as if accidents are falling at his feet and he's destined to play the role of the hero. But more importantly, Linda Lanko, one of the richest girls in the city, has noticed him -- a below-average student from a poor family. But is Nick's invincibility just good luck, or is something else responsible?