The Best Summer Reading Teen & Young Adult Books 2026

1. Big Nate: Game On! (Paperback)

Big Nate is big news! Follow Nate and his friends' mostly hapless sports encounters through not-always-highlight-reel moments in the full-color Big Nate: Game On. To sixth-grader Nate Wright, life is one big game. So when he suits up for any sport, he does it with an unmistakable swagger. From fine-tuning his trash-talking skills on the basketball court to his cocky 'tude in the soccer goal, Nate can be a bigger challenge to his teammates than their opponents.

Big Nate Big Nate: Game On!: Volume 6, Book 6, (Paperback) Author: Andrews McMeel Publishing ISBN: 9781449427771 Format: Paperback Publication Date: 2013-04-16 Page Count: 224

2. Unfamiliar (Paperback)

Based on the wildly popular webcomic from Tapas, Unfamiliar is an endearing and whimsical story full of magical mayhem, offbeat outsiders, and the power of friendships and found family. Young kitchen witch Planchette gets an incredible deal on a new house in a magical town. Turns out, there's a reason: it's haunted! After unsuccessfully attempting to get these unwanted ghosts to leave, she realizes the only thing to do is to help them with their problems. Along the way, she befriends a shy siren who hates being popular, a girl battling a curse, and a magically-challenged witch from a powerful coven. A hit series with fantasy readers of all ages!

Author: Haley Newsome ISBN: 9781524876838 Format: Paperback Publication Date: 12/06/2022

3. The Murder Game (Paperback)

Boarding school has never been more dangerous. What if your roommate is a murderer? Or what if he's being framed and only you can save him? Luke Chase made history as a child when he escaped a kidnapping. Now, all he wants is to be a normal teenager. So when he sneaks out to the woods one night to drink with friends and flirt with the new British girl at school, he's excited to feel some freedom. Except the next morning, one of their teachers is found murdered--in the exact same spot where they had been partying. Soon, Luke's roommate and best friend Oscar is the #1 suspect. As the evidence and list of suspects builds, Luke attempts to use his famous survival skills to find the killer and clear Oscar's name. But as Luke gets closer to the truth, the killer is getting closer to Luke. The Murder Game is perfect for fans of: They Wish They Were Us and One of Us Is Lying Murder mystery books for teens Teen thrillers Young adult suspense

Author: Carrie Doyle ISBN: 9781728222295 Format: Paperback Publication Date: 4/06/2021

4. Who HQ Now: Who Was Jackie Robinson

As a kid, Jackie Robinson loved sports

ISBN13: 9780448455570 Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap Publication Year: 2010 Format: Paperback Pages: 105

5. This Is Where It Ends (Paperback)

The reviews are in! This Is Where It Ends , the #1 New York Times bestseller and one of the Best Books of the Decade (Buzzfeed, Paste Magazine , BookRiot), "could break you." "I am speechless." "The saddest book I have ever read." "Literally tore my heart out." Go inside a heartbreaking fictional school shooting, minute-by-terrifying-minute. Everyone has a reason to fear the boy with the gun... 10:00 a.m.: The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve. 10:02 a.m.: The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class. 10:03 a.m.: The auditorium doors won't open. 10:05 a.m.: Someone starts shooting. Over the course of 54 minutes, four students must confront their greatest hopes, and darkest fears, as they come face-to-face with the boy with the gun. In a world where violence in schools is at an all-time high and school shootings are a horrifyingly common reality for teenagers, This Is Where It Ends is a rallying cry to end the gun violence epidemic for good. Praise for This Is Where It Ends : A Buzzfeed Best Young Adult Book of the Decade A Paste Magazine Best Teen Book of the Decade A Book Riot Biggest YA Book of the Decade A Professional Book Nerds Best Book of the Decade A Bustle.com Most-Anticipated YA Novel A Goodreads YA Best Books Pick A Goodreads Choice Award Finalist for Young Adult Fiction Kids Indie Next List Pick "Marieke Nijkamp's brutal, powerful fictional account of a school shooting is important in its timeliness ." --Bustle.com "A gritty, emotional, and suspenseful read and although fictionalized, it reflects on a problematic and harrowing issue across the nation." --Buzzfeed " A compelling, brutal story of an unfortunately all-too familiar situation: a school shooting. Nijkamp portrays the events thoughtfully, recounting fifty-four intense minutes of bravery, love, and loss." --BookRiot

Author: Marieke Nijkamp ISBN: 9781492671114 Format: Paperback Publication Date: 5/07/2019

6. The Lost Apothecary: A Novel (Paperback)

Don't miss THE AMALFI CURSE! Sarah's next spellbinding book to unearth a centuries-old curse, powerful witchcraft, and perilous love on the high seas. THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER -- OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD! "A bold, edgy, accomplished debut!" --Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code A forgotten history. A secret network of women. A legacy of poison and revenge. Welcome to the Lost Apothecary... Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary's fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries. Meanwhile in present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago, her life collides with the apothecary's in a stunning twist of fate--and not everyone will survive. With crackling suspense, unforgettable characters and searing insight, The Lost Apothecary is a subversive and intoxicating debut novel of secrets, vengeance and the remarkable ways women can save each other despite the barrier of time.

Author: Sarah Penner ISBN: 9780778311973 Format: Paperback Publication Date: 2/22/2022

7. The Bad Guys Collection (Books 1-3) (Hardcover)

SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE Are you ready for the biggest, baddest collection ever? This hilarious collection includes books 1-3 of The Bad Guys Series: The Bad Guys Mr. Wolf has a daring plan for the Bad Guys' first good mission. They are going to break two hundred dogs out of the Maximum Security City Dog Pound. Will Operation Dog Pound go smoothly? The Bad Guys in Mission Unpluckable The Bad Guys next mission? Rescue 10,000 chickens from a high-tech cage farm. But they are up against sizzling lasers, one feisty tarantula, and their very own Mr. Snake... What could possibly go wrong? The Bad Guys in The Furball Strikes Back Mr. Wolf and his bad buddies have messed with the wrong guinea pig - one who is secretly an evil mad scientist. And the nasty little furball wants revenge Will they survive? Will they be heroes?

Author: Aaron Blabey ISBN: 9781338624366 Format: Hardcover Publication Date: 5/05/2020

8. Boy-Crazy Stacey: A Graphic Novel (Hardcover)

A brand-new graphic novel adapted by USA Today bestselling author Gale Galligan Stacey and Mary Anne are baby-sitting for the Pike family for two weeks at the New Jersey shore. Things are great in Sea City: There's a gorgeous house right on the beach, a boardwalk, plenty of sun and sand... and the cutest boy Stacey has ever seen Mary Anne thinks that Stacey should leave Scott alone and focus on the Pike kids, but Stacey's in love . Looking for reasons to hang around his lifeguard stand takes up all her time, which means Mary Anne has to do the job of two baby-sitters How can she tell Stacey that Scott just isn't interested without ruining their friendship and breaking Stacey's heart?

Author: Ann M. Martin ISBN: 9781338304510 Format: Hardcover Publication Date: 9/03/2019

9. Cat Ninja Cat Ninja: Time Heist: Volume 2, Book 2, (Paperback)

From Epic! Originals comes an action-packed graphic novel series about a new breed of superhero. Return to Metro City's furry underbelly in this exciting second volume in the Cat Ninja series! When Leon brings a mystery egg home from school, Cat Ninja and Master Hamster face their biggest challenge yet: babysitting! And while they're pretty sure they can keep an egg out of trouble, they know they're in over their heads when that egg hatches into a high-energy ball of feathers and cuteness. It's baby's first superhero adventure when they decide to bring their newest family member along as they uncover the identity--and nefarious motives--of Metro City's latest foe. With humor and action, the shared adventures of these former adversaries teach the importance of: - Using your powers--super or not!--to stand up for those who need your help - Family, in all its forms - Second chances Perfect for superhero fans and readers aged 6-9!

Cat Ninja Cat Ninja: Time Heist: Volume 2, Book 2, (Paperback) Author: Andrews McMeel Publishing ISBN: 9781524867584 Format: Paperback Publication Date: 2021-11-23 Page Count: 160

10. The Perfect Place to Die (Paperback)

"Fans of true-crime murder mysteries won't want to miss this one."-- Booklist , STARRED Review Stalking Jack the Ripper meets Devil in the White City in this terrifying historical fiction debut about one of the world's most notorious serial killers. In order to save her sister, Zuretta takes a job at an infamous house of horrors--but she might never escape. Zuretta never thought she'd encounter a monster. She had resigned herself to a quiet life in Utah. But when her younger sister, Ruby, travels to Chicago during the World's Fair, and disappears, Zuretta leaves home to find her. But 1890s Chicago is more dangerous and chaotic than she imagined. She doesn't know where to start until she learns of her sister's last place of employment...a mysterious hotel known as The Castle. Zuretta takes a job there hoping to learn more. And before long she realizes the hotel isn't what it seems. Women disappear at an alarming rate, she hears crying from the walls, and terrifying whispers follow her at night. In the end, she finds herself up against one of the most infamous mass murderers in American history--and his custom-built death trap. With real, terrifying quotes in front of each chapter, strong female characters, and unbearable suspense, The Perfect Place to Die is perfect for fans of true crime, horror, and the Stalking Jack the Ripper series.

Author: BRYCE MOORE ISBN: 9781728229119 Format: Paperback Publication Date: 8/03/2021