Best teen values & virtues fiction books according to redditors

The Giver by Lois Lowry

As a young adult: The Tripod Trilogy/Quadrilogy

As an adult: The Giver and The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963

• Dune by Frank Herbert.
  
  
• Riverworld by Philip Jose Farmer - somewhat of a longshot, but something made me think of it.
  
  
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.
  
  
• Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.
  
  
• Battle Royale by Koushun Takami.
  
  
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.
  
  
• Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand .
  
  
• Neuromancer by William Gibson.
  
  
• The Running Man by Stephen King.
  
  You might even get a kick out of The Hunger Games or Divergent... And of course 1984 :)

• The 5th Wave - After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.
  
  Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, ad on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother--or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.
  
  
• The Giver - Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear of pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the community. Jonas lives in a seemingly ideal world.
  
  When Jonas turns 12 he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver does Jonas begin to understand the dark secrets behind this fragile community. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.
  
  

The only two I remember from elementary school are:

• The Giver
  
• Where the Red Fern Grows
  
  If he's into the military he might like Ender's Game like someone else mentioned.

The Giver. It's excellent, well-written and thought provoking (it won a heap of awards). It's technically YA, but it's also a bit controversial and quite dramatic at times. Maybe you read it first (it's a quick read and you may appreciate it yourself anyway) and see if you think she's ready for it.

Definitely check out The Perks of Being a Wallflower if you liked John Green. Boy Proof by Cecil Castellucci might be another good choice (loner geek girl in Hollywood).

Some more non-girly YA titles, mostly in different genres:

• Little Brother by Cory Doctorow, about a teenage hacker swept up by the Department of Homeland Security after a terrorist attack in near-future San Francisco
  
• Leviathan trilogy by Scott Westerfeld, alternate WWI where the British have genetically engineered whale blimps and the Austro-Hungarian Empire is using steampunk mechas.
  
• Feed by MT Anderson, about a super-capitalistic future where everyone has the internet in their head from birth

I am going to take issue with that Brave New World and Hunger Games are dystopian, but not science fiction" line. The article linked to explain that distinction is based around the idea that dystopia must involve an ideological critique and uses The Matrix as an illustrative example, but doesn't seem to talk about what makes something science fiction rather than just blanket speculative fiction. (e.g. According to the author, The Matrix is not dystopian because the central narrative line is a messiah's human triumph over machines in thriller format, not the prediction/parable about humanity's end that would mark it as dystopian according to the thesis. I disagree.)

As far as I'm concerned, science fiction incorporates technology and/or science that is conceivable, but not currently available. So I'd say Brave New World's Bokanovsky's Process and The Hunger Games' genetic engineering in the form of mockingjays and tracker jackers as well as the flight craft and force fields and massive leaps in other technologies easily qualify them both as sci-fi. And dystopian.

So ha. ^Though ^you ^might ^get ^me ^to ^argue ^that ^Brave ^New ^World ^is ^actually ^utopian.

More Recommended Dystopian Sci-Fi Reads:

• Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (adult literary sci-fi). Hyper-relevant commentary on social stratification, corporate power, class warfare, and rampant genetic engineering. One of my favorite books ever. Companion volumes (not sequels) are The Year of the Flood and MaddAddam
  
• Feed by M.T. Anderson (YA sci-fi), where everyone has the internet in their heads from birth. The consequences of instantaneous gratification and hypercapitalism. Super depressing and yet another one of my favorite books.
  
• Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (YA and a free ebook, btw). Maybe not the best ever, but hyper-relevant and you can treat it as a primer on internet security, higher level math, and coding. In near-future California, a teenage hacker is swept up by the Department of Homeland Security following a terrorist attack. Serious social commentary on mass surveillance and privacy.
  
• World War Z by Max Brooks, bearing no resemblance to the movie beyond the name (adult post-apocalyptic, an easy - and favorite - read. The abridged audiobook is good too). Despite the zombie apocalypse, this might not even count as dystopian because the interconnected interview narratives about the triumphs of human ingenuity are pretty uplifting. Themes of social change, the levels we'll sink to for survival, resilience...
  
• Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (YA sci-fi). At 16, the perfect society will make you pretty... And dumb. Society's obsession with beauty, etc, etc. I thought the series went downhill, but this is worth reading.
  
• Habibi by Craig Thompson (adult graphic novel). Half exegesis, half narrative about a post-apocalyptic Middle East mixed with stories from the Qu'ran and Arabian Nights. Deconstruction of the human spirit in a dying world, mainly.
  
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (adult literary). If you've even seen the movie trailer, half of the slow build to "something is not quite right" in the book is lost.
  
• Incarceron and Sapphique by Catherine Fisher (YA steampunk-ish). This almost broke my favorite books list. Almost. Two worlds: one steampunk, labyrinthine prison, one fake medieval "real" world.
  
  Dystopian and Not Quite Sci-Fi Recommendations:
  
  
• The Giver by Lois Lowry (MG). Forget the movie trailer. The book we read back in elementary school was more about a utopian society going back to a simpler time and a 12-year old discovering the cracks and making his own decisions.
  
• Wicked by Gregory Maguire (adult literary fantasy). Different once again from the Broadway show, this is The Wizard of Oz told from the POV of the Wicked Witch of the West. All about the nature and definition of evil, but even then it might not count as dystopian. The Wizard is a Nazi, btw.
  
• The Selection by Kiera Cass (YA popcorn). This is seriously only making the list because of the popcorn aspect and where it seemed like it was going to go before The One ruined all the political drama and revolution that could have happened. Basically a fun Mary Sue-fest about princess lessons in a future-North American caste society.
  
• How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff (YA spec fic). Anorexic teen during WWIII. Plenty of survival and resilience questions, but no new tech, so not really sci-fi, I'd say.
  
• The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (adult literary spec fic). Could arguably belong on the list above, but there's not much in the way of technology. At all. With declining birth rates due to pollution, the US becomes a theocracy. Written in response to the rise of evangelical politics in the 80s much like Oryx and Crake was in response to the politics of the early 21st century, but the main takeaway I got from it was that anthropologists are unconscionable.
  
• Into the Forest by Jean Hegland (adult literary spec fic). I didn't like this one at the time because the symbolism was so heavy-handed it bordered on magical realism and I couldn't understand the MC's decisions, but it grew on me in retrospect. After a flu pandemic, two teenage sisters live mostly on their own.
  
  But really, this whole article setup is eerily reminiscent of the "____ Literary Trope is Not Worthy!" followed by "Rebuttal!" linkbait we've been seeing a lot.

The Giver

Most likely so influential because I read it at age 11, but I think it's still appropriate for an adult audience.

While not directly related, you may also enjoy Feed by M. T. Anderson

I constantly see references that remind me of this book years later (e.g. Google Glass, lab-grown meat, outsourcing schools, individual ad targeting, etc). One of those odd books that just sticks with you.

It sounds like The Fragile Flag, by Jane Langton, part of The Hall Family Chronicles.

>When Georgie Hall decides to walk from Concord, Massachusetts, to Washington, D.C., with a letter to the President and an old flag capable of producing magical visions, no one doubts that she has the will or ability to do it. Along with her stepcousins Eleanor and Eddy, Georgie begins the Children's Crusade to stop the President from building a globally fatal nuclear bomb, known as the Peace Missile. But 450 miles is a long way to walk, and even as the Crusade picks up members along the way, its marchers can't help but wonder if their actions will make a difference, or if it is already too late....

Reminds me a lot of The Giver :)

http://www.amazon.com/The-Giver-Quartet-Lois-Lowry/dp/0440237688

http://www.amazon.com/Feed-M-T-Anderson/dp/0763622591

I think you would enjoy the book Feed. You can get a good look at the first chapter on amazon to see why I thought of it..

3. My favorite book to movie adaptation is Harry Potter! While there were a few things different, it was really well done and magical!
   
   
4. My least favorite adaptation was City of Bones... I mean they really screwed up this movie! They left out so much and changed so many things that I really don't know how they're going to make the next movie!
   
   E-books:
   
   Glimmer
   
   Paper Towns
   
   The Giver
   
   Four: The Transfer
   
   Thank you for the contest!

Definitely This series I've been wanting to read the books but haven't got them yet, I know they're good though.

Divergent Series book Although, it's actually called Four.

Does that work? If not, let's go with Daria!

Thanks for the contest! I love this idea.

Here they are lol

Here's my last 5 I've bought. I haven't finished any of them, but started them all lol. (on a side note I'm not sure how to do links but I tried.

• Fallen by: Lauren Kate
  Lady Lazarus by: Michele Lang
  The Twelve by: William Gladstone
  Wicked Witch & Curse by: Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie
  Ink Exchange by: Melissa Marr
  
  Fallen by: Lauren Kate
  Lady Lazarus by: Michele Lang
  The Twelve by: William Gladstone
  Wicked Witch & Curse by: Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie
  Ink Exchange by: Melissa Marr

Currently whipping through Harlan Coben's latest thriller, Missing You and Bob Dylan's Chronicles Vol. 1.

Up next, a few nostalgic re-reads I received from the reddit book exchange, Number the Stars and The Giver.

How about you? What are you reading and looking forward to reading?

Great discussion. Any discussion involving books is good stuff!

Get those kids some books!

oh lawd, this is going to be LONG
for advanced readers,

Enders Game

The Giver

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

The Harry Potter Series

The Heir Apparent

Farenheit 451


A lot of these books can be read young and then reread when older to get more meaning

For younger beginning readers

Dr Seuss, I really remember Green Eggs and Ham, Go Dog go, and One Fish two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish


Oh and surprise me, i really like SciFi/Fantasy and have read the Dune Series and ASoIaF, but the Modern High Power Rocketry Book would be very very appreciated.

You might try some Kurt Vonnegut novels. Many delve into sci-fi topics, while others are absurdly realistic, and are written in straightforward language while exploring some really interesting ideas. My favorite, Galapagos, tells a tale about an apocalypse and human evolution over a million years.

The Giver by Lois Lowry is technically considered YA, but it's so amazing it doesn't matter. I still read it every few years as an adult, and I only just found out it is part of a set of four. Another book that is technically YA but is really smart and has a lot of depth is A Wrinkle in Time and the books that follow it. They are stories about imperfect and relatable characters that touch on topics such as cellular biology, time travel and ethics.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Giver-Readers-Circle-Laurel-Leaf/dp/0440237688 Easily one of the best book series I read during my young teens at school. I really hope the movie doesn't disappoint.

Don't feel like you need to 'challenge' him with hard stuff. If it's interesting, he'll read it. A few books I remember reading between age 10 and 14 that were enjoyable were:

• The Giver by Lois Lowry is great for young adults.
  
  
• Farenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
  
  
• Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls
  
  
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams (though to be honest, a lot went over my head the first time through - still loved it)
  
  
• The BFG, by Roald Dahl
  
  
• Boy - Roald Dahl.
  
  A lot of my friends at the time loved the Redwall books by Brain Jacques. I didn't get into them, but your son might.
  
  

Looks like this guy token up!

Ok. Five is too young for this, but The Giver. I remember this book being the turning point in my life when I feel in love with books.

Edit: everyone has hit all my knee jerk suggestions. I'll have to think on this!

For the lazy, here's an Amazon link for The Giver: http://amzn.com/0440237688

"In a world with no poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family is happy, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the community's Receiver of Memories. Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver, he discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight of its hypocrisy. With echoes of Brave New World, in this 1994 Newbery Medal winner, Lowry examines the idea that people might freely choose to give up their humanity in order to create a more stable society. Gradually Jonas learns just how costly this ordered and pain-free society can be, and boldly decides he cannot pay the price."

I liked Feed. Here's the Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Feed-M-T-Anderson/dp/0763622591/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322792845&sr=8-1

Sometime I like to imagine the lives of people before moderd media. I with more vocabulary and better able to adapt to the world. Only because they did not have all of these 'things' that surround us. I love the internet, but I know that I read more before it.

Sometimes i think, I belive that the world is heading for a future like the book Feed by M.T. Anderson. That would be sad.

Well then, let the corporations whose products you use pay for your doctors' bills in order to assure they have a customer in the future!

(Thanks to a previous Reddit thread, I've read (and recommend) Feed.)

Still pretty sure this is Feed by M. T. Anderson.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003KVKW9U/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

I just don't think that there are THAT many well-known books for young adults with this premise.

I'm an addict!

I want some Pokémon cards! What kind of work do you do that allows you to have access to so many cards?

Edit: I think I have too many e-books, but I love them so much!

Veronica Roth wrote 4 books before Allegiant that takes place from the POV of Four. I guess she was getting herself ready to write in his POV for Allegiant. They're like one or two chapter "side books" that sell for like 1.99 a piece.

Heres one of them:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Transfer-Divergent-Insurgent-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00DG261BG/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1383201515&sr=8-5&keywords=veronica+roth

• Where the Wild Things Are
  
• Tikki Tikki Tembo
  
• The Giver
  
• From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
  
• The original Winnie the Pooh books
  
• Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
  
• Number the Stars
  
• Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret
  
• Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore
  
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
  
• The Rainbow Fish
  
• The Stinky Cheeseman and Other Fairly Stupid Tales
  

I thought that was just the plot to the best-selling book, The Giver.

Edit: Dammit, that was already said....I guess there's at least a link to the book on this comment.

Happy birthday! What's the most exciting thing that happened in your 23rd year on this planet?

I'm excited to turn 24 in 2 years. By then I'll hopefully have a job teaching and making money. crosses fingers lol

item

Sarah Dessen's books are good summer reads. She just released a book recently, but I would start with The Truth About Forever.

The Divergent series by Veronica Roth was also really good and has a similar feel to The Hunger Games.


I love reading books! If I happen to win, I would love a paperback version of The Giver. Thanks for the contest! :)

This it?

The giver , http://www.amazon.com/Giver-Readers-Circle-Laurel-Leaf/dp/0440237688/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376178450&sr=1-1&keywords=the+giver .

My favorite book in the world. It's part of a 3 book set, I recently found out. I have read the second, Gathering Blue and absolutely loved it too. Just bought the third last week.

This is the first book that made me start questioning life. I mean if the leaders in his world could do so many awful things under the guise of harmony, what could my own leaders being doing? I'd like to read this book because I still love dystopian society books.

Ok, I have The Giver on my book wishlist. You can buy it used for 4.89 with 3.99 shipping making it 8.88!

It reminds me of this.

> Down the road contact lenses or implants should be a progression of this idea.

I think I read that book...

Definitely Feed by M.T. Anderson. It's told from the perspective of an adolescent living in a future where we have colonized other planets, and everybody has brain implants that basically fulfill the roles of Facebook, Amazon, Grooveshark, etc. Kids can even download viruses into their brains which get them high like drugs would.

The protagonist finds himself having to navigate a glamorous world of instant gratification where everybody talks in Youtube comments, and the unplugged "real world" of a poor but well-educated teacher's daughter that he likes. Published in 2002, it has a lot of spot-on predictions about the social role the internet is fulfilling. Simple language, but challenging themes. Should be required reading for all kids these days, but it's the kind of book a 14-year old would completely get into. The first sentence:

"We went to the moon to have fun, but the moon turned out to completely suck."

The book Feed was one that I absolutely hated reading for a class, as the style of writing was atrocious, and then I realized...that was the point. It's a pretty short book, and a really interesting reality to consider.

Edit: Amazon link for the curious

Ahh, here it is. I thought no one but me was making this comment.

Here it is, right at the bottom.

I agree with you, anyhow. I just realized how soon Feed was going to happen. Terrifying. I want augmented reality, but just me, no company.

Has anyone ever read the book FEED?

http://www.amazon.com/Feed-M-T-Anderson/dp/0763622591

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Amazon Smile Link: Feed


|Country|Link|Charity Links|
|:-----------|:------------|:------------|
|USA|smile.amazon.com|EFF|
|UK|www.amazon.co.uk|Macmillan|
|Spain|www.amazon.es||
|Mexico|www.amazon.com.mx||
|France|www.amazon.fr||
|Germany|www.amazon.de||
|Japan|www.amazon.co.jp||
|Canada|www.amazon.ca||
|Australia|www.amazon.com.au||
|Italy|www.amazon.it||
|India|www.amazon.in||




To help add charity links, please have a look at this thread.

This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting). The thread for feature requests can be found here.

Under 4

Under 3

Under 2

Thanks for the contest! Let's make a deal! :)

Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:


amazon.com

amazon.co.uk

amazon.ca

amazon.com.au

amazon.in

amazon.com.mx

amazon.de

amazon.it

amazon.es

amazon.com.br

amazon.nl

amazon.co.jp

amazon.fr

Beep bloop. I'm a bot to convert Amazon ebook links to local Amazon sites.
I currently look here: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, amazon.com.au, amazon.in, amazon.com.mx, amazon.de, amazon.it, amazon.es, amazon.com.br, amazon.nl, amazon.co.jp, amazon.fr, if you would like your local version of Amazon adding please contact my creator.

Why do I feel this will turn in to what happens in this book.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003KVKW9U/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1