Skip to content

Top Navigation

Parents Parents
  • GETTING PREGNANT
  • PREGNANCY
  • BABY NAMES
  • BABY
  • TODDLER
  • BIG KID
  • FUN
  • HEALTH
  • PARENTING
  • FOOD
  • HOLIDAY
  • News
  • THE STAY AT HOME GUIDE
  • SHOP
  • OUR MAGAZINES
  • MORE

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Your Profile
  • Your Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Parents

Parents Parents
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 22 Chore Ideas for Every Type of Kid

      Find a chore your kid loves to do, and start a habit of wanting to help out that'll last a lifetime. Read More Next
    • Top 5 Mom Friend Problems—And How to Fix Them

      Parenting is so much easier with good pals. Learn to overcome friendship hurdles and bond with women who get you. Read More Next
    • How to Sleep Train Toddlers and Big Kids

      I’m a pediatric sleep specialist who has seen it all, and I’m here to tell you that it’s not too late to get your child to (happily) stay in his own bed all night long. Read More Next
  • GETTING PREGNANT

    GETTING PREGNANT

    See All GETTING PREGNANT

    Your Chances of Getting Pregnant Every Day of the Month

    When sex coincides with your most fertile ovulation days, you'll increase your chances of getting pregnant. Get to know each phase of your cycle to make conception faster and easier.
    • Ovulation
    • Reproductive Age
    • Maximizing Your Fertility
    • Pre-Pregnancy Health
    • Trying to Conceive
    • Dealing With Infertility
    • Genetics
  • PREGNANCY

    PREGNANCY

    See All PREGNANCY

    Signs of Approaching Labor: How to Tell Your Baby is Coming Soon

    Anxiously awaiting your baby’s arrival? Learn to recognize the first signs of labor approaching, which signal that your little one might make an appearance soon.
    • Signs of Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy Week-by-Week
    • Giving Birth
    • Labor & Delivery
    • Pregnancy Symptoms
    • Due Date Calculator
    • Pregnancy Complications
    • Fetal Development
    • Gender Prediction
    • Baby Showers
  • BABY NAMES

    BABY NAMES

    See All BABY NAMES

    These Are the Most Popular Baby Names of 2020

    Curious which baby names stole the show this year? From new classics like Noah to tried-and-true faves like Ava, here are the top boy and girl names of the year so far, plus more naming trends to consider.
    • Baby Girl Names
    • Most Popular Names
    • Names by Origin
    • Twin Names
    • Baby Boy Names
    • Names by Religion
    • Celebrity Baby Names
    • Baby Name Quizzes
  • BABY

    BABY

    See All BABY

    How to Decode Your Baby's Cough

    Caring for a baby with a wet or dry cough? Listen for wheezing, hacking, or barking first, then read on to find out what's normal and when it's time to worry.
    • Newborn Care
    • Crying Baby
    • Health
    • Baby Development
    • Safety
    • Gear
    • Breastfeeding
    • Diapers
    • Sleep Issues
    • Feeding
    • Nursery
  • TODDLER

    TODDLER

    See All TODDLER
    • Preschool Activities
    • Behavior & Discipline
    • Toddler Development
    • Milestones
    • Potty Training
    • Starting School
    • Health
    • Safety
    • Childcare
  • BIG KID

    BIG KID

    See All BIG KID

    How to Deal With Bullies: A Guide for Parents

    Mean kids aren't just a middle-school problem. The trouble has trickled to the youngest grades. Learn how to spot it—and how to protect children of all ages from bullies at school.
    • Education
    • Health
    • Food & Nutrition
    • Bullying & School Problems
    • Child Development
    • Safety
    • Manners & Responsibility
  • FUN

    FUN

    See All FUN

    17 Budget-Friendly Kids’ Birthday Party Ideas

    A fun celebration doesn’t need to cost a pretty penny. Throw a memorable bash with these clever cost-cutting kids’ birthday party ideas.
    • Birthdays
    • Indoor Activities
    • Outdoor Activities
    • Arts & Crafts
    • Printable Coloring Pages
    • Kids' Entertainment
    • Best Toys
    • Holidays
    • Family Vacation Ideas
  • HEALTH

    HEALTH

    See All HEALTH

    All About Coronavirus COVID-19: A Concerned Parent's Guide

    Here’s everything you need to know about the disease that originated in Wuhan, China.
    • ADD & ADHD
    • Allergies
    • Autism
    • Cold & Flu
    • Coronavirus and COVID-19
    • Cough
    • Down Syndrome
    • Emergency Aid
    • Fever
    • Medication & Vitamins
    • Obesity
    • Rashes
    • Stomach Aches
    • Vaccines
  • PARENTING

    PARENTING

    See All PARENTING

    The Stay at Home Guide for Parents

    Everything you need to thrive at home as a family.
    • Positive Parenting
    • Parenting Style
    • Celebrity Parents
    • Family Dynamics
    • Divorce
    • Home
    • Adoption
    • Just for Mom
    • Money
    • Toy Recalls
    • Stroller Recalls
  • FOOD

    FOOD

    See All FOOD
    • Family Recipes
    • Baby Food
    • Toddler Finger Food Recipes
    • Hints & Tips
    • Healthy Eating
    • Birthdays
    • Holiday Recipes
    • Quick & Easy Meals
    • Food For Pregnant Women
  • HOLIDAY

    HOLIDAY

    See All HOLIDAY

    6 Easter Egg Science Experiments for Kids

    Smarten up your annual Easter tradition with these easy, educational egg dyeing ideas.
    • Christmas
    • New Year's
    • Valentine's Day
    • Easter
    • Mother's Day
    • Memorial Day
    • Father's Day
    • 4th of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Hanukkah
  • News
  • THE STAY AT HOME GUIDE
  • SHOP
  • OUR MAGAZINES

    OUR MAGAZINES

    See All OUR MAGAZINES
    • Parents
    • Parents Latina
    • Ser Padres
  • MORE

    MORE

    • Newsletters
    • Contests
    • ParentsIRL
    • Adulting
    • First Year Playbook
    • Celebrate Your Way

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Your Profile
  • Your Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Fun
  3. Entertainment
  4. Books
  5. 10 Best Books for Teens of 2020

10 Best Books for Teens of 2020

November 09, 2020
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin
Credit: Illustration by Francesca Spatola; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (1); G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers (1); Katherine Tegen Books (1)

Librarians nominated more than 50 young adult novels that came in 2020. Our teen reviewers couldn’t put down these titles.

Start Slideshow

1 of 10

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

The Kingdom of Back

Credit: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
SHOP IT

Written by Marie Lu

Lyrical and fast paced, this fictionized retelling of Mozart’s legacy made our teen reviewers aware that the composer had an older sister who was just as musically talented. “It touches on themes of sibling rivalry and how it feels to be forgotten,” says Becca, a high-school senior. “The conclusion was satisfying, and several parts of the book had me gripping in suspense.”

1 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 10

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

All The Days Past, All The Days To Come

Credit: Viking Books for Young Readers
SHOP IT

Written by Mildred D. Taylor

The final book of a series that started with the 1976 classic Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, this novel also works as a stand-alone read. It focuses on the experiences of a Black family between the end of World War II and the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. “I liked how Cassie, the narrator, saw history being made on her journey,” says Ethan, an eighth-grader.

2 of 10

3 of 10

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

The Black Flamingo

Credit: Balzer + Bray
SHOP IT

Written by Dean Atta

This collection of thought-provoking, emotional poems follows Michael, a mixed-race, gay boy, from his toddler years to college. “The novel took on difficult, personal issues such as race, sexuality, and the yearning to fit in, and presented Michael’s struggles in a way that’s relatable and educational for almost anyone,” says Sasha, 16.Ā 

3 of 10

Advertisement

4 of 10

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Parachutes

Credit: Katherine Tegen Books
SHOP IT

Written by Kelly Yang

Told in alternating voices of new housemates—a high-school scholarship student and a Chinese teen whose parents forced her to move to California—this book addresses immigration, privilege, and consent head-on. “It deals with sexual assault in a way I haven’t seen in a novel,” says Regina, a high-school senior. “It educates and empowers .”Ā 

4 of 10

5 of 10

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

More Than Just A Pretty Face

Credit: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
SHOP IT

Written by Syed M. Masood

This romantic comedy works in substantive issues without getting weighed down. “The narrator had me engrossed in his story from page one with his jokes, charisma, and passion for food,” says Jackie, a high-school freshman. “Plus, there’s a strong female character and an opportunity to learn about a culture that is quite possibly different from your own.”

5 of 10

6 of 10

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

We Are Not Free

Credit: HMH Books for Young Readers
SHOP IT

Written by Traci Chee

Set three months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, this book—written in verse and letters—is a moving account of 14 young Japanese Americans who were removed from their San Francisco neighborhood and forced to go to incarceration camps. “I got invested in the characters,” says Sonya, a high-school sophomore. “I liked how the story went from person to person, and each person was different in how they wrote and how they saw the world.”

6 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 10

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Clap When You Land

Credit: Quill Tree Books
SHOP IT

Written by Elizabeth Avecedo

This novel-in-verse follows two teens, Yahaira and Camino, who have the same father but completely different experiences growing up. “The author does a good job of showing how they reacted to secrets kept from them for most of their lives,” says Clara, an eighth-grader.

7 of 10

8 of 10

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

Credit: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
SHOP IT

Written by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

On page after page, our teen reviewers found historical accounts that surprised them. “The authors talked about famous figures who weren’t as antiracist as we’d like to believe,” says Sonya, a high-school sophomore. Adds Kyra, a high-school junior: “I definitely learned from it what I had not in any history lesson.”

8 of 10

9 of 10

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

You Should See Me in A Crown

Credit: Scholastic Press
SHOP IT

Written by Leah Johnson

A queer Black girl hatches a plan to get out of her Midwestern town, and into an elite college where she can shine. “I loved how, as the weeks progressed, the battery percentage on the phone screen went down as the main character’s feelings and moods changed,” says Lili, a high-school senior.

9 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 10

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Snapdragon

Credit: First, Second
SHOP IT

Written by Kat Leyh

Our tween and younger teen reviewers thought this graphic novel about a girl who realizes she has magical powers was epic. They described the illustrations as “mysterious” and enjoyed the storyline too. “I was surprised at some of the relationships in the book, and liked the theme of love and friendship,” says 11-year-old Zachary.

10 of 10

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 10 The Kingdom of Back
2 of 10 All The Days Past, All The Days To Come
3 of 10 The Black Flamingo
4 of 10 Parachutes
5 of 10 More Than Just A Pretty Face
6 of 10 We Are Not Free
7 of 10 Clap When You Land
8 of 10 Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You
9 of 10 You Should See Me in A Crown
10 of 10 Snapdragon

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Login

Parents

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • About Us
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
  • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
  • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • From Our Sponsors this link opens in a new tab
  • Affiliate Program this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en EspaƱol this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
Parents.com is part of the Parents Network. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.parents.com

View image

10 Best Books for Teens of 2020
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.