Contest Alert! urbanmoms.ca is excited to support The Top 10 Gifts for Teens by offering two individual prize packs to be won by two lucky members. The Teen Girl Pack and Teen Boy Pack will each be filled with the books listed in the associated category below. Post a comment identifying your favourite teen book (make sure to include your email address) to be automatically entered to win!
Don’t know what to buy your teenager this year? Forget the latest electronic gadget or expensive designer jeans and this year wrap up a book.
In an unprecedented move book publishers in Canada and the United States are working together to promote books this holiday season and have just released a debut holiday video featuring celebrities like of Martha Stewart, Jon Stewart, Barbara Walters, Dean Koontz, Alec Baldwin, Rachael Ray and many others: all sharing their reasons why books make great gifts.
Says film and TV star Alec Baldwin “Books makes great gifts because you don’t have to plug them in.” Exactly. So this year be their coolest Santa and show them a world of vampires or dragons. Books are really affordable so your holiday dollars will go farther this year too.
There are some great sales going on in bookstores, or if you prefer to avoid the crowds online retailers like Amazon and Indigo also offer some great deals. Offering both 30% discount and free shipping on books is www.giftsforreaders.ca.
Check out www.booksequalgifts.com for the video and more celebrities talking about giving books as gifts this year.
If your teen loves Stephenie Meyers and the movie Twlight then she will love Kelley Armstrong too. Book One in The Darkest Powers series is called The Summoning and features a young girl who starts to see ghosts and discovers her friends have special powers too.
If they loved the movie Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants then why not buy the books that started it all. Ann Brashares is the author of the bestselling and popular series which includes the sequels The Second Summer of the Sisterhood, Girls in Pants and Forever in Blue.
A Bucket List for kids and a big sentimental favourite is the terrific YA novel Before I Die by Jenny Downham. When she discovers that she has just months to live, young Tessa writes a "Things To Do Before I Die" list, and in the process of dying, finds herself feeling very alive. Warning though, this one is a tear-jerker, but its life-affirming message is loud and clear.
The hottest books for boys since Harry Potter is the Eragon trilogy which features both Eldest and the brand new worldwide bestseller Brisingr, about a boy who discovers his destiny as a Dragon Rider who must fight to save The Empire. Another hit with teen boys is The Eyes of a King by Catherine Banner, a new series set in a parallel world called Malonia.
For adventure seekers The Devil’s Breath by David Gilman is an amazing read. Max Gordon is on a quest to save his missing father from the hands of Shaka Chang, a ruthless businessman masterminding an ecological disaster that will destroy countless lives. The clues Max’s father leaves will take him to Namibia, and will test his survival skills.
For hipster music lover teens there is the novel by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn, Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, which was recently made into a hit movie starring Michael Cera. The comedy is set during one fateful night in the lives of Nick and Norah, as they weave through a first date that will change their lives forever.
My Favorite book when younger was the sweet valley high books and now great for all ages is the Harry Potter books
My daughter’s favorite teen book is The Hobbit. To help her practice her Swedish her grandmother gave her a copy so she compares the English version and the Swedish – fun!
As a young teenager I loved the Sweet Valley High books
My favorite teen book is The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong, I have read it and its awesome.
my son’s favourite books are the “TimeJumpers” (the past is gone, the present never happens, the future is unknown) by James Valentine
The Judy Blume series of books for teen girls are my favourites from when I was a kid. I remember not being able to put the books down until they were done…anything that can keep a teen’s attention to reading for that long is definately a winner!
My daughter and I are reading Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist and plan a movie date together to watch the DVD.
I loved reading as a teenager, I would read anything I could get my hands on. My 14 year old daughter is also an avid reader. Some of my favourite books that I read as a teen and were my favourites ,have also become hers. The Chronicles of Narnia Series by C.S. Lewis and The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton are top choices for both of us.
The Sisterhood of the Travelling pants is a great one – I’ve enjoyed reading it as much as my youger cousins!
I have 2 book loving teen boys at home. They love The Lord of the Rings, any historical fiction like the G.A. Henty books & Ticket to Curlew plus anything else they can get their hands on, including the cereal box.
my favourite is by a new author who happens to be my sister-in-law. Robin Stevenson. Her newest one is called a Thousand Shades of Blue.
Would You
Written by Marthe Jocelyn
This looks like a great read for those teens entering college. Great transitional idea.
Brenda
Twilight books!
My favorite teen books were also Nancy Drew. But I woudl have been reading the Twilight series as well if I was a teen today. Thanks for promoting a hobby that never gets old: reading!
my daughter and I loved twilight, and the movie was awesome too!
My favourite teen book has to be Twilight.
My favorite teen girl book is Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli! It taught me back then that being different is not only cool, it’s much more FUN! And my younger sister now has her own copy and loves it too!
I like to read what my teens are reading.Then we can have an actual conversation about the book.Right now our family favorite is the Twilight series.But i think that all reading is worthwhile.
The Heartland series of books by Lauren Brooke,also seen on CBC, is about a horse ranch in Virginia which rescues and rehabilitates abused equines. These are thoughtful, inspiring stories, particularly enjoyed by young teen girls.
Island of the Blue Dolphins – I loved the idea of a girl who culturally was told that she had little value, that there were so very many things that she could not do. Then by a twist of events, she was left behind and had to save herself, had to build a life. I have always remembered that as a girl I can think about it and do it, even if someone else says no way.
My favourite book as a teen was A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I bought it for my daughter a few christmas’ ago and she enjoyed it as well. I also have a 13 year old son and he loves the Guiness World Record and Ripley’s Believe It Or Not books.
My Favourite teen books include Brisinger and the rest of the series. Excellent books for teens and adults alike!
My 11 year old daughter has become obsessed about the Diary of Ann Frank. SO much so that we are heading to Amsterdam in the srping to see her house. There is also a very compelling book out now called the “Boy in the Striped Pajama’s” It’s for a more mature reader and I read it with my daugther. The “war” is fascinating to our younger generation when viewed in a safe environment and followed by very interesting conversation
My daughter and I both love the whole Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. Other great authors for teens are William Bell, Carl Hiaasen, Meg Cabot, and Eric Walters.
My daughter is a bookworm – anything from Anna Kerenana to the Gossip Girls series suit her fine. She prefers the books to the movies – was disappointed with the Movie Twilight – very different from the book
Thanks for the great ides — I have teens in my life who I don’t see all the time, and I love giving books as gifts for Christmas!
There are a couple … Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and Clique Novels by Lisi Harrison.
my 12 year old son has always been an avid reader and the teen pack sounds fabulous!
My favourite teen book is “Ryan White In My Own Words” written by Ryan White and finished by his mom. He was a boy who was infected with AIDS through a transfusion! Its a must read in my book! (ha)
Thanks
anne_c_taylor@hotmail.com
I loved the sweet valley teen books
While I loved the Nancy Drew books as a teen, my daughter loves the Twilight series. Quite a difference! I also loved Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit, although I don’t know if they can be classified as teen books.
The Twilight books are amazing I myself only have the last one to read I want to see the movie, have heard it is amazing. Thanks.
We also love the Twilight books. But we’d love more teen book suggestions. We read a lot in our household!
One of my favourite books as a teen was Eric by Doris Lund. It was about a 17 year old boy who had leukemia and who refused to give up. The story was told by his mother and I cried like a baby throughout the book.
Ok, so my fave teen book has to be Twilight – it was easy to read, captured my attention from the first page, and – best of all – has my 13 year old daughter captivated!! She’s never been much of a reader but she’s really “into” this book right now. I would LOVE to win some more YA books for her, and all of these sound like they would keep her interested in reading (at least for a while!)!!!
Favourite teen books are Twilight and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
series (books not game)
I would be thrilled to win books for my son
As a teen I did alot of reading. But the one book I think stands out above the rest would have to be TO Kill a Mocking Bird. At the time, that book helped me to put so many things in my life into perspective. Very down to earth and elequantly written with well rounded characters. Most teen readers would be able to relate to at least one of the messages impactful meanings 🙂
My 12-year-old son is totally into James Patterson’s “Maximum Ride” series. They are about a group of kids who have been modified by scientists and who have the ability to fly.
My 11 year old daughter loves books, and has at least 4 or 5 going at the same time. Favourite teen book? Well, from what I know when I hear her constant giggling, “Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy” by author Ally Carter, is her favourite, and now she can’t wait for the movie to come out, but while waiting, she’s enjoyed, “City of Ember” and has since read the sequel, but her biggest thrill was TWILIGHT by Stephanie Meyers, as it made her feel as “grown up” as her 13 year old cousin (since she saw the book at her house). I’m not sure if I like a vampire theme, but the kids seem to gloss over it – should we gloss over that? I don’t know, but she is reading and developing her own tastes which makes me very happy!
Favourite teen books are the Chronicles of Narnia, and the Star Wars collection.
When I was a teen I love Sweet Valley High Books. However, my daughter is so much different than me, her favorite book is The Freedom Writers.
My 16 year old son Trevor loves the book “It’s Kind of a Funny Story” by Ned Vizzini. I read it also and enjoyed it very much!! A great teen story!!
My favourite teen girl book is Twilight. My daughter so enjoyed it. A big hit in our house.
My favourite Teen book is Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. I absolutely LOVED the series and its definitely one of my all time favourites.
I want to post my favourite book for teens to enter the contest but the rules state to enter my email address. I don’t want this made public. Is there a way to enter the contest without making my email address available to everyone?
My favorite teen books were the Nancy drew books and the Hardy boys ones for sure!
I have a teen son now and would be thrilled to win this for him.
My oldest daughter enjoys reading-anything from the hobbit to gossip girls which she is reading right now. She finds that reading a book is better than watching the movie/show as they leave so much out.
My favourite teen novel is a book I read in high school and one I recommend to my teen readers to this day. It is called The Grounding of Group Six and it is creepy novel about a group of well-to-do and troubled teens who are sent on an Outward Bound course. During their experience they realize their “leader” is actually a hitman paid by their parents to get rid of them! Both boys and girls like this book because it is fast-paced and really unique! ourlittlefamily@gmail.com
Favorite teen book is Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson. Jenna wakes up from a coma and has to search for a new identity. A very intriguing journey for the reader.
As a teacher the challange I find when reading to my students a book that will engage them and illicit a desire to read more. My all time fav. teen boy book is by WP Kinsella, Shoeless Joe Jackson, which then leads my sports addicts into volumes and volumes of other Kinsella novels. For both teen boys and girls the book Ingo, which deals with death, live and love just captures my students attention. The best part it is the first in a triology which, by the end of the year, all my students have finished! I would love to win either package as both would be appreciated in my classroom. sherrie.guthrie@ocdsb.ca