2024 Staff Picks for Teens

Self-discovery, making friends, exploring new worlds, finding your passion: these are just a few of the themes you’ll find on this year’s Staff Picks list of teen titles.  

If you’re looking for more recommendations in 2025, subscribe to one of our genre-specific newsletters, browse thousands of read-alikes and mood-inspired recommendations on Novelist, or try our My Next Read service to receive a custom list of titles from one of our librarians. And while you’re reading through that new stack of recommendations, why not earn prizes too? Check out our ongoing 100 Books Before Graduation Challenge to learn more.

Be sure to also visit our Staff Picks lists for Kids and Adults to find suggested titles for the other readers in your life.

• A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft – recommended by Alexis F. at Libbie Mill
• A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson – recommended by Courtney M. at North Park
• Brownstone by Samuel Teer – recommended by Nideria B. at Varina
• Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White – recommended by Trisha K. at Fairfield
  • A tale of Appalachian activism starring an autistic trans lead portrayed lovingly and realistically. I could not put this one down until I was done. 
• Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram – recommended by Barbra S. at North Park
  • Though it starts out deceptively simple, Darius the Great is Not Okay slowly builds in story and character until you're left with a story that movingly and masterfully explores themes of family, love and mental health. 
• Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson – recommended by Amanda S. at Library Administration
• Delicious in Dungeon series by Ryoko Kui – recommended by Kristina C. at Library Administration
  • This series is such a fun read! The artwork is great, and the story is incredibly funny and clever. I recommend it to anyone looking for a humorous twist on classic fantasy themes.
• Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross – recommended by Jillian O. at Libbie Mill, Gina F. at Gayton, and Logan F. at Gayton
• Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier – recommended by Marie R. at Gayton
• Freshman Year by Sarah Mai – recommended by Beth C. at Fairfield
  • College can be a time to reinvent yourself, but sometimes new independence can be a rollercoaster of a ride.    
• Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson – recommended by Cammy K. at Varina
• Heir by Sabaa Tahir – recommended by Lauren M. at Libbie Mill
• Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones — recommended by Ben O. at Gayton
  • This is one of my all-time favorite books. I will never get tired of reading it because when I do, I get to return to a place I love filled with people I love.
• I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss by Anko Yuzu – recommended by Hannah T. at Fairfield
  • Aileen is a proactive character who won't accept she is doomed even though she knows how her story is scripted to end. As she works to forge a new path for herself, her behavior confounds the other characters, who have no idea they're in a game.
• Jupiter Rising by Gary D. Schmidt – recommended by Mary S. at Tuckahoe
• Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee – recommended by Kelsey C. at Varina
• Locked in Time by Lois Duncan – recommended by Erica T. at Glen Allen
• The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen – recommended by Jason T. at Fairfield
  • This is one of my favorite Cinderella retellings of all time. 
• The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko – recommended by Kendall H. at Library Administration
• Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter – recommended by Alicia A. at Library Administration
  • This is the sequel to Better Than the Movies but can be read as a standalone. Wes and Liz’s relationship didn’t survive the move to college but now that they are both in a better place, can Wes channel a Rom-Com Hero and win Liz back?
• Out of Body by N.E. Davenport – recommended by Naila P. at Tuckahoe
  • This thriller follows two Black teens in a battle for bodily autonomy with a unique, thought-provoking plot straight out of a blockbuster movie. Topics of 'body swapping,' human connection, and depersonalization all fuse into a captivating story by a talented author.
• Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price – recommended by Lisa K. at Glen Allen
  • In this fun twist on Pride and Prejudice, Lizzie Bennett assists at her father’s law office and takes on a case involving Charles Bingley.
• The Princess & the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz – recommended by Ray K. at Fairfield & Genevieve H. at Gayton
  • It's a very light, cute, and fun read. – Ray
• The Ravens by Kass Morgan – recommended by Kathryn K. at Tuckahoe
• Ruin Road by Lamar Giles – recommended by Tracey B. at Fairfield
• Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow – recommended by Aimee H. at Glen Allen
• Skip and Loafer by Misaki Takamatsu – recommended by Drew C. at Gayton
  • This slice-of-life manga series stars a girl named Mitsumi who moves from rural Japan to Tokyo to attend high school. She is smart, earnest, and often completely awkward, and this combination gives her a unique charm that soon attracts a very diverse group of friends. This story is a great way to learn about daily life in Japan while in the company of fun characters.
• Sunrise Nights by Jeff Zentner – recommended by Amy C. at Tuckahoe
  • A story about the friendship between a boy and girl that spans over three summers at sleepaway arts camp. 
• This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi – recommended by Kareemah H. at Varina
• Tilly in Technicolor by Mazey Eddings – recommended by Rachel S. at Fairfield
• We Shall Be Monsters by Tara Sim – recommended by Ashby C. at Gayton