Books to Give to Teens for the Holidays

Ok, teens are not an easy bunch!  Finding something they will like is hard enough, so books can be challenging.  But I don't always feel that I want to simply get them a gift card.  This selection represents some books that caught my interest and in my discussion with my own teen and his friends, seem to resonate with their crowd.  So I hope they provide some good choices as you navigate through this hard to buy for bunch of kids.  Please keep in mind that Dear Teen Me and Mad do have some more mature themes, so they may not be appropriate for younger kids.

Dear Teen Me edited by Miranda Kenneally and E. Kristin Anderson is a series of letters that a collection of authors have written to their teen selves.  They deal with bullying, love, friendship, abuse,  etc.  This book is meant to show teens that they can overcome adversity, that life can get better and give them empathy for what others may be facing.  In the end, the hope is that teens will feel a little less alone and better in their own skin.  To purchase this book, click here: Dear Teen Me: Authors Write Letters to Their Teen Selves (True Stories)







Insanely Awesome Mad by the Usual Gang of Idiots is a great gift for a teenage boy.  If you grew up with Mad magazine, as I did, you know and love the parodies, and the ridiculous commercials.  There is also Spy vs. Spy and snappy answers to stupid questions. What teenage boy could resist? To purchase this book, click here: Insanely Awesome Mad TP

Cinder by Marrisa Meyer is one of my favorite books for girls and with the sequel Scarlet about to be released, your teen will not have to wait long to satisfy her wish for what happens next.  Cinder is futuristic take on Cinderella, but it couldn't be further from the Disney version your teen read when she was a toddler.  Cinder is now a cyborg who lives and breaths technology.  When a plague breaks out in the land, our prince will do almost anything to find a cure.  Suffice it to say that this is a great read.  To purchase this book, click here: Cinder (Lunar Chronicles)

The Cult of Lego by John Baichtal and Joe Meno is not a book for younger kids.  This is a tour through the Lego community, profiling Lego filmmakers, professional Lego artists and amazing adult creations. This book is for teens who use Legos in robotics or who enjoy moving way beyond the basic building sets into creating new and interesting things.  To purchase this book, click here: The Cult of LEGO