What I’m Handing My Teen to Read this Summer (So Far)

It’s two weeks into summer break, and we’ve already been to the library … a lot. We have shelves overflowing with books in every room of the house, and still, Mom, I need a new book to read. 

My teenage son has been a voracious reader since he taught himself at age three. I have never been able to keep enough books to feed him, and I am always asking how I can give him good books to read that are appropriate to his age and maturity level. It is difficult, and the target keeps shifting. When he was five or ten, the kinds of books I hunted down for him were very different from the ones I hand him now. And no, I don’t preread everything anymore, nor do I completely filter out all profanity or violence, etc. I trust in the relationship he shares with me and my husband, and in the deep, deep well of good books he has read over his lifetime. He knows what is truly good literature, and we talk about the other stuff. I know there are lots of wise ways to walk this line; that’s where we are right now.  

He is hungry to learn and throws himself at understanding and stretching and challenges in the same way he throws himself at the ocean waves when we go to the coast. I’m always looking for more. And yes, we’ve read the classics. 

I know I’m not the only parent constantly scrambling for good books to hand to my kids, and if you, like me, are searching that place beyond the middle-grade section, I hope some of these wins for us might be wins for you, too.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner. I wish I had read this series as a teen. A great introduction to unreliable narrators, as well as some delightful characters, and an imagined world reminiscent of ancient Greece. 

What If? by Randall Monroe. My son has read these books over a dozen times. Wacky scientific questions are given serious (and unserious) answers, and the illustrations are fantastic. 

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. A perfect novel. This one probably comes with some conversations, especially depending on your kid, but I hope you don’t need me to convince you about this one. It’s a gem. Go read it. Again. 

Various sports books: The Boys in the Boat (Daniel James Brown), Endure (Alex Hutchinson), The Sports Gene (David Epstein). Storytelling, facts, and sports. Win-win-win over here. 

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. For a kid hungry to learn, and who loves not just learning but good storytelling and thinking about the world from different angles, Gladwell’s voice hits a sweet spot. 

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. Another practically perfect novel. Very long (bonus points!), and heavy content, for sure, but beautiful and worthwhile. We are now listening to the music on repeat. 

I also just handed him Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susannah Clarke. Another tome, a slow, clever, and funny slow burn of a novel that isn’t for everyone, so we’ll see how it lands

It is a great joy to share good and beautiful stories with our children, and to talk more and deeper about the world we live in. May we all step into that place more, and may this summer be full of good books for you and your beloved children. 

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Millie Sweeny

Millie is a former writing tutor who now spends most of her time driving to soccer practice or folding laundry, but can also be found kneading dough in the kitchen or reading in a corner.

Originally from South Carolina, she lives in Corvallis, Oregon with her husband and two kids, and occasionally writes for The Rabbit Room. She can be found at instagram.com/millie.sweeny.

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