I will start. Keenan LOVES Ned Vizzini. He has three books on the market, It's Kind of a Funny Story, Be More Chill and Teen Angst. He is hilarious and "gets" life for teen boys.

To learn more, click Ned Vizzini.

Ok, I only have girls but I wrote an article for Suite about some cool series my teen girls have enjoyed. Here ya go:

Popular Teen Book Series

Anything that keeps them off the streets, right?! ;)

Oh, if I could only GET Alex into reading! I do not understand how both of my boys could grow up watching me with my nose in a book constantly and NOT be readers.

You may know that Alex is into sports, right? So his favorite books are sports/teen combos. Mike Lupica is our most favorite author. Yes, I said OUR because I read them too! Made me boohoo at the end of his books at least three times. Alex wont admit to that, but he did too!

Hmm..I'm at work and the other author's name is escaping me..Feinstein I think? He writes about teens who get into journalism and write about sporting events where little mysteries also unfold. Very fun.

And that's it around here. Like I said - would LOVE it if he would read for pleasure. Sigh...

Try out the Vizzini books. He might like those. Very edgy and "cool" teen crap. Seems right up his freshman alley. Yes?

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Christina said ...
Oh, if I could only GET Alex into reading! I do not understand how both of my boys could grow up watching me with my nose in a book constantly and NOT be readers.

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FOR SHORE. Anything that keeps them off the streets. Or in parked cars. Anything!

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Marymac said ...
Anything that keeps them off the streets, right?! ;)

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My boys have always been readers. I'm trying to remember what all books they have enjoyed.  Obviously the Potter series. That was huge for all of us, even my husband and he doesn't read.  Japanese Anime is a big hit with them. It's not exactly reading, but it's close enough for me.  The Cap'n Underpants series and the Wimpy Kids ones, and we have a whole stack of Goosebumps books - got them at the library book sale for a quarter a piece. 

The Percy Jackson series, although it might be a little young for older kids.  My oldest boy is reading the Pride, Prejuidice, and Zombies series.  I've heard that is pretty entertaining.  I've tried to get them to read the Magic of Xanth series by Piers Anthony, but they won't even nibble at it. 

We also listen to a lot of books on tape in the car. I pick books I like, but usually, they will get absorbed in them too.  So far, we've listened to Angels & Demons, Da Vinci Code, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Gone with the Wind and they've liked all of them. 

I'm reading the House of Night series and enjoying it.  Definitely a girl book, but it had a couple of sex scenes that seem very inappropriate to me.  Maybe for Jr's or Sr's in High School.  Otherwise, they are great books, so I just wish they'd left the sex out of the first book. 

Adrian

The Mortal Instrument series seems like it would be good for both boys and girls. I've only read the 1st one and enjoyed it; I imagine I would have liked it as a teen too!

James Patterson has a several Maximum Ride and the Dangerous Days of Daniel X, My teens really enjoy reading these and since my son has dyslexia the short chapters in these books makes him able enjoy the story.

I second the vote for the Mortal Instruments and their new companion series, the Infernal Devices. Totally unisex literature.

Also, James Patterson's Maximum Ride, plus all of it's sequels.

Hunger Games trilogy and Harry Potter, of course.

Also, go for anything that has been turned into a movie that they've already seen (if you have to, rent the movie first) kids that age are more likely to get into it if they've seen the movie. Technologically-laden generation and all.

Jurassic Park, The Prestige, The Sookie Stackhouse novels, etc. Anything with a successful movie/ tv show will usually draw them in.

I'm a Middle School ELA teacher and I could go on for days talking about great books for teenagers.  However, for the purpose of this thread I will just name a few...Stargirl by:  Jerri Spinelli (girls)  Hush by:  Jacqueline Woodson (Girls)  Maniac McGee by:  Jerri Spinelli (boys)  The Outsiders by:  S.E. Hinton (Boys and Girls)  Bridge to Terabithia by:  Katherine Patterson (Boys and Girls)