While I don't share the opinion of most tweens and teenagers, my experience as a middle-school English teacher has made me wildly aware of the widespread assumption that, "Reading sucks." Because "reading sucks" and because it's my job to keep learning interesting, I've made it my mission to find books that are - for the most part - decidedly "not" cringeworthy. Their imaginations may be buried in blue-light waste, but I know that they're in there somewhere. That being said, here are ten, teenager-targeted novels that might wake those pixelated brains and show them a magic that can only be found when they read a "stupid book."

4. Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt (2015)

When fourteen-year-old Joseph moves in with the Hurd family, Jack's life changes forever. He doesn't know much about his new foster brother, but the things he does know are shocking. He knows that Joseph spent time at Stone Mountain because he nearly killed a teacher, and he knows that Joseph has a daughter named Jupiter. What Jack doesn't know is just how far Joseph will go to meet his baby for the very first time. Everything Jack learns after meeting Joseph comes to light in this tragic, yet heartwarming tale of love, loss, and belonging.

5. The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill (2016)

6. When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller (2020)

Based on a Korean folktale, this novel follows twelve-year-old Lily as she embarks on a journey to save her sick grandmother. Lily is being visited by the magic tiger, a tiger that only she can see. When Lily's grandmother tells her that the tigers are looking for her because she stole something from them, Lily decides to make a deal with the tiger. If she can return what her grandmother stole, the tigers will give Grandmother her health. Love and the power of storytelling keep the pages turning in this wonderfully written tale of family.

7. A Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (2017)

After witnessing his brother's murder, fifteen-year-old Will plans to seek revenge. Written in free verse, this novel details the elevator-ride of Will's life. The elevator ride to his vengeance forces Will to confront his decisions by introducing him to ghosts that confuse him and force him to question his understanding of Shawn's death. The tale ends on a cliffhanger, with the elevator doors opening and Will undecided. The reader must make their own ending, and Will's grief mixed with the injustice of murder make it hard to close the book.

8. Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly (2017)

Told from the perspectives of four different middle schoolers, this novel details some problematic bullying behavior toward kids with special needs. Virgil has a crush on Valencia and desperately wants to meet her. He's also being bullied by Chet but he's scared to face Chet alone. Virgil decides to seek help from his friend Kaori. Virgil's mission to meet Valencia takes the unsuspecting quad on an interesting path, and a twist of fate allows all four characters to meet. Communication problems may challenge the teens along the way, but friendship makes it a little easier. Hello, Universe explores cosmic coincidence and the definition of a true hero.

9. The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman (2019)

Valentina and Oksana have just lost their fathers in the Chernobyl disaster and though they were enemies, they're forced to trust each other as they must now live together with Valentina's grandmother, Rita. Circumstance requires them to face new, life-threatening secrets and because they have to keep those secrets safe, the girls finally learn what it means to have a true friend. Alternating between the defining of events of both 1941 and 1986, this novel explores the power of true friendship and what it takes to defeat the injustices of oppression and intolerance.

10. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (2007)

Junior wants to be a cartoon journalist, but there's one small catch. He lives on the Spokane Indian Reservation, and in a troubled community with troubled students, following such a dream is unacceptable. Facing the impossible, Junior moves to an all-white school where he, barring the school mascot, is the only Native American in sight. Based on the author's life experiences, this well-written, beautifully illustrated novel explores fitting in and the desire to follow a path other than the one you're destined for.

Each of these novels were quick reads that had me hooked from cover to cover, and with any luck it'll hook your students too. Hopefully this list can act as your personal guide to your favorite teenagers' hearts and they can learn to love reading as much as I do. Happy reading!