Overlooked YA books?

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Overlooked YA books?

1kacates
Sep 17, 2008, 1:04 pm

Hi everyone,

I work at a public library as the YA librarian, and I'm working on some book displays right now. I'd like to do one featuring some overlooked books that teens would love if they only knew about them, but after coming up with a few, my mind has hit a complete blank. Does anyone have any suggestions? They don't strictly have to be YA, although that's what I'm focusing on. Older titles are good as long as they're still in print!

Thanks!

- Kristi

2selkie_girl
Sep 17, 2008, 2:49 pm

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede, most of the kids (high schoolers) turn up their nose at it since the cover is a bit old. But it's such a delightful read.

3fabfic-terrificteens
Sep 17, 2008, 9:47 pm

I think Tangerine by Edward Bloor is often overlooked, and yet it is a brilliant read.

4curioussquared
Sep 17, 2008, 10:41 pm

Tam Lin by Pamela Dean is one of my favorite overlooked YA fantasies. Also on that list is Mimus by Lili Thal, Tamsin by Peter S. Beagle, Dragon's Milk by Susan Fletcher, and Wise Child by Monica Furlong.
Anything by Diana Wynne Jones is worth a shot, although she's a bit more well-known than a lot of these authors. Singing the Dogstar Blues by Alison Goodman is a really fun sci-fi novel I read awhile ago that not many people know about.
Just in Case by Meg Rosoff is my current favorite new YA fiction find. Try it!

Hope this helps!

5EKAnderson
Sep 18, 2008, 12:40 am

The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney by Suzanne Harper is really cute
Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith, for fans of Stephenie Meyer
Sweethearts by Sara Zarr is one of my favorite this year
Hero-Type by Barry Lyga is new and really great, with politics at the forefront
How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier is a super, cute new fantasy
Slam by Nick Hornby seems to have been overlooked, but it's a great boy book

6Sorrel
Modifié : Sep 18, 2008, 1:53 am

Some of my favourite YA are:

Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody
Skallagrigg by William Horwood
Sabriel by Garth Nix
Merryl of the Stones or any other by Brian Caswell

They're mostly Australian authors, so they might be a bit overlooked where you are :)

(I'm happy to recommend more if you want)

7Jenson_AKA_DL
Sep 18, 2008, 7:57 am

Hawksong by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes (fantasy)
Saint Iggy by K.L. Going (contemporary/teen issues)
Old Magic by Marianne Curley (time travel/fantasy)
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley (fantasy)
Avalon High by Meg Cabot (urban fantasy)

I guess you can tell I lean towards the fantasy titles, can't you!

8Caramellunacy
Sep 18, 2008, 9:53 am

I second Dealing with Dragons and the rest of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. I also really enjoyed Sorcery and Cecelia by Patricia Wrede (Regency era romance with magic).

Powder Monkey by Paul Dowswell - historical complete with nautical adventure.

The Sea of Trolls - fantasy/historical with Viking/norse mythology.

I'm not sure how overlooked this is, but Nobody's Princess is amazing. Full of adventure and girl power with a Greek mythological bent.

9annelwatson
Sep 21, 2008, 8:24 am

The Sherwood Ring, by Elizabeth Marie Pope

I first read this book when I was a YA, and I still have a copy. It has a frame story that is much less interesting than the main plot, which is related by four delightful ghosts.

10minerva66
Oct 18, 2008, 11:47 pm

The Lost Years of Merlin by T A Barron are great books. Maybe too fantasy for some, but seem to be less talked about now. I also really enjoyed Click-short stories written as an add-on story by 10 authors. All of the stories were linked to a character, who was a photojournalist (deceased in most of the book), and how he touched the lives of others.

11MerryMary
Oct 19, 2008, 12:20 am

Such a wealth of great suggestions.

For a really old one - but so delightful - you might look at Daddy Long-Legs by Jean Webster. (Probably girls only)

Another really good one: Touch Not the Cat by Mary Stewart. In fact, most of her mysteries are great, and her Merlin fantasy series is superb.

Out here in ranchland, Louis L'Amour is never underappreciated, but maybe your boys don't know about him. I've had some of my boys manage to get through 4 years of Accelerated Reader requirements reading nothing but!

13jnwelch
Jan 3, 2009, 6:28 pm

King of Shadows by Susan Cooper.

14Caramellunacy
Jan 4, 2009, 8:27 am

Oh, I love King of Shadows! Such an amazing book.

15megtall
Jan 4, 2009, 6:37 pm

Total Constant Order by Crissa-Jean Chappelle.

16stephxsu
Jan 4, 2009, 8:49 pm

Someone mentioned Robin McKinley already, and she's COMPLETELY fantastic. My favorite of hers is The Hero and the Crown. I can reread that over and over again.

17reconditereader
Jan 4, 2009, 10:49 pm

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan.

18stonecoldfoxonfire
Jan 4, 2009, 10:50 pm

I second Just In Case by Meg Rosoff! It was one of my favorite books I read this year!

Dreamhunter and Dreamquake by Elizabeth Knox are two of my all-time favorite books as well.

19jenreidreads
Jan 5, 2009, 12:40 am

#11 - I caught the silent film version of Daddy Long Legs once on TCM (with Mary Pickford)...didn't realize it was a book! I'll have to check it out!

20beserene
Jan 5, 2009, 1:28 am

I second the mention of Tamsin as well as Robin McKinley's stuff -- though I think McKinley is not too terribly overlooked these days -- but one book that I loved and few seem to have read is The Hounds of the Morrigan by Pat O'Shea. Wonderful stuff.

21stonecoldfoxonfire
Jan 6, 2009, 12:20 pm

Mmm The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud is also fantastic. I think it really embodies what YA fantasy should be. It was pretty overlooked when it came out, not sure if it still is these days...

22fyrefly98
Jan 6, 2009, 12:52 pm

I'll second (third?) The Enchanted Forest Chronicles and Sorcery and Cecelia by Patricia C. Wrede, as well as The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Boy Meets Boy and the Abhorsen trilogy.

I'll add the Bloody Jack books by L. A. Meyer, Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson, the Blossom Culp books by Richard Peck, and Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer. Those are probably more for the younger end of the YA demographic, though.

23ludmillalotaria
Jan 6, 2009, 1:26 pm

Good suggestion, #9. I recently read The Sherwood Ring and The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope. The Sherwood Ring is great fun (and the historical parts take place in New York during the American Revolution). The Perilous Gard is a retelling of Tam Lin, and should appeal to anyone who likes retold fairy tales.

I believe Pope wrote the first one in the 50s and the second in the 70s, so they are definitely books that may not be on the average teen's radar.

24MissTeacher
Jan 18, 2009, 2:13 am

Tangerine is great and depressing (in a good way). My favorites by far are City of the Beasts, Kingdom of the Golden Dragon and Forest of the Pygmies by Isabel Allende. These adventures stories take kids around the world and have all the beautiful mysticism of Allende's adult literature.

I'm serious! Please try them!!!

25ruffian
Jan 26, 2009, 1:49 pm

The Blue Sword by Robin Mckinley Dairy Queen and The Off Season by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. Also anything by David Clement Davies.

27bethielouwho
Fév 9, 2009, 12:14 pm

The Bloody Jack Series by L.A. Meyer is one that I've been trying to get the kids to read at the high school were I am the assistant librarian. Its already been mentioned as well but Hawksong ia good as well. I just finished it the other day and can't wait to read volume two.

28JuanR
Fév 9, 2009, 6:29 pm

What about new in print? That can be overlooked too.

29Amanda16948
Fév 14, 2009, 6:59 pm

The Luxe series. It is a great set of reads.

30viciouslittlething
Fév 15, 2009, 12:28 pm

#28: yes, there are so many new in print books that are overlooked, they may be a very popular read in 2-3 years time, I love to read new in print books it's a privalege to be one of the few (hundred, thousand) to read it.

31Kittybee
Modifié : Fév 16, 2009, 10:07 am

I recently read The Thief,The Queen of Attolia, and The King of Attolia for the first time and thought they were amazing. I hadn't heard of them, but just happened to come across the first two in a discount bookstore. When I was ready to read the third, I was shocked to find that NONE of the bookstores in town carried any of the series in stock. Therefore, I made it my goal in life to tell as many people as possible about this wonderful YA series.

32atimco
Fév 16, 2009, 1:49 pm

28: This wouldn't have ANYTHING to do with the fact that you are newly published, hmm? :-|

31: I'm the same! I'm part of another forum and have started a very successful "Attolian conspiracy" there. I've never had anyone read the books and dislike them. Most people come away raving just like me, lol! The author lives in my state and there is totally a reason the back cover blurbs aren't more specific... I'd be on her doorstep begging for number four in the series! :-P

33beserene
Fév 24, 2009, 11:12 pm

I'd seen that Attolia series in bookstores near me before, and thought it looked intriguing, but not so much so that I would pay full price. Nice to hear the recommendations, which give me a more concrete reason to buy it. Hooray!

34kalexa
Fév 26, 2009, 10:44 am

The Gods in Winter by Patricia Miles. This book is shamefully unknown, but other greek mythology fans should love it.

35becbart
Mar 1, 2009, 3:20 pm

Tamar by Mal Peet is a wonderful historical fiction set in Holland in WW2 and modern-day England - does it get better than a love triangle involving spies?

I don't know how popular it is currently, but The perks of being a wallflower should definitely not be overlooked. Hard to believe it was published 10 years ago!

The gravesavers by Sheree Fitch is a Canadian title that should appeal to Twilight fans with it's ghost romance storyline.

36JFDR
Mar 1, 2009, 6:04 pm

The After Life by Daniel Ehrenhaft

I read it for my YA materials class in Library School last semester. I found it very good. I should put up a review, as I see there are none, and only 19 members on LibraryThing have the book cataloged. Very overlooked in my opinion. Popular YA author John Green has nice things to say about it on the back.

37pwaites
Mar 1, 2009, 7:09 pm

38viciouslittlething
Mar 2, 2009, 6:22 am

#31 & #32: I bought a copy of each for our little community library, it's such a good series. The Thief was given to me as part of a teens read programme that my school ran, that's 10 years ago.

39pamwithers
Mai 17, 2020, 8:54 pm

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Deborah Ellis!
(and my 20 YA "boy books") pamwithers.com

40spaceofflowers
Juin 3, 2020, 8:53 am

Feeling Sorry for Celia by Jaclyn Moriaty and Bloomability by Sharon Creech for (mostly) realistic YA.

The Naming by Alison Croggan for fantasy

41Jenson_AKA_DL
Juin 3, 2020, 2:49 pm

>27 bethielouwho: I recently re-read Hawksong again and really enjoyed it. It is too bad that the rest of the series didn't stick with me as much. I also liked Amelia Atwater-Rhodes vampire books (pre-Twiglight, no sparkles LOL)

42mcryder0
Juil 26, 2023, 10:31 am

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Hello fellow YA readers! I'm new here. I'm an avid reader and now also an author! If you are looking for something new to sink your teeth into, you can check out The Dark series by going to my official website: https://www.mcryderauthor.com. Right now as any indie author I'm overlooked since I don't have a team and promotional resources to spread the news.

The most overlooked YA novels are from indie authors. The mainstream authors have a promotional team and buy into the publishing industry while the hard working indie authors don't get taken seriously. Granted, their are many that just want to make a profit, but there are also legit indie authors that are hidden gems but without support from the publishing world are often overlooked. I read a book from a fellow indie author, Life After by Genalea Barker and it was fantastic.