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Young Adult Fiction Books for Kids

1,231 books in young adult fiction. Every book rated for reading level and content intensity.

Young Adult Fiction books for kids span a wider readiness range than parents usually expect. The same genre category contains gentle picture books and high-intensity middle-grade novels — Lexile and grade-level scores measure text complexity, not what's actually in the story. A young adult fiction title appropriate for a confident 8-year-old reader could still cover themes a sensitive 12-year-old isn't ready for.

Across HootRated's 1,231 young adult fiction titles, books span Grade 1–8. About 30% are rated Gentle or Mild — safe picks for sensitive readers and kids reading ahead of their emotional readiness. 14% sit at the Intense or Very Intense end. Average content intensity is 2.8/5.

Use the intensity badges (green → red, low → high) to filter by emotional readiness rather than just age. For deeper detail on how we rate, see our rating methodology.

Prince across the water

Jane Yolen

Cover of Prince across the water

Prince across the water

Jane Yolen

Level 5-6 Moderate

The war between the classes

Gloria D. Miklowitz

Cover of The war between the classes

The war between the classes

Gloria D. Miklowitz

Level 4-5 Moderate

An Abundance of Katherines

John Green

Cover of An Abundance of Katherines

An Abundance of Katherines

John Green

Level 5-6 Moderate

Breaking rank

Kristen D. Randle

Cover of Breaking rank

Breaking rank

Kristen D. Randle

Level 4-5 Moderate

DragonSpell

Donita K. Paul

Cover of DragonSpell

DragonSpell

Donita K. Paul

Level 5-6 Mild

Darklight

Lesley Livingston

Cover of Darklight

Darklight

Lesley Livingston

Level 5-6 Moderate

Rival

Sara Bennett-Wealer

Cover of Rival

Rival

Sara Bennett-Wealer

Level 4-5 Mild

Mistwood

Leah Cypess

Cover of Mistwood

Mistwood

Leah Cypess

Level 4-5 Moderate

Twisted

Sara Shepard

Cover of Twisted

Twisted

Sara Shepard

Level 4-5 Moderate

Catalyst

S. J. Kincaid

Cover of Catalyst

Catalyst

S. J. Kincaid

Level 5-6 Moderate

Her dark curiosity

Megan Shepherd

Cover of Her dark curiosity

Her dark curiosity

Megan Shepherd

Level 5-6 Moderate

Crushed

Sara Shepard

Cover of Crushed

Crushed

Sara Shepard

Level 4-5 Moderate

Deadly

Sara Shepard

Cover of Deadly

Deadly

Sara Shepard

Level 4-5 Intense

The Capture (Prey Trilogy)

Tom Isbell

Cover of The Capture (Prey Trilogy)

The Capture (Prey Trilogy)

Tom Isbell

Level 4-5 Moderate

Extraordinary means

Robyn Schneider

Cover of Extraordinary means

Extraordinary means

Robyn Schneider

Level 5-6 Moderate

Until the beginning

Amy Plum

Cover of Until the beginning

Until the beginning

Amy Plum

Level 5-6 Moderate

Divergent

Veronica Roth

Cover of Divergent

Divergent

Veronica Roth

Level 8 Very Intense

Made you up

Francesca Zappia

Cover of Made you up

Made you up

Francesca Zappia

Level 3-4 Moderate

Things we know by heart

Jessi Kirby

Cover of Things we know by heart

Things we know by heart

Jessi Kirby

Level 5-6 Moderate

The distance between lost and found

Kathryn Holmes

Cover of The distance between lost and found

The distance between lost and found

Kathryn Holmes

Level 3-4 Moderate

Far from the tree

Robin Benway

Cover of Far from the tree

Far from the tree

Robin Benway

Level 7 Moderate

Tiny pretty things

Sona Charaipotra

Cover of Tiny pretty things

Tiny pretty things

Sona Charaipotra

Level 4-5 Moderate

The upside of unrequited

Becky Albertalli

Cover of The upside of unrequited

The upside of unrequited

Becky Albertalli

Level 7 Moderate

The stranger game

Cylin Busby

Cover of The stranger game

The stranger game

Cylin Busby

Level 5-6 Moderate

True letters from a fictional life

Kenneth Logan

Cover of True letters from a fictional life

True letters from a fictional life

Kenneth Logan

Level 3-4 Moderate

Allegedly

Tiffany D. Jackson

Cover of Allegedly

Allegedly

Tiffany D. Jackson

Level 4-5 Intense

Monday's Not Coming

Tiffany D. Jackson

Cover of Monday's Not Coming

Monday's Not Coming

Tiffany D. Jackson

Level 4-5 Intense

The Cat King of Havana

Toms Kreicbergs

Cover of The Cat King of Havana

The Cat King of Havana

Toms Kreicbergs

Level 4-5 Moderate

Devils unto dust

Emma Berquist

Cover of Devils unto dust

Devils unto dust

Emma Berquist

Level 4-5 Moderate

Five Dark Fates

Kendare Blake

Cover of Five Dark Fates

Five Dark Fates

Kendare Blake

Level 4-5 Intense

Damsel

Elana K. Arnold

Cover of Damsel

Damsel

Elana K. Arnold

Level 6-7 Intense

Grown

Tiffany D. Jackson

Cover of Grown

Grown

Tiffany D. Jackson

Level 3-4 Very Intense

Release Me

Tahereh Mafi

Cover of Release Me

Release Me

Tahereh Mafi

Level 7 Intense

The Thorn Queen Deluxe Limited Edition

Sasha Peyton Smith

Cover of The Thorn Queen Deluxe Limited Edition

The Thorn Queen Deluxe Limited Edition

Sasha Peyton Smith

Level 7 Moderate

Catalyst

Laurie Halse Anderson

Cover of Catalyst

Catalyst

Laurie Halse Anderson

Level 6 Intense

Postcards from no man's land

Aidan Chambers

Cover of Postcards from no man's land

Postcards from no man's land

Aidan Chambers

Level 7 Moderate

Matched

Ally Condie

Cover of Matched

Matched

Ally Condie

Level 5 Moderate

Legend

Marie Lu

Cover of Legend

Legend

Marie Lu

Level 4-5 Moderate

The 5th Wave

Richard Yancey

Cover of The 5th Wave

The 5th Wave

Richard Yancey

Level 8 Very Intense

Brother in the Land

Robert Swindells

Cover of Brother in the Land

Brother in the Land

Robert Swindells

Level 6 Intense

Solo

Kwame Alexander

Cover of Solo

Solo

Kwame Alexander

Level 3-4 Moderate

Infinity

Sherrilyn Kenyon

Cover of Infinity

Infinity

Sherrilyn Kenyon

Level 4-5 Moderate

Maximum Ride

James Patterson

Cover of Maximum Ride

Maximum Ride

James Patterson

Level 3-4 Moderate

Days of blood & starlight

Laini Taylor

Cover of Days of blood & starlight

Days of blood & starlight

Laini Taylor

Level 5-6 Moderate

When we wake

Karen Healey

Cover of When we wake

When we wake

Karen Healey

Level 4-5 Moderate

When you were here

Daisy Whitney

Cover of When you were here

When you were here

Daisy Whitney

Level 4-5 Moderate

Zom-B Angels

Darren Shan

Cover of Zom-B Angels

Zom-B Angels

Darren Shan

Level 5-6 Mild

Six impossible things

Fiona Wood

Cover of Six impossible things

Six impossible things

Fiona Wood

Level 4-5 Mild

Hello, goodbye, and everything in between

Jennifer E. Smith

Cover of Hello, goodbye, and everything in between

Hello, goodbye, and everything in between

Jennifer E. Smith

Level 5-6 Intense

North of happy

Adi Alsaid

Cover of North of happy

North of happy

Adi Alsaid

Level 5-6 Moderate

I Am The Messenger

Markus Zusak

Cover of I Am The Messenger

I Am The Messenger

Markus Zusak

Level 7 Mild

The Book Thief

Markus Zusak

Cover of The Book Thief

The Book Thief

Markus Zusak

Level 4-5 Intense

Woods Runner

Gary Paulsen

Cover of Woods Runner

Woods Runner

Gary Paulsen

Level 5-6 Moderate

The Maze Runner

James Dashner

Cover of The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner

James Dashner

Level 5-6 Moderate

Rapture

Lauren Kate

Cover of Rapture

Rapture

Lauren Kate

Level 5-6 Moderate

We Were Liars

E. Lockhart

Cover of We Were Liars

We Were Liars

E. Lockhart

Level 4-5 Intense

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

John Boyne

Cover of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

John Boyne

Level 7-8 Intense

The reader

Traci Chee

Cover of The reader

The reader

Traci Chee

Level 5-6 Moderate

The Magic Fish

Trung Le Nguyen

Cover of The Magic Fish

The Magic Fish

Trung Le Nguyen

Level 6 Moderate

Hot Dog Girl

Jennifer Dugan

Cover of Hot Dog Girl

Hot Dog Girl

Jennifer Dugan

Level 7 Mild
Browse all 1,231 young adult fiction books

Questions parents ask about young adult fiction books

What are the best young adult fiction books for kids?
HootRated catalogs 1,231 young adult fiction children's books spanning Grade 1–8. Each is rated on reading level and content intensity. The picks above are sorted by quality signals — hook factor, discussion potential, and content appropriateness.
Are young adult fiction books appropriate for sensitive readers?
372 books (30%) are rated Gentle or Mild — safe for sensitive readers. 168 (14%) are rated Intense or Very Intense. Average intensity is 2.8/5. Filter by intensity badge to match your child's emotional readiness.
What reading level are young adult fiction books?
Young Adult Fiction books in our catalog span Grade 1–8. The typical reading level lands around Grade 6. Reading level measures text difficulty — separate from content intensity, which measures emotional weight. The two often don't track together for gifted readers — the Gifted Kid Paradox.