Teens are tricky at the best of times and getting them a gift at this time of year can sometimes be a real challenge. Never fear! We are here to help with some appropriate suggestions for those tricky teens in your life:

FOR THE SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIOR

• Lead the Way by Jean Hinchliffe is an excellent introduction to teen activism by a leader of the School Strikes for Climate movement in Australia.
• If Not Us by Mark Smith is a brilliant novel about a young man in a coal mining town who becomes awakened to climate activism and learns to find his voice.
• This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell is an accessible book that teaches about racial oppression and how to actively fight against it.
• We also recommend browsing our collection of climate activism books for young adults here.

FOR THE NON READER

• Graphic novels are always great for reluctant readers, so check out these recent recent young adult graphic novels for inspiration. Some staff favourites include the con meet-cute story Stars in Their Eyes and the heartwarming story about finding your people, Sad Ghost Club.

• Alternatively, test their general knowledge and their thirst for millions with this card game version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

• Or perhaps bust out a brainteaser puzzle instead?

FOR THE SPORTS FANATIC

• Sister Secrets by Cate and Bronte Campbell - two young Olympian swimmers tell their secrets to motivation, mental toughness and finding balance in their lives.
• Adam Gilchrist’s Champions of Cricket is a collection of biographies of thirty of the best cricket players in Australia.

• Anything But Fine by Tobias Madden is the story of a ballet dancer who injures himself and the rowing captain he befriends in his down time.

• 28: A Memoir of Football, Addiction, Art, Masculinity and Love by Brandon Jack is a hard-hitting biography that will be of interest to older, footy-obsessed teens.

FOR THE FACTS ENTHUSIAST

• Listified is an incredible collection of lists about our amazing world.
• Guinness World Records 2022 - the original and most famous book of record breakers has a very special pandemic edition this year.
• Sapiens Graphic Novel Volume 1 is a brilliant history of the world in graphic novel format!

FOR THE NATURE OR ANIMAL LOVER

• The Natural History Book is the ultimate guide to life on earth.

• Nature’s Treasures by Ben Hoare is a wonderful collection of stories about remarkable items from the natural world for younger teens.

• What Dogs Want by Mat Ward is a very accessible guide to food, training, and everything else you need to know about your dog. There’s also one for cat lovers: What Cats Want.

• Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara Mcanulty. Bushwalking and outdoors enthusiasts will love this stunning diary of a life spent in nature through the seasons written by an autistic teenager.

FOR THE OUTSIDER OR THE DREAMER

• Kaleidoscope by Brian Selznick is a stunning, illustrated collection of interlinked stories that is wondrous and profound and not too wordy.
• The Sad Ghost Club by Lize Meddings is a graphic novel about a club for teens who feel anxious or alone.
• Bad Girls Never Say Die by Jennifer Mathieu is a feminist re-imagining of the classic novel, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, and is an utterly compelling read.

FOR THE TEENS WHO ONLY LIKE TRUE STORIES

• The Story of Australia by Don Watson is a very accessible history of Australia from pre-history through to the current day that is good for non-readers and history lovers alike.
• The Edelweiss Pirates by Dirk Reinhardt is the true story of a group of cool kids in Nazi Germany who rebelled against Hitler’s regime.
• Tell Me Why for Young Adults by Archie Roach is his incredibly inspiring life story specifically edited with teen readers in mind.

FOR THE TEENS WHO LOVE BINGING MOVIES AND TV

• Dune by Frank Herbert is a must read for budding sci-fi lovers. The recent adaptation has been one of the heavily nominated top ten films of 2021.
• One Of Us is Lying by Karen M McManus is a murder mystery that will have teens desperate to know ‘who dunnit’. Now a popular show on Stan.
• Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo is the first book in the Grishaverse series that had everyone talking at the start of 2021 when the TV show adaptation hit Netflix. Season 2 is out end of 2022.

If you still can’t find anything suitable, perhaps take a look at the many offerings in our Summer Readings Guide or a gift voucher is also an excellent choice.