# What Young Adult literature did you/do you love? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [April 6, 2023, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-young-adult-literature-did-you-do-you-love/982237 "2023-04-06T06:32:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![ralfy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ralfy/32/600_2.png) [@ralfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralfy)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2023, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-young-adult-literature-did-you-do-you-love/982237/101 "2023-04-08T04:20:11Z")
I enjoyed reading Mark Twain and R.L. Stevenson. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2023, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-young-adult-literature-did-you-do-you-love/982237/102 "2023-04-08T07:48:28Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > She’s another of the terrific newer argues I’ve recently discovered. T. Kingfisher is an “argue”? [![](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/000/151/n725075089_288918_2774.jpg) ](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/000/151/n725075089_288918_2774.jpg) (Some of you will get it.) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2023, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-young-adult-literature-did-you-do-you-love/982237/103 "2023-04-08T08:02:40Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Hey, that’s fair. Does anyone know? Is Piers still writing or is he “James Patttersoning” this thing by slapping his name in them? > > I thought he was still making these books himself. It looks like he is now making the covers himself. > **[Amazon.com: Apoca Lips (The Xanth Novels) eBook : Anthony, Piers: Kindle Store](https://www.amazon.com/Apoca-Xanth-Novels-Piers-Anthony-ebook/dp/B09BCFMR2X)** > > Amazon.com: Apoca Lips (The Xanth Novels) eBook : Anthony, Piers: Kindle Store ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2023, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-young-adult-literature-did-you-do-you-love/982237/104 "2023-04-08T10:52:27Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > T. Kingfisher is an “argue”? Typo for author. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2023, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-young-adult-literature-did-you-do-you-love/982237/105 "2023-04-08T11:13:31Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Typo for author Yeah, that was obvious. But an opportunity to post a once extremely widespread internet meme. Created from an artwork by Ursurla Vernon. Who sometimes writes under the penname T. Kingfisher. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2023, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-young-adult-literature-did-you-do-you-love/982237/106 "2023-04-08T11:20:47Z")
I haven’t seen the meme before. 😢 I like Ursula Vernon under both names, though. Although i didn’t make it through _the hollow place_. I may pick it up again later, but if wasn’t enjoying it enough to stick with it over other stuff in my queue. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2023, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-young-adult-literature-did-you-do-you-love/982237/107 "2023-04-08T11:47:34Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > It looks like he is now making the covers himself. I read the first sample page and it’s unredeemably awful writing. But the user rating is higher than 4! ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2023, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-young-adult-literature-did-you-do-you-love/982237/108 "2023-04-08T11:57:42Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I haven’t seen the meme before. It is…[quite widespread](https://www.google.com/search?q=lol+wut&client=firefox-b-1-m&channel=ts&sxsrf=APwXEdddbAJMwa27Qt7NgQ3DmtKnCiukJA:1680954622184&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiBq435m5r-AhXdVTABHTu2CbMQ_AUIBigB&biw=360&bih=579). Embarrassingly, I haven’t actually read any of her books yet. I just know her from “knowing” her as a regular poster on a small science fiction news blog I used to spend a lot of time on. It was through her I learned of [lawn crayfish](https://ursulav.livejournal.com/1537823.html). I want lawn crayfish. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2023, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-young-adult-literature-did-you-do-you-love/982237/109 "2023-04-08T12:49:27Z")
I’ve lived in the south my whole life, and today I heard of lawn crayfish for the first time. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2023, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-young-adult-literature-did-you-do-you-love/982237/110 "2023-04-08T13:14:18Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > > [@puzzlegal](#): > > > > I haven’t seen the meme before. > > It is…[quite widespread](https://www.google.com/search?q=lol+wut&client=firefox-b-1-m&channel=ts&sxsrf=APwXEdddbAJMwa27Qt7NgQ3DmtKnCiukJA:1680954622184&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiBq435m5r-AhXdVTABHTu2CbMQ_AUIBigB&biw=360&bih=579). I’d never seen it before either. This link might be more helpful: > **[LOLWUT](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/lolwut)** > > Would you eat this pear? Probably not. It would probably eat you first anyway. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2023, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-young-adult-literature-did-you-do-you-love/982237/111 "2023-04-09T22:21:26Z")
I am a bit surprised that I have only seen one reference to Lloyd Alexander. He had a a number of YA books. One thing I particularly liked about him was that his protagonists actually learned from their experiences. **The Chronicles of Prydain** gives an interesting sideways look at **The Mabinogian**. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-young-adult-literature-did-you-do-you-love/982237/112 "2023-04-10T02:40:59Z")
I told a college student taking my class that I loved YA books of any era “because Things Happen!” She said “Good to know. I’m the YA manager at a bookstore.” The next day she passed my table in the school cafe and plopped a book on it without saying a word. That was _Hunger Games,_ and after three of those, she did the same thing with _The Knife of Never Letting Go._ Great world-building, where the wild west level of tech is combined with the fact that telepathy is widespread. Which leads us to my favorite opening of a book: > The first thing you find out when yer dog learns to talk is that dogs don’t got nothing much to say. About anything. > > “Need a poo, Todd.” > “Shut up, Manchee.” > > “Poo.” > > “Poo, Todd.” > “I said shut it.” > > “Poo,” Manchee barks quietly to himself. “Poo, poo, poo.” > > “Just have yer stupid poo and quit yapping about it.” Don’t worry, a lot more happens. It’s the first of the “Chaos Walking” trilogy, and was made into a movie that was released during Covid and not marketed at all. It had a great cast; Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley, with Mads Mikkelsen as the bad guy, and Nick Jonas as his son. But no one saw it… I just happened to see the name and rented it on Amazon. Highly recommended. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-young-adult-literature-did-you-do-you-love/982237/113 "2023-04-10T03:07:38Z")
Trixie Belden mysteries by Julie Campbell and “Kathryn Kenny”. Judy Bolton mysteries by Margaret Sutton. Swallows and Amazons series by Arthur Ransome. _The Seven Towers_ by Patricia C Wrede. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-young-adult-literature-did-you-do-you-love/982237/114 "2023-04-10T03:31:37Z")
I adore the Chronicles of Prydain. I liked some of his other stuff, too. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-young-adult-literature-did-you-do-you-love/982237/115 "2023-04-10T11:26:21Z")
> [@digs](#): > > the “Chaos Walking” trilogy Yeah, those were good books. I didn’t see the movie though. It seems like it would be difficult to film. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-young-adult-literature-did-you-do-you-love/982237/116 "2023-04-10T12:49:56Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Yeah, those were good books. I didn’t see the movie though. It seems like it would be difficult to film. I am intrigued by the books if they are good. The movie made my “worst movies of the year” list, but it had a very troubled production and I barely remember it now. Boring to the point of being forgotten. I may give them a shot as books, though. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-young-adult-literature-did-you-do-you-love/982237/117 "2023-04-10T13:42:21Z")
The books treat the “everyone can see/hear your thoughts” with typography, with type overlaid in different weights/sized to signify The Noise of constant telepathy. At least the hardcovers did (and they had varnished type overlaid on the cover. The one time that effect had a reason for it). For anyone who’s read but not seen it, the movie uses smoke-like imagery. I was surprised how well it worked. But the books are much better. I’m with **Mahaloth** , the movie didn’t “stick with me”. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-young-adult-literature-did-you-do-you-love/982237/118 "2023-04-10T14:05:49Z")
Oh! How could I have forgotten [_Tomorrow When The War Began_](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/71865)? My daughter came home from high school and said “I’m reading a book you’d LOVE!” Australian teens on a long camping trip, way out in the bush, hear jet fighters overhead during the night. They get almost home to find that their town is empty, and has been taken over by a foreign army. They steal some radio equipment and, retreating back to “Hell” (where they were camping… the geography is one of the best characters in this book), they find the invasion is widespread. They end up sabotaging enemy forces and looking for their families. Sounds simple, but it’s written with some depth. The first book’s great fun, and I had to read all seven of the books. They’ve won many awards in Australia, and there’s a film and a TV series. Oh, and a book series featuring the main character, The Ellie Chronicles, I’ll have to find those! And I found a page: ["Here are 10 books that authors have _personally recommended_ if you like _Tomorrow When The War Began."_](https://shepherd.com/books-like/tomorrow-when-the-war-began) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-young-adult-literature-did-you-do-you-love/982237/119 "2023-04-10T15:34:10Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Oh! How could I have forgotten [_Tomorrow When The War Began_](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/71865)? In the books or film, after a successful raid, does one of the teenagers raise a rifle over his head and proclaim “Wombats!!”? [![](https://images03.military.com/sites/default/files/styles/full/public/media/offduty/movies/2017/03/reddawnlead.jpg) ](https://images03.military.com/sites/default/files/styles/full/public/media/offduty/movies/2017/03/reddawnlead.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2023, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-young-adult-literature-did-you-do-you-love/982237/120 "2023-04-15T03:16:01Z")
“Dingoes!” would be better. Wombats are too cute and cuddly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-young-adult-literature-did-you-do-you-love/982237.md?page=5)