Today marks the start of Teen Read Week, which is sponsored by the American Library Association. If you’re looking for inspiration for good titles for teens, you can check out the top ten books from past years on the ALA’s site.

The Teen Read Week theme this year is “Read Beyond Reality,” so I thought I would offer a few books that I can recommend along those lines.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. I’m even more a fan of this writer after I heard him speak at Wordstock in Portland. In Absolutely True Diary Alexie brings readers into the reality of the Spokane Indian Reservation. My review.

The Fetch by Laura Whitcomb. Enter the reality of the being sent to Earth to fetch souls as they are leaving their bodies in death. Then go along with hi as he takes a journey into the world of the Russia during the days of the revolution in the early 1900s. My review.

Getting the Girl by Markus Zusak takes you into the mind of Cameron Wolfe, who longs to show the girl his brother dumped that he loves her. My review.

Goth Girl Rising by Barry Lyga takes us into Kyra’s world of goth girls and graphic novels. My review.

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones is a total fantasy world, where castle doors open into new kingdoms. My review.

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. Find out what it’s like to live in a crumbling castle in the English countryside. My review.

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley. What would it be like to live with a birthmark covering much of your face? My review.

The Real Real by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus. Find out about the reality of reality TV shows. My review.

Songs for a Teenage Nomad by Kim Culbertson. Callie finds solace through music as she moves from town to town with her mother. My review.

Torched by April Henry. What would it be like to be part of an eco-terrorist group? My review.

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