Top Ten Books That Would Be On Your Syllabus If You Taught YA Fantasy 101

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School is in session and we are talking YA fantasy!

Daisy's Picks

1. Graceling by Kristin Cashore: I LOVED this book! If I was ever to teach a class on YA fantasy, this would definitely be on it. It's got all the thing I love: a strong heroine who falls in love with a boy, but doesn't let this define her, like in so many novels, AMAZING worldbuilding and just characters to root for and an evil to destroy. If you haven't read it, you really should.

2. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende: I'm not entirely sure if this falls into YA or MG, but I feel like this is such a classic and also one of my favourite books ever and everyone should read it. It's got so much heart and one of my favourite quotes about being a reader.

3. Crown Duel & Court Duel by Sherwood Smith: I feel like this duology is somewhat lesser known, but it's a beauty. I LOVE Meliara, how she fights for what she believes in and I also totally shipped the lovestory.

4. The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab: because this is so much different from the others I've added to this list, it's got that fairytale feeling that I love! I feel like this is fantasy at its purest and The Near Witch has some of the most beautiful writing I've ever come across.

Julia's Picks

5. The Lion, the Witch, and the Waredrobe by C.S Lewis: For my first pick, I think I would have to take my students down a more classic YA fantasy path, coincidentally where it all began for me. I think C.S Lewis creates a vivid world where we could explore some common themes in YA fantasy, and since it is a classic it would work as a good gateway book.

6. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman or Stardust by Neil Gaiman: I can't decide which book I would want them to read, but I think it would be super important to look at Gaiman's work. Again it is pretty accessible to the non YA or Fantasy reader, and his words just weave of the page and into imaginations.

7.  Across the Universe by Beth Revis: Finally I think I would want to bring Beth Revis' work into the fold to get to sort of the current trends in YA. Not only do I think this is a good work exemplifying the modern YA fantasy genre, but it also is a good pick for a mixed gendered class as each chapter has a POV of either the main female or main male character. This is a fantasy/sci-fi mix too so we can go into "what is the difference between the two". So fun!

Lauren's Picks

8. Tin Star by Cecil Castellucci: I really loved this book. It's fantasy and science fiction and has a main character that embodies every characteristic that the plot calls for. I think this book would show readers how to really branch out into the fantasy genre.

9. A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston: This is a new book, but dang. DANG. I loved every aspect of this book. There are so many fantasy elements that the author seamlessly wove together to make the perfect storm of a book. 

Jamie's Pick 

10. The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas -- It just gets better and better and just gets more epic!