Last month I shared reading recommendations for Low-Intermediate Students. The list I shared included a variety of children’s books.

Now I’d like to continue with more recommendations for High-Intermediate levels. For this level, I recommend Young Adult (YA) books.

Here’s a fun fact: According to an article by The Atlantic, over half of YA readers are actually adults!

The good news for ESL learners is that YA books will likely include more relatable subject matters than children’s books, while still remaining level appropriate. 

The following list includes a mix of older and newer books in the YA genre, from dystopian classics and page-turning mysteries to historical fiction and coming-of-age stories.

Reading Recommendations Your High-Intermediate Students Will Love

Oldies but Goodies

• The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
• The Giver by Lois Lowry
• Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
• Holes by Louis Sachar
• Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
• Animal Farm by George Orwell
• The Nancy Drew Mysteries by Carolyn Keene
• The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
• Life of Pi by Yann Martel

More Recent Titles

• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
• The Light Between Worlds by Laura E. Weymouth
• Dry by Neal Shusterman
• The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
• Displacement (graphic novel) by Kiku Hughes