Don't Make Me Blush: Clean Reads for Teens

Are you looking for some teen books?  How about teen books that don't contain more explicit or graphic language?  Here are some suggestions for "clean" teen reads . . . .

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
Sydelle , an unusually talented weaver, must master her mysterious power and join a young wizard in stopping an imminent war in her land.

Variant by Robison E. Wells
After years in foster homes, Benson applies to the Maxfield Academy in hopes of securing a brighter future, but instead he finds that the school is a prison and no one is what he or she seems.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
In an alternate 1914 Europe, Austrian Prince Alek, on the run from the Clanker Powers who are attempting to take over the globe using mechanical machinery, forms an uneasy alliance with Deryn who, disguised as a boy to join the British Air Service, is learning to fly genetically-engineered beasts.

The Squire's Tale by Gerald Morris
In medieval England, Terence finds his tranquil existence suddenly changed when he becomes the squire of the young Gawain of Orkney and accompanies him on a long quest, proving Gawain's worth as a knight and revealing an important secret about his own true identity.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Through twists and turns of fate, orphaned Mary seeks knowledge of life, love, and especially what lies beyond her walled village and the surrounding forest, where dwell the unconsecrated, aggressive flesh-eating people who were once dead.


More "Clean" Teen Reads --
Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins
Dangerous by Shannon Hale
Far, Far Away by Tom McNeal
Forgotten: A Novel by Cat Patrick
The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky
I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Mistwood by Leah Cypess
My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison
Reckless by Cornelia Funke
The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
Scrambled Eggs at Midnight by Brad Barkley
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
Tamar by Mal Peet
Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O'Roark Dowell

Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through May 15, 2015.

Jolly Good Jousts

I love books of knights, dragons, and daring deeds.  So here are a few of my favorite stories . . .

Digory the Dragon Slayer by Angela McAllister
Digory, a gentle boy who likes to spend time alone in the forest and make up songs to sing, accidentally becomes a knight and reluctantly sets off to rescue damsels in distress, slay dragons, and marry a princess.

The Lovesick Salesman by Margaret Gray
Even after being refused admission to the Heroic Academy, Irwin, a lowly shopkeeper in the Kington of Coriander, longs to prove that he is a true hero and win the love of the beautiful, wise, Princess Julia.

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great by Gerald Morris
Relates tales of Sir Lancelot, the bravest knight in King Arthur's court.

Pagan's Crusade by Catherine Jinks
In twelfth-century Jerusalem, orphaned sixteen-year-old Pagan is assigned to work for Lord Roland, a Templar knight, as Saladin's armies close in on the Holy City.

Knightley Academy by Violet Haberdasher
In an alternate Victorian England, fourteen-year-old orphan Henry Grim, a maltreated servant at an exclusive school for the "sons of Gentry and Quality," begins a new life when he unexpectedly becomes the first commoner to be accepted at Knightley Academy, a prestigious boarding school for knights.

Jolly Good Jousts

I love stories of knights and their daring deeds.  Here are some of my favorites . . .

Thomas and the Dragon Queen by Shutta Crum
When the princess is kidnapped by a dragon queen, thirteen-year-old Thomas, a new--and very small--squire-in-training boldly sets out on a quest to rescue her.

Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke
The daughter of two magicians, twelve-year-old Igraine wants nothing more than to be a knight, and when their castle is attacked by a treacherous neighbor bent on stealing their singing magic books, Igraine has an opportunity to demonstrate her bravery.

The Adventures of Sir Givret the Short by Gerald Morris
While not the most intrepid knight of the Round Table, Sir Givret the Short helps King Arthur and the other knights with his cunning and cleverness.

In Search of King Arthur

The legend of King Arthur is one of the most well-known tales.  Stories of Camelot, King Arthur, Merlin, and the Knights of the Round Table are always popular.  Here are some great takes on the King Arthur tale for teens. . . .

Avalon High by Meg Cabot
Having moved to Annapolis, Maryland, with her medievalist parents, high school junior Ellie enrolls at Avalon High School where several students may or may not be reincarnations of King Arthur and his court.

I Am Mordred: A Tale from Camelot by  Nancy Springer
When Mordred learns the identity of his father, he struggles with feelings of hatred, but also fights the fate which determines that he kill the good and gracious king.

The Squire's Tale by Gerald Morris
In medieval England, fourteen-year-old Terence finds his tranquil existence suddenly changed when he becomes the squire of the young Gawain of Orkney and accompanies him on a long quest, proving Gawain's worth as a knight and revealing an important secret about his own true identity.

Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Sandell
In fifth-century Britain, Elaine, who lives with her family in the military encampments of Arthur's army, describes her perceptions of war and the people around her as she becomes involved in the struggle against the Saxons.

Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve
When her village is attacked and burned, Gwyna seeks protection from the bard Myrddin, who uses Gwyna in his plan to transform young Arthur into the heroic King Arthur.