The Harry Potter series topped the list of the greatest teen novels ever in an online poll conducted by National Public Radio.
More than 75,000 fans took place in the online voting. The Hunger Games finished second and Harper Lee’s 1960 classic To Kill a Mockingbird took the Bronze.
This year’s hit The Fault in Our Stars, about a young cancer patient who falls in love with a boy who lost his leg, by John Green took fourth. Green also took the no. 9 spot with his earlier novel Looking for Alaska.
In all Green had five books in the top-hundred list. To the uninitiated, Green’s multiple mentions on the list maybe surprising. But in addition to his books being good, Green is a savvy social networker, who has cultivated a strong online relationship with his fans.
Classics dominated the rest of the top ten: J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye at sixth, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien was seventh and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury eighth. Markus Zusak‘s 2006 bestseller The Book Thief was no. 10.
NPR solicited nominations from its audience. A panel that included The New York Times‘ Pamela Paul, The Onion’s A.V. Club book editor Tasha Robinson, Diane Roback of Publisher’s Weekly and librarian Ted Schelvan winnowed the 1,200 suggestions to a voting list of 235 titles.
Voting took place over the last two weeks.
See the complete list of the top-hundred teen novels here.
