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Young Adult

At Tales you find all the best young adult books. The fascinating stories have become extremely popular in recent years, especially among the young readers. The young adult books often have a theme concerning love, romance and friendship. All important components in a young adult’s life. The special thing about the young adults genre is that the stories often mix realistic coming-of-age themes with fictional elements, giving the reader a chance to reflect their own life and problems while at the same time travel to an amazing world of fantasy. Let your adventure begin here.
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  • by Kim Hyo-eun
    £10.99

    We are three sisters and two brothers. This is a story about how we can't eat this cake alone. A new picture book by Kim Hyo Eun, author of I Am the Subway (2021 World Illustration Award and The New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Books Award) Kim Hyo Eun, is the second daughter of five brothers and sisters, and shares the joys and battles of sharing and compromising in a family of five children.

  • by Andrew Beattie
    £7.49

    1485. Richard III is King of England. Henry Tudor's invasion looms. Jack Broom thinks that war and politics have nothing to do with him. He is a simple apothecary's boy dreaming of becoming a surgeon - until soldiers mistake him for a boy of noble birth and he narrowly avoids being dragged to the Tower of London.

  • by Andrew Beattie
    £7.49

    1349. England is under the cloud of the Black Death. Will Hunter and his troupe of travelling theatre players come across a young boy, barely alive. Thomas Rose has a mysterious past, an uncanny ability for magic tricks - and he claims he can help put an end to the disease and misery that has gripped the land. But is Thomas an angel or a fraud?

  • by Abigail Hing Wen
    £8.99

    This companion novel to Abigail Hing Wen’s New York Times bestselling debut Loveboat, Taipei and Loveboat Reunion will reunite readers with their favourite characters in a glamorous and thrilling new journey of romance, self-discovery and empowerment – perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Mary H. K. Choi.

  • by Sam Usher
    £15.49

    Celebrate 10 wonderful years of Sam Usher's Seasons quartet with this beautiful anniversary edition.

  • by Cynthia Hand
    £7.99

  • by Polly Noakes
    £10.99

    When Stella makes a new friend and doesn't need her imaginary friend, Arlo, anymore, can he find his own path? One night, Arlo comes for Stella. Soon, he becomes her very best friend and they do everything together, just the two of them. But when Stella meets Sid, the boy who moves in next door, everything changes. Poor Arlo feels forgotten. Perhaps Stella doesn't need him any more. Maybe it's time Arlo finds a friend of his own who will be with him always.

  • by Meg Medina
    £10.99

    From Newbery Medalist Meg Medina, National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, comes a poignant salute to the caregivers who enter a child's tender world. I toss the blanket aside and crawl into her lap. I hold her braid above my lip like a moustache until she laughs. Ana cannot contain her excitement - her abuela is coming to stay with her and Mami! Abuela is sure to let Ana play whenever she wants instead of rushing her off to school, like her neighbour and babysitter, señora Mimí, sometimes does. In fact, as Ana's classmate points out, she won't need señora Mimí to babysit at all any more. But señora Mimí is a good listener, and they have a lot of fun together feeding the squirrels and eating snacks. Maybe Ana isn't ready to say goodbye to señora Mimí just yet? Masterful storyteller Meg Medina shares a reassuring tale that celebrates caregivers and community and their special role in our lives, paired with warm, expressive illustrations by Brittany Cicchese.

  • by Ross Welford
    £7.49

  • by Erica George
    £8.99

    A delightfully mischievous Regency romcom with a modern twist, perfect for fans of Bridgerton and The Hating Game.

  • by Sue Exton
    £19.99

    This is a book to help children understand our universe a little more, now I have found that in a child's mind, fact and fiction can be one and the same thing. It's only when we grow up that the fiction fades and the facts become all too real. We must learn not to blind children with science, but to open their eyes so they see for themselves all the wonders it holds. With fiction, we must allow a child's mind to explore for itself all the wonders of freedom of thought. So hopefully, I have combined just enough of both to keep a child interested, while also teaching them a little about our solar system, so that they will want to go on and read more.I believe as an adult, the best thing to hear in life is children laughing and, as a child, the best thing is a good bedtime story. So this book is ideal for mums and dads to read together with their children. And when the child asks for facts, they are there within the story, along with lots of new little alien characters for the children to discover and follow in all their adventures.

  • by Adam Hargreaves
    £5.99

    The bestselling children's books series for over 50 years is about to welcome a new Little Miss character!

  • by Pip Bird
    £6.99

    Join Theo on new adventure at Dragon Towers - the school where everyone has their own dragon best friend!A hilarious new series from the author of the Naughtiest Unicorn - highly illustrated, full of fun and adventure, and starring a dragon with a magical bum. Perfect for readers aged 6 and up.

  • by Gill Stewart
    £7.99

    The Galloway Girls are back! With exams coming up and major life choices in progress, everything is about to change. Gemma's not sure if she's brave enough to go to her music audition, or if she even wants to study music at all. She's definitely not sure forming a band with Lily's hot ex-boyfriend is a good idea.

  • by Marti Dumas
    £7.99

  • by Thomas & Friends
    £8.49

  • by Amber Stewart
    £7.99

    Ollie doesn't like eating different types of food - it might be too crunchy, too squishy, or too close together. One day, when Ollie lacks energy for his favourite game of rounders, he realises that there is a link between food and energy, and being healty and strong. If he is going to dream of becoming a world class ball player, he might need to change his eating habits!

  • by Amber Stewart
    £7.99

    Freya doesn't like going to bed! Eventually with a bit of creativity, she learns a good bedtime routine, and is able to wind down and go to bed, ready for tomorrow's adventures.

  • by Cyber Group Studios
    £6.99

    A cautionary tale with four little dinos who try to make an unlikely friend, based on the Gigantosaurus TV series and characters by Jonny Duddle. When a new, big dino stomps into town, Rocky, Mazu, Tiny and Bill become determined to make him their new friend. Spinosaurus is the largest, fiercest dinosaur of all - he's bigger than Giganto and twice as terrifying, but is he just as friendly? As the four dinos learn more about the mysterious new guy, Bill questions just how safe they really are. Should the dinos trust this giant stranger or listen to their friend's warning and stay away?Join the dinos in the latest episode and read the story to find out! Discover more of this international, bestselling series in The Story of Gigantosaurus, The Dino-Sitters Club, The Mysterious Maze, Giganto Games, and dino fact-packed Dinopedia.

  • by Alex Light
    £7.99

  • by Fiona Macdonald
    £7.99

    The Classic Comics series is the authoritative graphic guide to the greatest masterpieces in literary history. This title chronicles Shakespeare's tragic tale of two doomed star-crossed lovers, an ancient family feud and its terrible consequences.

  • by Charlie P. Brooks
    £7.99

  • by Antonio Ramos Revillas
    £8.99

    An impactful story about the heroism of surviving on the social periphery. Exploring parents in prison, growing up in extreme poverty, violence and young people caught up in drug trafficking.

  • by Ali Novak
    £7.99

  • by David Baddiel
    £11.99

  • by Adam Hattan
    £14.99

  • by Abdi Nazemian
    £7.99

    Two years after Kam's boyfriend Ash went missing in the desert, Kam is offered a chance to return to where it happened. Will he get the answers he needs?

  • by Clara Vulliamy
    £6.99

  • by Anne Toole
    £13.99

The YA genre
The young adult genre is one of the fastest growing literary genres. The genre is often referred to as ‘YA’ and speaks to the younger readers between the ages 12-18. One of the reasons for its popularity is the way the young adult novels deal with coming-of-age themes and problems that the young readers can relate to. The actions are set in fictional worlds and by using this mechanism the problems are introduced with a suitable distance for the reader. In that way it is easier for the reader to read about the problems and deal with them throughout the story. 
The enchanting worlds also fascinate the youngsters and give them a break from their everyday life and it’s problems, while the young adult books at the same time deal with them through these worlds. In that way the reader is met at eye level, and there are no adults speaking down to the youngsters. Then it is also easier for the young reader to deal with the challenges of the everyday life themselves. The books come in different forms, most often as young adult fiction books or young adult romance books.
   
Popular young adult characters
Some of the most famous book characters are found in the young adult genre. Here we find Bella Swan, the girl who falls in love with a mysterious and handsome vampire, Edward, in a little, rainy town where strange things happen. Here we also see the genre features of YA. Bella is an ordinary girl who falls in love for the first time and discovers her own sexuality. A very important step in any young adult’s life. At the same time she lives in a world with vampires and werewolves and magical wars. The fictional elements in the plot also helps her find her inner strength and develop her as a person.   
The Twilight universe as a young adult book series has fascinated both youngsters and adults around the world, where fans discussed which man Bella should pick. Should it be the shy and mysterious vampire or the attractive werewolf? The whole Twilight series is also adapted for the screen making the young adult novels even more popular.  
Another popular character from another young adult book series is the famous young wizard Harry Potter. In the Harry Potter series we also have a main character, who doesn’t fit in, but instead discovers he belongs in a magical world. Again the fictional elements help the young adult character to discover his true self and again we see the coming of age plot. Although a lot of the story takes place in a magical world with fictional problems, the story is also about friendship. No matter which opponent Harry, Ron and Hermione are up against, they always fight together and find strength in each other. 

The classics written for young adults
You also find classical novels written for young adults in our selection. A classical novel never loses it’s magic. It makes you reflect and everyone can get something out of reading a classic, because they deal with universal problems. The story could have been written 200 years ago and still be as relevant as the day it was published, but the language could be quite a challenge to read, especially as a young adult. Therefore the beloved stories have been adapted to young adult formats, so that the young readers can get as much out of the story as all the enthusiastic previous readers.
Among the classics is the beloved Pride and Prejudices, made as one of the young adult romance books, by the timeless author Jane Austen. In the story we meet the young girl Elizabeth, who just likes Bella Swan and Harry Potter, are different, because she doesn't live up to that times’ ideal of a woman. At the same time she falls in love for the first time, but she is having troubles figuring out the truth and which man she should trust with her heart. Instead of using a fictional universe to deal with the everyday problems, the story uses humor. Furthermore, although the story was realistic at the time, the times have changed and the historical time period almost becomes its own fictional universe, where the young readers can learn about the lifestyles of that time and especially the ideals of women. Another classic made for young adults that deals with some of the same themes is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brönte. Again we have a strong female lead character, who falls in love for the first time and discovers a whole new world - the world of adults. 

No matter which tales you love, you find all the young adult books to read right here.

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