Since I asked last week for some ideas for good books for high school readers to donate to Treehouse, I’ve had a lot of comments from folks of my generation. And I find them astounding. Most of the books are adult literature or things that would be considered appropriate for middle grades now (read the comments for the post to see what I mean). Crime and Punishment and Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret.

Now, there is a whole industry for young adult books — things like the Hunger Games and Matched trilogies.

When I was at Powell‘s in Portland yesterday, I dropped some money (guess how much in the comments to this post! If you guess right, I’ll send you a book of your choice, or donate one in your name to Treehouse!) I shopped with my Darling Niece, who helped me pick some books by authors popular with her late-high school crowd — Sarah Dessen, David Levithen —  while I pulled stuff like the first two books in the Hitchhikers Guide series and some Jasper Fforde (and the ever-uplifting Go Ask Alice). My brother picked out Jules Verne, further proving the divergence between then and now when thinking of what kids on the verge of adulthood might like to read. Because I’m guessing when he wrote 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Mr. Verne wasn’t thinking of marketing it just to teenagers.

We have made a specialness out of a period of growing up that didn’t exist before industrialization and the creation of child labor laws. Before that, children were young and incapable of work, and then capable of work. Not two decades after the bulk of child labor laws were enacted in the 1930s came the beginnings of books written with teenage protagonists, largely written for that market. This post from the blog The Side of Wonder, talks about how Catcher in the Rye marked the true beginning of YA literature.

As the comments have come in from my friends, relatives, readers, it has startled me how those of my generation have favorites that area clearly what is now considered adult fiction, while if you ask young people, they talk about the latest John Green book — a man whose books are popular with adults, but clearly written with a younger audience in mind.

I have no big aha ending to this. It’s not good or bad. Well, it’s probably good, because I like many of the YA books I’ve read while trying to find something that appeals to Darling Son (while he’s found the most interest in graphic novels like Maus and books of alternative history like 11-22-63). It’s just interesting.

Thoughts? More favorites from your misspent youth? I only have about 10 good titles, and I want at least 20. So keep the comments coming.