Best Books for Young Adults New York Times (2026): 5 Compared

When a young adult asks for the best books for young adults new york times style, they usually mean familiar, widely read titles. We compared five books linked to the New York Times name by page count, publisher, edition and reading age, so you can match the book to the reader.

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The picks

#	Product	Shelf Score	Buy
1	Punching the Air by Zoboi	9.7/10	Buy
2	NYT Teens Crosswords by Longo	9.5/10	Buy
3	Mega Sunday Crosswords by NYT	9.4/10	Buy
4	Activity Book by Demyanovich	9.3/10	Buy
5	Zen Doodle Designs by Porter	9.2/10	Buy

1

Punching the Air by Zoboi

Ibi Zoboi·9.7/10 Shelf Score

i

The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A 400-page YA novel in verse about a teen wrongfully incarcerated, with a stated reading age of 14 years and up; suits older teens, not younger readers.

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Pros

• A YA novel in verse, a direct match for young adult readers
• Stated reading age of 14 years and up and grade level 9 to 12
• 400 pages, Versify, published December 7, 2021

Cons

• Centers on wrongful incarceration and prison, so a parent should preview it before buying for a teen
• Verse format, so readers wanting a prose novel should pick another
• Stated for 14 years and up, so it is not for younger teens

2

NYT Teens Crosswords by Longo

Frank A. Longo·9.5/10 Shelf Score

i

The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A 96-page crossword book for teens from 2002 with a stated reading age of 13 to 18 years; suits puzzle-loving teens, with the grade level to double-check.

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Pros

• Made for teens, the only teen-specific book here
• Stated reading age of 13 to 18 years
• Educational puzzles with trivia quizzes on American history, health and fine arts

Cons

• Grade level 2 to 6 contradicts the 13 to 18 reading age, a listing contradiction
• Published February 23, 2002, the oldest edition here
• 96 pages, the shortest book here

3

Mega Sunday Crosswords by NYT

The New York Times·9.4/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A 592-page collection of 500 Sunday crosswords from 2022; suits crossword lovers of any age, not readers looking for a teen-specific book.

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Pros

• 500 Sunday puzzles, the most puzzles here
• 592 pages, St. Martin's Griffin, May 31, 2022
• Edited by Will Shortz, per the listing

Cons

• Not teen-specific, and no reading age is stated
• Sunday puzzles are the longest format here, so a new solver may want a shorter book first
• One puzzle type across 500 puzzles; readers wanting mixed activities should pick another

4

Activity Book by Demyanovich

Julie Demyanovich·9.3/10 Shelf Score

i

The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A 192-page adult activity book of logic puzzles, sudoku, mazes and more from 2024; suits adults, not young adults looking for a novel.

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Pros

• Variety: logic puzzles, sudoku, mazes, word searches, crosswords, acrostics and coloring
• 192 pages, 2024, the newest edition here
• Themes from history and science to food and travel

Cons

• An adult activity book; not written for young adults and no reading age is stated
• The listing gives no puzzle count, so buyers cannot compare volume
• Includes coloring pages; readers wanting a pure puzzle book should pick another

5

Zen Doodle Designs by Porter

Angela Porter·9.2/10 Shelf Score

i

The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A 104-page adult coloring book of forty-nine animal tangle designs from 2016; suits adults who color, not young adults looking for a novel.

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Pros

• forty-nine animal tangle designs stated
• Pages perforated and printed one-sided for display
• 104 pages, Racehorse, June 28, 2016

Cons

• An adult coloring book; not for young adults and no reading age is stated
• Published June 28, 2016, an older edition
• No puzzle or reading content is stated; pure coloring

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More picks to compare

• Keep Your Brain Young by NYTFor crossword lovers, 150 themed puzzles for vocabulary and memory.Check on Amazon
• Saturday Crosswords by NYTFor expert solvers, 50 hard Saturday puzzles in lay-flat spiral.Check on Amazon

Compare the picks

Book details as published on each listing, collected 19 October 2026.

How we scored them

The Shelf Score weighs fit for the reader, contents and edition, value, and the listed reading age or level where one is given. Only two of the five listings state a reading age and grade level: Punching the Air at 14 years and up and grade 9 to 12, and the teen crosswords at 13 to 18 years with grade 2 to 6. The other three state neither, so their reading points stay at zero.

Scores run from 9.2 to 9.8: each book’s point total is placed on that range, so more points always means a higher score. Reading age or level counts on a list where at least one listing gives one, and a book whose listing gives none then scores zero on it. Where no listing gives one, the score is taken over the other 85 points. Books carry no warranty, so warranty is not scored.

How to choose the best books for young adults new york times

Match the reading age to the reader

Only two listings state a reading age. Punching the Air gives 14 years and up with grade 9 to 12, a clean match for older teens. The teen crossword book gives 13 to 18 years but pairs it with grade 2 to 6, a contradiction to settle with the description before buying. For more choices for this age, see our best spy novels for young adults.

Check what kind of book it is

Only one of the five is a novel: Punching the Air, a YA novel in verse. The rest are puzzle and coloring books: a teen crossword book, a 500-puzzle Sunday collection, a 192-page activity book and a 104-page adult coloring book. A reader who wants a story should start with Punching the Air; a reader who wants puzzles has four to choose from. Our best nonfiction books for young adults list covers a different shelf.

Note the edition year

These editions span more than two decades, from the 2002 teen crossword book to the 2024 activity book. For crosswords, an older book still solves the same; for a novel, the 2021 Punching the Air is the most current pick here. The two extra crossword books in More options below date from 2008 and 2025.

Before you buy

• Only one of the five is a novel; the rest are crosswords, puzzles or coloring.
• Check the stated reading age: only Punching the Air and the teen crossword book give one.
• Check the edition year on the listing; these range from 2002 to 2024.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which book here is a novel for young adults?

Punching the Air, a 400-page YA novel in verse with a stated reading age of 14 years and up and grade 9 to 12, published in 2021. The other four are puzzle or coloring books.

Are the crossword books for teens?

Only the 2002 On the Web Crosswords for Teens is teen-specific, with a stated reading age of 13 to 18 years, though its grade level of 2 to 6 contradicts that. The Mega Book of Sunday Crosswords states no reading age.

Which book has the most puzzles?

The Mega Book of Sunday Crosswords lists 500 puzzles in 592 pages. The Saturday Crosswords book in More options below lists 50 puzzles in 64 pages.

Still deciding? Our top pickPunching the Air by Zoboi

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Related lists

See every young adult list and all kids and teens lists.

More lists: nonfiction for young adults, memoirs for young adults and science books for young adults.