Teen readers move upward and onward

Readers of young adult fiction have more choices than ever before. Still, just as adults are “reading down,� many teens are also “reading up.� What does that mean? Some teens are turning to titles intended for adults that feature young protagonists.

Stormdancer

By Jay Kristoff
Thomas Dunne Books, 336 pp.: $24.99

The kickoff to a new fantasy series is dystopian steam punk set in feudal Japan with a strong female lead. (September)

The Yellow Birds

By Kevin Powers
Little, Brown, 240 pp.: $24.99

Two young American soldiers struggle to protect each other from insurgents, fatigue and other perils of the Iraq War. (September)

The Round House

By Louise Erdrich
Harper, 336 pp.: $25.99

When a woman is violently attacked, her 13-year-old son tries to find her assailant and bring him to justice only to grow frustrated and take matters into his own hands. (October)

A Fistful of Collars

By Spencer Quinn
Atria Books, 320 pp.: $25

A canine narrator and his human, private investigator partner are hired to keep tabs on a misbehaving Hollywood actor in this comedic mystery written pseudonymously by thriller author, Peter Abrahams. (September)

The Elementals

By Francesca Lia Block
St. Martin’s, 320 pp.: $24.99, for readers TKTK

A college coed struggles with being away from home for the first time while her mother battles cancer and a friend has gone missing. (October)