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Teenage years are some of the most defining moments in a person’s life, so it’s no wonder that the books people enjoyed at that age have taken on the status of classics. The period is loosely thought to encompass people between the ages of 14 and 21, and some of the most enduring literary tales of the past century have come from stories aimed at that age group. In no particular order, here are just 30 awesome young adult books that have made an impact:

1. Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling
The publishing phenomenon that began in 1997 was responsible for seven books, all turned into films by Warner Bros., about a young boy learning to become a wizard at a magical school in England. The final four volumes set records for how quickly they sold, and to date, the series has been translated into 67 languages and sold more than 400 million books around the world.

2. The Giver, Lois Lowry
Lois Lowry’s dystopian novel about a future society devoid of emotions has only grown in popularity since its 1993 debut. The Giver won the Newbery Medal the next year and is consistently included on many school reading lists, thanks to its frank but youth-targeted discussions of morality and experience.

3. Holes, Louis Sachar
Another Newbery winner, 1998′s Holes mixes mystical elements with comments about race relations in an entertaining but thoughtful way. It was turned into a film starring Shia LaBeouf in 2003.

4. The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton
First published in 1967, this coming-of-age novel by S.E. Hinton drew heavily on the author’s life and that of her friends: Hinton was only 19 when the book was published. The novel follows the rivarly between a gang of greasers and rival rich kids in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1965, and is noted for its treatment of poverty and youth violence.

5. A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L’Engle
A Wrinkle in Time is a classic in the science-fiction/fantasy field. The first installment in Madeleine L’Engle’s series about a group of children traveling between worlds, the 1962 novel won the Newbery Award and many other honors for its story and charm.

6. The Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan
Rick Riordan’s 2005 novel draws its inspiration and action from classic mythology. The main character, 12-year-old Percy Jackson, discovers that his father is actually the Greek god Poseidon. There are five books in the series so far, which has been on the New York Times‘ best-seller list for more than 140 weeks.

7. The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis’ epic seven-volume series about the magical realm of Narnia has been a fan favorite for generations, ever since the series began with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in 1950. Dealing largely with Christian parallels and morality, the books have sold more than 120 million copies, been translated into more than 40 languages, and been adapted into multiple TV, film, and radio versions.

8. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
Harper Lee only wrote one novel, but it’s a masterpiece. To Kill a Mockingbird is a heart-rending look at the damages of racism in a small Alabama town. The book won the Pulitzer Prize, and the reclusive Lee was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007 as recognition of her contribution to peace and culture.

9. Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbitt
This fantasy novel from the mid-1970s deals with the intriguing concept of immortality and the attendant dangers that might make living forever a bad idea. Set in the 19th century, the novel follows a young girl who meets an immortal family, ultimately making the argument that mortality is necessary. The book enjoyed a strong critical reception and has been a young-adult favorite since.

10. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Judy Blume
Judy Blume is a titan in the young adult field, and her 1970 novel, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, is regarded as a landmark in the genre. The title character is a young girl dealing with probing questions of faith and doubt, and she’s also experiencing the onset of puberty. The novel’s subject matter have made it one of the more challenged books in modern libraries, but it’s worth seeking out for its honesty and frankness.

11. The Westing Game, Ellen Raskin
A detective novel for young adults, Ellen Raskin’s slender 1978 novel The Westing Game is a Newbery-winning tale in which 16 people are drawn together to solve the murder of Sam Westing and win his $200 million fortune. This was Raskin’s final novel, and it’s an exciting one for growing children.

12. Matilda, Roald Dahl
It’s hard to pick just one Roald Dahl book, but 1988′s Matilda is one of his best. The title character is a hyper-intelligent little girl who turns out to have psychokinetic powers, which she uses to take on a cruel teacher and set things right at her school. It’s full of Dahl’s typical charm, and an example of his storytelling skill.

13. Eragon, Christopher Paolini
Christopher Paolini was just 15 when he started writing Eragon, a fantasy novel about a boy who finds a dragon egg, befriends the creature, and eventually teams up with it to help rebels fight an evil king. Two sequels have been written so far.

14. The City of Ember, Jeanne DuPrau
In Jeanne DuPrau’s novel, Ember is a futuristic city hidden underground, away from surface light. It’s slowly losing power as a result of age and decay, and the narrative follows a pair of young protagonists as they solve a series of ancient clues in hopes of finding a way to the Earth above ground. The series continues in three more books, and The City of Ember was also made into a film in 2008.

15. The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
This dark novel about death and friendship in World War II-era Germany was originally intended for adults in author Markus Zusak’s native Australia, but it’s marketed to young adults in the U.S. and has proven to be a success with the demographic. The American Library Association even voted it one of the best books for young adults in 2007.

16. The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien
First published in 1937, The Hobbit is a fantasy novel written more for children than its sequel, the sprawling The Lord of the Rings. The classic tale of a quest for treaure, filled with dwarves, wizards, and goblins, has been a hallmark of the genre and a classic for young adults for generations. It’s been in print for more than 60 years.

17. Artemis Fowl series, Eoin Colfer
Eoin Colfer’s series about the child prodigy and criminal Artemis Fowl are interesting in the way the protagonist is almost an anti-hero, which is in stark contrast with the more defined morality of many young-adult fantasy books. The series is also high on adventure, with Colfer describing it as “Die Hard with fairies.” Six books have been released in the series to date, though more are in the works.

18. Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card
What began as a novelette expanded into a full novel about a future in which a young boy, Ender, is recruited by the government to train with a youthful military and take on a threatening alien race. Card’s novel is the first in long, multiple series dealing with Ender and his classmates at the battle school, and it remains the best of the lot.

19. The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster
The Phantom Tollbooth is an ideal way for young adults to learn more about playing with language, as many of the plot elements in the fantasy-adventure revolve around linguistic puns. (The main character, Milo, at one point jumps to the Island of Conclusions.) Many critics have compared its whismy and importance to works like The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland. It was also made into a hybrid live-action/animated film in 1970.

20. Hatchet, Gary Paulsen
Gary Paulsen’s Newbery-winning novel about a young boy stranded in the wilderness is a great title, especially for young boys. The narrative follows a teen named David as he survives a plane crash in the woods and fends for himself, all while dealing with memories of home and a dark truth about his parents’ relationship.

21. Coraline, Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman is known for his adult works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror, but Coraline is a novella aimed at young adults. The eerie story follows a young girl, Coraline, who finds a doorway into another world with a mirror version of her own family, but things become more dangerous the more time she spends there. The tale won multiple awards and was turned into an equally lauded 2009 film.

22. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
This 19th-century classic remains a staple of young adult reading thanks to its immortal topics of love and family and the variety of popular film adaptations. Louisa May Alcott’s tale of four sisters growing into women remains the author’s best known work.

23. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, Robert C. O’Brien
Another Newbery winner on the list (almost always a sure sign of a book’s quality and importance), Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH follows a field mouse named Mrs. Frisby who gets help from former lab rats to rescue her home from a farmer. There’s a definite parallel to Watership Down (see No. 27), but the book is a classic in its own right. The later film adaptation changed key points of the plot, though it’s also well-regarded.

24. The Neverending Story, Michael Ende
First published in Germany in 1979, The Neverending Story would go on to spawn a variety of films and TV adaptations, none more popular than the 1984 version. Michael Ende’s novel follows a young warrior on a quest to save a dying dreamworld from an encroaching darkness born of the despair people feel on Earth; the twist is that this is happening inside a book that the larger narrative’s hero, Bastian, is reading, only to discover he’s become a part of the story.

25. Charlotte’s Web, E.B. White
E.B. White’s award-winning tearjerker remains a classic to this day, thanks to its deft handling of issues like life and death. It has sold more than 45 million copies since its 1952 publication.

26. Pippi Longstocking, Astrid Lindgren
This 1945 book is the first in Astrid Lindgren’s series about the adventures of a quirky young girl with superhuman strength. Her habit of getting the best of adults, especially rude ones, appeals to young readers everywhere, and the books have been translated into more than 50 languages.

27. Watership Down, Richard Adams
Richard Adams’ 1972 novel deals with a warren of rabbits on a quest to find a safe home. The book is noted for its remarkable creativity and the culture and language Adams invented to give the rabbits their own universe. It’s Penguin Books’ best-selling novel of all time.

28. Superfudge, Judy Blume
Another of Judy Blume’s classics, Superfudge is a humorous YA book about a young boy with a curious way of looking at the world. It’s a sequel to Blume’s Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.

29. Redwall, Brian Jacques
The first in Brian Jacques’ sprawling series, Redwall features a host of anthropomorphic animals whose actions all revolve around Redwall Abbey, set in a vaguely medieval period in Britain. It’s a good fit for young adults looking for a different kind of fantasy story.

30. The Pigman, Paul Zindel
Like all great young adult novels, The Pigman aspires to adult themes, and focuses on topics like grief, betrayal, and the difficulty of knowing someone else. Zindel’s other dramatic works earned him a Pulitzer, so it’s no surprise that Pigman is one of the more nuanced YA titles available.