I created this list of “teen romance” for a Valentine’s Day display – I often try to pair displays with some sort of list, even if it’s just a general display. Although many teen novels feature a crush, break-up, or other relationship issue, I actually found it a bit hard to nail down true “romances.”

I’ve handed this to many a teen looking for “more books like Twilight” – for so many teens, it’s their first vampire novel, & let’s face it – Twilight is more romance than anything else. & of course, all the other vampire books are usually out, so this gives them ideas of what to read while they wait for their copies of Marked & Blue Bloods to come in.

» 24 Girls in 7 Daysby Alex Bradley
I’ve not read this one, so I’ll let the official “product description” do the booktalking for me:
There are few things sadder than Jack Grammar’s love life. So when his friends take it upon themselves to get him a date to the prom by placing an intensely humiliating ad in the school paper, they think they are doing him a favor. Jack doesn’t agree. But then the most amazing thing happens: responses to the ad are overwhelming. Turns out, the girls at City High are quite competitive. From drive-by flashings to breaking and entering to cell phone stalkers, these potential prom dates will stop at nothing to snag the suddenly popular Jack. How will he ever choose just one?

» Beastlyby Alex Flinn
Soon to be a movie with names attached to it like Vanessa Hudgens, Neil Patrick Harris, & Mary-Kate Olsen, it’s fairy tale retelling makes it an easy sell. The cover is pretty fantastic, too.

» Boy Meets Boyby David Leviathan
David Leviathan’s landmark novel is not just a great book for defying stereotypes & supporting your GBLT teens, but it’s also a beautifully sweet love story.

» The Boyfriend Listby E. Lockhart
For the listmaker in all of this. Teen familiar with her other work will snatch this one right out of your hands.

» Enthusiasmby Polly Shulman
I love this book, & I’ve given this one to many teens. It’s a re-telling of Pride & Prejudice, but the love story within is just priceless. Besides, who doesn’t love a story that features a fan girl?

» Everby Gail Carson Levine
Many teens will have read earlier works by Gail Carson Levine, possibly when they were younger. This is an easy to sell to any teen to likes historical fiction.

» Flavor of the Weekby Tucker Shaw
This is such a fun little story, & gets featured a lot in my displays. It’s a retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac, wherein our hero loves to cook & shows his love by doing so.

» Hard Loveby Ellen Wittlinger
Since his parents’ divorce, John’s mother hasn’t touched him, her new fiancé wants them to move away, and his father would rather be anywhere than at Friday night dinner with his son. It’s no wonder John writes articles like “Interview with the Stepfather” and “Memoirs from Hell.” The only release he finds is in homemade zines like the amazing Escape Velocity by Marisol, a self-proclaimed “Puerto Rican Cuban Yankee Lesbian.” Hanging around the Boston Tower Records for the new issue of Escape Velocity, John meets Marisol and a hard love is born.

» How I Fell in Love and Learned to Shoot Free Throws by Jon Ripslinger
Another great love story for the guys. You’d be surprised how many of them will read this – but then again, the cover screams for at least a look-through.

» How They Met, and Other Storiesby David Leviathan
18 love stories of all sorts of love. This one should really be the highlight of the display, in my opinion.

» I Heart You, You Haunt Meby Lisa Schroeder
Most would think she’s crazy, but she knows he’s here. Jackson. The boy Ava thought she’d spend the rest of her life with. He’s back from the dead, as proof that love truly knows no bounds.
A love story, with ghosts. Pretty much the perfect combination of everything teens love.

» I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill Youby Ally Carter
Cammie Morgan may be an elite spy-in-training, but in her sophomore year, she’s on her most dangerous mission: falling in love. ‘Nuff said.

» If We Kissby Rachel Vail
A story about that thing all teens dream of: their first kiss.

» Jason & Kyraby Dana Davidson
I love this book for all the stereotypes it defies, & I know my African-American teens appreciate it for being a story about “them” that isn’t preachy.

» Lost Itby Kristen Tracy
What would you do if your grandmother bought you new bras and underwear — and you actually thought they were a teensy bit, umm, sexy?
With a description like that, who wouldn’t be intrigued?

» Miki Falls(Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter) by Mark Crilley
A fun manga series, chock full of forbidden love & angst.

» Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlistby Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
By this time, this book pretty much sells itself, but I still think it more than wins its place on any list having to do with love. If you haven’t read this book, you simply must – which is pretty much what I say to any interested teens as well.

» Re-Gifters (Minx Books)by Mike Carey
Meet Jen Dik Seong — or “Dixie” as she’s known to her friends. She’s on the verge of winning a hapkido championship — until she falls for fellow hapkido fan/California surfer boy Adam and gets thrown spectacularly off her game. As she struggles to win the tournament — not to mention Adam’s affections — Dixie learns that in love and in gift-giving, what goes around comes around.

» Romiette and Julioby Sharon Draper
A re-telling of Romeo & Juliet, as told by the incomparable Sharon Draper. It’s never on my shelf; always in some teen’s book bag.

» Son of the Mobby Gordon Korman
If the cover doesn’t sell it, this summary will: son of a mobster falls in love with the daughter of the FBI agent charged with tracking down his father. Most everyone comes in looking for the sequel after they finish this one.

» Stardustby Neil Gaiman
A lot of teens adored this movie (which surprised me – they chose to show it here last summer), & they were very excited to discover a book came before. Fairy tales! Gay pirates! Vengeful ghost brothers! What’s not to love?

» Sweetheartsby Sara Zarr
The cover sells this book if nothing else will, but I think most teens will at least give this one a try.

» This Lullabyby Sarah Dessen
You can’t have a list of teen romance without including Sarah Dessen, one of the masters of the genre. Her books are true teen chick lit, & they’re almost always off the shelf. If this is out, you can give any of the others just as easily.

» When It Happensby Susane Colasanti
I had a teen recently tell me Colasanti is her favorite author – this book in particular is a great book about, you know, finally doing it, & all the aftermath of that major event in a teen’s life.

» Wild Rosesby Deb Caletti
Seventeen-year-old Cassie Morgan lives with a time bomb (a.k.a. her stepfather, Dino Cavalli). To the public, Dino is a world-renowned violin player and composer. To Cassie, he’s an erratic, self-centered bully. And he’s getting worse: He no longer sleeps, and he grows increasingly paranoid. Before, Cassie was angry. Now she is afraid. Enter Ian Waters: a brilliant young violinist, and Dino’s first-ever student. The minute Cassie lays eyes on Ian she knows she’s doomed.

This list is also available on Flickr: It’s What You Do To Me, as part of the collection Teen Book Lists!

If you are unaware (& were blessed to not have heard it coming from your radio every seventh song), the title of this book list, “It’s What You Do To Me” comes from a fairly saccharine love song entitled Hey There Delilah by the Plain White T’s. It’s one of those ditties that’s so sweet when you first hear, but by the twenty-seventh time you hear it… yeah. You get the idea.

But just in case you need to hear it again, here’s the official music video!

Just a few notes about book list building:
» I generally don’t put my book lists into any sort of shelf order. I think that by creating a sort of scavenger hunt, teens find more books for they which didn’t even realize they were looking.

» I run most of my book lists past my TAB members, just to make sure I don’t miss some they love.

» When I set out to create a new list, I try to find books that will appeal to the entire spectrum of teens. There are usually books for mature teens, not-yet-teens, both guys & girls, & all socioeconomic backgrounds.

This is just my list – what do you think? Are there any biggies that I missed? What are your favorite teen romances?