Silvey, A. (2006). 500 Great Books for Teens. New York: Houghton Mifflin.Review from Horn Book:
Former Horn Book editor Silvey selects and annotates five hundred titles for young adults, arranging them loosely in twenty-one chapters by genre and/or area of interest, from "Adventure and Survival" to "War and Conflict." Each book is coded for either younger (12-14) or older (14-18) teens and gets a couple of hundred words or so, including a summary, critical assessment, estimation of reader appeal, and sometimes references to similar titles. The selections are both sturdy and wide-ranging, particularly as Silvey includes both books published for young adults and those intended for an adult audience but with teen appeal.
While the emphasis is on fiction of all genres (including graphic and verse novels), informational books -- mostly history -- get a chapter of their own and can also be found throughout the book. Useful appendices include indexes to both geographical and historical settings as well as a comprehensive general index that allows readers to cross-reference subjects that transcend the themes of the individual chapters.
