10 Top Books to Take to a Desert Island for Teens (2025)
If you found yourself stranded on a deserted island (let’s imagine it’s the lovely tropical island kind with swaying palms, warm breezes, and plenty of coconuts), what great books would you want by your side?
For teens, this question isn’t just about survival, it’s about finding bookish friends that inspire courage, stretch the imagination, and remind them of truth when they have a lot of time and the world feels lonely.
Because of my love of lists (and let’s face it, book lists are the very best kind of list), I asked this question of a bunch of Christian families. The results are in! There were 65 nominations in the teen category and here are the top 10 books (or series) that received the most votes.
“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”
– Charles W. Eliot
1. Little Women
It’s no surprise that Little Women rose to be the first book on the Top 10 list. This beloved story of the March sisters has been a faithful companion for generations and one of the absolute favourites amongst literature lovers. For those who had not read the book, it also gained popularity due to the most recent Little Women film adaptation.
Why does Little Women endure? Because it is about the everyday heroism of family life; Meg’s struggles with responsibility, Jo’s battle between ambition and selflessness, Beth’s quiet faith, and Amy’s artistic longing. All of them mirror the growing pains of real teens.
On a desert island, where life may feel stripped down to the basics, Little Women reminds us that the greatest treasures are not wealth, fame, or comfort, but the relationships we nurture and the virtues we grow. Teens will find themselves challenged to live with courage, kindness, and integrity—even when life doesn’t go as planned.
The March sisters as well as their faithful mother and father remind us that ordinary life lived with courage and kindness, is heroic.
“Your father, Jo. He never loses patience, never doubts or complains, but always hopes, and works and waits so cheerfully that one is ashamed to do otherwise before him.”
– Louisa May Alcott, little women
2. The Lord of the Rings trilogy
This trilogy also made it onto the Top 10 Desert Island Books for Adults. The 4-book set above contains The Lord of the Rings trilogy as well as The Hobbit. As with The Chronicles of Narnia, we will be discussing more about the literary use of magic, witches, warlocks etc from a Biblical perspective throughout our Storyschooling Bible Journey but it is clear that Tolkien’s epic tales have enduring value amongst Christian families.
Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is more than a fantasy—it’s an epic journey of good against evil, friendship against despair, and the smallest person making the biggest difference. For teens, this trilogy becomes a manual of endurance. Frodo’s burden is heavy, but Sam’s loyalty shines all the brighter. Aragorn’s reluctant leadership calls forth courage.
On a desert island, when trials feel overwhelming, these pages would whisper: “Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.” Faith, hope, and light endure, even when darkness presses hard. The Hobbit has also made it into the Top 10 for Teens, rounding out Tolkien’s epics that teach perseverance, loyalty, and hope when darkness presses hard.
“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
– J. R. R. Tolkien, The lord of the rings
3. The Pilgrim’s Progress
Written in the 1600s from a prison cell, The Pilgrim’s Progress is a brilliant book that has guided Christians for centuries on their journey toward the Celestial City. Teens will soon discover how deeply relatable Christian’s struggles are, facing Doubting Castle, Vanity Fair, and the Slough of Despond.
Why take this book to a desert island? Because it reminds us that life itself is a pilgrimage. The path is narrow, the trials are many, but the King’s reward is sure. Every obstacle Christian faces will echo the challenges teens face today such as fear, temptation and discouragement and show them the way through.
This is not just a book to read once, but to live with. Its allegory seeps into the imagination and equips teens to keep pressing forward in faith. Bunyan’s allegory equips teens to see that burdens will never cease to be discarded until they find victory in Jesus.
“At the top of the hill stood a cross, and a little below at the bottom was a stone tomb. In my dream, just as Christian came up to the cross his burden loosened from his shoulders and fell off his back. It tumbled and continued to do so down the hill until it came to the mouth of the tomb where it fell inside and was seen no more.”
– john bunyan, the pilgrim’s progress
4. Anne of Green Gables series
Anne of Green Gables made it into the Top 10 Desert Island Children’s Books as well as the Top 10 for teens. This is testament to the wide appeal this series has amongst all ages and I can testify to the fact that there are many mothers (myself included) who have thoroughly enjoyed reading this aloud to their children, young and old alike. I never read the series as a child so being able to share it for the first time with my children as a family read aloud holds fond memories for me.
Is there a teen alive who doesn’t relate to Anne Shirley at some point? Spirited, imaginative, a little dramatic, Anne shows us that even when life doesn’t give us what we expected, it can give us something even better, a story of love found by an unwanted orphan.
The Anne series walks us through her entire growing-up years, from her early days of “carrots and puffed sleeves” to motherhood. On a lonely desert island, Anne would be a steadfast friend—reminding teens to see beauty in the world around them, no matter how plain it might appear.
Her optimism, her friendships, and her passion for learning are infectious. And the series doesn’t shy away from real hardships, making Anne’s joy all the more precious. Anne’s imagination reminds us to find joy in everyday beauty, even when life is hard.
“Dear old world… you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you.”
– L. M. Montgomery, anne of green gables
5. The Chronicles of Narnia
Again, we will be discussing more about the literary use of magic, witches, warlocks etc from a Biblical perspective throughout our Storyschooling Bible Journey.
This is another series that made it into the Top 10 choices for both children as well as teens. From the wardrobe to the farthest shores of Aslan’s country, The Chronicles of Narnia has captivated young hearts like few other stories can.
These seven books provide a complete feast of imagination: talking animals, brave children, battles between good and evil, and the Great Lion, Aslan.
On a desert island, these stories would offer teens more than entertainment. They would remind them of ultimate reality: that the King is good, that courage is possible for the weakest and that sacrifice is redemptive. Fantastical tales aren’t childish—they are timeless reminders of truth, courage, and wonder waiting for us at every age.
“One day, you will be old enough to start reading fairytales again.”
– C. S. Lewis
6. The Hobbit
If The Lord of the Rings is the great feast, The Hobbit is the single volume appetizer that is every bit as delightful. Bilbo Baggins begins as a reluctant, comfort-loving hobbit, but by the end he has faced dragons, riddles, and trolls—and discovered courage he never knew he had.
For teens, The Hobbit is both lighter and shorter than the trilogy, but equally rich in lessons. It shows that adventure often begins when we step out of our comfort zone. On a desert island, when days may feel monotonous, Bilbo’s unexpected journey would be a call to embrace whatever tasks lie before us with courage and wit.
Bilbo’s journey proves that stepping outside our comfort zone brings courage and growth.
“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.”
– j. R. R. Tolkien, the hobbit
7. To Kill a Mockingbird
Few books pierce the heart like To Kill a Mockingbird. This is one of my favourite books. I remember seeing the movie for the first time and thinking, “This is one of the few movies that have portrayed a book I have already read, almost exactly as I have imagined it”.
Set in the racially divided American South, this novel introduces teens to a young girl named Scout, her brother Jem and their father, Atticus Finch.
The book’s enduring power lies in its call to justice and compassion. Atticus models integrity in the face of social pressure. Scout learns that empathy is the ability to imagine what someone else might be going through.
For teens alone on a desert island, this book would remind them of what kind of person they want to be in society: someone who defends truth and treats others with dignity—even when it’s costly. Atticus Finch models integrity, teaching teens to defend truth and dignity and to never choose silence in the face of wrongdoing.
“You never really understand a person until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”
– harper lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
8. The Space Trilogy
Not as widely known as Narnia, Lewis’s Space Trilogy (Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength) offers older teens a deeper, more rich adventure.
These books stretch the imagination across planets, angels, and cosmic battles. They also wrestle with profound questions of sin, redemption, and the nature of evil in society.
They aren’t light reads, but they are challenging and rewarding. Lewis prepares teens to discern truth in a broken world.
“I suppose there are two views about everything,” said Mark. “Eh? Two views? There are a dozen views about everything until you know the answer. Then there’s never more than one.”
– C. S. lewis, that hideous strength
9. The Harry Potter series
Don’t hate me! I realise this is a controversial choice for Christian families. I remind you that these Top 10 books are not my personal choices but those that were voted for by Christian families.
It is undeniable that for many teens, Harry Potter is the series that opened their imagination to the joy of reading. Some might argue that it is better for them not to read at all than to read books with magic or occult content.
Again, we will be covering more about the use of magic and spells etc throughout our Storyschooling Bible Journey and why Harry Potter remains controversial while Lewis and Tolkien seem to get a pass on the use of these elements in their stories. When God’s authority is absent from a story and human power or the power of darker entities reign, we will consider whether it is best to avoid these things altogether or whether we should learn how to engage with them from a Biblical perspective.
While not written from a Christian worldview, the Harry Potter series still highlights themes of sacrificial love, friendship, courage, and the triumph of good over evil. Teens should approach it with discernment, always remembering to measure it against the truth of Scripture.
On a desert island, the sheer length of the series and the time it would take to read the whole way through would fill many days.
“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.”
– J. K. rowling, harry potter
10. The Louisa May Alcott Collection
If Little Women tops the list, why not bring the rest of Louisa May Alcott’s works too? While there were not enough votes for any single book of Louisa May Alcott’s, apart from Little Women, to make it to the Top 10, several of her novels are old favorites that received nominations.
Because she was the most voted for author all up, I gave Louisa May Alcott the number 10 position due to Her stories like Little Men, Eight Cousins, Under the Lilacs, A Rose in Bloom and the Louisa May Alcott Complete Collection all being nominated alongside Little Women. These continue the themes found in the March family of education, virtue, and family life.
On a desert island, these books provide a whole library of wholesome characters. Teens would have years’ worth of reading companions in these pages.
Alcott’s heroes and heroines are never perfect, but always growing—offering role models of diligence, compassion, and perseverance.
“I ask not for any crown
– louisa may alcott
But that which all may win;
Nor try to conquer any world
Except the one within.”
What ties these desert island books together? Not just their popularity, but their enduring themes:
- Courage in hardship
- The beauty of ordinary life
- The reality of faith and truth
- The joy of imagination
Together, they form a kind of survival kit—not just for a desert island, but for life itself.
If your teen were stranded on a small island of their own with only these ten choices, they’d never run out of stories that stretch across centuries, genres, and worlds. All of them speak to the human heart.
Perhaps the lesson for us is this: even if we never find ourselves on a literal island, we can create a “desert island bookshelf” for our own homes. Stock it with the best books that endure and that equip our teens to foster a love of books and to live with courage in every season of life but especially in the often turbulent teen years.
Storyschooling Bible Journey
A 16-year journey through the whole Bible, Christian History and Literature for the whole family.
YEAR 1: Old Testament, Part 1: Genesis-2 Samuel
- Launching January 2026!
YEAR 2: Old Testament, Part 2: 1 Kings-Malachi
- Launching late 2026!
YEAR 3: New Testament: Acts-Revelation
YEAR 4: Christian History: Deeper Bible studies
