A Prayer
for Owen Meany, by
John Irving [First published in 1989]: Simon Birch (1998)
Set in the
1960’s Owen a disabled boy believes that he is an instrument of God and embarks
on a mission to fulfill his fate.
A Time to
Kill, by John Grisham [First published in 1989]: A
Time to Kill (1996)
A 10-year-old
girl is raped and beaten by 2 white supremacists. Her Father gets an assault
rifle and kills the men. A capital murder trail follows the killing.
A Wrinkle
in Time, by
Madeleine L’Engle [First published in 1962]: A Wrinkle in Time
(2003/2018)
The story is
about a brother, sister and their friend travel to another planet to save their
father and stop a great evil from taking over the universe.
The
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,
by Mark Twain [First published in 1884]: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1939/1955/1960), The
Adventures of Huck Finn (1993), and Huckleberry Finn (1974/1975)
A sequel to
Tom Sawyer it is the adventures of a runaway slave and a white boy in the Mississippi
Valley.
The
Adventures of Tom Sawyer,
by Mark Twain [First Published in 1876]: Tom Sawyer (1917, 1930, 1938, 1973) Tom and Huck (1995)
Set in the
1840’s a young boy’s life and adventures in a small town in Missouri along the
Mississippi River.
America: A
Novel, by E.R.
Frank [First Published in 2002]: America: A Novel (2009)
Story of a
biracial boy named America from birth to 18 as he gets lost in the foster care
system.
American
Psycho, by Bret
Easton Ellis [First Published 1991]:
American Psycho (2000)
Set in the
Wall Street boom in the late 1980’s Patrick Bateman is a psychotic investment
banker that may or may not be a serial killer.
Angus,
Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging,
by Louise Rennison [First Published in 1999]: Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging (2008)
The first
story in a series of 10 books. The series and the first book is a coming-of-age
tale about a 15-year-old girl and her quest for popularity, and romance/love.
Are You There God? It’s
Me, Margaret by Judy Bloom [First Published in 1970] Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (2023)
Margaret Simon is an 11-year-old girl that is in an interfaith family that is moving from the suburbs of New Jersey
to New York City. In the city she makes friends, deals with puberty education, and
religious questions and growing up.
Beloved, by Toni Morrison [First
published in 1987]: Beloved (1998)
Set during
and after the American Civil War a runaway slave escapes from Kentucky to the
free state of Ohio. All the while doing the best for her family while dealing
with the ghosts of the past.
Black Boy, by Richard Wright [First Published in 1945]: Black Boy (1995)
A memoir of
Richard Wright’s youth in the US South and his early years in Chicago Illinois.
Bless Me,
Ultima, by Rudolfo
A. Anaya [First published in 1972]:
Bless Me, Ultima (2013)
A coming-of-age story about a young Chicano, growing up in New Mexico and his mentorship with
his curandera.
(A curandera
is a female healer that uses folk medicine and mysticism for healing).
Blood and
Chocolate, by
Annette Curtis Klause [First published in 1997]: Blood and Chocolate (2007)
A young
werewolf girl longs for a normal life, but can she have that?
Brave New
World, by Aldous
Huxley [First Published in 1932]: Brave New World (1980/1998) TV Series (2020)
Set in the
future a totalitarian utopia exists through genetic engineering, drugs, sex and
brain washing. However, one-man longs to be free.
Bridge to
Terabithia, by
Katherine Paterson [First Published in 1977]: Bridge To Terabithia
(1985/2007)
A boy
befriends a new girl and together they create Terabithia a fantasy world where
they rule as king and queen.
Captain
Underpants
(series), by Dav Pilkey [First Published in 1997]: Captain Underpants:
The First Epic Movie (2017), The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants (2018-?)
A 12-book
series about a 2 fourth grade boys who hypnotize their principle into becoming
a superhero called Captain Underpants.
Carrie, by Stephen King [First
published in 1974]: Carrie (1976/2002/2013)
Carrie White
a bullied high school girl develops telekinetic powers and gets revenge at the
prom.
The
Chocolate War, by
Robert Cormier [First
published in 1974]: The Chocolate War (1988)
One boy takes
on a secret society at a Catholic School by not selling chocolate in the annual
chocolate sale. A secret society of students seeks to punish and put the boy
back into his place.
Christine, by Stephen King [First
published in 1983]: Christine (1983)
A 1958
Plymouth Fury named Christine that is possessed by malevolent supernatural
forces that destroy anybody that gets in her way.
The Color
Purple, by Alice
Walker [First published in 1982]: The Color Purple (1985)
Set in
Georgia during the 1930’s the story is about a black woman of low social
status, suffers abuse from her father and other people in her life over four
decades.
Cujo, by Stephen King: [First
published in 1981]: Cujo (1983)
A Saint
Bernard gets infected with rabies from a bat. The disease goes untreated
causing the dog to attack and kills members of his family and other unfortunate
people.
The Dead
Zone, by Stephen
King: [First published in 1979]: The Dead Zone (1983) TV Series
(2002 -2006)
After a car
accident Johnnie Smith, a schoolteacher wakes from a coma with the powers of
clairvoyance and precognition. He labors to deal with his new powers change a
possible apocalyptic future.
Fat Kid
Rules the World, by
K.L. Going: [First published in 2003]: Fat Kid Rules the World (2012)
A 296-pound
kid is about to kill himself when a local guitar legend stops him. Together
they form a band. Saving each other and changing the world of punk music.
The Face
on the Milk Carton, by
Caroline Cooney: [First published in 1990]: The Face on the Milk Carton
(1995)
A 15-year-old
girl sees her face on a milk carton and solves the mystery of her kidnapping.
Fahrenheit
451, by Ray Bradbury: [First
published in 1953]: Fahrenheit 451 (1966), (2018)
Set in the
future where books are outlawed a fireman one who sets fire to books and houses
that they are hidden in. Rebels and joins a resentence groups who memorize and
share the world’s great literature.
Flowers
for Algernon, by
Daniel Keyes: [First published in 1959]: Charly (1968), Flowers
for Algernon (2000)
A mentally
disabled man goes through an experimental producer that increases his IQ to
highest possible levels. Only to have it reverse and leave his as he was
before.
Forever…, by Judy Blume: [First
published in 1975]: Forever (1978)
A boy and
girl meet at a New Year's Eve party and fall in love thinking it will last
forever. The parents feel otherwise and separate them over the summer. Will the
relationship survive the distance?
Friday
Night Lights: A Town, A Team and A Dream, by H.G. Bissenger: [First published in 1988]: Friday
Night Lights (2004) TV Series (2006-2011)
A nonfiction
book about the 1988 Permian High School Football team, and the run for the Texas
State Championship.
The Giver, by Lois Lowry: [First
published in 1993]: The Giver (2014)
Set in the
future a boy sees realizes that his utopian society is really a controlled
dystopia.
Go Ask
Alice, by
Anonymous: [First published in 1971]: Go Ask Alice (1973)
Taking place
from 1968 – 1970 a 14 young girl develops a drug habit and begins a downward
spiral to rock bottom.
The Goats, by Brock Cole: [First
published in 1987] Standing Up a.k.a. Goat Island (2013)
A boy and a
girl are selected for a long-established camp prank that leaves a boy and a
girl stranded on an island naked. This time the kids decide to run away rather
going back to camp resulting in a lifelong friendship.
Goosebumps (series), by R.L. Stine: [First Published in 1992] Goosebumps (1995-1998), Goosebumps (2015), Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018)
Goosebumps is
a series of horror novellas that follow child characters, who find themselves
dealing with unusual situations; that usually involve the supernatural and or
science fiction. There are 62 books are printed under the original umbrella
title. With several spin offs.
Gossip
Girl (series),
by Cecily von Ziegesar: [First Published in 2002] Gossip Girl (2007-2012)
A book series that follow the lives, and romances of privileged elite
teens from the Upper East Side Manhattan.
The Great
Gilly Hopkins, by
Katherine Paterson: [First published in 1978]: The Great
Gilly Hopkins (2015)
A 12-year-old
foster child that has been bounce around foster homes plots reunite with her idealized
birth mother.
Grendel, by John Gardner: [First published in
1970]: Grendel Grendel Grendel (1981)
The story of
Beowulf told from the monster Grendal’s point of view.
The Handmaid’s
Tale, by Margaret
Atwood: [First published in 1985] The Handmaid’s Tale (1990) TV (2017-?)
Set in a
dystopian future a totalitarian government runs a country called Gilead where
all fertile women are stripped of rights and must serve as surrogates for
infertile wives of the rich and powerful.
Harry
Potter (series),
by J.K. Rowling: [First Published in 1997] Harry Potter (series) (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007,
2009, 2010, 2011)
The novels
chronicle the life and adventures of Harry Potter at his friends as they attend
The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
His Dark
Materials (series), by Philip Pullman: [First Published in 1995] The
Golden Compass (2007) TV His Dark Materials (2019-?)
A Trilogy
about a girl that travels between worlds to save a multiverse from impending destruction.
The movie is based on the first book in the series.
The House
of Spirits, by
Isabel Allende: [First published in1982]: The House of Spirits (1993)
Three
generations of the Trueba family are chronicle through personal and political
upheaval in Latin America during the 20th Century.
I Know Why
the Caged Bird Sings,
by Maya Angelou: [First published in 1969]: I Know Why the Caged Bird
Sings (1979)
The
autobiography is about the early years of poet, writer, singer, and activist
Maya Angelou 1928 - 2014.
Jack, by A.M. Homes: [First
published in 1989]: Jack (2004)
Coming of age
novel about a 15-year-old boy dealing with his parents' divorce and dealing
with the revelation that his Dad is Gay.
James and
the Giant Peach, by
Roald Dahl: [First published in 1961]: James and the Giant Peach (1996)
An orphan boy
enters a giant magic peach and has adventures with seven giant insects as they
travel the world in that giant peach.
Jumper, by Steven Gould: [First
published in 1992]: Jumper (2008)
A boy with
the ability to teleport runs away from home and makes his way through the world
as he searches for his birth mother.
Killing
Mr. Griffin, by
Lois Duncan: [First published in 1978]: Killing Mr. Griffin (1997)
A group of
students kidnap their English teacher as revenge for being too strict. During
the kidnapping he dies of a heart attack The students then try to conspire to
hide the crime.
The Kite
Runner, by Khaled Hosseini: [First
published in 2003]: The Kite Runner (2007)
Tells the
story of a friendship between two boys beginning in the final days of the Afghanistan
Monarchy and into the rise of the Taliban Regime
Lord of
the Flies, by
William Golding: [First published in 1954]: Lord of the Flies
(1963/1990)
After a plane
crash groups of English school boys are stranded on a deserted island with no
adults. The boys quickly become savage.
The Lovely
Bones, by Alice Sebold: [First
published in 2002]: The Lovely Bones (2009)
In the 1970’s
a teenage girl is raped and murdered then watches from her personal heaven as
her family and friends deal with moving on while she comes to terms with her
death.
My Brother
Sam is Dead, by
James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier: [First published in 1974] My
Brother Sam is Dead (1986)
A boy named
Tim has an older brother named Sam who has chosen to fight for America’s
independence in the Revolutionary War against their Father's wishes. As the war
continues Tim will have to choose a side.
Native Son, by Richard Wright: [First published in 1940] Native
Son, (1951/1986)
In the 1940’s
a black man works as a chauffeur for a rich white family. Things turn bad when he accidently kills his
employer’s teenage daughter and tries to cover it up.
Of Mice
and Men, by John Steinbeck: [First
published in 1937]: Of Mice and Men (1939, 1968, 1981, 1992)
Two drifters
working the fields during The Great Depression George and Lennie work to
achieve their dream of having their own land. Until an accidental murder kills
the dream they have.
One Flew
Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,
by Ken Kesey: [First published in 1962]: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s
Nest (1975)
Set in an
Organ psychiatric hospital a criminal pleads insanity after getting into
trouble again. Once on the ward he
rebels against the oppressive tyrannical Nurse Ratcheted and to improve the
lives of the scared patients.
Ordinary
People, by Judith
Guest: [First published in 1976]: Ordinary People (1980)
A typical
suburban family deals with the aftermath of the death of the favored son the
end of a psychiatric hospital stay of the other son. Who is still dealing with
issues that lead him to attempt suicide four months earlier.
The
Outsiders, by S.E.
Hinton [First published in 1967]: The Outsiders (1983)
Two gangs in
Oklahoma on opposite sides on the social economic divide have rivalry. Things
turn heated when a member of the rich gang is killed leading to tragedy and a
rumble.
The Perks
of Being a Wallflower,
by Stephen Chbosky: [First published in 1999]: The Perks of Being a
Wallflower (2012)
A coming-of-age novel set in the early 1990’s about an introvert starting high school,
dealing with death, drugs, sex, abortion and family and coming to terms with
being molested as a child.
Pillars of
the Earth, by Ken
Follett: [First published in 1989]: Pillars of the Earth (2010)
Set in 12th
Century England a monk is driven to build the greatest gothic cathedral the
world has ever known.
Roll of
Thunder, Hear My Cry,
by Mildred Taylor: [First published in 1976]: Roll of Thunder,
Hear My Cry (1978)
Story of the Logan’s
a black family and the racism they face in the rural south in the 1930’s.
Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut: [First
published in1969]: Slaughterhouse-Five (1972)
A man who was
been abducted by aliens has become unstuck in time and is reliving periods of
his life.
Snow
Falling on Cedars,
by David Guterson: [First published in 1994]: Snow Falling on Cedars
(1999)
Set in the
1950’s in the Pacific Northwest a white fisher man is found dead, and a
Japanese American is accused of murder and put on trial.
Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson: [First published in
1999]: Speak (2004)
At the final
party of the summer a high school freshman calls the police ending the party.
Unable to say why she called the police due to a trauma that happened during
the party she becomes a loner. Through art she is able to overcome what
happened and speak up.
The
Stupids (series), by
Harry Allard: [First Published 1974] The Stupids (1996)
A children’s
book series that depicts a family that is so dim, dull stupid that the simplest of tasks becomes a humorous ordeal.
Summer of
My German Soldier, by
Bette Greene: [First published in 1973]: Summer of My German Soldier
(1978)
Set in
Jenkinsville, Arkansas during World War II. A 12-year-old Jewish girl befriends
and later helps a German POW.
That Was
Then, This is Now, by
S.E. Hinton: [First published in 1971]: That Was Then, This is Now
(1985)
A boy Byron
and his adopted brother Mark start to grow apart. Byron matures and gets
involved with girls, while Mark lives for the moment. This leads to a conflict
that changed their lives forever.
The Things
They Carried, by Tim O’Brien: [First
published in 1990]: A Soldier’s Sweetheart (1998)
A set of
connected short stories about US soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War.
Tiger Eyes, by Judy Blume: [First
published in 1981]: Tiger Eyes (2012)
A 15-year-old
girl is dealing with anxiety and is in morning her father after he is shot dead
in a robbery. The girl and her mother temporarily move to New Mexico with her
family. There she meets a boy that helps her deal with what happened and finish
the mourning process.
To Kill a
Mockingbird, by
Harper Lee: [First published in 1960]: To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Atticus
Finch, a lawyer in the depression era Deep South defends a black man accused of
raping a white woman in a court of law. While teaching his children about
predigest.
Where’s
Waldo?, by Martin
Hanford: [First Published in 1987] Where’s Waldo? (1991-1991) (2019-2020)
Search for
Waldo in a group of similarly dressed crowd of people in different locations.
The
Witches, by Roald
Dahl: [First published in 1983]: The Witches (1990) (2020)
An orphan boy
and his grandmother discover a witch’s convention and a plan to turn children
into mice. Together they battle the witches and save the children.
The
Upstairs Room, by
Johanna Reiss: [First published in 1972]: The Upstairs Room (1987)
An
autobiography by Johanna Reiss documenting her childhood in occupied Holland during
the Nazi invasion.
Haruki Murakami reminds us that “If you only read the books that
everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is
thinking.”
