The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (1967)
Appropriate for ages 12 and above
The murder of a “Soc” by a “Greaser” gets under Ponyboy’s skin, causing his divided world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same no matter which side your’e on.
For fans of The Fault In Our Stars
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson (1977)
Appropriate for age 9 and above
Unlikely friends Jess and Leslie become inseparable. Together, they create Terabithia, a magical kingdom in the woods where the two of them reign as king and queen, and their imaginations are the only limits.
For fans of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960)
Appropriate for age 12 and above
Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill a Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior, to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos.
For fans of Hatchet
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell (1960)
Appropriate for age 10 and above
Karana is the Indian Girl who lived alone for years on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Hers is not only an unusual story of survival, but also a tale of natural beauty and personal discovery.
For fans of Harry Potter
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (1962)
Appropriate for age 9 and above
Meg’s father had been experimenting with this fifth dimension of time travel when he suddenly and mysteriously disappeared. Now the time has come for Meg, her friend Calvin, and Charles Wallace to rescue him. But can they outwit the forces of evil they will encounter on their heart-stopping journey through space?
For fans of Good Omens
The Princess Bride by William Goldman (1973)
Appropriate for age 10 and above
This is a tale of a handsome farm boy who, aided by a drunken swordsman and a gentle giant, rescues a beautiful princess named Buttercup. But the twist is in the telling.
For fans of Tuck Everlasting
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (1911)
Appropriate for age 11 and above
Mary Lennox discovers the arched doorway into an overgrown garden and soon begins transforming it into a thing of beauty, unaware that she is changing, too.
For fans of Percy Jackson
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (1870)
Appropriate for age 12 and above
In the year 1866, ships of several nations spot a mysterious sea monster, which some suggest to be a giant narwhal. The United States government assembles an expedition in New York City to find and destroy the monster.
For fans of Peter Pan
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (1883)
Appropriate for age 10 and above
While going through the possessions of a deceased guest who owed them money, an innkeeper and her son find a treasure map that leads them across the Spanish Main to a notorious pirate’s treasure. This classic novel introduced the world to the dreaded Long John Silver.
