What to do when a young person “graduates” from YA novels and wants to read books with themes and plots that are more complex? So much contemporary fiction today has situations and language that many parents wouldn’t find appropriate–for young teens, especially. (Imagine my shock one day at school when I saw Fifty Shades of Gray stacked casually on a freshman girl’s desk!) So I thought going through my own stacks from the past couple years might give both teens and parents some ideas for great reading. Most of the books I chose featured younger protagonists; I also noticed that many convey the idea that our world, difficult though life may sometimes be, is one where hope triumphs over despair, and healing over pain.
From my blog:
Orphan Train ! Christina Baker Kline
The Rooms are Filled Jessica Null Vealitzek
Any of the Flavia de Luce books by Alan Bradley (I’ve got posts for four of his books) !
Forgive Me Leonard Peacock *! Matthew Quick
Noah’s Rainy Day Sandra Brannan
The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet Reif Larsen
The Dressmaker Kate Alcott
The Silver Star ! Jeanette Walls
Dear Lucy Julie Sarkissian
Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots Jessica Sofer
15 Days Without a Head * ! Dave Cousins
The Forgotten Garden ! Kate Morton
Blind Sight Meg Howry
Age of Miracles* ! Karen Thompson Walker
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Misfit Children Ransom Riggs
The Fault in Our Stars* ! John Green
If I Stay* ! Gayle Forman
Sarah’s Key Tatiana De Rosnay
The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet ! Rief Larsen
The Help Kathryn Stockett
*indicates this is a YA novel–I must say, I love ’em!
! my absolute favs
This is my symphony 