Classic novels for teens to read this summer
Last month, we did an article on ‘Best Classic Summer Reads’ for kids between 8 and 13 years old. We got lots of great feedback from our readers telling us of their favorite childhood novels they have passed on to their own kids. Today, we are remembering the best books we might have read at the most turbulent time in our lives, our teens.
Between 13 and 18 years old is all about coming-of-age and learning about how to be an adult. (When does it stop?) It’s also a time of discovering and becoming a part of a new adult world while still being treated like a child. But this paradox is precious; it’s a time when novels can offer you an insight that will force you to think about what you are and who you want to be. So forget the The Hunger Games and Twilight for now. Instead, here are some classics evocative of the gritty time of growing up and the perseverance needed when dealing with the complexities (and histories) of the adult world.
Catcher in The Rye. J.D Salinger - 15+ years (approx)
Interestingly, Salinger wrote this coming-of-age tale in 1951, yet it is still considered relevant and one of the best novel ever written on adolescence. The story is about the life of 16 year old Holden Caulfield, who is set adrift into the adult world in his hometown of New York. Holden’s narrated flashback tells the reader of his three days alone in the City and the characters he meets. The story is famous for capturing the essence of the eternal teenage experience of alienation, along with all the complex problems that haunt teenagers entering maturity.
The Old Man and the Sea. Ernest Hemingway - 13+ years
Admittedly, I didn't read this beautiful ‘man versus marlin’ story until I was an adult. Still, teenagers will admire Hemingway’s tale of an old fisherman who is desperately battling to capture a fish in the waters of the gulf stream. Although the writer’s style is often both loved and hated by teens and adults, either way, this story will leave a deep impression on any reader with themes of perseverance, introspection and the internal battle of will.
Beloved. Toni Morrison. 15+
Set in the end of slavery era of the American South, this is a story about an ex-slave named Sethe, who lives with her teenage daughter and whose world is transformed when a ghost named ‘Beloved’ enters their home. With an incredible mesmerising style yet often gruesome, this complex storytelling might be hard for younger teens to tackle. However, the novel opens the reader to the gritty reality of American slavery, and so, may create a talking point for parents and teens on the difficult topics of sex, murder and pain.
One Flew Over The Cookoo’s Nest - Ken Kesey 16+
A book filled with smoking, drinking, gambling, insanity and sex is every teenage dream, isn’t it? Less coming-of-age, more a right-of-passage novel for young readers, this story is based on the wild McMurphy who is an inmate pretending to be insane in an effort to get his prison sentence reduced. McMurphy arrives at the mental ward where he is greeted by the oppressive Nurse Ratched along with her fearful patients. He soon begins to rally the others to stand-up against Ratched’s rule by drinking, gambling, and sneaking in women into the hospital ward. A book about nonconforming and rallying against authority - sound familiar?To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee - 13+
Can you have a list of ‘classic novels’ without Harper Lee? Nope, and if you haven’t read it then don’t wait another minute missing out on this tragic story about justice, racism and courage in depression-era small town America.
The story centers around young friends, Scout and Dill, who are trying to discover, and torment their mysterious neighbour, Boo Radley. In the background, Scout’s father, the lawyer Atticus, is defending an innocent black man accused of raping a white women, much to the dismay of his racist town folk.
While the ideological Atticus fights against the traditions of his small town society, Scout, a tomboy, is learning about her own prejudices and fighting against the expectations her 1930s society has on women. One of the many great quotes,
“You just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don't you let 'em get your goat. Try fightin' with your head for a change.
-Atticus Finch”
Okay, okay, enough with American authors I hear you say. Fair enough. These are just some of my favorites books I read (mostly)in my youth but there are countless more. Please share yours.
For more reading ideas for teens, check out these suggestions for