Throughout my entire educational career, I have completed my share of reading. I have read about every reading list book that everyone comes across at some point in their middle and high school careers. Despite the fact that the majority of them were of no interest to me, there were five specific books that were and still are today, some of my favorite books of all time. I read each of these books years apart from each other and yet I found something in each of them that just makes the story mean something. Since reading this selection of novels, the stories have stayed with me for years and I tend to think about some of the characters from time to time, and here's why...
5. "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keys.
The sci-fi short story and novel was first composed as a short story in 1958. Its first published copy was in April of 1959 in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. This piece went on to win to "Hugo Award" for best short story in 1960.
The story is based around Algernon, a laboratory mouse, who has completed a surgery to artificially enhance his intelligence. The novel is set up in a journal format that is labeled as progress reports written by a man by the name of Charlie Gordon. The plot unfolds into the results of Algernon's treatments, as well as the relationship he holds with Charlie.
I believe that many people have read this in middle at some point. I first read this in seventh grade and feel in love with from the very first chapter.
4. "Jubilee" by Margaret Walker.
The historical novel primarily focuses on a biracial slave during the American Civil War. This novel begins in Georgia in the mid-19th century before, during and after the Civil War.
This novel's main character, Vyry Brown, is based on the life of Walker's Grandmother, Margret Duggans Ware Brown. Vyry Brown is a mixed-race slave who is the daughter of her own master. The novel goes on to foretell her life events from birth, until adulthood.
I read this novel in my history class junior year of high school. This book is quite long in length and rich in content. The amount of characters and events that take places can be hard to keep up with, but Walker does an amazing job of telling such an amazing story. There are life lessons and moral values to be taken from this novel, it's defiantly worth the read.
3. "Having Our Say" by Sarah L. Delany and A. Elizabeth Delany with Amy Hill Hearth.
The New York Times bestselling book written about the history of two sisters, "Sadie" and "Bessie", engulfs one into the groundbreaking lives of two of the bravest and confident women of their time. This book talks about the history of the Delany Sisters, including where they came from and how they got to where they are today. They are daughters of a former slave, who became the first elected African-American bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States.
I read this book my senior year of high school for my diversity elective. This book made me think about sisterhood and the bond between best friends. I don't have a sister, so friendship is extremely important to me; this book tells some great stories and life lessons centered around friendship and sisterhood.
2. "The Bread Givers" by Aniza Yezierska.
Written by Jewish-American author Aniza Yezierska in 1925, the three volume fiction novel tells the story of a young girl, Sara, growing up as an immigrant in a Jewish household located in the Lower East Side of New York City. Sara narrates her life from her point of view and the struggles of being the youngest in a very strict household.
I was always interested in studying the Jewish religion and lifestyle throughout its history. I believe this novel simply just tells a good story that will make you laugh, cry and smile.
1. "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton.
This novel is centered around teen gangs known as 'greasers' in rural Oklahoma; the Greasers are at odds with their rival group, the Socials or "Socs". When the protagonist, Ponyboy, finds himself running from the police while his fellow greasers have their guards up and are on defense from any contact with the socs. The novel tells this story from Ponyboy's point of view as he deals with being a young teen in a gang during the 1980's.
I first read this novel in seventh grade; I remember having to read to first two chapters over the weekend and I ended up reading the entire book. I know this is written for a middle school level and I read it a long time ago, but it is hands down, my favorite book of all time. I have reread this book so many times and it will always put a smile on my face every time I read it.
