I’ve always felt that as children, we aren’t given enough credit for the quality of our reading material. I mean, if people can make major-motion pictures out of the books we read for everyone to enjoy, then clearly there’s something great about them. And its not like adults are always the best at picking out quality literature (*cough* Fifty Shades of Grey, anyone?). So, if you are anything like how I am during the summer, sitting absolutely bored out of your mind wondering what to do, I have come to the rescue with a list of YA books to read that should be read before watching their movie versions.
1. "Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief"
Although a children’s book, "The Lightning Thief" is a great story that everyone can enjoy. The movie was generally panned for not being true to the movie, casting much older actors for characters who were around 12 years old, and not even making Annabeth blonde. However, the book gets readers genuinely interested in the Greek gods and mythology. I know that I, for one, borrowed a copy of "Mythology" by Edith Hamilton from the library so that I could find out more about the characters in these books. The story concerns a boy named Percy Jackson, who finds out something amazing about himself and has to go on a trip across the country to essentially save the world, but more importantly, his mother. The "Lightning Thief" novel packs in action, drama, and a slight hint of romance (not too over-the-top) and deals with themes like betrayal and making your own family.
2. "Anne of Green Gables"
Now this book comes highly recommended from everyone who ever found it in their elementary school libraries. "Anne of Green Gables" is a novel about a spunky red headed orphan girl, Anne Shirley, who moves to Prince Edward Island to live with the Cuthbert family. I vividly remember "Anne of Green Gables," both the CBC movie and the book, because I had my first crush on Gilbert Blythe, Anne’s rival and classmate. The book is fun and a bit of light reading, and it details interesting moments of Anne’s childhood like when she tries to dye her hair and it goes horribly wrong.
3. "The Giver"
"The Giver," by Lois Lowry, is an amazing YA dystopian novel that depicts why being unique is a good thing. "The Giver" was the first dystopian novel I ever read, all the way back in the 4th grade when I snuck it from my cousin’s bookshelf. The story takes place in a community where Sameness is key. There is no color and no climate, no such thing as family. The main character Jonas is assigned as the Receiver of Memory, to be given memories of a time before everything was the same (our present.) Jonas grows to yearn for a unique and different life and rebels against the actions of the leaders of his community.
4. "A Series of Unfortunate Events: A Bad Beginning"
Before the new Netflix series for "A Series of Unfortunate Events" comes out, you have to read this book. A Bad Beginning tells the tale of the Baudelaire siblings as they are put into the custody of various different relatives when their parents die in a fire. This series is unique in that the author, Lemony Snicket, quite often asks the reader not to keep reading the books. A Bad Beginning shows the Baudelaires being put into the custody of the strange Count Olaf, who spends the rest of the series figuring out various ways to try to steal the Baudelaire fortune. The story is definitely interesting and the writing style is not often seen.
I hope this list of books helps you alleviate some of the boredom you may be feeling. I am not necessarily saying that I dislike the movie versions of these books, but I am a firm believer in the concept of reading the books before the movies.
