I have always been a lover of books, and I still am. When I was 2 years old, my mom would tell me to take a nap, and when she came back upstairs, I was in the closet with my books, looking at the pictures. Many of my free choice pieces in school, such as this blog, have been about books that I have read. In 5th grade, I read over 100 books, some of them twice within the 10 months of school. I have been asked by both teachers and students, some of which I have never met, if I have any recommendations for them. I have always been happy to answer, so that’s all this is about. These are some of my favorite books for teens, and most of them are OK for both boys and girls.
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
I just finished this on 9/29, but it’s really an amazing book. I flew through all 485 pages in 2 days and started the second book in the series 5 minutes after I finished City of Bones. It’s about a 15 year old girl named Clary who drags her best friend, Simon, to a club called Pandemonium. While they’re waiting in line to get in, there’s a boy Clary sees who instantly peaks her interest. Once they enter, she watches him slip through a door marked “NO ADMITTANCE” with a beautiful girl, trailed by two dark shadows of boys, one of which has a knife. To find out who these mysterious characters are, READ THE BOOK!!!!! (Fantasy)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Of course I have to include Harry Potter, quite credibly the best series ever written. Most people have read it, but for those poor, book-deprived few who haven’t, I’ll explain it here. The story begins at number four, Privet Drive. Vernon and Petunia Dursley live in a house that is the prime example of normal, but not everything is what it seems. The Dursleys have adopted Petunia’s nephew, Harry Potter, who suddenly starts getting strange letters mailed to him after 10 years of abusement. To try to escape these terrifying pieces of paper, Vernon drags the entire family to a dilapidated hovel on a deserted rock in the middle of the sea while a hurricane is whipping the water into a frenzy all around them. While everyone but Harry is asleep, the now-11-year-old boy is silently celebrating his birthday alone, but there is a loud THUMP coming from the door that interrupts his “festivities”. Then, with a loud crash, the door is ripped off its hinges, with a huge, hulking shadow blocking the lightning. Who is this intimidating giant? You’ll see. (Fantasy)
I have read Holes at least three times, and it’s just that good. The main character is Stanley Yelnats, whose family is cursed to always be in the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s why when he was walking home from a bad day at school, a disgusting, smelly pair of sneakers hit him square on the head, as if they fell from the sky. A few minutes later, a police car rides up and accuses Stanley of stealing the sneakers of the most famous baseball star ever, who also has a bad case of foot fungus. The case is taken to court, where no one believes Stanley’s story of the shoes falling from the sky. He and his family are given the choice of sending Stanley to juvie or Camp Green Lake, a camp for juvenile delinquents who need to be taught responsibility and respect. Want to find out their choice, and the tons of exciting variables it controls? Read it. (Realistic Fiction)
~Stephanie