READING LIST FOR YOUTH (By Matthew Fuller)
Alcorn, Randy. Heaven for Kids (Tyndale House, 2006), 224pp. Based on his best-selling book for adults, this version provides answers for those questions that younger readers may pose about paradise. These questions range from the peripheral—what will we eat in Heaven?—to the profound—will we see Jesus in Heaven? A good resource for parents to aid in any discussions about death and eternal life. (++)
epm.org/book-heavenkids.html
Coelho, Paulo. The Alchemist (HarperCollins, 2005), 197pp. First published in Brazil in 1988, this book has been translated into fifty-six different languages. The story follows the pilgrimage of Santiago as he travels from his parents’ home in a Spanish village to the pyramids in Egypt. The Alchemist embraces the significance of setting goals and working hard to achieve them, regardless of circumstance. A beautiful story of adventure and self-discovery. (++)
paulocoelho.com/engl
Dahl, Roald. James and the Giant Peach (Alfred A. Knopf, 1961), 144pp. The remarkable story of a suddenly orphaned boy who meets a colorful cast of characters inside the juicy walls of an abnormally sized fruit. Beloved children’s author Dahl is a master at drawing clear lines between good and evil. (+)
roalddahl.com
Giglio, Louie. Wired: For a Life of Worship (WaterBrook, 2006), 224pp. Based primarily in Atlanta, Giglio is an energetic speaker who resonates especially with youth and young adults. This book is shaped for high school and college students, and it examines the different ways in which praising God can be both hip and holy. (+++)
268generation.com/2.0/splash5.htm
Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea (Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1952), 128pp. This story of a grizzled Cuban fisherman’s intense battle with a formidable marlin was quite likely the last book published while the author was still alive. Hemingway, awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954, shows readers the value of resilience, determination, and heroism. The symbolic connection to Jesus, through the main character’s relentless suffering and sacrifice, is quite evident to even the most casual reader. (+++)
bookrags.com/notes/oms
Hornby, Nick. Slam (Penguin, 2007), 304pp. Best known for his incisive and funny adult novels About a Boy, Fever Pitch, and High Fidelity, British author Hornby offers his first book geared for younger readers. Labeled “the maestro of the male confessional,” Hornby minces few words when he portrays the tumult that is teenage love, sports, and school. In Slam, the main character, Sam, looks to the autobiography of skateboarding legend Tony Hawk to provide answers to his most perplexing questions about the rocky present and the uncertain future. (+++)
us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780399250484_PSP,00.html?sym=PSP
Juster, Norton. The Phantom Tollbooth (Random House, 1961), 255. Much like Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Juster introduces readers to a fantasy world when his protagonist, a perpetually bored boy named Milo, drives his miniature car through a magical purple tollbooth. He emerges on the other side in the Kingdom of Wisdom, where he encounters an endless panoply of magical animals, edifices, and humans. The Phantom Tollbooth is celebrated for its structure, as it helps readers build vocabulary and hone their mathematical skills. (++)
archive.salon.com/books/int/2001/03/12/juster/
Kinney, Jeff. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Amulet Books, 2007), 224pp. A very funny novel written in cartoons, Kinney details the mistakes and mishaps encountered by Greg Heffley as he begins life as a middle school student. This book is perfect for any child who has felt clumsy, awkward, and helpless in a new academic environment. Indeed, it’s not easy growing up as a wimpy kid. (++)
funbrain.com/journal/Journal.html?ThisJournalDay=1&ThisPage=1
Knowles, John. A Separate Peace (Secker & Warburg, 1959), 208pp. A touching coming-of-age story about two boys who are seemingly polar opposites—Gene and Phineas—becoming reluctant friends at a New England boarding school during World War II. Set in 1942, this book offers a visceral examination of the trials and tribulations of adolescence and its concomitant epiphanies. (+++)
novelguide.com/aseparatepeace
Krakauer, Jon. Under the Banner of Heaven (Random House, 2004), 400pp. Best known for his wilderness adventure stories Into Thin Air and Into the Wild, this is Krakauer’s riveting account of the Mormon faith and the eccentric history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Based on the true 1984 double murder committed by Mormon fundamentalist brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty, who claimed that God commanded them to kill. (+++)
randomhouse.com/features/krakauer
Lewis, C. S. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (London: Geoffrey Bles, 1950), 208pp. The second book chronologically in The Chronicles of Narnia, this marks the first time the four Pevensie children—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy—enter into the magical world of Aslan, Mr. Tumnus, and the White Witch. Although all seven books are classics, The Lion stands as the hallmark of Lewis’ fantasy Christian novels for children. An absolute must read. (+)
cslewisinstitute.org
Lucado, Max. You Are Special (Crossway, 2000), 28pp. The creator God figure in this story, Eli, watches over the people of Wemmicksville. Eli enables readers to understand that they are each a cherished member of God’s kingdom, each with individual talents, spiritual gifts, and blessings. Lucado is the Senior Pastor of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio. (++)
maxlucado.com
Miller, Calvin. Apples, Snakes, and Bellyaches (Harold Shaw, 1990), 192pp. This is the Christian equivalent of Jack Prelutsky’s New Kid on the Block. Miller, a professor and Baptist pastor, offers forty poems, all accompanied with black-and-white illustrations, the best of which are the “One Minute” Old and New Testament. (+)
calvinmillerauthor.com
Miller, Donald. Blue Like Jazz (Thomas Nelson, 2003), 256 pp. The author, a young and dynamic evangelical, embarks on a spiritual quest to discern the relevance and potency of Jesus. This book, written in an expository style, is perfect for agnostics or lapsed believers who are easily intimidated or offended by organized religion. (+++)
donaldmillerwords.com/bluelikejazz.php
Prelutsky, Jack. The New Kid on the Block (New York: HarperCollins, 1984), 159pp. A wondrous collection of poems for children, featuring a wide variety of colorful characters like a bouncing mouse, a boneless chicken, and a ridiculous dog. Prelutsky indulges every child’s wildest imagination. (+)
jackprelutsky.com
Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye (Little, Brown and Company, 1951), 277pp. Albeit somewhat controversial, this masterpiece must not be ignored. Salinger, a notorious recluse who rarely leaves his walled home in New Hampshire and has not granted an interview since 1980, accurately captures the recalcitrance and angst which define life as a teenager. Through the eyes of his embattled protagonist, Holden Caulfield, the author provides his belief that maturation only results from intense introspection and investigation of one’s moral character. Nearly 250,000 copies of this book are sold every year. (+++)
sparknotes.com/lit/catcher
Selznick, Brian. The Invention of Hugo Cabret (Scholastic Books, 2007), 526pp. Although most of the book is comprised of the author’s astonishing black-and-white drawings, there is a still a significant amount of thematic depth inside. The title character is an orphan who lives inside a Paris train station and meets eccentric characters. Hugo is part Harry Houdini and part kid. Magical, indeed. (++)
theinventionofhugocabret.com/index.htm
Silverstein, Shel. The Giving Tree (HarperCollins, 1964), 34pp. Known for his best-selling classics The Missing Piece, A Light in the Attic, and Where the Sidewalk Ends, this is perhaps Silverstein’s most beloved book for children. The Giving Tree explores the morality of sacrifice and friendship as a young boy and a tree grow old together. (+)
shelsilverstein.com/indexSite.html
Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men (Spangler, 1937), 107pp. Don’t be fooled by this classic novel’s length. Steinbeck covers a lot of ground in a relatively short span, especially as it relates to the irrepressible innocence of Lennie and the relentless realism of George. The American Dream is sometimes anything but, and readers will quickly come to understand the value of true friendship in a ruthless and fallen world. (+++)
gradesaver.com/classicnotes/titles/miceandmen
Ten Boom, Corrie. The Hiding Place (Guideposts, 1971), 256pp. A Dutch Christian, the author tells the harrowing story of how she and her family saved the lives of countless Jews by hiding them from invading German forces during World War II in Holland. As a Christian disciple, Ten Boom is compelled to help those in need. (+++)
endtimepilgrim.org/corrie.htm