A Separate Peace
by John Knowles
Year Published: 1959
Contemporary Literature

Life of Pi
by Yann Martel
Year Published: 2003
Contemporary Literature

A young boy must survive a shipwreck on a small lifeboat. His only companion is a tiger...

To learn more about the book:

• Life of Pi - Book Trailer
• Author Interview - Yann Martel

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: The Pox Party
by M.T. Anderson
Year Published: 2006
Contemporary Literature
*Mature Content 

Young Octavian, a black boy in pre-Revolution America,  is being raised by a group of rational philosophers (scientists) known only by numbers, but it is only after he opens a forbidden door that learns the hideous nature of their experiments and his own chilling role.

To learn more about the book:

• NPR Interview with M.T. Anderson
• Book Trailer

The Bean Trees
by Barbara Kingsolver
Year Published: 1988
Contemporary Literature
*Mature Content

Little Women
by Louisa May Alcott
Year Published: 1869
Classic Literature

The story of four sisters experiencing life, love and hardship as they grow up during the American Civil War.  A classic coming-of-age novel addressing issues of love, war, social class, feminism, and morality. 

To learn more about the book:

• Little Women - Book Trailer
• Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women

The Once and Future King
by T.H. White
Year Published: 1958
Classic Literature
*Mature Content

Classic retelling of the Arthurian Legend.

Magic, fantasy, legend? Sign up here.

To learn more about the book:

• Author Review by Cornelia Funke