A Wrinkle In Time, by Madeline L'Engle

Meg Murry is a brilliant student, although all her friends and teachers tend to regard her as a troublesome kid.  Her parents are scientists, and her genius father has been inexplicably missing for several months.  One stormy night, Meg and her brother Charles are having a late snack when their eccentric new neighbor, Mrs. Whatsit, bursts in with an amazing announcement.  Mr. Murry is apparently still alive, although his research has somehow caused him to be propelled off through space and time into a mysterious fifth dimension known as a tessaract.  Armed with this new knowledge, Meg sets off with Charles and her school friend Calvin in an attempt travel through space-time and rescue her father!

I’ve never been a huge reader of science fiction, but this book is an example of a story that transcends the genre.  It’s been a perennial favorite for readers of all ages, no doubt due to its amazing story and well-thought-out plotline.  I’ve made it a personal goal to read further on into Ms. L’Engle other books in the series, collectively known as “The Time Quintet”, and if you’re looking for an amazing adventure then you’re more than welcome to join me!

Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt

Tired of her family, ten-year old Winnie Foster starts to consider running away from home.   One day, during a walk in the woods, she meets a teenage boy named Jesse Tuck.   Jesse and his family lead her deeper into her family’s land, where a magical spring puts forth water which has granted them eternal life.  As Winnie begins to find herself falling in love with Jessie, she becomes sorely tempted to drink the water herself.  All the while, a mysterious stranger from the Tucks’ past is following, offering a temptation of an entirely different sort…

This book was written in 1975 and I originally read it as part of a grade school curriculum, but I was amazed to find that the story is just as good today.  The theme is very thought provoking:  would eternal life be a blessing, or a curse?   “Tuck Everlasting” is a suspenseful page-turner, and well worth the time that any young man would spend reading it.    

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

This story centers around the life of Liesel Meinger, a nine-year-old girl living in Germany during World War II.  After her brother dies, Liesel is taken in by a set of foster parents who’re also hiding a Jewish man from the Nazis.  This man, Max, teaches Liesel to read in secret.   Entranced with the power of the written word, Liesel begins to steal a number of banned books in order to save them from being burned by German censors.

Even though the hero of this book is a girl, I’d flag it as a must-read for all young men.  While Anne Frank’s diary might provide a more intimate view of what it was like to hide from the Nazis, I found “The Book Thief” to be a more accessible story.  The book is narrated by Death himself (who remarks that World War II was a very busy time for him), so it’s actually very easy to take a peek into these characters’ challenging lives.  “The Book Thief” has definitely earned my highest recommendation.

The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn, by John Bellairs

After his father has a heart attack and can’t return to work, Anthony Monday’s family begins to suffer from financial troubles.  Anthony works part-time at his local library, but his salary won’t even begin to cover their bills.  He worries about money constantly, and becomes obsessed with a local legend about Alpheus Winterborn, the reclusive billionaire who built the library.  Old Man Winterborn was rumored to have hidden the bulk of his fortune somewhere in the town, and he left behind a series of cryptic clues.  Once Anthony stumbles across one of the clues in the library, he finds himself stalked by a mysterious, estranged heir who wants to claim the entire Winterborn family fortune for himself!

I absolutely love John Bellairs’ books!  They’re not your typical middle-grade novels since they’re full of gothic mystery, suspense, and elements of the supernatural.  I actually read all of them when I was a kid, and I enjoyed all three series featuring Anthony Monday as well as two other main characters, Johnny Dixon and Lewis Barnavelt.  When I re-discovered these books as an adult, I learned that Mr. Bellairs had passed away and left several unfinished books behind.  These were later completed by another author, Mr. Brad Strickland, who had himself read Mr. Bellairs’ books as a child.  What an awesome way to continue a legacy!

Fair warning:  while neither “The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn” or any of Mr. Bellairs’ other books involve graphic violence or any kind of inappropriate subject matter, they are DOWNRIGHT SPOOKY and may very well keep you awake long after you turn off the lights!  If you’re okay with that then rush right down to your library and grab one of these books but whatever you do, don’t start reading it on a school night!

The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman

This is the story of Nobody Owens, a baby who becomes an orphan when his family is murdered by a secret society of evildoers.  “Bod” narrowly escapes the attack by hiding in a nearby graveyard, where thousands of ghosts extend their protection to him.  Seeing that he has no one else to support him, the ghosts decide to shelter and care for Bod themselves.  He grows up to become a mostly normal boy…one who just happens to live in a graveyard, surrounded by restless spirits and hunted by ruthless evildoers!

I’ll be honest, the unique setting is what drew me into this awesome book.  Everyone grows up thinking that their home life is normal, but I had never even imagined what it must be like to live in a graveyard!  At first glance, the plot reminded me a little of “Harry Potter”--- an orphaned boy is hunted by evildoers and things kind of go on from there.  I couldn’t have been more wrong, though, and let that be a lesson to me not a judge any book by its (back) cover!  I think I’ve mentioned this before, but the great thing about books is that you can take a single basic idea and then run with it in any direction.  If you gave the same idea to a hundred different authors, you’d probably come up with a hundred stories that were completely different.

Can you think of any particular places that you find interesting, even if they’re not necessarily one of your favorite spots?  Maybe a shopping mall, a train station, or even one of your classrooms at school?  Which of these places could be turned into a fascinating setting for one of your own stories?  

The Giver, by Lois Lowry

In Jonas’ community, children are raised by an assigned set of parents.  They’re given the chance to try out different career paths, and they’re assigned jobs once they turn twelve years old.  Unlike most of his friends, Jonas isn’t sure what he wants to do, and he ends up being selected to become the community’s Receiver of Memory.  This prestigious job requires him to be cut off from most other people except for his mentor, an old man known as The Giver.  Eventually, Jonas learns the forgotten secrets of his community…as well as some secrets that were meant to stay buried.

This book’s amazing setting takes place in the future, in a “utopian” society which is supposed to be perfect in every way.  Lying or stealing is not tolerated, and no one dares to break with the way that things have always been done.  When Jonas learns the truth about his community, though, it seems as if his whole world has turned against him.  This remarkable book will have you rooting for Jonas every step of the way.

An important part of growing up is taking on new roles, and exploring until you find your own place in the world.  But what do you think would happen if you came to feel like Jonas did, as if you just didn’t fit in with your home, your school, or your community?  Do you think that you’d be more likely to try to change the things you didn’t agree with, or would you try to find another place where you’d be more likely to fit in?

The Card Turner, by Louis Sachar

Seventeen-year old Alton Richards is in an uncomfortable situation.  His free-spending parents have run out of money, and they’re counting on a huge inheritance to get out of debt.  Alton’s job is to get close to his grandfather, a rich but blind man with a passion for the game of bridge.  Alton quickly becomes much more than an extra set of hands to turn cards, and he ends up learning more about his grandfather than he could ever imagine.

I don’t want to ruin the surprise on this one, but I will say that this book is worth reading all the way through!  I didn’t see the ending coming, but I should have expected a few twists from an author like Mr. Sachar.  I especially like the way he gave a good deal of attention to Alton’s “everyday” troubles, like his relationship with his girlfriend.  This isn’t a particularly long book, but it’s very “thick” in terms of the character development.  I really enjoy these books where there’s not only an awesome story, but where you also end up caring about each individual character. 

In fact, my only complaint was that I don’t know how to play bridge, and so I couldn’t totally follow along with the sequences of cards as they were dealt.  Bridge isn’t nearly as popular as it was a few generations ago, which might be exactly why Mr. Sachar chose to base his story around the game.  It would take a new player a lot of effort to follow the excitement and strategy that comes with each hand, just like it took Alton a lot of time and effort to appreciate his grandfather.  Do you think that Mr. Sachar could be using the game of bridge as a symbol for Alton’s relationship with his grandfather?  Can you think of any games that could be used to portray the way that your family members interact?