Monday, November 18, 2013

Top Ten Books I'd Recommend To a Teenager Who is Miserable in High School

As you all know, I participate each week in The Broke and The Bookish's Top Ten Tuesday.

This week's theme was: Top Ten Books I'd Recommend To X Person (your choice -- could be to your mom, to a reluctant male reader, to your teenage sister, to dog lover's, to sports lovers, etc.)

I decided to chose ten books I would recommend to a teenager who is struggling through high school. 

I was one of those kids that struggled through high school.  My parents weren't abusive and I wasn't picked on ruthlessly, but I was never really noticed. It's like that scene in The Princess Diaries where she gets sat on, and it wasn't the first time.


I actually ended up leaving my junior year and joining a program called Running Start.  I attended the local community college instead of high school. I remember going back to my high school on occasion and running into kids I had several classes with the year before.  Very few ever remembered me.

I am an adult now and high school is barely a blip on my radar, but I have had the chance to work with teenagers currently going through high school. It reminded me of how hard high school was and how many kids need a helping hand.

1. Eleanor and Park: This book has two very realistic views of being a teenager.  The first is Eleanor who lives in poverty with an abusive step-dad.  The second is Park who lives with loving parents who seem to be struggling to understand their ever changing son.  This is a great book to help you get through and to also help understand that every one has their own issues they are dealing with.While Eleanor's problems are much more apparent and obvious, Park's are treated with an equal amount of understanding.


2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower: This book is chalked full of kids with issues that make high school life difficult.  Whether it's because something happened in your personal life, you are very different, or you just can't seem to fit it, this book addresses many different perspectives. Its great because these kids find ways to get through high school with the help of each other.


3. The Fault in Our Stars: Think you have it hard?  Try being a teenager with terminal cancer. This book may give kids a little more perspective.


4. Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets: This is far and away my favorite Harry Potter book.  This book is particularly great if you have trouble with your teachers.


5. Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief: The beauty of Percy Jackson is that he isn't perfect.  He is dyslexic and has ADHD.  He struggles in school, but hey, he's a god!


6. To Kill a Mockingbird:  I read this in high school and loved it.  It helps teach tolerance and understanding. There are few better teachers than Atticus Finch.



7. The Screwtape Letters: This book has a fun and entertaining way to help understand human thought and emotion.Its much easier to be accepting and understanding of others when you understand that everyone has their own, personal demons. You may not see them or know what they are, but that doesn't mean they aren't there.


8. The Great Gatsby: High school is the time when you are trying to figure out who you are and who you want to become.  As a kid, I dreamed of wealth and popularity (especially as a kid who felt very unpopular). This book helps illustrate what is important by focusing on what's not.


9. The Diary of a Young Girl: Ok, seriously, let's talk about struggle.  This girl's struggles trump yours.  What a humbling book.


10. The Count of Monte Cristo: Dreaming of revenge?  This book helps tell you why that's not a great idea.

26 comments:

  1. Awww, I love your topic. I also like the diversity of your list, some new books with the classics.

    Aly @ My Heart Hearts Books
    My TTT

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    1. Thanks! I tend to have a diverse list of books when I read normally as well, never sticking around the same type of book too long.

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  2. I love your topic idea! You've got a lot of my favourites on here - Count of Monte Cristo, Harry Potter, Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird - all are so awesome! I was really surprised by all your choices too, they probably aren't the first books that I would have thought of but they all really fit this at the same time.

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    1. Thanks! I think with this topic, there are quite a few books that work really really well. I don't read too many YA books, but I bet there are a ton of those that would fit in (more than the few I have on my list).

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  3. Great topic! Sorry to hear your high school experience wasn't great :( Great book choices; definitely need to get around to Eleanor & Park (though I still have Fangirl on my bookshelf waiting to be read)

    My TTT

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    1. Fangirl is on my to-read list as well! Thanks for understanding. High school was not the best years of my life, but they definitely weren't as bad as many kids today have it. I think it is getting worse and worse for some kids out there.

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  4. I love how you tackled this topic. High school sucked for so many kids, butI think you're right... it is getting worse. These are great picks and great reasons behind them.

    My TTT.

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    1. Thanks! I took my queue from the teacher in Perk. He didn't recommend books for fun. He recommended books to help Charlie get through it.

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  5. I love how you chose to do this, such a great idea. I read and loved Harry Potter, The Great Gatsby, The Fault in Our Stars and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I really want to read Eleanor & Park, it looks really great. My TTT.

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    1. Thanks! I did this with mostly my niece in mind, so it was easy.

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  6. Great list! I still need to read Eleanor & Park. Hopefully I can get to it soon!

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  7. I love the variety of books in this list. It's really true that The Fault in Our Stars can put things in perspective.

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    1. Thanks! And yes, that book puts a lot of this into perspective.

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  8. Great list! You've covered a broad range of books, and it was really interesting to read why you chose the books for your list.

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    1. Thanks! I try to read a variety of books in my own reading, so I recommend it to others as well. You never know what you'll discover.

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  9. Great topic! I love me some HP (of course) and adore The Perks. I still need to read The Lightening Thief, but it's been on my TBR for forever. Great GIF, too. So funny.

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    1. Thanks! The Lightning Thief was a fun read. I haven't done the rest of the series yet, but I will.

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  10. Great idea to do a list of recommendations for a teenager, definitely not the easiest years for anyone.
    I still haven't read the Fault in Our Stars yet, having seen so many people mention it will have to give it a go soon.

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    1. Its a super sad one, but that seems to be the authors way. :)

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  11. Great topic! I'm not sure YA is for me anymore (barely read any YA when I was a YA, in fact), but there are a few on here I remember reading in high school and loving. :)

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    1. I think all the YA books on my list are all the YA books I have read recently. I tend to stay away from YA. Its just not my style anymore.

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  12. Oh man, this list is pure gold. My 16 year old self is applauding!

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  13. This is an awesome list! Love the idea too - aren't most teenagers miserable in high school? I know I was.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog!

    Denise @ Life With No Plot

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    1. Ha ha ha, I think being miserable in high school is almost like a rite of passage.

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