This story is about an exceptionally smart girl who found no love at home, and sought it in a teacher at school. I've also read every other book written by him because that seemed to be the trend in third grade.
2. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
A young woman finds love and intrigue as the governess to the daughter of a dashing but mysterious widower.
3. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
A heart warming story of four sisters during the Civil War.
4. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
An autobiography by Maya Angelou. A sexual assult changed her life and she started taking refuge in books writing. This takes place in the 1930s.
5. Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
A story about firefighters who burn books at a temperature of 451 degrees. And one particular firefighter who decided to go against the law.
6. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Like A Separate Peace this story takes place in a prep school for boys. It's about their power struggle and fight against what's right and wrong.
7. Death Be Not Proud by Jonh Gunther
The simple, true, and moving tale of a teenager who develops a brain tumor and his subsequent struggle into heroism.
8. Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Green
A jewish girl is brought up in Arkansas in the midst of WWII. She finds herself in a dangerous relationship with a German prisoner of war.
9. Raisin in the Sun by Lorainne Hansbury
This plays explores the relationship of a struggling black urban family, led by a strong and perserving mother who buys a house in an all white neighborhood.
10. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Short classic of an old fisherman's courage and determination and a young boy's love. I found the book to be extrememly boring, but if you're like me and need to read all the classics, read it.
11. Anne of Greeen Gables and all the rest in the series by L.M. Montgomery
A little redheaded girl wins the love of a foster mother and her struggles through life.
12. Night by Elie Wiesel
The true memorable story of a man who survived the Holocaust, but lost everything else in his life.
13. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The author tries to prove that people will always go back to the human nature of violence, war, and power. He uses 9 year-old-boys to illustrate this.
14. A Separate Peace by
This story is about two boys, best friends who discover they resent each other for various reasons. It takes place in a private school.
15. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
I'm sure you know the story of these two star crossed lovers and their tragic fate. A true classic, so read it.
16. Oedipus by Sophocles
This Greek tragic play is one of the ones written. It is about a king names Oedipus and his discoveries about his life and himself.
17. The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Feather by Edgar Allen Poe
Because of the author, you can assume it's a different book. It is about a number of people in an insane asylum and their adventures.
18. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
A book that is banned in so many places and we can see why. A sarcastic, critical, and brutally truthful teen talks about his life. Rated R, excessive swearing.
19. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
A story about fake people such as hobbits and goblins and their adventures. If your in thrid grade, read it, if not, don't. I read it to the children I babysat for, they seemed to love it, whereas I didn't.
20. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Like anything by Mark Twain this is a good book, definitely recommended. It is about a boy named Tom and his forbidden friendship with Huck.
21. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
This is the sequel to number 19 and about the coming of age boy Huck and his relationship with a black slave. It teaches a lessson about friendship, trust, love, and looking beyond color.
22. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
One of the best books written. It is about sisters and their mother's obsession of getting them husbands. It criticizes society and for more info click here.
23. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
If you've read Huxley's Brave New World or Orwell's 1984, you should read this. It is the same type of story about a dystopian society, except this one is from a women's point of view.
24. My Name is Asher Lev by Chiam Potok
This is an intriguing story about a boy named Asher and his life as a Hasidic Jew. It opens up the eyes to a whole new world that not many people know exist. For more info click here and read all my journals.
25. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Probably the best book written ever. If you haven't read it, read it. It is a story about Nick, Daisy, Tom, Myrtle, and of course Gatsby. Takes place in affluent Long Island.
26. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
This is a really short book, but if you don't have time to read all the commentaries about it, you might not understand it. Very difficult to read and to understand. It is a coming of age story about a boy named Stephen Dedalas and his struggles to find himself and where he stands in this massive world of ours.
27. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
A very sad story about frienship and love. Read it because it's just a plain great work of art.
28. The Crucible by Arthur Miller
This book inflicted many emotions, I had to throw the book many times during the process of reading because I just couldn't come to fathom how ignorant, stupid, and retarded some of the characters were. It's about the Salem Witch Trials.
29. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
Everything by Shakespeare is hard to comprehend but it gets easier with practice. It is a true story about Caesar, his tragic fate, Brutus, Cassius, and their tragic fate.
30. The Evening News by Arthur Hailey
If you just need a book to fill the time and take only for face value, this is the one. It has adventure, drama, love. It is about an anchor who's family is kidnapped and his struggles to get them back.