It's mid-August! *cue screams* In case you've been slacking on your summer reading goals, here's a helpful idea from Scholastic intern Megan Magruder, a rising junior at Dickinson College.
The summer is a time to relax and catch our breath. I find the freedom to read whatever I feel like a little overwhelming at times; it’s hard to pick which books I should start first. If you want to get through as many quality books as possible, finding shorter options is a great way to maximize your summer reading potential.
Here are 5 short but worth-the-read YA books for your summer:
The Giver by Lois Lowry: This novel is set around a futuristic society, one where all the painful aspects of present society do not exist. Everyone has the same physical appearance and they act in accordance with one another. This pain-free society has one caveat: the elimination of all choice. Jonas knows that he is different from the society of Sameness he lives in: he can see flashes of color that others cannot see. On his twelfth birthday he is assigned as Receiver of Memory, which marks the beginning of his journey of discovery. This book is an important reminder of why a lack of conflict might not necessarily be ideal, and reminds me of what we sacrifice but also gain when we choose to be ourselves and accept the differences in others.
Girl in Blue by Ann Rinaldi: This follows the story of Sarah Louisa, a teenager growing up on a farm in Michigan during the Civil War. She's headstrong and has grown up dealing with an abusive father. When he attempts to set up a marriage between Sarah and her nasty neighbor, she disguises herself as a man and strikes out on her own. This novel is captivating and it’s a fascinating historical fiction read that touches on defying gender roles and the navigation of one young girl through a male-dominated world.
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers: This story is told through Perry’s perspective while fighting on the frontlines of a controversial war: Vietnam. However, the story delves deeper than just the death and violence associated with the war and covers the relationship between race and warfare. Readers will follow Perry’s story pensively as he struggles to find good and common decency in a state of war.
Looking for Alaska by John Green: This story is beautifully written and adds more realistic elements to the usual coming-of-age love story. Miles Halter is the main character of the book, an outcast teenager who decides to attend a boarding school in Alabama for a change of pace. He quickly becomes friends with a rag-tag bunch of kids and is drawn into their world of shenanigans. He also meets Alaska, whom he soon finds himself obsessing over. There’s something about Alaska that Miles is taken with and she ends up changing Miles as a person forever. The story includes twists and turns that readers won’t see coming and it weaves a haunting tale of young love and heartache.
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen: Growing up, I loved Sarah Dessen’s books because they were poignant and relatable stories, and this book is no exception. The novel’s main character, Macy, is a typical overachiever. She doesn’t like to take risks and she doesn’t want to settle for anything less than perfect. The tragic death of Macy’s father left her grasping for anything safe and sure that she could control and keep her own world orderly. She lives a sheltered life alongside her mother just trying to get through everyday life without encountering any hiccups. This is a light yet grounded story and will leave readers questioning how much perfection is actually worth.
Happy end-of-summer reading!
