Yesterday I started my 3-part personal canon of books that have impacted me through my life. If you haven’t read it yet, you can check out The Childhood Years here,
Let’s move on to my teen years!
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The Bronze BowI remember reading this for the first time for school. HOOKED. This book. Oh my goodness. It’s in my canon for a reason. The storyline, set in Jesus’ time, is fantastic. It’s the coming of age story of a boy with a lot of hurt and anger in his heart and his encounter with the Teacher from Nazareth. LOVE IT!!
As it often goes, you read one book by an author, you’re interested to see what other books that author might have penned. The second book I read by E. G. Speare was this story of a British girl from the West Indies and her new life in a Puritan Connecticut. FANTASTIC! Suffice it to say, Speare is one of my favorite storytellers.
The Christy Miller SeriesMy best friend owned this series and I read them one by one after she did. Christy Miller inspired my opinions on purity, devotion to God, life, and love. I haven’t read them in over 10 years but they’ll always hold a special place in my heart.
Series Note: Robin Jones Gunn wrote 12 books in this series, which are collected in 4 volumes. She also wrote The College Years, the Married Years, and the Baby Years.
I’m sure I don’t have to explain this one. I don’t know how anyone who’s read this classic couldn’t love it. And Atticus?? We need more men like Atticus in this world. Pure, literary gold.
Movie Note: Gregory Peck? YAAASSS ;).
What girl doesn’t like a Cinderella story? This, by far, is my favorite retelling. This is a tale sans the fairy godmother, pumpkin, and mice. Yeah. Aaaaaand to top it off, a twist that you didn’t see coming. I have this audiobook and love it!
Series Note: Years after initially reading this book, I found out it was part of a series. Palace of Mirrors follows second, and then Palace of Lies completes the trilogy (which I haven’t read yet).
Another coming of age story. The book that inspired the character in the novel I wrote in high school. Joan Bauer is a great coming-of-age storyteller. I love how she tackles difficult situations through the eyes of young people. She does it beautifully here.
Author Note: Bauer’s other books, Rules of the Road, Best Foot Foward, and Peeled are also favorites of mine.
An Old-Fashioned GirlMy second favorite Alcott book. I could relate to Polly Martin. I’ve always been old-fashioned and never really in tune with pop culture – just like Polly. I loved how she stayed true to who she was in the midst fads and fake relationships.
There you have it! Some of my favorite stories from my teen years. These are the books that stick out to me when I think of the junior high and high school me.
Now to work on the final section of my canon – the adult years!