“Summer, like youth, is fleeting,” writes NPR. “But the books we read when we’re young can stay with us for a lifetime. Here’s hoping that when the school bell rings in a few short weeks, it will find you engrossed in just such a memorable read.” With summer right around the corner, there’s no better time to relax under the sun with a good book.
Here are eight books for high school student’s summer reading list.
The Hunger Games series, by Suzanne Collins: In the ruins of a dystopian North America, a young girl and young boy are selected to participate in the annual Hunger Games and fight to the death. The worldwide best-selling trilogy is now a also a box-office hit, with each film setting records at the box office.
1984 by George Orwell: A timely classic about the world we were becoming in 1949, and a very appropriate read for the 21st century.
The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien: With more than 150 million copies sold, the high-fantasy novel needs little advertisement. Follow the War of the Ring through the stories of hobbits, men, dwarves, elves, and wizards, as they seek to defeat the evil Sauron and free Middle Earth.
The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien: Bilbo Baggins, a well-respected hobbit, lives a simple life, until Gandalf, a traveling wizard, shows up on his doorstep and requests that he take part in a quest from which he may never return.
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee: This classic piece of American literature tells the story of a lawyer, Atticus Finch, who defends an African-American male against an undeserved assault charge. The story is told through the eyes of 6-year-old Scout Finch, as she and her friends learn about prejudice in the setting of Alabama.
The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger: With more than 65 million books sold to date, the controversial novel follows Holden Caulfield as he asks important questions about innocence, identity, belonging, and alienation.
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald: The quintessential American tale takes place in the Jazz Age of the 1920s and follows the narration of Nick Carraway, as he becomes acquainted with his mysterious, eccentric neighbor, Jay Gatsby.
The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green: The best-selling novel, which is now also a major motion picture, tells the touching story of life, death, and the people caught in the middle.
Are there other books you can’t wait to read this summer? Share them with us in a comment below.