Suggestions for Independent Reading Books

 

 

Look below for the categories that best match your opinions.  Then look at the book titles below those categories for some books you might enjoy.

 

I love mysteries.

Look for:

-Nancy Drew series

-Hardy Boys series

-The Tunnels series

-The Found series

-Sisters Grimm series

-The 39 Clues series

-The Mysterious Benedict Society and others in this series

-Books by Agatha Christie

-Shelter by Harlan Coben

-Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

 

I love fantasy novels with mythical creatures and magic.

Look for:

-An Enemy series by Charlie Higson (zombies)

-The Missing series by Margaret Peterson Haddix

-The Chronicles of Nick series, by Sherrilyn Kenyon

-The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Claire

-I am #4 series, by Pittaceus Lore

-Ranger's Apprentice by John Flannigan

-Fallen by Lauren Kate

-Un Lun Dun by China Miéville

-The Harry Pottery series

-The Percy Jackson series

-The Eragon series

-The Inkheart series

-The Artemis Fowl series

-The Dark is Rising series

-The Chronicles of Narnia

-The Deltora series

-The Heroes of Olympus series

-Oh my gods series

-Sisters Grimm series

-Fablehaven series

-Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl

-Books by Roald Dahl

-The Tail of Emily Windsnap (and 3 Swishy Mermaid Tails)

-The Cronus Chronicles 

-Beautiful Creatures by Cammy Garcia and Margaret Stohl

 

I love adventurous fantasy novels that include heroes and battles.

Look for:

-Taming Fire by Aaron Pogue

-The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien

-The Lord of the Rings series

-The Chronicles of Prydain

-The Redwall series

-The Hunger Games series (parents, please preview -- does include violence)

-Among the Hidden series

-Watership Down, by Richard Adams

-Fablehaven series

-The 39 Clues series

-Maximum Ride series

 

I love survival/adventure novels.

Look for:
-Hatchet and other books by Gary Paulsen 

-The Alex Rider series

-Indiana Jones series

-Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

 

I love science fiction novels.

Look for:
-Ender's Game and the rest of the Ender series (and parallel Bean series)

-City of Ember series

-A Wrinkle in Time and other books by Madeleine L'Engle

-Maximum Ride series

-Pathfinder series by Orson Scott Card

-Maze Runner by James Dashner

-Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi series by multiple authors

-Declaration by Jemma Maliey

-Selection by Kiera Cass

-Ilium by Dan Simmons

-After by Ellen Datlow

-Divergent by Veronica Roth

 

 

I love historical fiction.

Look for:

-Goodnight, Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian

-Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

-The American Diaries series

-My Brother Sam is Dead, by James Collier

-The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane

-The Book Thief, by Marcus Zusa

-Distant Waves, by Suzanne Weyn

-The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton

-Daniel's Story, by Carol Matas

-The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, by John Boyne

-Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott

 

I love historical fiction or memoir set during World War II and the Holocaust.

Look for:

-Goodnight, Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian

-Daniel's Story, by Carol Matas

-The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, by John Boyne

-Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry

-The Diary of Anne Frank, by Anne Frank

-Rena's Promise by Rena Kornreich-Gelissen and Danka Kornereich-Brandel 

 

I love modern realistic fiction.

Look for:

-Books by Louis Sachar

-Books by Jerry Spinelli

-Books by Judy Blume

-Books by Cynthia Voigt

-Wonder by R.J. Palacio

-Dork Diaries series by Rachel Russler 

-Delirium by Lauren Oliver

-Mockingbird by Catherine Erskine

-A Crooked Kind of Perfect, by Linda Urban

-Dizzy, by Cathy Cassidy

-The Zoey Dean series

-A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith

-M.E. and Morton, by Sylvia Cassedy

-Out of my Mind, by Sharon Draper 

-Harriet the Spy, by Louise Fitzhugh

-From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E.L. Konigsburg 

-The Mickey Bolitar series by Harlan Coben

-Ruined by Paula Morris

-Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

-Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls 

-13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

 

I love dramatic realistic fiction that gets into teenagers' daily lives.

-Books by Judy Blume

-Books by Cynthia Voigt (such as Homecoming; Dicey's Song; Izzy, Willy-Nilly)

-A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith

-M.E. and Morton, by Sylvia Cassedy

-Out of my Mind, by Sharon Draper 

-Harriet the Spy, by Louise Fitzhugh

-The Mickey Bolitar series by Harlan Coben

-Delirium by Lauren Oliver

-Dork Diaries series by Rachel Russler

-Wonder by R.J. Palacio

-Ruined by Paula Morris

-Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

-13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

 

I love memoirs.

Look for:

-Soul Surfer, by Bethany Hamilton

-The Diary of Anne Frank, by Anne Frank

-Forever Hellos, Hard Goodbyes by Axel Dahlberg, Janis Russell Love

-Memoirs of a Child Soldier by Ishmael Beah

-Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

-Rena's Promise by Rena Kornreich-Gelissen and Danka Kornereich-Brandel

-Happy, Happy, Happy: My Life and Legacy as the Duck Commander by Phil Robinson

 

 

I love comedy.

Look for:

-Books by Louis Sachar

-The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series

-Hoot, Flush, or Scat by Carl Hiaasen

-Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians series

-Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey

 

I love sports.

Look for: 

-Books by Mike Lupica

-Soul Surfer, by Bethany Hamilton

-Through My Eyes: Tim Tebow, by Nathan Whitaker

-Hoops by Walter Dean Myers

-Slam! by Walter Dean Myers

-Game by Walter Dean Myers

-Balancing Act (The Gymnastics Series Book 1) by April Adams

 

 

I love nonfiction.

-The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

-Forever Hellos, Hard Goodbyes by Axel Dahlberg, Janis Russell Love

-All We Know of Heaven by Jacquelyn Mitchard

-Memoirs of a Child Soldier by Ishmael Beah

-Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

 

 

 

I don't feel like I like to read.

Look for:

-Young adult horror novels by R.L. Stine, Christopher Pike, Caroline B. Cooney, Diane Hoh 

-Mysteries (see category above)

-Diary of a Wimpy Kid series

-A Series of Unfortunate Events series

-Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey