I will always, always, always recommend anything by Diana Wynne Jones. I re-read Howl’s Moving Castle at least once a year and it’s always a delight; it’s whimsical, it’s hilarious, it’s got an adorable romance, it’s got it all. If you’ve seen the Ghibli movie adaptation, it’s definitely its own take; I would recommend reading the book for a very different, but still lovely experience. I also love Fire and Hemlock by her, although it might be harder to find.
The Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld is on the cusp of childrens’ and teen lit - I read the books when I was in middle school (so ages 11-14) and reread them pretty often as well. They deal with heavier stuff and I always find something new in my rereads; while the books were written with a critique of plastic surgery in mind, they’re even more relevant in today’s social media landscape. The writing style is fairly simple but the ideas are extremely rich, and the relationships between the characters are just fantastic.
An all-ages one that many people don’t realize is a book: The Princess Bride! Actually read it for the first time towards the end of college, and it’s really good fun. If you’ve seen the movie, you know exactly what to expect, but it doesn’t take away from the experience at all.
I will always, always, always recommend anything by Diana Wynne Jones. I re-read Howl’s Moving Castle at least once a year and it’s always a delight; it’s whimsical, it’s hilarious, it’s got an adorable romance, it’s got it all. If you’ve seen the Ghibli movie adaptation, it’s definitely its own take; I would recommend reading the book for a very different, but still lovely experience. I also love Fire and Hemlock by her, although it might be harder to find.
The Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld is on the cusp of childrens’ and teen lit - I read the books when I was in middle school (so ages 11-14) and reread them pretty often as well. They deal with heavier stuff and I always find something new in my rereads; while the books were written with a critique of plastic surgery in mind, they’re even more relevant in today’s social media landscape. The writing style is fairly simple but the ideas are extremely rich, and the relationships between the characters are just fantastic.
An all-ages one that many people don’t realize is a book: The Princess Bride! Actually read it for the first time towards the end of college, and it’s really good fun. If you’ve seen the movie, you know exactly what to expect, but it doesn’t take away from the experience at all.