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ssmacd ssmacd
 
M$2 July 22, 2009 08:19 PM

What 5 classic books would you recommend for a 16 year old boy to read?

@Lon dissed ''A Separate Peace'' fairly brutally during today's UStream tutorial (see what you miss if you haven't been tuning in?)

It got me thinking...what classic novels are important for teenagers today to read? I'm looking for a list of 5 books, suitable for a 16 year old boy...and for the purposes of this question we'll define "classic" as written before 1960.
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nushka nushka
 
 July 22, 2009 08:42 PM
In no particular order

- Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Seas by Jules Verne

- A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

- Short Stories by Edgar Allan Poe
o The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
o The Fall of the House of Usher
o The Masque of the Red Death
o The Premature Burial
o The Tell-Tale Heart (my favourite)

- The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

These are the books (I think) a boy should read before the age of 18. There are many others, some more interesting but these are basics.
Asker's Rating:
• Great choices- thanks. I went out and bought them all for him last night.


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gno gno
 
July 23, 2009 04:02 PM
I really like these suggestions because they're important literary works, but they're dark and engaging enough, perhaps, to snag the interest of a teen boy. I love the Conan Doyle suggestion!

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marshazzle marshazzle
 
July 22, 2009 08:28 PM
You have many choices as far as a good book selecion for a teen as young as 16. You can check anywhere for anybook in the section young adult like amazon or any other site. These may help:http://booklust.wetpaint.com/page/Favorite+YA+Books <--- that may be helpful as far as reading about good selections for YA books like the twilight series etc.
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/bestbooksya/bbyahome.cfm
and thats another award winning list of teen books. Hope I helped :D

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ssmacd ssmacd
 
July 22, 2009 08:37 PM
Which 5 classic books would you recommend?

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snowplusbr... snowplusbr...
 
July 22, 2009 08:41 PM
My 5 Favorites = Moby Dick, To Kill a Mockingbird, Catcher in the Rye, Lord of the Flies, 1984

Others great ones include ==> Brave New World, Treasure Island, Animal Farm, The Time Machine, A Separate Peace, A Tale of Two Cities (can be a snooze fest for a teen though), Pride and Prejudice (for girls), The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes...

Books by: Orwell, H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and more

Many more too, most everything from this list is good:

http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/booklists/?id=classics

==> I believe all the books listed are Pre-1960 <==

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marshazzle marshazzle
 
July 22, 2009 08:43 PM
I'd say: To kill a mockingbird, the city of ember, the road (DEFINATLY,) twilight series, and moby dick.... GOOD books...

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krusheasy krusheasy
 
July 22, 2009 08:57 PM
Grapes of Wrath (1939)

Of Mice and Men (1937)

East of Eden (1952)

Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852)

The Hobbit, or There and Back Again (1937)

two after 1960

To Kill a Mockingbird (1960)

Outsiders (1967)

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bunnyphuph... bunnyphuph...
 
July 22, 2009 11:30 PM
I'm gonna piggyback on your list Mr. Krush since I would have used these in my answer.
Nobody listed Huckleberry Fin by Twain yet.
I think that story is especially rewarding for a 16 year old boy. It's a 'must-read'!

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krysstel krysstel
 
July 22, 2009 09:00 PM
http://www.ricelakelibrary.org/Portals/11/teen%20readin.jpg

Mark Twain's books
On Politics and Ethics – By Aquinas
Discoveries and Opinions – By Galileo
Leviathan – By Hobbes
Locke. Second Treatise on Government – By Locke

Good and basic and profound!

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gno gno
 
July 23, 2009 04:07 PM
Holy schnikes! Those are some ambitious selections! Have you read all of those? If so, color me impressed. It's not that they're difficult reads, but they're so....well, boring. ;D

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robbrown robbrown
 
July 22, 2009 09:02 PM
Wow - I am sorry that I missed the UStream today - sounds like it was interesting!

1)
Lord of the Flies
One can base many social situations on the problems and solutions presented in this book.

2)
Gulliver's Travels
Every young boy dreams of adventure.

3)
To Kill a Mockingbird
Tolerance is as relevant now as it was when this book was written. The lessons of which are presented through a rich and interesting story.

4)
Hamlet
Because BOTH smart chicks AND crazy theater chicks dig Shakespeare. This is also a good gateway into Shakespeare and contains a story of betrayal, action and adventure that any young man would be drawn to.

5)
Either Catcher in the Rye or 1984, it's a tie.
Both of these books could leave a lasting impact on the reader. Generally, both books illustrate empathy and are considered fundamental.

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gno gno
 
July 23, 2009 04:04 PM
Strongly agree with Catcher in the Rye. Is Mockingbird too girly? Lord of the Flies is one of my faves, and I love your reasoning behind the Hamlet suggestion. You'll never find a dryer read than Shakespeare, but I guess it's good for something!

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robbrown robbrown
 
July 23, 2009 04:24 PM
I don't find Mockingbird too girly. Scout's character is explored, but I think that it's important to show strong female characters to impressionable young folks.

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finfribble finfribble
 
July 22, 2009 10:07 PM
5 classics...here we go:

1. East of Eden
2. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
3. Romeo and Juliet
4. Moby Dick
5. 1984
Source(s):
my brain


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colonial b... colonial b...
 
July 22, 2009 11:26 PM
1984 by George Orwell
Animal farm by George Orwell
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Decent of Man by Charles Darwin
The Republic by Plato

Don't waste your time on 'Catcher and the Rye' it is such overrated junk.

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paulsquire... paulsquire...
 
July 23, 2009 02:03 AM
"The Call Of The Wild" Jack London
"1984" George Orwell
"Catch 22" Joseph Heller
"Farenheit 451" Ray Bradbury
"Frankenstein" Mary Shelley
It's a great question, 15 years old really need to be challenged and presented with books that make them think, in my opinion.

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gno gno
 
July 23, 2009 04:06 PM
Not bad, but I think Frankenstein might be too dry of a read. It's like eating plain toast for weeks on end.

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