Three Books to Change Your World!
As we enter the new school year, students are double-checking their required reading lists to make sure they get all the right books for their classes. But what about outside reading?
Writer's Desk recommends these titles to students who are eager to expand their perspectives and supercharge their love of reading. 
Elementary Students: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry is sure to make an impact on young readers. Writer’s Desk founder, Maddie Broder, first read this book in the fourth grade and fell in love with this incredibly moving story. Number the Stars follows 10-year-old Annemarie as she helps rescue Danish Jews during World War II. This work of historical fiction won the Newbery Medal in 1990. Young readers tend to be interested in exploring themes of right versus wrong—so this story’s exploration of justice is guaranteed to resonate. It’s also a great conversation-starter for kids who are curious about how to promote peace and camaraderie in our world today.
Middle School Students: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is our pick for preteens. This classic novel takes place in the Southern United States during the Great Depression, and follows Scout and Jim Finch as their father, a lawyer, defends a falsely-accused black man. Winner of the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, this story expands young readers’ knowledge of US History and engages their increasingly-nuanced understanding of justice and equality. Mockingbird will leave students eager to explore current events, and give them the tools to do so in a new way. Additionally, Harper Lee finally released her second novel, Go Set a Watchman, in 2015 - so hungry readers can delve even deeper into Scout Finch’s complex story.
High School Students: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese is a must-read for teens! Less commonly found in traditional curricula than Number the Stars and To Kill a Mockingbird, this poignant novel explores the meaning of family, both biological and chosen, while also teaching the reader about Ethiopian history and culture. In 2011, President Barack Obama chose this story as one of his five summer reading books. Follow protagonist Marion Stone in his wonderful adventure to discover the true meanings of love and connection.
Each book your student reads holds the potential to permanently expand their mind. These three books are especially rich with meaningful, philosophical, character-building questions. As author George R.R. Martin says: “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies… The man who never reads lives only one.” Happy reading!