As a teenager, a few novels played an essential role in converting a non-believer like me into an avid reader. They opened up the portal to worlds unknown. And if they hadn’t found me, I would have missed out on this beautiful relationship I have with books.
The books that made me a Book Dragon (Readers are no Bookworms):
- The Famous Five series by Enid Blyton
- The Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene
- The Harry Potter series by J.K.Rowling
- The collection of Agatha Christie mysteries
- Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter
- Way Of The Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman
The Famous Five series by Enid Blyton
Suitable for: ages 12-15
Three siblings and their cousin get together for holidays but always stumble upon a mystery. The adventures they experience are so real, I felt a part of the admirable team. The cozy seaside little town, the friendly people there, and the loving mother character are all a part of my lazy Sunday afternoons. The books felt like a comforting blanket on a winter evening by the fireplace, for even the bad guys weren’t that bad!
The Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene
Suitable for: ages 13-16
Nancy Drew is a teenager, who along with her friends Bess and George, solve mysteries. This young detective doesn’t go looking for trouble, but trouble always has a way of finding her. The beautiful comradery between the friends was something I always idolized as a teenager. Without being preachy, this series inculcates several values into a young mind. And the Adrenaline rush you get when Nancy gets out of a tight spot is an added bonus.
The Harry Potter series by J.K.Rowling
Suitable for: ages 11-17
Harry Potter is an 11-year-old orphan forced to live with abusive relatives. But one night, everything changes. He learns that the entire Wizarding world knows him as the ‘boy who lived.’ For, he’s the only person who had not only survived an attack from the infamous Villain of the Wizarding world but had also diminished his power. He is invited to the Wizarding school called Hogwarts. And that is where he learns to navigate life by distinguishing friend from foe.
Harry grows as a person and, albeit unwilling, a hero every passing year. He faces the Villain several times, loses a lot of people dear to him, but comes out stronger for it. It is a heartening tale of survival, friendship, and choosing to do the right thing even when it’s harder.
The collection of Agatha Christie mysteries:
Suitable for: ages 13 & above
In Agatha Christie’s novels, there’s always murder and a plethora of suspects. The clues are in how a person acts and what they say. It is a psychological dive into the human mind. These novels effectively bring down a teenage mind from the clouds and keep it grounded. Reality wrapped as a mystery novel will help bring a tinge of worldliness to an adolescent mind. An adolescent mind would benefit from this tinge of worldliness.
Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter
Suitable for ages: 11-14
Pollyanna is a happy-go-lucky girl who is intent on focusing on the positives of life. Irrespective of the hardships that she faces, she is staunchly optimistic. She invents the ‘Glad’ game. No matter what situation a person is in, they should be grateful for something. And focusing on that something is the best way to live. After all, what we focus on multiplies. The way she is always chirpy and brings up the spirits of everyone around her is a lesson I’m glad I learned early. This lesson in gratitude and optimism is bound to stick to the reader throughout their life.
Way of the peaceful warrior by Dan Millman
Suitable for: ages 13 & above
A college boy meets his mysterious mentor, who teaches him how to live in the present moment. Human minds tend to lose the concept of living in the search for excellence. The very gift of savoring the present moment is something we all involuntarily forget. This book teaches us the immense importance of mindful living. It also teaches us how to liberate our minds to do justice to this life we are presented with.
The above are the books that turned me into a reading addict when I began reading as a teenager. Books enrich our lives in ways unimaginable. So, if any of the above books turns at least one person into a voracious reader, this article would have done its job.
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