The Writing Tutor's All-Time Favorites


Both parents and students should use discretion when selecting reading materials. Not all selections listed here are suitable for all readers. As with the list of classic and contemporary literature, my personal favorites range in subject matter and reading level.

Indicates that the subject matter is appropriate for most readers who are in the 6th grade or beyond.

Indicates that the subject matter is appropriate for most readers who are in the 9th grade or beyond.

Indicates that the subject matter is appropriate for most readers who are in the 11th grade or beyond.

The following list is divided into my early favorites, which I read before graduating from high school, and my newer favorites, which I have read in the years since high school. I've also included my need-to-read list and my list of favorite authors.

Once you select a book, The Writing Tutor even makes it easier for you to buy the book.

Early Favorites

Each of the novels, plays, and short stories listed below has some personal connection for me dating from junior high through high school. Most of the literature I read on my own, although some was assigned in school; all of it inspired me in some way.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
I first read the series when I was in the 4th grade and reread the books several times over the next few years. By the time I was in junior high, I started to recognize the religious allegory. (I actually thought that it was a coincidence at first.) I have now read the entire series to my children. I had to buy a new set for them because my old one started to fall apart.

The Black Rose by Thomas B. Costain
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
I read The Black Rose, Ivanhoe, Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights over the summer between 7th and 8th grade. I was looking for something to read and found them lying around the house. All four involve a love story, but they are much more than simple romance. All of the main characters face adversity. All of them are commentaries on how people treat one another. The Black Rose and Ivanhoe are also epic adventures.

"The Rocking Horse Winner" by D. H. Lawrence
"The Haunted Boy" by Carson McCullers
"The Rocking Horse Winner" and "The Haunted Boy" are both short stories that I presented in the prose category in forensics competitions when I was in high school. I said them aloud so often that they were committed to memory at one point in my life.

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man was the first "lesson" I ever taught. Each member of my AP English class was assigned a work of literature to teach to the class. After I presented my lesson, my teacher complimented my analysis of the work. She was the toughest teacher I have ever had, and her compliment still rings in my ears. I really felt as if I had accomplished something.

Hamlet by William Shakespeare
As a high school senior, I saw a performance of Hamlet at the Wisdom Bridge Theater in Chicago. Their staging brought Shakespeare to life for me in a way that nothing else could have. Hamlet spray painted his famous line, "To be or not to be," as graffiti on a wall. Then to illustrate Hamlet's inner turmoil, the play-within-a-play scene played "Burning Down the House" by the Talking Heads so loud that the theater shook. At the same time, red strobe lights flashed on the stage and on the audience. It was an experience I have never forgotten.

Newer Favorites

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
The Da Vinci Code combines history, theology, and cryptology (the study of codes and ciphers) to create a fictional suspense thriller that reinvents the age-old quest for the holy grail. It is hard not to read this one in one sitting.

The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye
This is an epic tale about an English boy who spends his early years believing himself to be Indian. When his parents are killed in an uprising in India, his Indian nanny hides him and raises him as her own son. She tells him the truth of his heritage on her death bed. He then seeks out his English relatives, and spends the rest of his youth in England. He returns to India as a young man feeling torn between two cultures.

Harry Potter (the entire series) by J.K. Rowling
I have never read anything so multifaceted. This is truly the only literature I have ever read that appeals to both children and adults on an age-appropriate intellectual level. I've read each book in the series aloud to my children (more than once), and I was just as entertained and intrigued as they were.

The Half-Blood Prince was absolutely amazing! I am still stunned by the ending and can't wait for the final installment in the series.

On Writing Well (25th Anniversary edition) by William Zinsser
Why would I include a book about writing in a list of my favorite literature? Because it is so well written it is a pleasure to read. I first read On Writing Well in college. (In fact, the 3rd edition still sits on my desk within arm's reach.) It made a profound impression on me and on my ability to write. This book contains wonderful advice for anyone who wants to write well. Best of all, Zinsser practices what he preaches!

Writing About Your Life: A Journey into the Past by William Zinsser
Why would I include two books about writing in a list of my favorite literature? Because they are written by the same author, and because they are entertaining as well as informative. Whether you want to write about your life or not, this book is worth reading. Zinsser offers advice for writers by sharing anecdotes from his own life (most of which have been published elsewhere at some point). Even if you have no interest in writing about your own life, reading Zinsser’s account is worthwhile and entertaining.

The Writing Tutor's Need-to-Read List

The Giver by Lois Lowry
When I taught Anthem by Ayn Rand to a group of students who did not like to read, they told me that the plot was very similar to a book that they had read in junior high. Despite their unwillingness to read, they unanimously endorsed The Giver.

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

The Hobbitt & The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
I've actually never read them!!

Negotiating with the Dead: A Writer on Writing by Margaret Atwood

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

The Redwall series by Brian Jacques
I've heard a lot about the series. One of my former students actually suggested it to me when I asked them to suggest reading material for my own children. One of my sons is reading the first book now and loves it.

Whatever Dan Brown writes next
The Da Vinci Code is by far Brown's best, but his other books are also entertaining.

Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

The Writing Tutor's Favorite Authors

Charlotte and Emily Bronte
Dan Brown
Thomas B. Costain
 James Joyce
M.M. Kaye
C.S. Lewis
J.K. Rowling
  William Shakespeare
William Zinsser

Once you have decided what you would like to read, The Writing Tutor makes it easy to buy your selection. You may purchase new or used children's books and literature from Amazon.com. You can even purchase textbooks!