Top ten coming of age stories

John Corey Whaley is the author of Where Things Come Back and Noggin. At the Guardian he tagged ten "absolutely genius, life-changing coming of age books for teens," including:

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The ultimate story of individuality in the face of conformity – I think everyone reads this book in school for a very good reason. And, despite the dystopian setting and futuristic sway, I think Lowry paints a simple, but elegant portrait of teenage angst in this book, exploring that early adolescent confusion about the real world that some coming of age stories skip over.

Read about the other entries on the list.

The Giver made Shaun Byron Fitzpatrick's list of thirteen top, occasionally-banned YA novels, Guy Lodge's list of ten of the best dystopias in fiction, film, art, and television, Joel Cunningham's list of six great young adult book series for fans of The Hunger Games, and Lauren Davis's top ten list of science fiction’s most depressing futuristic retirement scenarios.

Read--Coffee with a Canine: Lois Lowry & Alfie.

--Marshal Zeringue