School Books (The Fun Kind)

Photo by kazuend on Unsplash

Happy fall! School started, the leaves changed color, and that morning nip gets me now when I head off for a morning run. So it seemed like a great time to highlight some books where school plays a big role. Whether you’re in school, your kids are in school, or you just like remembering that start-of-a-new-year rush (cause the new year really starts in September, not January—am I right?), I have some books worth your time.

1. Frindle by Andrew Clements. Did anyone else grow up on Andrew Clements’ books? They’re short, witty, and guaranteed to grab kids’ attention. One common thread in Clements’ books is teaching kids that no matter who they are or what stakes they face, they can make big things happen. In Frindle, a fifth-grader named Nick decides that a pen shouldn’t be called a pen anymore . . . it should be called a frindle. His teacher disagrees, and the battle of wills (and words) commences.

2. Yearbook by Allyson Braithwaite Condie. You may have heard of Ally Condie’s more well-known Matched series, but did you know that she got her start writing novels about cute, quirky, religious teenagers? I picked up Yearbook in a Deseret Book and knew I would love it when the first chapter was about high school kids running cross country. This book, written from multiple points of view, follows the experiences of several high schoolers as they figure out who they are, make mistakes, and fall in love with each other. The characters are posed in stereotypical roles, but they break out of them in fun ways. I also love Ally’s use of detail. I told her that once when she visited my class in college, and she was surprised by that, but I really do.

3. Best. Night. Ever. This book lands us in the day-of drama of a middle school dance, telling its story through the lenses of seven very different kids. I love the way that the kids’ stories intertwine with each other and how relatable and authentic all of their voices were. And the drama! So much drama, but so fun. If you need more encouragement than that, I’ll just point out that I choose this book to give my mom for Christmas. (And she loved it.)

4. Deadline by Chris Crutcher. This story hurt my heart, but in such a good way. The protagonist, Ben, starts his senior year of high school by finding out he has a terminal illness and has just one year left to live. He doesn’t want to waste that year on regrets or pity, so he doesn’t tell anyone about his condition and starts taking all the risks you only have the guts to take when you have nothing to lose.

Caveat 1: This book has a lot of F-bombs. (That bothers me but I still love this book.)

Caveat 2: On Goodreads, people pretty much either loved or loathed this book, so—yeah. You take your chances. But that’s always the case, right?

5. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I hate to include this because for the most part, I think Anna is a whiny brat, but a lot of people love this book, and it’s a classic (in the young adult romance world), and it’s set at school. So it meets the criteria for this post. And okay, it is decently cute. Basic premise: Anna gets sent off to Paris for boarding school, and she hates it at first because she wants to be at home with her friends and kinda-maybe boyfriend, but eventually she realizes she loves it (because it’s Paris). Oh, and she meets a guy who’s cute and funny and perfect for her, but who is apparently only interested in being her best friend. Or is he . . . ? Guess you’ll have to read it and find out!