Top 5 Back to School Books

Anyone who knows me will tell you I love books. My apartment is packed with books of all kinds, Christian, scientific, historic, etc. When I was a kid, I was a voracious reader which may explain I was sometimes bored in school - in many cases I knew more than the teacher. Summer reading programs were the right of passage with my sister and me. Even with all the things we did during the summer, there were never enough books for our minds and imaginations to devour.

And so, I present to you my picks for the best back to school books. Enjoy!

"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" - J. K. Rowling, Scholastic

Books about boarding schools always fill me with romantic schoolgirl dreams of dorm life and fun with friends. Add to the boarding school magic and mythical creatures, and my imagination goes wild.

Quick book description: Harry Potter was a baby when his parents died, and since that time he has lived with his horrible uncle and aunt. Harry receives a letter inviting him to attend the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry and begins to learn the truth about the death of his parents.

"A Separate Peace" - John Knowles, Simon & Schuster

Here we have another book about a boarding school, this time in New England just before World War II. This is a classic coming of age story.

Quick book description: Gene & Phineas are roommates at Devon, an exclusive New England prep school. Their friendship brings out the best and worst in the boys and leads to a situation that changes them forever.

"How to Be Popular" Meg Cabot, HarperCollins

This is a girly teen novel that anyone who has ever felt like an outsider will be able to relate with (in other words, this was written with 90% of teenage girls in mind).

Quick book description: High school junior Steph Landry is on a mission to be popular with the help of a 1950s popularity guide. Of course, nothing ever goes according to plan. Can Steph find love, friendship and popularity?

"Friday Night Lights" - H. G. Bissinger - De Capo Press

Here we turn to the darker side of high school football. This is a gripping book about a town's obsession. While it isn't necessarily a pretty picture, a little drama may make back to school seem more bearable.

Quick book description: This is a true account by a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist of how a town's single-minded devotion to a football team shapes the community and affects the players.

"Bleachers" - John Grisham, Dell Publishing

Grisham takes us back to school in a different way--here the main character is returning to his hometown years after graduation to attend the funeral of a coach.

Quick book description: Once-great high school quarterback, Neely Crenshaw, returns to the bleachers of his high school field and grapples with his mixed feelings about his coach and high school glory.

Walter