Coming-of-age journeys, academically known as Bildungsromane, focus on the stories of young people embarking on the path to adulthood. These are stories of self-actualization, questions of identity, discoveries of shortcomings and strengths, and lessons learned. This collection of study guides covers classics to contemporary novels, from J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger to As Brave As You by Jason Reynolds.
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Identity: Disability
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1999
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure
Stardust is a historical fantasy novel by British author Neil Gaiman. The novel was originally published in 1999, though an illustrated comic book miniseries preceded the prose text in 1997, along with a full-length illustrated edition in 1998. It won the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature in 1999 and was nominated for the Locus Award. Stardust was adapted into a film in 2007 and a radio production in 2016. The novel uses traditional folkloric... Read Stardust Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Food
Publication year 1980
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Objects
Tags Humor, Satire, Magical Realism, Absurdism, Fantasy, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2000
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Stormbreaker, published in 2000, is the first novel in the Alex Rider series by British author Anthony Horowitz. It is a YA action-adventure novel that follows 14-year-old Alex Rider as he is recruited as a spy by MI6. The novel explores The Moral Complexities of Espionage, Perseverance in the Face of Difficulty, and The Interplay of Technology and Espionage. The book was adapted into the 2006 film Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker, although the movie made... Read Stormbreaker Summary
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class
Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Urban Development, Romance
Publication year 1945
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Self Discovery
Tags Children's Literature, Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Animals, Action / Adventure
Stuart Little (1945) is E. B. White’s first children’s book—the collected stories of Stuart, a mouse-boy born into a human family. White was a journalist and humorist who wrote for the United Press, the Seattle Times, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, The New Yorker, and Harper’s Magazine. He received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Prize in 1970 for contributions to children’s literature for the much beloved Charlotte’s Web, and in 1973, The Trumpet of the Swan won the Sequoyah... Read Stuart Little Summary
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Humor, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Sports, Realistic Fiction, Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction
Fifteen-year-old Felton Reinstein hits puberty and transforms from a nerd to an athlete but struggles to cope with his mom’s growing mental health struggles in Geoff Herbach’s young adult novel, Stupid Fast (2011). Bullied and teased most of his young life, Felton has anxiety caused by his dad’s death by suicide. Now, he grows huge and fast, joins the football team, and gains new jock friends and a smart, talented girlfriend named Aleah. Outwardly things... Read Stupid Fast Summary
Publication year 1973
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: War, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, WWII / World War II, Holocaust, Children's Literature, Military / War, History: World, Classic Fiction
Summer of My German Soldier (1973) is a young adult novel by American author Bette Greene. The book is heavily based on Greene’s own childhood in Arkansas and Tennessee during World War II and her experiences growing up Jewish in the conservative Christian South. A made-for-TV film adaptation starring Kristy McNichol was released in 1978. The sequel to the novel, Morning Is a Long Time Coming, was published in 1978. Summer of My German Soldier... Read Summer of My German Soldier Summary
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family
Tags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Magical Realism, Action / Adventure
A loose adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey, Guadalupe Garcia McCall’s Summer of the Mariposas (2012) follows five Mexican American sisters on an epic journey from Texas to Mexico. Drawing deeply from Mexican folklore, the book’s genre blends magical realism and fantasy. The book was a 2013 Andre Norton Award Nominee, won the Westchester Fiction Award, and made the list of 2012 School Library Journal Best Books. Guadalupe Garcia McCall was born in Piedras Negras in Coahuila... Read Summer of the Mariposas Summary
Publication year 1976
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Historical Fiction, Animals, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction
Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls is a middle grade historical novel first published in 1976. Set in rural Oklahoma’s Ozark Mountains in the late 1800s, the story follows 14-year-old Jay Berry Lee as he tries to capture a group of monkeys that escaped from their circus train. The monkeys, and especially the chimpanzee who leads them, prove themselves wily adversaries for Jay Berry, who desperately wants the reward money that will accompany their... Read Summer of the Monkeys Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Sports, Realistic Fiction, African American Literature, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Community
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman
Publication year 1980
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Humor, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
Superfudge is a children’s novel written by Judy Blume first published in 1980. Blume is an author of children’s novels that have won several awards. Superfudge won the Children’s Choice Award in 1981 and the Early Readers Award in 1991. It was adapted into a television series which ran from 1995-1997. Superfudge is the third book in the Fudge series. This guide utilizes the 1988 publication of this novel.Plot SummaryAt the beginning of the novel... Read Superfudge Summary
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Surviving the Applewhites is a children’s novel written by American author Stephanie S. Tolan and was first published in 2002.The narrative follows Jake Semple, a troubled teenager forced to move in with the unconventional and eccentric Applewhite family following an incident at school. Jake struggles to fit in at first but gradually sheds his past transgressions and undergoes a transformative journey toward self-discovery and redemption. The novel touches on Personal Growth and Transformation, Individuality Versus... Read Surviving the Applewhites Summary
Publication year 1930
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment
Tags Magical Realism, Fantasy, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Southern Gothic, Modern Classic Fiction
Swamplandia! is a 2011 novel by the American author Karen Russell. It is an adaptation of her short story “Ava Wrestles the Alligator,” first published in the Summer 2006 issue of the literary magazine Zoetrope: All-Story and later collected in her 2006 book of short stories, St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves. It was longlisted for the Orange Prize and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.A Miami native, Russell uses magical realism... Read Swamplandia Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Mental Health
Tags Food, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Realistic Fiction, Sports, Romance, Music