Coming of age books are books that many of us are drawn to no matter the age. They are fascinating, insightful, and hard to put down. That is why we decided to make a list of the best coming of age books of all time. Keep reading to find out what made our list!
There is something about a protagonist going through adversity and life-defining events that we love. Partly because many people can relate and even when we can’t, seeing a different reality piques our interest. It is no surprise that there are thousands of different coming of age stories and a bunch of classics that are universally recognized.
The Best Coming of Age Books of All Time
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
- A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
- The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
- Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
- The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
- The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
- The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
- Dominicana by Angie Cruz
- Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
- The Great Alone by Kristan Hannah
- Atonement by Ian Mcewan
- Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
- Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead
- Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré
- I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
- The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
- Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang
- Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
- Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
- Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
- Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
- Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
- Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
- Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
- Blended by Sharon M. Draper
- Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
- Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
Lots of Great Books to Choose From
Any list that starts off with To Kill a Mockingbird is already a great list. Besides that novel, the list includes classics such as The House on Mango Street, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and The Kite Runner. If you have read any of them, then you will understand why they made the list. And if you ahaven’t, then these are the books you should start with.
More modern novels that made the list include The Goldfinch, The Great Alone, and Born a Crime. The genre is still going strong and no matter what year it is, there will always be coming of age novels that many of us can relate to.
Conclusion
That is all for the best coming of age books of all time list. What books should we have included on the list? Let us know in the comments below!
Some good ones on your list. Okay for Now, by Gary D. Schmidt, is my favorite from recent years. He creates a voice that grabbed me from the start. Just a wonderful story. He is one of my favorite authors.