Are you looking for some great books to read in your free time? The following six books are popular among high school students, and they are appropriately challenging in terms of theme and vocabulary. Give some of them a try!

 

The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan

Fifteen-year-old Amadou and his younger brother, Seydou, work as child laborers on a cacao farm in Africa while trying to pay off their debt to return home to their family. The problem is that Amadou doesn’t know how much he and Seydou owe, and the bosses won’t tell him. The boys only wanted to make money to help their impoverished family, not get tricked into forced labor on a plantation in the Ivory Coast. With no hope of escape, all they can do is try their best to stay alive—until Khadija comes into their lives. She’s the first girl who’s ever come to camp, and she reminds Amadou what it means to be free. The three band together as family and try to escape.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

This book is an autobiographical memoir told through poetry. Brown Girl Dreaming covers Woodson’s childhood, detailing her family history and her beginnings as a writer. The author uses poetry to share her experiences growing up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. This book involves themes of coming of age, family, following one’s passions, and racial discrimination.

 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Christopher is fifteen-years old, wildly intelligent, curious, observant, methodical… and he’s on the autism spectrum, which means that he doesn’t understand human emotions the same way as the people around him. He goes out of his way to make sure that his world is organized and logical, until all order is disrupted when he discovers his neighbor’s dead dog. What ensues is a rousing, touching adventure as Christopher attempts to crack the case of Wellington the dog’s death — and another even greater mystery in the family — all by himself. 

 

The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Published in 1851, this book uses a dark, Gothic tone and has been described as “the original haunted house story.” It follows the Pyncheon family as they attempt to navigate living in a house haunted by fraudulent dealings, accusations of witchcraft, and sudden death. A distant relative, Phoebe, arrives and brings much-needed charm to the dreary house. The story charts the fortunes and misfortunes of the Pyncheon family as they navigate difficult emotional terrain such as guilt and forgiveness, the meaning of home, and the sometimes-thin line between the physical world and the supernatural. 

 

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Set in New England during the Civil War, this classic novel follows the everyday lives of the four March sisters–Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy–as they progress from girlhood to womanhood and pursue their dreams. Each sister has a unique personality, but all of them are devoted to each other and determined to survive the hardships of the war. Louisa May Alcott based Little Women on her own early life, including aspects of her domestic work and her father’s reformation and abolitionist work. This book explores themes of love and death, war and peace, the conflict between personal ambition and family responsibilities, and the clash of cultures between Europe and America.

 

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

January Scaller, the ward of a wealthy man, spends her time in a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures. Like the treasures, January feels as if she is carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place. One day, she discovers a strange book that tells the story of secret doors between worlds, stories of love, and tales of adventure and danger. She longs to leave her guardian’s estate and experience the larger world. This coming of age fantasy adventure has it all: a creepy mansion, unexpected twists, and a young woman’s quest to be all that she can be.