Publication year 1998
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Coming of Age, Race, Nation, Religion & Spirituality
Tags Drama, Historical Fiction, Race & Racism, Dramatic Literature
Coming-of-Age Journeys
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.
Crumbs From the Table of Joy
Cue for Treason
Cursed Bunny
Dandelion Wine
Daniel's Story
Daphnis and Chloe
Darkness Before Dawn
Darkness of Dragons
Daughter of No Worlds
Daughter of the Deep
Daughters of Shandong
Daughters of the Bamboo Grove
Daydream
Dead End In Norvelt
Deadline
Deadly Animals
Dear Mr. Henshaw
Death Coming Up The Hill
Deathwatch
Deenie
Publication year 1998
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Coming of Age, Race, Nation, Religion & Spirituality
Tags Drama, Historical Fiction, Race & Racism, Dramatic Literature
Publication year 1940
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Gender Identity, Coming of Age, Social Class, Safety & Danger
Tags Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History, Classic Fiction
Cue for Treason by Geoffrey Trease is a children’s historical novel published in 1940. Set in Elizabethan England at the end of the 16th century, it follows the adventures of Peter, forced to run away from his Cumberland home. Peter becomes a boy-actor, traveling to London with another runaway, Kit. They uncover a conspiracy against the Queen that takes them on a series of escapades up and down the country.Trease wrote over 100 books and... Read Cue for Treason Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Fear, Loneliness, Revenge, Disability, Gender Identity, Language, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Appearance & Reality, Family, Marriage, Social Class, Economics, Justice
Tags Horror & Suspense, Magical Realism, Science Fiction, Korean Literature
Publication year 1957
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Self Discovery, Coming of Age, Death, Memory
Tags Classic Fiction, Science Fiction, Coming of Age, Magical Realism, Fantasy
Written by Ray Bradbury, Dandelion Wine is a collection of connected short stories that are loosely based on the author’s memories of his own childhood in upstate Illinois; as such, the narrative uses the nostalgic mystique of summer to evoke the wonders, adventures, and mysteries of growing up. As the first volume in the Green Town trilogy, which also includes Farewell Summer and Something Wicked This Way Comes, this coming-of-age story includes elements of fantasy... Read Dandelion Wine Summary
Publication year 1993
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Memory, Coming of Age, Family, Death
Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Holocaust, Trauma & Abuse, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Military & War, World History
Carol Matas is the author of the 1993 novel for young readers, Daniel’s Story, and she published the book in conjunction with the United States Holocaust Museum Memorial exhibit Remember the Children: Daniel’s Story. Like the museum exhibit, Daniel’s Story presents a researched account of what it was like to grow up in Nazi Germany and live through the Holocaust. Before she wrote Daniel’s Story, Matas published two historical novels about the Dutch resistance during... Read Daniel's Story Summary
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Love, Marriage, Social Class, Coming of Age
Tags Romance, Classic Fiction, Ancient Greece, Pastoralism, Mythology, Classical Period, World History, Fantasy
IntroductionDaphnis and Chloe is an ancient Greek romance novel and the only known work of the mysterious writer Longus, who lived during the 2nd century C.E., when Greece was part of the Roman Empire. The novel is a pastoral work depicting the idealized life of shepherds and rural communities, while following the love story of the two eponymous protagonists, Daphnis and Chloe. Due to the descriptions of nudity, desire, and sex, critics have traditionally considered... Read Daphnis and Chloe Summary
Publication year 2001
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Friendship, Coming of Age
Tags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Trauma & Abuse, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Coming of Age, Family, Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Animals
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Perseverance, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Love, Revenge, Coming of Age, Animals, Colonialism, War, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Romance
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Coming of Age, Siblings, Science & Technology
Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Perseverance, Femininity, Coming of Age, The Past, Daughters & Sons, Family, Nation, War, Safety & Danger
Tags World History
Publication year 2025
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Perseverance, Forgiveness, Grief, Memory, Femininity, Language, Race, Birth, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Environment, Nature Versus Nurture, Place, Daughters & Sons, Family, Siblings, Community, Economics, Globalization, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed
Tags Biography, US History, Asian History, Immigration & Refugeeism
Daughters of the Bamboo Grove (2025) is a work of narrative nonfiction by journalist Barbara Demick. The book chronicles the true story of identical twin sisters separated in infancy as the result of China’s one-child policy. After family-planning officials confiscated one of the twins, she was adopted by a family in Texas, while her sister remained with their birth family in rural Hunan Province. The narrative follows Demick’s investigation into their case and her role... Read Daughters of the Bamboo Grove Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Love, Coming of Age, Friendship, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Memory, Coming of Age, Place, Self Discovery, Good & Evil
Tags Children`s Literature, Historical Fiction, Humor, Life-Inspired Fiction
Jack Gantos is the author of the coming-of-age, historical fiction novel Dead End in Norvelt (2011). The story is partly autobiographical, as it is based on Gantos’s experiences growing up in the early 1960s in Pennsylvania. Gantos gives the adolescent main character his name. Gantos has published many books for children and young readers including the illustrated Rotten Ralph series (1976-2011), a chapter book series about Joey Pigza (1998-2014), and the memoir Hole in My... Read Dead End In Norvelt Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Death, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Grief, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Truth & Lies
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Sports, Grief & Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Chris Crutcher’s novel Deadline is a work of young adult literary fiction. Set in the small town of Trout, Idaho, the novel is written from the protagonist Ben Wolf’s first-person point of view and traces his experiences throughout his senior year of high school. An energetic and determined character, Ben is ready to live his life to its fullest before leaving home for college. However, just after his 18th birthday, Ben’s circumstances change forever when... Read Deadline Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Fear, Hate & Anger, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Animals, Nature Versus Nurture, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Good & Evil, Justice, Safety & Danger
Publication year 1983
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Coming of Age, Childhood & Youth, Family
Tags Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
Published in 1983 and winner of the 1984 Newberry Award, Beverly Cleary’s Dear Mr. Henshaw marks a departure for the novelist known for her books that celebrate the whimsy and adventurousness of childhood. Dear Mr. Henshaw is an epistolary novel, in which protagonist and aspiring author Leigh Botts narrates his story through letters and diary entries addressed to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw. Leigh begins writing yearly letters to Mr. Henshaw in second grade but... Read Dear Mr. Henshaw Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes War, Family, Coming of Age
Tags Historical Fiction, Vietnam War, Coming of Age, Military & War, World History
Publication year 1972
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Death, Coming of Age, Power & Greed
Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure, Education, Education, Horror & Suspense, Realistic Fiction
Deathwatch is a novel by Robb White. It is a work of fiction with elements of mystery, adventure, and survival. The novel follows Ben, a college student and hunting guide whose client, Madec, turns on him after Ben witnesses an accidental shooting. Published in 1972, Deathwatch was named an Outstanding Book of the Year by The New York Times, received the Edgar Award (named for American author Edgar Allen Poe) for Best Juvenile Mystery from... Read Deathwatch Summary
Publication year 1973
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Shame & Pride, Disability, Coming of Age, Mothers, Self Discovery
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age