Thought up by our second-oldest child, Sarah (15). She’d like a list of books people think all kids should* read by the time they leave school. Since she’s pretty busy with work, I agreed to look through our stash of books (mostly in boxes now) and come up with a pile from which she will choose ones she thinks she’ll enjoy.
But I thought I turn it over to you as well, dear audience. Sarah says, “When in doubt, ask teh Internets.” 
What books do you think all kids should read by the time they reach adulthood?
Feel free to leave a list in the comments or trackback from your blog.
* Yes, we are well aware of the potential dangers of saying things like “all kids should”. I still feel it a valuable exercise and something that should be an interesting comparison. It won’t be a die-hard list we’ll follow by all means. In the end, it doesn’t matter how well-recommended a book is; if we don’t like it or find it interesting, we don’t read it.
Most of my recommendations come from a female perspective, being one myself. My must-read list would include:
To Kill a Mockingbird
Little Women
The Diary of Anne Frank
I’ll come back when I think of more – my brain’s working in slow mode today.
taking into account your caveat…
Ender’s game.
)
The wave.
Children’s story (but probably quite late on).
My family and other animals (because everyone should read something that laugh out loud funny
Rather like Carrie’s suggestions too. I’ve a feeling I’ve had this discussion on my blog at least one already. Must check.
Found it
Actually, when I saw Ender’s Game I thought, ‘Where were we talking about that?’ Then I saw your name and remebered where
Watership Down
Little Women
Diary of Anne Frank
Elie Weisel
Homer’s Odyssey
The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings
The Grapes of Wrath
Sounder
Island of the Blue Dolphins
I don’t think I read many of the books one should read and sometimes I regret it. I guess the classics are classics and must-reads because so much other literature refers to them in some way and when you haven’t read them you miss a lot of what is going on.
Of course homeschooling is now giving me an opportunity to catch up on some of these but reading them together. Boy, do I love reading aloud.
Kris, “sland of the Blue Dolphins” was one of my favorite books a sa child.
And I’d say out of all the individual books suggested, we own half of them already.
I tried to think of a list over at my own blog, but I didn’t really get a list. I edited the thing several times and realized I just couldn’t come up with a list as such, which is not to say that I didn’t get a little opinionated, because that’s what I do.
I’m late on this one, but would like to add:
Life of Pi
The Hobbit(and/or LOTR)
Narnia Chronicals
House of the Scorpion
Redwall
Golden Compass
1984
Romeo and Juliet
Never Cry Wolf
Frankenstein