Help a student out!* February 15, 2008
There was a request for help with book suggestions a few days ago, and since my knowledge of the classics is best described with the word pathetic, I’m putting the question to everyone.
I’m currently in a YA lit class with an assignment to bridge some modern YA with a classic novel. You know, a book to lead reluctant readers to the classics . . . “If you liked Speak, you’ll love [classic here]!” Any suggestions?
All I can think of is Dracula for any vampire book and Pride and Prejudice if you liked Enthusiasm. And taking a look at From Hinton to Hamlet: Building Bridges between Young Adult Literature and the Classics by Sarah K. Herz and Don Gallo.
Any other suggestions?
* This totally makes me feel like a Smart Bitch 
I did a paper like that once and it was a far stretch, but I compared The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton to Parrot in the Oven, mi vida by Victor Martinez. Don’t know if that’d work…
This may be a stretch, but I wrote an essay once on the anti-hero and his code of ethics, using The Adventures of Robin Hood, Tyrell by Coe Booth, and the Batman Comics.
Hmmm… maybe “If you liked Looking For Alaska, you’ll love Catcher in the Rye”?
I would compare Story of a Girl to The Member of the Wedding. Or Someday this Pain Will be Useful to You to The Catcher in the Rye.
I think that a better Catcher in the Rye book is The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I believe both resonate really well to high schoolers because they deal with their issues maturely.
If you like books by Margaret Atwater Rhodes or Clive Barker you might try reading Mary Shelley or Robert Louis Stevenson.
If you liked Tucker Shaw’s Flavor of the Week you’ll love Cyrano de Bergerac.
Shakespeare would be an easy sell here.
I’m not sure if these are too matchy matchy (these are basically updates of the classics themselves, aside from King Dork) but here are a couple I thought of:
Wuthering High by Cara Lockwood = Wuthering Heights
King Dork by Frank Portman = Catcher In The Rye
Saving Juliet by Suzanne Selfors = Romeo and Juliet
Ophelia by Lisa Klein = Hamlet
Also, when I was reading The Luxe by Anna Godbersen, I felt it resonated pretty strongly with any of Austen’s works.
Hope this helps!
Thank you so much! I didn’t expect so many responses (and excellent ones, at that). You’ve also managed to expand my YA lit palate. Much appreciation to you all.