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.
Publication year 2018
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2012
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger
Tags Inspirational, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Race / Racism, Class, Poverty, Incarceration, Social Justice, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Biography
Publication year 2020
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Community, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, WWII / World War II, Children's Literature, History: World
Publication year 1985
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Action / Adventure, Animals, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature
Dogsong, first published in 1985, is a young adult novel by American author Gary Paulsen, who wrote Dogsong while he was training his dog sled team for his first Iditarod run. It was awarded the Newbery Honor Award in 1986. Paulsen, who was a popular author of young adult and children’s contemporary literature, is best known for books in the coming-of-age genre, often dealing with surviving the wilderness and embracing nature. He authored more than... Read Dogsong Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Religion / Spirituality
Doll Bones (2013) is a middle grade novel written by Holly Black and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. It blends gothic, horror, and fantasy elements. The novel follows three friends, Zach, Poppy, and Alice, as their make-believe games take a turn for the supernatural, sending them on an eerie quest to return a haunted doll to a gravesite before it wreaks havoc on their lives. The novel explores the challenges of growing up and the strain... Read Doll Bones Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2009
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery
Tags Humor, Realistic Fiction
Dork Diaries: Tales From a Not-So-Fabulous Life by Rachel Renée Russell (Simon & Schuster, 2009) is a young adult graphic novel told in diary entries about a 14-year-old girl’s journey through her first month at a new school. The book was both a New York Times and USA Today best seller. It also won the Children’s Choice Book of the Year Award for the fifth/sixth grade division (2010) and was nominated for Book of the... Read Dork Diaries Summary
Publication year 1999
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2023
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fame, Life/Time: The Past, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery
Tags Arts / Culture, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Relationships, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, Biography
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Economics, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mythology, Action / Adventure, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature
Publication year 1975
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Race
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Asian Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Chinese Literature
Originally published in 1975, Dragonwings is a children’s historical novel by Chinese American author Laurence Yep. The story was inspired by the life of Fung Joe Guey (Feng Ru), a Chinese immigrant who came to the United States in the early 1900s and earned acclaim for his work as a pioneer airplane designer and aviator. The book is part of Yep’s Golden Mountain Chronicles, a series of 10 novels that explore the long history of... Read Dragonwings Summary
Publication year 2000
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction
In Dreamland, a young adult novel by Sarah Dessen, a teenage girl named Caitlin O’Koren reacts to the disappearance of her sister by breaking away from the path that was set out for her. The novel is broken into three parts that focus on the core of the conflicts in each section. Part I, “Cass,” traces the O’Koren family after Cass, the eldest of two daughters, runs away instead of attending Yale. Part II, entitled... Read Dreamland Summary
Publication year 1924
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Community
Tags Harlem Renaissance, African American Literature, Southern Literature, Classic Fiction
Zora Neale Hurston’s “Drenched in Light” is set in 1920s Florida and follows a single day of a young girl named Isis Watts, or Isie. The setting of a small town right outside of Orlando resembles Hurston’s own childhood in Eatonville. Published in 1924 by Opportunity: A Journal of Negro Life, “Drenched in Light” debuted early in Hurston’s career and includes some of her recurring themes dealing with race, gender, and identity. Hurston went on... Read Drenched in Light Summary
Publication year 1914
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Irish Literature, Education, Education, History: World
Dubliners is a collection of 15 short stories by Irish writer James Joyce. Originally published in 1914, the collection met resistance from publishers and critics due to its controversial themes and unusual portrayal of the everyday. Dubliners follows a range of people living in the titular city, often seeking some form of social or emotional transcendence without ever truly achieving it.This study guide is for the 1965 paperback edition from Penguin Modern Classics.Content Warning: This... Read Dubliners Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Society: Economics, Natural World: Environment, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Biography
Publication year 1996
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Natural Disaster, Education, Education
Publication year 1874
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh was published in 2015 and won the PEN/Hemingway award for debut fiction. The novel is set in 1964. It follows the story of Eileen, a woman planning to escape her life in the New England town of X-ville. Eileen is characterized by self-loathing, depression, and body dysmorphia, all of which developed due to her abusive and neglectful childhood. Before she leaves X-ville forever, Eileen must come to terms with her own... Read Eileen Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Identity: Language, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Love / Sexuality, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1991
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Education, Education, American Literature