 | Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $2.20 This coming of age story is set during the Holocaust and is told from the point of view of a young girl, Annemarie Johansen. he Johansen's are not Jewish, but Annemarie's best friend Ellen is. The story tracks the brave journey the Johansens and friends take in order to stand up for their beliefs.
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 | Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $1.44 This book's protagonist, 10-year Winnie Foster, is ready to be grown up and free, but her mother and her, naturally, cannot see eye to eye. Winnie chances upon a magical spring and the Tuck family. From them she learns about the goodness of humanity and also confronts a hard decision.
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 | The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Buy new: $13.57 / Used from: $8.78 In this story, we follow young Milo on his adventures provided by a phantom tollbooth which arrives mysteriously. The next day it disappears just as mysteriously as it arrived, but Milo is keeps the messages learned on his journey and embraces the importance of a vivid imagination forever.
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 | Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $2.68 This book is one of my favorites because it shows how important relationships with pets can be for children. A stray dog Winn-Dixie helps the young protagonist Opal make friends in the new town she and her father move to. Winn-Dixie strengthens Opal's relationship with her father and helps her build her confidence.
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 | Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $2.96 I will never forget this novel. This is the first book I remember reading that dealt with the death of a friend. It is absolutely essential to a complete list of coming of age novels.
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 | Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $0.01 Where the Red Fern Grows uses the themes of death and relationships with animals to tell the coming of age story of a young man named Billy. I recommend it for older readers due to its melancholy nature.
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 | From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
Buy new: $9.99 / Used from: $4.75 In this story, Claudia Kincaid, feeling under-appreciated by her parents decides to run away. She brings her younger brother along and they stay in the city museum. A new exhibit of a statue rumored to be by Michelangelo takes them on a journey to fulfillment.
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 | The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $0.01 The Sign of the Beaver is a cross-cultural coming of age story. Matt, a white settler, unexpectedly befriends Attean, a Native American boy his age. They learn from each other and enlarge each other's worlds.
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