Top 10 (err, 6) books that should be required reading for teens

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It was created because of their love of lists and books, and since I love those things too, I thought I'd join in every once in awhile, when I have time.  It's been a few weeks, but I liked this topic, so here we go!

1.  The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling - Beyond the fantasy and the magic, these books have real-life morals and lessons of friendship, love, loyalty, good versus evil, among countless others.  These are lessons that all kids and young adults (and adults) should learn, and I think that by reading them in a book that's got action, adventure and intrigue, it gets the message across in a unique, but lasting way.

2.  The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis - See above reasons, and you basically get the idea why this is on my list.  Not only the moral at the heart of these stories, but I think that books that broaden the imagination are never a bad thing.  There's a lot of bad stuff in real life, and I don't think there's anything wrong with being able to get lost in a fantasy world and live vicariously through character's adventures.

3.  Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery - it's a classic for a reason.  I realize this one might not appeal to the boys, but I think every young girl should read it, and any young man who has a broad enough mind to read it - well, I'd give him a gold star for sure!  Beautifully written, fun, funny, heartbreaking, full of life lessons - it's one of my personal favorites.

4.  Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt - again, full of life lessons, beautiful and hauntingly heartbreaking.  This book stuck with me for a very long time after I read it, and it's on my re-read list.

5.  To Kill a Mockingbird  by Harper Lee - a classic coming-of-age story that teaches us to took beyond what we see.  This was required reading for me in high school, and I was always grateful that it was.

6.  The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares - Again, for the girls, but I'd be curious to know if many guys have read this series.  I know this would probably never make it into the schools, but I think all young girls should read this.  There's a common theme in the books I'm picking - friendship, love, loyalty, making it through hard times, just growing up in general.  These are books I read several years ago, but would love to re-read now as an adult, and I'd also love to read the 5th book that was just released, Sisterhood Everlasting - the girls 10 years later.  I'm really excited to find out what happened to the characters that I loved so much.

I hate to say it, but that's all I can think of.  I'm kind of pressed for time, waiting for family to arrive any minute, so my brain's shutting down lol.  If I can think of any others, I'll come back and add them to the list.  Can't wait to see your lists - be sure to leave a comment and a link if you have one!