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 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Race, Identity: Gender
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Action / Adventure, Animals, Great Depression, History: World
Publication year 2024
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Psychology, Philosophy, Self Help, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction
Published in 2003, Carla Trujillo’s novel What Night Brings is set in the late 1960s in a town outside San Francisco. The novel centers on Marcía Cruz, an 11-year-old Chicana girl struggling with her sexual orientation and domestic abuse amidst a larger backdrop of the Vietnam War and a crisis of faith in America.What Night Brings is Trujillo’s first novel, but not her first published work relating to its central themes. She edited an anthology... Read What Night Brings Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Humor, Fantasy, Magical Realism
Publication year 2012
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Education, Self Help, Education, Social Science, Psychology, Psychology
What the Best College Students Do, by American professor Ken Bain, describes how students can make the best of their college experience, not by trying to get good grades, but by studying deeply the topics that fascinate them. Filled with examples of students who followed their love of knowledge and went on to successful professional careers, What the Best College Students Do makes the case for deep learning, a process that provides benefits that can... Read What the Best College Students Do Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Play: Drama, Play: Comedy / Satire, Politics / Government, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Immigration / Refugee, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Race / Racism, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Society: Community
Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Diversity, Bullying, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness
Publication year 2000
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags History: Asian, Military / War, History: World, Action / Adventure, Biography
Chanrithy Him’s memoir, When Broken Glass Floats: Growing Up Under the Khmer Rouge, was first published in 2000. This study guide refers to the 2001 Kindle edition. In the text Him details her experiences as a young child in Cambodia. Him was only five when the autocratic communist Khmer Rouge took over the country, and she recounts the trauma she endured during the five years the regime remained in power. Him’s father was beaten to... Read When Broken Glass Floats Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Immigration, Relationships: Family
Tags Romance, Relationships, Arts / Culture, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
When Dimple Met Rishi (2017), a young adult romantic novel by Indian-American author Sandhya Menon, is focused on the blossoming love story between two Indian-American teenagers during a tech summer camp. It was widely praised for its realistic and original depiction of the ways in which second-generation teenagers react to their mixed cultures.Dimple Shah is a strong-willed eighteen-year-old girl with plans to go to Stanford. She wants to go to university to build a career... Read When Dimple Met Rishi Summary
Publication year 1993
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Music, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Immigration / Refugee, American Literature, Race / Racism, Education, Education, Biography
The memoir When I Was Puerto Rican recounts author Esmeralda Santiago’s early years. It is the first of her three memoirs chronicling her childhood in Puerto Rico to her eventual residence in the United States. It is a coming of age story, but mines richer material than that. Questions of identity—national identity, hereditary identity, familial identity, female identity, spiritual identity, and semantic labels—underpin the stories Santiago tells.The book begins in Puerto Rico, when Esmeralda is... Read When I Was Puerto Rican Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism, Class, Disability, Modern Classic Fiction
When I Was the Greatest, published in 2014 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, is the debut novel by award-winning young adult fiction writer Jason Reynolds. It tells a nuanced and often emotional coming-of-age story in a low-income and predominantly Black New York borough. This is not a romanticized portrait but rather an earnest one that does not shy away from representing the harsher effects of poverty alongside heartfelt depictions of friendship, family, and community... Read When I Was the Greatest Summary
Publication year 1999
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Immigration, Society: War
Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Grandparents, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Children's Literature, Chinese Literature
When the Sea Turned Silver by Grace Lin takes readers on a journey through a richly imagined world full of imagery and Chinese folklore. The novel follows the adventures of Pinmei and Yishan as they navigate themes of Finding and Creating Identity, The Power of Stories, and how Perception Shapes Reality. Recognized for its storytelling and cultural depth, When the Sea Turned Silver was a 2016 National Book Award Finalist. Critics praise the novel for... Read When the Sea Turned to Silver Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Magical Realism, LGBTQ
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, History: World
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1966
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Classic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Gender / Feminism, Parenting, American Literature, Post-War Era, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction