Monday Discussion: Coming of Age

I try not to talk about my personal life too much on the blog, but today's events led me to the Monday Discussion, so today is an anomaly.

My daughter had her first shift as a crossing guard today.  She got herself to school early and was there, manning the corner when I got her brother and the neighbor to school a bit later.  She looked so grown up.

Then I got to work and found out that no one is working in the Youth Department today.  So Connie and I are working Adult RA along with middle grades and Teen (books, reference, and computers), while Tammy, our Director, is handling the young children. The teens are all here printing out their reports on their summer reading (due tomorrow).

All of these events got me thinking about coming of age books.  There are so many "coming of age" moments in life and as a result, there are many coming of age novels, or bildungsromans (the official literary term for such stories).

So both because of the day I am having and because it is back to school time, I thought it would be a good time to list some favorite coming of age stories.

Recently I read Arcadia by Lauren Goff and The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker, both excellent coming of age novels for adults that came out this summer. (I will have reviews up very soon.)

Some older favorites of mine are Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee, and Never Let Me Go by Kazou Ishiguro.

So share the bildungsromans love in today's Monday Discussion and pass on some coming of age stories both old and new.

For past Monday Discussions, click here.