Books that changed your life

One of the books most often mentioned by readers was Frank Herbert's "Dune." Some readers suggested its absence in our original list showed a female favoritism, but female commenters said it's among their favorites, too. "It presaged many of the hot topics of today," one reader said. "The book has its flaws, and there are others who have come later and taken similar topics further and deeper. But, in my youth, and for its time, it was the first and best to do so, and led me to expand my readings into innumerable areas of science, religion, history, warfare and the great works of literature, in order to answer some of the questions I found posed by 'Dune.'"

"Watership Down" proved a controversial choice. One reader called Richard Adams' tale about a society of anthropomorphized rabbits a classic political allegory for readers seeking plots that go beyond "conversations (polite or otherwise)" and "sharing of emotions between the characters." Another reader called it an "

"Anything essential is invisible to the eye." This quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's "The Little Prince" stuck with one reader who said the "beauty of the writing" in the classic French tale was "a truly life-changing experience for me!"

"My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George inspired many young readers "struggling alone to find their ways through the world, both literally and figuratively," as one reader said.

A few male readers cited "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain as an influential book in their young lives. "The best part? A happy ending, and one that came about because of Tom," one commenter said. "It wasn't wrong or misbehaving to go out into the world and try to solve a problem. Sitting around and talking about a problem, discussing feelings, things that are antithetical to almost every young man aren't the only ways to address life."

Readers who would have liked to see more modern titles on our list suggested "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green. Of protagonist Hazel's battle with cancer, our very own Kat Kinsman said, "I was a sobbing damn mess on a plane reading ('The Fault in Our Stars.') That transcends genres and just speaks to being human. I am definitely interested in how the movie will go."

Before dystopian tales dominated young adult fiction, George Orwell's "Animal Farm" was the story of a society gone wrong. It's also a frequent target of attempts to remove books from schools and libraries.

William Golding's "Lord of the Flies" was another book frequently cited by readers.

"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee "taught me more about prejudice than I had learned in school," one reader said. The lesson to "do what is right" even when it's not easy stuck with another commenter: "I loved Scout and how she wasn't 'ladylike' and, of course, Atticus, how supportive he was of both his kids, their individuality, and his determination to do what was right, not what was easy. I guess in a way, now that I put that in writing, maybe that concept really did 'change my life' as it's something I try to do and taught my kids."

Jack London's classic "The Call of the Wild" also came up several times as an example of a classic tale of adventure that encouraged perseverance and triumph over adversity.

Even if they didn't like the movie, many readers endorsed the novel, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," by Stephen Chbosky.

Rumer Godden's "In this House of Brede" is the story of a businesswoman who decides to become a nun. Naturally, struggles ensue in the transition. "It showed me that life is never going to be a smooth ride, but even in the midst of turmoil and suffering, there will be times of grace," one commenter said.

Several readers brought up Dragonlance, the setting for numerous fantasy novels that also inspired numerous role-playing games. The recurring battles between good and evil forces emphasized the importance of balance in the universe, one reader said.

For many, Mildred Taylor's "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" was a first introduction to other races and racism. "I grew up in a very white, Midwestern state," as one reader explained. "I literally knew no one of another race until I went to college. I remember crying at the end of the book and, even though it was fiction, being outright mortified about the race issues detailed in the book. It was a huge eye-opener to a little farm girl who was sheltered from a lot of the big and bad scary things in life."

Another popular reader pick, Lois Lowry's "The Giver," describes a dystopian society in which pain and suffering are eliminated as people relinquish memories and the ability to experience emotions. It won the Newbery Medal in 1994. "When you imagine life without taste, color, feelings, without the things we've come to expect like sunshine and snow, it makes you realize how amazing life in the world we live can truly be," one reader said of the book that launched a series. "It really makes you stop and think about life, as we know it, full of little things we don't really stop to appreciate."

Another recent favorite is Jay Asher's "13 Reasons Why," the story of a teen's quest to find why a friend killed herself.

Katherine Paterson's "Bridge to Terabithia" was another popular selections readers lauded for the diversity of its characters. It won the Newbery Medal in 1978.

Several readers described Elizabeth George Speare's "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" as an all-time favorite. The book won the 1959 Newbery Medal for its portrayal of a teen heroine in the 17th century who is forced to choose between love and duty. Sound familiar?

Readers highlighted books from Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" series about a pioneer family. Of course, not all life-changing effects are poetic: "I never again ate head-cheese after Laura described her mother making it," one reader remarked about "Little House in the Big Woods." "Ewww! I was a squeamish child."

For some readers, E. L. Konigsburg's "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" sparked a love affair with museums and New York. "Every time I go to a museum, I wonder what it would be like to live there," one commenter said. "She made (New York), the automat and the bustling city streets sound so romantic."

Books from Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series struck a chord with many readers and inspired a lifelong love of the fantasy genre. One reader said "Dragonsong" from the Harper Hall trilogy was the first book she and her mother read together. "I felt as much of an outsider as Menolly," she wrote. "Our love for Pern and all things dragon really cemented out relationship. ... Even though my mother is gone, I can pick up those books again and relive all the wonderful times we had talking about them."

K.A. Applegate's Animorphs series revolves around humans and an alien who use their ability to morph into animals to battle an alien attack of Earth. "Those books brought up some pretty heavy moral dilemmas and challenged the readers to draw their own conclusions," one enthusiastic reader said.

Chris Crutcher's "Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes" was an "all-time favorite" for one reader, and a top pick for many more. "As a kid, I found the open talk about religious hypocrisy, abortions and child abuse fascinating -- and subversive. I'd never read anything like it before."

"Miriam's Well" by Lois Ruby deals with an especially tough topic: What happens when faith stands in the way of medical treatment? Some readers applauded the author's handling of a controversial topic without appearing to take sides. "As a kid who encountered lot of super-preachy YA books in the '90s, I really appreciated Lois Ruby's refusal to take sides on such a heated issue," the commenter said. "The novel is actually told in dual narration, as characters on both sides relate their own version of events -- this was a huge influence on my own approach to problems."

"I Never Promised You a Rose Garden," Joanne Greenberg's semi-autobiographical tale of dealing with schizophrenia, tackled the stigma of mental illness and anti-semitism. One reader said it was just as revealing as "Go Ask Alice," a diary-styled depiction of a teen's descent into drug abuse, but "more disturbing since you could choose not to do drugs, but have no say if you end up schizophrenic!" as one reader put it.

Author Jerry Spinelli won the 1991 Newbery Medal for "Maniac Magee," the story of a homeless teen. "It was one of my favorite books as a kid and deals with issues like diversity, racism, homelessness and bullying. Plus, it's just a fun book," one reader said.

Death himself is the narrator of Markus Zusak's "The Book Thief," describing Nazi Germany during the escalation of World War II. Readers flagged this award-winning best-seller as a modern classic.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

• CNN commenters shared their favorite books from childhood


• Help us keep growing the list by sharing your picks in the comments


• Follow CNN Living on Facebook and Twitter

(CNN) -- Lists can be tricky.

To kick off our coverage of young adult literature in October, we asked members of the CNN.com newsroom to share books that changed our lives. It wasn't the ultimate list for everyone -- we left the definition of "life-changing" up to individuals, and yes, Judy Blume came up more than once.

But we also asked readers to share their top picks in the comments. Again, we left "life-changing" open to interpretation.

We loved the responses and reasons for your choices, from Mark Twain's "Tom Sawyer" to John Green's "The Fault in Our Stars. So, we complied them and created another list -- the books you read as young people that changed YOUR lives.

Click through the gallery to see what readers came up with, and tell us about books you read as a child that influenced you.

via CNN.com - Top Stories http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_topstories/~3/UBMNzFR4i3Y/index.html