Best teen classic literature books according to redditors
We found 220 Reddit comments discussing the best teen classic literature books. We ranked the 63 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
2. His Dark Materials Omnibus (The Golden Compass / The Subtle Knife / The Amber Spyglass)
9 mentions
Daughter and I had a blast with Lego Mindstorms. I think the current version is ev3. Nobody has ever regretted buying Lego.
Scratch is an excellent first programming platform. Before you write it off as being too juvenile, it is featured in the first two weeks of Harvard's cs50 intro to computer science course.
And be sure to read The Phantom Tollbooth. I also like The Number Devil
I guess it'd look something like this.
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. I read that in 5th grade and was obsessed with it.
You joke but we live in a world where THIS is a thing.
You could try A Wrinkle in Time there is a nice 50th Anniversary edition, and a Boxed Set with the other books to choose from.
Consider Philip Pullman. His "His Dark Materials" series is fine Fantasy with Steam Punk style.
As well, Larry Correia's Grimnoir Chronicles are 'wicked good'.
So I have a friend in jail that I regularly send books to. This doesn't cover every situation, but I assume the circumstances will be similar.
He says that the (meager) prison library is very skewed towards religious books, classics, GED materials, and low-difficulty grocery store novels. Anything other than that will be appreciated. The books most requested are thick fantasy books, activity books (sudoku, physics workbooks, etc), science non-fiction, and coffee-table books or magazines with lots of pictures. These will be swapped with other inmates so that anyone interested has a chance to read.
Some things to keep in mind:
Books that have gone over well and can be found in cheap forms:
Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables
Meg Murray from A Wrinkle In Time
Cleo Murphy from The Island Keeper
https://www.amazon.com/YOLO-Juliet-OMG-Shakespeare-William/dp/0553535390
"From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler"
Claudia knew that she could never pull off the old-fashioned kind of running away...so she decided not to run FROM somewhere, but TO somewhere. And so, after some careful planning, she and her younger brother, Jamie, escaped -- right into a mystery that made headlines!
We found it here, and here (75 cents).
I read the whole series as a kid, and pretty much forgot about them for the last 25 years... I wonder if they're available on Kindle? I'm now itching to read the whole series again.
Yep, only $6.99 for the first book too. Neat!
A complete Beatrix Potter, James Herriot's children's stories (seriously, it's wonderful stuff for children), the whole Harry Potter series in hardcover (seriously, it'll get read enough to warrant it), a version of the Wind in the Willows with the original color plates, maybe this one , also splurge on the entire Swallows and Amazons series. Every child should read that or have it read to them and they'll still read them as they get older.
I don't know a lot of titles for the youngest ages, though the Junie B. Jones and Magic Treehouse books are favorites of my mother's elementary-aged students. Speaking of magic, you can't go wrong with The Magic Schoolbus. Oh! And Where the Wild Things Are.
As suggested by /u/jpop23mn, the Berenstein Bears are great books for young readers (I loved them so much as a kid), and Dr. Seuss is classic.
For middle-schoolers, I recall enjoying Maniac Magee (though I don't recall much about it), lots of Bruce Coville's monster books, the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series, and one of my favorites, The Phantom Tollbooth. My sister enjoyed the Warriors series (and still reads them now as a college student). Then there's classics like Where the Red Fern Grows and Bridge to Terabithia, though those books cover some difficult subject matter (death).
Ghost stories are much beloved, and if you can find folklore and fable specific to various cultures, you can learn about other cultures while enjoying a good story!
Some other fantastic books to have around are The Daring Book for Girls and The Dangerous Book for Boys, both of which teach all kinds of fantastic information and skills while also being entertaining. I especially urge you to get the Daring Book for Girls if you have a daughter, because it not only teaches useful skills like changing tires and woodworking, but it also teaches about strong, independent, successful women through history. It promotes independence, self-esteem and self-confidence, which (in my opinion) are vital to any young person's upbringing, but especially women, since so much of the media and society seems bent on making women insecure, dependent and subservient. (Please excuse my politics.)
The Chronicles of Narnia are fantastic, if you don't mind that they're a religious allegory. When I was a kid, I read them for fun, and didn't give a damn about the religious aspect. (I'm agnostic.) Another good series is the Dark Materials series, though some parents avoid it because of Pullman's anti-religious sentiments. Again, I didn't care about that, I just enjoyed a good story.
Hopefully, with a big enough selection of books, your kids will be able to choose their own books by high school. But it's still nice to keep around some young adult and adult novels for the kids to explore. The Dragonlance novels are fantasy novels set in a D&D-inspired world, but this setting has more of a chivalric, idealistic mood, which is good for young adult readers as well as adults. You've also got the Harry Potter series, which is kind of a given...
The challenge is finding adult novels that are appropriate for your kids. If you are trying to avoid exposing your children to certain ideas before a certain age, then you'll have to personally read and consider each book before you put it on their shelf. If you're the kind of parent who allows their kid to read what they want to read, doing your best to answer their questions and put the stories into context, then it's a little easier. If your kid reads Jurassic Park, they're going to be exposed to an awful lot of violence, but they're also going to learn some fascinating scientific information as well. Crichton's books are science-fiction with a strong scientific background, so they're educational as well as thrilling, but they've got adult themes that might be better for more mature readers. (That being said, I was reading them at a young age.)
I hope this is a decent start. There are lots of good lists online, too. I'd suggest checking out GoodReads and various Amazon lists. Just remember that it's up to you to choose what you want your kids to be exposed to.
Edit: As a male, I have a distinct lack of experience with books aimed at young females. I would like to think that a good book can be enjoyed by boys and girls alike, but some books have more of a gender-focus than others.
This sounds like one of the planets visited in A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle.
>Yeah, can you imagine Shakespeare written in text speak?
https://www.amazon.com/YOLO-Juliet-OMG-Shakespeare-William/dp/0553535390
I'm also going to start posting my book recommendations in these posts, since I write them out before recording anyway to stop them from being full of "um"s and "uh"s. If this seems too commercially and anyone finds it offputting, please let me know!
The Golden Compass is the first book in the His Dark Materials trilogy, and it's hard to go into why I'm recommending it without massive spoilers. The series is amazing though, with great characters for every role, from heroes to antiheroes to villains to antivillains, and has one of the most unique multiverses I've ever read.
Just to mention what makes the first book great though, its main character is still my favorite female protagonist in a published novel, people in her world have sapient, shapeshifting familiars, and one of the nations is populated by TALKING ARMORED BEARS.
Seriously, it's awesome. If you like to listen to books as well as read them, then you can get a free audiobook when you sign up for a 30 day trial at audible.com. Just go to www.audibletrial.com/rational to get your book credit, and help support the podcast. Thanks for listening!
You wanna have a good cry? Well...okay.
Grief and Loss
Bridge to Terabithia
Katherine Patterson's masterpiece is rightly remembered as one of the saddest books ever written for an elementary-aged audience. A young boy strikes up a friendship with his new neighbor, a girl his own age, bonding over the fact that their individual interests make them outsiders among their classmates. Together, they form a "kingdom" they christen "Terabithia" in the woods behind their houses. Tragically, the girl dies accidentally and the boy must what he's learned and move on.
Mick Harte Was Here
Notable in that the tragedy happens in the first act, this novel follows teenaged Phoebe as she struggles with the reality that her brother died in a bicycle accident.
On My Honor
Probably the shortest, but also arguably the most brutal, of these books. After promising his father he would only ride his bike out to the rocky ridge, Joel follows his daredevil friend Tony to the Vermillion River. Joel challenges Tony to a swimming race. Joel surfaces, Tony does not. And Joel must face their parents.
Just for You to Know
A young girl, the oldest in her large family, finds herself in over her head when her mother dies in childbirth.
The Man Who Loved Clowns
If somewhat dated, this tragic novel follows thirteen-year-old Delrita as she struggles to come to terms with not only her parents' untimely deaths in a car accident, but also her maternal uncle Punky, who has Down's Syndrome.
Turtle On A Fencepost
The sequel to The Man Who Loved Clowns follows Delrita as she tries to find her place in the world, and her desperation to connect with her Aunt Queenie. She finds a kindred spirit in an unexpected place.
Pets
Old Yeller
Fred Gibson's novel is more than a story about a boy and his dog. It is a story about a boy becoming a man, and how becoming a man is not easy at all.
Where the Red Fern Grows
Billy's quest to gain dogs, not just any dogs, but hunting hound dogs, is a classic and rightly so. The story of Billy, Old Dan and Little Ann is one that is not to be forgotten.
Shiloh
Phyllis Naylor's beloved quartet about a boy and his beagle was one of my favorites growing up. Marty's struggle to rescue Shiloh from the abusive Judd Travers is just the beginning, with later books exploring themes of faith and forgiveness.
Stone Fox
Young Willy must gather all his strength to win the National Dogsled Race and win desperately needed money for his grandfather's farm, with his beloved Searchlight as lead dog.
A Childhood Lost
These books are often similar to those under Grief and Loss but I felt that it was important to separate these as they feature heavy themes of racism, discrimination, and war.
The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963
Told from the point-of-view of the bookish nine-year-old Kenny, the titular Watsons get into their fair share of misadventures in Flint, Michigan, but for the most part, things are relatively peaceful. The most strife comes from teenaged Byron. But a family trip to Birmingham flings the family head-on into the thick of the Civil Rights Movement, including the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing.
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Let the Circle Be Unbroken
The Road to Memphis
These three books are part of a series, telling the story of an African-American girl named Cassie who grows up during the Great Depression in the Deep South and sees first-hand just how ugly Jim Crow can be.
Number the Stars
Lois Lowry's novel tells a dramatized version of the efforts of the Danish Resistance, with special emphasis on the evacuations to Sweden.
Abuse
Call Me Hope
Twelve-year-old Hope struggles with the emotional abuse brought on by her mother and copes by "awarding points" for specific insults.
Ok I thought of one more author: Madeline L'Engle. Beyond her A Wrinkle In Time series (<3 Many Waters <3), there's A Severed Wasp and The Arm of the Starfish both of which are departures from The Wrinkle in Time series but still great.
Have you tried the His Dark Materials trilogy?
Marvel comics:
Other recommendations:
Additional resources:
EDIT: removed IDW's Transformers
What, like this?
The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper felt that way me. And my spouse feels that way about The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander.
I see by the suggestions on Amazon that we're not the only ones who liked both of those! Hah. Well, I second Amazon's third suggestion of A Wrinkle in Time.
This would really depend on your tastes.
I like to recommend The Dresden Files. The link goes to the first book in the series, and the first chapter is available on that page to see if it is something you might enjoy.
Also I liked The Golden Compass. Don't dismiss this book because it is for young readers anymore than you would dismiss a pixar movie. They are still enjoyable for adults, a good story is a good story.
If the fantasy stories aren't your thing, Hunt for the Red October is a fun read. It is also the gateway to a bunch of other novels from Tom Clancy. These are more suspenseful/action driven stories.
My preferences are mostly in the direction of Sci-Fi and Fantasy, so if you would like more things along that path I'd be happy to offer more suggestions.
Oh, my friend, they have already taken three more steps.
The Phantom Tollbooth! I still reread this book.
http://www.amazon.com/Phantom-Tollbooth-Norton-Juster/dp/0394815009/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1248319158&amp;sr=8-1
holy shit there is 🤣
It exists.
He might like the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan. Start with this original series of 5 books - there is another series of 5 books that come after this one called The Heroes of Olympus, same world and a few overlap characters but not as good as the first series. Riordan also has the Kane Chronicles trilogy.
I would maybe suggest A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (which is currently being made into a movie). It's about a 12-year-old boy trying to emotionally deal with his mother's terminal illness, who is visited by a monster at night that helps teach him valuable life lessons. Ness is an excellent writer but his other books are probably a bit too advanced for him still.
The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel
The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins (same author as Hunger Games)
Lockwood & Co. series by Jonathan Stroud. Book 1 is called The Screaming Staircase, Book 2 is called The Whispering Skull.
His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman
Chronicles of Narnia series maybe?
EDIT: The Iron Trial book has been getting a lot of push from bookstores as well this fall. Looks interesting but many people are just calling it a rip-off of Harry Potter.
I know some of these have already been mentioned, so just consider this a second vote for those titles. Also, my list skews heavily towards sci-fi/fantasy, because that is what I tend to read the most of.
By women, featuring female protagonists:
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
The Female Man by Joanna Russ
Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey
Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Circus in Winter by Cathy Day (It's not entirely fair to characterize this as a book about women; it's really a set of interconnected stories featuring both male and female characters. On the other hand, many of the most memorable characters, IMO, are women, so I'm filing it in this category anyway. So there!)
The Protector of the Small Quartet by Tamora Pierce, beginning with First Test (Really, anything by Tamora Pierce would fit the bill here. They're young adult novels, so they're quick reads, but they're enjoyable and have wonderful, strong, realistic female protagonists.)
These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer (Heyer wrote really fun, enjoyable romances, typically set in the Regency period, though These Old Shades is actually Georgian. This one is probably my favorite, but they're really all quite wonderful. Not super heavy stuff, but don't write her off just because of the subject matter. She was a talented, witty writer, and her female protagonists are almost never the wilting "damsel in distress" type - they're great characters who, while still holding true to their own time and place, are bright and likeable and hold their own against the men in their lives.)
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (Another young adult book. And, again, I think it's worth noting that L'Engle's books almost always feature strong and interesting female characters. This one is probably her most famous, and begins a series featuring members of the same family, so it's a good jumping off point.)
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
By men, featuring female protagonists:
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle (This is another one that is perhaps not a perfect fit for this category; the titular unicorn is female, but the book is as much about Schmendrick the magician as it is about her. However, there's also Molly Grue, so on the strength of those two women, I'm classifying this book as having female protagonists.)
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Coraline by Neil Gaiman (It's a children's book, but there's plenty to enjoy about it as an adult, too.)
By women, featuring male protagonists
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
I'm so excited for your son to have fallen in love with reading - books are some of the best comforts one can have.
Ages 6 - 8 (some of these may be challenging)
Flora & Ulysses (Newbery Award winner) by Kate DiCamillo
I actually haven't read this book, but DiCamillo is an amazing author, and Newbery award winners are usually a safe bet. Tale of Despereaux is another great book of hers.
Everything written by Roald Dahl
Just in case he hasn't read them yet - I suggest Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, BFG, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Mathilda, James and the Giant Peach, and The Witches.
The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis
Fantastic fantasy series to prepare him for Lord of the Rings trilogy I'm sure he'll watch/read in the future. Fun fact: the authors were dear friends.
Ages 9 -12 (more challenging)
The Giver, by Lois Lowry
A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L'Engle
Holes, by Louis Sachar
Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls
Warning: he will cry at the end. Everyone cries at the end.
Maniac Magee, by Jerry Spinelli
A runaway kid who starts a new life - like a children's version of Forrest Gump.
The A. I. Gang Trilogy, by Bruce Coville
Bruce Coville is a great children's author and this series would be right up your kid's alley if he likes spies. Five kids go to an island with their mad scientist parents and basically have amazing spy adventures. This series is geared toward 9+ years, but his other books and collections of stories are geared for younger kids (some of which are about aliens, which may appeal to his Star Wars attraction).
There are so many more books out there, but I didn't want to overwhelm you with choices. Please let me know if there are a specific genre you'd think your son would be interested in, and I'll try to think of more (although I was much more into fantasy when I was younger). Your son is so lucky to have a parent who encourages his reading!!
P.S. I LOVED The Phantom Tollbooth when I was younger :D
I highly recommend "His dark materials" for you to read. It has to be one of the better books I read and it is a series!
All 3 books (tangible copies)
All 3 books (Kindle)
It has coming of age, strong female protagonist, science fiction, and survival story all rolled into one.
If you liked harry potter, there is a good chance you will like this book series. (They tried to make a movie about it but adapted it horribly.. do not judge the book by the movie)
are you in the us? might be a bit of a slog, but check under "See all 80 formats and editions" and then "Paperback" here:
https://www.amazon.com/Amber-Spyglass-His-Dark-Materials-ebook/dp/B000FC1GJW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1520278543&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=amber+spyglass
i had a quick perusal through some of the many paperback editions listed but couldn't find that one. it may well be there, though
check the other amazon listings as well; there are many for the amber spyglass
His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman?
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. It is technically a children's book, but it is also one of my favorite books of all time, and really takes me back to seeing things as a child and not an adult. It's super imaginative, at times heartwarming in its simplicity, yet has razor-sharp wordplay throughout.
My favs:
A wrinkle in time
Wait til helen comes
These are the first books I remember reading and just falling in love with both of them!
WL linky or surprise me
Read The Golden Compass!
My favorite book series EVER.
Thanks for the contest!
/u/Morthy you shall be now dubbed Dr. Morthy-o. Let's play a pill version of Tetris.
I just saw that someone had been gifted A Wrinkle in Time and it brought back such good memories for me. I remember loving that book when I was younger :) I'd love to read it again!
I'm so sorry you have to work this weekend, I know that feeling :( This weekend I will be participating in a yard sale (which is awesome because I have tons of junk I need to sell!) Then my dad and I are going to look at a car (and I hope to buy it!) Sunday I'm going with my family and my roomie and his family to the Sugarloaf Craft Festival :)
Thanks for hosting! I hope work won't be too terrible for you this weekend &lt;3
Happy Friday
Yes, it's definitely The Dark Is Rising - so, so good. The rest of the books in the series are pretty fab as well - taught me everything I know about Arthurian legend.
Can't believe no one said The Phantom Tollbooth yet.
Agreed, but i should mention A Wrinkle In Time is actually the first in a series of 5 (I haven't read the last four yet but they can be found here)
The His Dark Materials Triology is really great. Great for both adults and teens. http://www.amazon.com/The-Golden-Compass-Dark-Materials/dp/0440418321
My old stand-by: His Dark Materials Omnibus by Philip Pullman.
I just finished The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh and I'm still all in my feelings over it and suspect I will be for quite some time....I'm perfectly ok with that.
The His Dark Materials series. If you want to teach them to be a critical reader and thinker and inspire them to think independently, without feeling like you forced them to think any certain way, give them these three books. They're age appropriate, they're subtle, and they're almost a perfect foil for the Chronicles of Narnia series; this series is the secular Narnia series.
His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman are absolutely wonderful for an older child or 'tween. (skip the movie). - http://www.amazon.com/Materials-Omnibus-Golden-Compass-Spyglass/dp/0375847227
lol...sorry
http://www.amazon.com/Bridge-Terabithia-Katherine-Paterson/dp/0060734019/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1344404402&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=Bridge+to+Terabithia
ebook: Bridge to Terabithia, which I have somehow never read!
Happy almost labor day!
All Hail the Lobster!! My item, thanks for contest!
Tyara, I'm not used to the username yet.
/u/PotatoAssassin because she is fucking awesome and if you vehemently disagree I'll break your arm. Or at least hurt it a hell of a lot!
She should have these books because everyone should have His Dark Materials. Especially Northern Lights which is the best of the triology and no, I wont use the silly American name for it.
That's funny, I had never heard of this before, but just a few hours ago I was reading The Amber Spyglass and they mentioned it's double-refracting properties in the section where Mary is playing with seedpod resin. I had no idea what they were talking about at the time. Thank you, reddit!
It was already answered in the r/askreddit post, but in case anyone hits this page on a search, the books are Three Tales of My Father's Dragon and The Phantom Tollbooth.
You say that as if this doesn't exist.
His Dark Materials trilogy? (The Golden Compass, etc)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0440418321/ref=rdr_ext_tmb
Here is a link to the books that I referenced.
http://www.amazon.com/Wrinkle-Quintet-Swiftly-Tilting-Acceptable/dp/0312373511
Something along the lines of Hatchet might be a good place to start. The main character would be about your brother's age as I recall.
The Phantom Tollbooth - You may have read it as a kid and thus think it is a kids book - but its still worth a read once in a while as an adult.
This could be a very long list ... Will try to reign it in to some of my favourites. Most are popular enough that they won’t need explaining.
Springtime In Chernobyl
The Handmaid’s Tale: A Graphic Novel
Maus
Laika
Ichi-F: A Worker's Graphic Memoir of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant
Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaptation
To Kill A Mockingbird: A Graphic Novel
Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare Classics Graphic Novels)
The Hobbit Graphic Novel
Persepolis
The Kite Runner: A Graphic Novel
A Wrinkle In Time: A Graphic Novel
The Great Successor Kim Jong Un: a Political Cartoon, an Epic Comic of the Dark Kingdom and the Passing of Power to a Third Kim
Any of Guy Delisle’s travelogues
If they don't already have one of the Viva Pinata games consider that! They're so cute and definitely spark some imagination!
For Rylee, my first thought was graphic novels if she's never tried them. My cousin loved A Wrinkle in Time even though he'd already read the book. Ghosts is very popular, too.
For Trinity, my first thought was a Bop It for some reason! Or maybe this gymnastics coloring book?
https://www.amazon.com/YOLO-Juliet-OMG-Shakespeare-William/dp/0553535390
Yes! You can have it via Amazon Prime for $20! That's the one I have and it's pretty, though all the novels are paperback.
Sorry my Bad.
https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Compass-His-Dark-Materials/dp/0440418321/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=golden+Compass+paperback&amp;qid=1558388276&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-1.https://www.amazon.com/Subtle-Knife-His-Dark-Materials/dp/044041833X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=the+subtle+knife+paperback&amp;qid=1558388191&amp;s=gateway&amp;sprefix=The+subtle+knife+paper&amp;sr=8-1.https://www.amazon.com/Amber-Spyglass-His-Dark-Materials/dp/0440418569/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=amber+spyglass+paperback&amp;qid=1558388245&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-1
You can go to Amazon and choose.
Ooh and I've heard awesome things about The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (plus the other books in that trilogy). I need to start this one myself.
If you haven't watched The Man in the High Castle on Amazon, or even if you have, you might enjoy the book by Philip K. Dick.
Sorry for my constant additions!
I love the His Dark Materials trilogy. If this helps, Amazon has the trilogy as a single volume.
I think I prefer the title of this one: https://www.amazon.com/Macbeth-killingit-OMG-Shakespeare-William/dp/0553538802/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0553535390/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_1gMSzb4HEWWC6
The Phantom Tollbooth - Norton Jester
this book revolutionized my world, learning about how language and syntax can be used was freaking FANTASTIC.
also, try the "His Dark Materials Trilogy" books....really cool magical worlds that I always got lost in.
EDIT: it makes me happy so many people read the dark materials trilogy, those books really opened my mind up to a lot of worldly concepts.
If you're stranded, the first priority is food and shelter- not keeping track of what date it is.
The only reason why people started keeping track of dates and things like solstices was because they started settling down and harvesting crops.
Being stranded from all civilization means that you've devolved past that back into the hunter-gatherer stage of existence. And until you build up a mass of people (ie civilization) enough to plant crops and settle in somewhere, there is no real need to keep track of such things.
And any damn fool can look around and realize which of the 4 seasons it is. You don't need a fancy watch to tell you that.
As far as survival in the wilderness goes, my favorite all time book about such things is The Hatchet. I've always felt that book was far more accurate/realistic than any sort of thing Hollywood could ever come up with.
Yes, it is young adult fiction. Yes, it is 20 years old. But if you've never read it, then you're missing out.
I don't have a recommendation on a game system, but you might want to throw a few hours at Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. It's the story of a boy who finds himself alone in the open wasteland of northern Canada with no food or shelter. He suffers a lot as he deals with mosquitoes and other insects, wild animals, poison ivy, and other things. He learns to make fire on his own, how to hunt birds and small animals, and all kinds of things. It's a great story about survival and really gets to the heart of what you'll probably want to bring to your game. With a scenario like the one you want to write, you will probably want your players to react in a visceral way. The best way to do that is to evoke emotions in them like discomfort, hunger, panic, etc.
EDIT: http://www.amazon.com/Hatchet-20th-Anniversary-Gary-Paulsen/dp/1416925082/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1343240804&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=hatchet
How good do you want them to be? These aren't highbrow by any means, but they are some of my favorites:
That's all I can remember offhand. I'll think on it and add more if I have a chance.
a chapter from The Phantom Tollbooth might fit your bill...
I was a fan of [this] (http://www.amazon.com/Swallows-Amazons-Godine-Storyteller-Ransome/dp/1567924204/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1377819644&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=swallows+and+amazons) when I was about that age, although it's very english. The guardian did bill it as 'the new harry potter' a few years ago, because there was supposed to be a new film about it made.
The Phantom Tollbooth
Does this count as a match?
Not the Kindle versions, but I have all three paperbacks on my wishlist. (Three separate links.)
If not well...snooble!
Could it be The Dark is Rising, by Susan Cooper? There are five books in the series, all of them are excellent.
There's the OMG Shakespeare series--a rendition in text messages. e.g. Macbeth #killingit
(Don't get those, they are terrible. The novelty wears off after 2 pages.)
There are a number of book series aimed at young adults that re-tell Shakespeare in modern language. Shakespeare Today is one such series. I have not read any books like these, but wanted to mention them to let you know that the Young Adult section of your local library may be a good place to look.
The Golden Compass used :D
Can i lick chocolate chip cookies?
Can you provide any more info on anything else that happened in the story? As you said, covers can vary over time and regions, so the only clue we're left with from your description is "brother and sister run away from home and there is a story about it."
Here's a guess:
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
A brother and sister run away from home and live in a museum for awhile.
My friend suggested The Golden Compass, but I've never read it so I can't say for sure.
This one will last for a long time.