May the Best Generation Win-The Power of Hope, The Hope for Tomorrow-Reuben, the Love Guru; The Great Life Debate-The Future of Life; and many more. “For as long as I remember, I’ve loved stories. Before I learned to read, I loved the storytellers in my life. I loved them because I could imagine myself in their worlds. As I grew older, my love for stories led to my love for words. Through these stories, I was able to express my unique thoughts, feelings, and dreams. They were a creative outlet. As I grew older, the stories and books I came to know helped to shape me into who I am today. Through this, I learned about myself and the world around me. As a very young child, I learned about the power of words and dreams through the story, The Wizard of OZ. It was through the creative expressions of others that I learned to see my own unique power and the importance of the ideas that come from the heart. Reading has always been important to me. When I read the words of others, I am able to experience and create a new world for myself. It’s this world where I know that anything is possible and that things are never as bad as they seem. What sets the reader apart from the rest is his creativity, and his imagination, to see the possibilities and to reach for the stars. “…I believe that the more we read, the more we will become a better version of ourselves. It is our lives that make each story. Our world is what makes the story unique.” – Kiki VanDeWeghe, A Reading List of Hope and Change Today, we’re going to talk about book series—a book series and book list we love, with tips on what you can do if you’re planning a booklist series. “Books give us a break from reality. They give us an excuse to be somebody else, and somebody better.” – Nicholas Sparks, The Lucky One In fiction, whether it’s historical, realistic, or futuristic, story doesn’t end when the last page is closed. Even so, book lists are often the way we remember the journey. Whether it’s because we’re too young or have short memories to remember things more than a week, we all have book lists that define us and, ultimately, help us through life. As you can imagine, some series are so great we consider them an author’s life’s work and a world we can’t leave. Others have changed our lives as a reader and we’re still recommending them, all because they were that good. These are the top three book series we would recommend to any young adult: 1. The Giver by Lois Lowry When you’re in the 8th grade and being picked on is just a natural part of the game, you really can’t blame the jock. Lowry’s character and her struggles are a familiar one to many, yet she gives us something we can all relate to: “A story was supposed to have a happy ending.” The Giver is unique in a way that it’s so widely considered “universal.” We can’t help but love the underdog, an oppressed teen whose life is nothing like our own, and through her travels, we can experience hope, love, and the power of imagination. As a young reader, I loved it, but as I grew older, I realized I was in love with the story—its characters and their triumphs. Lowry gives us characters that were flawed, yet still human, so we can forgive their flaws because they’re still the best anyone can hope to be. 2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins I’ll admit I have a weakness for dystopian, so Suzanne Collins’s bestselling series was a natural choice. I couldn’t put it down, and it’s been ten years now since I read it for the first time. Still, I can’t help but love this series more than many because of its setting. I never lived in a world where everyone was kept to a certain class. The only characters I knew of that could do that were the aristocracy and, obviously, I was never one of those. The Hunger Games: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins You know, when you’re reading about the poor, working class, and have no power in the matter, it becomes a reality. Not everyone’s equal; this is something we all feel, something that should never be taken lightly. This trilogy’s power of anarchy makes us consider why we think we deserve more than someone else—why would we? Why aren’t we fighting for what we know to be right? I wouldn’t recommend this series for anyone who isn’t at least 16 years old, but even though it’s a younger series, it never ceases to amaze me. It’s not often we get a chance to live through these kinds of things, but it’s always great knowing we are on the right side of the law—no matter what. 3. The Iron Witch by R.J. Palacio I know. We’re recommending one about books as a series, and this is the one. I mean, okay, I’m being honest, I went on the Amazon website at 9 pm just to find it, because, honestly, I thought it was a typo. The title was so long, but I couldn’t imagine why it was still on my Kindle. I guess that shows the power of these books, and more importantly, the importance of reading. R.J. Palacio’sThe Iron Witchis a series you can find for children of all ages. It’s a story where the main character, a young, struggling reader and his family are all readers and readers who know this is important and that one day, that’s something to be proud of. I’ve never seen anything like this before, and after this book, I went on Amazon and just ordered every other book in the series—no joke. From the Publisher: When an injury forces Owen to spend a year in a wheelchair, he also grows closer to a fellow patient—a seemingly normal boy named Stephen. Owen becomes increasingly concerned when Stephen exhibits an eerie fascination with maps of a mysterious island that they both know is real. Is there a connection between this ghost island and Stephen’s desire to remain confined to his wheelchair? And why are the maps eerily accurate—right down to the individual blades of grass? Owen can’t get the boy out of his head. When he begins to sense that Stephen might be more than he seems, he embarks on a mission to learn more about the boy. But just when Owen is about to uncover the truth about Stephen, he is kidnapped and told to forget everything. The series also includes The Boy Who Loved Books Too Much by Maureen Johnson and The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. From The New York Times bestselling author of If I Stay, The Replacement and The Spectacular Now comes the story of the most talked-about, least-understood girl in America, written for readers to discover in time to experience the full impact of Jennifer Lawrence’s new role as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The Hunger Games Trilogy, and the phenomenon that made it one of the most talked-about, least-understood stories in all of young adult literature, captured the imagination of a generation and became a cultural touchstone. Now, in THE MATCHMAKER, Suzanne Collins breaks new ground as she explores the world of Katniss outside the arena—where romance and heartbreak are real. Katniss Everdeen has survived, even thrived, as the Victor of the 74th Annual Hunger Games. But as she starts tp return to life in District 12, Katniss discovers there are casualties in every war and she is visited by a force of rebels, who warn her of the true cost of the games. Favorite series of all time? The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling. Favorite heroine in the series? There have been so many that I have fallen in love with over the years! Some stand out for being great and some because of the story. I guess it would be Katniss or Hermione. I would have to say Hermione because I loved her character. One of the things that I love so much about this series is the fact that it’s not quite a “fairytale” so there’s not always a happily ever after. There’s no big happy ending at the end but there’s hope and happiness. Most popular characters? I think they all had really great characters. Even the bad guys were interesting. They felt like characters you’d know and could connect with, but the ones that were more dangerous and not so friendly were interesting as well. What I loved most about the stories is that they aren’t just about the story and sometimes not even about the story—they’re about finding yourself and your power within the story. They’re about living out of your own story and about letting yourself believe in something greater than yourself—something that can give you hope, help you find a way, or just help