AP Reading List (Titles Used on the AP Exam)
Most Frequently Cited Books in AP Lit Exam 1970-2014
26 Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
20 Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
18 Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
17 King Lear by William Shakespeare
16 Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevski
16 Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
16 Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
15 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
15 Moby Dick by Herman Melville
14 Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
13 The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
13 Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zorah Neale Hurston
12 The Awakening by Kate Chopin
12 Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
12 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
11 Billy Budd by Herman Melville
11 Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko
11 Light in August by William Faulkner
10 Antigone by Sophocles
10 As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
10 Beloved by Toni Morrison
10 The Color Purple by Alice Walker
10 The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
10 Native Son by Richard Wright
10 Othello by William Shakespeare
10 Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
10 A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
9 Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
9 A Passage to India by E. M. Forster
9 A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
8 All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
8 Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
8 Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
8 Candide by Voltaire
8 The Crucible by Arthur Miller
8 The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
8 Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy
8 The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
8 Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
8 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard
8 Sula by Toni Morrison
8 Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
7 All the King?s Men by Robert Penn Warren
7 Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
7 Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
7 Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad
7 Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
7 The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
7 Oedipus Rex by Sophocles
7 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
7 The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
7 The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
7 The Tempest by William Shakespeare
7 Tess of the D?Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
7 Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
6 Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
6 A Doll? s House by Henrik Ibsen
6 An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen
6 Equus by Peter Shaffer
6 Gulliver? s Travels by Jonathan Swift
6 Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen
6 Major Barbara by George Bernard Shaw
6 Medea by Euripides
6 The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
6 Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe
6 Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
6 Murder in the Cathedral by T. S. Eliot
6 Obasan by Joy Kogawa
6 The Piano Lesson by August Wilson
6 The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
6 Who?s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee
5 Bleak House by Charles Dickens
5 The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chkhov
5 Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
5 Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
5 Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin
5 Hamlet by William Shakespeare
5 Macbeth by William Shakespeare
5 Mrs. Warren?s Profession by George Bernard Shaw
5 Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser
5 A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
5 Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
5 Wise Blood by Flannery O?Connor
Shakespeare - All Plays Total = 80
2 Anthony and Cleopatra
4 As You Like It
5 Hamlet
3 Henry IV, Parts I and II
1 Henry V
4 Julius Caesar
17 King Lear
5 Macbeth
6 Merchant of Venice
2 A Midsummer Night's Dream
2 Much Ado About Nothing
9 Othello
1 Richard III
4 Romeo and Juliet
7 The Tempest
4 Twelfth Night
4 Winter's Tale
Classical Greek & Roman Literature = 30
1 The Aeneid by Virgil
10 Antigone by Sophocles
1 The Eumenides by Aeschylus
1 The Iliad by Homer
1 Lysistrata by Aristophanes
6 Medea by Euripides
3 The Odyssey by Homer
6 Oedipus Rex by Sophocles
1 The Orestia by Aeschylus
This site will be updated and refreshed periodically to include new titles written for children and young adults or to delete other titles that may no longer be available or appropriate.
For the California Reading List website click on the following link and access the CALIFORNIA READING LIST(level 7)
Some popular novels:
*NOTE: While popular novels, some of these titles may not qualify for "P.R.I.D.E." Book Reports due to movies or AR Quiz availability. Please confirm choices with your instructor.
Salinger, J.D.
Catcher in the Rye
214 p.
Holden Caulfield underground in New York City, searching for truth.
Blume, Judy
Forever
220 p.
Two high school seniors believe their love to be so strong that it will last forever.
Anonymous,
Go Ask Alice
159 p.
The chronicles of a 15-year-old drug user, struggling to get clean.
Cormier, Robert
The Chocolate War
191 p.
Refusing to sell boxes of school chocolates can be very dangerous.
Frank, Anne
Diary of a Young Girl
335 p.
Anne's innermost feelings, written in her secret hiding place.
Angelou, Maya
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
289 p.
An African American writer's painful youth.
Lee, Harper
To Kill a Mockingbird
281 p.
A sleepy Southern town is awakened by tragedy and changed forever.
Lowry, Lois
The Giver
180 p.
Entrusted with his society's memories, Jonas discovers some terrible secrets.
Golding, William
Lord of the Flies
208 p.
A group of schoolboys, stranded on a deserted island without grownups, are forced to fend for themselves and create a society of their own.
Block, Francesca Lia
Weetzie Bat
113 p.
The wild adventures of Weetzie and her cool L.A. friends - Dirk, Duck and My-Secret-Agent-Lover-Man.
L'Engle, Madeleine
A Wrinkle In Time
211 p.
After an atomic physicist disappears, his children and their friend go on an interplanetary search through time and space to find him.
View this book in the catalog
Paulsen, Gary
Hatchet
195 p.
When his plane crashes in the wilderness, 13-year-old Brian must survive on his own, with only a hatchet to aid him.
Potok, Chaim
The Chosen
271 p.
Two Jewish boys with different religious traditions become friends and grow up together in Brooklyn, New York.
Walker, Alice
The Color Purple
295 p.
In letters to God, Celie, an African American woman who has suffered abuse and despair, talks about her past sorrows and her positive outlook for the future.
Knowles, John
A Separate Peace
196 p.
In a New England boys high school at the beginning of World War II, a pair of close friends face a life-altering experience.
Daly, Maureen
Seventeenth Summer
291 p.
For Angie Morrow, it would be a summer she'd never forget.
Spiegelman, Art
Maus
159 p.
The son of a Holocaust survivor tells his father's story in comic book form.
Tolkien, J.R.R.
The Hobbit
304 p.
Bilbo Baggins, a happy and comfortable Hobbit, is drawn into a fantastic adventure by Gandalf the Wizard.
Zindel, Paul
The Pigman
158 p.
Two unhappy high school sophomores and their intriguing relationship with an elderly man.
Top Teen Series
*NOTE: While popular novels, some of these titles may not qualify for "P.R.I.D.E." Book Reports due to movies or AR Quiz availability. Please confirm choices with your instructor.
Among the best series for teens. Most are classics with lasting power. For instance, Nancy Drew books and books by Lois Duncan are classic teen book series dealing with mystery and suspense. Newer book series with a teenage heroine are Buffy, Queen B Superheroine, and Alias. These new series are now available as ebooks and paperback so the hip high-tech teen can download the ebooks and read them on the go, or they can be traditional and read the paperback version. Other teen favorites are the Mediator Series by Meg Cabot and Fearless. Strong young female leads, a colorful supporting cast, and intriguing story lines are what make these series TOPS.
'Darkest Hour (The Mediator) (Mediator)'
'Reunion'
'Wired (Fearless)'
'Fake (Fearless)'
'On The Edge: Stories At The Brink'
'CHRONICALLY CRUSHED CLUELESS (Clueless)'
'Bad Dreams (Fear Street)'
'The WRONG NUMBER (FEAR STREET ) : THE WRONG NUMBER'
'Surprise Party (Fear Street)'
'Goodnight Kiss (Fear Street Super Chiller)'
'The CHEATING HEART (NANCY DREW FILES 99) : THE CHEATING HEART'
'Out of Control Nancy Drew Hardy Boys Supermystery'
'Two of a Kind? (Alias)'
'Authorized Personnel Only (Alias)'
'Reborn (Queen B Superheroine, No. 1)'
'QUEEN B'S GUIDE TO BEING A SUPERHEROINE'
'Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Slayers Handbook (Buffy RPG)'
'Skinny-dipping (Au Pairs)'
'Money Matters Workbook for Teens (ages 15-18)'
Money matters such as savings and investing.
'IF... Questions for Teens'
Not a bad book handling sensitive questions.
'Changing Bodies, Changing Lives: Expanded Third Edition: A Book for Teens on Sex and Relationships'
In case you don't know, here's a book about the birds and the bees.
Top Teen Series
*NOTE: While popular novels, some of these titles may not qualify for "P.R.I.D.E." Book Reports due to movies or AR Quiz availability. Please confirm choices with your instructor.
1. Darkest Hour (The Mediator) (Mediator)
by Jenny Carroll
2. Reunion
by Jenny Carroll
3. Wired (Fearless)
by Francine Pascal
4. Fake (Fearless)
by Francine Pascal
5. On The Edge: Stories At The Brink
by Lois Duncan, Wayne McLoughlin (Illustrator)
6. CHRONICALLY CRUSHED CLUELESS (Clueless)
by Randi Reisfeld
7. Bad Dreams (Fear Street)
by R.L. Stine
8. The WRONG NUMBER (FEAR STREET ) : THE WRONG NUMBER
by R.L. Stine
9. Surprise Party (Fear Street)
by R.L. Stine
10. Goodnight Kiss (Fear Street Super Chiller)
by R. L. Stine
11. The CHEATING HEART (NANCY DREW FILES 99) : THE CHEATING HEART
by Carolyn Keene
12. Out of Control Nancy Drew Hardy Boys Supermystery
by Carolyn Keene
13. Two of a Kind? (Alias)
by Greg Cox, J. J. Abrams (Creator)
14. Authorized Personnel Only (Alias)
by Paul Ruditis, J. J. Abrams (Creator)
15. Reborn (Queen B Superheroine, No. 1) [Download: Adobe Reader]
by Kailin Gowle
16. QUEEN B'S GUIDE TO BEING A SUPERHEROINE [Download: Adobe Reader]
by Queen B, Kailin Gow
17. Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Slayers Handbook (Buffy RPG)
by Various
18. Skinny-dipping (Au Pairs)
by Melissa de la Cruz
19. Money Matters Workbook for Teens (ages 15-18)
by Larry Burkett, Todd Temple
20. IF... Questions for Teens
by Evelyn Mcfarlane, James Saywell
But wait....there's more...for teens
*NOTE: While popular novels, some of these titles may not qualify for "P.R.I.D.E." Book Reports due to movies or AR Quiz availability. Please confirm choices with your instructor.
1. Changing Bodies, Changing Lives: Expanded Third Edition: A Book for Teens on Sex and Relationships
by Ruth Bell
2. Capt. Hook: The Adventures of a Notorious Youth
by J.V. Hart and Brett Helquist
Describes the youthful adventures of J.M. Barrie's classic character, Captain Hook, from his days at Eton to his voyages on the high sea.
3. Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment
by James Patterson
After the mutant Erasers abduct the youngest member of their group, the "birdkids," who are the result of genetic experimentation, take off in pursuit and find themselves struggling to understand their own origins and purpose.
4. Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan
by John Flanagan
When fifteen-year-old Will is rejected by battleschool, he becomes the reluctant apprentice to the mysterious Ranger Halt, and winds up protecting the kingdom from danger.
5. The Riddles of Epsilon
by Christine Morton-Shaw
After moving with her parents to a remote English island, fourteen-year-old Jess attempts to dispel an ancient curse by solving a series of riddles, aided by Epsilon, a supernatural being.
6. Tiger
by Jeff Stone
Five young warrior-monk brothers survive an insurrection and must use the ancient arts to avenge their Grandmaster.
7. Uglies
by Scott Westerfeld
Tally is almost 16, the age when residents of Uglyville have their unattractive physical attributes replaced to make them drop-dead gorgeous. Unfortunately, Tally?s friendship with renegade Shay may disrupt Tally?s dream of physical beauty.
8. Looking for Normal
by Betty Monthei
Twelve-year-old Annie and her younger brother, Ted, try to cope with their turbulent emotions, as well as with their grandmother's terrible anger and grief, after their father kills their mother and then commits suicide.
9. Shakespeare's Secret
by Elise Broach
Named after a character in a Shakespeare play, misfit sixth-grader Hero becomes interested in exploring this unusual connection because of a valuable diamond supposedly hidden in her new house, an intriguing neighbor, and the unexpected attention of the most popular boy in school.
10. The Cryptid Hunters
by Roland Smith
Twins, Grace and Marty, along with a mysterious uncle, are dropped into the middle of the Congolese jungle in search of their missing photojournalist parents.
11. The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch
by Joseph Delaney
Young Tom, the seventh son of a seventh son, starts work as an apprentice for the village spook, whose job is to protect ordinary folk from "ghouls, boggarts, and all manner of wicked beasties."
12. The Last Universe
by William Sleator
When her desperately ill older brother insists that she take him into their mysterious backyard garden, designed by their quantum physicist great uncle, fourteen-year-old Susan discovers that things are not always what they seem.
13. The Witch's Boy
by Michael Gruber
An ugly baby boy, raised by a wise woman, nursed by a bear, and tutored by a djinn, causes great unhappiness for himself and others in this elegant, literary fairytale filled with twists on familiar stories.
14. Wolf Brother
by Michelle Paver
6,000 years in the past, twelve-year-old Tarak and his guide, a wolf cub, set out on a dangerous journey to fulfill an oath the boy made to his dying father--to travel to the Mountain of the World Spirit seeking a way to destroy a demon-possessed bear that threatens all the clans.
Review it!
The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown Average
Angels and Demons by Dan Brown Average
Digital Fortress by Dan Brown Average
Deception Point by Dan Brown Average
The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason Challenging
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson Challenging
Dracula by Bram Stoker Challenging
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Challenging
Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde Challenging
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkein Average
The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkein Average
The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkein Average
The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkein Average
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling Easy Reading
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling Easy Reading
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling Easy Reading
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling Easy Reading
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling Easy Reading
Check back often for new additions to the list of books.
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