Monster

Written by: Walter Dean Myers

First line: The best time to cry is at night, when the lights are out and someone is being beaten up and screaming for help.

Why you should read this book: In this modern classic of children's literature, Steve Harmon, a good kid who got himself mixed up with some bad people, awaits the verdict that will dictate the rest of his life: he's sixteen years old and he's been charged with murder, even though he didn't pull the trigger and barely even did anything except look inside a drug store. He's young, black, and scared, and his mind tries to mediate the terror and uncertainly of his situation by rewriting his experience as a script for a screenplay, giving him some emotional distance not only from the events at hand, but also from his actions in the past. A powerful story about decision-making, responsibility taking, and the choices we make casually and repent in fullness when we understand their repercussions.

Why you shouldn't read this book: Someone in your family was recently shot at work.