Timeless Tales

When I was in elementary school, some of my favorite things to read were classics. I checked out as many as I could find from the library and ordered more to add to my own collection. Years later, I still love classics. These tales are timeless, and I’ve put together an assortment of six books for different age groups.

Anne of Green Gables-

“My life is a perfect graveyard of buried hopes.”

This book is great for readers of all ages, starting in early elementary school. It would make a perfect read-aloud for the young bookworms in your life. Anne of Green Gables follows the adventures of a young orphan who goes to live with Marilla and Matthew at Green Gables. Heartwarming and comical, this classic was written in 1908 and continues to delight young readers over a hundred years later.

Little Women-

“I’m always possessed to burst out with some particularly blunt speech or revolutionary sentiment before her; it’s my doom, and I can’t help it.”

While this book can be read by upper elementary students, it is much more appreciated by the junior-high crowd and above. Written by author Louisa May Alcott, it’s set during the Civil War. The four main characters are sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. Love, heartbreak, death, and war are all topics that are masterfully discussed. Inspired by much of the author’s own childhood, this book is my all-time favorite novel.

Romeo and Juliet-

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”

The best age for this Shakespeare play would be high schoolers. While most are familiar with the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet, reading the original play takes us into a whole different world. This being my favorite Shakespeare play, it makes a fantastic read full of romance and adventure.

The title characters Romeo and Juliet fall in love but unfortunately cannot be together. This story has a theme of ‘enemies to lovers,’ which I personally adore. Make sure you have a box of tissues for this one!

Content warning: Implied sexual interaction, suicide, and moderate violence.

Sense and Sensibility-

“If I could but know his heart, everything would become easy.”

Follow sisters Marianne and Elinor Dashwood on their journey to find love. This book would be great for the high school age group, mostly because of the old English writing. Jane Austen takes us back in time to explore the years with Marianne and Elinor.

Content warning: Pregnancy out of wedlock, mild profanity.

The Wizard of Oz-

“Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don’t you think?”

Readers of all ages will enjoy following Dorothy, the Lion, Tinman, and Scarecrow on their yellow-brick-road journey to see the Wizard! Enchanted poppies, wicked witches, and flying monkeys are all amongst the things they encounter. Perfect for the experienced reader or as a read-aloud for the younger ones, this book will not disappoint.

A Christmas Carol-

“Bah,” said Scrooge, “Humbug.”

Charles Dickens creates a story that tells the tale of Scrooge, an old man so miserable and harsh that he no longer sees the need or importance of family and friends. When he has a supernatural experience, Scrooge begins his journey to change his ways. This story has many important values and would be enjoyed by those in junior high and above.

Content warning: Dark humor (“dead as a doornail”), life-threatening illness, and death.

One of my favorite things about literature is that anyone can write something. Then sometimes hundreds of years later, someone will pick up a book and read their words and find inspiration in them. Of these six classics, the most recent is Anne of Green Gables and that is over a hundred years old. While the books get older, the characters never age, and readers today and even those not born yet will still be able to delight in their words.