Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
(in honor of school starting back up soon, come up with your own topic that fits the theme of school or learning! Books that take place at school/boarding school/during study abroad, books you read in school, textbooks you liked/didn’t like, non-fiction books you loved or want to read, etc.)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone by J.K. Rowling
This one is pretty obvious, and a MUST in this category, because who doesn’t hope that they receive a letter by owl to be accepted into Hogwarts school of Wizardry!? This takes place mostly at the school between all our favorite wizards and magical creatures. This was a series I grew up with and they hold a special place in my heart. It feels like home picking up one of these books and would be the perfect book to get you in the mood for learning new things!
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli 
School is such a huge transitional time for us all, especially high school. This is when we start to find out who we are, where we fit in this world, and what we want to do with our lives. Its also where we find out who we love, and what better book to describe that journey than this one. As Simon tries to survive his junior year, you will fall in love with his character and just hope that he makes it to summer in one piece.
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
This book is about a boarding school for vampires to learn about their magic and for their half humans to learn to protect them. Full of hot guys, forbidden romance, and lots of action you might want to wait til you finish all your homework before starting this one. Because once you do start, it will be near impossible to put down. And once you devour this book, you have five more after it to keep you plenty occupied!
Carrie by Stephen King
When talking about books that take place in school, I had to include Carrie. Stephen King is one of my favorite authors, and nobody can forget the story of Carrie. The unfortunate side of school is that there are always cliques of people no matter how hard you try and believe that everyone is equal. And sometimes there are mean kids. This book will give the mean kids a reason to think twice though. Pranks gone too far, and bullying to the extreme ends in a nightmare of a scenario when a troubled girl comes into a power that changes everything.
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Even demigods tend to have a hard time in school, just take Percy Jackson for example. When off at boarding school he continues to have a hard time paying attention and even thinks he might be losing his mind when he sees strange things happening. Until his mom tells him the truth about who he really is, and he is then sent to Camp Half Blood to be among others like him. Here he can be who he was always meant to be and learn what he can do. If only that could be the case for everyone with attention problems!
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
School isn’t a walk in the park for everyone, and in some cases things can be more tragic than you ever imagined. Horrible things can happen and most of the time they are beyond our control. But I think its important to include the bad with the good, because we all need to learn from the mistakes of others, and to try and be better people because of these tragedies. In Thirteen Reasons Why we learn that sometimes its not just one reason but a lot that can cause someone to take drastic measures to prove a point. There is a lot more that goes into this situation but to get you thinking about how you want to treat others, and to be aware of your actions, this book does get you thinking. And hopefully helps you see that you can fight for your life even if things all seem lost. If not for yourself, then at least for all of those who love you. And trust me, there are a lot who love you whether you realize it or not.
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
There’s not a better way to start of the year than with a sweet Romantic Comedy. And a little french kissing doesn’t hurt either. So I feel that this book is the perfect inclusion in this list. When Anna goes to boarding school in France for her senior year, leaving everything behind in Atlanta, including her crush, she doesn’t expect to find friendships and maybe even love in another country where she can barely speak the language. But don’t we all dream of that foreign love story that spans all language barriers? I know I do 🙂
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
At this point whenever author Maggie Steifvater has a book published I immediately add it to whatever reading pile I have going because her writing is some of the best I have ever read. And this being one of her earlier series makes them all that much more special. The love story in these still makes me have butterflies. So trust me when I say that you should read these. All homework be damned, these books will take over all priorities while you fall helplessly in love with Sam and his sweet ways. And did I mention that our leading lady works in a bookstore? I mean can this be any more perfect?! While the setting doesn’t completely take place in school, Grace is currently in high school, and trying to get through all the normal functions of teenage life while also dealing with some supernatural ones as well. Werewolves and a love story, need I say more?
The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket
This is book # 5 in one of my favorite middle grade series of all times. The Series of Unfortunate Events is such a unique reading experience. Where most stories are based off of the hopes of a happily ever after, and for hopeful inspiration to get you through life, these are said to be as the title clearly states, unfortunate. You are warned from the first page that if you are looking for rainbows and butterflies that these are not the books for you, and that you should turn away now and never pick these up again, because the story of the Baudelaires isn’t one of happiness. But in my experience that only made me more intrigued to find out why things are just so bad for these poor orphans? This one specifically takes place at a boarding school that the Baudelaires end up at after a string of well, unfortunate events. These books are fantastic and the voice of Lemony Snicket is so unique and captivating that you can hardly put them down.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
And no list about books that take place in school would be complete without our beloved Lara Jean! This sweet rom com story takes place all in high school as Lara Jean’s life is flipped upside down when her secret love letters get out and the people who they are written for suddenly know all her secrets and thoughts she has had about them for so many years. I would have died had this been me in my high school career, but Lara Jean handles it the best she can and things somehow work out better than she could have hoped. So much of high school is not just about learning and life lessons, but also about love. Its such a delicate time in life where you are having so many firsts, and its important to have these things with someone you trust and love and who respects you. And in this book we see how this can happen even when we least expect it.
Lets Discuss
Hope you like my picks, I tried to keep it to the list as best as I could! These were all some really good books and I am happy I could fit them into this list! Do you have any favorite books that take place in school setting?! What would you pick? Let me know in the comments below!
