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Best Books for Back to School: Classics, Study Guides and School Stories

When the school year starts, these books come with it: well-known classics, stories set in schools and practical books on how to learn.

Each book has a one-line hook and a plain note on what you get from it, so you can choose without opening every page.

Best for: Students, teachers and anyone who likes a school setting.

This list: 15 books picked by hand for the season.
Order: Not a ranking.

15 books

1849
David Copperfield
Charles Dickens
Classics · Melancholic
A boy’s journey from orphan to writer
What you get: A rich, funny and moving story with unforgettable characters and a hero you cheer for.
Amazon Description
Villette
1853
Villette
Charlotte Brontë
Classics · Melancholic
A shy teacher in a Belgian school
What you get: A moving, absorbing story of independence and feeling in a foreign city.
Amazon Description
1860
Great Expectations
Charles Dickens
Classics · Melancholic
An orphan, a convict and a mysterious fortune
What you get: A richly drawn story with memorable characters, intriguing secrets and a young hero finding his way. Dickens at his most atmospheric, with a touching, well-earned ending.
Amazon Description
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
1933
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
James Hilton
Classics · Warm
A schoolmaster’s life at an English boarding school
What you get: A gentle, moving portrait of a life of quiet devotion that leaves you smiling.
Amazon Description
1940
How to Read a Book
Mortimer J. Adler
Self-help · Thoughtful
How to get more from the books you read
What you get: Practical, clear guidance that helps you read with more focus, insight and enjoyment.
Amazon Description
1951
The Catcher in the Rye
J. D. Salinger
Classics · Melancholic
Expelled from Pencey Prep, Holden Caulfield spends a few days wandering New York City before Christmas
What you get: A strong, honest voice that pulls you into a few memorable days in New York. It captures the feeling of being young and searching, with humor and heart.
Amazon Description
1959
A Separate Peace
John Knowles
Classics · Melancholic
A friendship at a New England boarding school
What you get: A concise, powerful story about youth and loyalty that stays with you.
Amazon Description
1961
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Muriel Spark
Classics · Thoughtful
A charismatic teacher at an Edinburgh girls' school takes six ten-year-old pupils under her wing in the 1930s
What you get: A brilliant, funny and sharp little novel with a teacher you will not forget.
Amazon Description
1965
Stoner
John Williams
Literary Fiction · Melancholic
A quiet professor’s life
What you get: A calm, moving portrait that makes you appreciate work, love and small victories.
Amazon Description
1992
The Secret History
Donna Tartt
Literary Fiction · Dark
A group of classics students and a murder
What you get: A gripping, atmospheric, richly written tale that pulls you into a world of secrets, beauty and obsession.
Amazon Description
1999
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Stephen Chbosky
Young Adult · Melancholic
A shy boy writes letters to a stranger
What you get: A warm, relatable story told through letters, with a narrator who feels like a close friend. It captures what it is like to find your people.
Amazon Description
2003
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Bill Bryson
Nonfiction · Light
The history of the universe, life and everything on Earth
What you get: A cheerful, fascinating tour of how the universe, Earth and life work, full of surprising stories.
Amazon Description
2005
Never Let Me Go
Kazuo Ishiguro
Science Fiction · Melancholic
Three students at a boarding school with a secret
What you get: A beautifully restrained, deeply moving story about friendship, memory and what it means to be human.
Amazon Description
2014
Make It Stick
Peter C. Brown & Henry L. Roediger III & Mark A. McDaniel
Self-help · Hopeful
The science of how we learn best
What you get: Evidence-based, practical ideas that make studying feel smarter and more effective.
Amazon Description
2018
Educated
Tara Westover
Nonfiction · Melancholic
A girl who grew up without school goes to Cambridge
What you get: A remarkable true story of a girl who teaches herself and reaches the world of universities. It is inspiring, beautifully told and leaves you grateful for every classroom.
Amazon Description