can to help the Hummels when their baby gets sick and as a result she contracts Scarlet Fever.

This novel follows the Mach women as they fall in and out of love, and lose and find themselves and eventually wind up where they belong. The loving and forgiving nature of the characters are what give this novel it's depth. Little Women will be a classic as long as women have sisters.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury published 1953

Ray Bradbury is an American writer born in Waukegan, Illinois. His mother was a Swedish immigrant and his father was a telephone lineman. Despite never having attended college Ray became a very successful writer. He is the author of the classic novel Fahrenheit 451 and he is also the creator of the immensely popular "Addams Family."

Fahrenheit 451 is set in a version of our world where books have been outlawed and a person's main source of information comes mainly from an uber-interactive television set.

The main character of Fahrenheit 451 is Guy Montag. Guy works as a fireman, but his job is not to put out fires it is to set them. Any person who is caught with books in their home will have their books and their home torched by the firemen. Sometimes the offenders even burn with their houses.

The reader enters Guy's life in the middle of a personal crisis he is having. Guy has discovered a love for books and has begun hiding them in his house. He has become too terrified to go to work yet he cannot bring himself to destroy his books. When Guy's wife Mildred discovers his secret, she turns him into the authorities and Guy is forced to make the decision to leave his life behind. Guy gets past the firemen and goes on the run with the help of his newfound friend Faber, a former English professor.

Fahrenheit 451 is a very compelling read. Any lover of books would be horrified at the idea of life without them. What makes this novel scary is the fact that this very form of censorship has been used in our world. This novel really makes you wonder would it be worse to burn with your books or live in a world without them.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee published 1960

Harper Lee was born in Monroeville, Alabama. She lived her life as a frugal woman and was dedicated to writing and family. She attended the University of Alabama in pursuit of a degree in law but she never graduated. In 2007 Harper Lee was awarded "The presidential Medal of Freedom"in the U.S. for her contribution to American Literature with her only novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird."

To Kill a Mockingbird is set in Maycomb, Alabama. The story is set around the Finch family. Atticus Finch is a lawyer and a widower and his two children Jem and Scout who are the novel's central characters.

The Finch family gets caught up in a nasty drama when Atticus decides to defend Tom Robinson, a black man who has been wrongly accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman. Atticus tries to shelter his children from the unfolding tragedy, but Jem and Scout are determined to know what is happening. As events unfold the Finch children learn a lot about humanity and the true meaning of bravery.

To Kill a Mockingbird is one of those novels that every American should read. Characters like Boo Radley, Atticus, Jem and Scout Finch and Bob Ewell will stick in your mind for better or worse.

These are only some of the countless classic novels that are worth reading. There are many, many more wonderful novels just waiting to be read, so add these to your list and keep on reading.

Learn more about this author, Shelly Barclay.
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