If you are reading this, you probably really love books.

But what if they were forbidden? Would you love them even more?  Would you fight for them? Would you keep the stories in your head and pass them on so they would never be lost?

Imagine if there was just one book left in the world. What would you do to keep it safe?

If it is hard for you to imagine such a terrible time and place, to understand what the world might be like without the sharing of thoughts, ideas, and stories, it’s a good time to pick up a dystopian novel.

There is nothing like a good dystopian novel to help you really appreciate the value of shared ideas. And there are excellent examples for young adults. Three thrilling ones:

The Giver by Lois Lowry (age 12 +)

The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick (age 12 +)

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (age 14-15+)

All of these books challenge assumptions and push the reader to see things in a different light. Like all dystopian novels, they use a situation that is fantastical to highlight issues and ideas that resonate with modern readers.

If you like good storytelling, suspense, adversity, and you wonder what the world would be like if you had to fight for the right to read, give these a try. You will never see the world the same way again.