Le Morte d'Arthur is a classic tale of loyalty, love, and death. Malory assembles some French and English Arthurian romances, along with some additions of his own. The outline of the story will be familiar to many, it is the source for many modern Arthurian authors, but modern retellings present only a fraction of the original Malory. First printed in 1485 it is likely it will be as well known and loved in another 500 years.

Le Morte d'Arthur is a classic tale of loyalty, love, and death. Malory assembles some French and English Arthurian romances, along with some additions of his own. The outline of the story will be familiar to many, it is the source for many modern Arthurian authors, but modern retellings present only a fraction of the original Malory. First printed in 1485 it is likely it will be as well known and loved in another 500 years.

The lives of the poor and downtrodden during early 19th century France was, as this title suggests, miserable. This story by Victor Hugo centres on ex-convict Jean Valjean who is determined to escape his past and redeem himself. But a minor misdemeanour and a persistent policeman, Javert, puts Jean Valjean's efforts under constant threat. His freedom means that he is able to uphold his vow to look after, Cosette, the infant daughter of a prostitute. But what price freedom? Les Miserables brings us a story with history, love, moral arguments and much, much more. Powerful social commentary, moving and very touching.

Written in 1651 during the chaos of the English Civil War. Hobbes formulates the case for a powerful sovereign - or 'Leviathan' - to enforce peace and the law. The work was publicly burnt for sedition and blasphemy when it was first published. Hobbes' view that man's essential nature is competitive and selfish is as challenging today as it was when originally published, the work remains relevant to the modern world and stands as one of the most fascinating works of modern philosophy.

I'd recommend Little Brother over pretty much any book I've read this year, and I'd want to get it into the hands of as many smart 13 year olds, male and female, as I can.

Because I think it'll change lives. Because some kids, maybe just a few, won't be the same after they've read it. Maybe they'll change politically, maybe technologically. Maybe it'll just be the first book they loved or that spoke to their inner geek. Maybe they'll want to argue about it and disagree with it. Maybe they'll want to open their computer and see what's in there. I don't know. It made me want to be 13 again right now and reading it for the first time, and then go out and make the world better or stranger or odder. It's a wonderful, important book, in a way that renders its flaws pretty much meaningless.

-- Neil Gaiman, author of ANASI BOYS

 

A worthy younger sibling to Orwell's 1984, Cory Doctorow's LITTLE BROTHER is lively, precocious, and most importantly, a little scary.

-- Brian K Vaughn, author of Y: THE LAST MAN

The writings of Charles Dickens were often critical of society and government. This satire, Little Dorrit was also an outlet for Dickens' opinion of prison, particularly debtor's prisons. There people (including Dickens' own) who failed to pay their debts were imprisoned, paradoxically unable to work, until the debt was repaid. The story of Little Dorrit (whose father is imprisoned for debt) tells of the courtship between herself and Arthur Clennam and demonstrates the grim effects of imprisonment on those within as well as those beyond but whose lives are inextricably intertwined.