Alan Gibbons, author of Hate
The Crew by Bali Rai
Few people write better about identity than Bali Rai. The Crew assembles a group of kids in what the media calls a 'tough' neighbourhood, but the novel is about love and friendship. The cast reflects modern Britain and is made up of people – not stereotypes.
Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman
Malorie Blackman's classic Noughts and Crosses approaches identity in a different way, by imagining a society where black people constitute the ruling class and white people are the oppressed. It is an intelligent, challenging and provocative read.
Sita Brahmachari, author of Red Leaves
The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan
This book is something rare, beautiful and true that speaks straight to the heart of some of the most raw emotions that come with leaving your home and creating a new identity in a strange land.
I was transported by Kasienka's experience. From her arrival into Britain with nothing but a suitcase and a laundry bag, through her struggles to her eventual forging of friendship. She speaks direct to the reader about what it's like to have to reinvent yourself in a new language, culture, home and school. How do you hold onto who you are? What's at the root of your identity when your whole world floats?
I love that it's in the borderless element of water where Kasinenka finds that she can most be herself. This is such a profound, poetic and accessible book written with a lightness of touch and great humanity. Some books you just wish you had written yourself – for me, this is one of them!
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
Every author strives to paint a picture through their words, but in this book about the experience of migration, the masterpiece of storytelling is all in the images. It's a magical sepia world that Tan creates with his potent graphic storytelling ranging from disturbing visions of people fleeing holocaust and genocide to warm family scenes of how a person can feel a sense of hope and belonging by being invited to a table to share food and music.
The images in Tan's book have to be seen to be believed - a timeless epic tale in pictures for humans of any age. I have read The Arrival at least a thousand times but every time I turn its pages, just as I have right now, I make a new discovery... This book holds a mirror up to identity itself and in beautifully crafted image after image, manages to reflect its ever shifting.
Sita Brahmachari's book, Red Leaves, revolves around identity and the experience of refugees and will be published in September 2014.
Deborah Ellis, author of My Name is Parvana
The Tulip Touch by Anne Fine
Natalie loves her new friendship with the more charming and daring Tulip. But as time goes on and Tulip's actions take on a sinister tone, Natalie has to decide who she is and how she can be her own person.
Kate by Jean Little
Middle-schooler Kate's parents own a small-town book store. They all love to talk about books, but talking about religion is a different matter. One parent is Christian. The other is Jewish. When Kate wants to know who she is and where she fits into the scheme of things, she has to find out for herself.
The Chosen by Chaim Potok
In 1940s Brooklyn, 15-year-old Reuven forms an unusual friendship with Danny. Although both boys are Jewish, they inhabit very different worlds. Reuven is Modern Orthodox, and Danny is the heir apparent to the leadership of an important Hassidic group. Through their friendship, they learn about each other and the possibilities for faith, thought and knowledge in the world.
Bali Rai, author of Web of Darkness
The Outsiders by S E Hinton
THE book of my teenage years that felt raw and real and un-sanitised. Even though it was about US teens in the late 1960s, I felt more of a connection with them than any of the teen protagonists in the contemporary British books during the 1980s. I was so desperate for novels that reflected just a fraction of my own inner-city reality, but there were none. Then I picked this up and, despite the cultural differences between my experience and blue-collar US lives, I loved it! I think it should be compulsory reading for anyone who wants to write about teens.
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend
Sue was my role model and my writing hero. She lived in my city and wrote about people who might actually live next door. Once I read this, I truly believed that I could become just like her and get published.
Sue was real and touchable in a way that Dahl and CS Lewis never were. Every line, every character, everything in the books: all is touched with warmth, affection, humour and a proper understanding of the real lives of ordinary folk living in a city that isn't London. Adrian Mole is one of the best ever British literary creations. Another must-read, for everyone!
Site member TheOxygenJunkie
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Despite its status as a modern classic, The Bell Jar still continues to be relevant to teenagers today. I think pretty much every teenager struggling with the direction of their future has felt scared, alienated and overwhelmed like Esther Greenwood. The novel's exploration of mental health issues is particularly poignant when you consider that Plath killed herself a month after the initial UK publication.
Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson
Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit often gets pigeonholed as LGBT literature, which is a shame because it is so, so much more than that. Reading this book is a bizarre emotional rollercoaster, in which you journey into the strange world of a zealous Christian cult full of gothic imagery and bleak humour. This book is almost impossible to describe, so I shall not attempt to do so: instead, I urge you to read it for yourself!
Site member Bookish_Novelty
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou wrote so beautifully about identity issues, in ways that resonate universally with all kinds of people. She was an exceptional advocate for the power of all human voices and the importance of kindness and acceptance.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Next only to Anne Frank's Diary, The Book Thief is a popular young adult novel set during the Holocaust which gives a unique perspective on identity and highlights the hardships of persecution and hatred suffered by thousands of Jewish people.
Site member JER97
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
George Orwell's chilling dystopian novel envisions an age in which a sinister totalitarian regime has smothered individuality. Citizens are subjected to relentless mental control, and any divergence from the politically-approved mode of thinking is termed as 'thoughtcrime'. The protagonist, Winston Smith, dares to rebel, and his ensuing struggle not to surrender his identity is in sharp contrast to the ruling Party's bleak dictum: "If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face – forever."
Site member CharlieB
Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman
The first book in Malorie Blackman's ground-breaking teen series about an inverted racist society in which the black 'Crosses' dominate over the white 'Noughts'. What I think makes the book so great is its blend of powerful characters and storylines within this clever political context, which all makes for a thrilling and emotional read.
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend
A teen classic. This book, written in the form of a diary, is an hugely witty exploration of the turmoil of the ups and downs of teenage life. It's a book that I (and probably thousands of others!) have really identified with.
Site member sunsetskyfire
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
Speaks eloquently and chillingly about identity in the context of culture (Creole) and of mental state (mental illness and superstition): I love this book as a reworking of Jane Eyre because it's a real consciousness-raiser as to the depth and complexity of marginalised perspectives.
The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Might be an obvious one, but I just think this book is magical and its focus on identity is something people our age in particular can empathise with – being young and confused and trying to belong and find meaning in life.
Which books about identity do you recommend? Let us know by email or on Twitter at @GdnChildrensBks
