Teeny boppers! I am sure many among you love to read books of different kinds. There are innumerable books available on a variety of subjects e.g. humour, science, religion, travel, biographies, fiction, murder, mystery and crime stories, romance, general knowledge, poetry, drama, criticism, historical chronicles, essays & prose etc.

In fact, there are hundreds and thousands of books to pick and choose from, in each subject. It is evident therefore that a young beginner needs proper guidance to make a judicious choice of books.

Dear boys and girls, you ought to be aware that teenage is indeed a crucial phase of your life. This is the ideal time to garner knowledge about life and things as well as laying the foundation of ideals that you will honour and cherish throughout your life.

It is therefore imperative that young people select and read books, which serve both these purposes. To facilitate our young readers we provide here a brief list of books, which are universally acknowledged.

1. Lamb Tales From Shakespeare

The brother and sister duo Charles and Mary Lamb, English writers, brought forth simplified renderings of some of the best plays written by the Bard of Stratford-on-Avon. Ideal reading for children, teenagers and even adults. A marvellous piece of English literature. Undoubtedly, a good work to begin with.

2. Legends of Greece and Rome

This is a must read book. It contains narratives about the major deities and their exploits. Indians -- especially Hindus -- will discover that there are a host of similarities between the Greco-Roman pantheon and its Hindu counterpart. Each story is a fusion of imagination and reality. The vivid descriptions and the lucid language ultimately hold the readers spellbound.

3. Discovery of India

A brilliant piece of non-fiction by the first prime minister of India, Pt Jawaharlal Nehru. Some of the most significant and epoch making chapters of history come alive and vibrant before the eyes of the reader. The vivid narrative traces the evolution of our country's civilization, heritage, traditions and ethos the currents and crosscurrents of culture that fused and blended to form a harmonious whole.

4. Mill on The Floss

Set in the English countryside of the 19th century, the novel by George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) celebrates the essence of joys and sorrows of a miller' family, which indirectly reflects the social life of that era. Maggie Tulliver the protagonist is a vivacious creature, at once intelligent, passionate and sentimental. Her tumultuous relationship with her brother Tom and a few other youth forms the warp and woof of the novel. All the evils, misdeeds, sorrows and misery are ultimately washed away as the brother and sister meet with a tragic end.

5. Wordsworth's Poems

William Wordsworth is probably the most highly acclaimed priest of nature, upon the face of this earth. His perpetual romance and enchantment with nature forms the predominant theme of his poetry. From the elementary "My heart leaps up" to the collection of poems in the "Lucy" series nature has an all-pervading influence that cannot be surpassed by anything else. Famous a

6. Short stories by Oscar Wilde

During the past decades,youngsters and children in all countries across the globe enjoy and love Wilde's short stories, because of the elemental and basic humane characteristics involved in his writings. Simple though they seem, Wilde's literary works are replete with symbolism and significance, bordering on the allegorical; they uphold all the ideals mankind has ever cherished. The language is sonorous, couched in elegant poetic diction.

7. Lord of the Rings

This series comprises three books by JRR Tolkein. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, The Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth still it remained lost to him.

After many ages it fell, by chance, into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. From his fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor, Sauron's power spread far and wide. He gathered all the Great Rings to him, but ever he searched far and wide for the

One Ring that would complete his dominion. On his eleventy-first birthday, Bilbo dissapeared bequeathing to his young cousin, Frodo, the Ruling Ring, and a perilous quest: to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom. The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the wizard, the hobbits Merry, Pippin and Sam, Gimli the Dwarf, Legolas the Elf, Boromir of Gondor, and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider.

8. Stories by Ruskin Bond

The British Sahib who lives in Mussoorie is a prolific writer who has devoted himself to the children and the younger lot. Bond writes on simple elementary topics, which are bound to capture the interest of the readers. Utterly devoid of frill and fuss, the style is racy and the language lucid. Most of the biographical details about Bond have been gleaned by his readers from his works, many of which are autobiographical. In his works Rain in the mountains: Notes from the Himalayas (1993), Scenes from a Writer's Life and The Lamp is Lit: Leaves from a Journal, the popular author has given his admirers awonderful glimpse into the deepest recesses of his heart.

9. Works of Enid Blyton

Enid Blyton was probably the most successful British children's writer of the twentieth century.She was born in London on 11th August 1897 and she died in 1968. Enid Blyton's books have received much literary criticism on the grounds that the attitudes displayed in many of the books can be considered as sexist.At the end of the fifties many librarians refused to stock books by Enid Blyton apprehensive that children would not read the great works of literature. This proved to be a boon for the author because it enhanced the sale of her books.ssssssss more.Blyton's most famous series was The Famous Five. Its central characters were Julian, Dick, Anne, George, and the dog Timmy. Blyton's works painted an idyllic vision of rural England, which celebrated good food, spirit of comradeship, and honesty. Her books have been translated into nearly seventy languages and sold up to the 1980s some 60 million volumes.

10. The Harry Potter series

The most sensational literary works of the period 2000-03.The first of these six (one is in the pipeline) novels has been made into a popular movie. Each book is a flight of fantasy and imagination, though not utterly divested of reality.The author JK Rowling has creatred a fabulous world where muggles jostle with witches and magicians, weird and grotesque mythical creatures galore; then there is the centre piece- Hogwarts, a school for sorcery and witchcraft flourishes; magic spells, potions and chants work wonders in the day to day lives of its pupils and the faculty!