For some reason, I love stories about boarding schools. I’m not sure why. I never went to one, and I really hated high school, so why I would want to relive going to school as a teen/pre-teen through books is beyond me. But that said, for the most part, I do love stories about boarding schools more than your typical YA and children’s books. Anyway, here are my favourite stories where the main characters go to a boarding school.
- A Great and Terrible Beauty (and other books in the Gemma Doyle trilogy). Written by Libba Bray. Originally Published 2003. Victorian boarding schools with magic societies! How fun!
- The Silver Chair. Written by C.S. Lewis. Originally Published 1953. Rich snotty boarding school!
- I’d Tell You I Love You but Then I’d Have to Kill You (and other books in the Gallagher Girls series). Written by Ally Carter. Originally Published 2006. Girl’s spy boarding school! I want to go there!
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (and other books in the Harry Potter series). Written by J.K. Rowling. Originally Published 1997. Wizarding boarding school! I want to go there too!
- Capt. Hook: The Adventures of a Notorious Youth. Written by J.V. Hart. Originally Published 2005. Captain Hook at Eton College before going to Neverland!
- A Little Princess. Written by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Originally Published 1905. A not-so-nice boarding school run by Miss Minchin!
- Jolted. Written by Arthur Slade. Originally Published 2008. Canadian boarding school in a castle in the middle of Saskatchewan where they are forced to wear kilts and learn survival skills!
- The Mysterious Benedict Society. Written by Trenton Lee Stewart. Originally Published 2007. Evil boarding school run by a guy who wants to take over the world!
- Green Rider. Written by Kristen Britain. Originally Published 1998. Boarding school with snotty kids that the main character gets kicked out of!
- Another Kind of Cowboy. Written by Susan Juby. Originally Published 2007. Girl’s equestrian boarding school!
What are your favourite books with boarding schools in them??
raidergirl3 July 13th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
Looking for Alaska by John Green was good.
I think Chocolate Wars by Robert Cormier was set in a boarding school.
Wait! My favorite boarding school books are the Bruno and Boots series at MacDonald Hall, by Gordon Korman. My favorite childhood books.
Chris July 13th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
I’ve always loved boarding school books too! Me and Nymeth were just talking about this the other day. I don’t know what it is about them either…they just rock! You should check out The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks…and I second raidergirl’s suggestion of Looking for Alaska!
Erin July 13th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
I read a bunch of young adult books about WW2, you might say I was a bit obsessed. Anyhow, quite a few of them featured boarding schools and I wanted to go so badly!
Lisa July 14th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
I recommend Jellico Road, which is set in an Australian boarding school.
Nymeth July 18th, 2009 at 8:53 am
Wonderful list! Like Chris said we were talking about this recently. I second (or third) the recommendation of Looking for Alaska. A Separate Peace by John Knowles and Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer are also really good. The last one also involves time travel!