Spring is one of the most beautiful times of year. The weather is getting warmer, flowers and trees are blooming, and insects are reappearing. For many Apex High students, the most exciting thing about spring is the prospect of Spring Break, one blissful week free from the monotony and stress of school. While most students will be going on vacation or doing other outdoor activities with family and friends, it can also be beneficial to take some time to read a good book. Luckily, there are a variety of spring-themed books that are perfect for this time of year. 

One of the most quintessential spring novels is none other than Anne of Green Gables, starring our favorite red-haired orphan, Anne Shirley. We follow Anne as she finds a home with Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert at Green Gables and slowly blooms into the best version of herself. The book is filled with humor, life lessons, and lyrical writing. Those who want to read more about Anne can look forward to reading the seven later books in the series. 

For some, spring is the best time to read the works of Jane Austen, such as Pride and Prejudice, Emma and Sense and Sensibility. Emma in particular is a wonderful choice since the characters go on “exploring parties’’ and strawberry picking adventures at Donwell Abbey, which are perfect spring activities to inspire your own spring break. Jane Austen’s writing can be hard to understand at times, but tools such as Sparknotes and the footnotes at the back of the book can aid in understanding. 

There are many children’s classics that embody the spirit of spring very well. The following recommendations feature picturesque locales, gardens and nature. One cottagecore favorite, The Wind in the Willows, shares the story of four woodland creatures (a mole, a water rat, a toad, and a badger) and their adventures. Readers can expect to learn a lot about “animal etiquette” and long for picnics on the riverbank in spring. 

Heidi is similar to Anne of Green Gables in that it is about an orphan who goes to live with people she has previously never met. In the case of this book, the main character, Heidi, travels to the Swiss Alps to live with her grandfather. Her joyful personality and unfailing positivity improve the lives of the other residents of the town. The book includes many descriptions of the mountains and nature, making it a relaxing childhood classic. 

The Secret Garden is about a young girl named Mary Lennox, who goes to live with her uncle on the Yorkshire moors in England. While there, she discovers a hidden, neglected garden and restores it to its former glory, discovering the beauty of nature and gardens. One of the most popular adaptations of the novel is the 1993 adaptation of the novel which features Dame Maggie Smith as Mrs. Medlock. This novel is a good choice for readers who like a bit of mystery in their children’s classics. 

A Young Adult (YA) novel that is appropriate for this season is This Time It’s Real by Ann Liang. From the beautiful cover with the main couple walking in the spring rain to the quiet light romance, this book is wonderful. When introverted high school student Eliza Lin writes an essay about her relationship with her boyfriend, it unexpectedly goes viral. The only problem is that she doesn’t actually have a boyfriend, and made up the entire story. Eliza makes a deal with classmate and C-drama star, Caz Song, to pretend to be her boyfriend in exchange for helping him with his college applications. Throughout the course of the novel, Eliza and Caz fall in love for real as Eliza deals with the complications of her fake viral essay. This is a wonderful choice for those who like the fake-dating trope and learn about life as a teenager in an international school in Chinese. 

Another YA novel is Love from A to Z. It is about two teens, Adam and Zeinab, who each take a separate spring-break trip to Doha, Qatar, meeting each other, and subsequently going on adventures and falling in love. This novel is a nice choice not only because its characters are also on spring break, but because of the novel’s exploration of what it means to be Muslim in America. This is especially timely as Muslims around the world partake in Ramadan. This novel is perfect for any student who wants to see themselves reflected in the pages of a book, or for those who simply want to learn more about another culture. Readers who want to continue Adam and Zeinab’s story can check out the sequel, Love from Mecca to Medina. 

 Spring Break takes place this year from after school on Friday, March 22nd to Sunday, March 31st, 2024. All of the books mentioned in this article are available at Wake County Public Libraries. Remember to take time to enjoy the season and check out some of the books in this article!