List of coming-of-age stories facts for kids
Coming-of-age stories are tales about a main character growing up. They show how someone changes from childhood into a young adult. These stories are a popular type of entertainment. You can find them in many different forms. This includes books, plays, movies, TV shows, and even video games. They often explore important lessons. Characters learn about themselves and the world as they get older.
Contents
Growing Up in Books: Literature Stories
Many famous books tell coming-of-age stories. These novels are sometimes called Bildungsroman. This German word means a "novel of formation." It describes a story where the main character grows morally and psychologically.
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain (1876)
- The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling (1894)
- Anne of Green Gables, by Lucy Maud Montgomery (1908)
- To Kill a Mockingbird, novel by Harper Lee (1960)
- The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton (1967)
- Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling (1997–2007)
- Life of Pi, by Yann Martel (2001)
- The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, by Ann Brashares (2001)
- Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card (1985)
- Paper Towns, by John Green (2008)
- The Summer I Turned Pretty, by Jenny Han (2009–2011)
- The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas (2017)
Stage Stories: Growing Up in Theatre
Plays and musicals also feature characters who grow up. These stories often show young people facing challenges. They learn about friendship, family, and finding their place.
- West Side Story (1957–present)
- Oliver! (1960–present)
- Billy Elliot the Musical (2005–2016)
- Dear Evan Hansen (2015–present)
- Everybody's Talking About Jamie (2017–present)
- Mean Girls (2017–present)
- The Prom (2017–present)
Anime & Manga: Journeys of Young Heroes
A big part of the manga industry is made for teenagers. Comics like Weekly Shōnen Jump often focus on young heroes. Many of these stories show the main character growing stronger. They also learn important life lessons. In Japan, these are called Shujinkō-Seichōkei. This means "protagonist's growth type."
Manga Series
- Dragon Ball (manga) (1984-1995)
- Naruto (1999–2014)
- Fullmetal Alchemist (2001-2010)
- Attack on Titan (2009-2021)
- My Hero Academia (2014–2024)
- Haikyu!! (2012-2020)
Anime Shows
- Kiki's Delivery Service (1998)
- Spirited Away (2001)
- Eureka Seven (2005)
- Gurren Lagann (2007)
- Anohana (2011)
- Little Witch Academia (2013)
- Suzume (2022)
- The Boy and the Heron (2023)
Movies About Growing Up: Film Journeys
Many movies tell stories about growing up. This is a popular type of teen film. These films show characters facing new experiences. They learn about themselves and the world.
- The Wizard of Oz (1939)
- Bambi (1942)
- To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
- The Lion King (1994)
- Clueless (1995)
- The Harry Potter film series (2001–2011)
- Spirited Away (2001)
- The Princess Diaries (2001)
- Mean Girls (2004)
- The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)
- Ratatouille (film) (2007)
- Juno (2007)
- The How to Train Your Dragon movie trilogy (2010–2019)
- Boyhood (2014)
- The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
- Inside Out (2015)
- Moana (2016)
- Lady Bird (2017)
- Coco (2017)
- Eighth Grade (2018)
- To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018)
- Booksmart (2019)
- Little Women (2019)
- Onward (2020)
- Enola Holmes (2020)
- Luca (2021)
- Turning Red (2022)
- Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (2023)
- Barbie (2023)
- Inside Out 2 (2024)
TV Shows: Characters Learning and Changing
Television series often follow characters over many years. This allows viewers to see them grow and develop. These shows explore the challenges and joys of growing up.
- Adventure Time (2010–2018)
- Amphibia (2019–2022)
- Anne with an E (2017–2019)
- Atypical (2017–2021)
- Boy Meets World (1993–2000)
- Cobra Kai (2018-2025)
- Degrassi franchise (1979–2017)
- Girl Meets World (2014–2017)
- Gravity Falls (2012–2016)
- Hilda (2018–2023)
- Invincible (2021–present)
- Little House on the Prairie (1974–1983)
- Ms. Marvel (2022)
- Over the Garden Wall (2014)
- The Owl House (2020-2023)
- A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017–2019)
- Steven Universe (2013–2019)
- Stranger Things (2016–present)
- The Summer I Turned Pretty (2022–present)
- Teen Wolf (2011–2017)
- We Bare Bears (2015–2020)
- Wednesday (2022–present)
- Young Sheldon (2017–2024)
Video Games: Adventures of Self-Discovery
Video games also tell stories where characters grow and change. Players often control a character from a young age. They guide them through challenges and adventures. These experiences help the character mature.
- EarthBound (1994)
- God of War (2018)
- Kingdom Hearts (2002)
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
- Ori and the Blind Forest (2015)
- Pokémon Red and Blue (1996)
- Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020)
- Undertale (2015)
