Every state is known for something. As you work your way through the list, don't miss the best books set in New Jersey.
New Jersey is a northeastern U.S. state with some 130 miles of the Atlantic coast. Jersey City, across the Hudson River from Lower Manhattan, is the site of Liberty State Park, where ferries embark for nearby Ellis Island, with its historic Immigration Museum, and the iconic Statue of Liberty. The Jersey Shore includes notable resort towns like historic Asbury Park and Cape May, with their preserved Victorian buildings.
Best Books Set in New Jersey
- Philip Roth (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
American Pastoral
Author: Philip Roth
Here is Philip Roth's masterpiece, featuring Nathan Zuckerman and the story of Swede Levov, a legendary athlete at his Newark high school, who grows up in the booming postwar years to marry a former Miss New Jersey, inherit his father's glove factory, and move into a stone house in the idyllic hamlet of Old Rimrock. And then one day in 1968, Swede's beautiful American luck deserts him.
- Great product!
- Díaz, Junot (Author)
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Author: Junot Díaz
Oscar is a sweet but disastrously overweight ghetto nerd who—from the New Jersey home he shares with his old-world mother and rebellious sister—dreams of becoming the Dominican J.R.R. Tolkien and, most of all, finding love. But Oscar may never get what he wants. Blame the fukú—a curse that has haunted Oscar’s family for generations, following them on their epic journey from Santo Domingo to the USA.
Encapsulating Dominican-American history, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao opens our eyes to an astonishing vision of the contemporary American experience and explores the endless human capacity to persevere—and risk it all—in the name of love.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Blume, Judy (Author)
In the Unlikely Event
Author: Judy Blume
Here she imagines and weaves together a vivid portrait of three generations of families, friends, and strangers, whose lives are profoundly changed during one winter. At the center of an extraordinary cast of characters are fifteen-year-old Miri Ammerman and her spirited single mother, Rusty. Their warm and resonant stories are set against the backdrop of an extraordinary real-world tragedy.
Family Life
Author: Akhil Sharma
Hailed as a “supreme storyteller” (Philadelphia Inquirer) for his “cunning, dismaying and beautifully conceived” fiction (New York Times), Akhil Sharma is possessed of a narrative voice “as hypnotic as those found in the pages of Dostoyevsky” (The Nation). In his highly anticipated second novel, Family Life, he delivers a story of astonishing intensity and emotional precision.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Clark, Mary Higgins (Author)
On the Street Where You Live
Author: Mary Higgins Clark
Following a nasty divorce and the trauma of being stalked, criminal defense attorney Emily Graham leaves Albany to work in Manhattan. Craving roots, she buys her ancestral home, a Victorian house in the seaside resort town of Spring Lake, New Jersey. Her family sold the house in 1892, after one of Emily's forebears, Madeline Shapley, then a young girl, disappeared.
Now that you've completed the list of best books set in this state, why not check out some others? Here are the Best Books Set in All 50 States.
DOWNLOAD AND PRINT BOOKS SET IN ALL 50 STATES
Click here to download the printable. It has a list of books in all 50 states including the Best Books Set in New Jersey.
If you enjoyed this list, I have a monthly membership for parents and educators that want to teach or supplement lessons with shows and movies.
“I absolutely love sharing movies with my kids as a way to teach them valuable lessons. It's like this awesome bonding experience where we all snuggle up on the couch with some popcorn, and I get to see their little faces light up with curiosity. Whether it's a classic with timeless morals or a new animated flick with hidden gems of wisdom, it's a fantastic way to impart important life lessons in a fun and engaging way. Plus, the post-movie discussions are priceless – hearing their take on the characters and the story adds a whole new dimension to our family time.” –a Homeschooling parent
With Homeschooling with Shows and Movies membership, you will get resources every month, including:
- List of This Month’s Suggested Themes
- List of Monthly Observances
- List Of Movies for Unit Study
- Unit Study Resource
- Seasonal Activities (minimum of three)
- (BONUSES) Resources for you, the teacher
These resources are worth it if you'd like to easily incorporate shows and movies into your homeschooling.
Related Posts:
- Golden Globe Nominees on Hulu
- All the Baking Shows on Hulu Available Right Now
- 10 PG 13 Shark Movies
- 20+ Family Vacation Movies
- 11 Movies About Racism on Netflix
- Listen to these 44 Books that Became Movies
- 11 Awesome Books that Became Movies
- 22 Banned Books You Can Watch as Movies
- 20 Books to Read Aloud and Watch the Movie
Further Reading About the State:
- Birds of New Jersey Field Guide (Bird Identification Guides)
- New Jersey (America the Beautiful)
- AMC's Best Day Hikes in New Jersey: Four-Season Guide to 50 of the Best Trails in the Garden State, from the Skylands to the Shore
- ALL ABOUT NEW JERSEY: 100+ AMAZING FACTS WITH PICTURES (Kid's Book Series -24)
- The Lost Legends of New Jersey
- A Full List of All of The Equalizer Movies (Updated for 2025) - July 29, 2025
- A Full List of All of The Flash Movies - July 21, 2025
- 10+ Healthy Seasonings For Popcorn - February 3, 2025