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I was emailed this article and found it an interesting read. What do you all think?


I agree with some of the choices and disagree with others. I also think they left out a few books.

One book I disagree with is the last book. There is no comparison between The Great Gatsby and The Kite Runner. I really don't think the issues in The Kite Runner are appropriate for a high school English class because of its triggers. English teachers should not be forced to be therapists while instructing text. Now maybe Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood, which still contains the same intensity, while exploring social class issues.

I think the list left off A Separate Peace. I read that book in high school. My mother read that book in high school. We both agree that it was pure torture! To this day, I remember nothing about the book except that there was a tree in it (and that may be because there is one on the cover!). I actually had to look it up to remind myself what it was about. I would suggest The Sun Is Also a Star because it deals with immigration, The Round House because it deals with Native American issues, or even Winter's Bone because that is a teenager coming to grips with the reality of her poverty. To be honest, any other book about teenagers dealing with issues in this century over the teenagers in A Separate Peace.

What do you all think?

Isn't Brave New World supposed to seem awful and cold? I mean, it is a dystopia.

There are two books I really wish hadn't been assigned in my honors English courses - The Red Badge of Courage (on the list) and Civil Disobedience. That last may have been something the entire class wished had never been assigned, with The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains coming in a close second. I didn't like that one either, but at least it was better than Civil Disobedience.

I disagree with substituting The Martian for Moby Dick; while I loved The Martian, I didn't think it explored the main theme of Moby-Dick, or, the Whale, which to me was a monomaniacal quest to destroy a foe regardless of the cost. How far would you go, and what would you sacrifice? Other's lives? Your own? And what if your quest was ultimately unsuccessful? What if your enemy won? Would the attempt have been worth it? And how far can you go in attempting to destroy someone else without completely destroying yourself?

But I am very skeptical about the whole idea of forcing people to read books. It almost never produces the desired results. Exhibit A: The main thing I remember from seventh-grade English was how much I hated reading Thoreau, and resolving to avoid reading Walden at all costs.

Haha, well, I was homeschooled and none of those books were on my school assignments so I guess I was spared from them (or missed a great read, depending on how good they are).

There really weren't any books that we had to read. We had little short stories with quizzes at the end in younger grades to test our reading comprehension but as we grew older we didn't have any actual books to read (but we had to read all of our history, science, English, and math books so maybe Mom figured that was good enough).

On the other hand, that did not stop me from picking up books for my own pleasure to read. I remember the first book I got from the library when I was a little girl (probably six or seven). My parents had a lot of books on shelves that I would peruse through and I would pick up the old classics like A Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Lord of the Rings, Gulliver's Travels, Pinocchio, and other Mark Twain books.

I guess what I am saying is that I have no opinion on those books on the list because I never picked up a single one of them.

The only book I ever read for school on this list is Beowulf and we didn't even read the book we read parts of it from our textbooks. Although I didn't enjoy it, I do not see a problem with having to read it in school

I didn't read any of the ones on the article's list in school. I read Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck in 9th grade, which I did not mind. It is not too long. However, I disliked having to read it again for 10th grade.
Animal Farm by George Orwell was assigned in 8th grade, which I am sorry to say I did not care for back then...Maybe if the story had been explained in reference to what it was based on I would have appreciated it better, maybe not. (I always watched the movie version and didn't connect the two because the homeroom teacher always played it, but didn't say its name.) What I do know is I loved this book as an adult.

There is just something about classics from times before the reader was born that are harder to appreciate or like, it seems.

As for substituting more recently published books...I have seen the movie for The Kite Runner and I can see why that might not be such a good idea. This is an adult book with content that parents might not approve of their kids reading for school.
I would love to be a student now and have The Book Thief assigned (although I read that as an adult, so who knows...). I know that teachers probably don't have the time to provide lists for their students and let them decide what to read or have enough people wanting to read the same book, but it might be helpful.

There's a movie version of Animal Farm? How did they pull that off?

I read Animal Farm on my own and really liked it - years later I still remember "four legs good" and "all are equal...but some are more equal than others."

I think at least some of the classics from the mid-1800's on can be enjoyable and relatable, although part of my attitude toward them may be influenced by the fact that I read them on my own as an adult. I think part of the problem is that they are assigned way too early, and that they are forced on unwilling readers.

Jennifer wrote: "There's a movie version of Animal Farm? How did they pull that off?

I read Animal Farm on my own and really liked it - years later I still remember "four legs good" and "all are equal...but some ..."

It was not a live action movie it was animated and I never got to see how it ended. I should check if my local library has it. I think a live action one could be done now with the technology available (I'm thinking of the Jungle Book when I say type this).

My 2 cents as both a reader and a former teacher of middle and high school. There are good reasons to read some of those classics on the list as well as good reasons to provide more recent texts.

I'll agree that there is a place in the curriculum for well-written novels that do more than tell a good story. Children of Blood and Bone would make a great addition to the curriculum for a number of reasons -- it is well-written, it is an immersive, non-European influenced world, it deals with large themes, is allegorical, and includes an entire cast of non-white characters. The Handmaid's Taleis not only a dystopian feminist text, but also has uses language and allusions in a deceptively complex way. The Book Thief could work in terms of WW2 experiences and has a great narrative structure to teach about those.

Some classics such Hemmingway and Faulkner (especially As I Lay Dying are great for teaching narration / POV , use of language. I'm not a fan of Hemmingway's longer works and prefer using his stories to teach. Others on the list are dated -- Fitzgerald and Salinger haven't aged as well. Never been a fan of Moby-Dick, or, the WhaleJoyce I'd leave as well as Huxley, in part to show the transition to a more modern text. Beowulf (as well as the Odyssey could easily be taught in conjunction with another, non-European based epic tale such as Gilgamesh or one of the great tales of India, China or Japan to give a more balanced understanding of oral tales, epic heroic tales, etc.

On the reverse, I'd not put a John Green novel in the curriculum -- yes, teens can relate, but they come off as melodramatic and aren't particularly well written, not much to talk about when it comes to using literary devises, craft, etc. I do recommend his books for more 'leisure' reading, especially for kids who might struggle or be disengaged from reading. I love Rainbow Rowel, but again, not for the curriculum. The Martian, while highly entertaining, isn't the best written example of a modern survival story. I'm not a fan of replacing fiction with non-fiction -- I think they both should be a part of the classroom, but they serve different functions.

There are a few standout books that deserve a place in the curriculum -- Salvage the Bones for example --that are complex in craft as well as telling a damn good story that students can relate to (although part of good teaching is getting kids to relate to books they might not gravitate to otherwise). Teaching literature isn't about just good story -- it is looking at the best of different time periods and, hopefully, cultures, exploring how story-telling has developed over the centuries, how language, structure, style, poetic devices, etc all work together to create something larger than a good read. There are modern books which will stand the test of time, exemplify the best of what is out there -- I can name 50 books I'd love to teach -- and that isn't to say that other books aren't great for kids (or anyone for that matter) to READ.

To give an example -- one year while teaching freshman, admin decided to include a text someone thought would be great for kids to connect to -- it was a good read. I can't even remember the author or the book (it was a best-seller and had a good protagonist.) but beyond plot, emotional content, and trying to connect the experience of the narrator to my students, there wasn't much to 'teach'. Yes, most kids 'liked' it, but I don't think they learned much about good literature or craft.

I agree with you Sheryl. Now that I am taking an advanced Literature class, I am beginning to understand that there is more to reading a book that whether I like it or not.

We just finished a story that was universally disliked, but we all found value in it because we were able to analyze the writing in a way we wouldn't have been able to do if we had all found the story entertaining.

Taking this class has shown me that it is not just the literature that is being read that matters, but the instructor teaching it. I am currently blessed with a professor that is willing to have discussions about why the text is not enjoyable. We are not allowed to just say, "I don't like it." We have to give well-thought reasons. It makes even the least enjoyable works palatable.

Kadijah Michelle wrote: "I agree with you Sheryl. Now that I am taking an advanced Literature class, I am beginning to understand that there is more to reading a book that whether I like it or not.

We just finished a stor..."

I glad you are enjoying the literature class. Professors and teachers can make or break a class and someone's enjoyment / appreciation / understanding of literature. And yes, "I don't know" and "I don't like it" or "It was good" -- the latter two needed expansion -- weren't allowed in my class. If someone said the character(s) were unlikable, then my next question is what makes them unlikable and why would an author make a character with those traits?

I do believe kids and adults should read for pleasure and entertainment, but taking a deep-dive into what makes a work great, or stand the test of time is also important. Great discussions were the best part of my day. I think for anyone who writes (and certainly for those who aspire to literary fiction) need to read critically.

I find that I give 5 stars to books that have something beyond entertainment value, while great reads that were highly enjoyable but not remarkable get a 4.

Although I agree with the author on many of his suggestions/reasons, as an adult, looking back, I wish I had read more classics, but books that were not sleep inducing or too difficult to read. I know, very subjective.

Old Man and the Sea was my one of my favorite book I read in high school. It was adventurous, sad, but the writing style was austere.

Currently, I am "catching up" on many classics - Call of the Wild (wonderful), Adventures of Tom Sawyer (thought evoking in this time of disruption and how our views on race, etc have and have not changed - as well as a funny book).

There are so many books in a dystopian setting, I think any written currently, would be appropriate - why not include popular books that are enjoyable to read - Hunger Games?

I have never read the Great Gatsby - Fitzgerald is hailed as a great author. For that alone, kids should be exposed to authors of classics to understand writing style, how stories were told, and the language used pre-1950s.

I read Romeo and Juliet (torturous for me as I could not understand the writing). I am ok never reading another Shakespeare.

It should be noted that I was in high school in the 70s and was a little younger than kids in my grade. My preferred reading to this day are straightforward, mostly linearly stories. If you look at my Read list you will see. Also, 90% of the books I read, are for entertainment purposes only. In one eye, out the other? :)

Thanks for letting me voice my opinion.

Anyway, I think there is definitely a place for classics in high school that can meet the needs of what English teachers want their students to learn about writing, critical thinking, etc., but also alongside contemporary books.

It is really interesting to read all your opinions, because I am from Hungary and understandably, our compulsory reading list is a lot different than yours - we mostly read European literature... some American novels are put in a "recommended" list for us, but not compulsory usually.

My stance is the main aim of English Literature (or in our case, Hungarian Literature) classes is to give you some general knowledge about the history of literature and some of the most important literary works, learn about the genres, how literature changed and evolved. A sub-aim could be to make reading enticing for kids, but I don't think that should be the main aim. Of course, there are some changes I would make in the usual curriculum (like we have a really famous 19th century writer here in Hungary, and one of his novels is the "default one" in the curriculum, but it is set in a really special political climate, around the 1848 revolution time... and a lot of classes do not get to that point in their history classes, so they don't understand the climate of the novel - I would definitely change that for one of his other critically acclaimed novels for which you do not have to know Hungary's revolution war history to understand the themes), and I would probably choose some more easily digestable classics. Also, it is good idea to put trigger warnings for some novels.

And also, you cannot choose a curriculum that is good for everyone, so it is kind of iffy starting from only the pupils' / students' perspectives... and if you want to favour the people who like reading the least, you are probably going to end up with no reading or books that don't have that much substance (I mean, the people in my class who were not huge fans of reading and bashed most compulsory novels only read D-category Star Wars fanfiction or memoirs of scandalous celebrities that were full of swearing).