books assigned in school

50 classics from (almost) everyone's high school reading list

Research shows that reading fiction encourages empathy . While more high school curriculums should include modern, diverse writers like Amy Tan and Malala Yousafzai, certain classics—like John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath" and Sandra Cisneros' "The House on Mango Street"—endure. Some even make a comeback. George Orwell's "1984," a novel published in 1949 about a dystopian future where the government controls the truth, even surged to #6 on the bestseller list in January 2021, selling more than 24,000 copies following the insurrection in Washington D.C.

While books are ostensibly for anyone with a yearning to learn, sometimes parents, teachers, and school board officials disagree on what kids should or shouldn't read. The result of the push and pull between these groups then shapes the reading lists of millions across the country. According to Pen America , 1,648 different books were banned in schools across the United States between July 2021 and June 2022. These bans affected 138 school districts in 32 states, impacting the books an estimated 4 million students were allowed to read. The top three most frequently banned books were Maia Kobabe's "Gender Queer: A Memoir," George M. Johnson's "All Boys Aren't Blue," and Ashley Hope Pérez's "Out of Darkness."

Certain books deserve a first, second, or maybe even a third read. Using data from Goodreads released in January 2023, Stacker compiled a list of 50 timeless books, plays, and epic poems commonly found on high school reading lists. A total of 1,194 voters picked the most essential reading required for students. The final ranking is based on Goodreads' score, which considers multiple factors, including total votes each book received and how highly voters ranked each book.

Read on to see which classics made the list.

#50. Their Eyes Were Watching God

- Author: Zora Neale Hurston - Score: 4,143 - Average rating: 3.97 (based on 316,337 ratings)

A coming-of-age story set in early 1900s Florida, "Their Eyes Were Watching God" tackles a multitude of issues: racism, sexism, segregation, poverty, and gender roles, among others. Initially overlooked upon its release, Zora Neale Hurston's best-known work is now considered a modern American masterpiece thanks to work done in Black studies programs in the 1970s.

#49. Mythology

- Author: Edith Hamilton - Score: 4,148 - Average rating: 4.02 (based on 52,213 ratings)

Edith Hamilton's " Mythology " has been a standard of both reference and pleasure reading since its publication in 1942. The book was commissioned by an editor at the publisher Little, Brown and Company in 1939 to replace the outdated 1855 collection on the subject, " Bulfinch's Mythology ," and it remains a popular choice for educating students on the subject today. At nearly 500 pages, this hefty tome covers all the classic Greek, Roman, and Norse myths in one place, from the journeys of Odysseus and the Trojan War to Cupid and Psyche.

#48. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou's Autobiography, #1)

- Author: Maya Angelou - Score: 4,153 - Average rating: 4.28 (based on 492,982 ratings)

In the first of her seven memoirs, " I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings ," Maya Angelou speaks of her early life growing up in the South, including the abuse and racism she faced. Before this, Angelou was known as a poet but was encouraged to try her hand at long-form writing following a party she attended with the legendary James Baldwin. This book sold 1 million copies, was nominated for a National Book Award, and spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list.

#47. Oedipus Rex (The Theban Plays, #1)

- Author: Sophocles - Score: 4,211 - Average rating: 3.72 (based on 200,721 ratings)

The tragic Greek play " Oedipus Rex " tells the shocking tale of King Oedipus, who unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother. The work of Sophocles has inspired many others across disciplines, including Igor Stravinsky's 1920s opera of the same name. Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic concept of the Oedipus complex , a theory that children are sexually attracted to their opposite-sex parent, also derived from this work.

#46. Moby-Dick or, the Whale

- Author: Herman Melville - Score: 4,240 - Average rating: 3.53 (based on 528,908 ratings)

Herman Melville's "Moby-Dick or, the Whale"—the lengthy tale of a sea captain on the hunt for this great beast—was inspired by a real-life sperm whale attack that sank the Essex in 1820. Although the book sold less than 3,000 copies during Melville's lifetime, it is now considered an American classic. In September 2022, one collector paid a whopping $327,600 to obtain an 1853 edition of the novel.

#45. The Pearl

- Author: John Steinbeck - Score: 4,421 - Average rating: 3.51 (based on 218,730 ratings)

John Steinbeck's "The Pearl" tells the story of Kino, a poor diver trying to support his family by gathering pearls from gulf beds. He is only barely scraping by until he happens upon a giant pearl. Kino thinks this discovery will finally provide him with the financial comfort and security he has been seeking, but it ultimately brings disaster. The story addresses the reader's relationship to nature, the human need for connection, and the consequences of resisting injustice.

#44. The Importance of Being Earnest

- Author: Oscar Wilde - Score: 4,540 - Average rating: 4.18 (based on 345,903 ratings)

This comedic play by Oscar Wilde takes a satiric look at Victorian social values while following two men—Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff—as they tell lies to bring some excitement to their lives. "The Importance of Being Earnest" was Wilde's final play , and some consider it his masterpiece .

#43. The Red Badge of Courage

- Author: Stephen Crane - Score: 4,752 - Average rating: 3.28 (based on 99,854 ratings)

In "The Red Badge of Courage," Henry Fleming enlists in the Union Army, enticed by visions of glory. When the reality of war and battle sets in, Fleming retreats in fear. In the end, he faces his cowardice and rises to leadership. This American war novel was published in 1895 and is so authentic that it's easy to believe the author—born after the Civil War ended—was himself a veteran.

#42. The Taming of the Shrew

- Author: William Shakespeare - Score: 4,822 - Average rating: 3.77 (based on 164,742 ratings)

This five-act comedy tells the story of the courtship of the headstrong Katherine and the money-grubbing Petruchio, who is determined to subdue Katherine and make her his wife. After the wedding, Petruchio drags his new wife through the mud to their new home in the country. He proceeds to starve and deprive her of sleep to make his new bride submissive. The play, one of Shakespeare's most popular, has been both criticized for its abusive and misogynistic attitude toward women and praised as a challenging view of how women are supposed to behave.

#41. Slaughterhouse-Five

- Author: Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - Score: 4,858 - Average rating: 4.09 (based on 1,284,145 ratings)

In "Slaughterhouse-Five," Kurt Vonnegut tells the story of Billy Pilgrim—based on a real American soldier—who is "unstuck in time." He travels throughout the timeline of his life in a nonlinear fashion, forced to relive certain moments. He is first pulled out after he is drafted and captured in Germany during World War II. The book, which explores how humankind repeats history, has been banned or challenged in classrooms throughout the United States. It even landed in the Supreme Court in 1982 in Board of Education v. Pico , and the court held that banning the book violated the First Amendment.

#40. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

- Author: Mark Twain - Score: 5,170 - Average rating: 3.92 (based on 879,567 ratings)

"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" takes place in the fictional town of St. Petersburg, Missouri, during the 1840s. Tom Sawyer and his friend Huck Finn witness a murder by Joe. After the boys stay silent, the wrong man is accused of the crime. When they flee, the whole town presumes them dead, and the boys end up attending their own funerals. Mark Twain's portrayal of Sawyer and Finn challenges the idyllic American view of childhood, instead showing children as fallible human beings with imperfections like anyone else.

#39. Crime and Punishment

- Author: Fyodor Dostoevsky - Score: 5,537 - Average rating: 4.25 (based on 798,073 ratings)

This Russian classic, published in 1886, tells the story of a former student named Rodion Raskolnikov, who is now impoverished and on the verge of mental instability. To get money—and to demonstrate his exceptionalness—he comes up with a murderous plan to kill a pawnbroker. Considered one of the first psychological novels , "Crime and Punishment" is also quite political as it explores the character's pull toward liberal views and his rebellion against them.

#38. A Separate Peace

- Author: John Knowles - Score: 5,561 - Average rating: 3.59 (based on 209,325 ratings)

In "A Separate Peace," John Knowles explores the friendship of two young men—the quiet, intellectual Gene Forrester and his extroverted, athletic friend Finny. Gene lives vicariously through Finny, but his jealousy ultimately ends in tragedy after he commits a subtle act of violence . The book examines themes of envy and the need to achieve.

#37. Death of a Salesman

- Author: Arthur Miller - Score: 6,178 - Average rating: 3.56 (based on 217,183 ratings)

Arthur Miller introduces readers to an aging Willy Loman , a traveling salesman nearing the end of his career. Loman decides he's tired of driving for work and asks for an office job in New York City, believing he is vital to the company. His boss ends up firing him. Loman is also faced with the fact that his son, Biff, is not as successful in life as he had hoped.

Ultimately, Loman takes his own life so his son can have the insurance money to jump-start a better life. After his death, only Loman's family attends his funeral. "Death of a Salesman" won the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for drama.

#36. The Little Prince

- Author: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry - Score: 6,838 - Average rating: 4.32 (based on 1,871,036 ratings)

In "The Little Prince," a pilot whose plane has crashed in the Sahara desert meets a young boy from outer space. The boy is traveling from planet to planet in search of friendship. On the boy's home—an asteroid—he lived alone, accompanied only by a solitary rose. Once on Earth, the boy meets a wise fox who tells him he can only see clearly with his heart . The book's somber themes of imagination and adulthood have resonated with children and adults alike since it was published—it is now one of the most translated books of all time.

#35. The Old Man and the Sea

- Author: Ernest Hemingway - Score: 6,848 - Average rating: 3.80 (based on 1,036,482 ratings)

"The Old Man and the Sea" was Ernest Hemingway's final major work. The story follows an old man who catches a large fish, only to have it eaten by sharks before he can get it back to shore. Although many may see symbolism about life and aging in the book, Hemingway said there wasn't a deeper meaning in the prose.

#34. The Canterbury Tales

- Author: Geoffrey Chaucer - Score: 6,904 - Average rating: 3.52 (based on 211,378 ratings)

"The Canterbury Tales," written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century, was one of the first major works of English literature. The story follows a group of pilgrims who tell tales during their journey from London to Canterbury Cathedral. The cast of characters—including a carpenter, cook, and knight, among others—paints a varied picture of 14th-century society. The stories  inspired the modern film "A Knight's Tale," starring Heath Ledger as a poor knight and Paul Bettany as Chaucer.

#33. Othello

- Author: William Shakespeare - Score: 6,966 - Average rating: 3.89 (based on 363,620 ratings)

Shakespeare wrote "Othello" in the early 17th century. The play tells the tragic story of Othello—a Moor and general in the Venetian army, and Iago—a traitorous low-ranking officer. Shakespeare tackles themes of racism, betrayal, and jealousy. While he refers to Othello as "Black," Shakespeare most likely meant he was darker-skinned than most Englishmen at the time and not necessarily of African descent.

#32. Flowers for Algernon

- Author: Daniel Keyes - Score: 7,235 - Average rating: 4.18 (based on 597,740 ratings)

The main character in "Flowers for Algernon" is Charlie Gordon, a man of low intelligence who becomes a genius after undergoing an experimental procedure. The experiment has already been performed on a lab mouse named Algernon. Gordon's intelligence opens his eyes to things he's never understood before, but he eventually loses his newly acquired knowledge. The mouse, who Gordon remembers fondly, dies. Daniel Keyes wrote the book after realizing his education was causing a rift between him and his loved ones, making him wonder what it would be like if someone's intelligence could be increased.

#31. Beowulf

- Author: Unknown - Score: 7,844 - Average rating: 3.47 (based on 283,839 ratings)

"Beowulf" is an epic poem —an original manuscript copy is housed in the British Library—of 3,000 lines. It was written in Old English somewhere between A.D. 700 and 1000 and tells the story of Beowulf, a nobleman and warrior in Sweden who is sent to Denmark to fight a swamp monster called Grendel.

#30. A Tale of Two Cities

- Author: Charles Dickens - Score: 8,085 - Average rating: 3.86 (based on 901,761 ratings)

"A Tale of Two Cities" famously starts: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…" Set in the late 1700s, Charles Dickens vividly writes about the time leading up to and during the French Revolution. The historical novel describes death and despair but also touches on themes of redemption.

#29. Wuthering Heights

- Author: Emily Brontë - Score: 8,214 - Average rating: 3.88 (based on 1,651,158 ratings)

"Wuthering Heights," published in 1847, was the first and only novel by Emily Brontë, who died a year later at 30. Brontë tells the tragic love story between Heathcliff, an orphan, and Catherine, his wealthy benefactor's daughter. Considered a classic in English literature, the novel shows readers how passionate and destructive love can be.

#28. The Hobbit (The Lord of the Rings, #0)

- Author: J.R.R. Tolkien - Score: 8,552 - Average rating: 4.28 (based on 3,583,681 ratings)

" The Hobbit " is the story of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who sets off on a journey through the fictional world of Middle-earth in search of adventure and treasure. J.R.R. Tolkien originally wrote this book for his own kids, and it was an instant success in the children's book market. It also grew a keen following with older readers alongside the release of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy in the 1960s, when it offered a great reprieve from the tumult of the times, and the big screen adaptation in the early 2000s.

#27. A Midsummer Night's Dream

- Author: William Shakespeare - Score: 8,974 - Average rating: 3.95 (based on 507,482 ratings)

Like many of Shakespeare's plays, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" explores the theme of love. This comedy shows the events that surround the marriage of Theseus, the duke of Athens, to Hippolyta, a former Amazon queen. The play also shares the stories of several other lovers influenced by the fairies who live in the forest near the wedding. The play is a favorite for actors and audiences, even today.

#26. The Grapes of Wrath

- Author: John Steinbeck - Score: 9,047 - Average rating: 3.99 (based on 852,960 ratings)

"The Grapes of Wrath" is considered a great American novel partly because it brought to light the destruction and despair caused by the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. The story follows Tom Joad after he is released from prison to find his family's Oklahoma farmstead empty and destroyed. Joad and his family later set off for a new life in California, only to face struggles along the way. The book, which focuses on hard work, won a  Pulitzer Prize  in 1940.

#25. Great Expectations

- Author: Charles Dickens - Score: 9,647 - Average rating: 3.79 (based on 751,833 ratings)

This Charles Dickens classic tells the story of Pip, an orphan who gets a chance at a better life through an anonymous benefactor. The plot mostly centers around Pip's regular visits to Miss Havisham, a wealthy recluse, and his love for her adopted daughter Estella, who is cold toward Pip until years later. Many consider the novel a great masterpiece .

#24. Frankenstein: The 1818 Text

- Author: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley - Score: 10,277 - Average rating: 3.85 (based on 1,435,457 ratings)

At just 20 , Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley created what is often labeled as the first science fiction novel : "Frankenstein." While staying with a group of literary comrades, Lord Byron challenged his fellow writers to craft ghost stories. Shelley's story was sparked by a nightmare that ultimately became the classic novel about a mad scientist who created a monster from the body parts of corpses, then brought the creature to life.

#23. Julius Caesar

- Author: William Shakespeare - Score: 10,472 - Average rating: 3.70 (based on 191,622 ratings)

Shakespeare takes on history with "Julius Caesar," a tragic story of power and betrayal. Brutus, who worked closely with Caesar, joined his fellow conspirators to assassinate Caesar to save the republic from a tyrannical leader. The events had the opposite effect when, only two years later, Caesar's grandnephew was crowned the first emperor of Rome. The play marked a political shift in Shakespeare's writing.

#22. The Outsiders

- Author: S.E. Hinton - Score: 10,564 - Average rating: 4.12 (based on 1,193,939 ratings)

S.E. Hinton introduced readers to 14-year-old Ponyboy Curtis in "The Outsiders," a novel she started to write when she was 16. The plot centers around two rival gangs: the lower-class Greasers and the well-off Socials. It touches on teen angst , including the frustrations young people have when they can't rely on adults to change things while also not knowing how to fix things themselves. Hinton's publishers encouraged her to publish under her initials because they didn't think the public would respect a book about teenage boys by someone with the feminine name of Susan Eloise Hinton.

#21. Brave New World

- Author: Aldous Huxley - Score: 10,853 - Average rating: 3.99 (based on 1,711,789 ratings)

In "Brave New World," published in 1932, Aldous Huxley paints a picture of a dystopian future where people consume pills called soma to get a sense of instant bliss without side effects. Emotions, individuality, and lasting relationships aren't allowed. A preordained class system is decided at the embryonic stage, with certain people getting hormones for peak mental and athletic fitness. Some historians believe the book's plot could represent the future in the next 100 years.

#20. Night (The Night Trilogy, #1)

- Author: Elie Wiesel - Score: 11,080 - Average rating: 4.36 (based on 1,150,070 ratings)

"Night," the first in a trilogy of books, is the most well-known of the more than 50 works Elie Wiesel produced in his lifetime. In just over 100 pages, Wiesel recounts his experiences at the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps during the Holocaust—a history he felt compelled to share, as he stated in his 1986 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech , "Because, if we forget, we are guilty, we are accomplices." The impact of this book has only grown since its publication in 1956, with educators teaching the book in schools for decades and book sales soaring alongside current events, including Wiesel's death in July 2016.

#19. The Crucible

- Author: Arthur Miller - Score: 11,619 - Average rating: 3.60 (based on 380,466 ratings)

This 1953 play is a dramatized version of the Salem witch trials of the late 1600s. In the novel, a group of young girls are dancing in the forest; when caught, they fake illness and shift blame to avoid punishment. Their lies set off witchcraft accusations throughout the town. Arthur Miller wrote "The Crucible" to protest the actions of Sen. Joseph McCarthy , who set up a committee in the early 1950s to investigate and prosecute the Communists he thought had infiltrated the government. It won the 1953 Tony Award for Best Play.

#18. The Giver (The Giver, #1)

- Author: Lois Lowry - Score: 11,635 - Average rating: 4.13 (based on 2,238,142 ratings)

" The Giver " is the dystopian tale of a boy chosen to hold one of the most difficult and important professions in his community—the keeper of all memories from the time before, including the pain and difficulties that have been erased from the seemingly utopian world around them. In 1994, Lois Lowry was awarded the Newbery Medal —a prestigious award for children's literature in the United States—for the first installation of her book quartet. The book's complicated themes of racism, religion, and politics lend themselves more to older readers, creating rich discussion in high school classrooms.

#17. Jane Eyre

- Author: Charlotte Brontë - Score: 11,990 - Average rating: 4.14 (based on 1,941,542 ratings)

Charlotte Brontë—sister to Emily—speaks directly to the reader in "Jane Eyre." The Victorian novel follows the headstrong Jane, an orphan who lives with her aunt and cousins, on her quest to find her identity and true love. The novel, marketed as an autobiography and published in 1847 under the pen name Currer Bell, is written in the first person and introduces " the concept of the self " in writing.

#16. Fahrenheit 451

- Author: Ray Bradbury - Score: 12,468 - Average rating: 3.97 (based on 2,162,063 ratings)

Ray Bradbury describes a futuristic world where books are banned and burned. Guy Montag, one firefighter tasked with extinguishing the books, questions the practice. When Bradbury wrote the classic in the 1950s, television sets were becoming ubiquitous in American households. The theme of the book was a warning about how mass media could interfere with people's ability or desire to think critically, a theme that many think resonates with the social media-obsessed world of today.

#15. Pride and Prejudice

- Author: Jane Austen - Score: 13,486 - Average rating: 4.28 (based on 3,854,915 ratings)

Published in 1813, "Pride and Prejudice" was Jane Austen's second novel. The story follows the will-they-won't-they relationship between the wealthy Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, who comes from meager means. Throughout the chapters, both change for the better as they fall in love. The book has inspired at least  a dozen or more  movie and television adaptations.

#14. The Odyssey

- Author: Homer - Score: 15,087 - Average rating: 3.79 (based on 1,001,633 ratings)

"The Odyssey," a Greek epic poem , follows Odysseus as he travels back to the island of Ithaca after fighting in the war at Troy—something addressed in Homer's poem "The Iliad." When he returns home, he and his son, Telemachus, kill all the men trying to marry Odysseus's wife, Penelope. In the end, Athena, the goddess of wisdom, victory, and war, intervenes. Like many Greek myths, it focuses on themes of love, courage, and revenge.

#13. The Diary of a Young Girl

- Author: Anne Frank - Score: 15,739 - Average rating: 4.18 (based on 3,425,782 ratings)

In 1944, a young Anne Frank recorded her thoughts and feelings as she and other Jewish citizens hid from the German Nazis during World War II. The coming-of-age diary, which chronicles Frank's time hiding in the Secret Annex while she became a young woman, has been translated into 70 languages. While she and most of her family were killed, her father survived and helped publish her work, making it possible for millions to learn her story.

#12. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

- Author: Mark Twain - Score: 16,638 - Average rating: 3.83 (based on 1,228,955 ratings)

Huckleberry Finn is the main character in this follow-up novel to "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." The book explores themes of racism as Huck Finn floats down the Mississippi River with a man escaping slavery. Like Huck at the end of his tale, Twain changed his views on slavery and rejected it as an institution.

- Author: George Orwell - Score: 17,337 - Average rating: 4.19 (based on 4,095,733 ratings)

George Orwell describes a dystopian future rife with war and one where the government—led by Big Brother—controls the truth and snuffs out individual thought. The protagonist, Winston Smith, becomes disillusioned with the Party, and he rebels against it. Although it was published in 1949, the novel had a resurgence in 2017.

#10. The Scarlet Letter

- Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne - Score: 17,684 - Average rating: 3.43 (based on 814,235 ratings)

Nathaniel Hawthorne published "The Scarlet Letter" in 1850. In the novel, based on historical events , readers follow the story of Hester Prynne, a woman who is forced to wear a red "A" on her clothes after she conceives a child out of wedlock. She bears the punishment alone when she refuses to name the baby's father. Her character marked one of the first where a strong woman was the protagonist . Hawthorne's novel also touches on themes of hypocrisy, shame, guilt, and love.

- Author: William Shakespeare - Score: 19,419 - Average rating: 4.03 (based on 875,058 ratings)

Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, becomes vengeful after attending his father's funeral, only to find his mother has remarried Claudius, his uncle. The stepfather crowns himself king, a role that should have gone to Hamlet. The prince finds out his father was murdered, after which he kills the new king. Ambiguity runs through the play and the character of Hamlet, whose visions of ghosts are up for interpretation—are they real or a figment of the troubled man's imagination? The tragedy, which launched the famous line "To be, or not to be… " shines a light on some of the worst traits of humanity . Some consider the play Shakespeare's greatest work .

#8. The Catcher in the Rye

- Author: J.D. Salinger - Score: 19,450 - Average rating: 3.81 (based on 3,262,066 ratings)

J.D. Salinger aptly captures teen angst in "The Catcher in the Rye" when the reader gets a look at three days in the life of its narrator, the 16-year-old Holden Caulfield. The book was an instant success, but some schools have banned it from their libraries and reading lists, citing vulgarity and sexual content.

#7. Of Mice and Men

- Author: John Steinbeck - Score: 19,958 - Average rating: 3.88 (based on 2,350,603 ratings)

"Of Mice and Men" tells the story of George and his simple-minded friend Lennie. The two have to get new jobs on a ranch because of some trouble in Lennie's past. The novel, set during the Great Depression, tackles topics of poverty, sexism, and racism .

#6. Macbeth

- Author: William Shakespeare - Score: 21,256 - Average rating: 3.90 (based on 822,057 ratings)

Another Shakespeare classic, "Macbeth" portrays the weakness of humanity. The character of Macbeth receives a prophecy that he will one day become king of Scotland. His unchecked ambition ends in murder; Macbeth kills King Duncan to steal the throne for himself. It shows the destructive influence of political ambition and pursuing power for its own sake.

#5. Animal Farm

- Author: George Orwell - Score: 22,478 - Average rating: 3.98 (based on 3,491,043 ratings)

A group of farm animals organizes a revolt after they realize their master, Mr. Jones, is mistreating them and offering them nothing in return for their work. When they challenge the leadership, they are disciplined for speaking out. This classic isn't about animal rights. It is a larger critique of Soviet Communism . Orwell wrote it as an attack against Stalinism in Russia .

#4. Lord of the Flies

- Author: William Golding - Score: 24,079 - Average rating: 3.69 (based on 2,692,219 ratings)

"Lord of the Flies" tells the alarming story of a group of young boys who survive a plane crash, only to descend into tribalism on the island where they landed. Two of the boys—Ralph and Jack—clash in their pursuit of leadership. The novel, which has been challenged in schools , shows how struggles for power based on fear and division can result in a collapse of social order, themes that might seem relevant in the current fraught political climate.

#3. The Great Gatsby

- Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald - Score: 29,912 - Average rating: 3.93 (based on 4,737,607 ratings)

Nick Carraway, a Midwest transplant and Yale graduate, moves to West Egg, Long Island, and enters a world of extravagance when he becomes entangled with millionaire Jay Gatsby and socialite Daisy Buchanan. The novel is viewed as a cautionary tale about achieving the American dream of wealth and excess.

#2. Romeo and Juliet

- Author: William Shakespeare - Score: 34,901 - Average rating: 3.74 (based on 2,430,511 ratings)

Two star-crossed lovers meet and perish in this tragedy. Juliet, a Capulet, falls in love with Romeo, a Montague. Because their families are rivals, they are forbidden to marry. They secretly wed before misfortune leads to their deaths. Losing their children inspires peace among the families. Some critics claim the play's childish view of love hasn't stood the test of time, but others think the story is multilayered and deserves its classic status.

#1. To Kill a Mockingbird

- Author: Harper Lee - Score: 44,390 - Average rating: 4.27 (based on 5,584,470 ratings)

Harper Lee's first novel, published in 1960, tackles issues of racial and social injustice in the South. Set in Alabama, it introduces readers to Atticus Finch, a lawyer who defends a Black man accused of sexually assaulting a white woman. The point-of-view comes from Atticcus' daughter, Scout, while Boo Radley, their reclusive neighbor, adds another dimension to this classic story of racism and childhood. Lee's work won her a Pulitzer Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Because of some racial language, the book has been challenged in many schools throughout America.

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Required Reading That You Actually Ended Up Loving

The start of each school year brings a new round of required reading for students. Not every book speaks to everyone, but at one point over the course of your schooling, the stars align and you're assigned great books that were required reading. We all had weeks in middle school or high school when we primarily relied on Cliff’s Notes to prep us for our reading quizzes, but every once in a while you would actually have time to read the assigned books and maybe you found yourself completely engrossed.

For instance, you may have grumbled about cracking open your copy of The Great Gatsby , but after those first few chapters, you found yourself captivated by the destructive decadence of the era and the mystery surrounding Jay Gatsby and his past.

You knew To Kill a Mockingbird was an important book, but until you read it, you never realized how culturally relevant it was - not until you read words like, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”

While The Great Gatsby and To Kill a Mockingbird might not be a the top of your list of required reading books you enjoyed, one of the many books listed below might.

You can also find movies based on these book on this list of the best 8th-grade book adaptations .

To Kill a Mockingbird

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The Outsiders

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

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Nineteen Eighty-Four

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Of Mice and Men

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Animal Farm

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Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

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The Great Gatsby

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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

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Fahrenheit 451

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Frankenstein

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• # 34 of 271 on The Top Must-Read Books of All Time
• # 12 of 329 on Books That Changed Your Life
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The Diary of a Young Girl

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• # 27 of 271 on The Top Must-Read Books of All Time

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• # 2 of 14 on All Shakespeare Tragedies, Ranked

Where the Red Fern Grows

Anne of Green Gables

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• # 17 of 72 on The Best Children's Book Series

• # 102 of 271 on The Top Must-Read Books of All Time
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Little Women

• Dig Deeper... How Louisa May Alcott's Real Life Inspired 'Little Women'
• And Deeper... How Greta Gerwig’s ‘Little Women’ Handled Important Moments Compared To The 1994 Film And The Novel
• # 17 of 153 on The Greatest American Novels

A Midsummer Night's Dream

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The Odyssey

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Flowers for Algernon

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Pride and Prejudice

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Lord of the Flies

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Romeo and Juliet

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A Wrinkle in Time

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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

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The Indian in the Cupboard

• High School

Ranking the best novels and non-fiction books of every genre.

K-12 School Reading List

Recommended reading books for elementary, middle & high school students

K-12 School Reading List recommends new and classic children's books, young adult books, and teen literature to educators, teachers, home educators, parents, schools, district administrators, and librarians in the United States and around the world. Our highly talented, qualified and experienced team of children's literature experts has been curating inspirational online children's book lists since 2015.

Reading book lists for K-12 students and schools

Books for K-5

Recommended reading books for children in kindergarten and elementary schools. Compiled and revised by educators and librarians.

Books for grades 6-9

Recommended books for children and teens in middle school, including fiction, graphic novels and nonfiction titles.

Books for grades 9-12

Recommended books for teens and students in high school, including suggestions for literature, personal development and book clubs.

Bulk order books

Bulk buy order K-12 reading books from our recommended reading lists for children and teens. Also includes international ordering.

K-12 Reading List – recommended children’s books

This website aims to provide exciting, stimulating, and engaging reading recommendations for children in Elementary, Middle, and High School. The lists, one for each grade, are designed for parents, teachers, school administrators, librarians, and anyone who buys books for children. These are books your children will want to read! The book suggestions are designed for use in schools, libraries, home learning and remote learning. Each collection of children’s books has been compiled to include fiction and non-fiction books for all abilities, including reluctant readers and the ablest – with an emphasis on fun and thought-provoking reads.

Our latest content:

Summer Reading Challenge

Books for grade K kindergarten children aged 5-6

1st grade reading books for children aged 6-7

2nd grade reading books for children aged 7-8

3rd grade reading books for children aged 8-9

4th grade reading books for children aged 9-10

5th grade reading books for children aged 10-11

6th grade reading books for children aged 11-12

7th grade reading books for children aged 12-13

8th grade reading books for children aged 13-14

9th grade reading books for teens aged 14-15

10th grade reading list for students aged 15-16

11th grade reading list for students aged 16-17

12th grade reading list for students aged 17-18

Recommended reading books lists for k-12 children.

By Tom Tolkien . This page was last updated on February 15th, 2024 .

How to use our children’s reading book lists at home and at school

Why are reading book lists helpful? For adults, reading is an essential everyday skill the importance of which cannot be overstressed, yet it is something few of us can ever remember learning how to do. For children, this is often a dubious activity which involves getting up, finding a book which has been chosen for them and having to decode and understand a series of sentences which may not always appear particularly interesting. A choice of reading material is key to reading motivation – and that’s where teacher and librarian recommendations can come in useful.

We read because we have to, and sometimes because we want to; whereas your children are still deciding if reading is something they’re good at or not. This is where reading book lists can be useful.

Encouraging children to read is much easier if it’s something they want to do, rather than something they need to do, or something they have to do. Reading lists for elementary, middle and high school pupils can help with selecting appropriate books.

Why books should be enjoyed and not inflicted

With reading, practice doesn’t make perfect. Reading for pleasure is close to perfect. Reading for pleasure produces confident readers.

Michael Rosen said: “It’s great if you can read but the question is: do you read? If you do the world is yours.” Extensive research proves that children who read for pleasure will gain advantages that last their whole lives.

Why reading for pleasure is essential for children

The OECD says “Reading for pleasure is more important for children’s educational success than their family’s socio-economic status.” The power of choice is essential to a child’s sustained reading and reading book lists can help with enabling a child to choose what they want to read.

Avoid over-praising the procedure of reading. To a child, this can seem like a well done for swallowing the medicine. It’s justified but nonetheless unlikely to make it more palatable.

An onslaught of positives is almost like going to the gym with a personal trainer who sets goals, pushes, cajoles, and helps you over the line. The praise is nice, but does anyone really like going to the gym? Is saying ‘just another ten pages before bedtime’ or ‘how good would it feel to get to the end of the chapter,’ the best way of encouraging a love of literature?

How using reading book lists can influence children’s story choices

Decoding ability needs to be a subtle expectation and a passport to a more grown-up world. Independent choice is where the fun and love of literature comes in.

Ensure your children see you read. It doesn’t have to be books, but emails, the internet, newspapers, magazines, instructions, travel brochures or Christmas present shopping lists.

Point out when you are reading and be positive about it. Say how much you enjoy the book or magazine you are perusing and explain why.

It’s all too easy for children to associate printed words with negative experiences. How many times do children see adults exasperated after examining a bill, moaning at a newspaper article, angry over a Facebook post or disappointed reciting the lottery results out loud?

Why you should smile when you are reading

Praise the skills of reading first, rather than which book or author is being read, or how many pages have been turned. If your child is particularly interested in vehicles, ask them to use a magazine or the internet to find out where the nearest Pontiac garage is and how much a new one costs. Think how much reading, speed reading, accuracy, and comprehension are involved in a task which your child won’t even consider to be reading.

It’s easy to recommend books. It’s also easy to turn children off reading with constant and unwanted recommendations. It’s very difficult to reengage children who have decided they don’t like books.

Picking the right book is hard. It requires strategy and forethought. In the eyes of publishers, children typically don’t buy books and therefore most books are marketed as books for children. In other words books for adults to buy for children. That’s a very different buying demographic compared to the children who have to read them. Reading book lists can really help with this process.

Your child is far more likely to read a book which they believe is aimed at them, and which they have bought, or which they have pestered you to buy for them.

How to let your child buy books and use reading book lists for ideas

Try to engineer situations in which your child chooses a book. Leave computers on with internet pages about a certain author or a new book. Ask your child to pick a book for a friend’s birthday. They will invariably pick a book they are interested in themselves. Ask your child to pick a book for you on holiday. Leave book reviews on the table from newspapers or magazines. Leave books lying around, leave books facing outwards, and leave reviews open on your laptop. Talk about books.

In classrooms and libraries, we display posters from book publishers, featuring the latest or unreleased titles. The children ask if they can read the book. We supply the book – nearly every time the child reads the book because they believe it was their choice. There’s more than one way to use and display a reading book list!

Collect odd books and old books, and expose children to valuable books. Some children will be fascinated by books which are very personal to you – bibles handed down through the generations, scrapbooks, diaries, your favorite reading book or a prize you won at school.

Others will adore second-hand bookshops, piles of old National Geographic magazines or collections of old Newsweeks. Many pupils I’ve taught who really struggle with reading love the idea of books as precious or expensive objects.

I taught one lesson on The  Wonderful Wizard of Oz  to a room of suspicious 6th graders which explained what a first edition was, how to identify it, and exactly what a rare first ed first print copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was worth. Suddenly disaffected book-despising pupils were forensically inspecting every hardback book in the library to check for first editions and looking up values on the internet. They also started to read them.

Remember! Children learn to read pictures before words

Pictures need to be exciting. Children see book covers and read titles before blurbs. Covers and titles need to engage them. Children need to see a book in front of them – face on. Hearing a book title or hearing a retold blurb won’t cut it.

Books with naughty-sounding titles and edgy covers are bound to appeal. Perennial favorites in classes I’ve taught include Bumface by  Morris Gleitzman , Pants by Nick Sharratt and I Want My Potty by Tony Ross. None of these books is rude, but the covers are irresistible. Children want to read these books, and more importantly, they want to be seen to be reading these books.

Accessing the story is key to loving books. Sometimes, however, books are not the best way for a child to first experience a narrative. Pictures, films, comics, and graphic novels, audiobooks, the internet, discussing a story, reading together and retelling a story are all effective ways to engage interest. Try watching the film first and then reading the book, or listening to one chapter of a book and reading the next. The enjoyment of stories leads to the enjoyment of books.

Reading should be promoted with enthusiasm. Stories should be embraced – by discussion, by watching, by listening to and by using the internet to find out more. Reading should be your child’s passport to the stories and information they want to, and choose to, experience. We hope using our reading book lists helps with your child’s ‘reading for pleasure’ journey.

About Tom Tolkien

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25 Essential High School Reads From the Last Decade

We asked members of our community to share recently published novels they would love to have read in high school. Here are your top picks.

Way back in 2016, we asked our community to share what they would consider essential reads for high school students. The final list of 20 recommended books was dominated by what many would consider the classics: John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men , J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye , F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby , Shakespeare’s Macbeth .

For decades, these works have been required reading in classrooms across the country, but more recently educators like Lorena Germán and advocates for the #DisruptTexts movement —not to mention the millions of students who’ve come and gone during the era—have challenged the notion of a traditional canon, advocating for a more “inclusive, representative, and equitable language arts curriculum.”

“There are problems with teaching only classics—the stories are overwhelmingly told from a white and/or male perspective, and more needs to be done to diversify that,” writes eighth-grade English teacher Christina Torres . “In addition, there’s merit in introducing our students to more recent literature.”

This year, we circled back and asked our community a version of the same question—What novels do you wish you could’ve read in high school?—but this time we specified that titles must have been published within the last decade. Hundreds of responses flooded in, and the contrast to six years ago was stark. Nominations were diverse, representing a broad range of topics, themes, genres, and author identities, as well as a wide variety of characters and experiences—queer protagonists and protagonists of color, characters with differing abilities, and fictional roles representing a refreshing spectrum of body sizes and shapes.

The Hate U Give , by Angie Thomas, was a clear standout, earning the most votes and thus the number one spot on our list. Some authors were multiple winners: Jason Reynolds’s Long Way Down and All American Boys made the cut, and Nic Stone’s Dear Martin and its sequel Dear Justyce were both favorites, but we selected only one for inclusion in the top 25. While fiction titles represent the lion’s share of the final list, a number of memoirs and autobiographies made the grade, including Malala Yousafzai’s I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban and the comedian and late-night host Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood.

The Top 25 Indispensable High School Reads

1. The Hate U Give Angie Thomas’s emotionally wrenching debut novel finds Starr, an African American teen, torn between the affluent, predominantly white school she attends and the impoverished neighborhood where she lives. The fatal shooting of her childhood best friend by a police officer shatters her equilibrium, forcing her to choose where she stands. Primary themes of interest to high school students: identity, race and racial injustice, grief and loss, activism.

2. Educated: A Memoir Tara Westover’s story of growing up alongside—and eventually growing beyond—her decidedly iconoclastic family of Mormon survivalists in rural Idaho is an autobiographical paean to the transformative power of education. Primary themes of interest to high school students: autonomy, family dynamics, learning and education, loneliness and isolation.

3. Dear Martin Author Nic Stone drops readers deep into the life of her 17-year-old main character, Justyce, who suddenly finds himself on the wrong side of an unprovoked, racially charged encounter with a police officer. Primary themes of interest to high school students: privilege, friendship, race and racial injustice, discrimination, the criminal justice system.

4. The Poet X Elizabeth Acevedo’s National Book Award–winning novel-in-verse tells the story of Xiomara Batista, a 15-year-old Dominican-American girl living in Harlem who discovers that slam poetry unlocks answers to questions about her religion, her mother, and her identity and greater purpose in life. Primary themes of interest to high school students: sexuality, self-acceptance, family dynamics.

5. Long Way Down Jason Reynolds, author of Ghost and Ain’t Burned All the Bright , thrusts readers inside an elevator alongside 15-year-old protagonist Will Hollomon, who has about 60 seconds to make one of the hardest decisions of his life. Primary themes of interest to high school students: justice, grief and loss, family dynamics.

6. Refugee Three refugee children—each living in separate parts of the world during different time periods, from Nazi Germany to Syria in 2015—fight to escape the violence of their home countries in Alan Gratz’s timely and moving work of historical fiction. Primary themes of interest to high school students: warfare, family dynamics, trauma, the experiences of refugees.

7. Homegoing The Ghanaian American novelist Yaa Gyasi traces the impact of the Gold Coast’s slave trade on the lives of two African stepsisters and several generations of their descendants. Primary themes of interest to high school students: slavery and human rights, identity, race and racial injustice, family dynamics, oppression, trauma.

8. Firekeeper’s Daughter Witnessing a murder launches Angeline Boulley’s protagonist Daunis—a Native teen torn between her white and Ojibwe culture—into an FBI investigation where she must go undercover in search of the truth. Primary themes of interest to high school students: family dynamics, addiction, risk-taking, authority.

9. All The Light We Cannot See Set during World War II, this is Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer Prize–winning tale of two teenagers—a blind French girl on the run and a German boy forced to join the Nazi army—whose separate lives ultimately converge. Primary themes of interest to high school students: warfare, grief and loss, disability, power and conformity.

10. Beartown Author Fredrik Backman investigates the ripple effects of a sexual assault, committed by the star athlete, on a small hockey town in rural Sweden. Primary themes of interest to high school students: justice, trauma, power and conformity.

11. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter A tragic accident causes Erika Sánchez’s main character, Julia, to reflect on the perceived image of her “perfect” sister, Olga—as well as the secrets she may have been hiding. Primary themes of interest to high school students: grief and loss, perfectionism, mental health, sexuality, identity.

12. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption Bryan Stevenson’s memoir details his work at the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit organization providing legal counsel to the wrongfully convicted, as well as those without the funds for effective representation. Primary themes of interest to high school students: the criminal justice system, race and racial injustice, poverty, trauma.

13. Patron Saints of Nothing In Randy Ribay’s National Book Award finalist, 17-year-old Jay Reguero leaves the University of Michigan and returns to his extended family in the Philippines when he learns that his cousin was recently murdered there—all the while secretly planning to investigate the crime. Primary themes of interest to high school students: grief and loss, culture and identity, the criminal justice system, truth and justice.

14. The Invention of Wings Set in the antebellum South, Sue Monk Kidd’s novel explores the meaning of freedom to two girls from vastly different backgrounds—Sarah, a white girl of means, and Handful, a slave gifted to Sarah on her birthday. Primary themes of interest to high school students: friendship, slavery and human rights, race, privilege.

15. The Midnight Library What if you could read your way into another story of your life? In Matt Haig’s charming fantasy novel, 35-year-old Nora Seed peruses the books in an infinite library and discovers that each magical volume gives her a glimpse into a life she might have led. Primary themes of interest to high school students: identity and purpose, mental health, fantasy.

16. The Nickel Boys In this Pulitzer Prize winner, Colson Whitehead’s main character, Elwood Curtis, experiences firsthand the horrors of a juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy—based on the real-life Dozier School for Boys, a now-closed reform school in Florida with a 111-year history of abusing students. Primary themes of interest to high school students: activism, trauma, abuse, race and racial injustice.

17. The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row Convicted of a crime he did not commit, Anthony Ray Hinton relates the story of his 30 years on death row. Cowritten with Lara Love Hardin, the memoir reveals not only how he managed to survive but also how he ultimately found his way to joy. Primary themes of interest to high school students: race and racial injustice, redemption, innocence and guilt, the criminal justice system.

18. The Tattooist of Auschwitz Inspired by true events, this is Heather Morris’s heart-wrenching World War II tale about Lale Sokolov, a Jewish man who—forced to work at Auschwitz as a serial number tattooist—falls in love with an imprisoned woman as she waits to be branded. Primary themes of interest to high school students: warfare, race and racial injustice, the power of love.

19. Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood Comedian and political commentator Trevor Noah’s memoir mines his experiences as a mixed-race child in apartheid South Africa—a period during which the Immorality Act of 1927 outlawed interracial relationships, ostensibly making Noah’s very existence a crime. Primary themes of interest to high school students: identity and purpose, race and racial injustice, oppression.

20. I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban Written by the world’s youngest Nobel Prize laureate, Malala Yousafzai’s memoir tells the story of her fight for the rights of young girls and women in Pakistan—despite an assassination attempt that gravely wounded her in 2012, when she was only 15 years old. Primary themes of interest to high school students: activism, women’s rights, learning and education.

21. The Marrow Thieves Cherie Dimaline’s book is a dystopian vision of a bleak, postapocalyptic world in which humans have lost the ability to dream—except for North America’s Indigenous population, who are hunted for their bone marrow, which holds the key to a cure. Primary themes of interest to high school students: trauma, the climate crisis, family dynamics, oppression.

22. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe In this novel set in 1987, author Benjamin Alire Sáenz traces the story of two Mexican American boys, Aristotle and Dante, who could not be more different but form a bond that makes them confidants—and gives them the courage to share life-changing secrets. Primary themes of interest to high school students: identity and purpose, sexuality, self-acceptance, trauma.

23. Sing, Unburied, Sing: A Novel Jesmyn Ward’s dark but lyrical tale follows a Mississippi family on a road trip haunted by ghosts of the past and present. Primary themes of interest to high school students: race and racial injustice, identity and belonging, mortality.

24. The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives In this journalistic piece of nonfiction, author Dashka Slater reveals the complexities of what transpired between two teenagers on a bus in Oakland, California—Sasha and Richard—and the aftermath that ultimately transformed two families. Primary themes of interest to high school students: gender and sexuality, race, discrimination, the criminal justice system.

25. The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet Adapted from his podcast of the same name, John Green’s humorous collection of 44 essays covers topics ranging from the computer-generated velociraptors in the movie Jurassic Park and sunsets to air conditioners and penguins—rating them all on a five-star scale. Primary themes of interest to high school students: the human condition, mental health, humor and absurdity, the climate crisis.

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For the love of books

7 Assigned Books from School that are Worth the Read

Sometimes it can hard to read the books we are assigned for class. These are the books that broke down that barrier and made us appreciate literature.

It’s no secret that it can be hard to read books assigned for school. Sort of like when you are about to do the dishes, and your mom asks you to do exactly that. All motivation is gone. Reading for an assignment just isn’t as fun as reading whatever you want recreationally, so it can be hard to get into a new book. There are, however, a select few well-known novels that, when given a chance, can become your new favorite read.

Lord of The Flies by William Golding

Lord of the Flies was not only the first book to really stick with me but also the first school-assigned book to do so. It tells the story of a group of schoolboys whose plane crashes on an island. After realizing all the adults on the plane were killed, they are faced with survival with only the help of each other. Things inevitably become chaotic as groups are formed, and certain boys get lost in leadership.

For many kids, myself included, this novel is the earliest introduction to what humanity is capable of. It explores themes of civilization, human nature, and religion, many of which children in middle school have not yet been exposed to. It was also the first novel many kids would read that they were expected to discuss and analyze. There is no denying that for many students who didn’t like to read, it was the first novel that had us fully engaged in the story and the discussion going on.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

This one may be a little obvious, but it’s popular for a reason. The novel is narrated by Nick Carraway, who recently moved to West Egg, a “new money” part of New York. His cousin is Daisy Buchanon, who lives in East Egg, a part of town considered “old money.” Nick eventually meets his neighbor, Jay Gatsby, a man who throws parties at his mansion every Saturday night and also has a complicated history with the married Daisy.

This is a favorite among both teachers and students. It’s a novel that is rich in analytical potential and features a lot of symbolism in relation to the American Dream as well as the class system. It also features a lot of drama, with romance and tragedy surrounding Daisy and Gatsby’s story. And Nick’s observational style of narrating allows the readers to feel like flies on the wall among the rich of New York.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

While a very famous book, Little Women isn’t taught in schools quite as much as the previous two. It is, however, a great read for many students who only read for class. It follows the March family, specifically the four sisters Meg, Jo, Amy, and Beth. Starting in 1860 and following the family over many years, each of the sisters goes on a journey of self-discovery and their societal roles.

This is a great one for students because it is very easy to become attached to at least one of the March sisters. Each of them is unique in both their qualities and flaws, which makes them all the more relatable. The novel explores themes of love, womanhood, and morality. While heartbreaking at times, it is ultimately a feel-good novel that leaves you with a strong feeling of catharsis.

Night by Elie Wiesel

This is one that not everyone may have read, but those who did never forgot it. The novel is a memoir of Wiesel’s time in Auschwitz and Buchenwald during World War II. It’s a short read that documents Wiesel and his father’s experiences during the Holocaust.

The Holocaust is always an important part of education in both history and English classes. This is, for many, the first Holocaust story told in a first-person narrative that students read. So, it stuck with me and many others because of the intensity of the story and the attention to detail. While reading this, the Holocaust becomes less of a story from long ago and more of the recent horror that it truly was. It is not a novel you would call a favorite, but every student feels its impact.

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton

The Outsiders is the story of two rival juvenile gangs in Tulsa. The poor East Side gang is known as the Greasers, and the rich West Side gang is known as the Socs. The story mostly follows Ponyboy, a member of the Greasers. It is a story of violence and heavily discusses the difference between social classes, but it is also a story of family and boyhood.

The Outsiders is very different from Little Women , but similarly, both novels encourage their readers to develop emotional attachments to the characters. It is a novel that explores the struggles of kids living in poverty, which is a very real issue for many children. It explores themes of empathy, preserving childhood innocence, and honor. It is definitely a tearjerker, and every kid who reads this book forever remembers the phrase “Stay gold, Ponyboy.”

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

The Catcher in the Rye isn’t one that I read in school, but I know it’s a pretty well-studied book. It is also one of the earliest novels published that heavily focuses on mental health. It follows Holdren Cauldielfd, a prep school student who was recently expelled for failing his classes. He leaves school and returns to New York City, where he is from. Avoiding his family, he spends time in the city meeting new people and seeing old friends while simultaneously making decisions that suggest he may be suffering from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder caused by previous traumas.

I imagine this is a favorite because, like Little Women and The Outsiders , it depicts realistic struggles experienced by teenagers who go through many of the same things. At first glance, Holden may seem easy to hate, but as you learn more about his past, you learn that he isn’t as blamable as one would like to believe. The novel explores themes of mental health, genuineness, sex, and self-isolation.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Before it gained popularity for the well-known Hulu adaptation, The Handmaid’s Tale was often taught in schools. It is a dystopian story that documents the oppression of women in the US after it was overthrown by a Christian theocratic regime. It explores the presence of women in a society that seeks to not only oppress but also use women for the sake of childbirth. The novel follows Offred, the handmaid of the commander, and Serena Joy.

The Handmaid’s Tale is one of many books banned in recent years for its statements on feminism and women in society. It is a significant novel for students to study. It allows students to explore dystopian themes and compare the society depicted in the book to the one we live in now.

Each of these novels offers something extraordinary for the education of middle and high school students. They teach students how to analyze character, symbols, how they interact with one another, and their plots. They also offer students who don’t enjoy reading as much a story that will grab their attention, whether they find themselves relating to certain characters or wanting to fight for what is right alongside them.

While more than one of the novels on this list has been under fire in recent years for depicting too graphic or adult themes, that is all the more reason to teach them in a safe environment where productive discussion can be had.

To learn more about the banning of school-assigned books, click here .

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50 Books Taught In School That Are Actually Great, I Promise

Just in time for back-to-school.

BuzzFeed Staff

We asked the members of the BuzzFeed Community to share books they had to read in school that they actually loved . Here are some of the best replies:

1. little women by louisa may alcott.

I realized that I saw myself in all four March sisters and related to them more than any other literary characters. I've read it several times since, and all I want for Christmas this year is to see the new movie adaptation. — emmanz

2. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

It’s not a common school read, but it has everything you could ever want in a book. Romance, an edge-of-your-seat mystery, and friendships that last throughout the years. This book made me feel about every emotion imaginable and left my “summer reading pain” in the dust. I love it so much, I frequently gift it to friends. — katiek4eb45efca

3. 1984 by George Orwell

I read it my sophomore year of high school, and it really challenged how I considered the rise of technology and the roles the government has in all aspects of our daily life. Plus, the opening line still gets me. — gracec30

4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Yes, all of the characters are problematic and generally horrible people, but the language is beautiful and I always find random lines when I reread it that I still cling to. Plus, the drama is always quite entertaining. — maddiejt

5. Night by Elie Wiesel

I was very hesitant to start reading Night by Elie Wiesel. However, I found myself captivated by the story and I felt every emotion with Elie; some parts left me sobbing in the middle of the classroom. The fact that this was his true story was even more heartbreaking. I truly think this is a must-read for every person and it is one of the best books I have ever read. — TheDenehayhay

6. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

It has so many twists and turns, fascinating characters, false accusations, prison escapes, buried treasure, and revenge. What more could you want? — aryna2

7. Hamlet by William Shakespeare

When I was told I had to read Hamlet , I was a bit annoyed because it was another tragedy and Shakespeare’s language isn’t easy to understand. But, oh my God, how wrong was I! It was the most intense thing I had ever read at the time. It's still my favorite play to this day. — isaurel

8. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

This was the first time I read a strong female character I could identify with — Lady Brett Ashley is the most badass character. YAS KWEEN! — carags

9. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

It was required reading in high school and I had no expectations of it. Even the title gave nothing away. But when we started reading it, I read ahead of everyone because it was just so good. What struck me the most was Holden had no idea what to do in life and he seemed so lost and uninterested, just how I did back then. I loved relating to a character that much, even though our lives were happening decades apart from each other. — c46d432c9b

10. The Odyssey by Homer

I thought such an old story would be hard to relate to and uninteresting. Turns out, there’s a reason this book has withstood the test of time! The Odyssey is the only work of fiction I didn’t sell back at the end of the semester in college, and I’ve reread it twice since! — jessicabarrotts

11. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

As slow and heavy as it was, Great Expectations changed my life. I was starting my fourth new school in four years, so maybe Pip’s angst about adapting to a new life found me at just the right time. But, I find that so much of that story has stuck with me, and I give it a lot of credit for my decision to study English literature in college! — magpiefrances98

12. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

I read it in my final year of high school and I absolutely loved it! It highlighted the many issues black people faced in those times, and really opened my eyes. Even though I'm British Pakistani, it still had a lasting effect on me and, to this day, I love this book. — pwincessrasia

13. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Our teacher gave us each a copy and told us to read the first chapter in preparation for the next day's class. I read the whole book that night and continued to reread it 'til the end every Monday night, until we had finished as a class. — patsys4c577e97b

14. The Awakening by Kate Chopin

The Awakening is a must-read for moms who are constantly judged by other moms. I didn't know it when I read it in college, but it sure came back into my mind 10 years later when I had my first child. — g42c2a3f22

15. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

I was the only black person in the class and I was a pretty lazy English student because we always read boring classics that I couldn’t relate to at all. But this book meant SO MUCH to me. It expressed a lot of what I felt growing up. I felt SEEN and I’m glad my teacher felt it was important to add to our reading list. — khloebare

16. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Looking back, it's pretty gruesome that we were assigned this as juniors in high school. I remember being scared to be home alone after reading it. It was definitely the start of my love for true crime though, and I'm now a huge murderino. Seriously though, this book gave me a lot of perspective and helped me learn ways to stay cautious and keep myself safer. — courtneya4f8e9be56

17. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

It was probably the only book I completely read in AP English (sorry, Ms. Widener!), and I expected to hate it, but I loved it. Jane is a strong-willed heroine who cares for people, but doesn’t easily forgive when she’s been wronged. As an 18-year-old, I respected the hell out of that and now, at 30, I still do. — charlsiew2

18. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

I had to read it for my 9th grade English class, and it really is the kind of book I thought would be boring. Two guys wandering the road? It didn’t seem as if it had a real purpose to it. But man, that book hits you hard and it’s the kind of thing I never would’ve checked out on my own. I still think about and, to this day, I can’t hear the word "rabbits" without flashing to that one scene and falling into a state of melancholy. — foxb3

19. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

I read it as a freshman in high school and thought I was going to hate it. Aldous Huxley was way ahead of his time, given that the book was written in 1931. The dystopian novel explores controversial topics that speak upon our ability to connect with individuals. It's just incredible. — kennedyk4a9e8d691

20. Macbeth by William Shakespeare

The characters were all so dark and so well-written. You could feel their slow descent into madness. It's the most badass and entertaining book I read during my time in school, and it remains one of my favorite books to date. Plus, Lady Macbeth is THAT bitch. — autumndavis

21. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

I really loved it because it opened my eyes to the world of women's objectification by men at a time when I was most vulnerable. It really taught me the importance of being persistent towards achieving your goals and gave me the nerve to advocate for more women’s rights. — hylandcameron

22. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

The House of Mirth was a book I had to read junior year. I didn’t really like any of the characters at first, and I found the story to be awfully dull. But, I realized it was such a heartbreaking and complex story about a young woman who is completely betrayed by the society she adored so much. Overall, I came to love the story and it taught me a lot about how dangerous society and social norms can be. To this day, this day, it’s probably my favorite book I had to read. — thuienguyen

23. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

All I wanted to do my senior year of high school was take Brit Lit and read Pride and Prejudice . Being able to dissect the book (and the man who has ruined every expectation of love I have) was definitely something I looked forward to after lunch everyday. Elizabeth Bennet is still someone I strive to be, as she was strong and a woman ahead of her time. I guess you could say I love Pride and Prejudice ...most ardently. — greciaj4399bc898

24. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

It’s beautifully written and tells a story about WW2 from an unusual perspective. The character development is amazing, and you fall in love with each and every one of them. It’s one of the few books that's made me cry. — leighb4e93be472

25. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

My AP English teacher hooked me by saying, “It has ghosts, graveyards, scary houses, and romance,” which were all my favorite things at 16. I instantly fell in love with the book, and my romance with Heathcliff, Cathy, Edgar, and Wuthering Heights itself, continues on. — starlachristineb

26. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Go Ask Alice always stuck with me. I've reread it multiple times and it never gets old. — horseyloveforever

27. Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

I laughed way too hard at the Miller's tales and all the other nonsense that happened. Reading this made me realize that the writers from antiquity aren't so different from today. I can still go back and read the tales and enjoy them over and over. The craftsmanship, the characters...all of it is so silly and good. — pks0

28. Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

I loved all the characters and how they were intertwined, as well as the time period. It's just so rich and complex! — lledlow1

29. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

It was hard to get into at the beginning, but I had to dig deeper to finish my final project. After taking the time to understand it, it turned out to be a beautiful journey for Janie. — gabbysimm

30. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Once I stopped taking the book so seriously, it became a great read and genuinely made me laugh. It's definitely a good book to read while stressing about college applications. — amandag4fe9e4ba0

31. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

It truly made me think about sanity in relation to the human condition and what morality means in an apathetic universe. It inspired me to study philosophy on my own time, which has become a real passion that I love. — claireification

32. Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence

I never would've read this myself, but it was such a touching and impactful story. Every detail and every word is raw and beautiful. I thought about it for days after reading it. — mariajamal974

33. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

I did not want to read it since it had a super cheesy cover that looked like a terrible romance novel my grandma used to read. But sure enough — two to three pages in — I was completely hooked. The mystery, suspense, grandeur, drama, the romantic locations, and so many twists and turns made it unputdownable! BRB going to read it again now! — dannio

34. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

We read it as part of a gothic module. I went into it thinking it would be so boring because it was an old book. But, it’s timeless and teaches you a lot about how kindness can impact the world. The monster isn’t always the monster. — louises427ab4845

35. The Giver by Lois Lowry

I read The Giver in the 7th grade and it rocked my world. It was the book that got me hooked on science fiction and fantasy, and my teacher even gave me the next book in the series to keep. — skipnees

36. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

It was assigned in 9th grade and I was prepared to hate it. Instead, I full-on snot-streamed sobbed for three straight days after finishing. — angieg421ddf032

37. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

My teacher really let us explore the feminist lens and how powerful defying stereotypes can be, even when the whole world is against you. I loved it even though it took place during a time period I usually don’t enjoy reading about. — emmab419b8a784

38. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

I was actually forced to read The Little Prince in sixth grade and I couldn't understand it one bit. But because it was assigned, I finished it and, good Lord, this book incredible. I still quote it to this very day, and even though I have a bookshelf of unread books, I reread The Little Prince all the time. — k4764538fb

39. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Of all the books I had to read on the colonization of Africa (and there were A LOT), this one actually showed the story from the side of the Africans and revealed how much colonization destroyed their way of life. It was such a nice break from the typical racist “white man's burden” classics that we were forced to read. — katelyns4f3e1e707

40. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

This was such a good mystery novel! I had to read a ton of mystery books for school, but none of them were as good as this one. It was easy to understand without being cheesy and cliché. It definitely sparked my love for mystery novels!

— ashlynnwinchester

41. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

My senior year of high school we read Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Being the only black student in the room, I was worried about the novel because of its origins and its authorship, but once we began reading, I couldn’t put it down. It was by far the best coming-of-age story I’ve ever read, especially since it takes on real-life struggles like the pressure to succeed, anxiety, and family dynamics. A wonderful novel with a brilliant author. — krnicholson19

42. All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

It was the first time an assigned reading actually stuck with me. I absolutely fell in love with this book. I was 14 when I first read it and now, at 36, I still recommend it to people. McCarthy has such a unique style of writing and his books truly come alive. The imagery and emotions in his stories come through unlike any other books I’ve read. I've since read almost all of his books because of how much I loved All the Pretty Horses . — michellecarpentierp

43. The Road by Jack Kerouac

We dove deep not only into the book but also into his life, the experiences of the Beats, and society at large during that time. It gave me a new perspective of people who were fighting for social justice before us, what their beliefs and struggles were like. The book also gives you the opportunity to psychologically study so many different characters, not only the three mains and their friends, but also the various people they met along the way. Many people find The Road inspires them to travel; for me, it inspired me to more deeply know the history of the movements I believe in and to work for change while being respectful of those wounded by the terrible behavior of others. — erinl50

44. A Separate Peace by John Knowles

In 10th grade, I read an annotated A Separate Peace by John Knowles and absolutely loved it! I was not expecting to like this book so much, but the characters were really relatable and fun. — bmeece142

45. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, which I read during senior year of high school for AP Lit, made me cry more than any book I've ever read. It filled me with so much passion. — elisal469b50a34

46. The Crucible by Arthur Miller

I've always been fascinated by Salem and witches, and that period in American history. It's probably the only thing I read in high school that I really enjoyed. — christopherb4dd9f84fa

47. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

We had to read a few chapters over spring break, but I finished the whole book. I was so disappointed that none of my friends had read ahead like I had. — rebeccaw4e0b815bb

48. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Growing up in a Christian household, this novel normalized my doubts about my faith and the church. It really helped me to feel OK with growing into something my parents didn’t expect me to be. — sidneyallisonb

49. House of Spirits by Isabel Allende

It's a beautifully written, generational novel that includes magical realism, strong female characters, and historical references about the government overthrow in Chile, inspired by Allende's own experiences. — chelsean4ed15dc5d

50. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

In the 6th grade, we read The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, and I reread it every year until 10th grade. I still love the unique answers to the mystery, the diverse and fun characters, and all of the little "side mysteries" that kept me engaged every chapter. I'm surprised it's only gotten one (almost impossible to find and not very good) film adaptation. It would make for a fun, Clue -like movie. — colleend9

Do you love a book on this list? What was your favorite read from school? Tell us in the comments!

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Your 25 Favorite Books From Assigned Reading

Rebecca Joines Schinsky

Rebecca Joines Schinsky is the executive director of product and ecommerce at Riot New Media Group. She co-hosts All the Books! and the Book Riot Podcast. Follow her on Twitter: @rebeccaschinsky .

View All posts by Rebecca Joines Schinsky

In our latest reader poll, we asked you to tell about your favorite books from assigned school reading. There were no rules or restrictions, no genre requirements, no statements about which years of school counted or didn’t: just your favorite books from school reading, period.

1142 Riot readers answered the call, sharing 660 unique titles. (Participants were allowed to nominate up to 3 books.) Here are the top 25 selections. Any surprises? Do these square with your favorites? If you’re in the mood for a deeper dive, here’s the full data set.

It’s no surprise to see Harper Lee in first place here, as To Kill a Mockingbird is by far the most common (and has become the most expected) response to almost any survey about favorite books/characters/authors we conduct. Interesting to see that 8 of the 20 writers mentioned here are women. That’s a better gender balance than I would have expected given dead white guys’ popularity on syllabi. It’s disappointing but also not terribly surprising, given the popularity of dead white guys, to see only one book by a person of color. I was happy to see some young adult titles make the list, including The Outsiders , which is arguably the first modern young adult novel, and The Giver .

Here’s how these favorite assigned books overlap with Riot readers’  favorite novels , most-hated books , and the ones we just pretend to have read .

What are your thoughts and questions and theories about these results?

Check out other Riot polls:

Book Riot Readers’ 50 Favorite Novels

The 25 Most-Hated Books (by Book Riot Readers)

19 Books You’ve Been Meaning to Read FOREVER

20 Books You Pretend to Have Read

Top 10 Books You’re Embarrassed to Admit You’ve Read

20 Most-Loved Literary Characters

Are These the 13 Most Underrated Books?

20 Books You Love to Give as Gifts

Your 25 Favorite Authors of Color

The Book Riot 2013 Reading Habits Survey

The Great TBR Poll: Results

The Top 17 Books That Make You Feel Dumb

The Great Book Budget Poll

The 35 Most Powerful Books You’ve Read

The Great Audiobook Survey

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Media For Kids And Teens

What kids are reading, in school and out.

Walk into any bookstore or library, and you'll find shelves and shelves of hugely popular novels and book series for kids. But research shows that as young readers get older, they are not moving to more complex books. High-schoolers are reading books written for younger kids, and teachers aren't assigning difficult classics as much as they once did.

At Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington, D.C., the 11th-grade honors English students are reading The Kite Runner . And students like Megan Bell are reading some heavy-duty books in their spare time. "I like a lot of like old-fashioned historical dramas," Bell says. "Like I just read Anna Karenina ... I plowed through it, and it was a really good book."

But most teens are not forging their way through Russian literature, says Walter Dean Myers, who is currently serving as National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. A popular author of young-adult novels that are often set in the inner city, Myers wants his readers to see themselves in his books. But sometimes, he's surprised by his own fan mail.

"I'm glad they wrote," he says, "but it is not very heartening to see what they are reading as juniors and seniors." Asked what exactly is discouraging, Myers says that these juniors and seniors are reading books that he wrote with fifth- and sixth-graders in mind.

And a lot of the kids who like to read in their spare time are more likely to be reading the latest vampire novel than the classics, says Anita Silvey, author of 500 Great Books for Teens . Silvey teaches graduate students in a children's literature program, and at the beginning of the class, she asked her students — who grew up in the age of Harry Potter — about the books they like.

"Every single person in the class said, 'I don't like realism, I don't like historical fiction. What I like is fantasy, science fiction, horror and fairy tales.' "

Those anecdotal observations are reflected in a study of kids' reading habits by Renaissance Learning. For the fifth year in a row, the educational company used its Accelerated Reader program to track what kids are reading in grades one through 12.

"Last year, we had more than 8.6 million students from across the country who read a total of 283 million books," says Eric Stickney, the educational research director for Renaissance Learning. Students participate in the Accelerated Reader program through their schools. When they read a book, they take a brief comprehension quiz, and the book is then recorded in the system. The books are assigned a grade level based on vocabulary and sentence complexity.

And Stickney says that after the late part of middle school, students generally don't continue to increase the difficulty levels of the books they read.

Last year, almost all of the top 40 books read in grades nine through 12 were well below grade level. The most popular books, the three books in The Hunger Games series, were assessed to be at the fifth-grade level.

Last year, for the first time, Renaissance did a separate study to find out what books were being assigned to high school students. "The complexity of texts students are being assigned to read," Stickney says, "has declined by about three grade levels over the past 100 years. A century ago, students were being assigned books with the complexity of around the ninth- or 10th-grade level. But in 2012, the average was around the sixth-grade level."

Most of the assigned books are novels, like To Kill a Mockingbird , Of Mice and Men or Animal Farm . Students even read recent works like The Help and The Notebook . But in 1989, high school students were being assigned works by Sophocles, Shakespeare, Dickens, George Bernard Shaw, Emily Bronte and Edith Wharton.

Now, with the exception of Shakespeare, most classics have dropped off the list.

Back at Woodrow Wilson High School, at a 10th-grade English class — regular, not honors — students say they don't read much outside of school. But Tyler Jefferson and Adriel Miller are eager to talk. Adriel likes books about sports; Tyler likes history. Both say their teachers have assigned books they would not have chosen on their own. "I read The Odyssey , Tyler says. "I read Romeo and Juliet . I didn't read Hamlet . Asked what he thought of the books, Tyler acknowledges some challenges. "It was very different, because how the language was back then, the dialogue that they had.

Adriel agrees that books like that are tougher to read. "That's why we have great teachers that actually make us understand," he says. "It's a harder challenge of our brain, you know; it's a challenge."

But a challenge with its rewards, as Tyler says. "It gives us a new view on things."

Sandra Stotsky would be heartened to hear that. Professor emerita of education at the University of Arkansas, Stotsky firmly believes that high school students should be reading challenging fiction to get ready for the reading they'll do in college. "You wouldn't find words like 'malevolent,' 'malicious' or 'incorrigible' in science or history materials," she says, stressing the importance of literature. Stotsky says in the '60s and '70s, schools began introducing more accessible books in order to motivate kids to read. That trend has continued, and the result is that kids get stuck at a low level of reading.

"Kids were never pulled out of that particular mode in order to realize that in order to read more difficult works, you really have to work at it a little bit more," she says. "You've got to broaden your vocabulary. You may have to use a dictionary occasionally. You've got to do a lot more reading altogether."

"There's something wonderful about the language, the thinking, the intelligence of the classics," says Anita Silvey. She acknowledges that schools and parents may need to work a little harder to get kids to read the classics these days, but that doesn't mean kids shouldn't continue to read the popular contemporary novels they love. Both have value: "There's an emotional, psychological attraction to books for readers. And I think some of, particularly, these dark, dystopic novels that predict a future where in fact the teenager is going to have to find the answers, I think these are very compelling reads for these young people right now."

Reading leads to reading, says Silvey. It's when kids stop reading, or never get started in the first place, that there's no chance of ever getting them hooked on more complex books.

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These high school ‘classics’ have been taught for generations – could they be on their way out?

Professor and Chair, Stony Brook University (The State University of New York)

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If you went to high school in the United States anytime since the 1960s, you were likely assigned some of the following books: Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” “Julius Caesar” and “Macbeth”; John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men”; F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”; Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”; and William Golding’s “The Lord of the Flies.”

For many former students, these books and other so-called “classics” represent high school English. But despite the efforts of reformers, both past and present , the most frequently assigned titles have never represented America’s diverse student body.

Why did these books become classics in the U.S.? How have they withstood challenges to their status? And will they continue to dominate high school reading lists? Or will they be replaced by a different set of books that will become classics for students in the 21st century?

The high school canon

The set of books that is taught again and again, broadly across the country, is referred to by literature scholars and English teachers as “the canon.”

The high school canon has been shaped by many factors. Shakespeare’s plays, especially “Macbeth” and “Julius Caesar,” have been taught consistently since the beginning of the 20th century , when the curriculum was determined by college entrance requirements. Others, like “To Kill a Mockingbird,” winner of the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, were ushered into the classroom by current events – in the case of Lee’s book, the civil rights movement . Some books just seem especially suited for classroom teaching: “Of Mice and Men” has a straightforward plot, easily identifiable themes and is under 100 pages long.

Titles become “traditional” when they are passed down through generations. As the education historian Jonna Perrillo observes, parents tend to approve of having their children study the same books that they once did.

The last period of significant change to the canon was during the 1960s and 1970s, when the largest generation of the 20th century, the baby boomers, went to high school. For instance, in 1963, a survey of 800 students at Evanston Township High School in Illinois revealed that “To Kill a Mockingbird,” first published in 1960, was by far the “most enjoyed book,” followed by two books that had been published in the 1950s, J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye” and Golding’s “The Lord of the Flies.” None of these books were yet traditional, yet they became so for the next generation.

A comparison of national surveys conducted in 1963 and 1988 shows how several books that were introduced to the classroom when the boomers were students had become classics when boomers were teachers.

During the 1960s and 1970s, teachers even reframed “Romeo and Juliet” as a contemporary work. Lesson plans from the era referred to its adaptations into “ West Side Story ” – a musical that initially came out in 1957 – and Franco Zefferelli’s risqué 1968 film version of Shakespeare’s story of star-crossed lovers. It became the perfect hook for ninth graders in a study of Shakespeare that would conclude in 12th grade with “Macbeth.”

Efforts to diversify

English education professor Arthur Applebee observed in 1989 that, since the 1960s, “leaders in the profession of English teaching have tried to broaden the curriculum to include more selections by women and minority authors.” But in the late 1980s, according to his findings, the high school “top ten” still included only one book by a woman – Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” – and none by minority authors.

At that time, a raging debate was underway about whether America was a “melting pot” in which many cultures became one, or a colorful “mosaic” in which many cultures coexisted. Proponents of the latter view argued for a multicultural canon, but they were ultimately unable to establish one. A 2011 survey of Southern schools by Joyce Stallworth and Louel C. Gibbons, published in “English Leadership Quarterly,” found that the five most frequently taught books were all traditional selections: “The Great Gatsby,” “Romeo and Juliet,” Homer’s “The Odyssey,” Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” and “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

One explanation for this persistence is that the canon is not simply a list: It takes form as stacks of copies on shelves in the storage area known as the “book room.” Changes to the inventory require time, money and effort. Depending on the district, replacing a classic might require approval by the school board . And it would create more work for teachers who are already maxed out.

“Too many teachers, probably myself included, teach from the traditional canon,” a teacher told Stallworth and Gibbons. “We are overworked and underpaid and struggle to find the time to develop quality lessons for new books.”

The end of an era?

Esau McCauley, the author of “Reading While Black,” describes the list of classics by white authors as the “ pre-integration canon .” At least two factors suggest that its dominance over the curriculum is coming to an end.

First, the battles over which books should be taught have become more intense than ever. On the one hand, progressives like the teachers of the growing #DisruptTexts movement call for the inclusion of books by Black, Native American and other authors of color - and they question the status of the classics. On the other hand, conservatives have challenged or successfully banned the teaching of many new books that deal with gender and sexuality or race.

PEN America, a nonprofit organization that fights for free expression for writers, reports “ a profound increase ” in book bans. The outcome might be a literature curriculum that more resembles the political divisions in this country. Much more than in the past, students in conservative and progressive districts might read very different books.

Second, English Language Arts education itself is changing. State standards, such as those adopted by New York in 2017 , no longer make the teaching of literature the primary focus of English class. Instead, there is a new emphasis on “ information literacy .” And while preceding generations of teachers voiced concerns about the distractions of radio and then television , books may have an even smaller share of students’ attention in the age of cellphones, the internet, social media and online gaming .

“We no longer live in a print-dominant, text-only world,” the National Council of Teachers of English proclaims in a 2022 position statement . The group calls for English teachers to put less emphasis on books in order to train students to use and analyze a variety of media. Accordingly, students across the country may not only have fewer books in common, but they also may be reading fewer books altogether.

Why teach literature?

Over generations, English teachers have voiced many reasons to teach books, and the canon in particular: to instill a common culture , foster citizenship , build empathy and cultivate lifelong readers . These goals have little to do with the skills emphasized by contemporary academic standards. But if literature is going to continue to be an important part of American education, it is important to talk not only about what books to teach, but the reasons why.

This story has been updated to correct the year that “West Side Story” appeared as a musical.

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Advanced Placement (AP)

A lot of students wonder if there's a specific AP English reading list of books they should be reading to succeed on the AP Literature and Composition exam. While there's not an official College-Board AP reading list, there are books that will be more useful for you to read than others as you prepare for the exam. In this article, I'll break down why you need to read books to prepare, how many you should plan on reading, and what you should read—including poetry.

Why Do You Need to Read Books for the AP Literature Test?

This might seem like kind of an obvious question—you need to read books because it's a literature exam! But actually, there are three specific reasons why you need to read novels, poems, and plays in preparation for the AP Lit Test.

To Increase Your Familiarity With Different Eras and Genres of Literature

Reading a diverse array of novels, poetry and plays from different eras and genres will help you be familiar with the language that appears in the various passages on the AP Lit exam's multiple choice and essay sections. If you read primarily modern works, for example, you may stumble through analyzing a Shakespeare sonnet. So, having a basic familiarity level with the language of a broad variety of literary works will help keep you from floundering in confusion on test day because you're seeing a work unlike anything you've ever read.

To Improve Your Close-Reading Skills

You'll also want to read to improve your close-reading and rhetorical analysis skills. When you do read, really engage with the text: think about what the author's doing to construct the novel/poem/play/etc., what literary techniques and motifs are being deployed, and what major themes are at play. You don't necessarily need to drill down to the same degree on every text, but you should always be thinking, "Why did the author write this piece this way?"

For the Student Choice Free-Response Question

Perhaps the most critical piece in reading to prepare for the AP Lit test, however, is for the student choice free-response question. For the third question on the second exam section, you'll be asked to examine how a specific theme works in one novel or play that you choose. The College Board does provide an example list of works, but you can choose any work you like just so long as it has adequate "literary merit." However, you need to be closely familiar with more than one work so that you can be prepared for whatever theme the College Board throws at you!

Note: Not an effective reading method.

How Many Books Do You Need to Read for the AP Exam?

That depends. In terms of reading to increase your familiarity with literature from different eras and genres and to improve your close-reading skills, the more books you have time to read, the better. You'll want to read them all with an eye for comprehension and basic analysis, but you don't necessarily need to focus equally on every book you read.

For the purposes of the student choice question, however, you'll want to read books more closely, so that you could write a detailed, convincing analytical essay about any of their themes. So you should know the plot, characters, themes, and major literary devices or motifs used inside and out. Since you won't know what theme you'll be asked to write about in advance, you'll need to be prepared to write a student choice question on more than just one book.

Of the books you read for prep both in and out of class, choose four to five books that are thematically diverse to learn especially well in preparation for the exam. You may want to read these more than once, and you certainly want to take detailed notes on everything that's going on in those books to help you remember key points and themes. Discussing them with a friend or mentor who has also read the book will help you generate ideas on what's most interesting or intriguing about the work and how its themes operate in the text.

You may be doing some of these activities anyways for books you are assigned to read for class, and those books might be solid choices if you want to be as efficient as possible. Books you write essays about for school are also great choices to include in your four to five book stable since you will be becoming super-familiar with them for the writing you do in class anyways.

In answer to the question, then, of how many books you need to read for the AP Lit exam: you need to know four to five inside and out, and beyond that, the more the better!

Know the books. Love the books.

What Books Do You Need to Read for the AP Exam?

The most important thing for the student choice free-response question is that the work you select needs to have "literary merit." What does this mean? In the context of the College Board, this means you should stick with works of literary fiction. So in general, avoid mysteries, fantasies, romance novels, and so on.

If you're looking for ideas, authors and works that have won prestigious prizes like the Pulitzer, Man Booker, the National Book Award, and so on are good choices. Anything you read specifically for your AP literature class is a good choice, too. If you aren't sure if a particular work has the kind of literary merit the College Board is looking for, ask your AP teacher.

When creating your own AP Literature reading list for the student choice free-response, try to pick works that are diverse in author, setting, genre, and theme. This will maximize your ability to comprehensively answer a student choice question about pretty much anything with one of the works you've focused on.

So, I might, for example, choose:

A Midsummer Night's Dream , Shakespeare, play, 1605

Major themes and devices: magic, dreams, transformation, foolishness, man vs. woman, play-within-a-play

Wuthering Heights , Emily Bronte, novel, 1847

Major themes and devices: destructive love, exile, social and economic class, suffering and passion, vengeance and violence, unreliable narrator, frame narrative, family dysfunction, intergenerational narratives.

The Age of Innocence , Edith Wharton, novel, 1920

Major themes and devices: Tradition and duty, personal freedom, hypocrisy, irony, social class, family, "maintaining appearances", honor

Wide Sargasso Sea , Jean Rhys, novel, 1966

Major themes and devices: slavery, race, magic, madness, wildness, civilization vs. chaos, imperialism, gender

As you can see, while there is some thematic overlap in my chosen works, they also cover a broad swathe of themes. They are also all very different in style (although you'll just have to take my word on that one unless you go look at all of them yourself), and they span a range of time periods and genres as well.

However, while there's not necessarily a specific, mandated AP Literature reading list, there are books that come up again and again on the suggestion lists for student choice free-response questions. When a book comes up over and over again on exams, this suggests both that it's thematically rich, so you can use it to answer lots of different kinds of questions, and that the College Board sees a lot of value in the work.

To that end, I've assembled a list, separated by time period, of all the books that have appeared on the suggested works list for student choice free-response questions at least twice since 2003. While you certainly shouldn't be aiming to read all of these books (there's way too many for that!), these are all solid choices for the student choice essay. Other books by authors from this list are also going to be strong choices. It's likely that some of your class reading will overlap with this list, too.

I've divided up the works into chunks by time period. In addition to title, each entry includes the author, whether the work is a novel, play, or something else, and when it was first published or performed. Works are alphabetical by author.

Warning: Not all works pictured included in AP Literature reading list below.

Ancient Works

The Queen of AP Literature surveys her kingdom.

Don't get trapped in a literature vortex!

1990-Present

Don't stay in one reading position for too long, or you'll end up like this guy.

An Addendum on Poetry

You probably won't be writing about poetry on your student choice essay—most just aren't meaty enough in terms of action and character to merit a full-length essay on the themes when you don't actually have the poem in front of you (a major exception being The Odyssey ). That doesn't mean that you shouldn't be reading poetry, though! You should be reading a wide variety of poets from different eras to get comfortable with all the varieties of poetic language. This will make the poetry analysis essay and the multiple-choice questions about poetry much easier!

See this list of poets compiled from the list given on page 10 of the AP Course and Exam Description for AP Lit, separated out by time period. For those poets who were working during more than one of the time periods sketched out below, I tried to place them in the era in which they were more active.

I've placed an asterisk next to the most notable and important poets in the list; you should aim to read one or two poems by each of the starred poets to get familiar with a broad range of poetic styles and eras.

14th-17th Centuries

• Anne Bradstreet
• Geoffrey Chaucer
• George Herbert
• Andrew Marvell
• John Milton
• William Shakespeare*

18th-19th Centuries

• William Blake*
• Robert Browning
• Samuel Taylor Coleridge*
• Emily Dickinson*
• Paul Laurence Dunbar
• George Gordon, Lord Byron
• Gerard Manley Hopkins
• John Keats*
• Edgar Allan Poe*
• Alexander Pope*
• Percy Bysshe Shelley*
• Alfred, Lord Tennyson*
• Walt Whitman*
• William Wordsworth*

Early-Mid 20th Century

• W. H. Auden
• Elizabeth Bishop
• H. D. (Hilda Doolittle)
• T. S. Eliot*
• Robert Frost*
• Langston Hughes*
• Philip Larkin
• Robert Lowell
• Marianne Moore
• Sylvia Plath*
• Anne Sexton*
• Wallace Stevens
• William Carlos Williams
• William Butler Yeats*

Late 20th Century-Present

• Edward Kamau Brathwaite
• Gwendolyn Brooks
• Lorna Dee Cervantes
• Lucille Clifton
• Billy Collins
• Seamus Heaney
• Garrett Hongo
• Adrienne Rich
• Leslie Marmon Silko
• Derek Walcott
• Richard Wilbur

You might rather burn books than read them after the exam, but please refrain.

Key Takeaways

Why do you need to read books to prepare for AP Lit? For three reasons:

#1 : To become familiar with a variety of literary eras and genres #2 : To work on your close-reading skills #3 : To become closely familiar with four-five works for the purposes of the student choice free-response essay analyzing a theme in a work of your choice.

How many books do you need to read? Well, you definitely need to get very familiar with four-five for essay-writing purposes, and beyond that, the more the better!

Which books should you read? Check out the AP English Literature reading list in this article to see works that have appeared on two or more "suggested works" lists on free-response prompts since 2003.

And don't forget to read some poetry too! See some College Board recommended poets listed in this article.

What's Next?

See my expert guide to the AP Literature test for more exam tips!

The multiple-choice section of the AP Literature exam is a key part of your score. Learn everything you need to know about it in our complete guide to AP Lit multiple-choice questions.

Taking other APs? Check out our expert guides to the AP Chemistry exam , AP US History , AP World History , AP Psychology , and AP Biology .

Looking for other book recommendation lists from PrepScholar? We've compiled lists of the 7 books you must read if you're a pre-med and the 31 books to read before graduating high school .

Ellen has extensive education mentorship experience and is deeply committed to helping students succeed in all areas of life. She received a BA from Harvard in Folklore and Mythology and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University.

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Classic Curriculum: 25 Books Your High School English Teacher Was Right To Assign

Posted: May 15, 2024 | Last updated: May 15, 2024

“WHY do we have to read this?” is a common groan from high school students when assigned an old, intricate book with flowery language. Well, we’ll tell you exactly why your English teacher assigned you that book and why they did you a big favor.

No one wants extra homework, but reading important literary works at a young age can shape your perspective of the world, your empathy toward others, and your beliefs. The greatest novels, short stories, and essays changed society, and their ideas are still important.

Reading the words of a man who lived in the 1800s may seem pointless when you’re 16. No matter how old you are now, we hope this list can offer insight into the value of these classic and commonly-assigned-in-high-school works and why you should thank your old English teacher. If you were one of those students who used Sparknotes to get summaries of chapters rather than actually reading them, we recommend giving these books another shot. 

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby  is one of the greatest American novels ever written. It dismantles and questions the glowing concept of the American dream. The era was gilded but had a dark underbelly, and Fitzgerald’s beautiful prose reveals the darkness that can accompany the American dream.

Many of us grow up dreaming of a certain life, but the unattainability of such perfection and planning is unavoidable. It’s not a pleasant lesson to learn that most hopes and dreams will always be out of reach, but it’s a valuable lesson about realism and expectations.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Harper Lee’s  To Kill a Mockingbird  is a timeless, poignant, and significant novel. Its commentary on prejudice and the Civil Rights movement is still relevant.

The story wonderfully explains the importance of social justice and standing up for your beliefs and those who can’t stand up for themselves. Even controversial language in the book is important, showing school children how such words can evolve and impact society.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Similar to  The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye  focuses on life’s disappointment and unfairness. The book can resonate with people of all ages, but it’s especially impactful when read by teenagers.

Holden’s view of the world is relatable for teens, albeit more philosophical than the average 17-year-old might be. It highlights how adults settle into the fakeness of the world. Even though Holden might reject this societal norm as a teen, he’s also vulnerable to it, as we all are.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Since most American schoolchildren only know a civilized society, it’s hard to imagine humans turning on one another so violently and suddenly.  Lord of the Flies  shows how fragile peace between people is and the true brutality of human nature.

The novel depicts what happens when societal consequences are removed while opening up discussions about the natural order of society, as humans are simultaneously drawn to it and feel confined by it.

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

The difference between a society that questions its government and one that does not is immense.  Nineteen Eighty-Four  depicts life under totalitarian rule, something many modern American children could not fathom.

This novel is valuable and enriching, specifically for young minds. It doesn’t promote blind rebellion but shows the slippery slope of government control and complacency. It fosters discussions of freedom, manipulation, skepticism, trust, art, and much more.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

We’ve always considered Nineteen Eighty-Four  and  Brave New World  as companion novels. They complement one another and explore similar themes. If your high school English teacher assigned these books back to back, they gave you a crash course on the importance of free thought and liberty.

These books show people the dark possibilities that come with blind trust in the government. When the power of the government and the power of the people are in balance, it’s easy to think it could never be any different.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Aside from being one the most delightful and meaningful Christmas stories ever written, Charles Dickens’s  A Christmas Carol  defines what we now think of as the Christmas spirit. Before this story was published, the concept of  Christmas charity was barely there .

The story made people see the importance of generosity, empathy, and goodwill. It also depicts the possibility of positive personal transformation, the idea that a bad person could turn it all around for the better. Dickens’s prose and cheeky dialogue only make the alluring tale more captivating and lovable.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451  has somewhat of a meta quality. It’s a book about the importance of books, a lesson that is never too early to learn. The universe Bradbury created in this novel is captivating, like all of Bradbury’s world.

However, the warning about what happens when people cannot express themselves through art or connect through creativity is why it’s so important. While we can easily compare the themes and overall message to Nineteen Eighty-Four and Brave New World , Fahrenheit 451  is special because it emphasizes the value of literature.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

We want this list to showcase the many important works of numerous authors, but George Orwell deserves two spots. This allegory for the Russian Revolution of 1917 is historically important and a literary masterpiece.

The novel teaches about the power of scaling something to make it more digestible without diluting its importance. So, the book teaches about the specific revolution, the prevalence of corruption, and the impact of such a tactful metaphor.

The Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck

Many argue that The Grapes of Wrath  is communist propaganda , and while that may hold some truth, the novel is valuable in other aspects. It shows the endless struggle many people experience as they try to make a living.

These practical themes can introduce young minds to politics concerning labor practices . The specific look at difficulties migrant farmworkers experience offers an important perspective on classes and society. Overall, like A Christmas Carol , it is about the importance of empathy and kindness toward one another.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The concept of a scarlet letter is widely known and hails from Hawthorne’s intense novel. It’s a commentary on the treatment of women and the harshness of religious morality. This type of criticism of Puritan society was taboo but changed many people’s perspectives of sin and oppression.

The novel only becomes more relevant as women’s place in society evolves. Hester refuses to conform or deny her passions and desires. In many ways, it’s an early feminist tale. Plus, the layered meanings of the scarlet letter itself is one of the most powerful examples of symbolism, showing the weight one simple symbol can have.

Catch-22 by Joseph Keller

This quirky and repetitive novel is a commentary on the absurdity of war and restrictions set by authorities. While the first read can be dizzying and frustrating, that’s the point! The novel’s nonsensical nature reflects the senselessness of war and authority.

Many of the important books here are heavy and serious, but Catch-22 has a satirical and dark humor that exemplifies how societal commentary can be poignant as well as snarky or silly. It also honestly teaches about paradoxes and altruism without sugarcoating. 

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Many people are only familiar with the countless and often cheesy adaptations of the famous novel  Dracula . However, Bram Stoker’s novel is far more complex and troubling than most depictions. It brilliantly expresses lust, desire, and the demonization of those emotions.

Beyond the rich themes and compelling characters, Stoker also spurred the world’s fascination with vampires. Without  Dracula , we wouldn’t have  Twilight , Blade , Buffy the Vampire Slayer , What We Do in the Shadows, or any of the many vampire stories.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Frankly, we don’t know many people who don’t enjoy reading this classic.  Frankenstein  is an incredibly deep story that tackles existential themes about what it means to be a human. It addresses humanity’s repulsion to otherness and the feeling of being an outcast.

The science fiction novel touches on morality and ethics within science and humans’ role in nature, which is often unnatural. Beyond the rich themes, Shelley’s novel also gave us some of the most iconic characters of all time — Frankenstein and his misunderstood monster.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Uncle Tom’s Cabin  seems to shift in meaning with every generation, showing how complex and layered the narrative is. It explores the oppression and enslavement of black people and how that shaped their view of the world.

The divisive novel is sometimes praised as a testament to black people’s struggles and sometimes considered an oversimplification of black people. This controversy alone makes it an enriching novel, especially while learning about America’s dark history and emancipation.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Those who haven’t read it may dismiss Pride and Prejudice  as a girly romance, but it’s so much more. This novel is one of the greatest feminine works ever , tackling individualism, social expectations, and human nature.

Every reading reveals a different level of Austen’s brilliance and understanding of human emotions. So, if you were a teen the first time you read it, consider that a worthwhile experience, and consider picking it up again to see how it resonates now.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

The stunning prose in  Their Eyes Were Watching God  is enough to make this a must-read for high schoolers. It’s a shining example of imagery and emotional language. Beyond that, the novel also depicts important aspects of womanhood and the black experience in America.

While the book has strong religious connotations, it can still open discussions about the forces of nature and the concept of fate. Even though God is mentioned frequently, the story can be analyzed differently, revealing how humans interpret events out of their control.

The Fall of the House of Usher: And Other Tales by Edgar Allan Poe

Technically, this is a collection of short stories rather than a novel. Nevertheless, this book of Poe’s best works is inspiring and challenging in the very best ways. Along with  The Fall of the House of Usher , it includes classics like  The Tell-Tale Heart , The Murders in the Rue Morgue,  and  The Masque of the Red Death.

Each grim story reveals something meaningful, frequently relating to people’s inability to perceive and accept their own mortality. These macabre tales can open a world of disturbing but fascinating literature for students.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Choosing just one of Agatha Christie’s many novels was tough, but we went with Murder on the Orient Express , as it’s one commonly assigned to high schoolers. Christie’s mystery writing style is unparalleled. Reading her works shows the power of literary devices like foreshadowing and unreliable narrators.

This particular tale keeps the reader guessing throughout, only to reveal that every guess is simultaneously right and wrong. The novel shows the control a writer can have over a reader. It’s an excellent assignment if for no other reason than it can show a teen how compelling books can be.

A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf

A Room of One’s Own  is starkly different from most other stories mentioned here — primarily because it is not a story but an essay. The extended essay discusses women’s role in society and the lack of importance placed on women’s education, creativity, and independence.

For high school boys and girls alike, the novel is an important work for understanding how — not very long ago — women were barely allowed to think independently, let alone create art and share opinions. Woolf’s prose is moving and fierce, and she holds nothing back in this raw but eloquent essay.

Walden by Henry David Thoreau

Thoreau’s  Walden  is also not a traditional novel, as it is an essay written like a manual or declaration of self. Boiling down the book is easy; it’s a contemplation of the meaning of life. Of course, that concept is endlessly complicated.

The book prompts a lot of questions: What is our role in this world? What purpose do people find in life? What is truth? While these questions cannot have definitive answers, they’re existential concepts that ignite robust discussions and lines of thought.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Considering its topicality, we don’t think Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale  is assigned to high schoolers enough. The story explores themes akin to Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four  but with a focus on women.

The main themes include oppression, reproductive rights, bodily autonomy, gender roles, political power, isolation, and the importance placed on family. It shows how rapidly a reasonable opinion or concern can devolve into cruelty and totalitarianism.

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton

Considering all the main characters in The Outsiders  are teens, we can’t think of a better time to read this than high school. The raw and moving book depicts the unfairness of life and the damage and trauma people carry with them their whole lives.

Almost every character has inner demons to fight, and they all handle them in different ways, whether it’s self-destructive behavior, outward violence, running away, or healing. It shows how unfair life is but also emphasizes the power of human connection and trust.

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

No matter how many Holocaust statistics and textbook chapters you read, nothing helps you understand the horrors Jews faced like Anne Frank’s book. It personalizes the Holocaust, making it easier for students to put themselves in the shoes of the oppressed and understand the atrocities committed against innocent people.

While captivating on its own, the diary is not a comprehensive account of the Holocaust. So, having a teacher to guide you through the story and give additional context is highly beneficial. Another reason it’s particularly powerful for young minds is because she is so young; it brings students closer to the story.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Stories (or TikToks ) of unlikely friendships are a dime a dozen nowadays. However, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn  is one of the earliest examples of this, at a time when racial tension was high.

Huck and Jim’s bond transcends social pressure and era, making it a timeless tale. The novel contrasts a child’s innocent view of the world with society’s harsh realities. It also challenges the idea of what and who is civilized, forcing students to consider what societal norms might be wrong.

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Scholastic removes optional diverse book section after controversy

Scholastic apologized for confusion over the optional section.

Children’s book publisher Scholastic has reversed its decision to create a separate, optional section for its elementary school book fairs for titles written predominantly by and about people of color and LGBTQ people.

Scholastic's initial decision to make some books optional came as nationwide attempts to ban books spike across the country and as dozens of states continue to implement policies that restrict how the subjects of race , gender and sexual orientation are discussed in schools.

"We understand now that the separate nature of the collection has caused confusion and feelings of exclusion," said Scholastic in a Wednesday press release. "We are working across Scholastic to find a better way. The Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice collection will not be offered with our next season in January."

Scholastic's "Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice" was made up of 64 titles, according to a preview of the list provided to EdWeek. The list includes books such as "I Am Ruby Bridges" by Ruby Bridges, "I Color Myself Different" by Colin Kaepernick and "She Dared: Malala Yousafzai" by Jenni L. Walsh.

“Because Scholastic Book Fairs are invited into schools, where books can be purchased by kids on their own, these laws create an almost impossible dilemma: back away from these titles or risk making teachers, librarians, and volunteers vulnerable to being fired, sued, or prosecuted,” Scholastic said about its original decision to create a book section that schools can opt out of.

MORE: Poet Amanda Gorman criticizes book ban effort in Florida targeting Biden's inauguration poem

The decision was criticized as censorship, with advocacy groups claiming the move will encourage those behind book bans and restrictive laws.

In the first eight months of the year, the American Library Association (ALA) recorded 695 attempts to censor library materials, impacting 1,915 unique book titles.

The vast majority of challenges were to books written by or about a person of color or LGBTQ authors, according to the ALA.

“Censorship is anti-democratic and undermines one's freedom to learn," said the National Black Justice Coalition in a statement. "We condemn Scholastic for its decision to segregate books on race, gender, and sexuality at book fairs in a disappointing effort to appease a loud minority using politics to attack children and public schools to turn out voters using ignorance, fear, and hate."

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Color Of Change, a racial justice advocacy group, said in a penned letter to Scholastic leadership: "The inclusion of Black and queer characters, authors, and stories in school book fairs is not optional. We call on Scholastic’s leadership to remove this exclusionary feature and commit to taking meaningful action to protect Black and LGBTQ books."

It applauded the decision to not offer a separate section.

Scholastic, alongside several other advocacy groups, recently signed an open letter against book bans. Several of the co-signers on that letter denounced Scholastic's decision to create a separate section for such stories.

MORE: Social media posts believed to be from parent who sought book ban praised Proud Boys, shared antisemitic conspiracy theory

"Sequestering books on these topics risks depriving students and families of books that speak to them," said PEN America, a nonprofit organization focused on free expression, arguing that book bans "deny the opportunity for all students to encounter diverse stories that increase empathy, understanding, and reflect the range of human experiences."

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