The Survey Says
Books change lives.
That may sound radical but it’s true. Whether it’s exposure to a culture or a world problem that inspires you to take action or it’s a novel that creates insight and empathy into the plight of another, fiction and non-fiction books enlighten our thinking.
Consider these great words of wisdom.
- “The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.” —Rene Descartes
- “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” —Dr. Seuss
- “I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” —Groucho Marx
- “There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” —Walt Disney
ESGI and ThinkFives surveyed thousands of teachers to ask them what high school books they would recommend that every student should read. Here is their list.
Grapes of Wrath
John Steinbeck’s Pulitzer Prize epic of the Great Depression chronicles an Oklahoma farm family, the Joad’s. Heartfelt and at times bleak, the novel follows a paroled Tom Joad as he suffers through a drought, economic hardship and bank foreclosures. The Joads set out for California along with thousands of other “Okies” seeking jobs, dignity and opportunity.
Considered by many critics as the Great American novel it was the bestselling book of 1939 winning numerous awards – including the National Book Award and ultimately the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The book spawned a 1940 movie nominated for seven Academy Awards. The novel still proudly sits on many high school required reading lists as a timely story that probes the very nature of equality and justice in America.
Author: John Steinbeck
Published: April, 1939
Pages: 464
Estimated Copies Published: 14 million
Of Mice and Men
Published in 1937, the first of two books on this list by John Steinbeck narrates the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job opportunities during the Great Depression in the United States. Chasing the elusive dream of owning their own ranch, George and Lenny experience class barrios, isolation and ultimately the loss of innocence.
Steinbeck based the novella on his own experiences working alongside migrant workers in Oklahoma. Frequently censored because of its vulgarity and language, it nevertheless is still taught in schools throughout the US. Its universal themes of racism, isolation and the triumph of friendship over tragedy provide relevance over 80 years later.
Author: John Steinbeck
Published: 1937
Pages: 107
Estimated Copies Published: 30 million
Wonder
Perhaps a surprise to find Wonder on a high school reading list, nevertheless the teachers we polled really like this book. And it’s easy to understand why.
Millions of people have fallen in love with Auggie Pullman, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face, who shows us that kindness brings us together no matter how far apart or different we are.
Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. Beginning from Auggie’s point of view and expanding to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others, the perspectives converge to form a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance.
R.J. Palacio has called her debut novel “a meditation on kindness” and indeed, every reader will come away with a greater appreciation for the simple courage of friendship.
Source: https://www.amazon.com/Wonder-R-J-Palacio/dp/0375869026
Author: R.J. Palacio
Published: February 2012
Pages: 310 Estimated Copies Published: 5 million
The Hate You Give
The newest novel on this list, The Hate U Give, is a 2017 young adult novel by Angie Thomas. It is Thomas’s debut novel, expanded from a short story she wrote in college in reaction to the police shooting of Oscar Grant. The book is narrated by Starr Carter, a 16-year-old black girl from a poor neighborhood who attends an elite private school in a predominantly white, affluent part of the city.
Starr Carter moves between two worlds and her uneasy balance is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon afterward, his death made a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.
Source:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32075671-the-hate-u-give
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hate_U_Give
Author: Angie Thomas
Published: February 2017
Pages: 444
Estimated Copies Published: Over 1M
To Kill a Mockingbird
Written by 34-year-old Harper Lee, this American classic tells the tale of recluse Boo Radley, the accused Tom Robinson and Atticus Finch, the principled lawyer who defends him, a black man accused of raping a white woman. The novel has never been out of print since its 1960 publication and according to surveys, is still the book listed on more high school required reading lists than any other.
Narrated by “Scout” Finch, the novel exposes racial prejudice in the American south. Based on Harper Lee’s early years in 1930’s Alabama, the mockingbird is a symbol of innocence and goodness in its natural wilderness. The all-white jury of the novel convicts Robinson despite Finch’s representation, and the morality play evokes commitment to a great cause even at the risk of being reviled.
Author: Harper Lee
Published: July 1960
Pages: 281
Estimated Copies Published: 40 million
What high school book would you recommend?
Never read Wonder but hoping to check it out!
Although I don’t teach high school, Wonder is an amazing book that everyone should read. Choose kind! ❤️
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. ❤️
Saw The Hate You Give. That was a great movie.
Superb list. I’ve never read Wonder myself but will give it a try.