Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where we make lists of bookish things!
Top Ten Books That Should Be Taught in Schools:
- The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien: Although Lord of the Rings is a classic, I feel like no schools teach these books. They literary works of art and would be a fantastic read for high school English classes. It's a timeless story about a great friendship and doing whatever it takes to destroy evil. You could seriously analyze these books all day. There is so much to learn here.
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: This book teaches the importance of family and standing up for what you believe in. It's a great current book that has made a huge impact on the world. The government and politics within the book would make for great discussions. This book could easily carry over from English classes to Government/Political courses.
- Divergent by Veronica Roth: Another book that has made an impact on the current world. A story about discovering who you are, going against the norm, and realizing that it's okay to be different. I think this would be a fantastic book for high schoolers to read.
- Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers: This book is a historical fiction and much of the detail is historically accurate. It would be interesting for a History class to delve into, learning more about the country of Brittany (honestly, didn't know anything about this country until I read this book). The political aspects in this book would also be extremely interesting to examine. You can even tie this book into World Religion. What a broad spectrum of topics to study just from one book.
- Proxy by Alex London: A book full of diversity (sexual orientation and racial). This book is a must-read for teens. It examines what it's like to be gay in a world where it still isn't fully accepted. It also focuses on taking responsibility for your actions and debt, something I think high schoolers could definitely stand to learn more about.
- The Maze Runner by James Dashner: Lord of the Flies without the savagery and gore. Teens will enjoy this book way more than Lord of the Flies and may actually read it. It shows the formation of society in dire situations. This book talks about humanity, survival, loyalty, and friendship.
- Cinder by Marissa Meyer: There is a lot of political undertones in this book. Negotiating peace as well as battling a deadly plague. It also focuses on the issue of being bullied for being different and overcoming those issues to be who you were born to be.
- The Program by Suzanne Young: This book tackles suicide extremely well, something that plagues the teen generation. I think at some point all teens wonder what the purpose of living is. This book shows how to find hope when it doesn't seem like there is any left. It shows how to cope with loss and continue living.
- Every Day by David Levithan: This book is such an interesting read. It's about a boy who wakes up in a different body every single day. There is a lot of diversity in the book. The main character faces the challenge of deciding whose life is worth more. Can he mess people's lives up or will he try to leave the body the way he found it? This book is about giving up something you want so someone else can be happy. It's one of those tear-jerking, life-changing books.
- Delirium by Lauren Oliver: This book shows the importance of love and what a world without it would look like. It is about a girl waking up to the world for the first time when she finds love. This book also branches into government/politics and is filled with plenty of action for the teenage boys to enjoy.
What do you guys think should be taught in schools? Do you think that more modern-day books should be taught? Leave me a link to your Top Ten below so I can check out your choices!