Top Ten Tuesday is a fun meme that was created over at The Broke and the Bookish! This weeks topic is to come up with any topics that is back to school related. I have read a few books in my life that I truly think should be taught in school for various reasons so I happy to have an excuse to talk about them.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas- I have a feeling that this book would be on a lot of other bloggers lists as well. There has never been a book that was more relevant or more important than The Hate U Give. I believe that THUG would be enlightening to many students and will open up great discussions on issues of race and police violence.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi- This was such a powerful book. It gives an important look at the history of slavery. I believe Homegoing is told in way that would keep students interested and connected to the characters, and would it would hopefully be eye opening. 
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson- This book can be difficult to read because it discusses some really awful situations but I think that is exactly why it is important. It is a book that I can relate to and I know that I am not alone in that.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak- I think reading a book about WWII while in school is important. I have read many WWII novels so I had quite a few books that I could have chosen for this list but I ultimately settled on The Book Thief. It is beautifully written, heartbreaking, and would lead to a great discussion.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman- I read this book recently and I just think it is so charming and that many students might have an Ove in their lives. There are also a lot of great lessons to be learned from the story as well.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini- I know that The Kite Runner is banned and I personally think that is such BS! I think it is so important to show teenagers what really happens in countries such as Afghanistan and show them how fortunate they are to live in a first world country with a sense of security.
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls- I think it is important to teach non-fictions books to students- especially memoirs. It is beneficial for them to see how other people live. There are some important lessons to be learned from this novel- one of which is that even through hardships it is possible to not only survive but to thrive and come out a stronger person.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett- This book takes place during the civil rights movement in the 1960s. This is obviously an important time and this book does a great job of demonstrating the relationship between white and black people during that time.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel- The imagery in this book is so beautiful and powerful. I think it is important to foster a respect of other cultures.
Animal Farm by George Orwell- I know that this book is often taught in schools but I think it is so relevant and I wish every school made it required reading. It takes complex concepts and makes them a lot easier to grasp! I had so many aha moments while reading it.
YESYESYES to THUG! Somehow this one is missing on a lot of TTT’s today and I keep mentioning it, haha.
I really need to read The Book Thief one day. It’s been on my TBR for ages.
Animal Farm: check! Read it in school, but want to reread it someday. I’ll probably enjoy it more without the pressure of “having” to read it.
I haven’t read any of the other books though.. As if my TBR isn’t already through the roof, haha!
If I could only choose one book for this list it would be THUG!
Book Thief is so good! I enjoyed the movie as well! I read Animal Farm outside of school so I do think reading it without analyzing it to death might help you to like it better!
Completely agree with you on that!
I have avoided the movie at all costs because I want to read the book first, haha. One day!
This is such a great list! Most of these would be great to teach in school.
I read Animal Farm for an independent reading project, but we read Speak as a class, and you could tell it had a huge impact on most of the people in the room!
Thank you! 😊
That is why Speak is so important! It has the power to impact many people like that!
i thought about putting “a man called ove” on my list too! it is just such a wonderful book! 🙂
It truly is! It’s become an all time favourite!
Yes to everything on this list!
Yay!!! 😊
I totally agree with THUG and Speak. Two books I love. The rest are on my TBR but haven’t been read yet. 🙁. Great post girl
Thank you! THUG and Speak are two of the most important books on this list! They were the books I thought of first.
Where on earth is Kite Runner banned? o.O They have silly reasons for banning books…
Good books! 😀 Should be taught in schools.
Thank you! I totally agree!
Great list, I definitely agree that The Hate U Give should become required reading in schools and The Book Thief would also be a great book to teach in schools.
Thank you! I hope one day THUG really will be taught in schools!
Your welcome, hopefully it will.
I love your list and can certainly agree with choosing Homegoing, The Book Thief, The Help and Animal Farm.
Thank you so much! Great name! 😊
Kite Runner & Glass Castle were on summer reading lists. I know my sister had to read KR; I was in the AP classes so I didn’t have to read Glass Castle. I know The Help was also on summer reading, but again, AP classes meant I had an entirely different list than the other classes.
I read Animal Farm in tenth grade, and read The Book Thief in my Creative Writing class.
They are all so great! I’m glad at least some of them are taught in schools!
I think the only book I’ve read on the list is Animal Farm (I was forced to read it in school and as a result hated it) but more than a few of the others are on my want to read list.
I suppose they have to teach certain books in school but it does often seem that that’s the one way to guarantee the student won’t actually want to read it.
That is true! When we are forced to do something it is hard to enjoy it!
Great choice! I’ll second everything you said here! I adore The Kite Runner, I just can’t wrap my head around why it is banned!! It’s a great story on friendship and trust and redemption, it would make a perfect lesson for students and drill moral sense into students’ mind I think…
This is so true. It frustrates me so much that it is banned! A lot of the best books end up banned for ridiculous reasons.
Maybe the authorities and school board are only concerning political-correctedness but I’m afraid they have let slip some important values in them… life cannot be always politically correct, life can be ugly and rough, but we tend to find the most important lessons in such disturbing, ugly things that happen in our lives and those books are a perfect media to impart such ideas to us!!
That is so well put Noriko! I do think that it is important to kids to learn that the world isn’t perfect and we shouldn’t shield them from things that matter and can affect them or those around them.
This is SUCH a great list, they all teach such great things and have so much to offer literary-wise and life-wise. That, and they’re just genuinely enjoyable books. I can’t believe Kite Runner is banned!!
Thank you Steph! It so ridiculous that it is banned!
Great list! Can’t believe The Kite Runner is banned – these banned lists are ridiculous sometimes!
I know! I want to look at a list of banned books but I know it will just make me mad!
I agree with all of these! I actually did the Kite Runner for school and it was a really good book to discuss!
I think any of his books would be great in the classroom!
Awesome post!! Really agree with book Thief, kite runner, life of pie and animal farm (I’ve not read the others, but I’m sure they’re perfect too)
Thank you! 😀
You’re welcome! 😀
I loved The Hate You Give and The Kite Runner. I would add A Thousand Splendid Suns… for the girls and future men 😉
Yes to Animal Farm. I almost put it on my list too. Here is my TTT
The Book Thief is definitely one I’d stick on the required reading list. I read that book years to go and it has stuck with me ever since. I’ve not read Speak or The Hate U Give but both of them are on my tbr list and both books would bring about a topic of discussion that NEEDS to be at the forefront of a discussion.
The Book Thief is truly a book I thin everyone should read!
I think you will enjoy both of those books. They are so important!
Great post! I really need to read The Hate U Give! I loved Speak and The Book Thief.
All great books!!
The Book Thief is one of my favourite books, would definitely make a great required read for school.
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2017/08/22/top-ten-tuesday-121/
It’s is just so good!
Hi! I used to teach Speak to 8th graders. It was great. Not just the subject matter, but it’s so full of symbolism and lends itself well to critical thinking. Great list! 🙂
My TTT
Leslie
Thank you Leslie! 8th grade seems like a perfect time to be introduced to Speak!
Great post! I’m reading The Hate U Give right now, its message is so powerful and definitely something everyone should be exposed to at a young age!
Thank you! I 100% agree!
I don’t see many of these being read in K-12 public schools. College, yes, but fighting that battle against parents is really hard. I think your list is great, though! I still haven’t read The Book Thief or The Help, but I have them on my shelf.
Yes it’s definitely difficult when with the parents! Both of those books are so fantastic!