Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.
Each week a new topic is given and weeks topic is:
Top Ten Books I Wish Were Taught in School
1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
An obvious choice, but I’ve actually had this book show up in a couple of my women’s studies classes in the past year, and it’s definitely culturally relevant right now. It’s also a great discussion book. It’s really interesting to discuss all of the ways in which it critiques modern entertainment-culture. My class talked quite a bit about the transition from book to film and how a lot of the political statements in the book were dialled down and the love triangle was heightened for the movie.
2. Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
I’m mostly putting this in because it was my first brush with feminist fiction as a child and I’m still totally in love with the world-building and the characters and just everything. I will ALWAYS love this series.
3. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
It’s a beautiful coming-of-age book that fits a lot of the criteria of books that are currently taught in schools – it was written a long time ago – yet it isn’t difficult or boring to read (IMO). On a side note, look at that gorgeous new cover!
4. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
I think you get some really interesting discussions going about immortality and the price of eternal youth. I know that my opinions of the book have changed a lot since I first read it when I was like 8 or 9, so it would be interesting to see what kids now think of the topics at hand.
5. Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman
Again, I think it would promote some great discussion. I love that it’s set in a society that so closely mirrors our own and actively points out major flaws we have.
6. Graceling or Fire or Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
Fire is definitely my favourite of these books, but I think they would all have their own merit as teachable books. I just really want to see more fantasy on syllabi.
7. Holes by Louis Sachar
I just think it’s a cool book that a lot of kids enjoy and would like talking about.
8. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
I love this play so much. It gets funnier every time I read it. I was actually introduced to it in high school, when a friend and I were assigned a scene from it (the exchange between Cecily & Gwendolen when they first meet) for an acting class. I’ve read it twice more for two different college & university English classes.
9. King Lear by William Shakespeare
Don’t get me wrong, I like Hamlet & Macbeth & Midsummer Night’s Dream (which I read in ninth grade because I was given the choice between it and Romeo and Juliet, which I abhor. I was the only person in my class who chose Midsummer), but King Lear has been my favourite Shakespeare play for as long as I can remember. I haven’t read his entire body of works, so this may be subject to change, but I think it’s just such a great play.
1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
An obvious choice, but I’ve actually had this book show up in a couple of my women’s studies classes in the past year, and it’s definitely culturally relevant right now. It’s also a great discussion book. It’s really interesting to discuss all of the ways in which it critiques modern entertainment-culture. My class talked quite a bit about the transition from book to film and how a lot of the political statements in the book were dialled down and the love triangle was heightened for the movie.
2. Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
I’m mostly putting this in because it was my first brush with feminist fiction as a child and I’m still totally in love with the world-building and the characters and just everything. I will ALWAYS love this series.
3. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
It’s a beautiful coming-of-age book that fits a lot of the criteria of books that are currently taught in schools – it was written a long time ago – yet it isn’t difficult or boring to read (IMO). On a side note, look at that gorgeous new cover!
4. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
I think you get some really interesting discussions going about immortality and the price of eternal youth. I know that my opinions of the book have changed a lot since I first read it when I was like 8 or 9, so it would be interesting to see what kids now think of the topics at hand.
5. Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman
Again, I think it would promote some great discussion. I love that it’s set in a society that so closely mirrors our own and actively points out major flaws we have.
6. Graceling or Fire or Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
Fire is definitely my favourite of these books, but I think they would all have their own merit as teachable books. I just really want to see more fantasy on syllabi.
7. Holes by Louis Sachar
I just think it’s a cool book that a lot of kids enjoy and would like talking about.
8. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
I love this play so much. It gets funnier every time I read it. I was actually introduced to it in high school, when a friend and I were assigned a scene from it (the exchange between Cecily & Gwendolen when they first meet) for an acting class. I’ve read it twice more for two different college & university English classes.
9. King Lear by William Shakespeare
Don’t get me wrong, I like Hamlet & Macbeth & Midsummer Night’s Dream (which I read in ninth grade because I was given the choice between it and Romeo and Juliet, which I abhor. I was the only person in my class who chose Midsummer), but King Lear has been my favourite Shakespeare play for as long as I can remember. I haven’t read his entire body of works, so this may be subject to change, but I think it’s just such a great play.
10. Full Frontal Feminism by Jessica Valenti
Okay, this one kind of feels like cheating because it’s non-fiction & it doesn’t really fit into any curriculum I can think of. It’s just such a reader-friendly “guide” to feminism. Yes, it has its share of problems, but on the whole I think it’s a book that does far more good than bad. I think a lot of high school kids could use this book in their lives.
Okay, this one kind of feels like cheating because it’s non-fiction & it doesn’t really fit into any curriculum I can think of. It’s just such a reader-friendly “guide” to feminism. Yes, it has its share of problems, but on the whole I think it’s a book that does far more good than bad. I think a lot of high school kids could use this book in their lives.
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