Before I begin my ranking, I want to shine a light on Night, by Elie Wiesel. This book was read during my sophomore year English class, and was one of the most meaningful books I’ve read in my life. Night tells the story of Wiesel and his father’s experiences in Auschwitz and Buchenwald during the Holocaust. This book is incredibly heartbreaking, and I believe it is the most important book I have read in high school. Wiesel’s increasing loss of faith in humanity is incredibly moving to read about, and this book should remain in the English curriculum permanently. It felt wrong to try and rank such an impactful book, as Night deserves a spot of its own.
- The Handmaid’s Tale
Starting this list with the best book I’ve ever read for school, The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, takes slot number one. This book was assigned to me as summer reading for AP Lit, and when I opened it up on the beach in mid-August, I was not expecting to tear through the book as I did. Not only did the plot feel extremely timely, but the writing was thrilling, and the suspense Atwood built made it impossible to put down. This book has remained one of my all-time favorites, and I truly believe it is one of the best works of fiction for students to read, especially in the current political climate. - To Kill a Mockingbird
When we read To Kill a Mockingbird in ninth grade English, I was by no means a newcomer to the text, having read and watched it multiple times before. To Kill a Mockingbird is an old favorite of mine, and it was so fun to experience it in a different way in school. I think this book should remain central to any English 9 classroom, as it is not only a fascinating story, but discusses topics of racism and justice in a way that is sensitive enough for freshmen. I think this book also provides an important lesson that treating others with respect and kindness is always the best option. - Pride and Prejudice
When we read Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, for AP Lit, it wasn’t my first introduction to the concept, as I had watched the movie during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, being able to reread it and rewatch it with such a passionate teacher made it even more enjoyable. My AP Lit teacher Sidney Wollmuth made the process of reading and watching an older book so exciting, whether it was through the Netherfield Ball we had in class, or making our own paper fans. This novel is such a classic, and I feel lucky to have revisited another old favorite in school. - Into the Wild
Into the Wild was part of my AP Lang reading, and I am so grateful we read this book. The second it was introduced to us, I knew the story would be captivating. Hearing about Christopher McCandless’ ideas and experiences before reading made me excited to begin it, and the book didn’t let me down. The way that the book came together by tying in different parts of McCandless’ last few months makes it an enthralling read, and while it was a change from typical class-assigned texts, I think it provided a great change of pace. - The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is carried into sixth place by my AP Lang teacher at the time, Daniel Pecoraro. While I never enjoyed reading Shakespeare before this, the way Pecoraro introduced the themes of this play and taught it to our class made me more invested than ever. My enjoyment of this book was enhanced by being able to watch the movie, which provided a great visualization of a sometimes confusing play. The themes of greed and justice present in this text remain relevant even though it was written hundreds of years ago. - Romeo and Juliet
For as long as high school students have learned English, I believe Romeo and Juliet has been part of the curriculum. As many students’ first interaction with Shakespeare, the well-known classic of Romeo and Juliet makes it easy to begin to understand and has the always interesting themes of family rivalries and love. While I didn’t particularly love Romeo and Juliet, it was still wildly enjoyable due to my ninth-grade English teacher, Nicholas Confino, having our class reenact the play and engage us in that way. - The Hate U Give
Reading The Hate U Give for the second time in 10th-grade English was an unremarkable experience. While I didn’t particularly dislike the book, I didn’t love it either and the work we did in class didn’t help enrich my reading experience any significant amount. While it has a great story and lesson about justice and advocacy, the book never stuck out to me, and I enjoyed other books far more. - Sula
Sula is the most recently-read book on the list, and the book that started off my final semester of English classes in high school. While I enjoyed the story of the book and the relationships between the characters, Toni Morrison’s writing style, which is filled with imagery and vivid language, is not my preferred style to read, which hampered my enjoyment of this book. - Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men (OMAM) was one of the first books I read in high school. I didn’t particularly enjoy reading OMAM due to the outdated representation of Curley’s Wife, and the fact that I didn’t connect with the plot in general. While it wasn’t one of my favorites, I think it’s a solid choice for freshmen, since it’s fairly short and a classic fiction novel - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
The final book on this list: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie. This book felt impossible to get through when I read it as a freshman, and from what I can remember, the combination of graphic novel comic strips and regular text made it challenging for me to stay focused on the story. In addition to this, Alexie, whom the story is based on, has faced numerous allegations of sexual harassment. While I think all freshman should read a book in this genre, I don’t think this book is the best option. Americanized, by Sara Saedi, is another somewhat auto-biographical book, filled with humor and fascinating stories. I believe this book, which tells the story of Iranian immigrant Sara’s teenage years in the ‘90s would serve as a great replacement for The Absolutely True Diary.
