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Top Ten Books That You Wish Were Taught In Schools
1. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. I think this is a must read for any teenage girl. It deals with bullying, fitting in, and figuring out who you are. It’s a rough read as an adult because it really makes you reflect. At least teenagers can learn lessons without regret!
2. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. For obvious reasons.
3. Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano. It’s not even out yet, but it dealt with so many relevant issues that I see in classics and dystopian novels taught in schools. I think there are important lessons about curiosity and morality. It is well written with a lot of bigger words and has a lot less of a focus on any romance than many YA dystopian novels.
4. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. I really wish I would have read this in school just so I could analyze and discuss it with others on an intellectual level.
5. Night by Elie Weisel. This book was required reading for me, but I’m surprised by how many people haven't read it. It made more of an impact on me than other required Holocaust reading.
6. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. This book is so controversial because so many people abhor the philosophy and politics of it. But, if we are to read to open us up to issues, then this book shouldn’t be skipped over.
7. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. I don’t care for the book all that much, but I’ll admit the author is talented. Each short story is written in a completely different style and there are themes that connect all of the stories together. It’s a perfect book for students to analyze for those reasons and exposes them to various styles without making them read a lot and spend more time on separate novels.
8. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. This was required reading for me, but I know not everyone has read it.
9. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. It is a wonderful story with a lot of important themes.
10. The Giver by Lois Lowry. Another book I was required to read, but not many people were.