There are many good books to read during high school years, there are some that are required for English classes. In the Springboard curriculum, for instance, students will be expected to read To Kill a Mockingbird, Things Fall Apart and Their Eyes Were Watching God. With most students exposed to the same literature, it makes it easier to create a common understanding and a springboard to read and understand other stories with similar themes.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is important because it shows prejudices that can happen, even in today’s society. Issues of race and fairness are still at the center of our conversations within the country and this book shows the essential humanity of all people and signals the need for all people to accept risks, even danger, in order to ensure that we live in a place that is ripe with fairness and equality.

If you want to find out more reasons to read To Kill a Mockingbird, especially if you missed out as a freshman, check out “Who’s Reading To Kill a Mockingbird?”

A book that is taught in several high schools is Night by Elie Weisel. This book is read at some schools because of its historical value and its representation of the horrors of the Holocaust. This factual recollection helps readers to understand the terror caused to millions of people during the Holocaust. Night is a firsthand account of Weisel’s experience. This book is read in high school to teach about the past and remembering experiences whether happy, sad, horrific, or complex. If you haven’t read it on your own,  there are many reasons to do so. It’s not just English teachers who love reading Elie Wiesel’s Night.

Finally, a third book that shows up in English classes around the country is Lord of the Flies by William Golding. A group of boys are stranded, away from civilization without anyone but each other. As the story progresses, the kids become more uncivilized and they resort to killing each other to survive and hold power on the island. This book is read in high school because of its theme that civilization needs order or else it will plunge into chaos. This can be seen in governments around the world today. Check out the Top Five Reasons Why Lord of the Flies Should Still Be Taught.

While it would be ridiculous to assume everyone can read the same books across the country or around the world, these three novels are a good start to having a common base of knowledge to build from, and when the foundations are solid, it is easier to recognize the similarities in other stories and make similar connections in life.