About Books & Literature: You've Read All These, Right?

From Erik Wander, your About Books & Literature Editor

For some, it may seem hard to believe. Others may be in denial. And of course some people, parents for example, are practically rejoicing, counting down the days until it's time to send the kids back to school. This week we're looking at just some of the many books and pieces of literature we believe everyone should read before finishing high school, or in some cases middle school. There really are too many to pack into one list, but do note: If you've already finished high school and didn't read some (or any) of these, it's never too late. Re-reading is likewise always encouraged.

Must-Read Novels: The Catcher in the Rye

Scour 100 reading lists compiled by educators, libraries, high schools across the country, foundations and others, and you'll likely find 100 different opinions about what 10 or 25 or 100 books and/or writers high school kids should read before they graduate. But certain titles do tend to pop up again and again. So with a nod to F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, all of which About Books and Literature has dealt with in recent weeks, our three picks are highlighted by J. D. Salinger and his most memorable protagonist, Holden Caulfield.

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Must-Read Poetry: Emily Dickinson

Poets? Well, take your pick. From Blake and Browning to Tennyson and Thomas, from Wordsworth and Williams to Angelou and Auden, the catalog of the world's greatest poets is vast, to say the least, just as reading poetry is so intensely personal. So why Dickinson? Probably the same reason you chose the poet atop your list: because he/she wrote [fill in the blank]. That sentence might end with "I Measure Every Grief I Meet" or "I Died for Beauty" if you're talking about Emily Dickinson.

Search Related Topics: emily dickinson 19th century american poetry women poets

Must-Read Plays: Death of a Salesman

In this category, honorable mention goes to The Crucible, also by Arthur Miller, and Antigone by Sophocles, and you can't go wrong with just about anything by William Shakespeare. But it's hard not to recommend this particular Miller classic that represents what our writer called "both an attack on the ideals that had, for the last 160 years, constituted the American dream for prosperity and material wealth as well as a compelling portrayal of a man trapped by his past." The tragedy of Miller's main character, Willy Loman, most recently and memorably portrayed in Tony Award-winning fashion by Philip Seymour Hoffman in 2012, remains as universal and believable as it did more than 60 years ago.

Middle School Must-Reads: The Diary of a Young Girl

Also commonly known as The Diary of Anne Frank, this book, whether you've actually read it or not, needs no introduction for most adults. It was 1942 to 1944. Anne was just 13 years old when she started writing. It took place during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. The diary was discovered after the war and given to Anne's Father, Otto Frank, the only member of the family who survived. But for many children, having a child their own age describe her experiences during the Holocaust is a truly poignant experience.

Search Related Topics: college reading lists writing a biography writing a book report

About Books & Literature: You've Read All These, Right?

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About Books & Literature: You've Read All These, Right?

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