best essays for high school students to read

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The 50 best short articles & essays to read for students, the capital t truth by david foster wallace, this is the life by annie dillard, things we think we know by chuck klosterman, why does it feel like everyone has more money than you by jen doll, phoning it in by stanley bing, the fringe benefits of failure, and the importance of imagination by j.k. rowling, 50 more articles about life, love and relationships, crazy love by steven pinker, no labels, no drama, right by jordana narin, the limits of friendship by maria konnikova, 50 more articles about love and relationships, words and writing, writing, briefly by paul graham, write like a mofo by cheryl strayed, 20 more articles about writing, the same river twice by david quammen, you can't kill the rooster by david sedaris, scars by david owen, 100 more short memoirs, a brief history of forever by tavi gevinson, school for girls by jasmin aviva sandelson, 50 more articles about growing up, why we play by eva holland, why sports are for losers by matt taibbi, 50 more articles about sports, keep your identity small by paul graham, the muggle problem by ross douthat, 75 more articles about politics, notes of a native son by james baldwin, a letter to my nephew by james baldwin, a place where we are everything by roxane gay, 30 more articles about race, what no one else will tell you about feminism by lindy west, bad feminist by roxane gay, 10 more articles about feminism, holy water by joan didion, how to disagree by paul graham, so what if mountain dew can melt mice by chuck klosterman, 150 great articles and essays.

What Is Math? by Dan Falk

Life with purpose by philip ball, what is everything made of by charles sebens, small, yes, but mighty by natalie angier, your handy postcard-sized guide to statistics by tim harford, 100 more articles about science, the internet, the attention economy by tom chatfield, user behaviour by michael schulson, escape the matrix by virginia heffernan, instagram is over by kate lindsay, 50 more articles about the internet, the environment, we should fix climate change — but we should not regret it by thomas r. wells, is humanity suicidal by edward o. wilson, 50 more articles about the environment, what is the monkeysphere by david wong, how life became an endless, terrible competition by daniel markovits, your lifestyle has already been designed by david cain, 100 more articles about psychology, mental health, adventures in depression by allie brosh, the most dangerous idea in mental health by ed cara, the acceleration of addictiveness by paul graham, 50 more articles about mental health, why you are unhappy by tim urban, buy experiences, not things by james hamblin, 20 more articles about happiness, a few words about breasts by nora ephron, hello, i am fat by lindy west, the onset by my ngoc to, 25 more articles about body image.

About The Electric Typewriter We search the net to bring you the best nonfiction, articles, essays and journalism

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Articles and Essays to Read in High School

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We were asked to share essays to read in high school.

Reading different kinds of literature is important for high school students. Homeschool high schoolers need to read various genres to develop skills in:

• comprehension
• interpretation
• life skills
• as well as academic achievement

(For more on effectively teaching literature to teens – even those who don’t naturally love books – see my post series here .)

Teens often love reading novels and biographies. Therefore they thrive with curriculum such as 7Sisters:

• British Literature
• American Literature
• Great Christian Writers
• World Literature

These genres are excellent choices, but not the only types of reading material that teens need to experience. In fact, articles and essays are important but often-neglected sources of good reading material. These are good genres for reading because they are shorter types of writing.

Even though essays are articles are shorter in length, they are good for teens. This is because these genres help develop teens’ attention and critical thinking skills as well as the comprehension, inference and evaluation skills listed above. Some essays and articles even help build life skills!

With this in mind, here are suggestions to help you get started compiling a good list of articles and essays to read in high school with your homeschoolers.

Many of these can be found in their entirety on the internet.

• John Milton’s “Areopagitica”
• Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”
• Thomas DeQuincey’s “On the Knocking at the Gate in Macbeth”
• Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self-Reliance”
• Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience”
• William Hazlitt’s “On Going a Journey”
• George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant”
• E.B. White’s “A Weekend With the Angels”
• James Baldwin’s “The Fire Next Time”
• Joan Didion’s “Goodbye To All That”
• There are many essays to consider from these authors:
• G.K. Chesterton (here’s a cool reading plan from the American Chesterton Society )
• Michel de Montaigne
• Francis Bacon
• Thomas Babington Macaulay (find some of Macaulay’s works on Project Gutenberg here )
• Virginia Woolf
• Robert Louis Stevenson ( Stevenson’s works here on Project Gutenberg )
• James Thurber

I have also enjoyed looking to acclaimed collections of articles on various subjects for another reading resource in homeschool.

Here are a couple that help engage even reluctant readers (if you pick a subject that interests them) when it’s time to choose articles to read in high school.

• The Best of American Science Writing – Ten Years of the Series (Jesse Cohen, Senior Editor) from Harper Collins publishers.
• The Best American Sports Writing 2000 (Dick Schaap) from Houghton Mifflin.

Sites like these provide a wealth of articles from which to choose:

• Recommended Read-Alouds from the N.Y. Times
• Recommended articles by topic at The Electric Typewriter

Don’t overlook shorter pieces of writing. Including a good selection of essays and articles in your high school reading is smart!

While we are at it, reading essays can be a good kick-off to an essay writing.

This is especially true for older homeschool high schoolers, who have some experience writing essays. With this in mind, perhaps start your junior- or senior-year teens’ essay unit with a few essays to read.

Then download an essay writing guide and get started. Here is our Advanced Essay Writing Guide :

How about introducing your students to Hymns and Creeds as literature. Check out our study guide.

Here’s an essay we wrote in answer to an attack on homeschooling by a Harvard professor .

Do you have favorites to recommend? Leave a comment!

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Sabrina Justison

Dear Sabrina:

I lost a reader that I read in h.s. it contained a compilation of essays. There was an essay in it about a college student who was a jester in a school play and his mother had sewn on bells on the costume which rang at the wrong times . It was so funny that it made me laugh out loud every time I read it. Do you happen to know it?

I graduated in 1967.

Thanks, Isabelle

Hi Isabelle, This is a new one to me, but I did a little research and think you are referring to R. L. Burdette’s Chimes from a Jester’s Bells published in 1897. If you Google his name and the title, you should be able to find places from which you can order a copy. I didn’t find a free text on the internet, but I didn’t dig very deeply, so it may exist somewhere in cyberspace. Hope that helps!

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The Big List of Essay Topics for High School (150+ Ideas!)

Ideas to inspire every young writer!

High school students generally do a lot of writing, learning to use language clearly, concisely, and persuasively. When it’s time to choose an essay topic, though, it’s easy to come up blank. If that’s the case, check out this huge round-up of essay topics for high school. You’ll find choices for every subject and writing style.

• Argumentative Essay Topics
• Cause-and-Effect Essay Topics
• Compare-Contrast Essay Topics
• Descriptive Essay Topics
• Expository and Informative Essay Topics
• Humorous Essay Topics

Literary Essay Topics

• Narrative and Personal Essay Topics
• Opinion Essay Topics
• Persuasive Essay Topics

Research Essay Topics

Argumentative essay topics for high school.

When writing an argumentative essay, remember to do the research and lay out the facts clearly. Your goal is not necessarily to persuade someone to agree with you, but to encourage your reader to accept your point of view as valid. Here are some argumentative topics to try. ( Here are 100 more compelling argumentative essay topics. )

• The most important challenge our country is currently facing is … (e.g., immigration, gun control, economy)
• The government should provide free internet access for every citizen.
• All drugs should be legalized, regulated, and taxed.
• Vaping is less harmful than smoking tobacco.
• Parents should be punished for their minor children’s crimes.
• Should all students have the ability to attend college for free?
• Should physical education be part of the standard high school curriculum?
• Schools should require recommended vaccines for all students, with very limited exceptions.
• Animal testing should be banned.
• Does social media do more harm than good?
• Is single-sex education better than co-education?
• Capital punishment does/does not deter crime.
• Are men and women treated equally?
• Should plastic be banned?

Cause-and-Effect Essay Topics for High School

A cause-and-effect essay is a type of argumentative essay. Your goal is to show how one specific thing directly influences another specific thing. You’ll likely need to do some research to make your point. Here are some ideas for cause-and-effect essays. ( Get a big list of 135+ cause-and-effect essay topics here. )

• Humans are causing accelerated climate change.
• Fast-food restaurants have made human health worse over the decades.
• What caused World War II? (Choose any conflict for this one.)
• Describe the effects social media has on young adults.
• How does playing sports affect people?
• What are the effects of loving to read?
• Being an only/oldest/youngest/middle child makes you …
• What effect does violence in cartoons, movies, or video games have on kids?
• Traveling to new places opens people’s minds to new ideas.
• Racism is caused by …
• Immigration benefits the United States.

Compare-Contrast Essay Topics for High School

As the name indicates, in compare-and-contrast essays, writers show the similarities and differences between two things. They combine descriptive writing with analysis, making connections and showing dissimilarities. The following ideas work well for compare-contrast essays. ( Find 125 compare-contrast essay topics for all ages here. )

• Public and private schools
• Capitalism vs. communism
• Monarchy or democracy
• Dogs vs. cats as pets
• Paper books or e-books
• Two political candidates in a current race
• Going to college vs. starting work full-time
• Working your way through college as you go or taking out student loans
• iPhone or Android
• Instagram vs. Twitter (or choose any other two social media platforms)
• Gas-powered cars vs. electric cars
• High school vs. college
• Volunteering vs. paid work
• Your teacher vs. your parent/guardian
• Oldest child and youngest child
• Introverts vs. extroverts

Descriptive Essay Topics for High School

Bring on the adjectives! Descriptive writing is all about creating a rich picture for the reader. Take readers on a journey to far-off places, help them understand an experience, or introduce them to a new person. Remember: Show, don’t tell. These topics make excellent descriptive essays.

• Who is the funniest person you know?
• What is your favorite childhood memory?
• Tell about the most inspirational person in your life.
• Write about your favorite place.
• When you were little, what was your favorite thing to do?
• Choose a piece of art or music and explain how it makes you feel.
• What is your earliest memory?
• What’s the best/worst vacation you’ve ever taken?
• Describe your favorite pet.
• What is the most important item in the world to you?
• Give a tour of your bedroom (or another favorite room in your home).
• Describe yourself to someone who has never met you.
• Lay out your perfect day from start to finish.
• Explain what it’s like to move to a new town or start a new school.
• Tell what it would be like to live on the moon.

Expository and Informative Essay Topics for High School

Expository essays set out clear explanations of a particular topic. You might be defining a word or phrase or explaining how something works. Expository or informative essays are based on facts, and while you might explore different points of view, you won’t necessarily say which one is “better” or “right.” Remember: Expository essays educate the reader. Here are some expository and informative essay topics to explore. ( See 70+ expository and informative essay topics here. )

• What makes a good leader?
• Explain why a given school subject (math, history, science, etc.) is important for students to learn.
• What is the “glass ceiling” and how does it affect society?
• Describe how the internet changed the world.
• What does it mean to be a good teacher?
• How has modern technology changed teaching and learning?
• Explain how we could colonize the moon or another planet.
• Discuss why mental health is just as important as physical health.
• Describe a healthy lifestyle for a teenager.
• Choose an American president and explain how their time in office affected the country.
• What does “financial responsibility” mean?
• What is video game addiction, and how does it affect teens?

Humorous Essay Topics for High School

Humorous essays can take on any form, like narrative, persuasive, or expository. You might employ sarcasm or satire, or simply tell a story about a funny person or event. Even though these essay topics are lighthearted, they still take some skill to tackle well. Give these ideas a try.

• What would happen if cats (or any other animal) ruled the world?
• What do newborn babies wish their parents knew?
• Explain the best ways to be annoying on social media.
• Invent a wacky new sport, explain the rules, and describe a game or match.
• Explain why it’s important to eat dessert first.
• Imagine a discussion between two historic figures from very different times, like Cleopatra and Queen Elizabeth I.
• Retell a familiar story in tweets or other social media posts.
• Describe present-day Earth from an alien’s point of view.
• Choose a fictional character and explain why they should be the next president.
• Describe a day when kids are in charge of everything, at school and at home.

Literary essays analyze a piece of writing, like a book or a play. In high school, students usually write literary essays about the works they study in class. These literary essay topic ideas focus on books students often read in high school, but many of them can be tweaked to fit other works as well.

• Discuss the portrayal of women in Shakespeare’s Othello .
• Explore the symbolism used in The Scarlet Letter .
• Explain the importance of dreams in Of Mice and Men .
• Compare and contrast the romantic relationships in Pride and Prejudice .
• Analyze the role of the witches in Macbeth .
• What is the role of resilience and hope in The Hate U Give ?
• Analyze the exploration of racism and social injustice in Dear Martin .
• Dissect the allegory of Animal Farm and its relation to contemporary events.
• Interpret the author’s take on society and class structure in The Great Gatsby .
• Explore the relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia.
• Discuss whether Shakespeare’s portrayal of young love in Romeo and Juliet is accurate.
• Explain the imagery used in Beowulf .
• Explore the use of satire in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy .
• How does Death of a Salesman say about the concept of the American Dream?
• Explore the effects of trauma on mental health in The Perks of Being a Wallflower .

Narrative and Personal Essay Topics for High School

Think of a narrative essay like telling a story. Use some of the same techniques that you would for a descriptive essay, but be sure you have a beginning, middle, and end. A narrative essay doesn’t necessarily need to be personal, but they often are. Take inspiration from these narrative and personal essay topics. ADVERTISEMENT

• Describe a performance or sporting event you took part in.
• Explain the process of cooking and eating your favorite meal.
• Write about meeting your best friend for the first time and how your relationship developed.
• Tell about learning to ride a bike or drive a car.
• What is your biggest fear?
• Describe a time in your life when you’ve been scared.
• Write about a time when you or someone you know displayed courage.
• Share the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you.
• Tell about a time when you overcame a big challenge.
• Tell the story of how you learned an important life lesson.
• Describe a time when you or someone you know experienced prejudice or oppression.
• Explain a family tradition, how it developed, and its importance today.
• What is your favorite holiday? How does your family celebrate it?
• Retell a familiar story from the point of view of a different character.
• Describe a time when you had to make a difficult decision.
• Tell about your proudest moment.

Opinion Essay Topics for High School

When writing an opinion essay, you don’t need to rely as much on facts or persuasive techniques. You’re simply sharing your thoughts on a topic, as well as your justifications for your beliefs. You may include evidence if you like, but an opinion essay is more personal than persuasive. These topics work well for opinion essays:

• Is technology too isolating?
• What animal makes the best pet?
• Everyone should be vegetarian or vegan.
• What is one book that everyone should be required to read?
• Is democracy the best form of government?
• Is capitalism the best form of economy?
• Students should/should not be able to use their phones during the school day.
• Should physical education be graded?
• The best country in the world is …
• What one class should all high schools students be required to take and pass in order to graduate?
• Do we really learn anything from history, or does it just repeat itself over and over?
• Which is better, book smarts or street smarts?
• Who faces more peer pressure, girls or boys?
• Is it better to be kind or truthful?

Persuasive Essay Topics for High School

Persuasive essays are similar to argumentative , but they rely less on facts and more on emotion to sway the reader. It’s important to know your audience, so you can anticipate any counterarguments they might make and try to overcome them. Try these topics to persuade someone to come around to your point of view. ( Discover 130 more intriguing persuasive essay topics here. )

• Do you think homework should be required, optional, or not given at all?
• Should schools be allowed to ban some books from their libraries?
• Visit an animal shelter, choose an animal that needs a home, and write an essay persuading someone to adopt that animal.
• Who is the world’s best athlete, present or past?
• Should parents use their children’s cell phones to track where they are?
• What’s the best way to handle constantly rising college education costs?
• Should little kids be allowed to play competitive sports?
• Are professional athletes/musicians/actors overpaid?
• The best music genre is …
• Should schools have dress codes?
• Is climate change reversible?
• If I could change one school rule, it would be …
• Is year-round school a good idea?
• Selling tobacco should be banned.

A research essay is a classic high school assignment. These papers require deep research into primary source documents, with lots of supporting facts and evidence that’s properly cited. Research essays can be in any of the styles shown above. Here are some possible topics, across a variety of subjects.

• Which country’s style of government is best for the people who live there?
• Choose a country and analyze its development from founding to present day.
• Describe the causes and effects of a specific war, e.g. “What instigated World War II?”
• Formulate an ideal economic plan for our country.
• What scientific discovery has had the biggest impact on life today?
• Tell the story of the development of artificial intelligence so far, and describe its impacts along the way.
• Explore the impact income inequality on education in this country.
• Conduct an exploration of healthcare in this country, and make recommendations for improvement.
• Explain the importance of participating in government by voting, running for office, campaigning, etc.
• Analyze the way mental health is viewed and treated in this country.
• Explore the ways systemic racism impacts people in all walks of life.
• Defend the importance of teaching music and the arts in public schools.
• Choose one animal from the endangered species list, and propose a realistic plan to protect it.
• Explain how space exploration has changed our understanding of the universe.
• Explore the effects of sleep deprivation on academic and physical performance.

What are some of your favorite essay topics for high school? Come share your prompts on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, check out the ultimate guide to student writing contests , you might also like.

100 Thought-Provoking Argumentative Writing Prompts for Kids and Teens

Practice making well-reasoned arguments using research and facts. Continue Reading

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12 Nonfiction Literature Must Reads in the High School English Classroom

Jun 20, 2023

English teachers love a good work of fiction; we find many ways to include such works in our classrooms. Where we might need a bit more guidance or support is with the inclusion of more nonfiction literature in our lessons.

With nonfiction, students can use many of the same skills they do with fiction, but nonfiction lit offers some additional options and benefits. 

Through its focus on historical or current events, nonfiction literature provides background knowledge that will be useful as students continue in school and beyond. It also provides opportunities for critical thinking and connection-making between texts.

Finally, nonfiction literature teaches students about the ‘real world’ that can widen their understanding and point of view! 

Need help with Test Prep? Check out this  FREE Pack of 3 Test Prep Activities  to help students achieve success on standardized tests!

Table of Contents

Nonfiction Literature Definition

Nonfiction includes any text based on facts and real events about real people while fiction tells made-up stories even though it might adapt or adopt elements from real life. 

Types of nonfiction text stretch far and wide! From biographies, memoirs, or personal essays to textbooks for science, history, and geography, to any true account of current or historical events in newspapers or diaries, through to letters, reviews, and advertisements. 

Want help with teaching poetry in April?  Check out “Making the most of National Poetry Month!”

12 Nonfiction Literature Examples 

1. speeches  .

Focusing on the spoken word and referencing written forms, speeches fit into the realm of nonfiction literature. A good speech shares a person’s point; a great speech does that but with flair using rhetorical devices and figurative language to engage the audience! Teaching different speeches is important because speeches teach a lesson in getting an audience to care about a subject. Speeches additionally provide a closer look at rhetorical and figurative language in action.

• Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t a Woman” – Delivered in 1851 at the Women’s Rights Convention in Ohio, this speech focused on equality for race and gender. As an abolitionist and women’s rights activist, Truth’s speech is a must-read with your students! Begin your study of the speech with this series of quiz questions focused on comprehension using Common Core standards-aligned questions .
• “Declaration of Sentiments”- This 1848 speech from the first women’s rights convention is so named for its similarities to the US Declaration of Independence. This speech is a great one because it focuses on examining the author’s purpose of rhetorical devices like repetition, imagery, parallelism, historical allusion, and religious allusion. Grab this ready-made resource to examine all of these aspects!

2. TED Talks ™

Extend from historic speeches to more current incarnations with TED Talks™. They offer dynamic and diverse topics and speakers. At Ted.com you can search based on topic, duration, and popularity or check out what is trending based on months of significance or current events. What an easy way to include more Nonfiction Literature!

3. Essays/Research Papers

Secondary sources such as essays and research papers take a deeper dive into a subject and usually do so with a more narrowed focus. One option is to search Google Scholar for scholarly publications relevant to a topic you’re studying in class. Google Scholar includes a wide variety of disciplines and you can usually find a PDF version of the source ready to download.

4. Narratives  

Nonfiction literature narratives include memoirs, personal essays, and literary journalism. The stories told remain grounded in facts but include more literary elements to tell a gripping story. 

Here are some nonfiction literature narrative ideas with contemporary and/or historical elements: 

• “Hardware” by Kristin Menke – This personal essay is about a father who owned a hardware store and some of the people and situations he encountered; it is told from the perspective of the subject’s daughter. This original nonfiction narrative is an ideal jumping-off point for examining content and style. Check out this digital and printable resource with a detailed lesson plan, a variety of reading activities, and a full answer key .  
• Other narratives like Mark Twain’s semi-autobiographical travel narrative “Roughing It” work as a way to examine different genres. Such narratives are also good for lessons focused on skill development such as inference skills, summarizing, or citing evidence like in this no-prep lesson . 
• Jack London’s “The Road” is an autobiographical narrative about the author’s experiences as a wanderer at the end of the 19th century. Like Twain’s text, this one also works for a skill development lesson, this time with a focus on the author’s purpose using an excerpt from this narrative . 

5. Autobiographies and Biographies  

Accounts of others’ lives written by a third party in the case of biographies or by the subject (him/herself) in the case of autobiographies offer unparalleled insight into notable topics and time periods. Peeking into others people’s lives is not only exciting but highly informative since these texts offer a closer look into a person or moment.

If you want to integrate some science and history in your ELA class, consider an excerpt about Isaac Newton. Gaining insight into the mathematician and physicist renowned for discovering gravity is sure to pique students’ curiosity and provides a cross-curricular connection, too. Use this lesson with a biographical feature of Newton that digs deeper into the structure of such texts .  

6. Satire as Nonfiction Literature

The ultimate goal of satire is commentary that is either light-hearted or scathing in order to evoke a change of some sort. Exploring the rhetorical language used in such texts gives students a chance to see how authors play with language to great effect.

Here are 2 prime examples of similar satire: 

• A Modest Proposal is Jonathan Swift’s (in)famous satirical political pamphlet with a far-fetched solution to famine that is always a hit with students. Check out this rhetorical analysis and reading activities bundle that teachers say is comprehensive and easy to use ! 
• “Sending Grandma to the Ovens” by Colin Cohen is similar in structure, purpose, and topic to Swift’s piece but just as easily stands on its own. This lesson pack includes standards-based activities, graphic orga nizers, essay prompts, and everything else you need to teach rhetorical analysis, so your students can write with confidence!  

7. Paired Passages  

There is an art to using paired passages because you don’t want anything too obvious or too obscure. The goal is to have students ruminate on shared ideas so you want to ensure students can make those connections. Grouping like-texts together is vital because it provides a richer and more engaging learning experience!

For example, the following texts share a theme of fighting to defend the country but are dissimilar in time periods:

• FDR’s “Day of Infamy” speech delivered the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941 is a major speech in the history of our country as part of the declaration of WWII. Get students to read and analyze the speech with this FREE lesson . 
• Then pair FDR’s speech with Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty” speech from a decidedly different time but with a similar message. Compare the use of rhetorical appeals to the audience in each speech. Prep students for this analysis with a series of activities focused on Henry’s speech in this lesson pack . 

8. Historical Passages  

First-person accounts of historical events provide a window into the past. Unlike biographies or autobiographies, historical passages are often less edited and therefore can provide a better sense of the time. For example, this lesson pack focuses on citing evidence from a passage about the Oregon Trail from Ezra Meeker’s accounts of his travels from Iowa to the Pacific Coast. 

9. Important Documents  

As the name implies, these nonfiction literature documents are important to the establishment of government, political thinking, and more that reverberate through history up to our current day. 

In the United States of America, teaching “The Declaration of Independence” is obviously vital. Students have likely encountered it in other courses so use this familiarity to dig deeper into rhetorical analysis. And make your life easier with this lesson pack that includes everything to teach step-by-step from the reading of the text all the way to the final essay .

10.  Sermons/Religious Texts  

These types of nonfiction literature texts, like so many of those listed, provide insight into another facet of history. Consider sermons as another genre through which you can analyze rhetoric, structure, and connections to the overarching topic of religion.   

One foundational American Literature text is this classic religious text. “Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards is an early American sermon awash in rhetoric. Make teaching this nonfiction text stress free with this series of lessons all about Edwards’ historic sermon . 

11. News Articles  

With a wide variety of digital publications from around the world, news articles are another must-read for high school English. It’s important to know about our world through past and current events because they inform so much of our day-to-day lives. Therefore, make sure to include local, national, and international news sources. News articles are another chance to teach about the realities of different forms of media, a perfect addition to a nonfiction literature unit. 

12. Podcasts   a Different Type of Nonfiction Literature

Harkening back to the long-gone days of radio, podcasts have made a big comeback in the last decade. And the best part of this comeback is the variety that is available to use in high school English. Whether your students are into science, crime, love stories, current events, politics, or music, you name it and there’s a podcast to fit their interests. With a focus on oral communication, nonfiction literature podcasts provide a different form through which students can complete analysis activities and hone their skills for summary, author’s purpose, and just about everything else! 

Need help with teaching poetry?  Check out “7 Must Teach Middle School Poetry Activities!”

Why Teach Nonfiction Literature?

Two favorite podcasts include This is Love and Criminal by the same creative team and they are perfect for including more nonfiction literature in your classroom. Episodes in each series are a little off-beat from their key focus on love and crimes. For example, Episode 20 from This is Love tells the story of a man and his guide dog on 9/11. For Criminal , there are stories about witness protection, someone who habitually steals a community statue, police dogs and horses, and more. They are intriguing, relatively short (usually 30 minutes and often less), and just quirky enough to hook students!

Including nonfiction literature in any number of forms is important for student growth. And reading and analyzing different types of nonfiction at all levels of high school creates a framework for growth in background knowledge, comprehension, and skill development. 

But incorporating nonfiction texts into high school English classes can seem daunting. Just look at the list of options in this post! However, look at what you currently have as part of your lesson plans and consider where you could add a complementary nonfiction text. If you’re teaching a classic novel, incorporate an excerpt from an author’s biography or think about the big ideas of the novel and find some news articles, a Ted talk, or a speech (historical or contemporary) that can work. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel or suddenly create a whole new unit. Instead, focus on small steps to get more nonfiction literature into your students’ hands.

Need more ideas for English Lesson Plans for Teachers that include Nonfiction Literature ? Check out my store  Kristin Menke-Integrated ELA Test Prep !

Hi, I’m KRISTIN!

I primarily focus on  integrating multiple disciplines and subjects. The goal is to make teaching simplified and effective!

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50 Engaging Narrative Essay Topics for High Schoolers

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What’s Covered:

Narrative essays vs. analytical essays, how to pick the right narrative essay topic, elements of a strong narrative essay, engaging narrative essay topics for high schoolers, where to get your narrative essay edited for free.

Narrative essays are an extensive form of writing that gives readers the opportunity to follow along as a person goes through a journey or sets of experiences. Rather than providing analytic insight, narrative essays simply share a story and offer a first-person account. These essays may seem easy to write at first, but it takes a certain finesse to write a narrative essay that is interesting, cohesive, and well-researched. Whether you’re looking for a unique topic to write about, or just want some new inspiration, CollegeVine is here to help! These 50 narrative essay topics are engaging, unique and will have you writing in no time.

A narrative essay is a great way to express your personal experiences and opinions, but it is important to remember that this type of essay is different from an analytical paper. In a narrative essay, you do not need to provide background information or explain your thoughts and feelings; instead, you simply tell a story. It’s important to avoid too much telling in your writing; instead, use creative details and vivid imagery to make readers feel as if they are actually right there with you.

Where You Will Encounter Narrative Essays

This type of essay is typically encountered in high school, where students may be required to write personal statements to prepare for their Common App essay . Narrative essays are also commonly seen in AP Language and Composition. Therefore, it’s important you are aware of the style because you are bound to have a narrative essay assignment.  

Of course, before you start writing, it is important to pick the right essay topic. There are many factors involved in the process of picking the perfect narrative essay topic for your story.

You should always choose a topic that you are passionate about, since writing on something you care about will make the process much easier. Not only will it be more interesting to create your paper around something that truly interests you, but it will also allow you to fully express yourself in your essay. You also want to be sure that the topic has enough material to work with. If your chosen topic is too short, you will not have enough content to write a complete paper. For example, if you are writing about your experience getting lost at the mall, make sure that you have enough information to work with to craft an engaging narrative. 

The best topic for an engaging narrative essay is one that focuses on showing versus telling, has a clear structure, and provides a dialogue. These elements come together to form an engaging narrative essay. Regardless of what subject you pick, any topic may be turned into a fascinating, A+ worthy narrative using the tips below.

Show, Don’t Tell

To write a good narrative essay, it’s important to show, not tell. Instead of simply informing your audience, show them what you mean. For example, instead of saying “I was nervous,” you could say “My heart began to race and my stomach filled with butterflies.” Also make sure to use sensory details, such as sights, sounds and tastes, and include a personal reflection at the end of your narrative. 

Begin with a Strong Opening Line

A good narrative essay will begin with an attention-grabbing opening line. But make sure to avoid common clichés, such as “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Instead, come up with something original and specific to you and your situation. For example: “My pre-calc teacher was obsessed with circles. I mean, he even used circular note cards.” Or, “It all started the day my mom brought home a guinea pig.”

Follows a Three-Act Structure

A strong narrative essay follows the same three-act structure as other essays. But in order to make it interesting, you’ll need to come up with a creative way to break things down into sections. For example, using the guinea pig example from above, you could write the following:

• Act 1 – Introduction: The day my mom brought home a guinea pig.
• Act 2 – Conflict: The day I had to say goodbye to my beloved pet.
• Act 3 – Conclusion: Looking back at how much I miss him now that he’s gone.

Conclude with Personal Reflection

To conclude your narrative essay, you’ll want to explain what this specific experience taught you or how you’ve changed. For example, upon realizing that her pre-calc teacher was obsessed with circles, the writer of the previous example begins to notice circular shapes everywhere. Another way to conclude your narrative essay is by touching on how this experience impacted you emotionally. For example, after losing his guinea pig, the writer explains how much he missed it.

Use Dialogue

Include a conversation in your essay to make it come alive. For example, instead of simply saying that you met a new friend, talk about how you introduced yourselves or what they were wearing when you met them.

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The following list of 50 narrative essay topics is divided into categories. This will make it easier to find a topic that fits your writing style.

1. What is a childhood song that still sticks with you today?

2. Your first day of Kindergarten

3. Talk about a time when you’re siblings looked up to you

4. Describe the best birthday party you’ve ever had

5. Talk about the best day you ever spent with a childhood friend

6. Explain your first childhood hobby

7. Describe your first halloween costume

8. A family vacation gone wrong

9. Your first family reunion

10. Describe a tradition that is unique to your family

11. Describe your family to a person who’s never met them before

12. What frustrates you most about your family

13. If you could only keep one memory of your family, what would it be and why?

14. Describe a time your family embarrassed you in public

15. The most beautiful place in the world

16. Your favorite season and why

17. If you were a part of nature, what element would you be? Why?

18. When you go outside, which of your senses are you most thankful to have?

19. Describe the first time you witnessed a tornado 

20. Write a poem about your favorite season

21. Describe yourself as one of the four seasons

22. Describe a time in which you felt connected with nature

23. Describe the first time you played an instrument and how you felt

24. What major event would be much worse if music was removed, and why?

25. If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

26. What would a life without music look like?

27. If you could master one instrument, what would it be and why?

Relationships

28. What if you had never met your best friend?

29. Describe a time when you fixed a broken relationship

30. Talk about a movie that defined a relationship for you

31. Describe your first date

32. Describe the first time you made a friend

33. Describe your relationship with your parents

Self Reflection

34. Have you ever fooled someone? If so, describe what happened and how you felt about it

35. What is the worst thing you’ve done to someone else?

36. Write about the difference between how things seem and how they really are. 

37. Have you ever been embarrassed in some way? If so, describe the situation and how it affected you as well as those around you

38. Have you ever witnessed something really beautiful? Describe it

39. Is your glass half empty or half full?

Overcoming Adversity 

40. Have you ever been very afraid of something but tried your hardest to appear fearless? If so, describe that experience

41. When have you ever succeeded when you thought you might fail

42. What are your secret survival strategies?

43. Describe the last time you were stressed and why?

44. Describe a time when you were discriminated against

45. The most memorable class you’ve had and why

46. Your favorite study abroad memory

47. Describe your kindergarten classroom

48. Describe your first teacher

49. The first time you experienced detention

50. Your first field trip

Hopefully these topics will get you thinking about a personal experience that could make for a thoughtful and engaging narrative essay. Remember, a strong narrative essay must contain relatable details and a clear flow that keeps the reader entertained and engaged to read all the way to the end.

If you need some additional guidance on your narrative essay, use CollegeVine’s free peer review essay tool to get feedback for free!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Secondary Classrooms 7 Memorable Memoirs for High School Studies

Dorothy Hodges

Helping high schoolers look up from their feeds and put themselves in the shoes of someone else can seem impossible! A good memoir or autobiography offers students a window into another person’s interior world. That’s why we’ve created a roundup of 7 memoir examples for students from our digital literacy program that are sure to complement any reading curriculum.

Each of these rich memoirs from CommonLit’s digital library feature unique voices and powerful perspectives on life. These texts create an opportunity for your students to deepen their reading comprehension and pique their thirst to engage around topics such as complicated relationships, growing up, leaving for the unknown and more!

“ Endless Summer Job ” by Carolyn Ferrell (9th grade)

Carolyn Ferrell’s memoir describes her college summer job: working on an estate in the Hamptons. Ferrell shares vivid details of her experience, recollecting the disdain she felt from her employers. Years later, Ferrell has become a successful author and travels to the Hamptons as a guest for the first time. During her trip out to the Hamptons, she bumps into her former employer. During this final exchange, Carolyn is asked to come on as hired help, ending the memoir with intense feelings of shock, shame, and resilience.

Couple this text with the Related Media video “Implicit Bias Matters: Thinking Under the Influence.” Invite students to discuss the following questions: “According to the video’s narrator, what is ‘thinking under the influence,’ and how does it impact decisions at both a personal and system level?” Encourage them to connect their reflections to evidence from Ferrell's text.

“ What Slaves are Taught to Think of the North ” by Harriet Ann Jacobs (9th grade)

In this short memoir, Jacobs provides a true account of her experiences as a slave. Students will be drawn in by Jacobs’s direct and scathing language as she describes the hypocrisies of both Southern slave owners and Northerners who visited the South. Jacobs shares the ways in which slaves were manipulated by people in the North and South in order to keep them enslaved.

After reading this text, have students reflect on Discussion Question 3, “How can fear be used to manipulate? Use evidence from this text, your own experience, and other art or literature in your answer.”

The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: Excerpts from Chapters 1 and 7 by Frederick Douglass (9th grade)

This excerpt from The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass shares details from Chapter 1 and 7. In the excerpt from Chapter 1, Douglass describes his first overseer, Plummer, and the impact of witnessing so much violence from such a cruel individual. The Chapter 7 excerpt describes his time with Master Hugh’s family, where Douglass shares his experiences learning to read and write.

Students will be awed by Douglass’s hunger for knowledge and the elegance of his diction. Use his journey as an opportunity to engage your students around Discussion Question 3, “In the context of this passage, what is the goal of education? City evidence from this text, your own experience, and other literature, art, or history in your answer.”

Excerpt from “You Don’t have to Say you Love Me” by Sherman Alexie (10th grade)

This memoir excerpt shares Alexie’s decision to leave the school on his Reservation to make a better life for himself. Shortly after enrolling at his new school, Alexie experiences the loss of his grandmother, sister, and brother-in-law. As a result, he worries his choice to leave has “jinxed” the family. Students are sure to relate to Alexie’s journey, tracing his experience of growing up and choosing his own path.

Looking for more short memoir examples? After reading this text, have students read and analyze the Paired Text “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas. Ask students: “How is the narrator in Sherman Alexie’s memoir ‘rag[ing] against the dying of the light’? Is the narrator’s experience watching his mother grieve in ‘Excerpt from ‘You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me’ similar to the speaker’s experience watching his father die in ‘Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night’? Why or why not?”

“ A Frontline Nurse for the Vietcong ” As told to Tong Thi Xuyen (10th grade)

At only 17 years old, Nguyen Thi Do was recruited by the Vietcong and spent over a decade serving as a nurse during the Vietnam War. This memoir serves a window into Nyguyen’s experience during the war, detailing how she was impacted by the horrible endeavors she describes. Nyguyen shared her larger fear, “that when my friends, my comrades and I are all dead, our history and stories will die with us.”

After reading this text, have students discuss Discussion Question 1, “Nguyen Thi Do expresses concerns about her history dying with her. Do you think it is important for future generations to know about Do’s experiences? Why or why not? What are some ways her experiences could be kept alive?”

“ Serving in Florida: Excerpt from Nickel and Dimed ” by Barbara Ehrenreich (11th grade)

In this text, Barbara Enrenreich details her year-long social experiment of living on minimum wage in Key West, Florida. While this text is easy for students to digest with light-hearted language and a humorous tone, students may be shocked when they dig into the depth of Enrenreich’s struggles to survive throughout the year.

As students read, encourage them to take note of the argument Enrenreich is developing and what evidence she uses to support that argument. These annotations will prepare students for Assessment Question 1, “Which statement best describes how the style of the texts contributes to its persuasiveness?” Assigning assessment questions will also prepare students for grade-level reading assessments!

“ Excerpt from Notes from a Native Son ” by James Baldwin (11th grade)

In this text, James Baldwin, famed American essayist, novelist, and playwright, unpacks key experiences and reflects on his complicated relationship with his father, ultimately leading him to a better understanding of who he was.

After reading this text, invite students to discuss Discussion Question 2, “This father and son shared a complicated relationship. What does it mean to have a complicated relationship with someone? What makes a relationship complicated?”

Are you a teacher looking for more memoir examples for students? Browse the CommonLit Library .

Want more autobiographical texts to engage your students? Check out our book pairings for amazing autobiographies like I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings , The Autobiography of Malcolm X , and more or come to one of our webinars!

If you are an administrator looking to leverage CommonLit in your school or district, our partnerships team can help. We offer benchmark assessments, professional learning, and more!

Chat with CommonLit

CommonLit’s team will reach out with more information on our school and district partnerships.

50 classics from (almost) everyone's high school reading list

Research shows that reading fiction encourages empathy . While more high school curriculums should include modern, diverse writers like Amy Tan and Malala Yousafzai, certain classics—like John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath" and Sandra Cisneros' "The House on Mango Street"—endure. Some even make a comeback. George Orwell's "1984," a novel published in 1949 about a dystopian future where the government controls the truth, even surged to #6 on the bestseller list in January 2021, selling more than 24,000 copies following the insurrection in Washington D.C.

While books are ostensibly for anyone with a yearning to learn, sometimes parents, teachers, and school board officials disagree on what kids should or shouldn't read. The result of the push and pull between these groups then shapes the reading lists of millions across the country. According to an April 2024 report from Pen America , 4,349 different books were banned in schools across the United States between July 2021 and June 2022. These bans affected 52 public school districts in 23 states. The top three most frequently banned books were Maia Kobabe's "Gender Queer: A Memoir," George M. Johnson's "All Boys Aren't Blue," and Juno Dawson's "This Book Is Gay."

Banned or not, certain books deserve a first, second, and maybe even a third read. Using data from Goodreads released in January 2023, Stacker compiled a list of 50 timeless books, plays, and epic poems commonly found on high school reading lists. A total of 1,194 voters picked the most essential reading required for students. The final ranking is based on Goodreads' score, which considers multiple factors, including total votes each book received and how highly voters ranked each book.

Read on to see which classics made the list.

#50. Their Eyes Were Watching God

- Author: Zora Neale Hurston - Score: 4,143 - Average rating: 3.97 (based on 316,337 ratings)

A coming-of-age story set in early 1900s Florida, "Their Eyes Were Watching God" tackles a multitude of issues: racism, sexism, segregation, poverty, and gender roles, among others. Initially overlooked upon its release, Zora Neale Hurston's best-known work is now considered a modern American masterpiece thanks to work done in Black studies programs in the 1970s.

#49. Mythology

- Author: Edith Hamilton - Score: 4,148 - Average rating: 4.02 (based on 52,213 ratings)

Edith Hamilton's " Mythology " has been a standard of both reference and pleasure reading since its publication in 1942. The book was commissioned by an editor at the publisher Little, Brown and Company in 1939 to replace the outdated 1855 collection on the subject, " Bulfinch's Mythology ," and it remains a popular choice for educating students on the subject today. At nearly 500 pages, this hefty tome covers all the classic Greek, Roman, and Norse myths in one place, from the journeys of Odysseus and the Trojan War to Cupid and Psyche.

#48. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou's Autobiography, #1)

- Author: Maya Angelou - Score: 4,153 - Average rating: 4.28 (based on 492,982 ratings)

In the first of her seven memoirs, " I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings ," Maya Angelou speaks of her early life growing up in the South, including the abuse and racism she faced. Before this, Angelou was known as a poet but was encouraged to try her hand at long-form writing following a party she attended with the legendary James Baldwin. This book sold 1 million copies, was nominated for a National Book Award, and spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list.

#47. Oedipus Rex (The Theban Plays, #1)

- Author: Sophocles - Score: 4,211 - Average rating: 3.72 (based on 200,721 ratings)

The tragic Greek play " Oedipus Rex " tells the shocking tale of King Oedipus, who unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother. The work of Sophocles has inspired many others across disciplines, including Igor Stravinsky's 1920s opera of the same name. Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic concept of the Oedipus complex , a theory that children are sexually attracted to their opposite-sex parent, also derived from this work.

#46. Moby-Dick or, the Whale

- Author: Herman Melville - Score: 4,240 - Average rating: 3.53 (based on 528,908 ratings)

Herman Melville's "Moby-Dick or, the Whale"—the lengthy tale of a sea captain on the hunt for this great beast—was inspired by a real-life sperm whale attack that sank the Essex in 1820. Although the book sold less than 3,000 copies during Melville's lifetime, it is now considered an American classic. In September 2022, one collector paid a whopping $327,600 to obtain an 1853 edition of the novel.

#45. The Pearl

- Author: John Steinbeck - Score: 4,421 - Average rating: 3.51 (based on 218,730 ratings)

John Steinbeck's "The Pearl" tells the story of Kino, a poor diver trying to support his family by gathering pearls from gulf beds. He is only barely scraping by until he happens upon a giant pearl. Kino thinks this discovery will finally provide him with the financial comfort and security he has been seeking, but it ultimately brings disaster. The story addresses the reader's relationship to nature, the human need for connection, and the consequences of resisting injustice.

#44. The Importance of Being Earnest

- Author: Oscar Wilde - Score: 4,540 - Average rating: 4.18 (based on 345,903 ratings)

This comedic play by Oscar Wilde takes a satiric look at Victorian social values while following two men—Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff—as they tell lies to bring some excitement to their lives. "The Importance of Being Earnest" was Wilde's final play , and some consider it his masterpiece .

#43. The Red Badge of Courage

- Author: Stephen Crane - Score: 4,752 - Average rating: 3.28 (based on 99,854 ratings)

In "The Red Badge of Courage," Henry Fleming enlists in the Union Army, enticed by visions of glory. When the reality of war and battle sets in, Fleming retreats in fear. In the end, he faces his cowardice and rises to leadership. This American war novel was published in 1895 and is so authentic that it's easy to believe the author—born after the Civil War ended—was himself a veteran.

#42. The Taming of the Shrew

- Author: William Shakespeare - Score: 4,822 - Average rating: 3.77 (based on 164,742 ratings)

This five-act comedy tells the story of the courtship of the headstrong Katherine and the money-grubbing Petruchio, who is determined to subdue Katherine and make her his wife. After the wedding, Petruchio drags his new wife through the mud to their new home in the country. He proceeds to starve and deprive her of sleep to make his new bride submissive. The play, one of Shakespeare's most popular, has been both criticized for its abusive and misogynistic attitude toward women and praised as a challenging view of how women are supposed to behave.

#41. Slaughterhouse-Five

- Author: Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - Score: 4,858 - Average rating: 4.09 (based on 1,284,145 ratings)

In "Slaughterhouse-Five," Kurt Vonnegut tells the story of Billy Pilgrim—based on a real American soldier—who is "unstuck in time." He travels throughout the timeline of his life in a nonlinear fashion, forced to relive certain moments. He is first pulled out after he is drafted and captured in Germany during World War II. The book, which explores how humankind repeats history, has been banned or challenged in classrooms throughout the United States. It even landed in the Supreme Court in 1982 in Board of Education v. Pico , and the court held that banning the book violated the First Amendment.

#40. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

- Author: Mark Twain - Score: 5,170 - Average rating: 3.92 (based on 879,567 ratings)

"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" takes place in the fictional town of St. Petersburg, Missouri, during the 1840s. Tom Sawyer and his friend Huck Finn witness a murder by Joe. After the boys stay silent, the wrong man is accused of the crime. When they flee, the whole town presumes them dead, and the boys end up attending their own funerals. Mark Twain's portrayal of Sawyer and Finn challenges the idyllic American view of childhood, instead showing children as fallible human beings with imperfections like anyone else.

#39. Crime and Punishment

- Author: Fyodor Dostoevsky - Score: 5,537 - Average rating: 4.25 (based on 798,073 ratings)

This Russian classic, published in 1886, tells the story of a former student named Rodion Raskolnikov, who is now impoverished and on the verge of mental instability. To get money—and to demonstrate his exceptionalness—he comes up with a murderous plan to kill a pawnbroker. Considered one of the first psychological novels , "Crime and Punishment" is also quite political as it explores the character's pull toward liberal views and his rebellion against them.

#38. A Separate Peace

- Author: John Knowles - Score: 5,561 - Average rating: 3.59 (based on 209,325 ratings)

In "A Separate Peace," John Knowles explores the friendship of two young men—the quiet, intellectual Gene Forrester and his extroverted, athletic friend Finny. Gene lives vicariously through Finny, but his jealousy ultimately ends in tragedy after he commits a subtle act of violence . The book examines themes of envy and the need to achieve.

#37. Death of a Salesman

- Author: Arthur Miller - Score: 6,178 - Average rating: 3.56 (based on 217,183 ratings)

Arthur Miller introduces readers to an aging Willy Loman , a traveling salesman nearing the end of his career. Loman decides he's tired of driving for work and asks for an office job in New York City, believing he is vital to the company. His boss ends up firing him. Loman is also faced with the fact that his son, Biff, is not as successful in life as he had hoped.

Ultimately, Loman takes his own life so his son can have the insurance money to jump-start a better life. After his death, only Loman's family attends his funeral. "Death of a Salesman" won the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for drama.

#36. The Little Prince

- Author: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry - Score: 6,838 - Average rating: 4.32 (based on 1,871,036 ratings)

In "The Little Prince," a pilot whose plane has crashed in the Sahara desert meets a young boy from outer space. The boy is traveling from planet to planet in search of friendship. On the boy's home—an asteroid—he lived alone, accompanied only by a solitary rose. Once on Earth, the boy meets a wise fox who tells him he can only see clearly with his heart . The book's somber themes of imagination and adulthood have resonated with children and adults alike since it was published—it is now one of the most translated books of all time.

#35. The Old Man and the Sea

- Author: Ernest Hemingway - Score: 6,848 - Average rating: 3.80 (based on 1,036,482 ratings)

"The Old Man and the Sea" was Ernest Hemingway's final major work. The story follows an old man who catches a large fish, only to have it eaten by sharks before he can get it back to shore. Although many may see symbolism about life and aging in the book, Hemingway said there wasn't a deeper meaning in the prose.

#34. The Canterbury Tales

- Author: Geoffrey Chaucer - Score: 6,904 - Average rating: 3.52 (based on 211,378 ratings)

"The Canterbury Tales," written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century, was one of the first major works of English literature. The story follows a group of pilgrims who tell tales during their journey from London to Canterbury Cathedral. The cast of characters—including a carpenter, cook, and knight, among others—paints a varied picture of 14th-century society. The stories  inspired the modern film "A Knight's Tale," starring Heath Ledger as a poor knight and Paul Bettany as Chaucer.

#33. Othello

- Author: William Shakespeare - Score: 6,966 - Average rating: 3.89 (based on 363,620 ratings)

Shakespeare wrote "Othello" in the early 17th century. The play tells the tragic story of Othello—a Moor and general in the Venetian army, and Iago—a traitorous low-ranking officer. Shakespeare tackles themes of racism, betrayal, and jealousy. While he refers to Othello as "Black," Shakespeare most likely meant he was darker-skinned than most Englishmen at the time and not necessarily of African descent.

#32. Flowers for Algernon

- Author: Daniel Keyes - Score: 7,235 - Average rating: 4.18 (based on 597,740 ratings)

The main character in "Flowers for Algernon" is Charlie Gordon, a man of low intelligence who becomes a genius after undergoing an experimental procedure. The experiment has already been performed on a lab mouse named Algernon. Gordon's intelligence opens his eyes to things he's never understood before, but he eventually loses his newly acquired knowledge. The mouse, who Gordon remembers fondly, dies. Daniel Keyes wrote the book after realizing his education was causing a rift between him and his loved ones, making him wonder what it would be like if someone's intelligence could be increased.

#31. Beowulf

- Author: Unknown - Score: 7,844 - Average rating: 3.47 (based on 283,839 ratings)

"Beowulf" is an epic poem —an original manuscript copy is housed in the British Library—of 3,000 lines. It was written in Old English somewhere between A.D. 700 and 1000 and tells the story of Beowulf, a nobleman and warrior in Sweden who is sent to Denmark to fight a swamp monster called Grendel.

#30. A Tale of Two Cities

- Author: Charles Dickens - Score: 8,085 - Average rating: 3.86 (based on 901,761 ratings)

"A Tale of Two Cities" famously starts: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…" Set in the late 1700s, Charles Dickens vividly writes about the time leading up to and during the French Revolution. The historical novel describes death and despair but also touches on themes of redemption.

#29. Wuthering Heights

- Author: Emily Brontë - Score: 8,214 - Average rating: 3.88 (based on 1,651,158 ratings)

"Wuthering Heights," published in 1847, was the first and only novel by Emily Brontë, who died a year later at 30. Brontë tells the tragic love story between Heathcliff, an orphan, and Catherine, his wealthy benefactor's daughter. Considered a classic in English literature, the novel shows readers how passionate and destructive love can be.

#28. The Hobbit (The Lord of the Rings, #0)

- Author: J.R.R. Tolkien - Score: 8,552 - Average rating: 4.28 (based on 3,583,681 ratings)

" The Hobbit " is the story of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who sets off on a journey through the fictional world of Middle-earth in search of adventure and treasure. J.R.R. Tolkien originally wrote this book for his own kids, and it was an instant success in the children's book market. It also grew a keen following with older readers alongside the release of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy in the 1960s, when it offered a great reprieve from the tumult of the times, and the big screen adaptation in the early 2000s.

#27. A Midsummer Night's Dream

- Author: William Shakespeare - Score: 8,974 - Average rating: 3.95 (based on 507,482 ratings)

Like many of Shakespeare's plays, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" explores the theme of love. This comedy shows the events that surround the marriage of Theseus, the duke of Athens, to Hippolyta, a former Amazon queen. The play also shares the stories of several other lovers influenced by the fairies who live in the forest near the wedding. The play is a favorite for actors and audiences, even today.

#26. The Grapes of Wrath

- Author: John Steinbeck - Score: 9,047 - Average rating: 3.99 (based on 852,960 ratings)

"The Grapes of Wrath" is considered a great American novel partly because it brought to light the destruction and despair caused by the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. The story follows Tom Joad after he is released from prison to find his family's Oklahoma farmstead empty and destroyed. Joad and his family later set off for a new life in California, only to face struggles along the way. The book, which focuses on hard work, won a  Pulitzer Prize  in 1940.

#25. Great Expectations

- Author: Charles Dickens - Score: 9,647 - Average rating: 3.79 (based on 751,833 ratings)

This Charles Dickens classic tells the story of Pip, an orphan who gets a chance at a better life through an anonymous benefactor. The plot mostly centers around Pip's regular visits to Miss Havisham, a wealthy recluse, and his love for her adopted daughter Estella, who is cold toward Pip until years later. Many consider the novel a great masterpiece .

#24. Frankenstein: The 1818 Text

- Author: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley - Score: 10,277 - Average rating: 3.85 (based on 1,435,457 ratings)

At just 20 , Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley created what is often labeled as the first science fiction novel : "Frankenstein." While staying with a group of literary comrades, Lord Byron challenged his fellow writers to craft ghost stories. Shelley's story was sparked by a nightmare that ultimately became the classic novel about a mad scientist who created a monster from the body parts of corpses, then brought the creature to life.

#23. Julius Caesar

- Author: William Shakespeare - Score: 10,472 - Average rating: 3.70 (based on 191,622 ratings)

Shakespeare takes on history with "Julius Caesar," a tragic story of power and betrayal. Brutus, who worked closely with Caesar, joined his fellow conspirators to assassinate Caesar to save the republic from a tyrannical leader. The events had the opposite effect when, only two years later, Caesar's grandnephew was crowned the first emperor of Rome. The play marked a political shift in Shakespeare's writing.

#22. The Outsiders

- Author: S.E. Hinton - Score: 10,564 - Average rating: 4.12 (based on 1,193,939 ratings)

S.E. Hinton introduced readers to 14-year-old Ponyboy Curtis in "The Outsiders," a novel she started to write when she was 16. The plot centers around two rival gangs: the lower-class Greasers and the well-off Socials. It touches on teen angst , including the frustrations young people have when they can't rely on adults to change things while also not knowing how to fix things themselves. Hinton's publishers encouraged her to publish under her initials because they didn't think the public would respect a book about teenage boys by someone with the feminine name of Susan Eloise Hinton.

#21. Brave New World

- Author: Aldous Huxley - Score: 10,853 - Average rating: 3.99 (based on 1,711,789 ratings)

In "Brave New World," published in 1932, Aldous Huxley paints a picture of a dystopian future where people consume pills called soma to get a sense of instant bliss without side effects. Emotions, individuality, and lasting relationships aren't allowed. A preordained class system is decided at the embryonic stage, with certain people getting hormones for peak mental and athletic fitness. Some historians believe the book's plot could represent the future in the next 100 years.

#20. Night (The Night Trilogy, #1)

- Author: Elie Wiesel - Score: 11,080 - Average rating: 4.36 (based on 1,150,070 ratings)

"Night," the first in a trilogy of books, is the most well-known of the more than 50 works Elie Wiesel produced in his lifetime. In just over 100 pages, Wiesel recounts his experiences at the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps during the Holocaust—a history he felt compelled to share, as he stated in his 1986 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech , "Because, if we forget, we are guilty, we are accomplices." The impact of this book has only grown since its publication in 1956, with educators teaching the book in schools for decades and book sales soaring alongside current events, including Wiesel's death in July 2016.

#19. The Crucible

- Author: Arthur Miller - Score: 11,619 - Average rating: 3.60 (based on 380,466 ratings)

This 1953 play is a dramatized version of the Salem witch trials of the late 1600s. In the novel, a group of young girls are dancing in the forest; when caught, they fake illness and shift blame to avoid punishment. Their lies set off witchcraft accusations throughout the town. Arthur Miller wrote "The Crucible" to protest the actions of Sen. Joseph McCarthy , who set up a committee in the early 1950s to investigate and prosecute the Communists he thought had infiltrated the government. It won the 1953 Tony Award for Best Play.

#18. The Giver (The Giver, #1)

- Author: Lois Lowry - Score: 11,635 - Average rating: 4.13 (based on 2,238,142 ratings)

" The Giver " is the dystopian tale of a boy chosen to hold one of the most difficult and important professions in his community—the keeper of all memories from the time before, including the pain and difficulties that have been erased from the seemingly utopian world around them. In 1994, Lois Lowry was awarded the Newbery Medal —a prestigious award for children's literature in the United States—for the first installation of her book quartet. The book's complicated themes of racism, religion, and politics lend themselves more to older readers, creating rich discussion in high school classrooms.

#17. Jane Eyre

- Author: Charlotte Brontë - Score: 11,990 - Average rating: 4.14 (based on 1,941,542 ratings)

Charlotte Brontë—sister to Emily—speaks directly to the reader in "Jane Eyre." The Victorian novel follows the headstrong Jane, an orphan who lives with her aunt and cousins, on her quest to find her identity and true love. The novel, marketed as an autobiography and published in 1847 under the pen name Currer Bell, is written in the first person and introduces " the concept of the self " in writing.

#16. Fahrenheit 451

- Author: Ray Bradbury - Score: 12,468 - Average rating: 3.97 (based on 2,162,063 ratings)

Ray Bradbury describes a futuristic world where books are banned and burned. Guy Montag, one firefighter tasked with extinguishing the books, questions the practice. When Bradbury wrote the classic in the 1950s, television sets were becoming ubiquitous in American households. The theme of the book was a warning about how mass media could interfere with people's ability or desire to think critically, a theme that many think resonates with the social media-obsessed world of today.

#15. Pride and Prejudice

- Author: Jane Austen - Score: 13,486 - Average rating: 4.28 (based on 3,854,915 ratings)

Published in 1813, "Pride and Prejudice" was Jane Austen's second novel. The story follows the will-they-won't-they relationship between the wealthy Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, who comes from meager means. Throughout the chapters, both change for the better as they fall in love. The book has inspired at least  a dozen or more  movie and television adaptations.

#14. The Odyssey

- Author: Homer - Score: 15,087 - Average rating: 3.79 (based on 1,001,633 ratings)

"The Odyssey," a Greek epic poem , follows Odysseus as he travels back to the island of Ithaca after fighting in the war at Troy—something addressed in Homer's poem "The Iliad." When he returns home, he and his son, Telemachus, kill all the men trying to marry Odysseus's wife, Penelope. In the end, Athena, the goddess of wisdom, victory, and war, intervenes. Like many Greek myths, it focuses on themes of love, courage, and revenge.

#13. The Diary of a Young Girl

- Author: Anne Frank - Score: 15,739 - Average rating: 4.18 (based on 3,425,782 ratings)

In 1944, a young Anne Frank recorded her thoughts and feelings as she and other Jewish citizens hid from the German Nazis during World War II. The coming-of-age diary, which chronicles Frank's time hiding in the Secret Annex while she became a young woman, has been translated into 70 languages. While she and most of her family were killed, her father survived and helped publish her work, making it possible for millions to learn her story.

#12. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

- Author: Mark Twain - Score: 16,638 - Average rating: 3.83 (based on 1,228,955 ratings)

Huckleberry Finn is the main character in this follow-up novel to "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." The book explores themes of racism as Huck Finn floats down the Mississippi River with a man escaping slavery. Like Huck at the end of his tale, Twain changed his views on slavery and rejected it as an institution.

- Author: George Orwell - Score: 17,337 - Average rating: 4.19 (based on 4,095,733 ratings)

George Orwell describes a dystopian future rife with war and one where the government—led by Big Brother—controls the truth and snuffs out individual thought. The protagonist, Winston Smith, becomes disillusioned with the Party, and he rebels against it. Although it was published in 1949, the novel had a resurgence in 2017.

#10. The Scarlet Letter

- Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne - Score: 17,684 - Average rating: 3.43 (based on 814,235 ratings)

Nathaniel Hawthorne published "The Scarlet Letter" in 1850. In the novel, based on historical events , readers follow the story of Hester Prynne, a woman who is forced to wear a red "A" on her clothes after she conceives a child out of wedlock. She bears the punishment alone when she refuses to name the baby's father. Her character marked one of the first where a strong woman was the protagonist . Hawthorne's novel also touches on themes of hypocrisy, shame, guilt, and love.

- Author: William Shakespeare - Score: 19,419 - Average rating: 4.03 (based on 875,058 ratings)

Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, becomes vengeful after attending his father's funeral, only to find his mother has remarried Claudius, his uncle. The stepfather crowns himself king, a role that should have gone to Hamlet. The prince finds out his father was murdered, after which he kills the new king. Ambiguity runs through the play and the character of Hamlet, whose visions of ghosts are up for interpretation—are they real or a figment of the troubled man's imagination? The tragedy, which launched the famous line "To be, or not to be… " shines a light on some of the worst traits of humanity . Some consider the play Shakespeare's greatest work .

#8. The Catcher in the Rye

- Author: J.D. Salinger - Score: 19,450 - Average rating: 3.81 (based on 3,262,066 ratings)

J.D. Salinger aptly captures teen angst in "The Catcher in the Rye" when the reader gets a look at three days in the life of its narrator, the 16-year-old Holden Caulfield. The book was an instant success, but some schools have banned it from their libraries and reading lists, citing vulgarity and sexual content.

#7. Of Mice and Men

- Author: John Steinbeck - Score: 19,958 - Average rating: 3.88 (based on 2,350,603 ratings)

"Of Mice and Men" tells the story of George and his simple-minded friend Lennie. The two have to get new jobs on a ranch because of some trouble in Lennie's past. The novel, set during the Great Depression, tackles topics of poverty, sexism, and racism .

#6. Macbeth

- Author: William Shakespeare - Score: 21,256 - Average rating: 3.90 (based on 822,057 ratings)

Another Shakespeare classic, "Macbeth" portrays the weakness of humanity. The character of Macbeth receives a prophecy that he will one day become king of Scotland. His unchecked ambition ends in murder; Macbeth kills King Duncan to steal the throne for himself. It shows the destructive influence of political ambition and pursuing power for its own sake.

#5. Animal Farm

- Author: George Orwell - Score: 22,478 - Average rating: 3.98 (based on 3,491,043 ratings)

A group of farm animals organizes a revolt after they realize their master, Mr. Jones, is mistreating them and offering them nothing in return for their work. When they challenge the leadership, they are disciplined for speaking out. This classic isn't about animal rights. It is a larger critique of Soviet Communism . Orwell wrote it as an attack against Stalinism in Russia .

#4. Lord of the Flies

- Author: William Golding - Score: 24,079 - Average rating: 3.69 (based on 2,692,219 ratings)

"Lord of the Flies" tells the alarming story of a group of young boys who survive a plane crash, only to descend into tribalism on the island where they landed. Two of the boys—Ralph and Jack—clash in their pursuit of leadership. The novel, which has been challenged in schools , shows how struggles for power based on fear and division can result in a collapse of social order, themes that might seem relevant in the current fraught political climate.

#3. The Great Gatsby

- Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald - Score: 29,912 - Average rating: 3.93 (based on 4,737,607 ratings)

Nick Carraway, a Midwest transplant and Yale graduate, moves to West Egg, Long Island, and enters a world of extravagance when he becomes entangled with millionaire Jay Gatsby and socialite Daisy Buchanan. The novel is viewed as a cautionary tale about achieving the American dream of wealth and excess.

#2. Romeo and Juliet

- Author: William Shakespeare - Score: 34,901 - Average rating: 3.74 (based on 2,430,511 ratings)

Two star-crossed lovers meet and perish in this tragedy. Juliet, a Capulet, falls in love with Romeo, a Montague. Because their families are rivals, they are forbidden to marry. They secretly wed before misfortune leads to their deaths. Losing their children inspires peace among the families. Some critics claim the play's childish view of love hasn't stood the test of time, but others think the story is multilayered and deserves its classic status.

#1. To Kill a Mockingbird

- Author: Harper Lee - Score: 44,390 - Average rating: 4.27 (based on 5,584,470 ratings)

Harper Lee's first novel, published in 1960, tackles issues of racial and social injustice in the South. Set in Alabama, it introduces readers to Atticus Finch, a lawyer who defends a Black man accused of sexually assaulting a white woman. The point-of-view comes from Atticus' daughter, Scout, while Boo Radley, their reclusive neighbor, adds another dimension to this classic story of racism and childhood. Lee's work won her a Pulitzer Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Because of some racial language, the book has been challenged in many schools throughout America.

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Common Core For High School

The selections are categorized by class grade and genre.

9th & 10th Grade Selections

11th & 12th Grade Selections

This is an excerpt from Ralph Waldo Emerson's collection of essays. His writings and the concept of transcendentalism are typically studied by high school students grades 9-10.

This is an excerpt from Ralph Waldo Emerson's collection of essays. His writings and the concept of transcendentalism are typically studied by high school students in grades 9-10.

The punctuation Emily Dickinson used in this poem leaves us pausing to consider each word. We Grow Accustomed to the Dark offers a rich study of how a description of growing dark can be a metaphor for our struggles against uncertainty. This poem is typically studied in high school grades 9-10.

The Raven Edgar Allan Poe

This is a popular poem to study in grades 9-10, not so much for what it says, but how Shakespeare skillfully uses a metaphor in each of its three quatrains. Change of season, fading sunset, fire burning out-- are all metaphors for growing old.

Often taught in grades 9-10, Shelley's poem is a traveler's description of discovering a ruined statue, whom we know from the title is the Egyptian King Ramses II from the 13th century BCE. The Greeks called him Ozymandias .

An exemplary text for teaching irony, The Gift of the Magi is a tragic story enjoyed by all ages, typically studied in grades 9-10.

Both a memoir and abolitionist statement, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave is considered one of the most important and influential writings of the abolitionist movement of the early 19th Century in the United States. It is considered a historical text exemplar for grades 9-10.

The Odyssey is Homer's epic poem detailing the Greek hero Odysseus' long journey back to Ithaca after the fall of Troy. It is considered a sequel to Homer's other epic poem, The Illiad . Both are studied extensively by most high school students as text exemplars.

Turgenev's novel about a boy who defies all social conventions and authority, Fathers and Sons is often studied in grades 9-10, along with the philosophy of nihilism.

Henrik Ibsen's play A Doll's House (1879) offers rich opportunities for students to analyze larger spiritual questions of equality of the sexes, as Ibsen intended. It deals with issues of feminism, intense conflicts between complex characters, and the destruction they can cause. The play is usually introduced in grades 9-10.

Shakespeare's play reveals what happens when ambition and guilt overpower a man who lacks backbone. Oh, dear, what those three witches have to say! Often introduced to high school students in grades 9-10, readers and audiences of all ages enjoy reveling in this tragedy of the ages.

The Fallacy of Success G.K. Chesterton

The Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson

Note: We offer "American Slang," an excerpt from H.L. Mencken's first edition of his groundbreaking study of linguistics titled The American Language , published in 1919. The fourth edition, which is studied as an exemplar text in high school, is not yet in the public domain. We hope you enjoy Mencken's original version.

A Poem Of Changgan Li Bai This poem is a text exemplar for grades 11-12, an excellent introduction to Li Bai (also known as Li Po), whose poems celebrate the joy of friendship, nature, and solitude. A Poem of Changgan is written in the voice of an eighth-century Chinese woman who is speaking to her husband. Readers should be able to identify the use of metaphor, literary devices and how the stanzas are organized. Juxtaposed images allow readers to describe the main emotion of the speaker, and how the poet uses imagery to convey emotion.

Typically introduced in grades 11-12, students identify difficult metaphors in John Donne's most famous poem, A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning .

John Donne's deceptively light poem reveals a deep spiritual metaphor behind its obvious theme exploring attitudes about love and relations between the sexes. The meter of the poem creates dramatic pauses in the middle of stanzas. It is typically studied by high school students in grades 9-10.

Song: Sweetest love, I do not go John Donne

Many high school students can identify with the feeling of having an inferiority complex, and someone who wants you to think he's actually cool, as is the case for the main character in T.S. Eliot's often studied work, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock .

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Over 170 Prompts to Inspire Writing and Discussion

Here are all of our Student Opinion questions from the 2020-21 school year. Each question is based on a different New York Times article, interactive feature or video.

By The Learning Network

Each school day we publish a new Student Opinion question, and students use these writing prompts to reflect on their experiences and identities and respond to current events unfolding around them. To introduce each question, we provide an excerpt from a related New York Times article or Opinion piece as well as a free link to the original article.

During the 2020-21 school year, we asked 176 questions, and you can find them all below or here as a PDF . The questions are divided into two categories — those that provide opportunities for debate and persuasive writing, and those that lend themselves to creative, personal or reflective writing.

Teachers can use these prompts to help students practice narrative and persuasive writing, start classroom debates and even spark conversation between students around the world via our comments section. For more ideas on how to use our Student Opinion questions, we offer a short tutorial along with a nine-minute video on how one high school English teacher and her students use this feature .

Questions for Debate and Persuasive Writing

1. Should Athletes Speak Out On Social and Political Issues? 2. Should All Young People Learn How to Invest in the Stock Market? 3. What Are the Greatest Songs of All Time? 4. Should There Be More Gender Options on Identification Documents? 5. Should We End the Practice of Tipping? 6. Should There Be Separate Social Media Apps for Children? 7. Do Marriage Proposals Still Have a Place in Today’s Society? 8. How Do You Feel About Cancel Culture? 9. Should the United States Decriminalize the Possession of Drugs? 10. Does Reality TV Deserve Its Bad Rap? 11. Should the Death Penalty Be Abolished? 12. How Should Parents Support a Student Who Has Fallen Behind in School? 13. When Is It OK to Be a Snitch? 14. Should People Be Required to Show Proof of Vaccination? 15. How Much Have You and Your Community Changed Since George Floyd’s Death? 16. Can Empathy Be Taught? Should Schools Try to Help Us Feel One Another’s Pain? 17. Should Schools or Employers Be Allowed to Tell People How They Should Wear Their Hair? 18. Is Your Generation Doing Its Part to Strengthen Our Democracy? 19. Should Corporations Take Political Stands? 20. Should We Rename Schools Named for Historical Figures With Ties to Racism, Sexism or Slavery? 21. How Should Schools Hold Students Accountable for Hurting Others? 22. What Ideas Do You Have to Improve Your Favorite Sport? 23. Are Presidential Debates Helpful to Voters? Or Should They Be Scrapped? 24. Is the Electoral College a Problem? Does It Need to Be Fixed? 25. Do You Care Who Sits on the Supreme Court? Should We Care? 26. Should Museums Return Looted Artifacts to Their Countries of Origin? 27. Should Schools Provide Free Pads and Tampons? 28. Should Teachers Be Allowed to Wear Political Symbols? 29. Do You Think People Have Gotten Too Relaxed About Covid? 30. Who Do You Think Should Be Person of the Year for 2020? 31. How Should Racial Slurs in Literature Be Handled in the Classroom? 32. Should There Still Be Snow Days? 33. What Are Your Reactions to the Storming of the Capitol by a Pro-Trump Mob? 34. What Do You Think of the Decision by Tech Companies to Block President Trump? 35. If You Were a Member of Congress, Would You Vote to Impeach President Trump? 36. What Would You Do First if You Were the New President? 37. Who Do You Hope Will Win the 2020 Presidential Election? 38. Should Media Literacy Be a Required Course in School? 39. What Are Your Reactions to the Results of Election 2020? Where Do We Go From Here? 40. How Should We Remember the Problematic Actions of the Nation’s Founders? 41. As Coronavirus Cases Surge, How Should Leaders Decide What Stays Open and What Closes? 42. What Is Your Reaction to the Inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris? 43. How Worried Should We Be About Screen Time During the Pandemic? 44. Should Schools Be Able to Discipline Students for What They Say on Social Media? 45. What Works of Art, Culture and Technology Flopped in 2020? 46. How Do You Feel About Censored Music? 47. Why Do You Think ‘Drivers License’ Became Such a Smash Hit? 48. Justice Ginsburg Fought for Gender Equality. How Close Are We to Achieving That Goal? 49. How Well Do You Think Our Leaders Have Responded to the Coronavirus Crisis? 50. To What Extent Is the Legacy of Slavery and Racism Still Present in America in 2020? 51. How Should We Reimagine Our Schools So That All Students Receive a Quality Education? 52. How Concerned Do You Think We Should Be About the Integrity of the 2020 Election? 53. What Issues in This Election Season Matter Most to You? 54. Is Summer School a Smart Way to Make Up for Learning Lost This School Year? 55. What Is Your Reaction to the Senate’s Acquittal of Former President Trump? 56. What Is the Worst Toy Ever? 57. How Should We Balance Safety and Urgency in Developing a Covid-19 Vaccine? 58. What Are Your Reactions to Oprah’s Interview With Harry and Meghan? 59. Should the Government Provide a Guaranteed Income for Families With Children? 60. Should There Be More Public Restrooms? 61. Should High School-Age Basketball Players Be Able to Get Paid? 62. Should Team Sports Happen This Year? 63. Who Are the Best Musical Artists of the Past Year? What Are the Best Songs? 64. Should We Cancel Student Debt? 65. How Closely Should Actors’ Identities Reflect the Roles They Play? 66. Should White Writers Translate a Black Author’s Work? 67. Would You Buy an NFT? 68. Should Kids Still Learn to Tell Time? 69. Should All Schools Teach Financial Literacy? 70. What Is Your Reaction to the Verdict in the Derek Chauvin Trial? 71. What Is the Best Way to Stop Abusive Language Online? 72. What Are the Underlying Systems That Hold a Society Together? 73. What Grade Would You Give President Biden on His First 100 Days? 74. Should High Schools Post Their Annual College Lists? 75. Are C.E.O.s Paid Too Much? 76. Should We Rethink Thanksgiving? 77. What Is the Best Way to Get Teenagers Vaccinated? 78. Do You Want Your Parents and Grandparents to Get the New Coronavirus Vaccine? 79. What Is Your Reaction to New Guidelines That Loosen Mask Requirements? 80. Who Should We Honor on Our Money? 81. Is Your School’s Dress Code Outdated? 82. Does Everyone Have a Responsibility to Vote? 83. How Is Your Generation Changing Politics?

Questions for Creative and Personal Writing

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The 31 Best Books to Read in High School

Coursework/GPA

A huge number of books exist out there, ready and waiting for you to read them. Whether you prefer manga or ancient, epic poems, reading is great for all sorts of reasons .

What follows is a list of highly beneficial books to read in high school (or after!). These are remarkable books— books that made history, books that challenge societal perceptions of the world, and books that are quite simply interesting and moving. The books are presented in alphabetical order, and a short description is given for each book, as well an explanation of why it is worth reading.

Why Is Reading Important?

Why should you read these books? Why should you read at all for that matter? Reading is essential to communication, especially in an era of emails and texting. Beyond even that, though, reading has an array of crucial purposes. It will help improve your grades and test scores. You'll learn about other places, other times, and other cultures. You'll encounter issues you can relate to—issues that speak to you and challenge you to think and feel in new ways. You will grow, empathetically and intellectually. Plus, you'll understand more of the references that crop up all the time in pop culture.

Below are 31 books to read in high school that will help you prepare for college and beyond.

1984 (George Orwell)

This dystopian novel by George Orwell was written 35 years before the date referenced by the title. In this book, Orwell tells a story that warns readers about the possible consequences of complacency in the face of rising dictators (think Hitler and Stalin) and burgeoning technology ripe for misuse. He describes a world where everything is monitored, right down to citizens’ thoughts, and where any opposition to the ruling class is punishable by extreme measures. The oft-encountered quote, "Big Brother is watching," finds its origin in this novel.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain)

This sequel to Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is much graver in nature than its predecessor. There are still plenty of good antics worthy of a laugh, but it concerns itself largely with a young boy’s attempt to escape severe family dysfunction and the moral implications of his taking an escaped slave as a companion on his adventure down the Mississippi River. Readers should be warned that the " n -word" is used liberally throughout the novel, which tends to be jarring to many a modern ear.

Mark Twain wants you to read his novel(s).

The Awakening (Kate Chopin)

Set in the Creole culture of the late 1800s, this novel by Kate Chopin details one woman’s process of becoming aware of herself. At the time, women were essentially property, and they were expected to act in demure and socially acceptable ways. As the protagonist "awakens" to her emotional and sexual needs, as well as the ultimate truth of her own independence , all sorts of problems ensue. The novel examines the balance between self-respect and selfishness.

The Bell Jar (Sylvia Plath)

This autobiographical novel by poet Sylvia Plath explores the deep, dark reality of mental illness. The protagonist, Esther, a stand-in for Plath herself, is a college student exploring her talents, interests, and sexuality as she descends into an unsettling spiral of mental instability. It is essential for students to understand the seriousness of mental illness as it is so earnestly portrayed in this book.

Black Rain (Masuji Ibuse)

Black Rain , by Masuji Ibuse, is about the very immediate, human consequences of the atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It follows a small family of survivors, detailing what happened to them during the days of the bombing and what the effects are some years later. The book adopts a gentle, subtle tone, and yet it is not afraid to delve into very explicit and challenging topics related to the bombings.

Bless Me, Ultima (Rudolfo Anaya)

This semi-autobiographical novel by Rudolfo Anaya contains a healthy dose of magical realism and is considered a staple of Chicano literature. It combines Spanish, Mexican, and Native American influences, showing openly the ways in which these forces within the protagonist’s life come into conflict. Young Antonio is growing up in a world that leaves him with more questions than answers: major questions about life and death, good and evil, and so on. These issues seem too big for his six-year-old mind, and yet he grapples with them valiantly through the end of the novel.

Antonio has lots of questions surrounding his faith traditions.

Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)

In Brave New World , Aldous Huxley explores themes similar to those found in Orwell’s 1984 . Huxley wrote this novel earlier than Orwell wrote his, and yet both deal with dystopian concepts. In particular, Huxley balances utopian and dystopian interpretations of a world that is highly controlled, easily manipulated, and extremely dysfunctional, ready to fall apart at any provocation. There are insiders of and outsiders to this world, and each character views and interacts with the society in a different light.

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (Dee Brown)

Dee Brown covers a lot of historical ground in this book. In it, Brown describes the history of European Americans as they interact with (and slaughter) the Native Americans who already inhabit what they claim as their country. It’s an infuriating and accurate tale of mistreatments and abuses, as well as the unfortunate decline of a noble people trying to defend their established way of life. It’s essential for students to understand this part of United States history.

The Catcher in the Rye (J. D. Salinger)

This bold and controversial novel by J. D. Salinger centers around ideas including adolescent sexuality and relationships. The protagonist is constantly bouncing around from person to person, place to place, activity to activity. Critics were greatly offended by Salinger’s frank discussions of sexual matters and his generally very casual style. This book is an important read in part because of its direct relevance to struggling adolescents and the issues they face.

The Crucible (Arthur Miller)

Arthur Miller wrote this tragic play in the early 1950s. While it is somewhat loosely based on the Salem witch trials of 1692, and while it is likely intended as an allegory to McCarthy’s rooting out of suspected Communists at the time of the play’s writing, the issues it touches on are much more broadly applicable. This is an important dramatic work on how hysteria, cruelty, and ignorant gullibility destroy communities.

Bonus: Studying The Crucible for school and struggling? Check out our The Crucible study guides here !

There are lots of accusations of creepy stuff in The Crucible.

The Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank)

Anne Frank’s published diary is different from a typical literary work. It’s a true account of the life of one Jewish girl during the Holocaust, and, while Anne Frank wrote some passages with publication in mind, others she did not. When the book was first published, many passages that her father, Otto Frank, found too long, unflattering, or inappropriate were excluded. Today, the book is available with all material included. Gaining some understanding of this horrific genocide is crucial to students.

Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury)

Books are on trial in this astounding work by Ray Bradbury. Set in yet another dystopian future where firemen are employed to burn books and the houses that contain them, Fahrenheit 451 tells the story of a fireman who begins to wonder what books have to offer. This novel is an ode to literacy, and, while it has its tragic moments, it ultimately leaves readers with a message of hope.

Flowers for Algernon (Daniel Keyes)

Daniel Keyes writes a very warm and human form of science fiction in Flowers for Algernon . The novel tells the story of a man considered mentally retarded who is selected for an intelligence-enhancing surgery. The book follows the effects, both positive and negative, that come from the sudden change in his I.Q. This is a moving read for students who wish to understand how intelligence plays into our humanity.

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf (Ntozake Shange)

In For Colored Girls… , Ntozake Shange creates choreopoetry (poetry meant to be performed with movement and dance) that covers important themes of race, gender, abuse, and perseverance. It’s largely a deep and dark poem, but it contains a message of hope. This is an awesome opportunity for readers to get exposure to poetry in a very relevant and theatrical form.

The rainbow contains all sorts of symbolism.

Frankenstein (Mary Shelley)

First off, let’s all be clear: as some will already know, Frankenstein is not a monster. Rather, the very human Victor Frankenstein is responsible for creating what we recognize as the monster from the story; the creature itself is nameless. Mary Shelley wrote this Gothic thriller in the early 1800s, and yet we remain fascinated by this tale of playing God and facing the consequences. It’s an eerie tale with themes that run deep.

The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)

John Steinbeck’s masterful The Grapes of Wrath centers around the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl in American history. It’s a story of hope and despair, moving from one to the other and back again seamlessly throughout the novel. While loaded with biblical allusions, it is not heavy-handed with them, and the writing is often praised as realistic and beautiful.

Great Expectations (Charles Dickens)

Great Expectations , by Charles Dickens, is a staple of English literature. It’s one of his most autobiographical works; it tells the story of a young boy, orphaned and poor, who ultimately experiences a drastic change in his fortunes. In addition, he learns much about love, trust, and relationships in this coming-of-age novel. As the title suggests, the novel also contains discussions of hope, disappointment, and expectations.

The Great Gatbsy (F. Scott Fitzgerald)

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote in The Great Gatsby a novel that in many ways closely reflected his own experience. The decadence of the Jazz Age was, as is revealed in the novel, both enticing for many and revolting for some. The Great Gatsby follows the quest of a wealthy young man to win back the love of his life by extravagant displays of riches and social connections. As the plot builds to its climax, readers, along with Gatsby's simpler, humbler friend and neighbor, are left to ponder the passing of an era in American history.

BONUS: Reading The Great Gatsby for school but finding it hard to keep track of all the characters? We have several study guides that might be able to help, including our guide to all the characters in The Great Gatsby .

The Joy Luck Club (Amy Tan)

Amy Tan’s novel, The Joy Luck Club , deals with intergenerational and intercultural questions. Tan seeks to represent the Chinese-American experience while also representing issues of mother-daughter relationships and the passage of time. The book focuses on four mother and four daughters across four sections of the novel for a total of sixteen stories that come together to complete this total work.

Lord of the Flies (William Golding)

William Golding’s Lord of the Flies speaks to the evil and degenerate potential that lurks within each human. It can be interpreted religiously, politically, psychoanalytically, or any number of other ways, but the basic premise is that a group of schoolboys stranded on an island descend into grotesque savagery. It’s a disturbing story, to be sure, but one that is important to be familiar with in a world where savage instinct too often presents itself today.

The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit (J. R. R. Tolkien)

As with any work, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are not everyone’s cup of tea, but they’re hugely rewarding pleasure reading for too many fans to count. Tolkien’s masterpieces are more than just pleasure reading, though; the trilogy covers major themes of the epic struggle between good and evil, the necessity of persevering through immensely difficult ordeals, and how to apply mercy. Tolkien asks major questions about those who are evil versus those who are misguided and what we should do when our paths intertwine with any such individuals. The Hobbit is lighter and more kid-focused, but still addresses important themes.

The Odyssey (Homer)

The Odyssey is an epic poem nearly three thousand years old that’s attributed to the blind poet Homer. It tells the story of a war hero’s ten-year quest to return to his home, wife, and son. He encounters a number of varied setbacks along the way, and the trouble isn’t over when he gets home. The Odyssey deals with human interactions with the gods, bringing up questions of righteousness, wrongdoing, and pride as well as ideas of faithfulness and patience.

Oedipus Rex (Sophocles)

This play by Greek dramatist Sophocles is about a man who inadvertently kills his father and marries his mother. It’s dark subject matter, and nothing good comes of it, as you may well suspect. This another example, as in The Odyssey , of the divine tinkering with human lives and the great sin of pride.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Ken Kesey)

Ken Kesey documents in this work the darkest side of mental health care as it existed in the 1960s. While certainly not all mental health care was like what’s described in the book, nor is it all like that today, audiences of the novel are aghast that any care might even vaguely resemble the horrors discussed. Despite how disturbing the storyline is, it’s important for readers to recognize the vulnerability of this too often overlooked segment of society.

Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice follows a family with five daughters, all unwed, and all, due to English customs of the late 1700s and early 1800s, in need of wedding. Of the five daughters, Elizabeth is the focus of the novel, though the others are discussed aplenty. While marriage is one of the central ideas in the novel, there are plenty of other themes to be picked apart, including ones that touch on pride, prejudice, first impressions, love, misunderstanding, and manipulation. This is, all around, a classic piece of literature, and one with which to be familiar.

Next up: one of my favorites, William Shakespeare.

Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet (William Shakespeare)

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is familiar to most people on some level: two teenagers from feuding families fall in love and ultimately sacrifice their lives to their passion. Of all of Shakespeare’s works, it's a particularly popular one to read in high school for a variety of reasons. For one thing, it deals explicitly with teenaged love, and, for another, it’s a relatively simple plot that’s nonetheless action-packed. It also opens with a shameless series of very witty dirty jokes, and such humor is scattered throughout the rest of the show. Then there’s the thematic material, which includes obedience, fate, and rash decisions, among others.

For those who don’t wish to read about teenagers mooning for each other to the point of suicide, there’s always Hamlet . This story follows a Danish prince whose father has died and whose mother has almost instantly married the father’s brother. When Hamlet discovers, via an appearance of his father’s ghost, that his uncle murdered his father, all sorts of interesting events ensue. There’s madness (real and feigned), murder, suicide, treason, and a lot of waffling over the right course of action.

As an added bonus, those who read Hamlet may wish to read Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead . It follows the events of Hamlet from the perspective of two minor and typically much-maligned characters. It’s also hilarious, if absolutely weird.

Slaughterhouse-Five (Kurt Vonnegut)

Slaughterhouse-Five is a fictional account of events in some ways very similar to what the author himself experienced as a prisoner of war in WWII. He writes about the atrocities humans commit upon each other, and he also mixes in a number of other concerns, some heavy, some light, such as death, aliens, and the ability to see other points in time, past or future.

Their Eyes Were Watching God (Zora Neale Hurston)

The novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston has been much criticized over the course of its history, and yet it stands as one of the great classics of American literature. It tells the story of a black woman who is full of zest and passion and who is passed from man to man as she goes through life. With her first husband, she is absolutely miserable; with her second husband, it’s more bearable, for a time; and with her third man, she finds happiness. The trials and tribulations she undergoes with all three make for an interesting examination of what it takes for Janie to free the strong, confident woman within.

(Not an actual representation of Janie. Same approach to life, though.)

Things Fall Apart (Chinua Achebe)

In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart , readers encounter a complex and beautifully rendered examination of life with the Igbo tribe in Africa, both before and after the white man’s interference. Okonkwo is the protagonist, and he goes through a number of difficulties that put him in the position of making distasteful decisions. Readers are left to wonder whether things are falling apart because that’s simply the way of the world or whether different decisions could have kept them together. The inevitability of change is neatly demonstrated.

To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird deals with elements of racism, courage, sympathy, understanding, and hope. It tells the story of a small town where a black man has been falsely accused of raping a white woman. The daughter of the lawyer defending the accused is the main protagonist, and another aspect of the story is her journey from bemused mockery to gentle understanding with regard to an eccentric man in the town. To Kill a Mockingbird rose to prominence during the Civil Rights Movement and remains as potent today as it ever was.

The Ugly American (Eugene Burdick and William Lederer)

The Ugly American by Burdick and Lederer is a denouncement of the American practice of sending insensitive diplomatic figures into foreign countries. Through a series of vignettes, it demonstrates American inefficiency overseas. It so impressed John F. Kennedy while he was a Democratic senator that he sent a copy to each and every one of his Senate colleagues. It can be an uncomfortable read, but a worthwhile one.

If you can read through these 30-odd books before you graduate high school, you'll be in a good shape, from a literary perspective.

Even if you can't read all of them, picking a few would not be a bad place to start. You might start with those that simply sound the most interesting to you, or you could look for themes in the books that relate to what you're learning in school. If you're studying McCarthyism, for instance, maybe try The Crucible ; if you're studying the Holocaust, maybe try The Diary of a Young Girl .

These stories are immensely powerful. Some are newer, having instantly won their place in the pantheon of classics, while others have proven themselves by withstanding the test of time.

Readers will find that they resonate with some books more than others, and that's fine; the point is that all of these books have important messages to communicate, and I encourage readers to be open to finding out what those messages are.

Open a book, and you'll find all sorts of messages! Usually not in bottles, though.

What's Next?

A lot of these books may be read or referenced in AP English Lit classes. Check out our guide to AP Literature for tips on preparing for the exam. If you're not sure whether to take AP English Language or AP English Literature, allow us to provide you with some thoughts on the topic .

While we're on the topic of literature, why don't you take a moment to read some recommendations on which English classes you should take during your high school career?

Are you both a reader and interested in becoming a doctor ? Then you should definitely take a look at our list of books to read as a pre-med student .

And as a reminder, if you decide to read The Great Gatsby or The Crucible , you can check out our analyses of each to help you along the way!

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25 Essential High School Reads From the Last Decade

We asked members of our community to share recently published novels they would love to have read in high school. Here are your top picks.

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Way back in 2016, we asked our community to share what they would consider essential reads for high school students. The final list of 20 recommended books was dominated by what many would consider the classics: John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men , J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye , F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby , Shakespeare’s Macbeth .

For decades, these works have been required reading in classrooms across the country, but more recently educators like Lorena Germán and advocates for the #DisruptTexts movement —not to mention the millions of students who’ve come and gone during the era—have challenged the notion of a traditional canon, advocating for a more “inclusive, representative, and equitable language arts curriculum.”

“There are problems with teaching only classics—the stories are overwhelmingly told from a white and/or male perspective, and more needs to be done to diversify that,” writes eighth-grade English teacher Christina Torres . “In addition, there’s merit in introducing our students to more recent literature.”

This year, we circled back and asked our community a version of the same question—What novels do you wish you could’ve read in high school?—but this time we specified that titles must have been published within the last decade. Hundreds of responses flooded in, and the contrast to six years ago was stark. Nominations were diverse, representing a broad range of topics, themes, genres, and author identities, as well as a wide variety of characters and experiences—queer protagonists and protagonists of color, characters with differing abilities, and fictional roles representing a refreshing spectrum of body sizes and shapes.

The Hate U Give , by Angie Thomas, was a clear standout, earning the most votes and thus the number one spot on our list. Some authors were multiple winners: Jason Reynolds’s Long Way Down and All American Boys made the cut, and Nic Stone’s Dear Martin and its sequel Dear Justyce were both favorites, but we selected only one for inclusion in the top 25. While fiction titles represent the lion’s share of the final list, a number of memoirs and autobiographies made the grade, including Malala Yousafzai’s I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban and the comedian and late-night host Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood.

The Top 25 Indispensable High School Reads

1. The Hate U Give Angie Thomas’s emotionally wrenching debut novel finds Starr, an African American teen, torn between the affluent, predominantly white school she attends and the impoverished neighborhood where she lives. The fatal shooting of her childhood best friend by a police officer shatters her equilibrium, forcing her to choose where she stands. Primary themes of interest to high school students: identity, race and racial injustice, grief and loss, activism.

2. Educated: A Memoir Tara Westover’s story of growing up alongside—and eventually growing beyond—her decidedly iconoclastic family of Mormon survivalists in rural Idaho is an autobiographical paean to the transformative power of education. Primary themes of interest to high school students: autonomy, family dynamics, learning and education, loneliness and isolation.

3. Dear Martin Author Nic Stone drops readers deep into the life of her 17-year-old main character, Justyce, who suddenly finds himself on the wrong side of an unprovoked, racially charged encounter with a police officer. Primary themes of interest to high school students: privilege, friendship, race and racial injustice, discrimination, the criminal justice system.

4. The Poet X Elizabeth Acevedo’s National Book Award–winning novel-in-verse tells the story of Xiomara Batista, a 15-year-old Dominican-American girl living in Harlem who discovers that slam poetry unlocks answers to questions about her religion, her mother, and her identity and greater purpose in life. Primary themes of interest to high school students: sexuality, self-acceptance, family dynamics.

5. Long Way Down Jason Reynolds, author of Ghost and Ain’t Burned All the Bright , thrusts readers inside an elevator alongside 15-year-old protagonist Will Hollomon, who has about 60 seconds to make one of the hardest decisions of his life. Primary themes of interest to high school students: justice, grief and loss, family dynamics.

6. Refugee Three refugee children—each living in separate parts of the world during different time periods, from Nazi Germany to Syria in 2015—fight to escape the violence of their home countries in Alan Gratz’s timely and moving work of historical fiction. Primary themes of interest to high school students: warfare, family dynamics, trauma, the experiences of refugees.

7. Homegoing The Ghanaian American novelist Yaa Gyasi traces the impact of the Gold Coast’s slave trade on the lives of two African stepsisters and several generations of their descendants. Primary themes of interest to high school students: slavery and human rights, identity, race and racial injustice, family dynamics, oppression, trauma.

8. Firekeeper’s Daughter Witnessing a murder launches Angeline Boulley’s protagonist Daunis—a Native teen torn between her white and Ojibwe culture—into an FBI investigation where she must go undercover in search of the truth. Primary themes of interest to high school students: family dynamics, addiction, risk-taking, authority.

9. All The Light We Cannot See Set during World War II, this is Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer Prize–winning tale of two teenagers—a blind French girl on the run and a German boy forced to join the Nazi army—whose separate lives ultimately converge. Primary themes of interest to high school students: warfare, grief and loss, disability, power and conformity.

10. Beartown Author Fredrik Backman investigates the ripple effects of a sexual assault, committed by the star athlete, on a small hockey town in rural Sweden. Primary themes of interest to high school students: justice, trauma, power and conformity.

11. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter A tragic accident causes Erika Sánchez’s main character, Julia, to reflect on the perceived image of her “perfect” sister, Olga—as well as the secrets she may have been hiding. Primary themes of interest to high school students: grief and loss, perfectionism, mental health, sexuality, identity.

12. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption Bryan Stevenson’s memoir details his work at the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit organization providing legal counsel to the wrongfully convicted, as well as those without the funds for effective representation. Primary themes of interest to high school students: the criminal justice system, race and racial injustice, poverty, trauma.

13. Patron Saints of Nothing In Randy Ribay’s National Book Award finalist, 17-year-old Jay Reguero leaves the University of Michigan and returns to his extended family in the Philippines when he learns that his cousin was recently murdered there—all the while secretly planning to investigate the crime. Primary themes of interest to high school students: grief and loss, culture and identity, the criminal justice system, truth and justice.

14. The Invention of Wings Set in the antebellum South, Sue Monk Kidd’s novel explores the meaning of freedom to two girls from vastly different backgrounds—Sarah, a white girl of means, and Handful, a slave gifted to Sarah on her birthday. Primary themes of interest to high school students: friendship, slavery and human rights, race, privilege.

15. The Midnight Library What if you could read your way into another story of your life? In Matt Haig’s charming fantasy novel, 35-year-old Nora Seed peruses the books in an infinite library and discovers that each magical volume gives her a glimpse into a life she might have led. Primary themes of interest to high school students: identity and purpose, mental health, fantasy.

16. The Nickel Boys In this Pulitzer Prize winner, Colson Whitehead’s main character, Elwood Curtis, experiences firsthand the horrors of a juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy—based on the real-life Dozier School for Boys, a now-closed reform school in Florida with a 111-year history of abusing students. Primary themes of interest to high school students: activism, trauma, abuse, race and racial injustice.

17. The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row Convicted of a crime he did not commit, Anthony Ray Hinton relates the story of his 30 years on death row. Cowritten with Lara Love Hardin, the memoir reveals not only how he managed to survive but also how he ultimately found his way to joy. Primary themes of interest to high school students: race and racial injustice, redemption, innocence and guilt, the criminal justice system.

18. The Tattooist of Auschwitz Inspired by true events, this is Heather Morris’s heart-wrenching World War II tale about Lale Sokolov, a Jewish man who—forced to work at Auschwitz as a serial number tattooist—falls in love with an imprisoned woman as she waits to be branded. Primary themes of interest to high school students: warfare, race and racial injustice, the power of love.

19. Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood Comedian and political commentator Trevor Noah’s memoir mines his experiences as a mixed-race child in apartheid South Africa—a period during which the Immorality Act of 1927 outlawed interracial relationships, ostensibly making Noah’s very existence a crime. Primary themes of interest to high school students: identity and purpose, race and racial injustice, oppression.

20. I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban Written by the world’s youngest Nobel Prize laureate, Malala Yousafzai’s memoir tells the story of her fight for the rights of young girls and women in Pakistan—despite an assassination attempt that gravely wounded her in 2012, when she was only 15 years old. Primary themes of interest to high school students: activism, women’s rights, learning and education.

21. The Marrow Thieves Cherie Dimaline’s book is a dystopian vision of a bleak, postapocalyptic world in which humans have lost the ability to dream—except for North America’s Indigenous population, who are hunted for their bone marrow, which holds the key to a cure. Primary themes of interest to high school students: trauma, the climate crisis, family dynamics, oppression.

22. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe In this novel set in 1987, author Benjamin Alire Sáenz traces the story of two Mexican American boys, Aristotle and Dante, who could not be more different but form a bond that makes them confidants—and gives them the courage to share life-changing secrets. Primary themes of interest to high school students: identity and purpose, sexuality, self-acceptance, trauma.

23. Sing, Unburied, Sing: A Novel Jesmyn Ward’s dark but lyrical tale follows a Mississippi family on a road trip haunted by ghosts of the past and present. Primary themes of interest to high school students: race and racial injustice, identity and belonging, mortality.

24. The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives In this journalistic piece of nonfiction, author Dashka Slater reveals the complexities of what transpired between two teenagers on a bus in Oakland, California—Sasha and Richard—and the aftermath that ultimately transformed two families. Primary themes of interest to high school students: gender and sexuality, race, discrimination, the criminal justice system.

25. The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet Adapted from his podcast of the same name, John Green’s humorous collection of 44 essays covers topics ranging from the computer-generated velociraptors in the movie Jurassic Park and sunsets to air conditioners and penguins—rating them all on a five-star scale. Primary themes of interest to high school students: the human condition, mental health, humor and absurdity, the climate crisis.

Sincerely Students

50 Journal Prompts For High School Students

High School · Personal Growth

Are you looking for journal prompts for high school students?

Journaling is a great way to spark your creativity, get in tune with your emotions, thoughts, and feelings, and process things in a healthy way. It can be a great way to reflect, but not only is it enlightening, it’s also just fun to write and express yourself through words.

Below are some of the best journaling prompts for high school students. These prompts cover topics like school, friends, family, goals, and more. Some of these are more serious, while others are just interesting prompts to get your creative juices flowing.

You don’t have to spend long journaling — just writing for 10 to 15 minutes a day is a great way to boost your creativity, improve your mindset, and get in touch with your emotions.

Here are the best journal prompts for high school students…

Journal Prompts for High School Students

1. If you could go back and time and give advice to yourself on the first day of your freshman year, what would it be?

2. What have been your favorite classes and favorite teachers so far in high school?

3. What about your least favorite classes and least favorite teachers?

4. What’s your dream job?

5. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

6. Have thought about college yet? Where would you like to go to college, and what major are you interested in studying?

7. What extracurricular activities do you do? Are there any new ones you would like to try?

8. Where do you want to live when you’re older?

9. Have you overcome a challenging situation lately? What happened and how did you deal with it?

10. What are the biggest lessons you have learned so far in high school?

11. What’s the best book you have read lately? Why did you like it?

12. What’s the best movie you have watched lately? Why did you like it?

13. If you won $1 million right now, what would you do with it?

14. Who is someone you admire and why do you admire them?

15. What are your goals for the rest of the school year when it comes to academics, extracurriculars, friends, family, and life?

16. How do you want people to remember you?

17. What are you best traits? What areas do you want to improve on?

18. What do you like to do when you’re bored ?

19. Do you have any bad habits that you want to quit? Write them down and then list the steps you can take to quit them.

20. What is your favorite hobby and why?

21. Can you visualize what your life will look like in five years? What about ten years?

22. What’s on your bucket list?

23. What is the best vacation you’ve ever been on?

24. Write about a time that you felt proud of yourself.

25. If you could travel back in time, which time period would you go to?

26. Make a list of all the things you’re thankful for.

27. What are your summer plans for after the school year ends?

28. Have a conversation with your 7-year-old self. What would you want to tell her?

29. If you could relive one memory over again, what would it be and why?

30. What do you like about your school? What do you dislike?

31. If you could live in a fictional world from a movie, TV show, book, or video game, which one would it be?

32. Do you have a job right now? If not, do you want to get one?

33. What subject in school do you do the best in? And what subject has the most room for improvement?

34. What are your relationships like? Romantic relationships, friend relationships, and family relationships? Are there any areas you want to improve?

35. What do you want to do when you turn 18 ?

36. If you could have been born in any generation, what time period would you choose?

37. What’s the funniest or craziest thing that’s happened at your high school?

38. What would you do if you knew you would not fail?

39. What does being a good friend mean to you?

40. If you could be amazing at one thing (a sport, a hobby, or another skill) what would it be?

41. What’s in your backpack right now?

41. If you could meet any famous person (dead or alive) who would it be? What would you want to talk to them about?

42. What’s one thing you would change if you were President?

43. Do you like where you live? Why or why not?

44. Imagine you meet a version of yourself from 10 years in the future. What questions would you ask your future self?

45. What songs mean the most to you and why?

46. How do you balance school with extracurriculars and other commitments?

47. What are your favorite ways to relax and unwind?

48. Which holiday do you look forward to the most every year?

49. Do you have a morning routine ? If not, what kinds of things would you like to start doing to create a healthy morning routine?

50. What’s your favorite season? What do you like about it?

These are the some of the best journal prompts for high school students.

Whether you are looking for thought-provoking journal prompts or fun and creative journal prompts, you should be able to find plenty of inspiration from this list.

Go ahead and grab a pen and a notebook and start writing! There are so many benefits to journaling, including improving your mental health and wellbeing. It’s a great habit to form, even if you only spend 10 to 15 minutes a day on it.

Related Posts:

• 50 Things Every High School Senior Should Try
• 9 Important Lessons I Learned In High School
• 121 New Year’s Resolutions To Transform Your Life
• 60 Life-Changing Habits To Build This Semester

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60 Best Short Stories for High School Students

June 3, 2024

The short story can do so much in so little time. Although short stories for high school students are appealing due to their brevity, this doesn’t minimize their lasting impact. Like the novel, short stories can leave readers undeniably moved, if not more moved, in powerful, unexpected ways. This form of storytelling has influenced the wider culture in film, television, theater, and other arts through its structure and use of literary devices .

Recommended below is a combination of classic and contemporary short stories that are great for high schoolers. Check out our 60 best short stories for high school students that will be hard to forget:

1) “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury

“Do the scientists really know? Will it happen today, will it?”

Ray Bradbury’s “All Summer in a Day” is, you guessed it, a science fiction short story. It was first published in March 1954 for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. Heartbreaking and set in Venus, this makes for one of the best short stories for high schoolers to study character behavior.

2) “Recitatif ” by Toni Morrison

“People want to put their arms around you when you tell them you were in a shelter, but it really wasn’t bad.”

3) “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe

“True! — nervous — very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad?”

Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” is a classic murder mystery that tries to convince the reader of the narrator’s sanity.

60 Best Short Stories for High School Students (Continued)

4) “hills like white elephants” by ernest hemingway.

“The American and the girl with him sat at a table in the shade, outside the building. It was very hot and the express from Barcelona would come in forty minutes.”

5) “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Ursula K. LeGuin

“With a clamor of bells that set the swallows soaring, the Festival of Summer came to the city Omelas, bright-towered by the sea.”

Ursula K. LeGuin’s legendary short story was originally published in 1973 and centers on the misery of a single child.

6) “ Mrs. Sen ’s” by Jhumpa Lahiri

“At home, you know, we have a driver.”

“You mean a chauffeur?”

7) “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan

“America was where all my mother’s hopes lay.”

Perhaps you’ve heard of Amy Tan’s book “The Joy Luck Club.” Published in 1989, “Two Kinds” is a great short story for high schoolers. It focuses on a mother-daughter relationship, set in San Francisco’s Chinatown.

8) “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates

“Her name was Connie. She was fifteen and she had a quick, nervous giggling habit of craning her neck to glance into mirrors or checking other people’s faces to make sure her own was all right.”

9) “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin

“Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death.”

Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” was written on April 19, 1894 and published in Vogue as “The Dream of an Hour.”

Read College Transitions’ summary and analysis of the short story here .

10) “ My Flamboyant Grandson ” by George Saunders

“I had brought my grandson to New York to see a show.”

11) “The Schoolmistress” by Anton Chekhov – Best Short Stories for High School Students

“She felt as though she had been living in that part of the country for ages and ages, for a hundred years, and it seemed to her that she knew every stone, every tree on the road from the town to her school.”

Anton Chekhov’s “The Schoolmistress” was published on December 21, 1987. This classic makes for a great short story for high schoolers through its use of symbolism.

12) “A Small, Good Thing” by Raymond Carver

“While he was bent over the counter with the pencil in his hand, she studied his coarse features and wondered if he’d ever done anything else with his life besides be a baker.”

13) “Standard Loneliness Package” by Charles Yu

“Pain is an illusion, I know, and so is time, I know, I know. I know. The shift manager never stops reminding us. Doesn’t help, actually. Doesn’t help when you are on your third broken leg of the day.”

Charles Yu’s “Standard Loneliness Package” is a science fiction story first published in 2010 that asks what we should do with our emotions. High schoolers might find this to be familiar terrain.

14) “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

“She was one of those pretty and charming girls born, as if by an error of fate, into a family of clerks.”

15) “To Build a Fire” by Jack London

“Day had broken cold and grey, exceedingly cold and grey, when the man turned aside from the main Yukon trail and climbed the high earth- bank, where a dim and little-travelled trail led eastward through the fat spruce timberland.”

Published in 1902, Jack London’s “To Build a Fire” is the perfect, timeless short story for any adventure-hungry high schooler.

16) “Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka

“One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin.”

It stands as one of the most famous first lines in literature. Franz Kafka’s “Metamorphosis,” published in 1915, is an unforgettable classic short story for high school students.

17) “ The Veldt ” by Ray Bradbury

“But nothing’s too good for our children,’ George had said.”

18) “ Young Goodman Brown ” by Nathaniel Hawthorne

“Depending upon one another’s hearts, ye had still hoped that virtue were not all a dream. Now are ye undeceived. Evil is the nature of mankind.”

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” was published in 1835 and reveals the tragedy of blindly following tradition.

19) “A Contract Overseas” by Mia Alvar

“After a flood, eggshells and beer-can tabs and bottle shards clung to the Creek’s banks, as if even trash hoped to escape.”

20) “The Monkey’s Paw” by W. W. Jacobs

“‘Never mind, dear,’ said his wife soothingly; ‘perhaps you’ll win the next one.’”

21) “Powder” by Tobias Wolff

“ Just before Christmas my father took me skiing at Mount Baker. He’d had to fight for the privilege of my company, because my mother was still angry with him for sneaking me into a nightclub during his last visit, to see Thelonious Monk.”

Tobias Wolff’s “Powder” will resonate with high schoolers contemplating father-son relationships.

22) “Synchronicity” by John Keeble

“ When I came into the kitchen, Ward was using a knife to help his wife, Irene, peel the skin from two buffalo tongues.”

23) “Thank You, Ma’am” by Langston Hughes

“ She was a large woman with a large purse that had everything in it but hammer and nails.”

Published in 1958, “Thank You, Ma’am” by Langston Hughes imparts timeless, lifelong lessons.

24) “You, Disappearing” by Alexandra Kleeman

“The apocalypse was quiet. It had a way about it, a certain charm. It could be called graceful. It was taking a long time.”

25) “The Ice Palace” by F. Scott Fitzgerald

“The sunlight dripped over the house like golden paint over an art jar, and the freckling shadows here and there only intensified the rigor of the bath of light.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Ice Palace” makes for one of the best short stories for high schoolers in its depiction of love. And all the tension that comes with it.

26) “The Storm” by Kate Chopin – Best Short Stories for High School Students

“‘Mama’ll be ‘fraid, yes,’ he suggested with blinking eyes.”

Kate Chopin’s “The Storm” was published in 1898 and uses the storm as symbolic imagery of social norms and desires.

27) “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce

A man stood upon a railroad bridge in northern Alabama, looking down into the swift water twenty feet below. The man’s hands were behind his back, the wrists bound with a cord.

Written by Civil War veteran Ambrose Bierce, this makes for a completely surprising short story for high school students.

28) “The Hawk” by Jules Chung

“You are thirteen so, of course, I am convinced I still have some say over you.”

29) “The Minister’ s Black Veil ” by Nathaniel Hawthorne

“A rumor of some unaccountable phenomenon had preceded Mr. Hooper into the meeting-house, and set all the congregation astir.”

“The Minister’s Black Veil” was first published in 1836 and centers on themes of repressed guilt.

30) “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell

“Off there to the right—somewhere—is a large island,” said Whitney.” It’s rather a mystery—”

31) “Desiree’s Baby” by Kate Chopin

“ As the day was pleasant, Madame Valmondé drove over to L’Abri to see Désirée and the baby.”

Kate Chopin joins the list for best short stories for high school students again with “Desiree’s Baby.” The story is set before the Civil War and examines issues around race and discrimination.

32) “The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane

“ None of them knew the color of the sky.”

Stephen Crane’s “The Open Boat” was first published in 1897. This story was based on Crane’s own experience being shipwrecked off the coast of Florida while traveling to Cuba.

33) “The Fly” by Katherine Mansfield

“‘Y’are very snug in here,’ piped old Mr. Woodifield, and he peered out of the great, green leather armchair by his friend the boss’s desk as a baby peers out of its pram.”

Katherine Mansfield’s “The Fly” is a recommended short story for high schoolers because of how it deals with grief, death and survival.

34) “The Hanging Stranger” by Philip K. Dick

“Five o’clock Ed Loyce washed up, tossed on his hat and coat, got his car out and headed across town toward his TV sales store. He was tired.”

35) “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid

“Wash the white clothes on Monday and put them on the stone heap; wash the color clothes on Tuesday and put them on the clothesline to dry…”

Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” is written like a to-do list, but it devastates the reader with its heartbreaking wisdom.

36) “What the Dead Man Said” by Chinelo Onwualu

“I suppose you could say that it started with the storm.”

37) “Sticks” by George Saunders

“The first time I brought a date over she said: what’s with your dad and that pole? and I sat there blinking.”

This short story by George Saunders is not just about a pole and a dad. “Sticks” is a great short story for high schoolers and brings into mind what family unity means.

38) “A Ride Out of Phrao” by Dina Nayeri

“In her last week in America, Shirin sells or gives away all her possessions, returning to the same small parcel she carried when she first arrived—a purse full of dried fruit and extra underwear. She feels thirty again.”

39) “Birthday Party” by Katharine Brush

“There was nothing conspicuous about them, nothing particularly noticeable, until the end of their meal, when it suddenly became obvious that this was an Occasion—in fact, the husband’s birthday, and the wife had planned a little surprise for him.”

Katharine Brush’s heartbreaking “Birthday Party” was published in 1946 and implores the reader to examine what really is happening to the characters.

40) “The Janitor in Space” by Amber Sparks

“The janitor makes her way through the hallway with purpose, suctioning space dust and human debris from crevices of the space station.”

41) “ Trifles ” by Susan Glaspell

“‘He died of a rope around his neck,’ says she, and just went on pleatin’ at her apron.”

This is not a short story but a very short play. “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell is still a great short story-like read for high schoolers about the social oppression of women.

42) “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl

“She loved the shape of his mouth, and she especially liked the way he didn’t complain about being tired.”

43) “Two Friends” by Guy de Maupassant

“Besieged Paris was in the throes of famine. Even the sparrows on the roofs and the rats in the sewers were growing scarce. People were eating anything they could get.”

Guy de Maupassant’s “Two Friends” is an essential short story for high schoolers. The story is one of melancholy and dives into themes of loyalty during wartime.

44) “ The Landlady ” by Roald Dahl

“Normally you ring the bell and you have 120 at least a half-minute’s wait before the door opens. But this dame was a like a jack-in-the-box.”

45) “The Pie” by Gary Soto

“I knew enough about hell to stop me from stealing. I was holy in almost every bone.”

Gary Soto’s “The Pie” is an ideal short story for high schoolers as it delves into the guilt we carry throughout our lives.

46) “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry

“Della counted it three times. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.”

47) “He-y, Come On Ou-t!” by Shinichi Hoshi

“The typhoon had passed and the sky was a gorgeous blue. Even a certain village not far from the city had suffered damage.”

Shinichi Hoshi is a science fiction writer who wrote “He-y, Come On Ou-t!” in 1971. This short story illuminates the consequences of selfish behavior.

48) “ Miriam ” by Truman Capote

“Her interests were narrow, she had no friends to speak of, and she rarely journeyed farther than the corner grocery.”

49) “ Eleven ” by Sandra Cisneros

“What they don’t understand about birthdays and what they never tell you is that when you’re eleven, you’re also ten, and nine, and eight, and seven, and six, and five, and four, and three, and two, and one.”

Published in 1991, Sandra Cisneros’ “Eleven” asks the reader to confront questions around transition and remembering the years we carry.

50) “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

“John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage.”

Read our blog entitled: The Yellow Wallpaper Summary and Analysis .

51)  “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

“The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green.”

A story that is brutal and questions tradition. Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” is one of the best short stories for high schoolers because of how it subverts expectations.

Read College Transitions’ Summary & Analysis of The Lottery .

52) “The Magic Barrel” by Bernard Malamud

“Since he had no present prospects of marriage, after two tormented days of turning it over in his mind, he called in Pinye Salzman, a marriage broker whose two-line advertisement he had read in the Forward.”

53) “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” by James Thurber

“Not so fast! You’re driving too fast!” said Mrs. Mitty. “What are you driving so fast for?”It’s one of the best short stories for high schoolers, and it’s the most famous of James Thurber’s stories. First published on March 18, 1939, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” is impossible to put down. It was even made into a film with Ben Stiller.

54) “Nightfall” by Isaac Asimov

“Aton 77, director of Saro University, 11 thrust out a belligerent lower lip and 12 glared at the young newspaperman in a 13 hot fury.”

55) “The Test” by Theodore Thomas

“Robert Proctor was a good driver for so young a person.”

Theodore Thomas’ “The Test” was first published in Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine in April 1962. High schoolers, and any reader, likely won’t see the ending coming.

56) “Tenth of December” by George Saunders

“The pale boy with unfortunate Prince Valiant bangs and cublike mannerisms hulked to the mudroom closet and requisitioned Dad’s white coat.”

57) “A Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell

“Martha!” now came her husband’s impatient voice. “Don’t keep folks waiting out here in the cold.”Susan Glaspell wrote “A Jury of Her Peers” in 1917. This short story was loosely based on the murder of John Hossack in 1900.

58) “Araby” by James Joyce

“North Richmond Street, being blind, was a quiet street except at the hour when the Christian Brothers’ School set the boys free.”James Joyce’s “Araby” is a short story that was published in his collection “Dubliners” in 1914. It’s one of the best short stories for high schoolers as it focuses on the struggles of growing up and the obsession of a crush.

59) “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut

“The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal.”

60) “Rules of the Game” by Amy Tan

“I was six when my mother taught me the art of invisible strength. It was a strategy for winning arguments, respect from others, and eventually, though neither of us knew it at the time, chess games.”Also published in Amy Tan’s “The Joy Luck Club,” this short story for high school students is about independence and growing up.

Best Short Stories for High School Students 

These stories pose questions that students will continue to ask themselves not just for their creative writing prompts but later in college and throughout their lives. As high schoolers read more short stories, they’ll also understand that the power of literature is not confined to the form of the novel.

• Teacher Tools

Joanna Hong

With a BA from Pitzer College and an MA from University College London, Joanna has worked in London, Berlin, and Los Angeles covering many cultural and political issues with organizations such as Byline Media, NK News, and Free Turkey Media. A freelancer for The New York Times, her work has also appeared in Newsweek, Dazed and Confused Magazine, and The Guardian, among others. In addition, Joanna was the recipient of the 2021 PEN America Emerging Voices Fellowship in Fiction and is currently completing her first novel.

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50 Must-Read Contemporary Essay Collections

Essay collections: Like short stories, but TRUE! When you're in the mood for fact over fiction, check out these must-read contemporary essay collections.

Liberty Hardy

Liberty Hardy is an unrepentant velocireader, writer, bitey mad lady, and tattoo canvas. Turn-ons include books, books and books. Her favorite exclamation is “Holy cats!” Liberty reads more than should be legal, sleeps very little, frequently writes on her belly with Sharpie markers, and when she dies, she’s leaving her body to library science. Until then, she lives with her three cats, Millay, Farrokh, and Zevon, in Maine. She is also right behind you. Just kidding! She’s too busy reading. Twitter: @MissLiberty

View All posts by Liberty Hardy

I feel like essay collections don’t get enough credit. They’re so wonderful! They’re like short story collections, but TRUE. It’s like going to a truth buffet. You can get information about sooooo many topics, sometimes in one single book! To prove that there are a zillion amazing essay collections out there, I compiled 50 great contemporary essay collections, just from the last 18 months alone.  Ranging in topics from food, nature, politics, sex, celebrity, and more, there is something here for everyone!

I’ve included a brief description from the publisher with each title. Tell us in the comments about which of these you’ve read or other contemporary essay collections that you love. There are a LOT of them. Yay, books!

Must-Read Contemporary Essay Collections

They can’t kill us until they kill us  by hanif abdurraqib.

“In an age of confusion, fear, and loss, Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib’s is a voice that matters. Whether he’s attending a Bruce Springsteen concert the day after visiting Michael Brown’s grave, or discussing public displays of affection at a Carly Rae Jepsen show, he writes with a poignancy and magnetism that resonates profoundly.”

Would Everybody Please Stop?: Reflections on Life and Other Bad Ideas  by Jenny Allen

“Jenny Allen’s musings range fluidly from the personal to the philosophical. She writes with the familiarity of someone telling a dinner party anecdote, forgoing decorum for candor and comedy. To read  Would Everybody Please Stop?  is to experience life with imaginative and incisive humor.”

Longthroat Memoirs: Soups, Sex and Nigerian Taste Buds  by Yemisi Aribisala

“A sumptuous menu of essays about Nigerian cuisine, lovingly presented by the nation’s top epicurean writer. As well as a mouth-watering appraisal of Nigerian food,  Longthroat Memoirs  is a series of love letters to the Nigerian palate. From the cultural history of soup, to fish as aphrodisiac and the sensual allure of snails,  Longthroat Memoirs  explores the complexities, the meticulousness, and the tactile joy of Nigerian gastronomy.”

Beyond Measure: Essays  by Rachel Z. Arndt

“ Beyond Measure  is a fascinating exploration of the rituals, routines, metrics and expectations through which we attempt to quantify and ascribe value to our lives. With mordant humor and penetrating intellect, Arndt casts her gaze beyond event-driven narratives to the machinery underlying them: judo competitions measured in weigh-ins and wait times; the significance of the elliptical’s stationary churn; the rote scripts of dating apps; the stupefying sameness of the daily commute.”

Magic Hours  by Tom Bissell

“Award-winning essayist Tom Bissell explores the highs and lows of the creative process. He takes us from the set of  The Big Bang Theory  to the first novel of Ernest Hemingway to the final work of David Foster Wallace; from the films of Werner Herzog to the film of Tommy Wiseau to the editorial meeting in which Paula Fox’s work was relaunched into the world. Originally published in magazines such as  The Believer ,  The New Yorker , and  Harper’s , these essays represent ten years of Bissell’s best writing on every aspect of creation—be it Iraq War documentaries or video-game character voices—and will provoke as much thought as they do laughter.”

Dead Girls: Essays on Surviving an American Obsession  by Alice Bolin

“In this poignant collection, Alice Bolin examines iconic American works from the essays of Joan Didion and James Baldwin to  Twin Peaks , Britney Spears, and  Serial , illuminating the widespread obsession with women who are abused, killed, and disenfranchised, and whose bodies (dead and alive) are used as props to bolster men’s stories. Smart and accessible, thoughtful and heartfelt, Bolin investigates the implications of our cultural fixations, and her own role as a consumer and creator.”

Betwixt-and-Between: Essays on the Writing Life  by Jenny Boully

“Jenny Boully’s essays are ripe with romance and sensual pleasures, drawing connections between the digression, reflection, imagination, and experience that characterizes falling in love as well as the life of a writer. Literary theory, philosophy, and linguistics rub up against memory, dreamscapes, and fancy, making the practice of writing a metaphor for the illusory nature of experience.  Betwixt and Between  is, in many ways, simply a book about how to live.”

Wedding Toasts I’ll Never Give by Ada Calhoun

“In  Wedding Toasts I’ll Never Give , Ada Calhoun presents an unflinching but also loving portrait of her own marriage, opening a long-overdue conversation about the institution as it truly is: not the happy ending of a love story or a relic doomed by high divorce rates, but the beginning of a challenging new chapter of which ‘the first twenty years are the hardest.'”

How to Write an Autobiographical Novel: Essays  by Alexander Chee

“ How to Write an Autobiographical Novel  is the author’s manifesto on the entangling of life, literature, and politics, and how the lessons learned from a life spent reading and writing fiction have changed him. In these essays, he grows from student to teacher, reader to writer, and reckons with his identities as a son, a gay man, a Korean American, an artist, an activist, a lover, and a friend. He examines some of the most formative experiences of his life and the nation’s history, including his father’s death, the AIDS crisis, 9/11, the jobs that supported his writing—Tarot-reading, bookselling, cater-waiting for William F. Buckley—the writing of his first novel,  Edinburgh , and the election of Donald Trump.”

Too Much and Not the Mood: Essays  by Durga Chew-Bose

“ Too Much and Not the Mood is a beautiful and surprising exploration of what it means to be a first-generation, creative young woman working today. On April 11, 1931, Virginia Woolf ended her entry in A Writer’s Diary with the words ‘too much and not the mood’ to describe her frustration with placating her readers, what she described as the ‘cramming in and the cutting out.’ She wondered if she had anything at all that was truly worth saying. The attitude of that sentiment inspired Durga Chew-Bose to gather own writing in this lyrical collection of poetic essays that examine personhood and artistic growth. Drawing inspiration from a diverse group of incisive and inquiring female authors, Chew-Bose captures the inner restlessness that keeps her always on the brink of creative expression.”

We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy  by Ta-Nehisi Coates

“‘We were eight years in power’ was the lament of Reconstruction-era black politicians as the American experiment in multiracial democracy ended with the return of white supremacist rule in the South. In this sweeping collection of new and selected essays, Ta-Nehisi Coates explores the tragic echoes of that history in our own time: the unprecedented election of a black president followed by a vicious backlash that fueled the election of the man Coates argues is America’s ‘first white president.'”

Look Alive Out There: Essays by Sloane Crosley

“In  Look Alive Out There,  whether it’s scaling active volcanoes, crashing shivas, playing herself on  Gossip Girl,  befriending swingers, or squinting down the barrel of the fertility gun, Crosley continues to rise to the occasion with unmatchable nerve and electric one-liners. And as her subjects become more serious, her essays deliver not just laughs but lasting emotional heft and insight. Crosley has taken up the gauntlets thrown by her predecessors—Dorothy Parker, Nora Ephron, David Sedaris—and crafted something rare, affecting, and true.”

Fl â neuse: Women Walk the City in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Venice, and London  by Lauren Elkin

“Part cultural meander, part memoir,  Flâneuse  takes us on a distinctly cosmopolitan jaunt that begins in New York, where Elkin grew up, and transports us to Paris via Venice, Tokyo, and London, all cities in which she’s lived. We are shown the paths beaten by such  flâneuses  as the cross-dressing nineteenth-century novelist George Sand, the Parisian artist Sophie Calle, the wartime correspondent Martha Gellhorn, and the writer Jean Rhys. With tenacity and insight, Elkin creates a mosaic of what urban settings have meant to women, charting through literature, art, history, and film the sometimes exhilarating, sometimes fraught relationship that women have with the metropolis.”

Idiophone  by Amy Fusselman

“Leaping from ballet to quiltmaking, from the The Nutcracker to an Annie-B Parson interview,  Idiophone  is a strikingly original meditation on risk-taking and provocation in art and a unabashedly honest, funny, and intimate consideration of art-making in the context of motherhood, and motherhood in the context of addiction. Amy Fusselman’s compact, beautifully digressive essay feels both surprising and effortless, fueled by broad-ranging curiosity, and, fundamentally, joy.”

Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture  by Roxane Gay

“In this valuable and revealing anthology, cultural critic and bestselling author Roxane Gay collects original and previously published pieces that address what it means to live in a world where women have to measure the harassment, violence, and aggression they face, and where they are ‘routinely second-guessed, blown off, discredited, denigrated, besmirched, belittled, patronized, mocked, shamed, gaslit, insulted, bullied’ for speaking out.”

Sunshine State: Essays  by Sarah Gerard

“With the personal insight of  The Empathy Exams , the societal exposal of  Nickel and Dimed , and the stylistic innovation and intensity of her own break-out debut novel  Binary Star , Sarah Gerard’s  Sunshine State  uses the intimately personal to unearth the deep reservoirs of humanity buried in the corners of our world often hardest to face.”

The Art of the Wasted Day  by Patricia Hampl

“ The Art of the Wasted Day  is a picaresque travelogue of leisure written from a lifelong enchantment with solitude. Patricia Hampl visits the homes of historic exemplars of ease who made repose a goal, even an art form. She begins with two celebrated eighteenth-century Irish ladies who ran off to live a life of ‘retirement’ in rural Wales. Her search then leads to Moravia to consider the monk-geneticist, Gregor Mendel, and finally to Bordeaux for Michel Montaigne—the hero of this book—who retreated from court life to sit in his chateau tower and write about whatever passed through his mind, thus inventing the personal essay.”

A Really Big Lunch: The Roving Gourmand on Food and Life  by Jim Harrison

“Jim Harrison’s legendary gourmandise is on full display in  A Really Big Lunch . From the titular  New Yorker  piece about a French lunch that went to thirty-seven courses, to pieces from  Brick ,  Playboy , Kermit Lynch Newsletter, and more on the relationship between hunter and prey, or the obscure language of wine reviews,  A Really Big Lunch  is shot through with Harrison’s pointed aperçus and keen delight in the pleasures of the senses. And between the lines the pieces give glimpses of Harrison’s life over the last three decades.  A Really Big Lunch  is a literary delight that will satisfy every appetite.”

Insomniac City: New York, Oliver, and Me  by Bill Hayes

“Bill Hayes came to New York City in 2009 with a one-way ticket and only the vaguest idea of how he would get by. But, at forty-eight years old, having spent decades in San Francisco, he craved change. Grieving over the death of his partner, he quickly discovered the profound consolations of the city’s incessant rhythms, the sight of the Empire State Building against the night sky, and New Yorkers themselves, kindred souls that Hayes, a lifelong insomniac, encountered on late-night strolls with his camera.”

Would You Rather?: A Memoir of Growing Up and Coming Out  by Katie Heaney

“Here, for the first time, Katie opens up about realizing at the age of twenty-eight that she is gay. In these poignant, funny essays, she wrestles with her shifting sexuality and identity, and describes what it was like coming out to everyone she knows (and everyone she doesn’t). As she revisits her past, looking for any ‘clues’ that might have predicted this outcome, Katie reveals that life doesn’t always move directly from point A to point B—no matter how much we would like it to.”

Tonight I’m Someone Else: Essays  by Chelsea Hodson

“From graffiti gangs and  Grand Theft Auto  to sugar daddies, Schopenhauer, and a deadly game of Russian roulette, in these essays, Chelsea Hodson probes her own desires to examine where the physical and the proprietary collide. She asks what our privacy, our intimacy, and our own bodies are worth in the increasingly digital world of liking, linking, and sharing.”

We Are Never Meeting in Real Life.: Essays  by Samantha Irby

“With  We Are Never Meeting in Real Life. , ‘bitches gotta eat’ blogger and comedian Samantha Irby turns the serio-comic essay into an art form. Whether talking about how her difficult childhood has led to a problem in making ‘adult’ budgets, explaining why she should be the new Bachelorette—she’s ’35-ish, but could easily pass for 60-something’—detailing a disastrous pilgrimage-slash-romantic-vacation to Nashville to scatter her estranged father’s ashes, sharing awkward sexual encounters, or dispensing advice on how to navigate friendships with former drinking buddies who are now suburban moms—hang in there for the Costco loot—she’s as deft at poking fun at the ghosts of her past self as she is at capturing powerful emotional truths.”

This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America  by Morgan Jerkins

“Doubly disenfranchised by race and gender, often deprived of a place within the mostly white mainstream feminist movement, black women are objectified, silenced, and marginalized with devastating consequences, in ways both obvious and subtle, that are rarely acknowledged in our country’s larger discussion about inequality. In  This Will Be My Undoing , Jerkins becomes both narrator and subject to expose the social, cultural, and historical story of black female oppression that influences the black community as well as the white, male-dominated world at large.”

Everywhere Home: A Life in Essays  by Fenton Johnson

“Part retrospective, part memoir, Fenton Johnson’s collection  Everywhere Home: A Life in Essays  explores sexuality, religion, geography, the AIDS crisis, and more. Johnson’s wanderings take him from the hills of Kentucky to those of San Francisco, from the streets of Paris to the sidewalks of Calcutta. Along the way, he investigates questions large and small: What’s the relationship between artists and museums, illuminated in a New Guinean display of shrunken heads? What’s the difference between empiricism and intuition?”

One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter: Essays  by Scaachi Koul

“In  One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter , Scaachi Koul deploys her razor-sharp humor to share all the fears, outrages, and mortifying moments of her life. She learned from an early age what made her miserable, and for Scaachi anything can be cause for despair. Whether it’s a shopping trip gone awry; enduring awkward conversations with her bikini waxer; overcoming her fear of flying while vacationing halfway around the world; dealing with Internet trolls, or navigating the fears and anxieties of her parents. Alongside these personal stories are pointed observations about life as a woman of color: where every aspect of her appearance is open for critique, derision, or outright scorn; where strict gender rules bind in both Western and Indian cultures, leaving little room for a woman not solely focused on marriage and children to have a career (and a life) for herself.”

Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in 40 Questions  by Valeria Luiselli and jon lee anderson (translator)

“A damning confrontation between the American dream and the reality of undocumented children seeking a new life in the U.S. Structured around the 40 questions Luiselli translates and asks undocumented Latin American children facing deportation,  Tell Me How It Ends  (an expansion of her 2016 Freeman’s essay of the same name) humanizes these young migrants and highlights the contradiction between the idea of America as a fiction for immigrants and the reality of racism and fear—both here and back home.”

All the Lives I Want: Essays About My Best Friends Who Happen to Be Famous Strangers  by Alana Massey

“Mixing Didion’s affected cool with moments of giddy celebrity worship, Massey examines the lives of the women who reflect our greatest aspirations and darkest fears back onto us. These essays are personal without being confessional and clever in a way that invites readers into the joke. A cultural critique and a finely wrought fan letter, interwoven with stories that are achingly personal, All the Lives I Want is also an exploration of mental illness, the sex industry, and the dangers of loving too hard.”

Typewriters, Bombs, Jellyfish: Essays  by Tom McCarthy

“Certain points of reference recur with dreamlike insistence—among them the artist Ed Ruscha’s  Royal Road Test , a photographic documentation of the roadside debris of a Royal typewriter hurled from the window of a traveling car; the great blooms of jellyfish that are filling the oceans and gumming up the machinery of commerce and military domination—and the question throughout is: How can art explode the restraining conventions of so-called realism, whether aesthetic or political, to engage in the active reinvention of the world?”

Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance, and Revolution in Trump’s America  by Samhita Mukhopadhyay and Kate Harding

“When 53 percent of white women voted for Donald Trump and 94 percent of black women voted for Hillary Clinton, how can women unite in Trump’s America? Nasty Women includes inspiring essays from a diverse group of talented women writers who seek to provide a broad look at how we got here and what we need to do to move forward.”

Don’t Call Me Princess: Essays on Girls, Women, Sex, and Life  by Peggy Orenstein

“Named one of the ’40 women who changed the media business in the last 40 years’ by  Columbia Journalism Review , Peggy Orenstein is one of the most prominent, unflinching feminist voices of our time. Her writing has broken ground and broken silences on topics as wide-ranging as miscarriage, motherhood, breast cancer, princess culture and the importance of girls’ sexual pleasure. Her unique blend of investigative reporting, personal revelation and unexpected humor has made her books bestselling classics.”

When You Find Out the World Is Against You: And Other Funny Memories About Awful Moments  by Kelly Oxford

“Kelly Oxford likes to blow up the internet. Whether it is with the kind of Tweets that lead  Rolling Stone  to name her one of the Funniest People on Twitter or with pictures of her hilariously adorable family (human and animal) or with something much more serious, like creating the hashtag #NotOkay, where millions of women came together to share their stories of sexual assault, Kelly has a unique, razor-sharp perspective on modern life. As a screen writer, professional sh*t disturber, wife and mother of three, Kelly is about everything but the status quo.”

Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman  by Anne Helen Petersen

“You know the type: the woman who won’t shut up, who’s too brazen, too opinionated—too much. She’s the unruly woman, and she embodies one of the most provocative and powerful forms of womanhood today. In  Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud , Anne Helen Petersen uses the lens of ‘unruliness’ to explore the ascension of pop culture powerhouses like Lena Dunham, Nicki Minaj, and Kim Kardashian, exploring why the public loves to love (and hate) these controversial figures. With its brisk, incisive analysis,  Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud  will be a conversation-starting book on what makes and breaks celebrity today.”

Well, That Escalated Quickly: Memoirs and Mistakes of an Accidental Activist  by Franchesca Ramsey

“In her first book, Ramsey uses her own experiences as an accidental activist to explore the many ways we communicate with each other—from the highs of bridging gaps and making connections to the many pitfalls that accompany talking about race, power, sexuality, and gender in an unpredictable public space…the internet.”

Shrewed: A Wry and Closely Observed Look at the Lives of Women and Girls  by Elizabeth Renzetti

“Drawing upon Renzetti’s decades of reporting on feminist issues,  Shrewed  is a book about feminism’s crossroads. From Hillary Clinton’s failed campaign to the quest for equal pay, from the lessons we can learn from old ladies to the future of feminism in a turbulent world, Renzetti takes a pointed, witty look at how far we’ve come—and how far we have to go.”

What Are We Doing Here?: Essays  by Marilynne Robinson

“In this new essay collection she trains her incisive mind on our modern political climate and the mysteries of faith. Whether she is investigating how the work of great thinkers about America like Emerson and Tocqueville inform our political consciousness or discussing the way that beauty informs and disciplines daily life, Robinson’s peerless prose and boundless humanity are on full display.”

Double Bind: Women on Ambition  by Robin Romm

“‘A work of courage and ferocious honesty’ (Diana Abu-Jaber),  Double Bind  could not come at a more urgent time. Even as major figures from Gloria Steinem to Beyoncé embrace the word ‘feminism,’ the word ‘ambition’ remains loaded with ambivalence. Many women see it as synonymous with strident or aggressive, yet most feel compelled to strive and achieve—the seeming contradiction leaving them in a perpetual double bind. Ayana Mathis, Molly Ringwald, Roxane Gay, and a constellation of ‘nimble thinkers . . . dismantle this maddening paradox’ ( O, The Oprah Magazine ) with candor, wit, and rage. Women who have made landmark achievements in fields as diverse as law, dog sledding, and butchery weigh in, breaking the last feminist taboo once and for all.”

The Destiny Thief: Essays on Writing, Writers and Life  by Richard Russo

“In these nine essays, Richard Russo provides insight into his life as a writer, teacher, friend, and reader. From a commencement speech he gave at Colby College, to the story of how an oddly placed toilet made him reevaluate the purpose of humor in art and life, to a comprehensive analysis of Mark Twain’s value, to his harrowing journey accompanying a dear friend as she pursued gender-reassignment surgery,  The Destiny Thief  reflects the broad interests and experiences of one of America’s most beloved authors. Warm, funny, wise, and poignant, the essays included here traverse Russo’s writing life, expanding our understanding of who he is and how his singular, incredibly generous mind works. An utter joy to read, they give deep insight into the creative process from the prospective of one of our greatest writers.”

Curry: Eating, Reading, and Race by Naben Ruthnum

“Curry is a dish that doesn’t quite exist, but, as this wildly funny and sharp essay points out, a dish that doesn’t properly exist can have infinite, equally authentic variations. By grappling with novels, recipes, travelogues, pop culture, and his own upbringing, Naben Ruthnum depicts how the distinctive taste of curry has often become maladroit shorthand for brown identity. With the sardonic wit of Gita Mehta’s  Karma Cola  and the refined, obsessive palette of Bill Buford’s  Heat , Ruthnum sinks his teeth into the story of how the beloved flavor calcified into an aesthetic genre that limits the imaginations of writers, readers, and eaters.”

The River of Consciousness  by Oliver Sacks

“Sacks, an Oxford-educated polymath, had a deep familiarity not only with literature and medicine but with botany, animal anatomy, chemistry, the history of science, philosophy, and psychology.  The River of Consciousness  is one of two books Sacks was working on up to his death, and it reveals his ability to make unexpected connections, his sheer joy in knowledge, and his unceasing, timeless project to understand what makes us human.”

All the Women in My Family Sing: Women Write the World: Essays on Equality, Justice, and Freedom (Nothing But the Truth So Help Me God)  by Deborah Santana and America Ferrera

“ All the Women in My Family Sing  is an anthology documenting the experiences of women of color at the dawn of the twenty-first century. It is a vital collection of prose and poetry whose topics range from the pressures of being the vice-president of a Fortune 500 Company, to escaping the killing fields of Cambodia, to the struggles inside immigration, identity, romance, and self-worth. These brief, trenchant essays capture the aspirations and wisdom of women of color as they exercise autonomy, creativity, and dignity and build bridges to heal the brokenness in today’s turbulent world.”

We Wear the Mask: 15 True Stories of Passing in America  by Brando Skyhorse and Lisa Page

“For some, ‘passing’ means opportunity, access, or safety. Others don’t willingly pass but are ‘passed’ in specific situations by someone else.  We Wear the Mask , edited by  Brando Skyhorse  and  Lisa Page , is an illuminating and timely anthology that examines the complex reality of passing in America. Skyhorse, a Mexican American, writes about how his mother passed him as an American Indian before he learned who he really is. Page shares how her white mother didn’t tell friends about her black ex-husband or that her children were, in fact, biracial.”

Feel Free: Essays by Zadie Smith

“Since she burst spectacularly into view with her debut novel almost two decades ago, Zadie Smith has established herself not just as one of the world’s preeminent fiction writers, but also a brilliant and singular essayist. She contributes regularly to  The New Yorker  and the  New York Review of Books  on a range of subjects, and each piece of hers is a literary event in its own right.”

The Mother of All Questions: Further Reports from the Feminist Revolutions  by Rebecca Solnit

“In a timely follow-up to her national bestseller  Men Explain Things to Me , Rebecca Solnit offers indispensable commentary on women who refuse to be silenced, misogynistic violence, the fragile masculinity of the literary canon, the gender binary, the recent history of rape jokes, and much more. In characteristic style, Solnit mixes humor, keen analysis, and powerful insight in these essays.”

The Wrong Way to Save Your Life: Essays  by Megan Stielstra

“Whether she’s imagining the implications of open-carry laws on college campuses, recounting the story of going underwater on the mortgage of her first home, or revealing the unexpected pains and joys of marriage and motherhood, Stielstra’s work informs, impels, enlightens, and embraces us all. The result is something beautiful—this story, her courage, and, potentially, our own.”

Against Memoir: Complaints, Confessions & Criticisms  by Michelle Tea

“Delivered with her signature honesty and dark humor, this is Tea’s first-ever collection of journalistic writing. As she blurs the line between telling other people’s stories and her own, she turns an investigative eye to the genre that’s nurtured her entire career—memoir—and considers the price that art demands be paid from life.”

A Twenty Minute Silence Followed by Applause  by Shawn Wen

“In precise, jewel-like scenes and vignettes,  A Twenty Minute Silence Followed by Applause  pays homage to the singular genius of a mostly-forgotten art form. Drawing on interviews, archival research, and meticulously observed performances, Wen translates the gestural language of mime into a lyric written portrait by turns whimsical, melancholic, and haunting.”

Acid West: Essays  by Joshua Wheeler

“The radical evolution of American identity, from cowboys to drone warriors to space explorers, is a story rooted in southern New Mexico.  Acid West  illuminates this history, clawing at the bounds of genre to reveal a place that is, for better or worse, home. By turns intimate, absurd, and frightening,  Acid West  is an enlightening deep-dive into a prophetic desert at the bottom of America.”

Sexographies  by Gabriela Wiener and Lucy Greaves And jennifer adcock (Translators)

“In fierce and sumptuous first-person accounts, renowned Peruvian journalist Gabriela Wiener records infiltrating the most dangerous Peruvian prison, participating in sexual exchanges in swingers clubs, traveling the dark paths of the Bois de Boulogne in Paris in the company of transvestites and prostitutes, undergoing a complicated process of egg donation, and participating in a ritual of ayahuasca ingestion in the Amazon jungle—all while taking us on inward journeys that explore immigration, maternity, fear of death, ugliness, and threesomes. Fortunately, our eagle-eyed voyeur emerges from her narrative forays unscathed and ready to take on the kinks, obsessions, and messiness of our lives.  Sexographies  is an eye-opening, kamikaze journey across the contours of the human body and mind.”

The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative  by Florence Williams

“From forest trails in Korea, to islands in Finland, to eucalyptus groves in California, Florence Williams investigates the science behind nature’s positive effects on the brain. Delving into brand-new research, she uncovers the powers of the natural world to improve health, promote reflection and innovation, and strengthen our relationships. As our modern lives shift dramatically indoors, these ideas—and the answers they yield—are more urgent than ever.”

Can You Tolerate This?: Essays  by Ashleigh Young

“ Can You Tolerate This?  presents a vivid self-portrait of an introspective yet widely curious young woman, the colorful, isolated community in which she comes of age, and the uneasy tensions—between safety and risk, love and solitude, the catharsis of grief and the ecstasy of creation—that define our lives.”

What are your favorite contemporary essay collections?

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by Michelle Boyd Waters, M.Ed.  

100+ Novels Every High School Student Should (Consider) Read(ing)

February 1, 2017 in  Pedagogy

What books should high school students read? If you’re a more traditional teacher, you may have visions quietly reading your favorite novels from the Western canon and discussing them with your students. This is where I started.

But after five years of classroom experience and trying to figure out how to convince actual high school students to enjoy reading, I realized that the traditional Western literature canon only appeals to a small subset of students. A very small subset. If I wanted to convince more of my students to value reading inside my class and once they leave my class, I’d need to find books that either mirror their experiences, or serve as windows into the current world. ( Thank you, Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop for that metaphor !)

For this reason, I’ve included a list of books divided by class subject. For example, “Introduction to Literature” could be taught in the 9th grade. At my school in Oklahoma, “American Literature” is taught in the 11th grade.

Personally, I think it would make more sense to teach the introductory course freshman year, then broaden student horizons to reading American literature sophomore year, and expand to world literature junior year. I also think, if we’re going to divide literature this way, we should continue with an overview of world literature during senior year instead of narrowing the focus to British literature.

Truth be told though, I think it would make more sense to focus on themes or topics each year and provide students with opportunities to choose what they want to read independently and in literature circles. We should focus our reading instruction on the students in front of us and their interests, not on a prescribed list or a literary canon dominated by dead white men .

Introduction to Literature

• Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
• Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
• A Child Called “It” by Dave Pelzer
• Crank by Ellen Hopkins
• Divergent by Veronica Roth
• Dune by Frank Herbert
• Frankly in Love by David Yoon
• Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
• The Giver by Lois Lowry
• The Harry Potter series by J K Rowling
• The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
• His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman
• The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
• House of Night series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
• Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
• Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
• Lord of the Flies by William Golding
• The Maze Runner series by James Dashner
• Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
• The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare
• The Princess Bride by William Goldman
• The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot
• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Speak: The Graphic Novel by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
• Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
• Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

For more recommendations, check out our list of Books for Secondary English Class .

American Literature

• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
• All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
• American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
• Anthem by Ayn Rand
• The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley
• The Call of the Wild by Jack London
• Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
• The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
• Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker
• Crank series by Ellen Hopkins
• Delirium series by Lauren Oliver
• Dragonwings by Laurence Yep
• Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham
• Every Day by David Levithan
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
• Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes
• Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
• The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett
• Holes by Louis Sachar
• The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
• Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
• Jubilee by Margaret Walker
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
• Looking for Alaska by John Green
• My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
• Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave by Frederick Douglass
• The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
• Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck
• The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
• The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
• Paper Towns by John Green
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
• Rethinking Normal: A Memoir in Transition by Katie Rain Hill
• Roots by Alex Haley
• The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares
• Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
• A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
• Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

World Literature

• 1984: A Novel by George Orwell
• Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
• Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
• Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
• A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
• Dracula by Bram Stoker
• The Hobbit series by J.R.R. Tolkien
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
• Life of Pi by Yann Martel
• One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
• A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce

British Literature

• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
• Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
• The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
• The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
• Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
• Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen
• The Sherlock Holmes series by Arthur Conan Doyle
• Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
• Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
• Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (especially if you’re a Twilight fan)

Related topics: Independent Reading , Reading Resources

About the author 

Michelle Boyd Waters, M.Ed.

I am a secondary English Language Arts teacher, a University of Oklahoma student working on my doctorate in Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum with an concentration in English Education and co-Editor of the Oklahoma English Journal. I am constantly seeking ways to amplify students' voices and choices.

Hi Mrs. Waters,

I would like to use your list of “must reads” for teenagers for my sophomores. How would you like me to credit you for the list? Further, where did the list come from?

Really enjoyed your blog.

Sure! You can use the list — and I’d love for you to credit me. My sources for this list include my kids, including the ones who live with me, multiple Good Reads recommendation lists, and my own experience.

Thank you for sharing the great information piece. This will must help every high school reading, keep sharing

Comments are closed.

100 Best Books of All Time for High School Students

29 Mar, 2024 | Blog Articles , English Language Articles , Get the Edge , Humanities Articles , Writing Articles

Classic literature

Classic literature refers to any book whose place in the Canon is firmly cemented. These are books that have been handed down from one generation to the next – sometimes across hundreds of years. 

These books have been studied at universities and schools for as long as any of us can remember, and scholars are still finding new and exciting angles for text analysis to this day.

1. Middlemarch by George Eliot (1871)

Considered to be one of the greatest novels of the Victorian era, Mary Ann Evans wrote Middlemarch under her pen name, George Eliot, to escape the stereotypes associated with female authorship during her lifetime. 

Set in the fictional town of Middlemarch, the novel delves into issues as diverse as marriage, religion, politics and education, and is as essential today as it was in the 19 th century.

2. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (1856)

Madame Bovary is the most celebrated work by Gustave Flaubert, the French master of literary realism. In 1914, the book was dubbed a perfect work of fiction by author, Henry James:

‘ Madame Bovary has a perfection that not only stamps it, but that makes it stand almost alone: it holds itself with such a supreme unapproachable assurance as both excites and defies judgement.’

Its tale of a loveless marriage is as poignant today as it was when it was published.

3. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell (1949)

George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four has become so influential since its release, that even if you haven’t read it yourself, you’ll likely recognise much of the parlance he coined in the novel, like ‘big brother’, ‘doublethink’ and ‘thought police’. 

A chilling tale of the consequences of totalitarianism and mass surveillance, Nineteen Eighty-Four is a must-read for anyone interested in political history.

4. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (1855)

One of the great realist writers of the Victorian period, Elizabeth Gaskell’s novels focus on the trials and tribulations of working-class life in the newly industrialised England. 

Her best known work, North and South , follows protagonist, Margaret Hale, as she moves from the south of England to the north, and witnesses the ruthless world of industrial northern England and its effects on cotton-mill workers.

5. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (1952)

Ralph Ellison’s vivid, ground-breaking novel, which explores the issues faced by Black Americans in the early 20 th century, has been called ‘a masterpiece’ by writer, Anthony Burgess. 

The book follows its narrator, invisible ‘simply because people refuse to see me’, from the American South to Harlem, New York. It’s as important in depicting the psychological and social effects of racism today as it was upon its release.

6. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813)

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice explores love, class and family in a rich, warm satire that’s funny, charming and lucidly portrays the period in which it was written. 

As a historical document, it’s fascinating, but Austen’s writing has ensured that it remains timeless – evidenced by the dozens of adaptations that have been made in the past two centuries!

7. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (1890)

Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray is a sinister exploration of morality and desire. The novel follows Dorian, a hedonistic young man who no longer ages. Meanwhile, a portrait – painted by his friend, Basil Hallward, and hidden away in an attic – ages in Dorian’s place. 

Short and dramatic, Dorian Gray is the perfect novel to spend a quiet weekend engrossed in.

8. The Trial by Franz Kafka (1925)

Even if you’ve never read Kafka, you’ve likely heard something referred to as ‘Kafkaesque’. Kafka’s writing frequently explores bureaucracy, anxiety and alienation, and The Trial is no different. 

It tells the story of Josef K., a man arrested by an authority who won’t reveal to him (nor the reader) the nature of his crime. Maddening and existential, Kafka is a master of placing the reader into the minds of his characters, with all the anxiety and uncertainty that that entails.

9. Moby-Dick, or The Whale by Herman Melville (1851)

Considered by many the great American novel, Moby-Dick tells the tale of the sailor, Captain Ahab, and his quest for vengeance against a giant whale who tore off his leg during a past voyage. 

A commercial failure upon its publication, it enjoyed a much-deserved reappraisal in the 20th-century, with writer, D.H. Lawrence, calling it:

‘One of the strangest and most wonderful books in the world.’

10. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (1958)

The debut novel by Nigerian author, Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart explores pre-colonial Nigeria and the life of Okonkwo, a proud warrior. 

As Okonkwo’s world begins to unravel, readers are left to consider the broader impact of colonialism and cultural imperialism. Poignant and powerful, Things Fall Apart is essential reading for anyone passionate about literature and world history.

Discover More

Thanks for signing up, contemporary masterpieces.

Thousands and thousands of new books are published each year. Inevitably, some are better than others, but the joy of reading contemporary literature is trying to discern which ones will end up as classics themselves one day! 

Here are ten contemporary masterpieces that we think deserve their place amongst the greats of history.

11. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (1989)

British-Japanese author, Kazuo Ishiguro, has tried his hand at genres ranging from fantasy to science fiction, but his 1989 novel, The Remains of the Day, is one of his most highly regarded. 

A tender and heart-breaking story of an English butler who examines his painful past, Ishiguro expertly examines themes of national identity, memory and class.

12. Atonement by Ian McEwan (2001)

Ian McEwan is one of the most celebrated writers of the past few decades, and Atonement is his most dazzling novel. 

A meditation on the power of love and art, the novel contains rich intertextual references to a number of other great novels, making it a treat for any student of literary history.

13. Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo (2019)

Bernardine Evaristo’s eighth novel won the coveted Booker Prize, and fans of the book include former United States President Barack Obama. 

Following the lives of twelve characters navigating Britain across time, Girl, Woman, Other explores themes from identity to love as Evaristo demonstrates the potent power of literary fiction.

14. Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle (1993)

Irish novelist, Roddy Doyle, tells the story of Paddy, a ten-year old boy in Dublin in the 1960s. 

Doyle writes in the tone of an Irish child, creating a lucid and unforgettable character who will stay with you long after you put the book down.

15. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (1985)

Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, set in a near-future New England, is a frightening tale of political suppression and patriarchy. 

The book cemented Atwood’s place as one of the most important feminist writers of the twentieth century, with The Guardian calling it:

‘Fiercely political and bleak, yet witty and wise.’

16. Beloved by Toni Morrison (1987)

Beloved is Toni Morrison’s powerful and fervent masterpiece. It tells the story of a dysfunctional family of formerly enslaved Americans, whose home is haunted by a vengeful spirit. 

The novel won a Pulitzer Prize upon its publication, and has since been voted the best work of contemporary American fiction by The New York Times .

17. Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee (1999)

Another Booker Prize winner, South African writer J.M. Coetzee’s story of shame, reputation and family is searing and deftly written. 

A favourite author of critics and academics, Coetzee is an expert at exploring broad and timeless themes in everyday, ordinary situations.

18. Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine (2014)

American poet, Claudia Rankine, released her book-length prose-poem, Citizen: An American Lyric, to acclaim in 2014. 

Exploring racism in contemporary America, the New Yorker called it:

‘An especially vital book for this moment in time.’

19. The Color Purple by Alice Walker (1982)

Alice Walker’s epistolary novel, The Color Purple, explores the experiences of Black American women in the early 20th century. 

A story of faith and self-empowerment, it’s undoubtedly a modern classic and has since been adapted for screen and stage.

20. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami (1995)

In his novel, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Japanese author, Haruki Murakami, tells the story of Toru, a young man living in Tokyo whose daily routines are interrupted by a series of chaotic events. 

Generally considered his masterpiece, the novel explores Japanese cultural norms, free will and solitude.

Cultural epics

Beginning far back in ancient history, epics are some of the earliest examples of literature, often originating from oral storytelling of distant lands and bloody conquests. 

Many modern and contemporary authors still adapt and retell epic stories today, so here are some of our favourites from the past to the present.

2 1. The Odyssey by Homer (9 th Century BC)

The Odyssey , an ancient Greek epic poem, is one of the oldest works of literature in existence and is still widely read today. 

It follows Odysseus, king of Ithaca, on his journey home from the Trojan War. From James Joyce’s modernist masterpiece Ulysses to the American film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Odyssey has been adapted and reinterpreted for centuries.

22. Paradise Lost by John Milton (1667)

John Milton’s epic masterpiece, Paradise Lost, tells the biblical story of the fall of man, or the temptation of Adam and Eve by Satan. 

According to historians, Milton was blind when he composed his epic, dictating the entire text to his daughter over the span of several years – a testament to the extraordinary power of his memory and imagination!

23. The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri (1321)

Dante’s Divine Comedy takes readers on a journey through the realms of Hell, Purgatory and Paradise, guided by the Roman poet, Virgil, and Dante’s idealised love, Beatrice. It explores morality, justice and the Christian afterlife. 

Literary historians suggest that Dante was the first writer to depict human beings as products of their particular time and place, rather than the mythic archetypes common to Greek epics.

24. The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser (1590)

The Faerie Queene provides a glimpse into the culture of the Renaissance period, exploring themes such as courtly love, chivalry and mythical quests. 

A master of allegory, each major character in Spenser’s epic represents a specific virtue or vice. For example, the villainous Duessa embodies Falsehood.

25. Metamorphoses by Ovid (8 th Century AD)

Ovid’s magnum opus, Metamorphoses , weaves together many different Greek and Roman myths to explore the themes of transformation and change. 

The epic has been a source of inspiration for countless artists and writers across the centuries, from Botticelli to Shakespeare .

26. The Iliad by Homer (8 th Century BC)

Another Homerian epic, this time concerning the events of the Trojan War itself and the wrath of the Greek warrior, Achilles. 

If you thought being obsessive about your favourite book was a modern phenomenon, you’d be wrong! It’s said that the ancient Greek conqueror, Alexander the Great, slept with a copy of The Iliad under his pillow each night.

27. Beowulf by Anonymous (Unknown)

Although its author and exact date of composition is a matter of contention among scholars, Beowulf is the oldest and one of the most important works of Old English literature. It tells the story of the titular warrior and his confrontation with monsters and dragons. 

The Lord of the Rings author, J.R.R. Tolkien was deeply influenced by Beowulf, giving many lectures on the text during his time as Merton Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of Oxford.

28. Song of Myself by Walt Whitman (1855)

Adapting the epic form in the 19th century, American poet, Walt Whitman, explores and celebrates both the individuality and the interconnectedness of all human beings in his scintillating vision of America. 

It’s worth considering how Whitman references, and deviates from, the epic form in Song of Myself .

29. Ulysses by James Joyce (1922)

James Joyce’s magnificent, daring and strange modernist epic, Ulysses, reimagines Homer’s Odyssey in the context of a single day in Dublin. 

Although its connection to Homer isn’t always clear, neither is anything else in the novel! Its ground-breaking narrative, linguistic and formal techniques were unlike anything that came before it in the history of literature.

30. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (1955)

A modern epic inspired by the epic greats that came before it, Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy follows many of the same patterns as its predecessors: quests, fantastical creatures and allegory. 

Tolkien’s books revitalised the epic as a genre, inspiring a generation of fantasy writers from George R.R. Martin to Terry Pratchett.

Global perspectives

One of the great joys of literature is the glimpse it offers into countries and cultures that we might never otherwise visit or encounter. 

Here are ten important books from around the globe!

31. Petals of Blood by Ngūgī wa Thiong’o (1977)

Kenyan author, Ngūgī wa Thiong’o, explores the complex political landscape of postcolonial Kenya in this important novel. 

Thiong’o made significant contributions, not only to the global literary canon, but in his championing of indigenous languages in African literature, a commitment that led to his imprisonment in 1977.

32. Notebook of a Return to My Native Land by Aimè Césaire (1939)

Césaire’s masterpiece, a book-length prose-poem which explores colonial identity and the quest for cultural authenticity, is a must-read for any student interested in global literature. 

Born and writing in the Caribbean island of Martinique, Césaire’s influence can be keenly felt in the literature and activism that sprung from his vivid and breath-taking work.

33. Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie (1981)

British-Indian writer, Salman Rushdie, won a Booker prize for his novel, Midnight’s Children, which has sold over a million copies in the UK alone. 

It’s a magical realist story, serving as a loose allegory for the British partition of India in 1947.

34. Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza by Gloria Anzaldúa (1987)

Gloria Anzaldúa’s Borderlands is part poetry, part prose, part essay and part memoir. It explores the ethnic and social community of her youth on the border between Mexico and the United States. 

Borderlands reflects how she and her community have been shaped by borders, switching between English and Spanish, as well as North Mexican and Tex-Mex dialects, to create a new language: the language of the borderland.

35. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (2003)

Hosseini’s powerful and poignant novel explores friendship, betrayal and redemption against the backdrop of Afghanistan’s tumultuous history between 1963 and 2001. 

Hosseini, an Afghan-American novelist, draws on his own experiences, and the experiences of his family, to write this best-selling book.

36. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (1878)

A classic of Russian literature, Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina explores the intricacies of love, morality and societal norms in 19th-century Russia. 

The novel contains many now-ubiquitous lines, including “all happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” This line is so well-known that it even has a psychological principle named after it: the Anna Karenina Principle.

37. Mrs. Spring Fragrance by Sui Sin Far (1912)

The short story collection, Mrs. Spring Fragrance, is famous for being the earliest piece of fiction published by an author of mixed Chinese and White descent. 

It provides a glimpse into the lives of early Chinese immigrants in the United States, and explores identity and assimilation in the early 20th century.

38. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez (1967)

Colombian author Márquez’s mesmerising tale, spanning seven generations of the Buendía family, blends fantasy with history, offering a rich exploration of Latin American culture and history. 

Márquez supposedly drew inspiration for the novel from the stories of his grandmother, lending the novel its gripping authenticity.

39. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (1844)

Dumas’ exhilarating adventure novel follows the story of Edmond Dantés on his journey of vengeance. 

Set against the backdrop of post-Napoleonic France, the novel holds a firm place in the canon of French and global literature.

40. Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih (1966)

Sudanese author Salih’s postcolonial masterpiece explores European colonialism, power dynamics and cultural dislocation. 

Season of Migration to the North is one of the most celebrated texts written in Arabic, and has since been translated into more than 20 languages. Acclaimed academic, Edward Said, called it one of the six great works of Arabic literature.

Underrepresented voices

Great literature evocatively and skilfully brings us into the inner world of its characters, shining a spotlight on often marginalised voices.

Here are ten important books written by – or portraying – underrepresented voices.

41. Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin (1956)

After publishing his first novel about growing up in a Pentecostal family in Harlem, New York in the early 20th century, Baldwin seeks inspiration from his life as a gay man for his tender, affecting second novel, Giovanni’s Room . 

In 2019, BBC News listed the novel as one of the hundred most influential books of all time.

42. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (1943)

Betty Smith’s semi-autobiographical story recounts the experience of growing up in 1910’s Brooklyn, New York as a second-generation immigrant of Irish and Austrian ancestors. 

The protagonist, Francie, is vividly written and completely unforgettable, as is the novel itself.

43. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, The African by Olaudah Equiano (1789)

This captivating autobiography by a former slave is not only a gripping piece of writing but also a stunning historical document. 

Equiano tells the story of his enslavement in Africa and his eventual freedom, imploring 18th-century Britain to consider the abolition of slavery.

44. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (1997)

Arundhati Roy’s novel set in Kerala, India tells the story of fraternal twins Rahel and Estha. It explores the Indian caste system, colonialism and the repercussions of breaking societal boundaries. 

The God of Small Things is yet another Booker Prize winner, with Roy becoming the first Indian woman to receive the award.

45. Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko (1977)

Ceremony is a compelling novel which follows Tayo, a Laguna Pueblo man and World War II veteran grappling with the psychological and spiritual aftermath of war. 

A novel very much worth reading for its rich portrayal of indigenous American culture, Tayo finds solace in Native American traditions and ceremonies.

46. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (2003)

Persepolis deviates from our list so far – it’s actually a graphic novel. Although many don’t realise it, graphic novels are a form of writing (and art!) that are beginning to receive more and more attention in academia and literary study. Reading Persepolis , it’s easy to see why. 

This vivid story recounting the author’s childhood and early adulthood in Iran, during and after the Islamic Revolution, is a fascinating and fulfilling read.

47. Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi (1977)

This powerful novel depicts the life of a woman on death row in an Egyptian prison, revealing the injustices and hardships she has faced in a patriarchal society.

Its exploration of gender, oppression and resilience are profound and essential for the bookshelf of any student interested in feminist literature.

48. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (2015)

Between the World and Me is a powerful letter from the author to his teenage son, exploring the complexities of being a Black American. 

Its lyrical and intimate exploration of race and systemic inequality won Coates a National Book Award for nonfiction in 2015.

49. My Left Foot by Christy Brown (1954)

The artist and writer Christy Brown’s compelling autobiography follows his experience of learning to write and paint using only his left foot, despite his cerebral palsy. 

My Left Foot is inspiring in its portrayal of determination and resilience, and was adapted into a film in 1989, winning Daniel Day-Lewis an Oscar for Best Actor.

50. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Allison Bechdel (2006)

Another graphic novel, Fun Home is a funny but heart-rending memoir from writer, artist and feminist activist, Allison Bechdel. 

The book explores familial relationships, sexuality and mortality, and is as fantastically written as it is gorgeously illustrated.

Genre fiction often has a reputation of being unliterary, but we’re here to bust that myth! 

Here are ten seminal works of genre fiction, from horror to sci-fi, that are literary masterpieces and intriguing page-turners.

51. Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897)

Bram Stoker’s vampiric epic, Dracula, is as creepy and frightening today as it must have been over 200 years ago. 

The novel has been adapted for the screen over 30 times, and while Stoker’s characters – from Dracula to Van Helsing – are ubiquitous to popular culture, nothing quite beats the original.

52. Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley (1818)

Mary Shelley’s ground-breaking Gothic horror explores ambition, responsibility and the consequences of playing god. 

An enduring, foundational piece of science-fiction and horror, Shelley wrote Frankenstein when she was just 18 years old.

53. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1931)

Brave New World presents a dystopian vision of the future in which technology, conditioning and a caste system control every aspect of humanity. 

Huxley wrote a letter to George Orwell praising his novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four, but suggesting that his own vision of the future might be more accurate in predicting the future – decide for yourself!

54. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953)

Another dystopian classic, this time depicting a future in which books are banned and “firemen” burn any that are found. 

Bradbury’s novel is a chilling depiction of censorship, and the line ‘there must be something in books, things we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing,’ is a defiant ode to the power of literature itself.

55. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (1939)

Raymond Chandler is a master of detective fiction. His most celebrated novel , The Big Sleep , follows private investigator, Philip Marlow, as he becomes enveloped in a complex web of crime in the dark underbelly of Los Angeles. 

Chandler’s style has had a permanent impact on crime literature, as well as film.

56. The Man in the High Castle by Phillip K. Dick (1962)

Phillip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle is an essential novel in the genre of alternative history. 

Imagining a world in which the Axis powers have won World War II, and the United States is divided between Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, Dick’s novel is thought-provoking and imaginative.

57. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin (1968)

Le Guin’s fantasy novels have consistently challenged the conventions of the genre in exciting and profound ways. 

A Wizard of Earthsea was one of the first fantasy novels to feature a non-European setting, and has had a profound influence on subsequent works in the genre.

58. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (1847)

Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel, Jane Eyre, is considered the high-watermark of romantic fiction. 

Following the passionate and tumultuous love story between a governess and her employer, the novel offers a rich and nuanced exploration of character, love and society.

59. The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (1955)

Patricia Highsmith’s first novel in her series about the charming, psychopathic killer Tom Ripley is a classic slice of crime thriller. 

Set against a gorgeous backdrop of mid-century Europe, Highsmith examines the post-war American psyche with vigour.

60. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (1959)

Another seminal work of horror fiction, Jackson’s novel expertly weaves psychological terror with paranormal investigation. 

At this point, the haunted house is a cliché in film and literary horror, but it all began in Shirley Jackson’s terrifying Hill House .

Philosophical writing

Great novelists are able to grapple with existential, philosophical themes as deftly as any celebrated philosopher. 

Here are ten of the best philosophical texts ever written – perfect for the bookshelf of any reflective student.

61. The Stranger by Albert Camus (1942)

Meursault, the protagonist of The Stranger , navigates a detached and indifferent world, leading to a seemingly inexplicable crime. 

Camus’ portrayal of existentialism and absurdism in The Stranger helped gain him a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957.

62. In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust (1927)

A monumental work by the master of memory, Marcel Proust, In Search of Lost Time is a powerful and profound examination of the human experience and time. Author, Edmund White, has called it:

‘The most respected novel of the 20th century.’

63. Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre (1943)

One of the most ground-breaking philosophers of the 20th-century, Sartre’s philosophical novel, Nausea, grapples with existential angst and absurdity. Written in 1938, it intelligently reflects the climate leading up to World War II.

64. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1866)

Written following Dostoevsky’s ten-year exile in Siberia, Crime and Punishment explores morality, guilt and redemption in this novel informed by the author’s own punishment. 

This masterful novel also inspired an earlier entry in our list: Kafka’s The Trial.

65. Molloy by Samuel Beckett (1951)

Samuel Beckett is best known for his plays, including the existentialist masterpiece Waiting for Godot , but his novel, Molloy, is just as existential and absurd. 

Beckett originally wrote the novel in his second language (French) because he was less fluent in it, believing it gave his writing a more simplistic and direct style.

66. The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann (1924)

Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain provides a nuanced perspective on the prelude to the First World War, following protagonist, Hans Castorp, as he grapples with time, illness and the philosophical discussions of patients in a Swiss sanatorium.

67. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (2004)

Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas is a modern philosophical masterpiece. Exploring contemporary concerns about globalisation and technology, this dazzling novel weaves together six interconnected stories spanning time – and even genre!

68. The Road by Cormac McCarthy (2006)

The Road follows a father and son navigating the desolate landscape of a post-apocalyptic world. Throughout the novel, McCarthy starkly portrays the human condition and muses ethical questions in the face of adversity.  

Before his death in 2023, McCarthy was considered one of the greatest living writers and will no doubt go down as a modern great.

69. White Noise by Don DeLillo (1985)

Exploring a fear of death in a newly technological society, White Noise is a classic of postmodern fiction. Its satirical take on consumer culture combines with a depiction of contemporary anxiety to capture the cultural atmosphere of the late 20th-century with aplomb.

70. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (1967)

Another philosophical novel, another Russian master – this time, from the 20th-century! 

Bulgakov’s novel tells the story of Satan visiting Moscow to challenge the moral and ideological foundations of society. Its rich blend of satire and fantasy offers a critique of Soviet society, but more profoundly, explores the basis of good and evil. As such, it was censored until its eventual publication in 1967 – 30 years after it was written.

Historical narratives

We can learn a lot about history by reading books from any given time period, but it can be just as fascinating to explore historical fiction, written by contemporary authors, drawing parallels between the modern day and the historical past. 

Here are ten of our favourite historical narratives from across time.   

7 1. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (2009)

Wolf Hall is Hilary Mantel’s masterpiece of political intrigue in the court of Tudor England. Told through the eyes of Thomas Cromwell, the novel is a wonderful portrayal of power dynamics and moral complexities, earning her a Booker Prize in 2009.

72. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (1961)

Catch-22 is a smart and perceptive satire on the absurdity of war and bureaucracy, following the story of Captain John Yossarian through World War II. The novel coined the term “catch-22”, meaning a no-win situation.

73. The Zone of Interest by Martin Amis (2014)

Martin Amis’ chilling historical fiction, The Zone of Interest, portrays the inner lives of Nazi officials overseeing the Auschwitz death camp in Germany. The book has recently been turned into an acclaimed film by director, Jonathan Glazer.

74. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (1859)

Although best known for his satirical and timeless satires of Victorian England, Dickens’ historical epic, A Tale of Two Cities, is one of his best-loved books. 

Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, its portrayal of sacrifice, resurrection and justice is whip-smart and incredibly compelling.

75. American Pastoral by Philip Roth (1997)

The first instalment of his loose ‘American trilogy’, Philip Roth’s American Pastoral is perhaps his most well-loved work. 

Exploring the disintegration of the American Dream in the 1960s during the Lyndon B. Johnson presidency, the sublime American Pastoral earned Roth the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1998.

76. The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo (1831)

French author, Victor Hugo, transports readers to medieval Paris, and the life of the deformed bell-ringer Quasimodo, in The Hunchback of Notre-Dame . 

The text’s rich historical and architectural detail has been celebrated not only as a prominent work of fiction, but for actually inspiring the preservation of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris!

77. The Scarlet Letter: A Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1850)

Hawthorne’s classic work of American literature, The Scarlet Letter , explores the consequences of societal expectations in Puritan New England, and is a fascinating insight into the beginning of European Settlement in America.

78. Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon (1997)

A postmodernist master, Thomas Pynchon’s foray into historical fiction is as rich and complex as any of his other celebrated novels. 

Mason & Dixon tells the story of two famous 18th-century surveyors, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, and is an intricate exploration of both history and science.

79. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960)

It’s rare you’ll find a list of the most important novels of all time without seeing To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee’s story of racial injustice in the American South in the 1930s is a must-read for students of literature.

80. Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow (1975)

Doctorow vividly captures the spirit of early 20th-century America in Ragtime , a novel which weaves together the stories of several fictional and historical characters to innovatively blend fact with fiction. 

This radical and exciting novel has since been adapted for the stage as a musical.

Experimental literature

To read widely across different time periods is to observe how writing changes from one generation to the next, sometimes radically. 

This kind of evolution wouldn’t be possible without authors keen to experiment with the tools at their disposal, creating new methods of self-expression in the process!

81. Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (1925)

Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway is considered the high-point of modernist literature. Her revolutionary use of stream-of-consciousness prose – aimed at reflecting the inner monologue of her characters – helped change literature forever. 

Author, Michael Cunningham, has called Mrs Dalloway :

‘One of the most moving, revolutionary artworks of the 20th century.’

82. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (1937)

A classic of Harlem Renaissance literature, Zora Neale Hurston’s novel was initially poorly received. It has since become a coveted classic, with TIME naming it one of the hundred best novels of the past century. 

Her use of Black Southern vernacular is a daring and original way of developing character in her work, and has been emulated in many contemporary texts.

83. Tender Buttons by Gertrude Stein (1914)

Early American modernist, Gertrude Stein, was a friend of leading artistic figures in the early 20th century including Pablo Picasso and Ezra Pound. 

In her ground-breaking work of prose-poetry , Tender Buttons , she expertly demonstrates her fascination with the basic structures of language and sound.

84. On the Road by Jack Kerouac (1957)

Jack Kerouac was a leading light in the Beat Generation, an experimental literary group of American writers. In his strange and seminal novel, On the Road , Kerouac explores travel, jazz, poetry and subculture, which Thomas Pynchon describes as:

‘One of the great American novels.’

85. If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino (1979)

A postmodern classic, Italian author Italo Calvino’s If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler is a fascinating exploration of metafiction and the reading process. The first section of each chapter is addressed in second person to the reader, describing the process of reading itself.

86. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut (1969)

Inspired by Vonnegut’s own trauma, the satirical anti-war novel, Slaughterhouse-Five , is his most celebrated work. 

Much like Calvino, Vonnegut’s writing utilises metafiction to examine the process of reading and writing. The first chapter of Slaughterhouse-Five is written as an author’s preface, detailing Calvino’s experience of writing the novel. This unconventional narrative structure has continued to inspire generations of writers since its release.

87. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer (2014)

Jeff VanderMeer’s Annihilation takes the well-worn science-fiction genre and gives it a new, experimental edge. The first in a trilogy, it tells the story of a mysterious area known as ‘Area X’, which fascinates and terrifies researchers in equal measure. 

An engrossing exploration of climate change and bureaucracy, Annihilation is experimental literature for the 21st century.

88. The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot

T.S. Eliot’s long, landmark modernist poem reflects the disillusionment of a society in the aftermath of World War One. 

Its fragmented structure and diverse allusions are haunting and complex, and to this day, academics are still trying to unravel its rich web of references.

89. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson (1971)

Hunter S. Thompson invented a new genre of writing with his semi-autobiographical novels: gonzo journalism. 

A method of writing in which the author places themselves into strange and intriguing spaces, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is gonzo journalism’s high-water mark. The novel explores hedonism and 1960s counter-culture in an exciting, darkly hilarious way.

90. No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood (2021)

Patricia Lockwood’s poignant and affecting novel, No One Is Talking About This, is truly literary experimentation for the 2020s. 

Mostly written on her iPhone, the novel’s exploration of social media and its troubling relationship to reality is funny and heart-breaking in equal measure. It’s essential for anyone interested in how authors are still experimenting with literature to this day. 

Multigenerational sagas

Novels hold a power that we don’t: they can traverse across time, exploring the inner lives of several generations at once. Multigenerational novels are powerful in both their personal examination of family and their unique historical perspectives.

9 1. Kindred by Octavia Butler (1979)

Octavia Butler’s gripping and affecting Afrofuturist adventure isn’t your typical science-fiction novel. It tells the story of a contemporary Black American, Dana, who begins travelling back in time by accident, her life intertwining with that of her ancestors. 

Kindred explores slavery, family ties and modern identity in a profound way.

92. East of Eden by John Steinbeck (1952)

Steinbeck’s epic, East of Eden, spans several generations of the Trask and Hamilton families, offering a modern retelling of the biblical story of Cain and Abel. 

Its exploration of good and evil and complex family relationships demonstrates why Steinbeck is still so passionately studied in schools to this day.

93. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (2002)

In Middlesex, we follow the Stephanides family over several decades, exploring identity, gender and the immigrant experience. Its searing social commentary won its author the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

94. Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley (1976)

Alex Haley’s semi-autobiographical novel was a cultural phenomenon upon its publication. It traces the Black American writer’s family across generations, from the capture of his ancestor, Kunta Kinte, in Africa to the struggle of his recent descendants in America.

95. The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler (1903)

Initially censored due to its controversial content, Samuel Butler’s The Way of All Flesh is now a celebrated piece of 20th-century literature. Its story spans several generations of the Pontifex family, providing a satirical critique of Victorian society.

96. Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence (1913)

Modernist master, D.H. Lawrence, tells the story of the Morel family in Sons and Lovers . Its psychological depth, vivid characters and expertly written prose make it one of Lawrence’s very best pieces of work.

97. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner (1929)

Faulkner’s staple of American literature, The Sound and the Fury , explores the history of the American South by way of the Compson family’s decline over several decades. 

Utilising Faulkner’s typical style of stream-of-consciousness and unconventional narrative structure, this profound novel is worthy of any bookshelf.

98. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende (1982)

Allende’s magical realist story of the Trueba family in Chile explores not only the changes in familial relations over time, but in politics and society at large.

This novel began as a letter from Allende to her dying grandfather, which she began writing on 8th January, 1981. Following this novel, Allende began writing all her books on January 8th!

99. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (2017)

In Pachinko , Min Jin Lee traverses the lives of several generations of a Korean family living in Japan, exploring identity, discrimination and resilience. 

The New York Times named it one of the best books of 2017, and its stature is only likely to grow.

100. The Sparsholt Affair by Alan Hollinghurst (2017)

Alan Hollinghurst’s cross-generational saga deftly tracks the changing attitudes to homosexuality in Britain, from the Second World War to the present day. 

One of the Booker Prize winner’s most ambitious and affecting novels, The Sparsholt Affair will leave a lasting impact, offering readers a new perspective on British social history.

We hope this list serves as a guide to the rich and complex history of literature, and that it gives you a taste of the kind of texts you might encounter at university and beyond. 

Happy reading!

Sam is a recent English graduate from the University of Bristol whose interests include twentieth-century fiction, film, and cultural criticism.

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